2 Chronicles · Chapter 24

[ edit] Of ſeuen ȝeer was Joas, whanne he hadde begunne to regnen, and fourtye ȝeer he regnede in Jeruſalem; name of his modir Sebia of Berſabe. And he dyde þat was good before þe Lord, alle þe days of Joiada, þe preſte. Forſoþe and Joas took two wijues, of þe whiche he gat ſones and douȝters. After whiche þingus it pleſide to Joas, þat he ſchulde enſtore þe hous of þe Lord. And he gadirde þe preſtis and Leuytis, and ſeyde to hem, Goþ out to þe cytees of Juda, and gadereþ of al Irael monee, to þe reparaciouns of þe temple of þe Lord oure God, by alle ȝeers; and ſwijþ doþ it. Bot þe Leuytis diden it more necgligently.

And þe kyng clepide Joiada, prince, and ſeyde to hym, Why was not to þee biſyneſſe, þat þou conſtreyn Leuytis to brengyn in fro Juda and Jeruſalem monee, þe whiche is ordeynd of Moyſes, þe ſeruaunt of þe Lord, þat al þe multitude of Irael ſchulde bryngyn it in to þe tabernacle of wytneſſynge? Aþalia forſoþe moſt vnpitous, and hir ſonus, diſtruyeden þe hous of God; and of alle þingus, þat weren halowed to þe temple of þe Lord, ſche enournede þe temple of Baalym. Þann þe kyng comaundide, and þei maaden þe ark, and putten it beſide þe ȝate of þe Lord wiþ outeforþ.

And it is prechid in Juda and in Jeruſalem, þat alle ſchulden bere pris to þe Lord, þat Moyſes ordeynde to þe ſeruauntis of God vpon al Irael, in deſerte. And alle þe princis and alle þe puple gladedyn, and goon in, þei ȝeuen in to þe ark of þe Lord, and putten, ſo þat it was ful. And whanne tyme was, þat þei ſchulden bern þe arke bifore þe kyng bi þe hondis of Leuytis, forſoþe þei ſeen myche monee; and þer wente in a ſcribe of lawe, whom þe firſte preſte hadde ordeyned, and þei heelden oute þe monee, þat was in þe arke; forſoþe þe arke þei bern aȝein to his place.

And ſo þei diden bi ſundre days, and þer is gadird monee wiþ oute noumbre; þe whiche þe kyng and Joiada ȝeuen to hem þat ſtoden vpon þe werkis of þe hous of þe Lord. And þei hireden of it hewers of ſtoones, and craftiſe men of alle werkis, þat þei reſtoren þe hous of þe Lord; alſo forgers of yren, and of braſſe, þat þat, þat hadde begunne to fallen, were ſuſteyned. And þes þat wrouȝten diden wijſly, and þe gap of þe wallis was hillid bi þe hondis of hem; and þei rereden þe hous of þe Lord in to þe raþer ſtate, and þei maaden it to ſtonden faſt.

And whanne þei hadden fulfild alle þe werkis, þei brouȝten before þe kyng and Joiada þe toþer part of þe monee, of þe whiche ben maad þe veſſels of þe temple in to þe ſeruyſe, and to brent ſacrifices; alſo violis, and oþer golden veſſels and ſylueren. And þer weren offrid brent ſacrifices in þe hous of þe Lord contynuly, alle þe days of Joiade. Forſoþe Joiada eeldide ful of days, and dyed, whanne he was of an hundriþ and þritti ȝeer; and þei birieden hym in þe cytee of Dauid wiþ kingus; forþi þat he hadde done good wiþ Irael, and wiþ his hous. Forſoþe after þat Joiada died, þe princis of Jude wenten in, and honoureden þe kyng, þe whiche pleſide by þe ſeruyſes of hem, aſſentide to hem.

And þei forſoken þe temple of þe Lord God of þeir fadirs, and þei ſerueden to mawmette woodis, and grauen þingus; and þer is don þe wraþ of þe Lord aȝeynus Judam and Jeruſalem for þis ſynne. And he ſente to hem prophetis, þat þei ſchulden turnen aȝein to þe Lord; whom beforen witneſſynge þei wolden not heeren. And ſo þe Spirite of þe Lord cloþed Zacharie, þe ſone of Joiade, preſte; and he ſtode in þe ſiȝte of þe puple, and ſeyde, Þes þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Why ouerpaſſe ȝe þe heeſte of þe Lord, þat ſchal not profiten to ȝou, and ȝe han forſaken þe Lord, þat he forſake ȝou? Þe whiche gadered aȝeynus hym, ſenten ſtoones, after þe heſte of þe kyng, in þe hall of þe hous of þe Lord.

And king Joas is not recordid of þe mercy þat Joiada, þe fadir of hym, hadde done wiþ hym; bot he ſlewȝ his ſone. Þe whiche, whanne he ſchulde dyen, ſeiþ, Þe Lord ſee, and requyre. And whanne þe ȝeer was ouerturned, þe hooſt of Cirie ſteiȝede up aȝeinus hym, and came in to Judam and Jeruſalem, and ſlewȝ alle þe princis of þe puple; and al þe pray þei ſenten to þe king, to Damaſc. And certis whanne þer was commen a litil noumbre of Ciries, þe Lord toke in þe hondis of hem vnnoumbreable multitude, forþy þat þei hadde forſaken þe Lord God of þeir fadirs. In to Joas alſo þei enhauntiden ſchenſchipful domys; and goynge awey þei laften hym in grete langours.

Forſoþe his ſeruauntis ariſen aȝeinus hym, in to vengyng of þe blode of þe ſone of Joiade, preſt; and þei ſlewen hym in his bed, and he is deed. And þei birieden hym in þe cytee of Dauid, bot not in þe ſepulcris of kingis. Forſoþe þer aweytiden to hym Zabaþ, þe ſone of Semaþ Amanytidis, and Joſabeþ, þe ſone of Semariþ, Moabitidis. Bot þe ſonus of hym, and þe ſoume of monee þat was leyd to gydre vndir hym, and þe enſtorynge of þe hous of God, ben writen more diligently in þe boke of Kyngis.