2 Chronicles 16
1 Forsothe in the sixe and thrittithe yeer of his rewme Baasa, the kyng of Israel, stiede in to Juda, and cumpasside Rama with a wal, that no man of the rewme of Asa myyte go out ether entre sikirli.
When Asa had been ruling [Judah] for almost 36 years, King Baasha of Israel went [with his army] to attack Judah. They [captured the town of] Ramah [north of Jerusalem] and started to build a wall around [it], in order to prevent any people from entering or leaving the area in Judah that was ruled by King Asa [because the only road into Judah from Israel went through Ramah].
2 Sotheli Asa brouyte forth gold and siluer fro the tresours of the hows of the Lord, and fro the kyngis tresouris; and sente to Benadab, kyng of Sirie, that dwellide in Damask,
So Asa told his workers to take all the silver and gold that was in the storerooms of the temple and in his own palace, and take and give it to Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, who was ruling in Damascus. [He sent him a message, ] saying
3 and seide, Boond of pees is bitwixe me and thee, and my fadir and thi fadir hadden acordyng; wherfor Y sente to thee siluer and gold, that whanne thou hast broke the boond of pees, which thou hast with Baasa, king of Israel, thou make hym to go awei fro me.
“I want there to be a peace treaty between me and you, like there was between my father and your father. Look, I am sending you [a lot of] silver and gold. So please cancel the treaty that you have made with Baasha, the king of Israel, in order that he will take his soldiers away from attacking mine, [because he will be afraid of your army].”
4 And whanne this was foundun, Benadab sente princes of hise oostis to the citees of Israel, whiche smytiden Ahion, and Dan, and Abelmaym, and alle the wallid citees of Neptalym.
Ben-Hadad agreed to do what King Asa [suggested]. He sent the commanders of his armies [with their soldiers] to attack some of the towns in Israel. They captured Ijon, Dan, Abel-Beth-Maacah and all the cities in the area belonging to the tribe of Naphtali where supplies were kept.
5 And whanne Baasa hadde herd this, he ceesside to bilde Rama, and left his werk.
When Baasha heard about that, he [commanded his troops to] stop fortifying Ramah and doing other work there.
6 Forsothe kyng Asa took al Juda, and thei token fro Rama the stonys and trees, whiche Baasa hadde maad redi to bildyng; and he bildide of tho Gabaa, and Maspha.
Then King Asa gathered all the men of Judah, and they took away from Ramah all the stones and timber that Baasha’s men had been using [to build the wall around that town]. They took those materials to [the town of] Geba and [the city of] Mizpah [north of Jerusalem] and built walls around them.
7 In that tyme Anany, the profete, cam to Asa, kyng of Juda, and seide to hym, For thou haddist trist in the kyng of Sirie, and not in `thi Lord God, herfor the oost of `the kyng of Sirie aschapide fro thin hond.
At that time the prophet Hanani went to King Asa and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria and not on Yahweh our God, you missed your opportunity to destroy the army of the king of Syria.
8 Whether `Ethiopiens and Libiens weren not many mo in charis, and knyytis, and ful greet multitude; whiche whanne thou haddist bileuyd to the Lord, he bitook in to thin hondis?
The huge armies from Ethiopia and Libya with all their chariots and soldiers [riding] on horses [were certainly very powerful. But] when you relied on Yahweh, he enabled your army to defeat them.
9 For the iyen of the Lord biholden al the erthe, and yyuen strengthe to hem, that with perfit herte bileuen in to hym. Therfor thou hast do folili, and for this, yhe, in present tyme batels schulen rise ayens thee.
That happened because Yahweh sees [what is happening] all over the earth, and he strengthens those who completely trust him. You have done a very foolish thing, so from now on other armies will be fighting your army.”
10 And Asa was wrooth ayens the prophete, and comaundide hym to be sent in to stockis. Forsothe the Lord hadde indignacioun greetli on this thing, and killide ful many of the puple in that tyme.
Asa was very angry with the prophet because of what the prophet had said. So he [commanded his officials to] put Hanani in prison. At that same time, he started to treat some of his people very cruelly.
11 Sotheli the firste and the laste werkis of Asa ben writun in the book of kyngis of Juda and of Israel.
All the things that Asa did while he was ruling, from the time he started to rule until he died, are written in the scroll containing the record of the [activities of the] kings of Judah and Israel.
12 Forsothe Asa was sijk ful gretli in the akynge of feet, in the nyne and thrittithe yeer of his rewme; and nether in his sikenesse he souyte the Lord, but tristide more in the craft of lechis.
When Asa had been ruling for almost 39 years, he was afflicted with a disease in his feet. The disease was very severe, but in spite of that, he did not request help from Yahweh. Instead he sought help only from doctors.
13 And Asa slepte with hise fadris, and he was deed in the oon and fourtithe yeer of his rewme.
When he had been ruling for almost 40 years, he died.
14 And thei birieden him in his sepulcre, which he hadde maad to hym silf in the cytee of Dauid; and thei puttiden hym on his bed ful of swete smellynge spices and oynementis of hooris, that weren `maad togidere bi the craft of oynement makeris, and thei brenten on hym with ful greet cost.
He was buried in the tomb that his workers had made for him in [the part of Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’. They laid his corpse on a bed covered with spices and various perfumes that had been mixed together. They also lit a huge fire to honor him.
