lyes and discloseth all iuglyng and disceate therfore is oure Balaam of Rome so lothe that the scripture shulde be knoweÌ„ in the mother tonge lest yf kynges and prynces specially aboue all other were exercysed therin they shulde reclame and chalenge agayne theyr due auctorite which he falsely hath vsurped so many yeres and so 〈◊〉 tye hym shorter and lest the people beyng taught by the worde of God shulde fall from y e false fayned obedieÌ„ce of hym and his disguysed Apostles vnto the true obedience commaunded by Gods owne mouthe as namely to obey theyr prynce to obey father and mother c. and not to steppe ouer father and mothers bely to enter in to his paynted religions as his ypocrites teache For he knoweth well ynough that yf the cleare Sonne of Gods worde come ones to the heate of the daye it shal dryue awaye all the foule myst of his deuelysh doctrines Therfore were it more to the mayntenaunce of Antichristes kyngdome that the worlde were styll in ignoraunce and blyndnes and that the scripture shulde neuer come to lyghte For the scripture both in the olde testament and in the new declareth most abouÌ„â—dauntly that the office auctorite and power geuen of God vnto kynges is in earth aboue all other powers let them call theÌ„ selues Popes Cardynalles or what so euer they will the worde of god declareth them yee and commaundeth them vnder payne of dampnacion to be obedient vnto the temporall swerde As in the olde Testament all the Prophetes Prestes and Leuites were And in the new Testament Christ his Apostles both were obedient them selues and taught obedience of all men vnto theyr prynces aÌ„d temporall rulers which here vnto vs in the worlde present the persone of God and are called Goddes in the scripture bycause of the excelleÌ„cy of theyr office And though there were no mo auctorities but the same to proue the pÌ„eminence of the temporall swerde Yet by this the scripture declareth playnly that as there is nothyng aboue God so is there no man aboue the kynge in his realme but that he onely vnder God is the chefe heade of all the coÌ„gregacyon and church of the same And in token that this is true there hath ben of olde antiquite and is yet vnto this daye a louynge ceremonye vsed in your realme of Englonde y t whaÌ„ your graces subiectes reade your letters or begynne to talke or comeÌ„ of your hyghnes they moue theyr bonettes for a signe token of reuerence vnto your grace as to their most soueraigne lorde heade vnder God which thyng no man vseth to do to eny bysshoppe wherby yf oure vnderstondyng were nat blynded we myght euydently perceaue that euen very nature teacheth vs the same that scripture coÌ„mauÌ„deth vs and that lyke as it is agaynst Gods worde that a kynge shulde not be the chefe heade of his people euen so I saye is it agaynst kynde that we shulde knowe any other heade aboue hym vnder God And that no prest nor bysshoppe is exempte nor can be lawfully from the obedience of his prynce the scripture is full both of strayte coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes practises of the holyest men ✚ Aaron was obedient vnto Moses and called hym his lorde though he was his owne brother Eleasar and Phinâ—as were vnder the obedieÌ„ce of Iosua ✚ Nathan the prophete fell downe to the grounde before kynge Dauid he had his Prynce in such reuerence He made not the kynge for to kysse his fote as the bysshoppe of Rome maketh Emperours to do Notwithstondynge he spared not to rebuke hym and that ryght sharply whan he fell from the worde of God to adultery and manslaughter For he was not afrayed to reproue hym of his sinnes nomore than Helyas the prophete stode in feare to saye vnto kynge Achab ✚ It is thou and thy fathers house that trouble Israel because ye haue forsaken y e commaundementes of the Lorde and walke after Baal And as Iohan Baptyste durst saye vnto Kynge Herode It is not lawful for the to take thy brothers wyfe But to my purpose I passe ouer innumerable mo ensaÌ„ples both of the olde Testament and of the new for feare lest I be to tedyous vnto your grace SuÌ„ma in all godly regimentes of olde tyme the kynge and teÌ„porall iudge was obeyed of euery man and was alwaye vnder God the chefe and suppreme heade of the whole congregacyon and deposed euen prestes whan he sawe an vrgent cause as Salomon dyd vnto Abiathar who coulde than stonde agaynst the godly obedience of his prynce excepte he wolde be at defyaunce with God and all his holy ordinaunces that were well acquaynted with the holy scripture which so earnestly coÌ„mendeth vnto euery one of vs the auctorite and power geuen of God vnto kynges and temporall rulers Therfore doth Moses so strately forbyde the Israelites to speake so moche as an euell worde agaynst the prynce of y e people moche lesse than to disobeye hym or to withstonde hym Doth not Ieremy the prophete and Baruc also exhorte the people in captiuite to praye for the prosperous welfare of the kynge of Babilon and to obeye hym though he was an infidele In the new Testament whaÌ„ oure sauioure Christ beyng yet fre Lorde of al kynges prynces shewed his obedience in payenge the trybute to oure ensample ✚ dyd he not a miracle there in puttynge the pece of money in the fysshes mouth that Peter myght paye the customer therwith and all to stablysshe the obedience due vnto prynces ✚ Dyd not Ioseph and Mary the mother of our sauiour Christ departe froÌ„ Nazareth vnto BethleeÌ„ so farre from home to shewe theyr obedience in payenge the taxe to the prynce And wolde not oure Sauioure be borne in the same obedience ✚ Doth not Paule pronounce hym to resyste God hym selfe that resysteth the auctorite of his prynce And to be shorte the Apostle Peter dothe not onely stablysshe the obedience vnto prynces and temporall rulers but affirmeth playnly the kynge and no bysshoppe to be the chefe heade Innumerable places mo are there in scripture which bynde vs to the obedience of oure prynce and declare vnto vs that no man is nor can be lawfully excepte from the same but that all the mynisters of Goddes worde are vnder the teÌ„porall swerde Prynces onely to owe obedience vnto God his worde And where as Anthichrist vnto youre graces tyme dyd thrust his heade into y e imperiall crowne of your hyghnes as he doth yet with other noble prynces mo that lerned he of SathaÌ„ the authour of pryde and therin doth he both agaynst the doctryne also agaynst y e ensample of Christe whiche because his kyngdome was not of this worlde medled with no temporal matters as it is euydent both by his wordes and practyse Luc. xii Math. xxvi Ioh. vi Ioh. xviii where he y t hath eyes to se maye se he y t hath eares to heare maye heare y t Christes
in him and to herken vnto his voyce After the death of Moses doth Iosue brynge the people in to the loÌ„de of promes where God doth wonderous thynges for his people by Iosue which distributeth y e londe vnto them vnto euery trybe theyr possession But in theyr wealth they forgat the goodnes of God so that oft tymes he gaue theÌ„ ouer in to the hande of theyr enemies Neuertheles whan so euer they called faithfully vpon him and conuerted he delyuered them agayne as the boke of Iudges declareth In the bokes of the kynges is descrybed the regiment of good and euell prynces and how the decaye of all nacions commeth by euel kynges For in Ieroboam thou seyst what myschefe what ydolatrye soch like abhominacyon foloweth whaÌ„ the kynge is a maynteyner of false doctryne aÌ„d causeth the people to synne agaynst God which fallinge awaye from gods worde increased so sore amonge them that it was the cause of all theyr sorowe and misery the very occasion why Israel first and then Iuda were caryed awaye in to captyuite Agayne in Iosaphat in Ezechias and in Iosias thou seyst the nature of a vertuous kynge He putteth downe the houses of ydolatrye seyth that his prestes teach nothynge but y e lawe of God coÌ„maundeth his lordes to go with them and to se that they teach the people In these kynges I saye thou seyst the coÌ„dicyon of a true defender of y e fayth for he spareth nether cost ner laboure to manteyne the lawes of God to seke the welth prosperite of his people and to rote out the wicked And where soch a prince is thou seyst agayne how God defendeth him and his people though he haue neuer so many enemyes Thus wente it with theÌ„ in the olde tyme and euen after y e same maner goeth it now with vs God be praysed therfore aÌ„d graunte vs of his fatherly mercy that we be not vnthankfull lest where he now geueth vs a Iosaphat an Ezechias yee a very Iosias he sende vs a Pharao a Ieroboam or an Achab. In the two first bokes of Eâ—dras in Hester thou seyst the delyueraunce of the people which though they were but fewe yet is it vnto vs all a speciall coÌ„forte for so moch as God is not forgetfull of his promes but bryngeth them out of captiuite acordynge as he had tolde them before In the boke of Iob we lerne comforte and pacience in that God not onely punysheth the wicked but proueth tryeth the iust and righteous howbeit there is noman innocent in his sighte by dyuerse troubles in this lyfe declaryng therby y t they are not his bastardes but his deare sonnes and that he loueth them In the Psalmes we lerne how to resorte onely vnto God in all oure troubles to seke helpe at him to call onely vpon him to satle oure myndes by pacieÌ„ce how we ought in prosperite to be thankfull vnto him The Prouerbes and the Preacher of Salomon teach vs wysdome to knowe God oure owne selues and the worlde and how vayne all thynges are saue onely to cleue vnto God As for the doctryne of the Prophetes what is it els but an earnest exhortacion to eschue synne to turne vnto God a faythfull promes of the mercy aÌ„d pardon of God vnto all them y t turne vnto him and a threatenyng of his wrath to the vngodly sauynge that here and there they prophecye also manifestly of Christ of y e expulsion of the Iewes and callynge of the Heythen Thus moch thought I to speake of y e olde Testament wherin almyghtie God openeth vnto vs his myghtye power his wysdome his louynge mercy righteousnesse for the which cause it oughte of no man to be abhorred despysed or lyghtly regarded as though it were an olde scripture y t nothyng beloÌ„ged vnto vs or y t now were to be refused For it is Gods true scripture testimony which the Lorde Iesus commaundeth the Iewes to search who so euer beleueth not the scripture beleueth not Christ and who so refuseth it refuseth God also The New Testament or Gospell is a manyfest and cleare testymony of Christ how God perfourmeth his ooth and promes made in the olde Testament how the New is declared and included in the Olde and the Olde fulfylled and verifyed in the New Now where as the most famous interpreters of all geue sondrye iudgmentes of the texte so farre as it is done by y e sprete of knowlege in the holy goost me thynke noman shulde be offended there at for they referre theyr doinges in mekenes to the sprete of trueth in the congregacyon of god sure I am that there commeth more knowlege and vnderstondinge of the scripture by theyr sondrie translacyons then by all the gloses of oure sophisticall doctours For that one interpreteth somthynge obscurely in one place the same transâ—ateth another or els he him selfe more manifestly by a more playne vocable of the same meanyng in another place Be not thou offended therfore good Reader though one call a scrybe that another calleth a lawyer or elders that another calleth father mother or repentaunce that another calleth pennaunce or amendment For yf thou be not disceaued by mens tradicioÌ„s thou shalt fynde nomore dyuersite betwene these termes then betwene foure pens and a grote And this maner haue I vsed in my translacyon callyng it in some place pennaunce that in another place I call repentaunce and that not onely because the interpreters haue done so before me but that the aduersaries of the trueth maye se how that we abhorre not this worde peÌ„naunce as they vntruly reporte of vs no more then the interpreters of latyn abhorre penitere whan they reade resipiscere Onely oure hertes desyre vnto God is that his people be not blynded in theyr vnderstondyng lest they beleue pennaunce to be ought saue a very repeÌ„taunce ameÌ„dment or conuersyon vnto God and to be an vnfayned new creature in Christ and to lyue acordyng to his lawe For els shall they fal in to the olde blasphemy of Christes bloude and beleue that they theÌ„ selues are able to make satisfaccion vnto God for theyr awne synnes from the which erroure god of his mercy and pleÌ„teous goodnes preserue all his Now to conclude for so moch as all the scripture is wrytten for thy doctryne ensample it shal be necessary for the to take holde vpon it whyle it is offred the yee and with ten handes thankfully to receaue it And though it be not worthely ministred vnto the in this translacyon by reason of my rudnes Yet yf thou be ferueÌ„t in thy prayer God shal not onely sende it the in a better shappe by the mynistracyon of other that beganne it afore but shall also moue the hertes of them which as yet medled not withall to take it in hande and to bestowe the gifte of theyr vnderstondynge theron as well in oure language as other famous interpreters do in other languages And I praye God that
go Then sayde y e LORDE vnto Moses Aaron Take youre handes full of aszshes out of the fornace let Moses sprenkle it towarde heauen before Pharao that it maye be dust in all the lande of Egipte that there maye be sores blaynes vpon men vpon catell in all the lande of Egipte And they toke aszshes out of y e fornace stode before Pharao Moses sprenkled it towarde heaueÌ„ Then were there sores and blaynes vpon men vpon catell so that the Sorcerers might not stoÌ„de before Moses by reason of the sores For there were sores vpoÌ„ the Sorcerers as well as vpon all the Egipcians But the LORDE hardened Pharaos hert so that he herkened not vnto them eueÌ„ as the LORDE had sayde vnto Moses Then sayde the LORDE vnto Moses Get the vp tomorow by tymes stonde before Pharao speake vnto him Thus sayeth y e LORDE God of the Hebrues let my people go y t they maye serue me els wyll I at this tyme sende all my plages in to thine hert vpon thy seruauÌ„tes vpon thy people that thou mayest knowe y t there is none like me in all londes For I will now stretch out my hande smyte the thy people w t pestilence so y t thou shalt be roted out from the earth Yet haue I stered y e vp for this cause euen to shew my power vpon y e and that my name might be declared in all londes Thou holdest my people yet wilt not let them go beholde tomorow aboute this tyme wyll I cause a mightie greate hayle to rayne soch as hath not bene in the londe of Egipte sence the tyme that it was grouÌ„ded hither to And now sende thou saue thy catell all y t thou hast in the felde for all men catell that shal be founde in the felde not brought in to the houses yf the hayle fall vpon them they shall dye Now who so feared the worde of the LORDE amonge Pharaos seruauntes caused his seruauntes catell to flye in to the houses but loke whose hertes regarded not the worde of y e LORDE left their seruauntes and catell in the felde Then sayde the LORDE vnto Moses Strech out thy hande towarde heaueÌ„ that it maye hayle vpon all the lande of Egipte vpon men vpon catell vpon all herbes of the felde in the lande of Egipte So Moses stretched out his staff towarde heauen and the LORDE caused it to thonder hayle so y t the fyre ranne alonge vpon the earth Thus the LORDE hayled rayned vpon the londe of Egipte so that the hayle fyre wente so horrybly together as neuer was in all the laÌ„de of Egipte sens the tyme that there were people therin And the hayle smote the whole lande of Egipte all that was vpon y e felde both men catell smote all the herbes vpon the felde brake all the trees vpon y e felde saue onely in the lande of Gosen where the childreÌ„ of Israel were there it hayled not Then sent Pharao called for Moses Aaron sayde vnto them Now haue I synned y e LORDE is righteous but I my people are vngodly Yet praye ye vnto the LORDE that the thonder hayle of God maye ceasse then wyl I let you go that ye shal tary here no longer Moses sayde vnto him Whan I am come out of the cite I wyll stretch out myne handes vnto the LORDE so shal the thonder ceasse there shal be nomore hayle that thou mayest knowe that the earth is the LORDES But I knowe y t both thou thy seruauntes feare not yet the LORDE God Thus the flax and the barlye were smytten for the barlye was shot vp y e flax was boulled but the wheate and y e râ—e were not smytten for they were late sowen So Moses wente from Pharao out of y e cite stretched out his haÌ„des vnto y e LORDE And y e thoÌ„der the hayle ceassed the rayne dropped not vpoÌ„ the earth But whaÌ„ Pharao sawe y t the rayne thonder hayle ceassed he synned agayne and herdened his hert he his seruauntes So Pharaos hert was hardened y t he let not the childreÌ„ of Israel go eueÌ„ as the LORDE had sayde by Moses The X. Chapter ANd the LORDE saide vnto Moses Go in vnto Pharao for I haue hardened his hert the hertes of his seruauÌ„tes y t I might do these my tokeÌ„s amonge theÌ„ that thou mightest shewe it in the eares of thy children of thy childers children what I haue done in Egipte and how I haue shewed my tokens amoÌ„ge theÌ„ that ye maye knowe how that I am the LORDE So Moses Aaron wente in vnto Pharao spake vnto him Thus sayeth y e LORDE God of the Hebrues How longe refusest thou to submyt thy self vnto me to let my people go y t they maye serue me Yf thou wilt not let my people go beholde tomorow wil I cause greshoppers to come vpon all places y t they maye couer the lande so y t the lande can not be sene they shal eate vp y t is left you was delyuered froÌ„ the hayle shal eate vp all yo r grene trees vpon the felde shal fyll thy house all y e seruauÌ„tes houses all the Egipcians houses soch as y e fathers y e fathers fathers haue not sene sens the tyme y t they were vpon earth vnto this daye And he turned him wente out from Pharao Then saide Pharaos seruauntes vnto him How longe shall we be snared after this maner Let the men go that they may serue y e LORDE their God Knowest thou not yet y t Egipte is destroyed Moses Aaron were brought agayne to Pharao which saide vnto them Go yo r waye serue y e LORDE yo r God But who are they y t shall go Moses sayde We wil go w t yonge olde w t sonnes and doughters with shepe and oxeÌ„ â–ª for we haue a feast of the LORDE He sayde vnto theÌ„ Let it be so the LORDE be with you Shulde I let you go yo r childreÌ„ also loke that ye haue not some myschefe in haÌ„de Not so but go ye that are men and serue the LORDE for that was youre desyre And they thrust them out from Pharao TheÌ„ saide y e LORDE vnto Moses Stretch out thine hande ouer y e londe of Egipte for the greshoppers y t they maye come vpoÌ„ y e londe of Egipte eate vp all the herbes in the londe w t all y t escaped the hayle Moses stretched out his staff ouer y e lande of Egipte the LORDE brought an east wynde in to the londe all y t daye all y t night in the mornynge the east wynde brought the greshoppers And they came ouer the whole lande of Egipte and lighted in all places of Egipte so exceadinge many that before tyme there were neuer soch nether
