Study Desk

Now therfor it plesith me, that we make a boond of pees with the Lord God of Israel, and that he turne fro vs the stronge veniaunce of his ire.

and al the purtenaunce of the temple, `which purtenaunce king Achaz hadde defoulid in his rewme, aftir that he brak the lawe; and lo! alle thingis ben set forth bifor the auter of the Lord.

For thei demyden not to do in his tyme; for the preestis that myyten suffice weren not halewid, and the puple was not yit gaderid in to Jerusalem.

Nyle ye make hard youre nollis, as youre fadris diden; yyue ye hondis to the Lord, and come ye to his seyntuarie, which he halewide withouten ende; serue ye the Lord God of youre fadris, and the ire of his strong veniaunce schal `be turned awey fro you.

For if ye turnen ayen to the Lord, youre britheren and youre sones schulen haue mercy, bifor her lordis that ledden hem prisoneris; and thei schulen turne ayen in to this lond. For `oure Lord God is pitouse, `ethir benygne, and merciful; and he schal not turne awey his face fro you, if ye turne ayen to hym.

Forsothe Ezechie ordeynede cumpenyes of preestis and of dekenes bi her departyngis, ech man in his owne office, that is, as wel of preestis as of dekenes, to brent sacrifices and pesible sacrifices, that thei schulden mynystre, and knowleche, and synge in the yatis of the castels of the Lord.

Sotheli the part of the kyng was, that of his owne catel brent sacrifice schulde be offrid euere in the morewtid and euentide, also in sabatis, and calendis, and othere solempnytees, as it is writun in the lawe of Moises.

Azarie, the firste preest of the generacioun of Sadoch, answeride to hym, and seide, Sithen the firste fruytis bigunnen to be offrid in the hows of the Lord, we han ete and ben fillid, and ful many thingis ben left; for the Lord hath blessid his puple; sotheli this plentee, which thou seest, is of the relifs.

thei brouyten in feithfuly bothe the firste fruytis, and tithis, and what euere thingis thei hadden avowid. Forsothe Chonenye, the dekene, was the souereyn of tho; and Semei his brother was the secounde;

aftir whom Jehiel, and Azarie, and Nabath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, `and Jozabad, and Helyel, and Jesmahie, and Maath, and Banaie, weren souereyns vndur the hondis of Chonenye and Semei, his brother, bi the comaundement of `Ezechie the kyng, and of Azarie, the bischop of the hows of the Lord, to whiche alle thingis perteyneden.

and vndur his cure weren Eden, and Beniamyn, Jesue, and Semeye, and Amarie, and Sechenye, in the citees of preestis, that thei schulden departe feithfuli to her britheren the partis, to the lesse and the grettere,

Therfor Ezechie dide alle thingis, whiche we seiden, in al Juda, and he wrouyte that, that was riytful and good and trewe bifor `his Lord God,

in al the religioun of the seruyce of the hows of the Lord, bi the lawe and cerymonyes; and he wolde seke his Lord God in al his herte, and he dide, and hadde prosperite.

Who is of alle goddis of folkis, whiche my fadris distrieden, that myyte delyuere his puple fro myn hond, that also youre God may delyuere you fro this hond?

Therfor Ezechie disseyue not you, nether scorne bi veyn counselyng, nethir bileue ye to hym; for if no god of alle folkis and cuntreis myyte delyuere his puple fro myn hond, and fro the hond of my fadris, suyngli nether youre God schal mowe delyuere you fro this myn hond.

But also hise seruauntis spaken many othir thingis ayenus the Lord God, and ayens Ezechie, his seruaunte.

Also he wroot epistlis ful of blasfemye ayens the Lord God of Israel, and he spak ayens God, As the goddis of othere folkis myyten not delyuere her puple fro myn hond, so and the God of Ezechie may not delyuere his puple fro myn hond.

And the Lord sente his aungel, that killide ech strong man and werriour, and the prince of the oost of the kyng of Assiriens; and he turnede ayen with schenship `in to his lond. And whanne he hadde entrid in to the hows of his god, the sones, that yeden out of his wombe, killiden hym with swerd.

but he yeldide not bi the benefices whiche he hadde take, for his herte was reisid; and ire was maad ayens hym, and ayens Juda, and ayens Jerusalem.

And he was mekid aftirward, for his herte was reisid; bothe he was mekid, and the dwelleris of Jerusalem; and therfor the ire of the Lord cam not on hem in the daies of Ezechie.