2 Chronicles · Chapter 21

[ edit] Joſaphaþ forſoþe ſlepte wiþ his faders, and is biryed wiþ hem in þe cite of Dauid; and Joram, his ſone, regned for hym. Þe whiche hadde breþeren, ſonus of Joſaphaþ, Azaryam, Jahiel, and Zacharie, and Azarie, and Mychael, and Saphaciam; alle þes þe ſonis of Joſaphaþ, kyng of Juda. And his fadir ȝaue to hem many ȝiftis of gold and of ſyluer, and penſyouns, wiþ þe moſt ſtrengþed citees in Juda; þe rewme forſoþe he toke to Joram, for þi þat he was þe firſt goten. Joram forſoþe roos vpon þe rewme of his fadir; and whanne he hadde confermede him ſelue, he ſlewȝ alle his breþeren wiþ ſwerde, and ſum of þe princis of Juda.

Of two and þritty ȝeer Joram was, whanne he beganne to regnen; and eiȝt ȝeer he regnede in Jeruſalem. And he wente in þe weyes of þe kyngis of Irael, as þe hous of Achab hadde don, þe douȝter forſoþe of Achab was his wijf; and he dide euyl in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord. Forſoþe þe Lord wolde not diſtruyen þe hous of Dauid, for þe couenaunt þat he hadde gon in wiþ hym, and for he hadde behoten þat he ſchulde ȝeuen to hym a lantern, and to his ſonus in al tyme. In þo days Edom rebellide, þat he were not ſuget to Jude, and he ſette to hym a kyng.

And whanne Joram was paſſed wiþ his princis, and wiþ al þe chyualrie, þat was wiþ hym, he ros þe niȝt, and ſmote Edom, þe whiche hadde enuyrounde hym, and alle þe duykis of his chyualrye. Neuer þe later Edom rebellide, þat he were not vnder þe comaundinge of Juda vnto þis day. Þat tyme and Lobna wente awey, þat he were not vnder þe hond of hym; forſoþe he hadde forſaken þe Lord God of þeir fadirs. Forþermore he forgide heeȝe þingus in þe cytees of Juda, and he maad þe dwellers of Jeruſalem to do fornycacioun, and Juda to breken þe lawe.

Forſoþe þer ben brouȝt to hym lettris fro Helia, þe prophete, in þe whiche was writen, Þes þingus ſeiþ þe Lord God of Dauid, þi fadir, For þou wentiſt not in þe weies of Joſaphaþ, þi fadir, and in þe wei of Aza, kyng of Juda, bot and þou wentiſt bi þe wey of þe kyngis of Irael, and þou madiſt Judam and þe dwellers of Jeruſalem to don fornycacioun, folewynge þe fornycacioun of þe hous of Achab; ferþermore and þi breþeren and þe hous of þi fadir, beter þanne þi ſilf, þou haſt ſleyn; loo! þe Lord ſchal ſmyten þee wiþ a grete veniaunce, wiþ þi puple, and ſonus, and þi wyues, and wiþ al þi ſubſtaunce; þou forſoþe ſchalt waxen ſeek þe moſt warſt langour of wombe, to þe tyme þat þi guttis gon out lityl melum by ſundre days.

Þanne þe Lord rerede aȝeinus Joram þe ſpirite of Philiſteis, and of Arabes, þe which ben neeȝ cooſtis to Eþiopes; and þei ſteyȝeden up in to þe lond of Juda, and þei waſtiden it, and þei diſtruyeden al þe ſubſtaunce, þat is founden in þe hous of þe kyng; ferþermore and þe ſonus of hym, and þe wijues; and þer laft not to hym a ſone bot Joacha, þat was leſte þoruȝ birþ. And vpon alle þes þingus þe Lord ſmote hym wiþ vncurable ſorowe of wombe.

And whanne to þe day ſchulde folowen day, and þe ſpacis of tymes weren turned ouer, of two ȝeer þe cercle is fulfild; and ſo wiþ longe langour he is waſtid, ſo þat he ſchot out alſo his guttis, and ſo he wantide þe langour to gydre and lijf, and he is deed in warſt infirmyte. And þe puple dide not to hym þe deedis office after þe maner of brennynge, as it hadde done to þe more of hym. Of two and þritty ȝeer he was, whanne he beganne to regnen, and eiȝt ȝeer he regnede in Jeruſalem, and he wente not riȝt; and þei biryeden hym in þe cyte of Dauid, neuer þe later not in þe ſepulcre of kyngis.