haue geuen you and to heare the wordes of my seruauntes the prophetes whom I sent vnto you rysynge vp tymely and still sendinge Yf ye will not folowe thē I saye then will I do to this house as I dyd vnto Silo and will make this cite to be abhorred of all the people of the earth And the prestes the prophetes and all the people herde Ieremy preach these wordes in the house of the LORDE Now when he had spoken out all the wordes that the LORDE commaunded him to preach vnto all the people then the prestes the prophetes and all the people toke holde vpon him and sayde thou shalt dye How darrest thou be so bolde as to saye in the name of the LORDE it shal happen to this house as it dyd vnto Silo and this cite shal be so waist that no man shal dwell there in And when all the people were gathered aboute Ieremy in the house of the LORDE the prynces of Iuda herde of this rumoure they came soone out of the kinges Palace in to the house of the LORDE and sat them downe before the new dore of the LORDE Then spake the prestes and the prophetes vnto the rulers to all the people these wordes This man is worthy to dye for he hath preached agaynst this cite as ye youre selues haue herde with youre eares Then sayde Ieremy vnto the rulers and to all the people The LORDE hath sente me to preach agaynst this house agaynst this cite all the wordes that ye haue herde Therfore amende youre wayes and youre advysementes and be obedient vnto the voyce of the LORDE youre God so shal the LORDE repēt of the plage y t he had deuysed agaynst you Now as forme I am in youre hondes do with me as ye thinke expediēt and good But this shall ye knowe yf ye put me to death ye shal make youre selues this cite all the inhabitours there of giltie of innocent bloude For this is of a treuth that the LORDE hath sente me vnto you to speake all these wordes in youre eares Then sayde the rulers and the people vn the prestes and prophetes This man maye not be condemned to death for he hath preached vnto vs in the name of the LORDE oure God The Elders also of the londe stode vp sayde thus vnto all the people Micheas the Morascite which was a prophet vnder Ezechias kinge of Iuda spake to all the people of Iuda Thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes Sion shal be plowed like a felde Ierusalē shal be an heape of stones the hill of the LORDES house shal be turned to an hie wod Dyd Ezechias y e kinge of Iuda the people of Iuda put him to deeth for this No verely but rather feared y e LORDE made their praier vnto him For the which cause also y e LORDE repented of the plage y t he had deuysed agaynst them Shulde we then do soch a shamefull dede agaynst oure soules There was a prophet also that preached stiffly in the name of the LORDE called Vrias the sonne of Semeia of Cariathiarim this mā preached also agaynst this cite agaynst this lōde acordinge to all as Ieremy saieth Now when Ioachim the kinge with all the estates prynces had herde his wordes the kinge went aboute to slaye him When Vrias perceaued that he was afrayed fled departed in to Egipte Then Ioachim the kinge sent seruauntes in to the lōde of Egipte Namely Elnathā the sonne of Achbor certayne men w t him in to Egipte which fetched Vrias out of Egipte brought him vnto kinge Ioachim that slewe him with the swearde cast his deed body in to y e comō peoples graue But Ahicam the sonne of Saphan helped Ieremy that he came not in to the hondes of the people to be slayne The XXVII Chapter IN the begynnynge of the reigne of Ioachim the sonne of Iosias kynge of Iuda came this worde vnto Ieremy from the LORDE which spake thus vnto me Make the bondes chaynes and put them aboute thy neck sende thē to the kinge of Edom the kinge of Moab the kinge of Amon the kinge of Tirus to the kinge of Sidon that by the messaungers which shal come to Ierusalem vnto Sedechias the kinge of Iuda and byd them saye vnto their masters Thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel speake thus vnto yo r masters I am he that made the earth the men y e catell that are vpon the grounde with my greate power outstretched arme haue geuen it vnto whom it pleased me And now will I delyuer all these londes in to the power of Nabuchodonosor the kinge of Babilon my seruaunt The beestes also of the felde shal I geue him to do him seruyce And all people shal serue him his sonne and his childes children vntil the tyme of the same lōde be come also Yee many people greate kinges shal serue him Morouer that people kingdome which wil not serue Nabuchodonosor and that wil not put their neckes vnder y e yock of the kinge of Babilon the same people will I viset with swearde with honger with pestilence vntill I haue consumed them in his hondes saieth the LORDE And therfore folowe not youre prophetes soythsayers expounders of dreames charmers witches which saye vnto you ye shal not serue the kinge of Babilon For they preach you lies to bringe you farre from youre londe that I might cast you out destroye you But the people that put their neckes vnder the yock of the kinge of Babilon serue him those I willet remayne still in their owne lōde saieth the LORDE they shal occupie it dwell there in All these thinges tolde I Sedechias the kinge of Iuda and sayde Put youre neckes vnder the yock of the kinge of Babilon and serue him his people that ye maye lyue Why wilt thou and thy people perish with the swearde with honger with pestilence like as the LORDE hath deuysed for all people that wil not serue the kinge of Babilon Therfore geue no eare vnto those prophetes that tell you Ye shall not serue the kinge of Babilon for they preach you lies nether haue I sent them saieth the LORDE how be it they are bolde falsely for to prophecie in my name that I might y e sooner dryue you out that ye might perish with yo r preachers I spake to the prestes also and to all the people Thus saieth the LORDE Heare not the wordes of those prophetes that preach vnto you saye Beholde the vessels of the LORDES house shall shortly be brought hither agayne from Babilon For they prophecie lies vnto you Heare them not but serue the kinge of Babilon y t ye maye lyue Wherfore will ye make this cite to be destroyed But yf they be true prophetes in very dede and yf the worde of
of the prophet Ieremy and tyll the londe had hir rest namely all the tyme y t it laye wayest had it rest quyetnes lxxvij yeares The II. Chapter NOw whā kynge Cyrus raigned ouer the Persians whā the LORDE wolde perfourme the worde y t he had promysed by the mouth of the prophet Ieremy the LORDE raysed vp the sprete of Cyrus the kynge of the Persiās so y t he caused this wrytinge to be proclamed thorow out his whole realme sayenge Thus sayeth the kynge of y e Persians The LORDE of Israel that hye LORDE hath made me kynge of the lōde and commaunded me to buylde him an house at Ierusalem in Iewry Yf there be eny now of youre people y e LORDE be with him and go vp with him to Ierusalem And all they that dwell rounde aboute y t place shal helpe thē whether it be with golde with syluer with giftes with horses and necessary catell and all other thinges that are brought w t a fre wyll to the house of the LORDE at Ierusalē Then the pryncipall mē out of the trybes and vyllages of Iuda and Ben Iamin stode vp so dyd the prestes also the leuites whō the LORDE had moued to go vp and to buylde the house of the LORDE at Ierusalē And they that were aboute them helped them w t all maner of golde and syluer and catell also and with many liberall giftes and this dyd many one whose mynde was stered vp therto Kynge Cyrus also brought forth the vessels and ornamentes that were halowed vnto the LORDE which Nabuchodonosor the kynge of Babilon had caried awaye from Ierusalem and consecrated them to his Idoll and ymage and delyuered them to Mithridatus his treasurer and by him they were delyuered to Salmanasar y e debyte in Iewry And this was the nōbre of them Two thousande and iiij C. syluer boules xxx syluer basens xxx basens of golde ij M. and iiij C. vessels of syluer and a thousande besyde All the vessels of golde and syluer were v. M.viij C. and lx These were nombred vnto Salmanasar and them that were come agayne with him to Ierusalē out of the captiuyte of Babilon Now in the tyme of kynge Artaxerses the kynge of Persia these men Balemus and Mithridatus Sabellius Rathimus Balthemus Semelius y e scrybe and other that dwelt in Samaria in other places vnder y e dominion therof Wrote a letter vnto kynge Artaxerses wherin they complayned vnto the kynge of them in Iewry and Ierusalem The letter was made after this maner Syr thy seruauntes Rathimus the story wryter Sabellius the Scrybe other iudges of thy courte in Celosyria and Phenices Be it knowne and manifest to o r lorde the kyn that the Iewes which are come vp frō you vnto vs into the rebellious and wicked cite begynne to buylde it agayne and the walles aboute it and to set vp the tēple of the new Now yf this cite and the walles therof be sett vp agayne they shal not only refuse to geue trybutes and taxinges but also rebell vtterly agaynst the kynge And for so moch as they take this in hande now aboute the temple we thought it reason to thinke no scorne of it but to shewe it vnto o r lorde the kynge to certifie him therof to the intent y t yf it please the kinge he maye cause it be sought in the bokes of olde and thou shalt fynde soch warnynge wrytten and shalt vnderstonde that this cite hath allwaye bene rebellious and disobedient that it hath subdued kynges and cities and that the Iewes which dwell therin haue euer bene a rebellious obstinate vnfaithfull and fightinge people for the which cause this cite is waysted Wherfore now we certifie oure lorde the kynge that yf this cite be buylded and occupied agayne the walles therof set vp a new thou canst haue no passage in to Celosyria and Phenices Then wrote the kynge to Rathimus the story wryter to Balthemus to Sabellius y e scrybe and to the other officers and dwellers in Syria and Phenices after this maner I haue red the epistle which thou sentest vnto me and haue commaunded to make diligent search and haue founde that the cite hath euer resisted kynges that the same people are dishobedient and haue caused moch warre that mightie kynges haue raigned in Ierusalem which also haue raysed vp taxinges of Syria and Phenices Wherfore I haue commaūded those people that they shal not buylde the cite that they make no more in it and that they procede no further with the buyldinge for so moch as it might be the cause of warre and displeasure vnto kynges Now whan Rathymus and Sabellius the scrybe and the rulers in the londe had red the wrytinge of kynge Artaxerses they gatt them together and came in all the haist to Ierusalem with an hoost of horsemen and with moch people of fote and forbad them to buylde And so they left of from buyldinge of the temple vnto the seconde yeare of kynge Darius The III. Chapter KYnge Darius made a greate feast vnto his seruaūtes vnto all his courte to all the officers of Media and Persia yee and to all the debytes rulers that were vnder him from India vnto Ethiopia an hundreth xxvij countrees So whan they had eaten and dronken beinge satisfied and were gone home agayne Darius the kynge wente in to his chambre layed him downe to slepe and so awaked Then the thre yonge men that kepte the kynges personne and watched his body commoned amonge them selues and spake one to another Let euery one of vs saye some thinge and loke whose sentence is wyser and more excellent then the other vnto him shal kinge Darius geue greate giftes and clothe him with purple He shal geue him vessels of golde to drynke in clothes of golde and coueringes he shall make him a costly charett a brydle of golde he shall geue him a bonet of whyte sylke and a chayne of golde aboute his neck yee he shal be the seconde pryncipall nexte vnto kynge Darius that because of his wyszdome and shal be called y e kynges kynsman So euery one wrote his meaninge sealed it and layed it vnder the kinges pelowe and sayde whan the kynge aryseth we will geue him oure wrytinges and loke whose worde the kynge and his chefe lordes iudge to be the most wysely spoken the same shall haue the victory One wrote wyne is a stronge thinge The secōde wrote The kynge is strōger The thirde wrote wemen haue yet more strength but aboue all thinges y e trueth beareth awaye the victory Now whan the kynge was rysen vp they toke their wrytinges and delyuered them vnto him and so hered them Then sent he forth to call all his chefe lordes all the debytes rulers of the countrees of Media and Persia. And whan they were sett downe in the councell the wrytinges were red before them And he commaunded to call for y e
it Iudith made hir prayer vnto y e LORDE wente out at y e porte she hir mayde And as she was goinge downe the mountayne it happened that aboute the sprynge of the daye the spyes of y e Assirians met w t her and toke her sayenge whence commest thou Or whither goest thou She answered I am a daughter of y e Hebrues and am fled from them for I knowe that they shal be geuē vnto you to be spoyled because they thought scorne to yelde thē selues vnto you that they might fynde mercy in youre sight Therfore haue I deuysed by my self after this maner I wyll go before the prynce Holofernes and tell him all their secretes and wyll shew him how he maye come by them and wynne them so that not one man of his hoost shall perish And whan these men had herde hir wordes considered hir fayre face they were astonnyed for they wondred at hir excellent bewtye sayde vnto her Thou hast saued y e life by fyndinge out this deuyce y t thou woldest come downe to o r lorde be thou sure that whā thou cōmest vnto him he shal intreate the well thou shalt please him at y e hert So they brought her in to Holofernes pauylion and tolde him of her Now whan she came in before him immediatly he was ouercome taken with hir bewtye Then saide his seruauntes who wolde despyse y e people of y e Iewes y t haue so fayre wemē Shulde we not by reason fight against thē for these So whā Iudith sawe Holofernes syttinge in a canapye y t was wrought of purple sylke golde Smaragde and precious stones she loked fast vpō him fell downe vpō the earth And Holofernes seruaūtes toke hir vp agayne at their lordes commmaundement The XI Chapter THen sayde Holofernes vnto her Be of good chere and feare not in thine hert for I neuer hurte man that wolde serue Nabuchodonosor the kynge As for thy people yf they had not despysed me I shulde not haue lift vp a speare agaynst thē But tell me now what is the cause y t thou art departed from them and wherfore art thou come vnto vs And Iudith sayde vnto him Syr vnder stonde the wordes of thy handmayden for yf thou wilt do after y e wordes of thy hādmayden the LORDE shall brynge thy matter to a prosperous effecte As truly as Nabuchodonosor a lorde of the londe lyueth as truly as his power lyueth which is in the to the punyshment of all men that go wronge all men shall not onely be subdued vnto him thorow the but all the beestes also of y e felde For all people speake of thy prudēt actiuyte and it hath euer bene reported how thou onely art good and mightie in all his kyngdome and thy discrecion is commēded in all londes The thinge is manifest also that Achior spake and it is wel knowne what thou commaūdedst to do vnto him For this is plaine and of a suretye that oure God is so wroth with vs by the reason of oure synnes that he hath shewed by his prophetes vnto the people how that for their synnes he wyl delyuer them ouer vnto the enemie And for so moch as the children of Israel knowe that they haue so displeased their God they are sore afrayed of the. They suffre greate honger also for wante of water they are deed now in a maner Morouer they are appoynted to slaye all their catell that they maye drynke the bloude of them and are purposed to spende all the holy ornamentes of their God which he hath forbyddē thē to touch for corne wyne and oyle Seinge now that they do these thinges it is a playne case y t they must nedes be destroyed Which whan I thy handmayden perceaued I fled from them and the LORDE hath sent me vnto y e to shew the these thinges For I thy handmayden worshipe God euen here now besyde the and thy honde mayden shal go forth and I wil make my praier vnto God and he shal tell me whan he wyl rewarde thē their synne then shal I come and shew the brynge the thorow the myddest of Ierusalem so that thou shalt haue all y e people of Israel as the shepe without a shepherde there shal not so moch as one dogg barck agaynst the for these thinges are shewed me by the prouydence of God and for so moch as God is displeased with them he hath sent me to tell the the same These wordes pleased Holofernes and all his seruauntes which marueled at the wysdome of her and sayde one to another there is not soch a woman vpon earth in bewtye and discrecion of wordes And Holofernes sayde vnto her God hath done well that he hath sent the hither before thy people that thou mayest geue them into oure handes And for so moch as y e promyse is good yf thy God perfourme it vnto me he shall be my God also and thou shalt be excellent and greate in the courte of Nabuchodonosor and thy name shal be spoken of in all the londe The XII Chapter THen commaunded he her to go in where his treasure laye and charged that she shulde haue hyr dwellynge there and appoynted what shulde be geuen her frō his table Iudith answered him and sayde As for the meate that thou hast commaunded to geue me I maye not eate of it as now lest I displease my God but wyl eate of soch as I haue brought with me Then sayde Holofernes vnto her Yf these thinges that thou hast brought with the fayle what shal we do vnto the And Iudith sayde As truly as thou lyuest my lorde thy hande mayden shall not spende all this tyll God haue brought to passe in my hande the thinges that I haue deuysed So his seruauntes brought her in to the tent where as he had appointed And as she was goinge in she desyred that she might haue leue to go forth by night before daye to hir prayer and to make intercession vnto the LORDE Then commaunded Holofernes his chamberlaynes that she shulde go out and in at hir pleasure to praye vnto hir God those thre dayes And so in the night season she wēte forth in to the valley of Bethulia and wasszhed hirself in the wellwater Then wente she vp and besought the LORDE God of Israel that he wolde prospere hir waye for the delyueraunce of his people And so she wente in and remayned cleane in hir tent till she toke hir meate in the euenynge Vpon y e fourth daye it happened y t Holofernes made a costly supper vnto his seruaūtes and sayde vnto Vagao his chamberlayne Go y i waye and councell this Hebruesse that she maye be wyllynge to consent to kepe company with me For it were a shame vnto all the Assirians that a woman shulde so laugh a man to scorne that she were come from him vnmedled withall Then wente Vagao vnto Iudith and sayde Let not the good daughter be afrayed
