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¹ And whanne the rewme of Roboam was maad strong and coumfortid, he forsook the lawe of the Lord, and al Israel with hym.² Sotheli in the fyuethe yeer of the rewme of Roboam Sesach, the kyng of Egipt, stiede in to Jerusalem, for thei synneden ayens the Lord;³ and he stiede with a thousynde and two hundrid charys, and with sixti thousynde of horse men, and no noumbre was of the comyn puple, that cam with hym fro Egipt, that is, Libiens, and Trogoditis, and Ethiopiens.⁴ And he took ful stronge citees in Juda, and he cam `til to Jerusalem.<sup>5</sup> Forsothe Semei, the prophete, entride to Roboam, and to the princes of Juda, whiche fleynge fro Sesach weren gaderid togidere `in to Jerusalem. And he seide to hem, The Lord seith these thingis, Ye han forsake me, and Y haue forsake you in the hond of Sesach.⁶ And the princes of Israel and the kyng weren astonyed, and seiden, The Lord is iust.⁷ And whanne the Lord hadde seyn that thei weren mekid, the word of the Lord was maad to Semey, and seide, For thei ben mekid, Y schal not distrie hem, and Y schal yyue to hem a litil help, and my stronge veniaunce schal not droppe on Jerusalem bi the hond of Sesach.⁸ Netheles thei schulen serue hym, that thei knowe the dyuersitee of my seruyce and of the seruyce of the rewme of londis.⁹ Therfor Sesach, the kyng of Egipt, yede a wey fro Jerusalem, aftir that he hadde take awei the tresouris of the hows of the Lord, and of the kyngis hows; and he took alle thingis with hym, and the goldun scheeldis whiche Salomon hadde maad,¹⁰ for whiche the kyng made brasun scheeldis, and took tho to the princes of scheeld makeris, that kepten the porche of the paleis.¹¹ And whanne the kyng entride in to the hows of the Lord, the scheeldmakeris camen, and token tho, and eft brouyten tho to his armure place.¹² Netheles for thei weren mekid, the ire of the Lord was turned a wei fro hem, and thei weren not don a wei outirli; for good werkis weren foundyn also in Juda.

¹³ Therfor kyng Roboam was coumfortid in Jerusalem, and regnede. Forsothe he was of oon and fourti yeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnyde seuentene yeer in Jerusalem, the citee which the Lord chees of alle the lynagis of Israel, that he schulde conferme his name there. Forsothe the name of his modir was Naama Amanytis.¹⁴ And he dide yuel, and he made not redi his herte to seke God.¹⁵ Sotheli the firste and the laste werkis of Roboam ben writun, and diligentli declarid in the bookis of Semei the profete, and of Abdo the profete.¹⁶ And Roboam and Jeroboam fouyten in alle daies ayens hem silf. And Roboam slepte with hise fadris, and was biried in the citee of Dauid; and Abia, his sone, regnede for hym.