2 Chronicles · Chapter 26

[ edit] Forſoþe al þe puple of Juda his ſone, Oſie, of ſexteen ȝeer, ſetten kyng for his fadir Amazie. He bild up Aylaþ, and reſtored it to þe lordſchip of Juda, aftir þat þe kyng ſlepte wiþ his fadirs. Of ſexteen ȝeer Oſias was, whanne he hadde begunne to regnen; and two and fyfty ȝeer he regned in Jeruſalem; name of his modre, Yechelya, of Jeruſalem. And he dide þat was riȝt in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, aftir alle þingus þat Amazias, his fader, hadde done. And he ſouȝte þe Lord in þe days of Zacharie, vndirſtondinge and ſeeing God; and whanne he ſchuld ſechen God, he louede hym in alle þingus.

Aftirward he wente out, and fauȝte aȝeinus Philiſteis, and he diſtruyede þe wall of Geþ, and þe wall of Jabnye, and þe wal of Azoty; and he bilde up burȝ towns in Azote of Phyliſteym. And þe Lord halpe hym aȝeynus Philiſteym, and aȝenus Arabas þat dwelliden in Garbahal, and aȝenus Amonytis. And Amonytis ſpendiden þe ȝiftis to Ozie, and his name is pupliſchit vnto þe entre of Egipt for his oft victories. And Ozias bilde up toures in Jeruſalem vpon þe ȝate of þe corner, and vpon þe ȝate of þe valey, and oþer in þe ſame ſide of þe wall; and he faſtnede hem.

And he bilde out alſo toures in wildirneſſe, and dalf out many cyſternes; forþi þat he hadde many beeſtis boþe in þe wijlde feeldis and in þe waſtite of deſert. Alſo vynes he hadde and wyne makers in hillis, and in Carmele; forſoþe he was a man ȝeuen to erþ tyllyinge. Þe hooſt forſoþe of þe fyȝtynge men of hym, þat wenten forþ to batayles, was vndir þe hond of Heiel, ſcribe, and Mazie, doctour, and vndir þe hond of Ananye þat was of þe duykis of þe kyng; and al þe noumbre of princis, by þeir meynees, of ſtronge men two þouſand and ſexe hundriþ. And vndir hem al þe hooſt of þre hundriþ and ſeuen þouſand and fyue hundriþ, þat weren able to batail, and for þe king aȝeinus þe enmyes fouȝten.

And Ozias maad redy to hem, þat is, to al þe hooſt, tergetis, and ſperes, and helmes, and hauberiouns, and bowes, and ſlyngis to ſtones to ben þrowen. And he maad in Jeruſalem engynes of dyuerſe maner, þe whiche he ſette in toures, and in þe corners of wallis, þat þei ſchulden caſten arewes and grete ſtones; and his name is gon out aferre, for þi þat þe Lord halpe hym, and hadde ſtrengþede hym. Bot whanne he was ſtrengþed, his hert is arered in to his deþ; and he diſpiſede þe Lord his God; and gon in to þe temple of þe Lord, he wolde brenne encenſe vpon þe autir of maad encenſe.

And anoon aftir hym wente in Azarias, þe preſte, and wiþ hym preſtis of þe Lord, ſeuenty men moſt worþi; and þei wiþſtoden to þe kyng, and ſeyden, Ozia, it is not of þin office, þat þou brenne encenſe to þe Lord, bot of þe preſtis of þe Lord, þat is, of þe ſonus of Aaron, þat ben ſacrid to ſyche a maner ſeruyſe; go out fro þe ſeyntuarye, ne diſpiſe þou; for it ſchal not ben wijtyd to þee in to glorie of þe Lord God. And Ozias is wroþ, and holdinge in þe hond a cenſere, þat he brenne encenſe, he þratt to þe preſtis; and anoon þer is ſprungen a lepre in his forhede, before þe preſtis in þe hous of þe Lord vpon þe auter of maad encenſe.

And whanne Azaria, þe biſchop, hadde beholden hym, and alle þe toþer preſtis ſeen a lepre in his forhede, haſtely þei puttyn hym out; and he aferd hyȝede to gon out; forþi þat he hadde feelid anoon þe veniaunce of þe Lord. Þanne Ozias was meſel vnto þe day of his deþ, and dwellide in an hous ſeuered, ful of lepre; for þe whiche he was þrowen out fro þe hous of þe Lord. Bot Joaþan, his ſone, gouernede þe hous of þe kyng, and demede þe puple of þe lond. Þe remnaunt forſoþe of þe wordis of Ozie, of þe raþer and of þe laſt, wrote Yſayas, þe ſone of Amos, prophete.

And Ozias ſlepte wiþ his fadirs, and þei biryeden hym not in þe feeld of kyngis ſepulcres, forþi þat he was leeprous; and Joaþan, his ſone, regnede for hym.