2 Chronicles · Chapter 34

[ edit] Of eiȝt ȝeer was Jozias, whanne he hadde begunne to regnen, and oon and þritty ȝeer he regnede in Jeruſalem. And he dide þat was riȝt in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord; and he wente in þe weies of Dauid, his fadir, and he bowede not to þe riȝt ne to þe left. Þe eiȝþe ȝeer forſoþe of his empyre, whanne ȝit he was a child, he beganne to ſechen þe God of his fadir Dauid; and þe twelfþe ȝeer aftir þat he hadde begunnen, he clenſede Judeam and Jeruſalem fro heeȝe þingus, and mawmete wodis, and ſymulacres, and grauen þingus. And þei diſtruyȝeden before hym þe auters of Baalym, and þe ſymulacres þat weren ſett vpon; þei waaſtiden alſo þe mawmete wodis.

And grauen þingus he hewȝ doun, and mynuſcht; and vpon þe toumbis of hem, þat weren wount to offren, he ſcaterede þe releuys. Forþermore þe boones of preſtis he brende in þe auters of mawmetis, and he clenſed Judam and Jeruſalem. Bot and in þe citees of Manaſſe, and of Effraym, and of Semeon, vnto Neptalym, alle þingus he turnede vpſadoun. And whanne þe auters he hadde to-ſcaterede, and þe mawmete wodus and grauen þingus he hadde to-brayȝide in to gobetis, and al þe waſching templis he hadde waaſtide fro al þe lond of Irael, he is turnede aȝein in to Jeruſalem.

Þanne þe eiȝtenþe ȝeer of his regne, þe lond now clenſede and þe temple of þe Lord, he ſente Saphan, þe ſone of Elchie, and Maazian, prince of þe cytee, and Joa, þe ſone of Joachas, chauncelere, þat þei ſchulden enſtore þe hous of þe Lord þeir God. Þe whiche camyn to Elchyam, þe grete preſte; and monee taken of hym, þat was brouȝt into þe hous of þe Lord, and þat gadereden Leuytis and porters, of Manaſſe, and of Effraym, and of alle þe toþer of Irael, alſo of al Juda and Beniamyn, and þe dwellers of Jeruſalem, þei token in þe hondis of hem þat ſtoden vpon to þe werkmen in þe hous of þe Lord, þat þei enſtoren þe temple, and eche feble þingus þei bocchyn.

And þei ȝeuen it to þe craftiſe men, and to maſouns, þat þei ſchulden bien hewen ſtones of þe quarers, and trees to þe iunctours of þe bildynge, and to þe ioynynge of þe houſes, þat þe kingus of Irael hadden diſtruyede. Þe whiche feiþfully alle þingus diden. Forſoþe prouoſtis of þe werkmen weren Jabaþ, and Abdias, of þe ſonus of Merery; Zacharias, and Moſollam, of þe ſonis of Caaþ; þat ſtreyneden þe werk; alle Leuytis, cunnynge in orgnys to ſyngyn. Vpon hem forſoþe þat to dyuerſe vſes beeren birþens weren ſcribis, and maiſters, þe porters of þe Leuytis.

And whanne þei ſchulden offeren þe monee, þat was brouȝt in to þe temple of þe Lord, Elchias, þe preſte, fonde a boke of þe lawe of þe Lord by þe hond of Moiſy; and ſeiþ to Saphan, ſcribe, Þe boke of þe lawe I haue founden in þe hous of þe Lord. And he toke to hym, and he brouȝt in þe volume to þe kyng; and tolde to hym, ſeyinge, Alle þingus þat þou haſt ȝeuen in to þe hondis of þi ſeruauntis, loo! þei ben fulfild. Þe ſyluer þat is founden in þe hous of þe Lord þei han ȝotyn; and it is ȝeuen to þe prefectis of craftiſe men, and forgynge dyuerſe werkis; forþermore Elchias, þe preſte, toke to me þis boke.

