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¹ Forsothe in the seuenthe yeer Joiada was coumfortid, and took centuriouns, that is, Azarie, sone of Jeroboam, and Ismael, the sone of Johannam, and Azarie, the sone of Obeth, and Maasie, the sone of Adaie, and Elisaphat, the sone of Zechri; and he made with hem a counsel and a boond of pees.² Which cumpassiden Juda, and gaderiden togidere dekenes of alle the citees of Juda, and the princes of the meynees of Israel, and camen in to Jerusalem.³ Therfor al the multitude made couenaunt in the hows of the Lord with the kyng. And Joiada seide to hem, Lo! the sone of the kyng schal regne, as the Lord spak on the sones of Dauid.⁴ Therfor this is the word, which ye schulen do.⁵ The thridde part of you that ben comun to the sabat, of preestis, and of dekenes, and of porterys, schal be in the yatis; sotheli the thridde part schal be at the hows of the kyng; and the thridde part schal be at the yate, which is clepid of the foundement. Forsothe al the tother comyn puple be in the large places of the hows of the Lord;⁶ and noon other man entre in to the hows of the Lord, no but preestis, and thei that mynystren of the dekenes; oneli entre thei, that ben halewid, and al the tother comyn puple kepe the kepyngis of the Lord.⁷ Forsothe the dekenes cumpasse the kyng, and ech man haue hise armuris; and if ony othere man entrith in to the temple, be he slayn; and be thei with the kyng entrynge and goynge out.⁸ Therfor the dekenes and al Juda diden bi alle thingis, which Joiada, the bischop, hadde comaundid; and alle token the men, that weren with hem, and camen bi the ordre of sabat with hem, that hadden `fillid now the sabat, and schulen go out.<sup>9</sup> For Joiada, the bischop, suffride not the cumpenyes to go awei, that weren wont to come oon after `the tother bi ech wouke. And Joiada, the preest, yaf to the centuriouns speris, and scheeldis, and bokeleris of kyng Dauid, whiche he hadde halewid in to the hows of the Lord.¹⁰ And he ordeynede al the puple, of hem `that helden swerdis, at the riyt side of the temple `til to the left side of the temple, bifor the auter and the temple, bi cumpas of the king.¹¹ And thei ledden out the sone of the kyng, and settiden a diademe on hym; and thei yauen to hym in his hond the lawe to be holdun, and thei maden hym kyng. And Joiada, the bischop, and his sones anoyntiden hym; and thei preiden hertli, and seiden, The kyng lyue!

¹² And whanne Athalia hadde herd this thing, that is, the vois of men rennynge and preisynge the kyng, sche entride to the puple, in to the temple of the Lord.¹³ And whanne sche hadde seyn the kyng stondynge on the grees in the entryng, and the princes and cumpenyes of knyytis aboute hym, and al the puple of the lond ioiynge, and sownynge with trumpis, and syngynge togidere with orguns of dyuerse kynde, and the vois of men preisynge, sche to-rente hir clothis, and seide, Tresouns! tresouns!¹⁴ Sotheli Joiada, the bischop, yede out to the centuriouns, and princes of the oost, and seide to hem, Lede ye hir with out the `purseyntis, ethir closyngis, of the temple, and be sche slayn with outforth bi swerd; and the preest comaundide, that sche schulde not be slayn in the hows of the Lord.¹⁵ And thei settiden hondis on hir nol; and whanne she hadde entrid in to the yate of the horsis, of the kyngis hows, thei killiden hir there.¹⁶ Forsothe Joiada couenauntide a boond of pees bitwixe him silf and al the puple and the kyng, that it schulde be the puple of the Lord.¹⁷ Therfor al the puple entride in to the hows of Baal, and distrieden it, and braken the auteris and symylacris therof; but thei killiden bifor the auteris Mathan, the preest of Baal.¹⁸ Forsothe Joiada ordeynede souereyns in the hows of the Lord, that vndur the hondis of preestis, and of dekenes, whiche Dauid departide in the hows of the Lord, thei schulden offre brent sacrifices to the Lord, as it is writun in the book of Moises, in ioie and songis, by the ordynaunce of Dauid.¹⁹ Also he ordeynede porteris in the yatis of the hows of the Lord, that an vnclene man in ony thing schulde not entre in to it.²⁰ And he took the centuriouns, and strongeste men, and princes of the puple, and al the comyn puple of the lond. And thei maden the kyng to go doun fro the hows of the Lord, and to entre bi the myddis of the hiyere yate in to the hows of the kyng; and thei settiden hym in the kyngis trone.²¹ And al the puple of the lond was glad, and the citee restide; forsothe Athalia was slayn bi swerd.