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CAP 28
1 Achaz was of twenti yeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnede sixtene yeer in Jerusalem; he dide not riytfulnesse in the siyt of the Lord, as Dauid, his fadir, dide;
2 but he yede in the weies of the kyngis of Israel. Ferthermore and he yetyde ymagis to Baalym.
3 He it is that brente encense in the valey of Beennon, and purgide hise sones bi fier bi the custom of hethene men, whiche the Lord killide in the comyng of the sones of Israel.
4 Also he made sacrifice, and brente encense in hiy places, and in hillis, and vndur ech tree ful of bowis.
5 And `his Lord God bitook hym in the hond of the kyng of Sirie, which smoot Achaz, and took a greet preie of his empire, and brouyten in to Damask. Also Achaz was bitakun to the hondis of the kyng of Israel, and was smytun with a greet wounde.
6 And Facee, the sone of Romelie, killide of Juda sixe scoore thousynde in o dai, alle the men werriours; for thei hadden forsake the Lord God of her fadris.
7 In the same tyme Zechry, a myyti man of Effraym, killide Maasie, the sone of Rogloth, the kyng; and `he killide Ezrica, the duyk of his hows, and Elcana, the secounde fro the kyng.
8 And the sones of Israel token of her britheren two hundrid thousynde of wymmen and of children and of damysels, and prey with out noumbre; and baren it in to Samarie.
9 In that tempest a profete of the Lord, Obed bi name, was there, which yede out ayens the oost comynge in to Samarie, and seide to hem, Lo! the Lord God of youre fadris was wrooth ayens Juda, and bitook hem in youre hondis; and ye han slayn hem crueli, so that youre cruelte stretchide forth in to heuene.
10 Ferthermore ye wolen make suget to you the sones of Juda and of Jerusalem in to seruauntis and handmaidis; which thing is not nedeful to be doon; for ye han synned on this thing to `youre Lord God.
11 But here ye my councel, and lede ayen the prisounneris, whyche ye han brouyt of youre britheren; for greet veniaunce of the Lord neiyith to you.
12 Therfor men of the princes of the sones of Effraym, Azarie, the sone of Johannan, Barachie, the sone of Mosollamoth, Jesechie, the sone of Sellum, and Amasie, the sone of Adali, stoden ayens hem that camen fro the batel;
13 and seiden to hem, Ye schulen not brynge in hidur the prisoneris, lest we doen synne ayens the Lord; whi wolen ye `ley to on youre synnes, and heepe elde trespassis? For it is greet synne; the ire of the strong veniaunce of the Lord neiyeth on Israel.
14 And the men werriouris leften the prey, and alle thingis whiche thei hadden take, bifor the princes and al the multitude.
15 And the men stoden, whiche we remembriden bifore, and thei token the prisounneris, and clothiden of the spuylis alle that weren nakid; and whanne thei hadden clothid hem, and hadden schod, and hadden refreschid with mete and drynke, and hadden anoyntid for trauel, and hadden youe cure, `ether medecyn, to hem; `thei puttiden hem on horsis, whiche euere `myyten not go, and weren feble `of bodi, and brouyten to Jerico, a citee of palmes, to `the britheren of hem; and thei turneden ayen in to Samarie.
16 In that tyme kyng Achaz sente to the kyng of Assiriens, and axide help.
17 And Ydumeis camen, and killiden many men of Juda, and token greet prey.
18 Also Filisteis weren spred abrood bi citees of the feeldis, and at the south of Juda; and thei token Bethsames, and Hailon, and Gaderoth, and Socoth, and Thannan, and Zamro, with her villagis; and dwelliden in tho.
19 For the Lord made low Juda for Achaz, the kyng of Juda; for he hadde maad him nakid of help, and hadde dispisid the Lord.
20 And the Lord brouyte ayens him Teglat Phalasar, kyng of Assiriens, that turmentide hym, and waastide hym, while no man ayenstood.
21 Therfor Achaz, after that he hadde spuylid the hows of the Lord, and the hows of the kyng and of princes, yaf yiftis to the kyng of Assiriens, and netheles it profitide `no thing to hym.
22 Ferthermore also in the tyme of his angwisch he encreesside dispit ayens God; thilke kyng Achaz bi
23 hym silf offride sacrifices to the goddis of Damask, hise smyteris, and seide, The goddis of the kyngis of Sirie helpen hem, whiche goddis Y schal plese bi sacrifices, and thei schulen help me; whanne ayenward thei weren fallyng to hym, and to al Israel.
24 Therfor aftir that Achaz hadde take awei, and broke alle the vessels of the hows of God, he closide the yatis of Goddis temple, and made auteris to hym silf in alle the corneris of Jerusalem.
25 And in alle citees of Juda he bildide auteris to brenne encence, and he stiride the Lord God of hise fadris to wrathfulnesse.
26 Sotheli the residue of hise wordis and of alle hise werkis, the formere and the laste, ben writun in the book of kyngis of Juda and of Israel.
27 And Achaz slepte with hise fadris, and thei birieden hym in the citee of Jerusalem; for thei resseyueden not hym in the sepulcris of the kyngis of Israel; and Ezechie, his sone, regnede for hym.