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¹ Forsothe Abia slepte with hise fadris, and thei birieden hym in the citee of Dauid; and Asa, his sone, regnede for hym. In whos daies the lond restide ten yeer.² And Asa dide that, that was good and plesaunt in the siyt of his God, and he destriede the auteris of straunge worschipyng, and `he destriede hiy places,³ and brak ymagis, and kittide doun woodis;⁴ and he comaundide Juda to seke the Lord God of her fadris, and to do the lawe and alle comaundementis.⁵ And he took awei fro alle the citees of Juda auteris and templis of idols, and he regnede in pees.⁶ And he bildide stronge cytees in Juda; for he was in reste, and no batels risiden in his tymes, for the Lord yaf pees.⁷ Forsothe he seide to Juda, Bilde we these cytees, and cumpasse we with wallis, and strengthe we with touris and yatis and lockis, as longe as alle thingis ben restful fro batel; for we han souyte the Lord God of oure fadris, and he hath youe to vs pees bi cumpas. Therfor thei bildiden, and no lettyng was in bildyng.⁸ Sotheli Asa hadde in his oost thre hundrid thousynde of men of Juda berynge scheldis and speris, sotheli of Beniamyn he hadde two hundrid thousynde and fourscoore thousynde of scheeld beeris and of archeris; alle these weren ful stronge men.

⁹ Forsothe Zara of Ethiop yede out ayens hem with his oost ten `sithis an hundrid thousynde, and with thre hundrid charis, and cam `til to Masera.¹⁰ Certis Aza yede ayens hem, and araiede scheltrun to batel in the valei Sephata, which is bisidis Masera. And he inwardli clepide the Lord God,¹¹ and seide, Lord, no dyuersitee is anentis thee, whether thou helpe in fewe, ethir in manye; oure Lord God, helpe thou vs, for we han trist in thee and in thi name, and camen ayens this multitude; Lord, thou art oure God, a man haue not the maistrye ayens thee.¹² Therfor the Lord made aferd Ethiopens bifor Asa and Juda, and Ethiopens fledden; and Asa and his puple,¹³ that was with hym, pursuede hem `til to Gerare. And Ethiopens felden doun `til to deeth, for thei weren al to-brokun bi the Lord sleynge, and bi his oost fiytynge. Therfor thei token many spuylis,¹⁴ and smitiden alle the citees `bi the cumpas of Gerare; for greet drede hadde assailid alle men. And thei rifliden cytees, and baren a weye myche prey;¹⁵ but also thei destrieden the fooldis of scheep, and token multitude without noumbre of scheep and of camels, and turneden ayen in to Jerusalem.