2 Chronicles · Chapter 17

[ edit] Joſaphaþ forſoþe, his ſone, regnede for hym; and he wexe ſtronge aȝeinus Yrael. And he ſette noumbris of knyȝtis in alle þe cytees of Juda, þat weren enuyrounde wiþ wallis, and he diſpoſede ſtrengþes in þe lond of Juda, and in þe cytees of Effraym, þat Aza, his fadir, hadde taken. And þe Lord was wiþ Joſaphaþ, þe whiche wente in þe weies of Dauiþ, his fadir, in þe firſt; he hoopide not in Baalym, bot in þe Lord God of Dauid, his fadir, and he wente in þe heeſtis of hym, and not aftir þe ſynnes of Yrael. And þe Lord confermede þe rewme in his hond, and al Juda ȝaue ȝiftis to Joſaphaþ, and wiþ oute noumber rycheſſis ben maad to hym, and myche glorie.

And whanne his herte hadde taken hardyneſſe for þe weies of þe Lord, alſo heeȝ þingis and mawmete wodus he toke awei fro Juda. Þe þrid forſoþe ȝeer of his regne he ſente of his princis Banayl, and Abdyam, and Zachyam, and Naþanael, and Mychiam, þat þei ſchulden techen in þe cytees of Juda; and wiþ hem Leuytis, Semeyam, and Naþanyam, and Zabadyam, Azahil alſo, and Semyramoþ, and Jonaþan, and Adonyam, and Tobiam, and Abadonyam, Leuytis; and wiþ hem Elizama and Joram, preſtis; and þey tauȝten þe puple in Juda, hauynge þe boke of þe lawe of þe Lord; and þei enuyrouneden alle þe cytees of Juda, and tauȝten al þe puple.

And ſo þe ferd of þe Lord is maad vpon alle rewmes of londis, þat weren by enuyroun of Juda; and þei weren not hardy to fiȝten aȝein Joſaphaþ. Bot and þe Philiſteis brouȝten ȝiftis to Joſaphaþ, and tribute of ſyluer; alſo Arabes brouȝten beeſtis, of weþers ſeuen þouſand and ſeuen hundriþ, and geet as feele. Þan Joſaphaþ wexe, and is magnyfied vnto in heiȝte, and bilde up in Juda houſes at licneſſe of touris, and ſtrengþed cytees; and many werkis made redy in þe cytees of Juda. And men fiȝters and ſtrong weren in Jeruſalem; of whome þis is þe noumbre, by houſes and meynes of echone. In Juda prince of þe hooſt, duyk Eduas, and wiþ hym moſt ſtronge men þre hundriþ þouſand.

After þis Johannan prynce, and wiþ hym two hundriþ and eiȝtye þouſand. Aftir hym alſo Amazias, þe ſone of Zechri, ſacrid to þe Lord, and wiþ hym two hundriþ þouſand of ſtronge men. Þis folowede a ſtronge man to batails, Eliada, and wiþ hym of holdynge bowe and terget two hundriþ þouſand. Aftir hym alſo Joſabaþ, and wiþ hym an hundriþ and eiȝtye þouſand of al redy knyȝtis. Alle þes weren at þe hond of þe kyng, outake oþere, þe whiche he hadde ſette forþ in wallid citees and in al Juda.