promysed offerynges And Iudith offred all Holofernes weapâ—ns and all the Iewels that y e people had geueÌ„ her and the canapy that she toke from his bed and hanged them vp vnto the LORDE The people was ioyfull as the vse is this ioye by reason of the victory with Iudith endured thre monethes So after these dayes euery man wente home agayne and Iudith was in greate reputacion at Bethulia and right honorably taken in all the londe of Israel Vnto hir vertue also was chastite ioyned so y t after hir huszbonde Manasses dyed she neuer knew man all the dayes of hir life Vpon the hye solempne dayes she wente out with greate worshipe She dwelt in hir huszbandes house an hundreth and fyue yeare left hir hondâ— mayden fre and dyed and was buried besyde hir huszbande in Bethulia And all the people mourned for her seuen dayes So longe as she lyued there was none that troubled Israel and many yeares also after hir death The daye wherin this victory was gotten was solemply holden and rekened of the Iewes in the nombre of the holy dayes and is yet greatly holden of the Iewes euer sence vnto this daye The ende of the boke of Iudith The chapters in the boke of Hester which are not founde in the text of the Hebrue but in the Greke and Latyn The XI Chapter after the Latyn In this chapter is descrybed the dreame of Mardocheus MArdocheus the sonne of Iair the sonne of Semei y e sonne of Cisei of y e trybe of Ben Iamin a Iew which had his dwelllynge in Susis a man of greate reputacioÌ„ excellent amonge all them that were in the kynges courte Neuerthelesse he was one of the presoners whom Nabuchodonosor the kynge of BabiloÌ„ had caried awaye from Ierusalem vnto Babilon w t Iechonias the kynge of Iuda In the seconde yeare of the raigne of greate Artaxerses in the first daye of y e moneth Nisan had this Mardocheus soch a dreame He thought he herde a greate teÌ„pest horrible thonder clappes erthquakes greate vpro r in y e londe y t he sawe two greate dragoÌ„s ready to fight one agaiÌ„st another Their crye was greate At the which roaringe and crye all Heithen were vp to fight agaynst y e righteous people And y e same daye was full of darcknes very vncleare full of trouble anguysh yee a greate fearfulnes was there in all the londe The righteous were amased for they feared y e plage euell y t was deuysed ouer theÌ„ were at a poynte w t them selues to dye So they cried vnto God and while they were cryenge the litle well grew in to a greate ryuer in to many waters And with y t it was daye the sonne rose vp agayne And y e lowly were exalted and deuoured the glorious and proude Now whan Mardocheus had sene this dreame he awoke and mused stedfastly in his hert what God wolde do and so he desyred to knowe all the matter and his mynde was there vpon vntyll the night The XII Chapter In this chapter is declared how Mardocheus vttereth the treason of the two seruauntes agaynst the kynge and therfore doth the kynge rewarde him AT the same tyme dwelt Mardocheus with Bagatha and Thares the kynges chamberlaynes and porters of the palace But whan he herde their deuyce and had diligently considered their ymaginacions he perceaued that they wente aboute to laye their cruell handes vpon the kynge Artaxerses and so he certified the kinge therof Then caused the kynge to examen y e two gelded with tormentes And whan they had graunted it they were put to death This the kynge caused to be put in y e Cronicles for an euerlastinge remembrauÌ„ce and Mardocheus wrote vp the same matter So the kynge commaunded that Mardocheus shulde do seruyce in the courte and for this faithfulnesse of his he gaue him a rewarde But Aman the sonne of Amadathu the Agagite which was holden in greate honoure and reputacion in the kynges courte vndertoke to hurte Mardocheus his people because of the two chamberlaynes that were put to death The XIII Chapter The copie of the commaundement which kiÌ„ge Artaxerses by the entisinge of AmaÌ„ sent out in to all countres for the destruccion of the Iewes The prayer of Mardocheus THe greate kynge Artaxerses which raigneth from India vnto Ethiopia ouer an hundreth and seuen and tweÌ„tye londes sendeth his frendly salutacion vnto all the prynces and debytes of the countrees which be subiecte vnto his dominion Whan I was made lorde ouer many people and had subdued the whole earth vnto my dominion my mynde was not with crueltye and wronge to exalte myself by the reason of my power but purposed w t equyte allwaye and gentylnes to gouerne those that be vnder my iuriszdiccion and wholy to set them in a peaceable life and therby to brynge my kingdome vnto tranquylite that men might safely go thorow on euery syde and to renue peace agayne which all men desyre Now whan I axed my councelers how these thines might be brought to a good ende there was one by vs excelleÌ„t in wyszdome whose good wyll trueth faithfulnes hath oft bene shewed proued which was also y e pryncipall next vnto y e kiÌ„ge AmaÌ„ by name which certified vs how y t in all loÌ„des there was crepte in a rebellious folke y t made statutes lawes agaynst all other people haue allwaye despysed the proclamed commaundementes of kynges and how that for this cause it were not to be suffred that soch rule shulde contynue by you not to be put downe Seinge now we perceaue the same that this people alone are contrary vnto euery man vsynge straunge and other maner of lawes withstonde oure statutes and doinges and go aboute to stablish shrewd matters that oure kyngdome shulde neuer come to good estate and stedfastnes Therfore haue we commauÌ„ded that all they that are appoynted in wrytinge and shewed vnto you by Aman which is ordened and set ouer all oure busynes and the most pryncipall next vnto the kynge and in maner as a father shal with their wiues children be destroyed and roted out with the swerde of their enemies and aduersaries y t there shal be no mercy shewed no man spared And this shal be done y e xiiij daye of the moneth called Adar of this yeare that they which of olde and now also haue euer bene rebellious maye in one daye with violence be thrust downe in to the hell to the inteÌ„t that after this maner oure empyre maye haue peace and tranquylite But Mardocheus thought vpon all the workes and noble actes of y e LORDE made his prayer vnto him sayenge O LORDE LORDE thou valeaunt and allmightie kynge for all thinges are in thy power and yf thou wilt helpe and delyuer Israel there is no maÌ„ that can withstoÌ„de ner lett the for thou hast made heauen earth and what
y t they haue borne false wytnes agaynst me beholde I must dye where as I neuer dyd eny soch thinges as these men haue maliciously inuented agaynst me And y e LORDE herde hir voyce For whē she was led forth to death y e LORDE raised vp y e sprete of a yōge childe whose name was Daniel which cried w t a loude voice I am clene frō this bloude Thē all y e people turned thē towarde him saide What meane these wordes y t thou hast spokē ▪ Daniel stode in y e myddest of thē sayde Are ye soch fooles O ye childrē of Israel y t ye cā not discerne Ye haue here condēned a daughter of Israel vnto death and knowe not the trueth wherfore Go syt on iudgment agayne for they haue spoken false witnesse agaynst her Wherfore the people turned agayne in all the haist And the elders that is the principall heades sayde vnto him come sit downe here amonge vs and shewe vs this matter seynge God hath geuen the as greate honoure as an elder And Daniel sayde vnto them Put these two asyde one from another and then shal I heare them When they were put a sunder one from another he called one of them and sayd vnto him O thou olde canckerde carle that hast vsed thy wickednesse so longe thine vngracious dedes which thou hast done afore are now come to light For thou hast geuen false iudgmentes thou hast oppressed the innocent and letten the giltie go fre where as yet the LORDE saieth The innocent and righteous se thou slaye not Wel than yf thou hast sene her tel me vnder what tre sawest thou them talkynge together He answered Vnder a Molbery tre And Daniel sayde very wel Now thou leist euen vpon thine heade Lo the messaunger of the LORDE hath receaued the sentence of him to cut y e in two Then put he him asyde and called for the other and sayde vnto him O thou sede of Canaan but not of Iuda Fayrnesse hath disceaued the and lust hath subuerted thine herte Thus dealte ye afore with the daughters of Israel and they for feare consented vnto you but the daughter of Iuda wolde not abyde youre wickednesse Now tell me than vnder what tre didest thou take them speakinge together He answered vnder a pomgranate tre Then sayde Daniel vnto him very wel now thou leyst also euen vpō thine heade The messaunger of the LORDE stondeth waytinge with the swerde to cut the in two and to slaye you both With that all the whole multitude gaue a greate shoute and praysed God which allwaye delyuereth them y t put their trust in him And they came vpon the two elders whom Daniel had conuicte with their owne mouth that they had geuen false witnesse and dealte with them euen likewyse as they wolde haue done with their neghbouresse Yee they dyd acordinge to the lawe of Moses and put them to death Thus the innocent bloude was saued the same daye Thē Helchias his wife praysed God for their daughter Susanna with Ioachim hir huszbonde and all y e kinrede that there was no dishoneste founde in her From that daye forth was Daniel had in greate reputaciō in the sight of y e people The ende of the story of Susanna The story of Bel which is the xiiij Chapter of Daniel after the Latin THere was at Babilon an ymage called Bel and there were spent vpon him euery daye xij cakes xl shepe and sixe greate pottes of wine Him dyd the kynge worshipe himself and wente daylie to hono r him but Daniel worshiped his owne God And the kynge sayde vnto him Why dost not thou worshipe Bel he answered and sayde Because I maye not worshipe thinges that be made w t hondes but the lyuynge God which made heauen and earth and hath power vpon all flesh The kynge sayde vnto him thinkest thou not y t Bel is a lyuynge God Or seist thou not how moch he eateth and drynketh euery daye Daniel smyled and sayde O kynge disceaue not thyselfe This is but made of claye within and of metall without nether eateth he euer eny thinge Then the kynge was wroth and called for his prestes and sayde vnto them Yf ye tell me not who this is that eateth vp these expenses ye shal dye But yf ye can certifie me that Bel eateth them then Daniel shall dye for he hath spoken blasphemy agaynst Bel. And Daniel sayde vnto the kynge let it so be acordinge as thou hast sayde The prestes of Bel were lxx besyde their wyues and children And the kynge wente with Daniel in to the temple of Bel. So Bels prestes sayde Lo we wil go out set thou y e meate there O kynge poure in the wyne then shutt the dore fast and seale it with thine owne signet and tomorow when thou commest in yf thou fyndest not that Bel hath eaten vp all we wil suffre death or els daniel that hath lyed vpon vs. The prestes thought them selues sure ynough for vnder y e altare they had made a preuy intraunce there wente they in euer and ate vp what there was So when they were gone forth the kynge set meates before Bel. Now Daniel had cōmaunded his seruauntes to bringe aszshes and these he siffted thorow out all the temple that the kynge might se. Then wente they out sparre the dore sealinge it with y e kynges signet and so departed In y e night came the prestes with their wyues and children as they were wonte to do and ate and dronke vp all In the mornynge be tymes at the breake of the daye the kynge arose Daniel with him And the kynge sayde Daniel are the seales whole yet He answered Yee o kynge they be whole Now as soone as he had opened the dore the kinge loked vnto y e altare and cried with a loude voyce Great◠art thou o Bel and with the is no disceate Then laughed Daniel and helde the kynge that he shulde not go in and sayde Beholde the pauement marcke well whose fotesteppes are these The kynge sayde I se the fotesteppes of men women and children Therfore the kynge was angrie and toke the prestes with their wyues and childrē they shewed him y e preuy dores where they came in ate vp soch thinges as were vpon y e altare For the which cause y e kynge slewe them delyuered Bel in to Daniels power which destroyed him and his temple And in that same place there was a greate dragon which they of Babilon worshipped And y e kynge sayde vnto Daniel sayest thou y t this is but a god of metall also lo he liueth he eateth drinketh so y t thou cāst not saye that he is no lyuinge God therfore worshipe him Daniel sayde vnto y e kinge I wil worshipe the LORDE my God he is y e truelyuynge God as for this he is not the God of life But geue me leaue o kynge
in the remembraunce of me Likewyse also the cuppe after they had supped and sayde This cuppe is the new TestameÌ„t in my bloude which shal be shed for you But lo the hande of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table And the sonne of man trulye goeth forth as it is appoynted But wo vnto that man by whom he is betrayed And they beganne to axe amonge them selues which of them it shulde be that shulde do that There rose a strife also amoÌ„ge theÌ„ which of them shulde be takeÌ„ for the greatest But he sayde vnto them The kynges of y e worlde haue domynion ouer y e people and they that beare rule ouer theÌ„ are called gracious lordes But ye shal not be so But the greatest amonge you shal be as the yongest and the chefest as a seruaunt For which is the greatest he that sytteth at the table or he that serueth Is not he that sytteth at the table But I am amoÌ„ge you as a mynister As for you ye are they that haue byddeÌ„ w t me in my temptacions And I wil appoynte the kyngdome vnto you euen as my father hath appoynted me that ye maye eate and drynke at my table in my kyngdome and syt vpon seates and iudge the twolue trybes of Israel But the LORDE sayde Simon Simon beholde Satan hath desyred after you that he might siffte you euen as wheate but I haue prayed for y e that thy faith fayle not And whan thou art coÌ„uerted strength thy brethren But he sayde vnto him LORDE I am ready to go with the in to preson and in to death Neuertheles he sayde Peter I saye vnto the The cock shal not crowe this daye tyll thou haue thryse denyed y t thou knewest me And he sayde vnto them Whan I sent you without wallet without scryppe and without shues lacked ye eny thinge They sayde No. Then sayde he vnto them But now he that hath a wallet let him take it vp likewyse also the scryppe But he that hath not let him sell his coate bye a swerde For I saye vnto you It must yet be fulfilled on me that is wrytteÌ„ He was counted amonge the euell doers For loke what is wrytten of me it hath an ende But they sayde LORDE Beholde here are two swerdes He sayde vnto theÌ„ It is ynough And he wente out as he was wonte vnto mouÌ„t Oliuete But his disciples folowed him vnto the same place And whan he came thither he sayde vnto theÌ„ Praye that ye fall not in to teÌ„ptacion And he gat him from them aboute a stones cast and kneled downe prayed sayde Father yf thou wilt take awaye this cuppe fro me Neuerthelesse not my wyll but thyne be fulfylled And there appeared vnto him an angell froÌ„ heauen and conforted him And it came so that he wrestled with death and prayed the longer And his sweate was like droppes of â—loude runnynge downe to the grounde And he rose vp froÌ„ prayer and came to his disciples and founde them slepinge for heuynesse and sayde vnto them What slepe ye ryse vp and praye that ye fall not in to tentacion But whyle he yet spake beholde the multitude and one of the twolue called Iudas wente before them and he came nye vnto Iesus to kysse him But Iesus sayde vnto him Iudas betrayest thou the sonne of maÌ„ with a kysse Whan they that were aboute him sawe what wolde folowe they sayde vnto him LORDE shal we smyte with the swerde And one of theÌ„ stroke a seruauÌ„t of y e hye prestes smote of his eare But Iesus answered and sayde Suffre theÌ„ thus farre forth And he touched his eare healed him But Iesus sayde vnto the prestes and rulers of the temple and to the Elders that were come vnto him Ye are come forth as it were to a murthurer with swerdes with staues I was daylie with you in the temple and ye layed no handes vpon me But this is youre houre and the power of darknesse Neuerthelesse they toke him and led him and brought him in to the hye prestes house As for Peter he folowed hiÌ„ a farre of Then kyndled they a fyre in the myddest of the palace and sat them downe together And Peter sat him downe amonge them Then a damsell sawe him syttinge by the light and behelde him well and sayde vnto him This same was also with him But he denyed him and sayde WomaÌ„ I knowe him not And after a litle whyle another sawe him and sayde Thou art one of them also But Peter sayde Man I am not And aboute the space of an houre after another affirmed sayde Verely this was with him also for he is a Galilean But Peter saide MaÌ„ I wote not what thou sayest And immediatly whyle he yet spake y e cock crewe And the LORDE turned him aboute and loked vpoÌ„ Peter And Peter remembred the wordes of y e LORDE how he sayde vnto him Before the cock crowe thou shalt denye me thryse And Peter wente out and wepte bytterly The men that helde Iesus mocked him and stroke him blyndfolded him and smote him on the face and axed him and sayde Prophecie who is it that smote the And many other blasphemies sayde they vnto hiÌ„ And whan it was daye there gathered together the Elders of the people the hye prestes and scrybes and led him vp before their councell and sayde Art thou Christ Tell vs. But he sayde vnto them Yf I tell you ye wyl not beleue But yf I axe you ye wyl not answers me nether wyl ye let me go From this tyme forth shal the sonne of man sytt at the right haÌ„de of the power of God Then sayde they all Art thou then y e sonne of God He sayde vnto them Ye saye it for I am They sayde What nede we anye farther wytnesse We oure selues haue herde it of his awne mouth The XXIII Chapter ANd the whole multitude of theÌ„ arose and led him vnto Pilate and begaÌ„ne to accuse him and sayde We haue founde this felowe peruertinge the people and forbyddinge to geue trybute vnto the Emperoure and sayeth that he is Christ a kynge But Pilate axed him and sayde Art thou the kynge of the Iewes He answered him and sayde Thou sayest it Pilate sayde vnto y e hye prestes and to the people I fynde no cause in this man But they were the more fearce and sayde He hath moued the people in that he hath taught here there in all the londe of Iewry and hath begonne at Galile vnto this place Whan Pilate herde mencion of Galile he axed whether he were of Galile And whan he perceaued that he was vnder He rodes iurisdiccion he sent him to Herode which was also at IerusaleÌ„ in those dayes When Herode sawe Iesus he was exceadinge glad for he had longe bene desyrous to se him because he had herde moch of him
