Capitulum I. And Joſias made paſch in Jeruſalem to þe Lord, and he offride paſch þe fourtenþe dai of þe moone of þe firſte moniþ, ordeinende preſtis bi whilis of daȝis, cloþid in ſtolis, in þe temple of þe Lord. And he ſeide to þe Leuitus, þe holi ſeruauns of Irael, þat þei ſhulden halewe þem ſelf to þe Lord, in ſetting of þe holi arke of þe Lord in þe hous, þat king Salamon, þe ſone of Dauid, bilde; It ſhal not be to ȝou to taken it vp on ſhuldris; and now ſerueþ to oure Lord, and doþ þe cure of þat folc of Irael, of parti aftir tounis, and þer linagis, aftir þe writing of Dauid, king of Irael, and aftir þe grete wrſhipeful doing of Salamon, his ſone, alle in þe temple, and aftir ȝoure litil fader partie of princehod of hem, þat ſtonden in þe ſiȝte of þe breþern of þe ſonus of Irael. Offriþ paſch, and makeþ redi ſacrifiſes to ȝoure breþern; and doþ aftir þe heſte of þe Lord, þat is ȝiue to Moiſes. And Joſias ȝaf in to þe folc þat is founde, ſhep, of lombis, and of kidis, and of ſhe got, þretti þouſend; calues þre þouſend. Þeſe þingus of þe kingus þingus ben ȝiuen aftir beheſte to þe puple, and to preſtis, in to paſch; ſhep in noumbre two þouſend, and caluis an hundrid. And Jechonias, and Semeias, and Naþanael, broþer, and Azabias, and Oziel, and Coraba, in to paſch, ſhep, fiue þouſend; caluis, fiue hundrid. And whan þeſe þingis weren do nobli, þe preſtis and Leuitus ſtoden, hauende þerue loues bi linagys. And aftir þe parties of þe princehod of fadris in þe ſiȝte of þe puple þei offriden to þe Lord, aftir þoo þingus þat in þe boc of Moiſes ben writen. And þei roſteden paſch wiþ fijr, as it behouede; and oſtus þei ſoden in ſeþing veſſelis and pottis, wiþ weel willing. And þei broȝten to alle þat weren of þe folc; and aftir þeſe þingus þei maden redi to hemſelf and to preſtis. Þe preſtus forſoþe offriden talewis, vnto þe hour was endid; and Leuitus maden redi to hemſelf, and to þer breþeren, and to þe ſonys of Aron. And þe ſacrifieris offriden doȝtris, after ordre, and after þe heſte of Dauid; and Azaf, and Zacharias, and Jeddinus, þat was of þe king; and þe uſſheris bi alle þe ȝatis, ſo þat noon ouerpaſſide his. Forſoþe þe breþern of hem greþeden to hem. And þoo þingis, þat perteneden to þe ſacrifiſe of þe Lord, ben ended. In þat dai þei dide paſch, and offriden oſtis vp on þe ſacrifiſe of þe Lord, after þe heſte of king Joſie. And þe ſonus of Irael, þat ben founde, diden in þat time paſch, and þe feſte dai of þerue loues bi ſeuene daȝes. And þere is not ſolempniſid ſuch a paſch in Irael, fro þe times of Samuel, þe profete. And alle þe kingus of Irael haleweden not ſuch a paſch, as dide Joſias, and þe preſtus, and Leuitis, and Jewis, and al Irael, þat ben founden in þe commemoracioun at Jeruſalem. Þe eiȝetenþe ȝer, regnende Joſias, is halewid paſch. And þe werkis of Joſie ben made riȝte in þe ſiȝte of his Lord, in ful herte dredende; and þoo þingus forſoþe þat abouten hym ben writen, in þe raþere times of hem þat ſinneden, who ſo euere weren vnreligious aȝen þe Lord, befor alle folc, and þat ſoȝten not þe woordis of þe Lord vp on Irael. And aftir al þis deede of Joſie, Farao, king of Egipt, ſteȝede vp, comende to caſten awei in Carcamys vpon Eufraten; and Joſias wente in to meeting to hym. And þe king of Egipt ſente to Joſiam, ſeiende, What is to me and to þee, king of Jude? I am not ſent of þe Lord, vpon Eufraten forſoþe is mi bataile; heeȝende go doun. And Joſias is not turned aȝeen vp on þe char, but enforcide to ouercomyn hym, not takende heede to þe woord of þe profete, of þe mouþ of þe Lord; but he ſette to hym bataile in þe feld of Mecedan; and princis deſcendeden to king Joſiam. And þe king ſeide to his childer, Moueþ me awei fro þe bataile; forſoþe I am gretli maad ſijk. And anoon his childre moueden hym awei fro þe ſheltrun. And he ſteȝede vp vpon his ſecunde char; and comende to Jeruſalem, diede, and is biried in þe fader ſepulcre. And in al Jude þei weileden Joſie, and þei þat befor ſeten wiþ wiues, weilede hym vnto þis dai; and þis is ȝiue to be don euermor in to al þe kinrede of Irael. Þeſe þingus forſoþe ben beforn writen in þe boc of ſtories of kingus of Juda, and in to alle ieſtis, þe deede of Joſie, þe glorie of hym, and his vnderſtonding in þe lawe of God; for euenli ben don of hym, and þoo þingus þat ben not writen in þe boc of kingus of Irael and of Juda. And þei þat weren of þe kinrede, takende Jechoniam, þe ſone of Joſie, ſetten king for Joſie, his fadir, whan he was of þre and þretti ȝer. And he regnede vp on Irael þre moneþis; and þe king of Egipt putte hym awei, þat he regne not in Jeruſalem. And he pilde þe folc of an hundrid talentus of ſiluer, and a talent of gold.