Þe whiche whanne þe kyng preſent, he hadde reherſide, and he hadde herd þe wordis of þe lawe, he kutte his cloþes; and he comaundide to Elchie, and to Aichan, þe ſone of Saphan, and to Abdon, þe ſone of Micha, alſo to Saphan, ſcribe, and to Aſie, þe ſeruaunt of þe kyng, ſeyinge, Goþ, and preyeþ þe Lord for me, and for þe remnaunt of Irael and of Juda, vpon alle þe wordis of þis boke, þat is founden. Forſoþe grete woodneſſe of þe Lord droppide vpon us, forþi þat oure fadirs han not kept þe wordis of þe Lord, þat þei ſchulden don alle þingus þat ben writen in þis volume.

Þanne wente Elchias, and þes þat to gider of þe kyng weren ſent, to Oldam, prophetiſſe, wijf of Sellum, ſone of Thecuaþ, ſone of Azia, keper of þe cloþes, þe whiche dwellide in Jeruſalem in þe ſecounde wallynge; and þei ſpeekyn to hyr þe wordis, þat we han aboue told. And ſche anſwerde to hem, Þes þingus ſeiþ þe Lord God of Irael, Seiþ to þe man, þat ſente ȝou to me, Þes þingus ſeiþ þe Lord, Loo! I ſchal bryngyn in euyls vpon þis place, and vpon þe dwellers of it, and alle þe curſingus þat ben writen in þis boke, þat þei radden beforn þe kyng of Juda.

For þei forſoken me, and ſacrifieden to alien goddis, þat me to wraþ þei ſchulden terren in alle þe werkis of þeir hondus; and þerfor my woodneſſe ſchal droppen vpon þis place, and it ſchal not ben queynt. To þe kyng forſoþe of Juda, þat ſente ȝou for þe Lord to ben preyede, þus ſpekiþ, Þes þingus ſeiþ þe Lord God of Irael, For þou haſt herd þe word of þis volume, and þin hert is tempered, and þou ert meekid in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord vpon þes þingus þat ben ſeid aȝein þis place and þe dwellers of Jeruſalem, and þou dreediſt reuerently my face, and cuttiſt þi cloþes, and weptiſt before me; I forſoþe haue herd þee, ſeiþ þe Lord.

Nowe forſoþe I ſchal gedre þee to þi faders, and þou ſchalt be brout in to þi ſepulcre in peſe; and þin eeȝen ſchul not ſeen al þe euyl, þat I am to bryngyn in vpon þis place, and vpon þe dwellers of it. And ſo þei tolden to þe kyng alle þingus, þat ſche hadde ſeyde.

And he, clepide to gidre alle þe more þoruȝ birþe of Juda and of Jeruſalem, ſteiȝede up in to þe hous of þe Lord, and alſo togydre alle þe men of Juda, and þe dwellers of Jeruſalem, preſtis, and Leuytis, and al þe puple, fro þe leſte vnto þe moſte; þe whiche heeryng in þe hous of þe Lord, þe kyng radde alle þe wordis of þe volume; and ſtondyng in his chayere ſmote peſe couenaunt before þe Lord, þat he ſchulde gon aftir hym, and keepyn þe heeſtis, and witneſſyngus, and juſtifiyngus, in al his herte and in al his ſoule; and he ſchulde done þat ben writen in þat volume, þat he hadde radde.

Alſo he adiurede vpon þis alle, þat ben founden in Jeruſalem and Beniamyn; and þe dwellers of Jeruſalem diden after þe couenaunt of þe Lord God of þeir fadirs. Þanne Jozias dide aweye alle þe abomynaciouns of alle þe regyouns of þe ſonus of Irael; and maad alle, þat weren laft in Jeruſalem, to ſeruen to þe Lord þeir God; alle þe dais of his lijf þei wenten not awey fro þe Lord God of þeir fadirs.