2 Chronicles · Chapter 13

[ edit] The eiȝtene ȝeer of kyng Jeroboam regnede Abia vpon Judam; þre ȝeer he regnede in Jeruſalem; and name of his modir Machaia, þe douȝter of Vriel of Gabaa. And þer was bataile betwene Abiam and Jeroboam. And whanne Abia hadde gon in ſtrijf, and hadde moſt beſt fiȝtynge men, and of choſen foure hundriþ þouſand, Jeroboam ordeynde aȝeinward ſcheltrun of eiȝt hundriþ þouſand of men, þe whiche and þei weren choſen and to batails moſt ſtronge. Þann Abia ſtood vpon þe hil of Semeron, þat was in Effram, and ſeiþ, Heere, Jeroboam and al Yrael; wheþer ȝe knowe not, þat þe Lord God of Yrael ȝaue þe rewme to Dauid vpon Yrael in to euermore, to hym and to his ſonis into couenaunt of ſalte?

And Jeroboam, þe ſone of Nabaþ, þe ſeruaunt of Salamon, ſone of Dauiþ, ros, and rebellide aȝeinus his lord. And þer ben gaderd to hym moſt vein men and þe ſonis of Belial, and þei hadden þe ouer hond aȝeinus Roboam, þe ſone of Salamon. Bot Roboam was rude, and wiþ ferde herte, and myȝt not aȝeinſtonden to hem. Now þann ȝe ſayn, þat ȝe ſchul mown wiþſtonde to þe rewme of þe Lord, þat he weldiþ by þe ſonis of Dauid; and ȝe han a gret multitude of puple, and golden calues, þe whiche Jeroboam haþ made to ȝou in to goddis.

And ȝe han þrowen awei þe preſtis of þe Lord, þe ſonys of Aaron, and Leuytis, and han maad to ȝou preſtes, as alle þe puplis of londis; whoſoeuer commiþ and ſacriþ his hond in bool, in oxen and in ſeuen weþers, anoon he is maad þe preſte of hem þat ben not goddis.

Our forſoþe Lord is God, whom we han not forſaken; and þe preſtis myniſtriden to þe Lord of þe ſonis of Aaron, and Leuytis ben in þeir ordre; alſo brent ſacrifices þei offren to þe Lord by ech days, erly and at euen, and þe encenſe maad aftir þe heſtis of þe lawe; and þere ben leid forþ looues in þe moſt clene borde; and þere is anentis us a golden chaundeler, and þe lantern of it, þat it be tend euermore at euen; we forſoþe kepen þe heſtis of oure God, whom ȝe han forſaken. Þanne duke in oure hooſt is God, and þe preſtis of hym, þat crien in trumpis and ſownen aȝeins ȝou; ȝe ſonis of Yrael, williþ not fiȝten aȝeinus þe Lord God of oure fadirs, for it ſpediþ not to ȝou.

Þes þingis hym ſpekyng, Jeroboam bihynde kaſte buſchementis; and whanne he ſchulde ſtonden forn aȝeinus of þe hooſtis, he enuyrounde wiþ his hooſt Judam vnknowynge. And Juda biholdynge ſawȝ to ſtonden in bataile forn aȝeinſt, and bihynde þe bac; and he criede to þe Lord, and þe preſtis wiþ trumpis begunnen to ſyngen. And alle þe men of Juda crieden out, and loo! hem criynge out, God ferid Jeroboam and al Yſrael, þat ſtood forn aȝeynſt Juda and Abia. And þe men of Yrael flowen Judam, and þe Lord tok hem in to þe hondis of hem. Þan ſmote hem Abia and his puple in a grete veniaunce, and þer fellen of hem woundid fyue hundriþ þouſand of ſtronge men.

And þe ſonis of Yrael ben mekid in þat tyme, and þe ſonis of Juda moſt hugely coumfortid, forþi þat þei hadden hopide in þe Lord God of þeir fadirs. Forſoþe Abia purſued Jeroboam fleeȝinge, and toke citees of him, Beþel and þe douȝtirs of it, and Jeſana wiþ his douȝtirs, Efron alſo and þe douȝtirs of it; and miȝt no more wiþſtonde Jeroboam in þe days of Abia, whome þe Lord ſmote, and is deed. Þan Abia, comfortid his empyre, toke fouretene wijues and gat two and twenty ſonis, and ſixtene douȝters. And þe remnaunt of þe wordis of Abia and of þe weies and of his werkis, ben writen moſt biſily in þe boke of Abdo, prophete.