¹ Forsothe the dwelleris of Jerusalem ordeyneden Ocozie, `his leeste sone, kyng for hym; for theues of Arabeis, that felden in to the castels, hadden slayn alle the grettere `in birthe, that weren bifor hym. And Ocozie, the sone of Joram, kyng of Juda, regnede.

² Ocozie was of two and fourti yeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnede o yeer in Jerusalem; the name of his modir was Athalia, the douyter of Amry.

³ But he entride bi the weie of the hows of Achab; for his modir compellide hym to do yuele.

⁴ Therfor he dide yuel in the siyt of the Lord, as the hows of Achab; for thei weren counselouris to hym in to his perischyng, aftir the deth of his fadir;

⁵ and he yede in the counsele of hem. And he yede with Joram, the sone of Achab, kyng of Israel, in to batel ayens Azahel, kyng of Sirye, in to Ramoth of Galaad. And men of Sirie woundiden Joram;

⁶ which turnede ayen for to be heelid in Jezrahel; for he hadde take many woundis in the forseid batel. Therfor Ocozie, kyng of Juda, the sone of Joram, yede doun to visite Joram, the sone of Achab, sijk in Jezrahel;

⁷ for it was Goddis wille ayens Ocozie, that he cam to Joram. And whanne he was comun, he yede out with hym ayens Hieu, the sone of Namsi, whom God anoyntide, that he schulde do awey the hows of Achab.

⁸ Therfor whanne Hieu destriede the hows of Achab, he foond the princis of Juda, and the sones of the britheren of Ocozie, that `mynystriden to hym; and he killide hem.

⁹ And he souyte thilke Ocozie, and cauyte him hid in Samarie, and after that he was brouyt to Hieu, Hieu killide hym; and thei birieden hym, for he was the sone of Josaphat, that hadde souyt God in al his herte. And noon hope was more, that ony of the generacioun of Ocozie schulde regne.

¹⁰ For Athalia, his modir, siy, that hir sone was deed, and sche roos, and killide alle the kyngis generacioun of the hows of Joram.

¹¹ Forsothe Josabeth, the douyter of the kyng, took Joas, the sone of Ocozie, and stal hym fro the myddis of the sones of the kyng, whanne thei weren slayn; and sche hidde hym with his nurse in the closet of beddis. Forsothe Josabeth, that `hadde hid hym, was the douytir of kyng Joram, and wijf of Joiada, the bischop, and the sister of Ocozie; and therfor Athalia killide not hir.

¹² Therfor he was hid with hem in the hows of God sixe yeer, in whiche Athalia regnede on the lond.