2 Chronicles · Chapter 28

[ edit] Of fyue and twenty ȝeer was Achaz, whanne he hadde begunne to regnen, and ſexteene ȝeer he regnede in Jeruſalem; and he dide not riȝt in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, as Dauid, his fadir; bot wente in þe weyes of þe kyngis of Irael. Forþermore and he ȝeetyde ymagis to Baalym. He is þat brende encenſe in þe valey of Bennon, and he enuyrounde his ſonus in fijr aftir þe rijt of gentilis, þe whiche þe Lord ſlowȝ in þe commynge of þe ſonus of Irael. Alſo he ſacrified, and brende maad encenſe in heiȝtis, and in hillis, and vnder alle braunchid tree. And þe Lord his God toke hym in þe hond of þe kyng of Cyrie, þe whiche ſmote hym, and a gret prey of his empyre toke, and brouȝt in to Damaſc.

And he is taken to þe hondis of þe kyng of Irael, and ſmyten wiþ a grete veniaunce. And Phacee, þe ſone of Romelie, ſlewȝ of Juda an hundriþ and twenty þouſand in oo day, and alle men fiȝters; for þi þat þei hadden forſake þe Lord God of þeir fadirs. Þe ſame tyme Jechry, a myȝty man of Effraym, ſlewȝ Maaziam, þe ſone of þe kyng, and Eſricham, duyke of his hous, alſo Elchanan, þe ſecounde fro þe kyng. And þe ſonus of Irael token of þeir breþeren two hundriþ þouſand of wymmen and of knaue childre and of mayde childre, and a pray wiþ out noumbre; and þei brouȝten it in to Samarie.

In þat tempeſt was þer a prophete of þe Lord, Obed by name, þe whiche gon out meetyng to þe hooſt commyng to Samarie, ſeide to hem, Lo! þe Lord God of oure fadirs is wrooþ aȝeinus Judam, and toke hem in ȝour hondis; and ȝe han ſleen hem cruely, ſo þat in to heuen ȝoure cruelte ſchulde commen. Forþermore þe ſonis of Juda and of Jeruſalem ȝee wiln ſubjecten to ȝou ſeruauntis and hond wymmen; þat indeede is no nede; ȝe han ſynned vpon þis to þe Lord ȝoure God. Bot heeriþ my counſeil, and bringiþ aȝein þe caytyues, þe whiche ȝe han lad awey of ȝoure breþeren; for grete woodneſſe of þe Lord ſtant ouer to ȝou.

And ſo þe men of þe princis of þe ſonus of Effraym ſtodyn, Azarias, þe ſone of Johannan, Barachias, þe ſone of Moſollamoþ, Jezechias, þe ſone of Sellum, and Amazias, þe ſone of Adaly, aȝeyn hem þat camen fro þe bataile; and ſeyden to hem, Ȝe ſchul not bryngen in hydre þe caytifes, leſt we ſynnen to þe Lord; why wille ȝe caſten to vpon ȝoure ſynnes, and hepen olde ſynnes? Grete forſoþe ſynne it is; and þe wraþ of þe wodneſſe of þe Lord ſtant vpon Yrael. And þe fiȝtynge men laften þe pray, and alle þingis þat þei hadden taken, before þe princis and al þe multitude.

And þe men, þe whiche aboue we myndedyn, ſtoden, and, takynge þe caityues, cloþedyn of þe ſpoylis alle þat weren nakyd; and whanne þei hadden cloþede hem, and ſchod, and fyld hem wiþ mete and drynk, and anoyntide for þe trauayle, and ȝeuen to hem beſyneſſe; who ſo euer myȝten not gon, and weren wiþ feble body, þei putten hem on beſtis, and ladden to Jericho, þe citee of palmes, to þeir breþeren; and þei ben turned aȝein in to Samarie. Þat tyme kyng Achaz ſente to þe kyng of Aſſiries, aſkynge helpe. And Ydumeis camen, and ſmyten many of Juda, and token grete pray.

And þe Philiſteis ben held out by wijld feeldy cytees, and at þe ſouþ of Juda; and þei token Beþſames, and Hailon, and Gaderoþ, Socoþ alſo, and Thannan, and Zamro, wiþ þeir litil touns; and þei dwelliden in hem. Forſoþe þe Lord hadde meekide Judam for Achaz, kyng of Juda; forþi þat he hadde nakyd hym fro helpe, and hadde þe Lord to diſpyte. And þe Lord brouȝt aȝeinus hym Teglat Falaſar, king of Aſſiries, þe whiche tourmentyde hym, and no man wiþſtondinge, waaſtide. Þanne Achaz, þe hous of þe Lord ſpoylide, and þe hous of kingus and princis, ȝaf to þe kyng of Aſſiries ȝiftis, and neuer þe latre it profitide no þing to hym.

Forþermore and in tyme of his anguyſch he echide diſpite in to þe Lord; he by hym ſilf kyng Achaz offrede to þe goddis of Damaſc ſlayn ſacrifices, to his ſmyters, and ſeyde, Þe goddis of þe kingus of Cyrie helpen to hem, þe which I ſchal pleſen wiþ hooſtis, and þei ſchul ſtonden to to me; whanne aȝeenward þei weren fallyng to hym, and to al Irael. And ſo Achaz, alle þe veſſels of þe hous of God taken awey, and broken to gydre, cloſede þe ȝatis of þe temple of God, and maad to hym auters in alle þe corners of Jeruſalem. Alſo in alle þe cytees of Juda he maad up auters to brennen encenſe, and he terrede to wraþ þe Lord God of þeir fadirs.

Þe remnaunt forſoþe of his wordis and of alle his werkes, of þe raþer and of þe laſt, ben writen in þe boke of þe kyngis of Juda and of Irael. And Achaz ſlepte wiþ his fadirs, and þei birieden hym in þe cyte of Dauid of Jeruſalem; ne forſoþe þei receyueden hym in þe ſepulcres of þe kingus of Irael; and Ezechias, his ſone, regnede for hym.