2 Chronicles · Chapter 23

[ edit] Joiada forſoþe þe ſeuenþ ȝeer comfortide, toke þe maiſters of hundriþes, Azariam, þat is, þe ſone of Jeroboam, and Iſmael, þe ſone of Johannan, alſo Azariam, þe ſone of Obed, and Maaziam, þe ſone of Adaye, and Eliſaphaþ, þe ſone of Yſecry; and he wente in wiþ hem counſeyl and peſe couenaunt. Þe whiche enuyrounynge Judam, gaderden Leuytis of alle þe cytees of Juda, and þe princis of þe meynes of Irael, and camen in to Jeruſalem. Þanne wente in couenaunt al þe multitude in þe hous of þe Lord wiþ þe kyng. And Joiada ſeide to hem, Loo! þe ſone of þe kyng ſchal regnen, as þe Lord ſpake vpon þe ſonus of Dauid. Þis is þanne þe word þat ȝe ſchul done.

Þe þridde part of ȝou þat ben commen to þe ſaboþ, of preſtis, and of Leuytis, and of porters, ſchal ben in þe ȝaatis; þe þrid forſoþe part at þe hous of þe kyng; and þe þrid part at þe ȝaate, þat is clepid of þe foundement. Al forſoþe þe toþer comoun be in þe porches of þe hous of þe Lord; ne eny oþer man comme in to þe hous of þe Lord, bot þe preſtis, and þat mynyſtren of Leuytis; þei aloonly commen in, þat ben halowed, and alle þe toþer comoun keepe wele þe wardis of þe Lord. Þe Leuytis forſoþe enuyroun þei þe kyng, eche hauynge þeir armes; ȝif eny oþer ſchal commyn in to þe temple, be he ſlayn; and be þei wiþ þe kyng commynge in and goinge out.

Þanne þe Leuytis diden, and al Juda, after alle þingis þat Joiada, þe biſchop, hadde comaundide; and alle þei token þe men, þat weren vndir hem, and þei camen by ordre of þe ſaboþ wiþ hem, þat nowe hadden fulfild þe ſaboþ, and weren gon out. Forſoþe Joiade, þe biſchop, hadde not leetyn þe cumpanyes to gon awey, þe whiche weren wont by ſundre weekis to comme after to hem ſelue. And Joiada, þe preſt, ȝaf to þe leders of hundriþis ſperes, and tergetis, and bokelers of kyng Dauid, þe whiche he hadde ſacride in to þe hous of þe Lord. And he ſette al þe puple, of holdyng daggers, fro þe riȝt partie of þe temple vnto þe left part of þe temple, before þe auter and þe temple, by enuyroun of þe kyng.

And þei ladden out þe kingus ſone, and putten on to hym a dyademe; and ȝeuen to hym in his hond þe lawe to ben holden, and þei ſetten hym kyng. And Joiada, þe byſchop, enoyntide hym, and his ſonus; and þei inwardly preyden, and ſeyden, Lyue þe kyng! Þat whanne Aþalia hadde herde, þat is, þe voice of men rennyng and preyſyng þe kyng, ſche wente in to þe puple, into þe temple of þe Lord. And whanne ſche had ſeen þe kyng ſtondynge upon þe gree in þe entre, and princis and companyes abouten hym, and al þe puple of þe lond ioyinge, and criynge in trumpis, and orgnys of dyuerſe maner, ſyngynge to gydir, and þe voice of men preyſynge, ſche kutte hir cloþis, and ſeiþ, Aſpyes! aſpyes!

Forſoþe Joiada, þe biſchop, gon out to þe leeders of hundriþes, and princis of þe hooſt, ſeide to hem, Lediþ hir out of þe purſeyntis of þe temple, and be ſche ſlayn wiþ out forþ wiþ ſwerd; and þe preſt comaundid, þat ſche ſhuld not be ſlayn in þe hous of þe Lord. And he putte on hondis to þe nollis of hyre; and whanne ſche had gon in þe ȝate of þe hors, of þe hous of þe king, þei ſlewen hir þere. Forſoþe Joiada couenauntide couenaunt of peſe betwene hym and al þe puple and þe kyng, þat þer were a puple of þe Lord. And ſo al þe puple wente in to þe hous of Baal, and þei diſtroyeden it; and auters, and mawmetis of it þei to-breeken; Maþan alſo, þe preſte of Baal, þei ſlewen before þe auters.

Forſoþe Joiada ſette prouoſtis in þe hous of þe Lord, þat vndir þe hondis of preſtis, and Leuytis, þe whiche Dauid delide in þe hous of þe Lord, þat þei ſchulden offeren brent ſacrifices to þe Lord, as it is writen in þe boke of Moyſy, in ioye and ſongus, after þe diſpoſicyoun of Dauid. Alſo he ſette porters in þe ȝatis of þe hous of þe Lord, þat þer ſchulde not gon in to it vnclene in eny þing. And he toke leeders of hundriþes, and moſt ſtronge men, and princis of þe puple, and al þe comoun of þe lond. And þei maden þe kyng to comme doun fro þe hous of þe Lord, and gon in by þe mydil of þe ouerȝate in to þe hous of þe kyng; and þei ſetten hym in þe kyngus ſee.

And al þe puple of þe lond gladide, and þe cytee reſtyde; bot Aþalia is ſlayn wiþ ſwerde.