that daye forth Saul loked sowerly vpoÌ„ Dauid The nexte daye after came the euell sprete of God vpon Saul and prophecyed in y e myddes of the house But Dauid played on the instrumente with his hande as he was wonte daylie And Saul had a iauelynge in his hande and cast it and thoughte I wyll stycke Dauid fast to the wall Neuerthelesse Dauid turned himselfe twyse awaye from him And Saul was afrayed of Dauid for the LORDE was with him and was departed from Saul Then Saul put him from him and set him to be prynce ouer a thousande men and he went out and in before the people And Dauid behaued himselfe wysely in all his doynges and the LORDE was with him Now whan Saul sawe that he was so exceadynge wyse he stode in feare of him But all Israel and Iuda loued Dauid for he wente out and in before them And Saul sayde vnto Dauid Beholde my greatest doughter Merob wyl I geue the to wyfe be stronge now gouerne the warres of the LORDE For Saul thought my haÌ„de shal not be vpon him but the hande of y e Pilistynes Neuertheles Dauid answered Saul Who am I what is my life the kynred of my father in Israel that I shulde mary the kinges doughter But whan the tyme came that Merob y e doughter of Saul shulde haue bene geueÌ„ vnto Dauid she was geuen vnto Adriel y e Meholathite to wyfe Neuerthelesse Mâ—chol Sauls doughter loued Dauid Whan this was tolde Saul y e matter pleased him well he sayde I wyl geue him her y t she maye be a snare vnto him that the handes of y e Philistynes maye come vpon him And he sayde vnto Dauid This daye shalt thou be my doughters huszbaÌ„de y e secoÌ„de time And Saul spake vnto his seruauÌ„tes Talke w t Dauid secretly saye Beholde the kinge hath pleasure in the and all his seruauntes loue the mary thou therfore the kynges doughter And Sauls seruauntes spake these wordes in the eares of Dauid But Dauid saide Thynke ye it but a small matter to mary the kynges doughter As for me I am but a poore symple man And Sauls seruauntes tolde him agayne and sayde Soch wordes hath Dauid spoken Saul sayde Then saye ye vnto Dauid The kynge desyreth no dowry but onely an hundreth foreszkynnes of the Philistynes that vengeaunce maye be taken of the kinges enemies Howbeit Saul thought to cause Dauid be slayne by the haÌ„des of the Philistynes Then his seruauntes tolde Dauid these wordes and Dauid was contente with the matter to mary the kynges doughter And after a fewe dayes Dauid gatt him vp and wente with his men and smote two hundreth men amonge the Philistynes And Dauid broughte their foreszkynnes and made their nombre sufficient vnto the kynge y t he mighte mary the kynges doughter TheÌ„ Saul gaue him his doughter Michol to wyfe And Saul sawe and perceaued that the LORDE was w t Dauid And Michol Sauls doughter loued him Then was Saul the more afrayed and became his enemye as loÌ„ge as he lyued And whan the prynces of the Philistynes weÌ„te forth Dauid behaued him selfe more wysely then all the seruauntes of Saul in their outgoynge so that his name was in greate reputacion The XIX Chapter SAul spake to Ionathas his sonne and to all his seruauntes that they shulde kyll Dauid Neuerthelesse Ionathas the sonne of Saul loued Dauid exceadingly and tolde him and sayde Saul my father goeth aboute to slaye the. Kepe the therfore I praye the in the mornynge and abyde in secrete and hyde the. But I wyll go forth and stonde besyde my father in the felde where thou art and wyll speake of the vnto my father and what soeuer I se I shal brynge the worde And Ionathas reported y e best of Dauid vnto Saul his father and sayde vnto him Oh let not the kynge synne agaynst his seruaunt for he hath not synned agaynst the and his doynge is very necessary for the he put his lyfe in his hande also and smote the Philistyne the LORDE dyd a greate health vnto all Israel this hast thou sene and reioysed therof Wherfore wylt thou then offende agaynst innocent bloude that thou woldest kyll Dauid without a cause Then herkened Saul vnto the voice of Ionathas and sware As truly as the LORDE lyueth he shal not dye Then Ionathas called Dauid and tolde him all these wordes and brought him to Saul so that he was in presence like as afore tyme. But there arose a battayll agayne and Dauid wente forth and fought agaynst the Philistynes and smote a greate slaughter so that they fled before him Neuertheles y e euell sprete of the LORDE came vpon Saul and he sat in his house and had a iauelynge in his hande But Dauid plaied vpon the instrument with his haÌ„de And Saul thoughâ— with the iauelinge to sticke Dauid fast to the wall Howbeit he wente asyde froÌ„ Saul and the iauelynge smote in the wall And Dauid fled and escaped that night Notwithstondinge Saul sent his messaungers to Dauids house that they shulde laye wayte for him and kyll him in the mornynge Michol Dauids wyfe tolde him this and sayde Yf thou saue not thy soule this night thou shalt dye tomorow Then Michol let him downe thorow the wyndow so that he wente his waye fled and escaped And Mickol toke an ymage and layed it in the bed and laied a goates szkinne at the heade of it and couered it with clothes Then Saul sent messauÌ„gers to fetch Dauid But she sayde He is sicke Neuerthelesse Saul sent messaungers to se Dauid sayde Bringe him vp to me with the bed that he maye be slayne Now whan the messaungers came beholde the ymage laye in the bed and a goates szkynne at the heade of it Theâ— sayde Saul vnto Michol Why hast thou begyled me and let myne enemye go that he mighte escape Michol sayde vnto Saul He sayde vnto me Let me go or I wyl kyll the. Aâ— for Dauid he fled and escaped and came to Samuel vnto Ramath and tolde him all y t Saul had done vnto him And he wente w t Samuel and they abode at Naioth And it was tolde Saul Beholde Dauid is at Naioth in Ramath Then Saul sente messaungers to fetch Dauid And they sawe a company of prophetes prophecienge and Samuel had the ouersight of them Then came the sprete of God vpon the messaungers of Saul so that they prophecyed also Whan this was tolde Saul he sent other messaungers which prophecied likewyse Then sente he messaungers the thyrde tyme and they in like maner prophecyed Then wente he himselfe also vnto Ramath and whan he came to the greate well which is at Secho he axed and sayde Where is Samuel and Dauid Then was it tolde him beholde at Naioth in Ramath And he wente thither euen vnto Naioth in Ramath And y e sprete of God came vpon him also and he weÌ„te prophecied till he came vnto Naioth in
LORDE shal be iudge betwene me and the and auenge me on the but my hāde shal not be vpon the acordinge as it is sayde after the olde prouerbe Vngodlynes commeth of the vngodly but my hande shal not be vpon the. Whom persecutest thou O kynge of Israel whom persecutest thou a deed dogg a flee The LORDE be iudge and geue sentence betwene me and the and cōsidre it and defende my cause and delyuer me from thy hande Now whan Dauid had spoken out these wordes vnto Saul Saul saide Is not this thy voyce my sonne Dauid And Saul lifte vp his voyce and wepte and saide vnto Dauid Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast recompēsed me good but I haue rewarded the euell And this daye hast thou shewed me how thou hast done me good for so moch as y e LORDE hath delyuered me in to thy hande and thou neuertheles hast not slaine me What is he which yf he fynde his enemye wyllet him go in a good waye The LORDE rewarde the good for y t thou hast done vnto me this daye Beholde now I knowe that thou shalt be kynge the kyngdome of Israel stondeth in thy hande sweare now therfore vnto me by the LORDE y t thou shalt not rote out my sede after me nether destroie my name out of my fathers house And Dauid sware vnto Saul Then wente Saul home but Dauid gat him vp with his men vnto the castell The XXV Chapter ANd Samuel dyed and all Israel gathered them selues together mourned for him buried him in his house at Ramath As for Dauid he rose and wente downe in to the wyldernesse of Paran And there was a man at Maon and his possession at Carmel and the man was of greate power and had thre thousande shepe and a thousande goates And it fortuned that he clypped his shepe at Carmel and his name was Nabal but his wyues name was Abigail and she was a woman of good vnderstondinge bewtyfull of face But the man was harde and wicked in his doynges and was one of Caleb Now whan Dauid herde in the wyldernes y t Nabal clypped his shepe he sent out ten yonge men saide vnto them Go vp vnto Carmel whan ye come to Nabal salute him frendly on my behalfe saye Good lucke peace be w t the thine house with all y t thou hast I haue herde saye that thou hast shepe clyppers Now y e shepherdes whom thou hast haue bene with vs we haue done them no dishonoure and they wāted nothinge of their nombre as longe as they were at Carmel Axe thy yonge men they shal tell the and let thy yonge men fynde fauoure in y e sighte for we are come in a good daye geue thy seruauntes thy sonne Dauid what thy hande fyndeth And whā Dauids yonge men came and spake all these wordes on Dauids behalfe vnto Nabal they lefte of But Nabal answered Dauids seruauntes sayde What is he y t Dauid who is the sonne of Isai There are many seruauntes now y t runne awaye from their masters Shulde I take my bred water and flesh that I haue slayne for my clyppers geue it vnto mē whom I knowe not whence they are Thē Dauids yonge mē turned their waye agayne And whan they came agayne vnto him they tolde him all these wordes Thē sayde Dauid vnto his men Euery man gyrde his swerde aboute him And euery one gyrde his swerde aboute him And Dauid gyrde his swerde aboute him also and there wēte vp after him vpon a foure hundreth men but two hundreth remayned w t the stuffe Neuertheles Abigail Nabals wife tolde one of hir yonge men and sayde Beholde Dauid sent messaungers out of the wyldernes to blesse oure lorde Notwithstondinge he was fearce vpō them and yet haue they bene very profitable men vnto vs and haue done vs no dishonoure and we wanted none of the nombre as lōge as we walked with them whan we were in the felde but they haue bene oure wall daye and nighte as longe as we kepte the shepe by them Take hede now therfore and loke well what thou doest for there is surely a mysfortune at hande agaynst oure lorde agaynst all his house And he is a man of Belial to whom no man darre saye eny thinge Then Abigail made haist and toke two hundred loaues of bred and two botels of wyne and fyue shepe ready dighte and fyue measures of firmentye and an hundreth frayles of rasens and two hundreth frayles of fygges layed them vpō asses and sayde to hir yonge men Go ye youre waye before me beholde I wyl come after And she tolde Nabal hir housbāde nothinge therof And as she rode vpō the asse and wente downe in the shadowe of y e hill beholde Dauid his mē met hir downe so that she came vpon them But Dauid sayde Wel all that this man had in y e wyldernes haue I kepte for naughte so that there wanted nothinge of all that he had and he rewardeth me euell for good God do this and yet more vnto the enemies of Dauid yf vntyll tomorow in the mornynge I leaue this man of all that he hath so moch as one that maketh water agaynst y e wall Now whan Abigail sawe Dauid she lighte downe from the asse in all the haist and fell vpō hir face before Dauid and worshiped him to the grounde and fell at his fete and sayde Oh my lorde let this trespace be myne and let thy handmayde speake before thine eares and heare the wordes of thy handmayden Let not my lorde set his hert agaynst this Nabal the man of Belial for he is a foole acordinge as his name is called his name is foole and foolishnes is with him As for me thy handmayde I sawe not my lordes yonge men whom thou dyddest sende But now my lorde as truly as the LORDE lyueth and as truly as thy soule lyueth the LORDE hath kepte the backe y t thou shuldest not come agaynst bloude and he hath delyuered thine hande Thine enemyes be now as Nabal and so be they that wolde my lorde euell Here is y e blessynge y t thy handmayde hath brought my lorde take it and geue it vnto the yonge men that walke vnder my lorde For a sure house shal y e LORDE make my lorde which fighteth the fighte of the LORDE and no euell shall be founde in the all thy life longe And yf eny man ryse vp to persecute y t and to laye wayte for thy soule then shal the soule of my lorde be bounde in the bundell of y e lyuynge euen with the LORDE thy God But y e soule of thine enemies shal be turned backe w t the slynge Whan the LORDE therfore doth all this good for my lorde which he hath promysed the and commaundeth y t to be his Duke ouer Israel then shal it be no stomblinge blocke ner occasiion of fallynge vnto my lordes hert that thou hast not shed
answered kynge Salomon and saide vnto his mother Why desyrest thou Abisag of Sunem for Adonias Axe the kyngdome or him also for he is my greater brother and hath Abiathar the prest and Ioab the sonne of Zeru Ia. And the kynge sware by the LORDE and sayde God do this and that vnto me Adonias shall haue spoken this agaynst his lyfe And now as truly as the LORDE lyueth which hath ordeyned me and made me to syt vpon the seate of my father Dauid and hath made me a house acordynge as he sayde this daye shal Adonias dye And kynge Salomon sent thither by Benaia the sonne of Ioiada which smote him that he dyed And to the prest Abiathar sayde y e kynge Go thy waye vnto Anathoe to thy londe for thou art a man of deeth Neuerthelesse I wyl not slaye the this daye for thou hast borne the Arke of the LORDE God before my father Dauid and hast suffred also where my father suffred Thus Salomō put forth Abiathar that he must nomore be the prest of the LORDE that the worde of the LORDE mighte be fulfilled which he spake ouer the house of Eli at Silo. And this rumoure came before Ioab for Ioab cleued vnto Adonias and not vnto Salomon Then fled Ioab in to the Tabernacle of the LORDE and toke holde of the hornes of the altare And it was tolde kynge Salomon that Ioab was fled in to the Tabernacle of the LORDE and beholde he stondeth at the altare Then sent Salomon Benaia the sonne of Ioiada and sayde Go slaye him And whan Benaia came to the Tabernacle of the LORDE he sayde vnto him Thus sayeth the kynge Come forth He sayde No I wyl dye here And Benaia tolde this vnto the kynge agayne and sayde Thus hath Ioab spoken and thus hath he answered me The kinge saide vnto him Do as he hath spoken and slaye him and bury him that thou mayest put fro me and my fathers house the bloude which Ioab hath shed with out a cause and that the LORDE maye recompence him his bloude vpon his heade because he smote two men which were more righteous and better then he and slewe them with y e swerde that my father Dauid knewe not of namely Abner y e sonne of Ner the chefe captaine ouer Israel Amasa the sonne of Iether y e chefe captaine ouer Iuda y t their bloude maye be recompensed vpō y e heade of Ioab and of his sede for euer but Dauid and his sede his house and his seate haue peace for euermore of the LORDE And Benaia the sonne of Ioiada wente vp and smote him and slewe him he was buried in his house in the wyldernes And y e kynge set Benaia y e sonne of Ioiada in his steade ouer the hoost And Sadoc y e prest dyd the kynge set in the steade of Abiathar And the kynge sent and caused for to call Semei and sayde vnto him Buylde the an house at Ierusalem and dwell there and departe not from thence nether hither ner thither In what daye so euer thou departest forth and goest ouer y e broke Cedron be thou sure that thou shalt dye the deeth thy bloude be vpon thy heade Semei sayde vnto the kynge This is a good meanynge as my lorde the kynge hath sayde so shal thy seruaunt do So Semei dwelt at Ierusalem a longe season But after thre yeare it fortuned that two seruauntes ranne awaye from Semei vnto Achis the sonne of Maecha kynge of Gath. And it was tolde Semei beholde thy seruauntes are at Gath. Then Semei gat him vp and sadled his asse and wēte vnto Gath to Achis for to seke his seruaūtes And whā he came thither he broughte his seruauntes from Gath. And it was tolde Salomon that Semei wente from Ierusalem vnto Gath and was come agayne Then sent the kynge and caused for to call Semei and sayde vnto him Sware not I to the by the LORDE and assured the and sayde Loke what daye so euer thou departest out and goest hither or thither be sure that thou shalt dye the death And thou saydest vnto me I haue herde a good meanynge Why hast thou not kepte the then acordinge to the ooth of the LORDE and commaundement that I commaunded the And the kynge sayde vnto Semei Thou remembrest all y e wickednes which thy hert knoweth that thou dyddest vnto my father Dauid The LORDE hath recompenced y e thy wickednes vpon thy heade And kynge Salomon is blessed and the seate of Dauid shal be stablished before y e LORDE for euer And the kynge commaunded Benaia y e sonne of Ioiada which wente forth and smote him that he dyed And the kyngdome was stablished by Salomons hande The III. Chapter ANd Salomon made mariage w t Pharao the kynge of Egipte toke Pharaos doughter and broughte her in to the cite of Dauid tyll he had buylded his house and the LORDES house and the walles rounde aboute Ierusalem But the people offred yet vpon the hye places for as yet there was no house buylded vnto the name of the LORDE vnto that tyme. But Salomon loued the LORDE and walked after the ordinaunces of Dauid his father excepte onely that he offred and brent incense vpon the hye places And the kynge wente vnto Gibeon to do sacrifice there for that was a goodly hye place And Salomon offred a thousande burnt offerynges vpon the same altare And the LORDE appeared vnto Salomon at Gibeon in a dreame of the nighte and God sayde Axe what I shal geue ye. Salomō saide Thou hast done greate mercy vnto my father Dauid thy seruaunt Like as he walked before the in faithfulnes and righteousnes and in a true hert with the this greate mercy hast thou layed vp for him and geuen him a sonne to syt vpon his seate as it is now come to passe Now LORDE my God thou hast made thy seruaunt kynge in my father Dauids steade As for me I am but a small yonge man knowynge nether my outgoynge ner ingoynge And thy seruaunt is amonge the people whom thou hast chosen which is so greate that no man can nombre them ner descrybe them for multitude Geue thy seruaunt therfore an obedient hert that he maye iudge thy people vnderstonde what is good bad for who is able to iudge this thy mightie people This pleased the LORDE well that Salomon axed soch a peticion And God sayde vnto him For so moch as thou axest this and desyrest not longe lyfe nether riches nether y e soules of thine enemies but vnderstōdinge to heare iudgment beholde therfore haue I done acordynge to thy wordes Beholde I haue geuen the an hert of wyszdome and vnderstondynge so that soch one as thou hath not bene before the nether shall ryse vp after the. Yee and that thou hast not prayed for haue I geuen the also namely ryches and honoure so that amonge the kynges in y e tyme there is not soch one as
SalomoÌ„s drynkynge vessels were of golde and all the vessels in the house of y e wod of Libanus were of pure golde also for syluer was not regarded in Salomons tyme. For the kynges Seeshippe y t sayled vpon the See with y e shippe of Hiram came once in thre yeare and broughte golde syluer Yuery Apes and Pecockes Thus was kynge Salomon greater in riches and wyszdome then all the kynges vpoÌ„ earth And all the worlde desyred to se Salomon that they mighte heare the wyszdome which God gaue him in his hert And they broughte him yearly euery man his present vessels of syluer and golde rayment and harnesse spyces horses and Mules And Salomon broughte charettes and horsmen together so that he had a thousande and foure hundreth charettes and twolue thousande horsmen and those he put in y e charet cities and with the kynge at Ierusalem And the kynge broughte it to passe that there was as moch syluer at IerusaleÌ„ as stones and as many Ceders as there were wylde figge trees in the valleys And SalomoÌ„s horses were broughte out of Egipte and froÌ„ Kena for the kynges marchauntes fetched them from Kena for money And a charet came vp out of Egipte for sixe huÌ„dreth Sycles of Syluer and an horse for an huÌ„dreth and fyftye Thus were they brought also vnto all the kynges of the Hethites and to the kynges of Siria by their handes The XI Chapter BVt kynge Salomon loued many out landish wemen Pharaos doughter and wemen of Moab of AmmoÌ„ of Edom of Sidon and of Heth euen of those nacions that the LORDE spake of vnto the children of Israel Go not ye vnto them and let not them come vnto you they shal surely bowe youre hertes after their goddes Vnto these dyd Salomon enclyne with affeccion And he had seuen hundreth wemen to wyues and thre hundreth concubynes and his wyues turned his hert asyde And whan he was now olde his wyues bowed his hert after straunge goddes so that his hert was not whole with the LORDE his God as was the hert of Dauid his father So Salomon walked after Astaâ—oth the god of the Sidonians and after Malcom the abhominacion of the Ammonites And Salomon dyd y t which displeased the LORDE and folowed not y e LORDE to y e vttemost as dyd his father Dauid TheÌ„ buylded SalomoÌ„ an hie place vnto Chamos the abhominacioÌ„ of y e Moabites vpon the mount that lyeth before IerusaleÌ„ and vnto Moloch the abhominacion of the Ammunites Thus dyd Salomon for all his outlaÌ„dish wyues which brent incense and offred vnto their goddes But the LORDE was wroth at Salomon because his hert was turned asyde from y e LORDE God of Israel which had two tymes appeared vnto him and coÌ„maunded him that he shulde not walke after other goddes and yet kepte he not that the LORDE commaunded him Therfore sayde the LORDE vnto Salomon For so moch as this is done with the and hast not kepte my couenaunt and myne ordinaunces which I commaunded the therfore wyll I also plucke thy kyngdome from the and geue it vnto thy seruaunt Neruertheles in y e tyme will I not do it for thy father Dauids sake but from the hande of thy sonne wyl I plucke it Howbeit I wyl not plucke y e kyngdome cleane awaye One trybe wyll I geue vnto thy sonne for Dauid my seruauntes sake and for Ierusalems sake which I haue chosen And the LORDE raysed vp an aduersary vnto Salomon euen Hadad the Edomite of the kynges sede which was in Edom. For whan Dauid was in Edom and Ioab the chefe captayne wente vp to bury the slayne he smote all the males in Edom. For Ioab remayned there sixe monethes and all Israel tyl he had roted out all y e males that were in Edom. Then fled Hadad and certayne men of y e Moabites with him of his fathers seruauntes As for Hadad he was a yonge man And they gat them vp fro Madian and came vnto Paran and toke men with them out of Paran and came in to Egipte vnto Pharao the kynge of Egipte which gaue him an house and certayne vytales appoynted gaue him a countre And Adad founde greate fauoure in the sighte of Pharao so that he gaue him to wife euen the sister of his owne wife Thaphenes the Quene And Thaphenes sister bare him Genubath his sonne and Thaphenes norished him vp in Pharaos house in so moch that Genubath was in Pharaos house amonge Pharaos children Now whaÌ„ Hadad herde in Egipte that Dauid was falleÌ„ on slepte with his fathers and y t Ioab the chefe captayne was deed he sayde vnto Pharao Let me go in to my countre Pharao sayde vnto him What lackest thou with me that thou wilt go in to thy countre He sayde Nothynge but yet let me go God raysed him vp another aduersary also one Reson the sonne of El Iada which fled from his lorde Hadad Eser kynge of Zeba and gathered men agaynst him and was a captayne of the men of warre whan Dauid slewe them and they wente vnto Damascus and dwelt there and reigned at Damascus and he was Israels aduersary as loÌ„ge as Salomon lyued This is the harme y t Hadad suffred therfore had he euell will at Israel and was kynge ouer Israel Morouer Ieroboam the sonne of Nebatan Ephraite Salomons seruaunt and his mothers name was Zeruga a wedowe lifte vp his hande also agaynst the kynge And this is the cause wherfore he lifte vp his hande agaynst the kynge Whan Salomon buylded Millo he shut vp a gappe in the cite of Dauid his father And Ieroboam was a maÌ„ of armes And whan Salomon sawe that it was a mete yonge man he set him ouer all the burthens of the house of Ioseph But at the same tyme it fortuned that Ieroboam wente out from Ierusalem and the prophet Ahias of Silo founde hâ—m by the waye and he had a new cloke vpon him and they two were alone in the felde And Ahia toke holde of the new cloke y t he had on and rente the same in to twolue peces and sayde vnto Ieroboam Take thou ten peces vnto the. For thus sayeth the LORDE God of Israel Beholde euen thus wyll I rente the kyngdome from the hande of SalomoÌ„ and wyll geue the ten trybes One trybe shall he haue for my seruaunt Dauids sake and because of the cyte of Ierusalem which I haue chosen out of all the trybes of Israel for they haue forsaken me and worshipped Astaroth the god of the Sidonians Chamos the god of the Moabites and MalcoÌ„ the god of the children of Ammon and haue not walked in my wayes to fulfill my pleasure myne ordinaunces and lawes as dyd Dauid his father Notwithstondynge I wyll not take the whole kyngdome from out of his hande but wil make him a prynce as longe as helyueth for my seruaunt Dauids sake whom I dyd chose which kepte my commaundementes ordinaunces From out of the hande of his sonne
