Read the Bible

¹ Josias was of eiyte yeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnyde oon and thritti yeer in Jerusalem; the name of his modir was Ydida, the douytir of Phadaia of Besechath.² And he dide that, that was plesaunt bifor the Lord, and he yede be alle the wayes of Dauid, his fadir; he bowide not, nethir to the riytside, nethir of the leftside.³ Forsothe in the eiytenthe yeer of kyng Josias, the kyng sente Saphan, sone of Asua, the sone of Mesulam, scryueyn, ethir doctour, of the temple of the Lord,⁴ and seide to him, Go thou to Elchie, the grete preest, that the money, which is borun in to the temple of the Lord, be spendid, which money the porteris of the temple han gaderid of the puple;⁵ and that it be youun to crafti men bi the souereyns of the hows of the Lord; which also departide that money to hem that worchen in the temple of the Lord, to reparele the rooues of the temple of the Lord,⁶ that is, to carpenteris, and to masouns, and to hem that maken brokun thingis, and that trees and stoonus of quarieris be bouyt, to reparele the temple of the Lord;⁷ netheles siluer, which thei taken, be not rekynyd to hem, but haue thei in power, and in feith.⁸ Forsothe Helchie, the bischop, seide to Saphan, the scryuen, Y haue founde the book of the lawe in the hows of the Lord. And Elchie yaf the book to Saphan, the scryuen, which also redde it.⁹ Also Saphan, the scryuen, cam to the kyng, and telde to hym tho thingis, whiche Elchie hadde comaundid, and he seide, Thi seruauntis han spendid the monei, which was foundun in the hows of the Lord, and yauen, that it schulde be departid to crafti men of the souereyns of werkis of the temple of the Lord.¹⁰ Also Saphan, the scriueyn, telde to the kyng, and seide, Helchie, the preest of God, yaf to me a book; and whanne Saphan hadde red that book bifor the kyng,

¹¹ and the kyng hadde herd the wordis of the book of the lawe of the Lord, he to-rente hise clothis.¹² And he comaundide to Elchie, the preest, and to Aicham, sone of Saphan, and to Achabor, sone of Mycha, and to Saphan, the scryuen, and to Achia, seruaunt of the kyng,¹³ and seide, Go ye, and `counsele ye the Lord on me, and on the puple, and on al Juda, of the wordis of this book, which is foundun; for greet ire of the Lord is kyndlid ayens vs, for oure fadris herden not the wordis of this book, to do al thing which is writun to vs.<sup>14</sup> Therfor Helchie, the preest, and Aicham, and Achabor, and Saphan, and Asia, yeden to Olda, the prophetesse, the wijf of Sellum, sone of Thecue, sone of Aras, kepere of the clothis, which Olda dwellide in Jerusalem, in the secounde dwellyng; and thei spaken to hir.<sup>15</sup> And sche answeride to hem, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Seie ye to the man,<sup>16</sup> that sente you to me, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal brynge yuelis on this place, and on the dwelleris therof, alle the wordis `of the lawe, whiche the kyng of Juda redde;¹⁷ for thei forsoken me, and maden sacrifice to alien goddis, and terriden me to ire in alle the werkis of her hondis; and myn indignacioun schal be kyndlid in this place, and schal not be quenchid.¹⁸ Sotheli to the kyng of Juda, that sente you, that ye schulen `counsele the Lord, ye schulen seie thus, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, For thou herdist the wordis of the book,¹⁹ and thin herte was aferd, and thou were maad meke bifor the Lord, whanne the wordis weren herd ayens this place and ayens the dwelleris therof, that is, that thei schulden be maad in to wondryng, and in to cursyng, and thou to-rentist thi clothis, and weptist bifor me, and Y herde, seith the Lord;²⁰ herfor Y schal gadere thee to thi fadris, and thou schalt be gaderid to thi sepulcre in pees; that thin iyen se not alle the yuelis, whiche Y schal brynge yn on this place.