2 Chronicles · Chapter 30

[ edit] Ezechie alſo ſente to al Irael and Juda, and he wroote letters to Effraym and Manaſſen, þat þei ſchulden commen in to þe hous of þe Lord in Jeruſalem, and do paſch to þe Lord God of Irael. Þanne gon in þe counſele of þe kyng, and of þe princis, and of al þe companye of Irael, þei deemedyn þat þey ſchulden don paſch þe ſecounde moneþ. Forſoþe þei camen not to gydre to don in his tyme; for þe preſtis þat myȝten ſuffiſen weren not halowed, and þe puple not ȝit was gadered in to Jeruſalem. And þe word pleſide to þe kyng, and to al þe multitude.

And þey deemeden for to ſenden meſſagers in to al Irael, fro Berſabe vnto Dan, þat þei ſchulden commen, and don paſch to þe Lord God of Irael in Jeruſalem; manye forſoþe hadden not done, as in þe lawe it is beforn writen. And curours wenten wiþ letters, of þe heſte of þe kyng and of his princis, in to al Irael and Juda, after þe whiche þing þe kyng hadde comaundide prechours, Sonis of Irael, turniþ aȝein to þe Lord God of Abraham, and of Yſaac, and of Irael; and he ſchal be turned aȝein to þe releuys, þat ſcapeden þe hondis of þe kyng of Aſſiries. Williþ not ben maad as ȝoure fadirs and breþeren, þat wenten awey fro þe Lord God of þeir fadirs; and he toke hem in to deþ, as ȝe ſeen.

Williþ not ful hardne ȝour nollis, as ȝoure fadirs; takiþ hondis to þe Lord, and commiþ to þe ſeyntuarye of hym, þat he halowed wiþ out eende; ſeruiþ to þe Lord God of ȝour fadirs, and ſchal ben turned awey fro ȝou þe wraþ of his woodneſſe. Ȝif forſoþe ȝe weren turned aȝein to þe Lord, ȝour breþeren and ȝour ſonus ſchul haue mercy, wiþ þeir lordis þat hem laddyn caitijf; and þei ſchul ben turned aȝein into þis lond. Forſoþe pytouſe and mercyable is þe Lord oure God; and he ſchal not turnen awey his face fro ȝou, ȝif ȝe weren turned aȝein to hym. Þanne currours wente ſwiftly fro cyte vnto cite þoruȝ þe lond of Effraym and Manaſſe vnto Zabulon, hem ſcoornynge and vndermowynge hem.

Neuerþelater ſum men of Aſer, and of Manaſſe, and of Zabulon, aſſentynge to þe counſeile, camen in to Jeruſalem. In Juda forſoþe is done þe hond of þe Lord, þat he ſchulde ȝeuen to hem oon herte, and þei ſchulden don, after þe heſte of þe kyng and princis, þe word of þe Lord. And þere ben gadered into Jeruſalem many puplis, þat þei don þe ſolempnyte of þerf looues in þe ſecounde moneþ. And rijſyng þei diſtruyden þe auters, þat weren in Jeruſalem; and alle þingus in þe whiche to mawmetis was brend encenſe, turnynge vpſadoun, þei þrewen in to þe ſtreme of Cedron.

Þei offriden forſoþe paſch þe fourtenþ day of þe ſecound moneþ; þe preſtis alſo and Leuytis at þe laſt halowed, offreden brent ſacrifice in þe hous of þe Lord. And þei ſtoden in þeir ordre, aftir þe diſpoſicyoun and þe lawe of Moyſes, þe man of God. Þe preſtis forſoþe hadden taken þe blood to ben ſched of þe hondis of Leuytis, forþi þat myche puple was not halowed; and þerfore þe Leuytis ſchulden offren paſch to hem, þat came not to gydre to ben halowed to þe Lord. A grete alſo part of þe puple of Effraym, and Manaſſe, and Yſachar, and Zabulon, þe whiche was not halowed, eetyn paſch not after þat it is writen.

And Ezechie preyede for hem, ſeyinge, Þe good Lord ſchal haue mercy to alle, þat in al herte ſechen þe Lord God of þer fadirs; and it ſchal not ben wijtid to hem, þat þei ben not halowed. Whome þe Lord herde, and is pleſid to þe puple. And þe ſonus of Irael, þat ben founden in Jeruſalem, diden þe ſolempnyte of þerf looues ſeuen days in grete ioye, preiſynge þe Lord bi eche dais; þe Leuytis alſo and þe preſtis by orgnys, þat to þeir office fellen. And Ezechias ſpac to þe herte of alle þe Leuytis, þat hadden good vndirſtondynge vpon þe Lord; and þei eeten ſeuen days of þe ſolempnyte, offrynge ſlayn ſacrifice of peſyble þingus, and preyſyng þe Lord God of þeir fadirs.

And it pleſide to al þe multitude, þat þei ſchulden alſo halowen oþer ſeuen days; þe whiche and þei diden wiþ ful grete ioy. Ezechias forſoþe, king of Juda, ȝaf to þe multitude a þouſand boolis, and ſeuen þouſand of ſcheep; þe princis forſoþe ȝeuen to þe puple a þouſand boolis, and ſcheep tenn þouſand. Þanne is halowed a more multitude of preſtis; and gladneſſe þoruȝ held al þe puple of Juda, boþ of preſtis and of Leuytis, and of al þe beſy commyng, þat weren commen of Irael, and of þe comlyngis of þe lond of Irael, and of þe dwellers of Juda. And þer is don a grete ſolempnyte in Jeruſalem, whiche maner was not in þe ſame cyte fro þe days of Salomon, ſone of Dauid, kyng of Irael.

Forſoþe þe preſtis and Leuytis riſen, bleſſyng to þe puple; and þe voyce of hem is herd, and þe preyer ful came into þe hooly dwellinge place of heuen.