tolde the kynge whaÌ„ he sayde Tomorow aboute this tyme shall two buszshels of barlye be solde for one Sycle and a buszshel of fyne meel for one Sycle vnder the gate at Samaria And the knyghte answered the man of God and sayde Beholde though y e LORDE made wyndowes in heauen how coulde soch a thinge come to passe Neuertheles he sayde Beholde with thine eyes shalt thou se it and shalt not â—â—te therof And euen so fortuned it vnto him for the people trode vpon him in the gate y t he dyed The VIII Chapter ELiseus spake vnto the womaÌ„ whose sonne he had restored vnto life againe and sayde Get the vp go with thine housholde and be a straunger where thou canst for the LORDE shall call for a derth which shal come in to the londe seuen yeare loÌ„ge The woman gat her vp and dyd as the man of God sayde wente with hiâ— housholde and was a straunger in the londe of the Philistynes seuen yeare But whan the seuen yeares were ended the woman came agayne out of the Philistynes loÌ„de and wente forth to crye vpon the kynge for hir house and londe The kynge spake vnto Gehasi the seruaunt of the man of God sayde Tell me all the greate actes that Eliseus hath done And whyle he was tellynge the kynge how he had made one that was deed to lyue agayne beholde the woman whose sonne he had caused to reuyue came euen in the meane season and cried vnto the kynge for hir house and londe Then sayde Gehasi My lorde O kynge this same is the womaÌ„ and this is hir sonne whom Eliseus restored vnto life agayne And the kynge axed y e woman and she tolde him Then the kynge delyuered her a chamberlayne saide Restore her agayne all that is hirs and all the increase of the londe sence the tyme that she lefte the londe vntyll now And Eliseus came to Damascon Benadab the kynge of Syria laye sicke And it was tolde him and sayde The man of God is come hither Then sayde the kynge vnto Hasael Take giftes with the go mete the man of God and axe councell at y e LORDE by him and saye Maye I recouer from this sicknesse Hasael wente for to mete him and toke rewardes with him and of all the goodes at DamascoÌ„ as moch as fortye Camels mighte beare And whan he came he stode before him and sayde Thy sonne Benadab the kynge of Syria hath sent me vnto the sayenge Maye I recouer from this sicknes Eliseus sayde vnto him Go y i waye and tell him Thou shalt recouer But the LORDE hath shewed me y t he shal dye y e death And the man of God loked earnestly made a troublous countenaunce wepte TheÌ„ sayde Hasael Wherfore wepeth my lorde He sayde I knowe what euell thou shalt do vn to the children of Israel Thou shalt burne their stronge cities with fyre and slaye their yonge men with the swerde and kyll their yonge children and ryppe vp their wemen with childe Hasael sayde How so is thy seruaunt a dogg that he shulde do soch a greate thynge Eliseus saide The LORDE hath shewed me y t thou shalt be kynge of Syria And he weÌ„te his waye from Eliseus came to his lorde which saide vnto him What saieth Eliseus vnto the He sayde He tolde me Thou shalt recouer But on the nexte daye he toke y e bed couerynge and dypte it in water and spred it ouer him and he dyed Hasael was kynge in his steade In the fyfth yeare of Ioram the sonne of Achab kynge of Israel was Ioram y e sonne of Iosaphat kynge of Iuda Two thirtie yeare olde was he whaÌ„ he was made kynge reigned eighte yeare at Ierusalem walked in the waye of the kynges of Israel as the house of Achab dyd for Achabs doughter was his wife he dyd y t which was euell in y e sighte of the LORDE Neuertheles the LORDE wolde not destroye Iuda for his seruaunt Dauids sake as he promysed him to geue him euer a lanterne amoÌ„ge his childreÌ„ * At y e same tyme fell y e Edomites awaye from Iuda made a kynge ouer them selues y e cause was this Ioram had gone thorow Seira and all the charettes with him had gotten him vp by nighte and smytten the Edomites that were aboute him and y e rulers ouer the charettes so that the people fled vnto their tentes therfore fell the Edomites awaye from Iuda vnto this daye At the same tyme fell Libna awaye also What more there is to saye of Ioram all y t he dyd heholde it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Iuda And Ioram fell on slepe with his fathers was buried w t his fathers in y e cite of Dauid Ochosias his sonne was kynge in his steade In the twolueth yeare of Ioram the sonne of Achab kynge of Israel was Ochosias y e sonne of Ioram kynge in Iuda Two and twentye yeare olde was Ochosias whan he was made kynge and reigned one yeare at Ierusalem His mothers name was Atalia the doughter of Amri kynge of Israel he walked in the waye of the house of Achab dyd that which was euell in the syght of y e LORDE euen as dyd the house of Achab for he was sonne in lawe in the house of Achab. And he wente with Ioram the sonne of Achab in to the battayll agaynst Hasael y e kinge of Syria vnto Ramoth in Gilead but y e Syrians smote Ioram Then Ioram the kinge turned backe to be healed at Iesreel of y e woundes wherwith the Syrians had wounded him at Ramoth whaÌ„ he foughte with Hasael kinge of Syria And Ochosyas y e sonne of IoraÌ„ kinge of Iuda came downe to viset Ioram the sonne of Achab at Iesreel for he laye sicke The IX Chapter ELiseus the prophet called one of the prophetes childreÌ„ sayde vnto him Girde vp y e loynes and take this cruse of oyle with the and go vnto Ramoth in Gilead and whaÌ„ thou coÌ„mest thither thou shalt se there one Iehu y e sonne of Iosaphat the sonne of Nimsi and go in and byd him stonde vp amonge his brethren and brynge him in to the ynmost chamber take thou y e cruse of oyle and poure it vpon his heade saye Thus sayeth the LORDE I haue anointed the to be kynge ouer Israel thou shalt open the dore and flye and not tary And the prophetes yonge man the childe wente his waye vnto Ramoth in Gilead And whan he came in beholde the captaynes of the hoost sat there and he sayde I haue somwhat to saye vnto the O captayne Iehu saide Vnto whom amonge vs all He sayde Euen vnto the o captayne Then stode he vp and wente in So he poured the oyle vpon his heade and sayde vnto him· Thus sayeth the LORDE God of Israel I haue anoynted y t to be kynge ouer the LORDES people of
y t allwaye stonde before the and heare thy wyszdome Praysed be the LORDE thy God which had soch pleasure vnto the that he hath set the vpon his seate to be kynge vnto the LORDE thy God Because thy God loueth Israel to set them vp for euer therfore hath he ordeyned y t to be kynge ouer them that thou shuldest mayntayne iustice and equyte And she gaue y e kynge an hundreth and twentye talentes of golde very moch spyce precious stones There were no mo soch spyces as these that the Quene of riche Arabia gaue vnto kynge Salomō And Hirams seruauntes and the seruauntes of Salomon which broughte golde from Ophir broughte costly tymber also precious stones And of the same costly tymber dyd Salomon cause to make stares in the house of the LORDE and the kynges house and harpes and psalteries for the Musicians There was no soch tymber sene before in the londe of Iuda But kynge Salomon gaue the Quene of riche Arabia all that she desyred and axed moch more then she had broughte vnto the kynge And she returned and departed in to hir londe with hir seruauntes The golde that was broughte vnto Salomon in one yeare was sixe hundreth and sixe and thre score talentes besydes that y e chap men and marchauntes broughte And all the kynges of the Arabians and the lordes in y e londe broughte golde and syluer vnto Salomon Of the which kynge Salomon made two hundreth speares of beaten golde so y t sixe hundreth peces of beaten golde came vpō one speare thre hundreth shildes of beaten golde so that thre hundreth peces of beaten golde came to one shylde and the kynge put thē in the house of the wod of Libanus And the kynge made a greate seate of Yuery and ouerlaied it with pure golde and the seate had sixe steppes and a fotestole of golde festened vnto the seate and it had two leanynge postes vpon both the sydes of the seate and two lyons stode beside the leanynge postes and there stode twolue Lions vpō the syxe steppes on both the sides In all realmes hath not soch one bene made And all kynge Salomons drynkynge vessels were of golde and all the vessels of the house of the wod of Libanus were of pure golde for syluer was rekened nothinge in Salomons tyme. For the kynges shippes wente vpon the See with the seruauntes of Hirā came once in thre yeare and brought golde syluer Yuery Apes and Pecockes Thus was kynge Salomon greater then all the kynges vpon earth in riches and wisdome And all the kynges of y e earth desired to se Salomons face and to heare his wysdome which God had geuen him in his hert And they brought him yearly euery mā his present Iewels of siluer and golde raymēt harnesse spyces horses and Mules And Salomon had foure thousande charethorses and twolue thousande horsmen and put them in the charetcities and with the kynge at Ierusalem And he was lorde ouer all the kynges from the water vnto the londe of the Philistynes and to the coaste of Egipte And the kynge brought it so to passe that there was as moch syluer at Ierusalem as stones and as many Ceders as there were Molbery trees in the valleys And there were horses broughte vnto him out of Egipte and out of all countres What more there is to saye of Salomon both of his first and of his last beholde it is writtē in the Cronicles of the prophet Nathan and in the prophecies of Ahia of Silo in y e actes of Ieddithe Seer against Ioroboā y e sonne of Nebat And Salomō reigned at Ierusalē ouer all Israel fortie yeares And Salomon fell on slepe w t his fathers was buried in the cyte of Dauid his father And Roboā his sonne was kīge ī his steade The X. Chapter EOboam wente vnto Sichem for all Israel was come vnto Sichem to make him kinge And whan Ieroboā the sonne of Nebat herde that which was in Egipte whither he was fled for kynge Salomon he came agayne out of Egipte And they sent for him and called him And Ieroboam came with all Israel and spake to Roboam and sayde Thy father made o r yocke greuous make thou lighter now y e harde bondage of thy father and y e heuy yocke that he layed vpon vs and we wyll submytte oure selues vnto the. He sayde vnto them Come to me agayne ouer thre dayes And y e people wente their waye And Roboam the kynge axed coūcell at the Elders which had stonde before Salomon his father whyle he lyued and he sayde What is youre councell that I maye geue this people an answere They spake vnto him and sayde Yf thou be louynge vnto this people and deale gently with them and geue them good wordes then shal they allwaye be obedient vnto the. Neuerthelesse he forsoke the councell of the Elders that they had geuen him and toke councell at y t yonge men which were growne vp w t him and stode before him And he sayde vnto thē What is youre councell that we maye answere this people which haue spoken vnto me and saide Make oure yock lighter y t thy father layed vpon vs The yongemen y t were growne vp with him spake vnto him and sayde Thus shalt thou saye vnto the people that haue talked with the spoken Thy father made oure yock to heuy make thou o r yock lighter Thus shalt thou saye vnto them My litle finger shal be thicker then my fathers loynes Yf my father hath layed an heuy yock vpon you I wyl make youre yock the more My father chastened you w t scourges but I wyl beate you with scorpions Now whan Ieroboam and all the people came to Roboam on the thirde daye acordynge as y e kinge sayde Come to me againe on the thirde daie the kynge gaue thē an harde answere And Roboā the kynge forsoke y e councell of the Elders spake vnto thē after y e yonge mens councell sayde Yf my father haue made yo r yock to heuy I wil make it yet heuyer My father chastened you w t scourges but I wyl beate you w t scorpiōs Thus the kynge folowed not y e peoples minde for so was it determyned of God y t y e LORDE might stablishe his worde which he spake by Ahia of Silo vnto Ieroboā y e sonne of Nebat But whan all Israel sawe that the kynge wolde not consente vnto them ▪ y e people answered the kynge and sayde What porcion haue we then in Dauid or inheritaūce in the sonne of Isai Let euery man of Israel get him to his tent Loke thou now to thy house Dauid And all Israel wente vnto their tentes so that Roboam reigned but ouer the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Iuda And Roboam sent forth Adoram the rent gatherer but the children of Israel stoned him to death And kynge Roboā strengthed himselfe vpon his charet to flye vnto Ierusalem Thus
y e LORDE but I hate him for he prophecieth me no good but allwaye euell namely Micheas the sonne of Iemla Iosaphat sayde Let not the kynge saye so And the kynge of Israel called one of his chamberlaynes sayde Brynge hither soone Micheas the sonne of Iemla And the kynge of Israel and Iosaphat the kynge of Iuda sat either of them vpon his seate arayed in their garmentes Euen in the place at the dore of the porte of Samaria sat they and all y e prophetes prophecied before them And Sedechias the sonne of Cnaena had made him hornes of yron and sayde Thus sayeth the LORDE With these shalt thou puszshe at the Syrians tyll thou brynge them to naughte And all the prophetes prophecied likewyse sayde Go vp vnto Ramoth in Gilead and thou shalt prospere and y e LORDE shal delyuer it in to the kynges hande And the messaunger that wente to call Micheas spake vnto him and sayde Beholde y e wordes of the prophetes are with one acorde good before the kynge let thy worde I praye the be as one of theirs and speake thou good also But Micheas sayde As truly as the LORDE lyueth loke what my God sayeth vnto me y t wyl I speake And whan he came to the kynge the kynge sayde vnto him Micheas shulde we go vnto Ramoth in Gilead to the battayll or shulde we let it alone He saide Go vp and ye shal prospere It shal be geuē you in youre handes But y e kynge sayde vnto him I charge y e yet agayne that thou tell me nothinge but y e trueth in the name of the LORDE Then saide he I sawe all Israel scatered abrode vpō the mountaynes as the shepe y t haue no shepherde And the LORDE sayde Haue these no lorde Let euery one turne home agayne in peace Thē sayde the kynge of Israel vnto Iosaphat Dyd not I tell the y t he wolde prophecie me no good but euell And he sayde Therfore heare ye the worde of the LORDE I sawe the LORDE syt vpon his seate and all the hoost of heauen stondinge at his righte hande at his lefte And the LORDE sayde Wo wyll disceaue Achab the kynge of Israel that he maye go vp fall at Ramoth in Gilead And whan one sayde thus another so there came forth a sprete and stode before y e LORDE and sayde I wyl disceaue him The LORDE sayde vnto him Wherwith He sayde I wyll go forth and be a false sprete in the mouth of all his prophetes And he sayde Thou shalt disceaue him and shalt be able go thy waye and do so Beholde now the LORDE hath geuen a false sprete in the mouth of all these thy prophetes and the LORDE hath spokē euell agaynst the. Then stepte forth Sedechias the sonne of Cnaena and smote Micheas vpon the cheke and sayde Which waye is the sprete of y e LORDE departed fro me to speake thorow the Micheas sayde Beholde thou shalt se it whan thou commest in to y e ynmost chamber to hyde the. But the kynge of Israel sayde Take Micheas and let him remayne w t Amon the ruler of the cite and with Ioas the sonne of Melech and saye Thus sayeth the kynge Put this man in preson and fede him w t bred and water of trouble tyll I come agayne in peace Micheas saide Yf thou commest agayne in peace then hath not the LORDE spoken thorow me And he sayde Herken to all ye people So the kynge of Israel and Iosaphat y e kynge of Iuda wente vp vnto Ramoth in Gilead And y e kynge of Israel sayde vnto Iosaphat Chaunge thy clothes and come to the battayll in thine araye And y e kynge of Israel chaunged his rayment came in to the battayll But the kynge of Syria had commaunded the rulers of his charettes Ye shal fighte nether agaynst small ner greate but onely agaynst the kynge of Israel Now whan the rulers of the charrettes sawe Iosaphat they thoughte It is y e kynge of Israel and they wēte aboute to fighte agaynst him But Iosaphat cryed and the LORDE helped him And God turned them from him for whan the rulers of the charettes sawe that it was not y e kynge of Israel they turned back from him But a certayne man bended his bowe harde shot the kynge of Israel betwene the mawe and the longes Thē sayde he vnto his charet man Turne thine hāde and cary me out of the hoost for I am wounded And the battayll was sore the same daye And the kynge of Israel stode vpon his charet agaynst the Syrians vntyll the euenynge and dyed whā the Sonne wente downe The XIX Chapter BVt Iosaphat the kynge of Iuda came home agayne in peace vnto Ierusalem And Iehu y e sonne of Hanani the Seer wēte forth to mete him sayde vnto kynge Iosaphat Shuldest thou so helpe the vngodly and loue them that hate the LORDE And for this cause is y e wrath vpō the from the LORDE neuertheles there is some good founde in the that thou hast put the groues out of the londe and hast prepared thine hert to seke God So Iosaphat abode at Ierusalem And he wente agayne amonge the people from Berseba vnto moūt Ephraim and broughte them agayne to the LORDE God of their fathers And he set Iudges thorow out the londe in all the stronge cities of Iuda and a certayne in euery cite And sayde vnto the Iudges Take hede what ye do for ye execute not the iudgment of man but of the LORDE and he is with you in iudgmēt therfore let the feare of the LORDE be with you and bewarre and do it for with the LORDE oure God there is no vnrighteousnes ner respecte of personnes ner acceptinge of giftes And at Ierusalem dyd Iosaphat ordeyne certayne of the Leuites and prestes and of the awnciēt fathers of Israel for y e iudgment of the LORDE and ouer the matter of the lawe and caused them to dwell at Ierusalem and commaunded them and sayde Se that ye do thus in the feare of the LORDE in faithfulnes in a perfect hert In all causes that come vnto you from youre brethren which dwell in their cities betwene bloude and bloude betwene lawe and commaundement betwene statutes and ordinaunces ye shal enforme them y t they synne not against the LORDE and so the wrath to come vpon you and youre brethren Do thus and ye shal not offende Beholde Amaria the prest is chefe ouer you in all causes of y e LORDE so is Sabadia the sonne of Ismael prynce in the house of Iuda in all the kynges matters Ye haue officers likewyse the Leuites before you Take a good corage vnto you and be doynge and the LORDE shal be with the good The XX. Chapter AFter this came the childrē of Moab the children of Ammon and certayne of Amanim w t them to fighte against Iosaphat And they came and tolde Iosaphat and sayde There cōmeth a greate multitude agaynst the
