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for it was Goddis wille ayens Ocozie, that he cam to Joram. And whanne he was comun, he yede out with hym ayens Hieu, the sone of Namsi, whom God anoyntide, that he schulde do awey the hows of Achab.

And he souyte thilke Ocozie, and cauyte him hid in Samarie, and after that he was brouyt to Hieu, Hieu killide hym; and thei birieden hym, for he was the sone of Josaphat, that hadde souyt God in al his herte. And noon hope was more, that ony of the generacioun of Ocozie schulde regne.

Therfor he was hid with hem in the hows of God sixe yeer, in whiche Athalia regnede on the lond.

And he gaderide togidere preestis and dekenes, and seide to hem, Go ye out to the citees of Juda, and gadere ye of al Israel money, to the reparelyng of the temple of `youre Lord God, bi ech yeer; and do ye this hiyyngli.

For the worste Athalia, and hir sones, distrieden the hows of God; and of alle thingis, that weren halewid to the temple of the Lord, thei ourneden the temple of Baalym.

And it was prechid in Juda and Jerusalem, that ech man schulde brynge to the Lord the prijs, which Moyses, the seruaunt of God, ordeynede on al Israel, in deseert.

And thei forsoken the temple of the Lord God of her fadris, and seruyden idols in wodis, and grauen ymagis; and the ire of the Lord was maad ayens Juda and Jerusalem for this synne.

And certeyn, whanne a ful litle noumbre of men of Sirie was comun, the Lord bitook in her hondis a multitude with out noumbre, for thei hadden forsake the Lord God of her fadris. Also thei vsiden schameful domes in Joas;

Sotheli hise sones, and the summe of money that was gaderid vndur hym, and the reparelyng of the hows of God, ben writun diligentli in the book of Kyngis.

Forsothe a man of God cam to hym, and seide, A! kyng, the oost of Israel go not out with thee, for the Lord is not with Israel and with alle the sones of Effraym;

for if thou gessist that batels stonden in the myyt of oost, the Lord schal make thee to be ouercomun of enemyes, for it is of God for to helpe, and to turne in to fliyt.

And Amasie seide to the man of God, What therfor schal be doon of the hundrid talentis, which Y yaf to the knyytis of Israel? And the man of God answeride to hym, The Lord hath, wherof he may yelde to thee myche mo thingis than these.

And he souyte the Lord in the daies of Zacarie, vndurstondynge and seynge God; and whanne he souyte God, God reulide hym in alle thingis.

But whanne he was maad strong, his herte was reisid in to his perischyng; and he dispiside `his Lord God; and he entride in to the temple of the Lord, and wolde brenne encense on the auter of encense.

whiche ayenstoden the kyng, and seiden, Ozie, it is not of thin office, that thou brenne encense to the Lord, but of the preestis of the Lord, that is, of the sones of Aaron, that ben halewid to siche seruyce; go thou out of the seyntuarye; dispise thou not; for this thing schal not be arettid of the Lord God to thee in to glorie.

And Joathan was maad strong, for he hadde dressid hise weies bifor `his Lord God.

And `his Lord God bitook hym in the hond of the kyng of Sirie, which smoot Achaz, and took a greet preie of his empire, and brouyten in to Damask. Also Achaz was bitakun to the hondis of the kyng of Israel, and was smytun with a greet wounde.

And Facee, the sone of Romelie, killide of Juda sixe scoore thousynde in o dai, alle the men werriours; for thei hadden forsake the Lord God of her fadris.

In that tempest a profete of the Lord, Obed bi name, was there, which yede out ayens the oost comynge in to Samarie, and seide to hem, Lo! the Lord God of youre fadris was wrooth ayens Juda, and bitook hem in youre hondis; and ye han slayn hem crueli, so that youre cruelte stretchide forth in to heuene.

Ferthermore ye wolen make suget to you the sones of Juda and of Jerusalem in to seruauntis and handmaidis; which thing is not nedeful to be doon; for ye han synned on this thing to `youre Lord God.