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¹ Forsothe Josaphat slepte with hise fadris, and was biried with hem in the citee of Dauid; and Joram, his sone, regnede for hym.² And he hadde britheren, the sones of Josaphat, Azarie, Jahiel, and Zacarie, Anany, and Mychael, and Saphatie; alle these weren the sones of Josaphat, kyng of Juda.³ And her fadir yaf to hem many yiftis of gold and of siluer, and rentis, with strongeste citees in Juda; but he yaf the rewme to Joram, for he was the firste gendrid.⁴ Forsothe Joram roos on the rewme of his fadir; and whanne he hadde confermyd hym silf, he killide alle hise britheren bi swerd, and summe of the princes of Juda.⁵ Joram was of two and thritti yeer, whanne he bigan to regne; and he regnede eiyte yeer in Jerusalem.⁶ And he yede in the weies of the kyngis of Israel, as the hows of Achab hadde do, for the douyter of Achab was his wijf; and he dide yuel in the siyt of the Lord.⁷ But the Lord nolde distrie the hows of Dauid, for the couenaunt which he `hadde maad with Dauid, and for he `hadde bihiyte to yyue to hym a lanterne, and to hise sones in al tyme.⁸ In tho daies Edom rebellide, that it was not suget to Juda, and it ordeynede a kyng to it silf.⁹ And whanne Joram hadde passide with hise princes, and al the multitude of knyytis, that was with hym, he roos bi niyt, and smoot Edom, that cumpasside him, and alle hise duykis of his multitude of knyytis.¹⁰ Netheles Edom rebellide, that it was not vndir the lordschip of Juda `til to this dai. In that tyme also Lobna yede awei, that it was not vndur the hond of hym; for he hadde forsake the Lord God of hise fadris.<sup>11</sup> Ferthermore he made hiye places in the citees of Juda, and made the dwelleris of Jerusalem to do fornycacioun, `that is, idolatrie, and Juda to breke the lawe.

¹² Forsothe lettris weren brouyt to hym fro Elie, the prophete, in whiche it was writun, The Lord God of Dauid,¹³ thi fadir, seith these thingis, For thou `yedist not in the weies of Josaphat, thi fadir, and in the weie of Asa, kyng of Juda, but thou yedist bi the weie of the kyngis of Israel, and madist Juda and the dwelleris of Jerusalem to do fornicacioun, and suedist the fornicacioun of the hows of Achab; ferthermore and thou hast slayn thi britheren and the hows of thi fadir, `that weren betere than thou; lo!¹⁴ the Lord schal smyte thee with a greet veniaunce, and thi puple, and thi sones, and wyues, and al thi catel;¹⁵ sotheli thou schalt be sijk `with the worste sorewe of wombe, til thin entrailis go out litil and litil bi ech dai.<sup>16</sup> Therfor the Lord reiside ayens Joram the spirit of Filisteis and Arabeis, that marchen with Ethiopiens; and thei stieden in to the lond of Juda,<sup>17</sup> and wastiden it, and thei token awei al the catel, that was foundun in the hows of the kyng, ferthermore and hise sones, and wyues; and no sone was left to hym, no but Joachaz, that was the leeste in birthe.<sup>18</sup> And ouer alle these thingis the Lord smoot hym with vncurable sorewe of the wombe.<sup>19</sup> And whanne dai cam aftir a dai, and the spaces of tymes weren turned aboute, the cours of twey yeer was fillid; and so he was wastid `bi long rot, so that he castide out also his entrailis, and so he wantide sorewe and liyf togidere, and he was deed in the werste sikenesse. And the puple dide not to hym seruyce of deed men bi the custom of brennyng, as it hadde do to hise grettere, `ether auncetris.²⁰ He was of two and thritti yeer whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnede eiyte yeer in Jerusalem, and he yede not riytfuli; and thei birieden hym in the citee of Dauid, netheles not in the sepulcre of kingis.