of God at Ierusalem in the seconde moneth beganne Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel and Iesua the sonne of Iosedec and the remnaunt of their brethren the prestes and Leuites and all they that were come out of the captiuyte vnto Ierusalem and appoynted the Leuites frō twentye yeare olde and aboue to se that the worke of the house of the LORDE wēte forwarde And Iesua stode with his sonnes and brethren and Cadmiel with his sonnes and the children of Iuda to furthur the workmen of the house of God namely the childrē of Henadad with their children and their brethren the Leuites And whan the buylders layed the foundacion of the temple of the LORDE the prestes stode in their araye with trompettes And the Leuites the children of Asaph with Cimbales to prayse y e LORDE with the Dytie of Dauid kynge of Israel And they sunge together geuynge prayse thankes vnto y e LORDE because he is gracious and because his mercy endureth for euer vpon Israell And all the people shouted londe in praysinge the LORDE because the foundacion of y e house of the LORDE was layed Neuertheles many of the olde prestes and Leuites and awncient fathers which had sene the house afore in his foundacion and this was now before their eyes wepte loude But many shouted with ioye so that the noyse gaue a greate sounde in so moch that the people coulde not knowe y e ioyfull sounde for the noyse of the wepinge in the people for the people shouted loude so that the noyse was herde farre of The IIII. Chapter BVt whan the aduersaries of Iuda and Ben Iamin herde that the children of the captiuyte buylded the tēple vnto the LORDE God of Israel they came to Zorobabel to the pryncipall fathers and sayde vnto them We wyl buylde with you for we seke the LORDE youre God like as ye do And we haue done sacrifice vnto him sence the tyme that Assar Hadon the kynge of Assur broughte vs vp hither But Zorobabel and Iesua and the other awnciēt fathers of Israel answered them It is not mete for vs and you to buylde the house of oure God but we wyl buylde alone vnto the LORDE God of Israel as Cyrus the kynge of Persia hath commaunded vs. Then the folke of the londe hyndered the people of Iuda and made them afrayed to buylde and hyred councelers aganst them and hyndered their deuyce as longe as Cyrus the kynge of Persia lyued vntyll the reigne off Darius kynge off Persia. But whan Ahasuerus was kynge in the begynnynge off his reigne wrote they vnto him a complaynte agaynst them of Iuda and Ierusalem And in the tyme of Artaxerses wrote Bisellam Mithridath Tabeel and the other of their councell vnto Artaxerses the kynge of Persia. But the scripture of y e letter was wrytten in the Syrians speach and was interpretated in the langage of the Syrians Rehum y e chaunceler and Simsai the scrybe wrote this letter agaynst Ierusalem to Artaxerses the kynge We Rehum the chaunceler and Simsai the scribe and other of the councell of Dina off Arphasath off Tarplat off Persia off Arach of Babilon of Susan of Deha and of Elam and other of the people whom the greate and noble Asnaphar broughte ouer and set in the cities of Samaria and other on this syde the water and in Canaan And this is y e summe of the letter that they sent vnto kynge Artaxerses Thy seruauntes the men on this syde the water and in Canaan Be it knowne vnto y e kynge that the Iewes which are come vp from the to vs vnto Ierusalē in to that sedicious wicked cite buylde the same and make vp y e walles of it brynge it out of y e foundacion Be it knowne now therfore vnto y e kynge y t yf this cite be buylded the walies made vp agayne thē shal not they geue tribute toll and yearly custome and their deuyce shal do y e kynge harme But now that we all are therby which destroyed the temple we wolde no longer se the kynges dishonoure Therfore sent we out and caused the kynge to be certified therof That it maye be soughte in y e Cronicles of thy progenitours and so shalt thou fynde in the same Cronicles and perceaue that this cite is sedicious and noysome vnto kynges and londes and that they cause other also to rebell of olde and for the same cause was this cite destroyed Therfore do we certifie the kynge that yf this cite be buylded and the walles therof made vp thou shalt kepe nothinge on this syde the water by the reason of it Then sent y e kynge an answere vnto Rehum the chaunceler and Simsai the Scrybe and to the other of their councell that dwelt in Samaria and vnto the other beyonde y e water Peace and salutacion The letter which ye sent vnto vs hath bene opēly red before me and I haue commaunded to make search and it is founde that this cite of olde hath made insurreccion agaynst kynges how y t vpro r and rebellion hath bene commytted therin There haue bene mightie kynges also at Ierusalē which haue reigned ouer all that is beyonde the water and toll tribute and yearly custome was geuen vnto them Do ye now after this commaundemēt forbyd the same men that the cite be not builded tyll I haue geuē cōmaundemēt Take hede now that ye be not necligent here in lest the kynge haue harme there thorow Now whā kynge Artaxerses letter was red before Rehum the chaunceler and Simsai the Scrybe and their councell they wente vp in all the haist to Ierusalem vnto the Iewes and forbad them with the arme and auctorite Then ceassed the worke of the house of God at Ierusalem and continued so vnto the seconde yeare of Darius kynge of Persia. The V. Chapter THe prophetes Aggeus and Zachary y e sonne of Iddo prophecied vnto y e Iewes that were in Iuda and Ierusalē in the name of the God of Israel Then gat vp Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel and Iesua the sonne of Iosedec and beganne to buylde the house of God at Ierusalem and with them the prophetes of God which strengthed thē At the same tyme came to thē Thathnai the debite on this syde the water and Sethar of Bosen and their councelers and sayde thus vnto them Who hath commaunded you to buylde this house and to make vp the walles therof Then tolde we them the names of the men that made this buyldinge But the eye of their God came vpon the Elders of the Iewes that they were not inhibyte tyll the matter was brought before Darius and tyll there came a wrytinge therof agayne This is the summe of the letter y t Thathnaithe Debyte on this syde the water and Sethar of Bosen and their councellers of Apharsach which were on this syde the water sent vnto kynge Darius And these are the wordes that they sent vnto him Vnto Darius the kynge all peace
was ioye myrth prosperite and good dayes amonge the Iewes in so moch that many of the people in the londe became of the Iewes beleue for the feare of the Iewes came vpon them The IX Chapter IN the twolueth moneth that is the moneth Adar vpon the thyrtenth daye which the kinges worde and cōmaundement had appoynted that it shulde be done euē vpon y e same daie y t the enemies shulde haue destroyed the Iewes to haue oppressed them it turned contrary wise euen y t the Iewes shulde subdue their enemies Then gathered the Iewes together in their cities within all y e londes of kynge Ahasuerus to laye honde on soch as wolde do thē euell no man coulde withstonde them for y e feare of thē was come ouer all people And all the rulers in the londes and prynces and Debities and officers of the kinge promoted the Iewes for the feare of Mardocheus came vpō thē For Mardocheus was greate in the kynges house the reporte of him was noised in all lōdes how he increased grewe Thus the Iewes smote all their enemies with a sore slaughter and slewe and destroyed dyd after their wyll vnto soch as were their aduersaries And at y e castell of Susan slewe the Iewes and destroied fyue hūdreth men slewe Parsandatha Dalphon Aspatha Poratha Adalia Aridatha Parmastha Arissai Aridai Vaiesatha the ten sonnes of Aman y e sonne of Amadathi y e enemie of the Iewes but on his goodes they layed no handes At the same tyme was the kynge certified of the nombre of those that were slaine at the castell of Susan And the kynge sayde vnto quene Hester The Iewes haue slayne and destroyed fyue hūdreth men at y e castell of Susan and the ten sonnes of Amā What shal they do in the other londes of y e kynge What is thy peticion that it maye be geuen the what requirest thou more to be done Hester sayde Yf it please the kynge let him suffre the Iewes tomorow also to do acordinge vnto this dayes commaundement that they maye hange Amans ten sonnes vpō y e tre And the kynge charged to do so and the commaundement was deuysed at Susan Amans ten sonnes were hanged And the Iewes gathered thē selues together at Susan vpon the fourtenth daye of the moneth Adar and slewe thre hundreth men at Susan but on their goodes they laied no hādes As for the other Iewes in the kynges lōdes they came together stode for their lyues gatt rest frō their enemies and slewe of their enemies fyue and seuentye thousande howbeit they layed no hondes on their goodes This was done on the thirtēth daie of the moneth Adar and on the fourtenth daye of the same moneth rested they which daye they ordeyned to be a daye of feastinge and gladnesse But the Iewes at Susan were come together both on the thyrtenth daye and on the fourtenth and on the fyftenth daye they rested and the same daye ordeyned they to be a daye of feastinge gladnes Therfore the Iewes that dwelt in the vyllages and vnwalled townes ordeyned y e fourtenth daye of the moneth Adar to be a daye of feastinge and gladnes and one sent giftes vnto another And Mardocheus wrote these actes and sent the writinges vnto all the Iewes y t were in all y e londes of kynge Ahasuerus both nye and farre that they shulde yearly receaue and holde the fourtenth and fiftenth daie of the moneth Adar as the daies wherin y e Iewes came to rest from their enemies as a moneth wherin their payne was turned to ioye and their sorowe in to prosperite that they shulde obserue the same as dayes of wealth and gladnes and one to sende giftes vnto another to distribute vnto the poore And the Iewes receaued it that they had begonne to do and that Mardocheus wrote vnto them how that Aman the sonne of Amadathai all y e Iewes enemye had deuysed to destroye all the Iewes and caused the lot to be cast for to put them in feare and to brynge them to naughte and how Hester wente and spake to the kynge that thorow letters his wicked deuyce which he ymagyned agaynst the Iewes might be turned vpon his awne heade and how he and his sonnes were hanged on the tre For the which cause they called this daye Purim after the name of the lot acordynge to all y e wordes of this wrytinge and what they thē selues had sene and what ha◠happened vnto them And the Iewes set it vp and toke it vpon them and their sede and vpon all soch as ioyned themselues vnto them that they wolde not mysse to obserue these two dayes yearly acordynge as they were wryttē and appoynted how y t these dayes are not to be forgotten but to be kepte of childers children amōge all kynreds in all londes and cities They are the dayes of Purim which are not to be ouerslipte amonge the Iewes and the memoriall of them oughte not to perishe from their sede And quene Hester the daughter of Abihail and Mardocheus the Iewe wrote with all auctorite to confirme this seconde wrytinge of Purim and sent the letters vnto all the Iewes in the hundreth and seuen and twentye londes of y e empyre of Ahasuerus with frendly and faithfull wordes to confirme these dayes of Purim in their tyme appoynted acordynges as Mardocheus the Iewe and Hester the quene had ordeined cōcernynge them lyke as they vpon their soule and vpon their sede had cōfirmed the actes of the fastinges and of hir cōplainte And Hester cōmaunded to stablish these actes of this Purim and to wryte them in a boke The X. Chapter ANd the kynge Ahasuerus layed tribute vpon the londe and vpon the Iles of the See As for all y e worke of his power and auctoryte and y e greate worshippe of Mardocheus which the kynge gaue him beholde it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Media Persia For Mardocheus the Iewe was the seconde nexte vnto kynge Ahasuerus and greate amonge y e Iewes and accepted amonge the multitude of his brethren as one y t seketh the welth of his people and speaketh the best for all his sede The ende of the seconde parte of the Olde Testament The boke of Iob. What this boke conteyneth Chap. I.II. The prosperite of Iob and how God geueth Satan power ouer his body ād goodes which he is content withall Chap. III. The flesh can not suffre and here is described the vnpacient man that grudgeth agaynst the iudgment of God Chap. IIII. Iobs frendes comforte him and geue his synnes the blame of his punyshmēt Chap. V. That no man is without synne A prayse off the allmightynesse and louynge kyndnesse of God Chap. VI. Iob excuseth his owne vnpacience layeth ypocrysie to his frēdes charge ād sayeth they are but dyssemblers Chap. VII A frendly contencion that Iob maketh with God shewinge the myserable life and trauayle of man Chap. VIII Baldad
housholde after his death whose monethes passe awaye swifter then an arowe In as moch thē as God hath y e hyest power of all who can teach him eny knowlege One dyeth now when he is mightie at his best rich and in prosperite euen when his bowels are at the fattest and his bones full of mary Another dyeth in sorowe and heuynesse and neuer had good daies Now slepe they both a like in the earth the wormes couer them But I knowe what ye thinke yee and what ye ymagin agaynst me vnrightuously For ye saye where is the prynces palace where is the dwellynge of the vngodly Axe eny man that goeth by the waye and yf ye will not regarde their tokens dedes he shal tell you that the wicked is kepte vnto the daye of destruccion and that the vngodly shal be brought forth in the daye of wrath Who darre reproue him for his wayes to his face◠who rewardeth him for the vngraciousnesse that he doth Yet shal he be brought to his graue and watch amonge the heape of the deed Thē shal he be fayne to be buried amōge the stones by the brokesyde All men must folowe him there are innumerable gone before him O how vayne is the comforte y e ye geue me Are not youre answeres cleane contrary to right and treuth The XXII Chapter SO Eliphas the Themanite gaue answere sayde Maye a man be cōpared vnto God in wyszdome though he seme to himself for to be like him What pleasure hath God in y t thou art rightuous Or what doth it profite him y t thy waies are perfecte Is he afrayed to reproue the to steppe forth w t the in to iudgment Cōmeth not this for y e greate wickednesse for thine vngracious dedes which are innumerable Thou hast takē the pledge from thy brethrē for naught robbed the naked of their clothinge To soch as were weery hast thou geuē no water to drynke thou hast withdrawē bred frō the hungrie Shulde soch one thē as vseth violēce wrōge oppression doinge all thinges of parcialyte hauynge respecte of personnes dwell in the lōde Thou hast sent wyddowes awaye emptie and oppressed the poore fatherlesse Therfore art thou compased aboute with snares on euery syde sodēly vexed w t feare Shuldest thou thē se no darcknesse Shulde not the water floude runne ouer the Now because y t God is hyer thē the heauens because thou seist y t the starres are so hye wilt thou therfore saye Tush how shulde God knowe Doth his dominion reach beyonde the cloudes Tush the cloudes couer him y t he maye not se for he dwelleth in heauen Well thou wilt kepe the olde waye y t all wicked mē haue gone both olde yonge whose foundacion is a runnynge water which saye vnto God go from vs and after this maner Tush what wil the Allmightie do vnto vs where as he not with stōdinge fylleth their houses w t all good Which meanynge of the vngodly be farre fro me For w t ioy shal the godly and with gladnesse shal the innocent se that their increase shal be hewen downe their posterite consumed with the fyre Therfore recōcile the vnto God be content so shal all thinges prospere w t the right well Receaue the lawe at his mouth laye vp his wordes in thine herte For yf thou wilt turne to the Allmightie thou shalt stonde fast all vnrightuousnesse shall be farre from thy dwellinge He shal geue the an haruest which in plenty abundaunce shall exceade the dust of the earth and the golde of Ophir like ryuer stones Yee the Allmightie his owne self shal be thine haruest the heape of thy money Then shalt thou haue thy delyte in the Allmightie lift vp thy face vnto God Thē shalt thou make thy prayer vnto him he shal heare the thou shalt kepe thy promyses Thē loke what thou takest in honde he shal make it to prospere with the and the light shall shyne in thy wayes For who so humbleth himself him shal he set vp and who so loketh mekely shal be healed Yf thou be innocēt he shal saue the and thorow the vngiltynesse of thyne handes shalt thou be delyuered The XXIII Chapter IOb answered and sayd My sayenge is yet this daye in bytternes and my hande heuy amonge my groninges O that I might se him fynde him O that I might come before his seate to pleate my cause before him and to fyll my mouth with argumentes That I might knowe what answere he wolde geue me that I might vnderstonde what he wolde saye vnto me Wil he pleate agaynst me with his greate power strength or wyll he leane him self vtterly vpon me Oh no let him not do so with me But let hym geue me like power to go to lawe then am I sure to wynne my matter For though I go before I fynde him not yf I come behynde I cā get no knowlege of him Yf I go on the left syde to pondre his workes I can not atteyne vnto them Agayne yf I go on the right syde he hydeth himself y t I can not se him But as for my waye he knoweth it trieth me as y e golde in y e fyre Neuertheles my fete kepe his path his hye strete haue I holden and not gone out of it I haue not forsaken the cōmaundemēt of his lippes but loke what he charged me with his mouth that haue I shutt vp in my herte It is he himself alone who will turne him back He doth as him listeth and bryngeth to passe what he wil. He rewardeth me in to my bosome many other thinges mo doth he as he maye by his power This is y e cause that I shrenke at his presence so that when I considre him I am afrayed of him For in so moch as he is God he maketh my herte soft and seynge that he is Allmightie he putteth me in feare Thus can not I get out of darcknesse the cloude hath so couered my face The XXIIII Chapter COnsideringe then that there is no tyme hyd from the Allmightie how happeneth it that they which knowe him wil not regarde his dayes For some mē there be that remoue other mēs londe markes that robbe them of their catell and kepe the same for their owne that dryue awaye the asse of the fatherlesse that take y e wyddowes oxe for a pledge that thrust the poore out of the waye oppresse the symple of the worlde together Beholde the wilde asses in y e deserte go by tymes as their maner is to spoyle Yee the very wildernesse ministreth foode for their children They reape the corne felde that is not their ▪ owne and gather the grapes out of his vynyarde whom they haue oppressed by violence They are the cause y t so many men are naked and bare hauynge no clothes to couer them and
wil not be the better for wordes for though he vnderstonde yet wil he not regarde them Yf thou seyst a man that is haistie to speake vnaduysed thou mayest trust a foole more then him He that delicately bryngeth vp his seruaunt from a childe shal make him his master at length An angrie man stereth vp strife and he that beareth euell wyll in his mynde doth moch euell After pryde commeth a fall but a lowly sprete bryngeth greate worshipe Who so kepeth company w t a thefe hateth his owne soule he heareth blasphemies telleth it not forth He that feareth men shal haue a fall but who so putteth his trust in the LORDE shal come to honor. Many there be that seke y e prynces fauoure but euery mans iudgment commeth from the LORDE The rightuous abhorre the vngodly but as for those that be in y e right waye y e wicked hate them The XXX Chapter The wordes of Agur the sonne of Iake THe prophecie of a true faithfull man whō God hath helped whom God hath cōforted norished For though I am y e leest of all haue no mās vnderstōdīge for I neuer lerned wiszdome yet haue I vnderstōdinge am wel enfourmed in godly thinges Who hath clymmed vp ī to heauen Who hath come downe from thence Who hath holden y e wynde fast in his hāde Who hath cōprehended y e waters in a garment Who hath set all the endes of y e worlde What is his name or his sonnes name Canst thou tell All the wordes of God are pure cleane for he is a shylde vnto all them that put their trust in him Put thou nothinge therfore vnto his wordes lest he reproue the and thou be founde as a lyar Two thinges I requyre of the that thou wilt not denye me before I dye Remoue fro me vanite and lyes geue me nether pouerte ner riches only graunte me a necessary lyuynge Lest yf I be to full I denye y e saye what felowe is y e LORDE And lest I beinge constrayned thorow pouerte fall vnto stealinge and forsweare the name of my God Accuse not a seruaunt vnto his master lest he speake euell of the also and thou be hurte He that bryngeth vp an euell reporte vpō the generacion of his father and mother is not worthy to be commended The generacion that thynke them selues cleane shal not be clensed from their fylthynesse There are people y t haue a proude loke and cast vp their eye lyddes This peoples tethe are swerdes and with their chaft bones they consume and deuoure the symple of the earth and the poore from amonge mē This generacion which is like an horsleche hath two doughters y e one is called fetch hither the other brynge hither There be thre thinges that are neuer satisfied and the fourth saieth neuer hoo The hell a womans wombe and the earth hath neuer water ynough As for fyre it sayeth neuer hoo Who so laugheth his father to scorne and setteth his mothers commaūdement at naught the rauens pycke out his eyes in the valley and deuoured be he of the yongle Aegles There be thre thinges to hye for me and as for the fourth it passeth my knowlege The waye of an Aegle in y e ayre y e waye of a serpent ouer y e stone y e waye of a shippe in y e see y e waye of a mā w t a yonge womā Soch is the waye also of a wyfe y t breaketh wedlocke which wypeth hir mouth like as whā she hath eatē sayeth As for me I haue done no harme Thorow thre thinges the earth is disquieted the fourth maye it not beare Thorow a seruaūt y t beareth rule thorow a foole y t hath greate riches thorow an ydle houswife thorow an handmayden y t is heyre to hir mastres There be foure thinges in the earth the which are very litle but in wyszdome they exceade the wyse The Emmettes are but a weake people yet gather they their meate together in y e haruest The conyes are but a feble folke yet make they their couches amonge the rockes The greshoppers haue not a gyde yet go they forth together by heapes The spyder laboureth w t hir hādes y t in y e kynges palace There be thre thinges y t go stiftly but the goinge of the fourth is the goodliest of all A Lyon which is kynge of beastes geueth place to no man A cock ready to fight A rāme And a kynge y t goeth forth w t his people Yf thou be so foolish to magnifie y e self or medlest w t eny soch thinge thē laye thine hāde vpon y e mouth Who so chyrneth mylck maketh butter he that rubbeth his nose maketh it blede and he that causeth wrath bryngeth forth strife The XXXI Chapter THese are the wordes of Kynge Lamuel y e lesson y t his mother taught him My sonne thou sonne of my body O my deare beloued sonne geue not ouer thy substaunce mynde vnto women which are the destrucciō euē of kynges O Lamuel geue kinges no wyne geue kynges prynces no stronge drynke lest they beinge dronken forget the lawe regarde not y e cause of the poore of all soch as be in aduersite Geue stronge drynke vnto soch as are condempned to death wyne vnto those y t mourne that they maye drynke it forget their misery aduersite Be thou an aduocate stonde in iudgment thyself to speake for all soch as be dōme sucourles With y e mouth defende y e thinge y t is laufull and right and y e cause of y e poore and helplesse Who so fyndeth an honest faithful womā she is moch more worth thē perles The herte of hir husbande maye safely trust in her so that he shal haue no nede of spoyles She wil do him good not euel all y e dayes of hir life She occupieth woll flax laboureth gladly w t hir handes She is likē a marchauntes shippe that bryngeth hir vytayles from farre She is vp in y e night season to prouyde meate for hir housholde foode for hir maydens She considreth lōde byeth it and w t the frute of hir handes she planteth a vynyarde She gyrdeth hir loynes with strength and courageth hir armes And yf she perceaue that hir houswifrie doth good hir candle goeth not out by night She layeth hir fyngers to the spyndle hir hande taketh holde of y e rocke She openeth hir hande to y e poore yee she stretcheth forth hir hādes to soch as haue nede She feareth not y t the colde of wynter shal hurte hir house for all hir housholde folkes are duble clothed She maketh hir self fayre ornamētes hir clothīge is whyte sylke purple Hir huszbāde is moch set by in y e gates whē he sytteth amonge y e rulers of y e londe She maketh cloth of sylke selleth it and delyuereth a gyrdle vnto y e
Chapter FOr the which cause the LORDE oure God hath perfourmed his deuyce wherof he certified vs and oure heades that ruled in Ierusalē yee and oure kynges oure princes with all Israel and Iuda And soch plages hath y e lorde brought vpō vs as neuer came to passe vnder the heauē like as it is fulfilled in Hierusalem acordinge as it is written in the lawe of Moses that a man shulde eate y e flesh of his owne sonne the flesh of his owne doughter Morouer he hath delyuered them in to the hondes of all the kinges y t are rounde aboute vs to be confounded and desolate scatred thē abrode in all londes naciōs Thus are we brought beneth not aboue for we haue synned against the LORDE o r God not bene obedient vnto his voyce Therfore y e LORDE o r God is rightuous we with o r fathers as reason is are brought to opē shame as it is to se this daye And as for these plages y t are come vpon vs allready y e LORDE had deuyced thē for vs yet wolde we not praye vnto y e LORDE oure God y t we might euery mā turne frō his vngodly wayes So y e LORDE hath caused soch plages to come vpon vs for he is rightuous in all his workes which he hath cōmaunded vs which we also haue not done ner harkened vnto his voyce for to walke in y e cōmaundemētes of y e LORDE y t he had geuē vnto vs. And now o LORDE God of Israel thou that hast brought thy people out of the londe of Egipte with a mightie honde with tokens and wōdres with thy greate power ād outstretched arme and hast gotten thy selff a name as it is come to passe this daye O LORDE oure God we haue synned we haue done wickedly we haue behaued oure selues vngodly in all thy rightuousnesses Turne thy wrath frō vs we beseke the for we are but a few left amonge the Heithen where thou hast scatred vs. Heare o r prayers o LORDE oure peticiōs bringe vs out of captiuyte for thine owne sake get vs fauoure in the sight of thē which haue led vs awaye y t all lōdes maye knowe that thou art the LORDE oure God and that Israel and his generacion calleth vpon thy name O LORDE loke downe frō thy holy house vpon vs enclyne thine eare heare vs. For the deed y t be gone downe to their graues whose soules are out of their bodies ascribe vnto the LORDE nether prayse ner rigtuous-makynge but the soule that is vexed for the multitude of hir synnes which goeth on heuely and weakely whose eyes begynne to fayle yee soch a soule ascrybeth prayse and rightuousnesse vnto the LORDE O LORDE we poure out oure prayers before the and requyre mercy in thy sight O LORDE oure God not for eny godlynesse off oure forefathers but because thou hast sent out thy wrath indignacion vpon vs acordinge as thou dydest threaten vs by thy seruaūtes the prophetes sayenge Thus sayeth the LORDE Bowe downe youre shulders and neckes and serue the kynge of Babilon so shal ye remayne still in the londe that I gaue vnto youre fathers Yff ye will not do this ner heare the voyce of y e LORDE youre God to serue the kynge of Babilon I shall destroye you in the cities of Iuda within Ierusalem and without I will also take from you the voyce off myrth and the voyce of ioye the voyce of the brydegrome and the voyce of the bryde ād there shal no man dwell more in the londe But they wolde not herken vnto thy voyce to do the kynge of Babilon seruyce and therfore hast thou perfourmed the wordes that thou spakest by thy seruauntes the prophetes namely that the bones of oure kynges and the bones of oure fathers shulde be trāslated out of their place And lo now are they layde out in the heate of y e Sonne in the colde of y e night ād deed in greate mysery w t hunger w t swearde w t pestilence are clene cast forth As for the tēple wherin thy name was called vpon thou hast layde it waist as it is to se this daye y t for the wickednes of the house of Israel the house of Iuda ▪ O LORDE o r God thou hast intreated vs after all thy goodnes acordinge to all y e greate louinge mercy of thyne like as thou spakest by thy seruaunte Moses in the daye when thou didest cōmaūde him to wryte thy lawe before the children of Israel sayenge Yf ye will not herkē vnto my voyce thē shal this greate multitude be turned in to a very smal people for I wil scatre thē abrode Not withstōdinge I am sure that this folke will not heare me for it is an hardnecked people But in y e lōde of their captiuyte they shall remembre them selues lerne to knowe y t I am the LORDE their God when I geue thē an herte to vnderstōde eares to heare Then shal they prayse me in the lōde of their captiuyte thynke vpon my name Then shall they turne them frō their harde backes from their vngodlynes Then shal they remembre the thynges y t happened vnto their forefathers which synned agaynst me So will I bringe them agayne in to the londe which I promised w t an ooth vnto their fathers Abrahā Isaac Iacob they shal be lordes of it yee I wil increace thē and not minysh thē And I wil make another couenaūt with them soch one as shal endure for euer namely y t I will be their God and they shal be my people and I wil nomore dryue my people the children off Israel out of the londe y t I haue geuē thē The III. Chapter ANd now o LORDE allmightie thou God of Israel o r soule y t is in trouble o r sprete y t is vexed crieth vnto the heare vs o LORDE haue pite vpon vs for thou art a mercifull God be gracious vnto vs for we haue synned before ye. Thou endurest for euer shulde we thē vtterly perishe ▪ O LORDE almightie thou God of Israel Heare now y e prayer of y e deed Israelites of their childrē which haue synned before y e not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE their God for the which cause these plages hange now vpō vs. O LORDE remēbre not y e wickednes of o r forefathers but thinke vpō thy power name now at this tyme for thou art y e LORDE o r God y e o LORDE wil we prayse For thou hast put y e feare ī o r hartes to y e intēt y t we shulde call vpon y e name prayse y e in oure captiuyte and y t we might turne from the wickednesse of oure forefathers y t synned before the. Beholde we are yet this daye in oure captiuyte where as thou hast scatred vs
agayne and sayde the kynge must shewe his seruauntes the dreame and so shal we declare what it meaneth Then the kynge answerde sayenge I perceaue off a treuth that ye do but prolōge y e tyme for so moch as yese that the thinge is gone fro me Therfore yff ye wil not tell me the dreame ye shal all haue one iudgment But ye fayne and dyssemble with vayne wordes which ye speake before me to put off the tyme. Therfore tell me the dreame ād so shall I know ▪ yff ye can shewe me what it meaneth Vpon this the Caldees gaue answere before the kynge and sayde there is no man vpon earth that can tell the thinge which y e kynge speaketh of Yee there is nether kynge prynce ner LORDE that euer axed soch thinges at a soythsayer charmer or Caldeer for it is a very harde matter that the kynge requyreth Nether is there eny that can certifie the kynge theroff excepte the goddes whose dwellinge is not amonge the creatures For y e which cause the kynge was wroth with greate indignaciō and cōmaunded to destroye all the wyse men at Babilon and y e proclamacion wēte forth that the wyse mē shulde be slayne They sought also to slaye Daniel with his cōpanyons Then Daniel enquered Arioch the kynges stewarde off the iudgment and sentence that was gone forth alredy to kyll soch as were wyse at Babilon He answered and sayde vnto Arioch beinge then the kinges debyte Why hath the kynge proclamed so cruell a sentence So Arioch tolde Daniel the matter Vpon this wente Daniel vp and desyred the kinge y e he might haue leysoure to shewe the kynge the interpretacion and then came he home agayne shewed the thinge vnto Ananias Misael Asarias his companiōs y t they shulde beseke the God of heauen for grace in this secrete that Daniel and his felowes with other soch as were wyse in Babilon perished not Then was the mystery shewed vnto Daniel in a visiō by nyght And Daniel praysed y e God of heauē Daniel also cryed loude and sayde O that the name of God might be praysed for euer and euer for wisdome and strength are his owne he chaungeth the tymes and ages he putteth downe kynges he setteth vp kynges he geueth wyszdome vnto the wyse and vnderstōdinge to those that vnderstōde he openeth the depe secretes he knoweth y e the thynge that lyeth in darcknesse for the light dwelleth with him I thanke the and prayse the O thou God off my fathers that thou hast lent me wyszdome and strength hast shewed me the thinge that we desyred off the for thou hast opened the kynges matter vnto me Vpon this wente Daniel in vnto Arioch whom the kinge had ordened to destroye the wyse at Babilon he wente vnto him and sayde destroye not soch as are wyse in Babilon but bringe me in vnto the kynge and I shal shewe the kynge the interpretacion Then Arioch brought Daniel into the kynge in all the haist and sayde vnto him I haue founde a man amonge the presoners off Iuda y t shal shewe the kinge the interpretacion Thē answered the kynge and sayde vnto Daniel whose name was Balthasar Art thou he y t cāst shewe me y e dreame which I haue sene the interpretacion therof Daniel answered the kynge to his face and sayde As for this secrete for the which the kinge maketh inquisicion it is nether the wyse the sorcerer the charmer ner the deuell coniurer that can certifie the kynge off it Only God in heauē cā open secretes and he it is that sheweth the kinge Nabuchodonosor what is for to come in the latter dayes Thy dreame and that which thou hast sene in thyne heade vpon thy bed is this ▪ O kynge thou didest cast in thy mynde what shulde come herafter So he that is the opener off mysteries telleth the what is for to come As for me this secrete is not shewed me for eny wiszdome that I haue more then eny other lyuynge but only that I might shewe the kynge the interpretacion that he might knowe the thoughtes off his owne herte Thou kynge sawest and beholde there stode before the a greate ymage whose fygure was maruelous greate and his vysage grymme The ymage heade was of fyne golde his brest and armes off syluer his body ād loynes were off copper his legges were off yron his fete were parte off yron and parte of earth This thou sawest till the tyme that without eny hondes there was hewen off a stone which smote the ymage vpon the fete that were both off yron and earth and brake thē to poulder then was the yron the earth the copper the syluer and golde broken altogether in peces and became like the chaffe off corne that the wynde bloweth awaye from y e somer floores that they cā nomore be foūde But the stone that smote the ymage became a greate mountayne which fulfylleth the whole earth This is the dreame And now will we shewe before the kynge what it meaneth O kynge thou art a kynge off kynges For the God off heauē hath geuē the a kingdome ryches strength and maiesty hath delyuered the all thinges that are amōge y e children off men the beastes off the felde ād the foules vnder the heauē and geuen the dominion ouer them all Thou art that goldē heade After y t there shal aryse another kingdome which shal be lesse then thyne The thyrde kingdome shal belyke copper and haue dominacion in all lōdes The fourth kingdome shal be as stronge as yron For like as yron brusseth and breaketh all thinges Yee euen as yron beateth euery thinge downe so shal it beate downe and destroye Where as thou sawest the fete and toes parte of earth and parte off yron that is a deuyded kyngdome which neuertheles shal haue some off the yron grounde mixte with it for so much as thou hast sene the yron mixte with the claye The toes of the fete that were parte off yron and parte off claye signifieeh that it shal be a kyngdome partely stronge and partely weake And where as thou sawest yron myxte with claye they shall myngle them selues w t y e sede off symple people yet not contynue one with another like as yron wil not be souldered with a potsherde In the dayes off these kynges shall the God of heauen set vp an euerlastinge kyngdome which shall not perish and his kyngdome shall not be geuen ouer to another people Yee the same shall breake and destroye all these kyngdomes but it shall endure for euer And where as thou sawest that without eny hondes there was cut out of the mount a stone which brake the yron the copper y e earth the syluer and golde in peces by that hath y e greate God shewed the kynge what wyl come after this This is a true dreame and the interpretacion of it is sure Then the kynge Nabuchodonosor fell downe vpon his face and bowed
I shal destroye this dragon without swearde or staff The kynge sayde I geue y e leaue Then Daniel toke pitch fatte and hairie woll and did seyth them together and made lompes therof this he put in y e DragoÌ„s mouth and so y e dragon barst in sonder and Daniel sayde lo there is he whom ye worshipped When they of Babylon herde that they toke greate indignacion and gathered them together agaynst the kynge sayenge The kynge is become a Iewe also he hath destroyed Bel he hath slayne y e Dragon and put the prestes to death So they came to y e kynge sayde let us haue Daniel or els we wâ—l destroye the and thine house Now whan y e kynge sawe that they russhed in so sore vpon him that necessite constrained him he deliuered Daniel vnto them which cast him in to the lyons denne where he was sixe dayes In the denne there were seuen lyons and they had geuen them euery daye two bodies and two shepe which then were not geueÌ„ them that they might deuoure Daniel There was in Iewry a prophet called Abacuc which had made potage and broker bred in a depe platter and was goinge in to the felde for to brynge it to y e mowers But the angell of the LORDE sayde vnto Abacuc go cary the meate that thou hast in to Babilon vnto Daniel which is in y e lyoÌ„s denne And Abacuc sayde LORDE I neuer sawe Babilon and as for the denne I knowe it not Then the angel of the LORDE toke him by the toppe and bare him by the hayre of the heade and thorow a mightie wynde set him in Babilon vpon the denne And Abacuc cried sayenge O Daniel thou seruaunt of God haue take the breakfast y t God hath sent ye. And Daniel saide O God hast thou thought vpon me wel thou neuer faylest them that loue the. So Daniel arose ate and the angel of the LORDE set Abacuc in his owne place agayne immediatly Vpon the seuenth daye the kynge wente to bewepe Daniel and whan he came to the denne he loked in and beholde Daniel sat in the myddest of the lyons Then cried y e kynge with a loude voyce sayenge Greate art thou o LORDE God of Daniel he drewe him out of the denne As for those that were y e cause of his destruccioÌ„ he dyd cast theÌ„ in to the denne and they were deuoured in a moment before his face After this wrote the kynge vnto all people kynreddes and tunges that dwelt in all countrees sayenge peace be multiplied with you My commaundement is in all the dominyon of my realme that men feare and stonde in awe of Daniels God for he is the lyuynge God which endureth euer his kyngdome abydeth vncorrupte and his power is euerlastinge It is he that can delyuer and saue he doth wonders and maruelous workes in heauen and in earth for he hath saued Daniel from the power of the Lyons The ende of the Storye of Bel. The first boke of the Machabees What this boke conteyneth Chap. I. Of the power of Alexander kynge of Macedonia Of certayne vnfaithfull Israelites Of the greate tyranny of Antiochus how miserably he destroyeth IerusaleÌ„ which God suffreth to be plaged because they haue forsaken him Chap. II. How feruently Matathias and his sonnes stryue for the honoure of God and welfare of the people How swetely he exorteth his sonnes eueÌ„ in the houre of his death to be sted fast in the lawe of God Chap. III. Of Iudas Machabeus that worthy captayne and of his noble actes agaynst Antiochus Chap. IIII. V Of the glorious victory that God gaue Iudas against Gorgias and Lisias how they wynne the cite and clense the temple agayne how they fyght afterwarde against the Heithen Chap. VI. Antiochus besegeth Elymas in Persia Iudas layeth sege to the castelar Ierusalem the kynge goeth aboute to helpe theÌ„ that are therin Chap. VII The tyranny of Demetrius They take truce with the people of God kepe it not Chap. VIII Iudas hearinge how reasonable the Romaynes are seketh for to make peace with them Chap. IX How Iudas was slaine in the bataill and how there came vp derth after his death Ionathas was captayne after him and gatt the victory of Bachides Chap. X. Of AlexaÌ„der the sonne of Antiochus Demetrius maketh peace with Ionathas so doth Alexander afterwarde Ptolomy geueth his doughter Cleopatra vnto AlexaÌ„der Demetrius defyeth Ionathas Chap. XI Ptolomy ryseth agaynst Alexander and Ionathas and promyseth to geue Demetrius his daughter whom he had geuen allredy vnto Alexander The death of Alexander and Ptolomy â–ª the raigne of Demetrius Demetrius and Ionathas are frendes Alexanders sonne taketh the kyngdome vpon him Chap. XII The Iewes wryte vnto the Romaynes and Sparcians to renue the olde frendshipe Triphon receaueth Ionathas with fayre wordes and then causeth him and his to be slayne Chap. XIII After the death of Ionathas is Symon his brother made Captaine of the people which goeth forth agaynst Triphon and burieth his brother Triphon slayeth Antiochus haynously Symon maketh peace with Demetrius and layeth sege to Gaza Chap. XIIII Demetrius seketh helpe against TriphoÌ„ Demetrius is takeÌ„ Peace in Iewry SimoÌ„ ruleth well The Romaines and they of Sparta renue the peace with Symon Chap. XV. Antiochus wryteth louyngly vnto the Iewes and persecuteth Triphon He breaketh the bonde with the Iewes Chap. XVI The faithfulnes of SymoÌ„ his sonnes Ptolomy szlayeth them disceatfully and betrayeth the londe The first Chapter AFter that Alexander the sonne of Philippe kynge of Macedonia wente forth of the londe of Cethim and slewe Darius kynge of the PersiaÌ„s and Meedes It happened that he toke greate warres in honde wanne very many stronge cities and slew many kinges of y e earth goinge thorow to y e endes of the worlde and gettinge many spoyles of the people In so moch y t the worlde stode in greate awe of him therfore was he proude in his herte Now wheÌ„ he had gathered a mightie stroÌ„ge hoost subdued y e loÌ„des and people with their prynces so that they became tributaries vnto hiÌ„ he fell sick And wheÌ„ he perceaued that he must nedes die he called for his noble estates which had bene brought vp with him of children parted his kyngdome amonge them whyle he was yet alyue So AlexaÌ„der raygned xij yeare and then dyed After his death fell the kyngdome vnto his prynces and they optayned it euery one in his rowme and caused them selues to be crowned as kynges and so dyd their childreÌ„ after them many yeares moch wickednesse increaced in the worlde Out of these came y t vngracious rote noble Antiochus y e sonne of Antiochus the kynge which had bene a pledge at Rome he raigned in y e Cxxxvij yeare of the raigne of the Grekes In those dayes weÌ„te there out of Israel wicked men which moued moch people w t their couÌ„cel sayeÌ„ge Let
crowne taxes of the thirde parte of sede and half of the frute of trees which is myne owne dewty These I leaue for you from this daye forth so that they shall not be taken of the londe of Iuda ner of the thre cities which are added thervnto out of Samaria and Galilee from this daye forth for euermore IerusaleÌ„ also with all thinges beloÌ„ginge therto shal be holy and fre yee y t tithes tributes shal pertayne vnto it As for the power of y e castell which is at Ierusalem I remytte geue it vnto the hye prest that he maye set in it soch men as he shall chose to kepe it I frely delyuer all the Iewes that are presoners thorow out all my realme so that euery one of them shal be fre from payenge eny tribute yee euen of their catell All the soleÌ„pne feastes Sabbathes New mones the dayes appoynted the thre daies before and after the feast shall be fre for all the Iewes in my realme so that in them no man shal haue power to do eny thinge or to moue eny busynesse agaynst eny of them in eny maner of cause There shal xxx M. also of the Iewes be written vp in the kynges hoost and haue their wages payed as all other men of warre of the kynges shulde haue and of them shal be ordened certayne to kepe the kynges stronge holdes yee and some of them shal be set ouer the kynges busynesse that they maye faithfully deale with the same The Iewes also shal haue prynces of their owne walke in their owne lawes as the kynge hath commaunded in the londe of Iuda And the thre cities that are fallen vnto Iewry from the countre of Samaria and Galilee shal be taken as Iewry and be vnder one nether be subiecte to eny straunge lorde but to the hye prest As for Ptolomais and the londe pertayninge therto I geue it vnto the Sanctuary at Ierusalem for the necessary expeÌ„ces of the holy thinges Morouer I will geue euery yeare xv M. Sycles of syluer out of y e kynges checker which pertayneth vnto me to the worke of the temple yee loke what remayneth which they y t had oure matters in honde in tymes past haue not payed that same shal they geue vnto them also And besydes all this the v. M. sycles which they toke yearly of the reÌ„tes of the Sanctuary shal belonge vnto the prestes that do seruyce Item who so euer they be that fle vnto the temple at Ierusalem or within the liberties therof where as they are fallen in to the kynges daunger for eny maner of busynes they shall be pardoned and all the goodes that they haue in my realme shal be fre For the buyldinge also repayringe of the worke of the Sanctuary expenses shal be geuen out of the kynges Checker Yee and for the makinge of the walles rounde aboute Ierusalem for the breakinge downe of the olde and for the settinge vp of the stronge holdes in Iewry shal y e costes and charges be geuen out of the kynges Checker But when Ionathas and the people herde these wordes they gaue no credence vnto them nether receaued them for they remembred the greate wickednesse that he had done vnto Israel and how sore he had vexed them Wherfore they agreed vnto Alexander for he was a prynce that had dealte frendly with them and so they stode by him allwaye TheÌ„ gathered kynge AlexaÌ„der a greate hoost and brought his armye agaynst Demetrius So y e two kynges stroke battayll together but Demetrius hoost fled and Alexander folowed after and fell vpon them A mightie sore felde was it continuynge till the Sonne wente downe and Demetrius was slayne the same daye And Alexander sente embassâ—tours vnto Ptolomy the kynge of Egipte with these wordes sayenge For so moch as I am come agayne to my realme and am set in the trone of my progenitours and haue gotten the dominion ouer come Demetrius conquered the londe and striken a felde with him so that we haue discomfited both him and his hoost and syt in the trone of his kyngdome Let vs now make frendshipe together geue me thy daughter to wife so shall I be thy sonne in lawe and both geue the rewardes and hir greate dignite Ptolomy the kynge gaue answere sayenge Happy be the daye wherin thou art come agayne to the londe of thy progenitours and set in the trone of their kyngdome And now will I fulfill thy writynge but mete me at Ptolomais y t we maye se one another and that I maye mary my doughter vnto the acordinge to thy desyre So Ptolomy weÌ„te out of Egipte with his doughter Cleopatra came vnto Ptolomais in y e Clxij yeare where kynge AlexaÌ„der met him he gaue Alexander his doughter Cleopatra and maried them at Ptolomais with greate worshipe like as the maner of kynges is to be Then wrote kynge Alexander vnto Ionathas that he shulde come and mete him So he wente honorably vnto Ptolomais there he met the two kinges and gaue them greate presentes of golde and syluer founde fauoure in their sight And there came together agaynst Ionathas certayne wicked men and vngracious personnes of Israel makynge complayntes of him but the kynge regarded them not As for Ionathas the kynge commaunded to take of his garmentes and to clothe him in purple and so they dyd Then the kynge appoynted him to syt by him and sayde vnto his prynces Go with him in to the myddest of the cite and make a proclamacion that no man complayne agaynst him of eny matter and that no man trouble him for eny maner of cause So it happened that when his accusers sawe the worshipe which was proclamed of him y t he was clothed in purple they fled euerychone And the kynge made moch of him wrote him amonge his chefe frendes made him a duke and partaker of his dominion Thus Ionathas wente agayne to Ierusalem with peace and gladnesse In the Clxv. yeare came Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius from Creta in to his fathers londe wherof when Alexander herde tell he was right sory and returned vnto Antioche And Demetrius chose Appollonius which had the gouernaunce of Celosyria to be his captayne So he gathered a greate hoost and came vnto Iamnia and sende worde vnto Ionathas the hye prest sayenge Darrest thou w t stonde vs thy self alone As for me I am but laughed to scorne and shamed because thou prouest thy strength agaynst vs in the mountaynes Now therfore yf thou trustest in thyne owne strength come downe to vs in to the playne felde and there let vs proue oure strength together thou shalt fynde that I haue valeaunt men of warre with me and shalt knowe who I am the other that stonde by me Which saye that youre fote is not able to stonde before oure face for thy fathers haue bene twyse chaced in to their owne londe And now how wylt thou be able to abyde so greate
now desyre to haue the same sende some body to fetch them vnto you Whereas we thē are aboute to celebrate the purificacion we haue written vnto you Therfore ye shall do well yf ye kepe the same dayes We hope also that the God which delyuered his people gaue them all y e heretage kyngdome presthode Sanctuary y t he promised them in the lawe shal shortly haue mercy vpō vs gather vs together from vnder the heauē in to his holy place for he hath saued vs frō greate parels hath clensed the place As concernynge Iudas Machabeus his brethren the purificacion of the greate temple the dedicacion of the aulter yee of the warres y t cōcerne noble Antiochus and Eupator his sonne of the shyninges y t came downe from heauen vpon those which manfully defended the Iewes For though they were but fewe yet defended they the whole londe droue awaye y e enemies hoost recouered agayne the temple y t was spoken of thorow out all the worlde delyuered the cite doynge their best y t the lawe of the LORDE which was put downe might w t all tranquilite be restored agayne vnto the LORDE y t was so mercifull vnto thē As touchinge Iason also of Cyren we haue vnder takē cōpendiously to brynge in to one boke the thinges y t were cōprehended of him in fyue For we cōsideringe the multitude of the bokes and how harde it shulde be for them y t wolde medle with stories and actes and that because of so dyuerse matters haue vnder taken so to comprehende the stories that soch as are disposed to reade might haue pleasure and pastyme therin and that they which are diligent in soch thinges might the better thinke vpon them yee and that who so euer red them might haue profit therby Neuerthelesse we oure selues that haue medled with this matter for the shortenynge of it haue taken no small laboure but greate diligence watchynges and trauayle Like as they that make a feast wolde fayne do other men pleasure Euen so we also for many mens sakes are very wel content to take the laboure where as we maye shortly comprehēde the thynges that other men haue truly wrytten ▪ For he y t buyldeth an house a new must prouyde for many thynges to y e whole buyldinge but he that paynteth it afterwarde seketh but only what is comly mete and conuenient to garnysh it withall Euen so do we also in like maner And why He that begynneth to wryte a story for the first must with his vnderstondinge gather the matter together set his wordes in ordre and diligently seke out euery parte But he that afterwarde wyll shorten it vseth few wordes and toucheth not the matter at the largiest Let this be sufficient for a prologe now wyll we begynne to shewe the matter for it is but a foolish thinge to make a longe prologe and to be shorte in the story it self The III. Chapter WHat tyme as the holy cite was inhabited in all peace and wealth when the lawes were yet very well kepte For so was it ordened by Onias the hye prest and other godly men that were enemies to wickednesse It came therto that euen the kynges and prynces thē selues dyd the place greate worshipe and garnyshed y e temple with greate giftes Inso moch that Seleucus kynge of Asia of his owne rentes bare all the costes belonginge to the seruyce of the offerynges Then Symon of the trybe of Ben Iamin a ruler of the temple laboured to worke some myschefe in the cite but the hye prest resisted him Neuerthelesse when he might not ouercome Onias he gat him to Appolonius the sonne of Thersa which thē was chefe lorde in Celosyria and Phenices and tolde him y t the treasury in Ierusalem was full of innumerable money and how that the comons goodes which belonged not vnto the offeringes were exceadinge greate also yee and how it were possible that all these might come vnder the kynges power Now when Appollonius had shewed the kynge of the moneye as it was tolde him y e kinge called for Heliodorus his stewarde and sent him with a commaundement to brynge him the sayde money Immediatly Heliodorus toke his iourney but vnder a coloure as though he wolde go thorow Celosyria and Phenices to vyset the cities but his purpose was to fulfill the kynges pleasure So when he came to Ierusalem and was louyngly receaued of the hye prest in to the cite he tolde what was determed concernynge the moneye and shewed the cause of his commynge he axed also yf it were so in dede Then the hye prest tolde him that there was soch money layed vp for the vpholdinge of weddowes and fatherlesse childrē and how that a certayne of it belonged vnto Hyrcanus Tobias a noble man and that of all the moneye which that wicked Symon had bewrayed there were iiij hundreth talentes of syluer and ij hundreth of golde yee that it were vnpossible for those mens meaninge to be disceaued that had layed vp their moneye in the place and temple which is had in worshipe thorow the whole worlde for the mayntenaunce and honoure of y e same Whervnto Heliodorus answered y t the kynge had commaunded him in eny wyse to brynge him the moneye So at the daye appoynted Heliodorus entred into the temple to ordre this matter But there was no small feare thorow out the whole cite The prestes fell downe before the aulter in their vestimentes and called vnto heauen vpon him which had made a lawe concernynge stuffe geuen to kepe that they shulde be safely preserued for soch as cōmitte them vnto kepynge Then who so had loked the hye prest in the face it wolde haue greued his herte For his countenaunce and the chaunginge of his coloure declared the inwarde sorowe of his mynde The mā was all in heuynesse and his body in feare wherby they that loked vpon him might perceaue the grefe of his herte The other people also came out of their houses by heapes vnto the comon prayer because the place was like to come in to confucion The women came together thorow the stretes with hayrie clothes aboute their brestes The virgins also that were kepte in ranne to Onias some to the walles other some loked out at the wyndowes yee they all helde vp their hondes towarde heauē prayed A miserable thinge was it to loke vpon the comon people the hye prest beynge in soch trouble But they besought Almightie God that the goodes which were committed vnto thē might be kepte whole for those that had deliuered them vnto their kepynge Neuertheles the thinge that Heliodorus was determed to do that perfourmed he in the same place he him self personally beynge aboute the treasury with his men of warre But the sprete of Allmightie God shewed him self openly so that all they which presumed to obeye Heliodorus fell thorow y e power of God in to a greate fearfulnesse drede
from y e kynge he came hauinge nothinge y t becōmeth a prest but bearinge y e stomack of a cruell tyraunte the wrath of a wylde brute beest Then Iason which had disceaued his owne brother seynge y t he him self was begyled also was fayne to fle in to y e lōde of y e Ammonites Menelaus gat y e dominiō But as for y e moneye y t he had promised vnto the kynge he dyd nothinge therin when Sostratus the ruler of y e castell requyred it of him For Sostratus was the man y t gathered y e customes wherfore they were both called before the kynge Thus was Menelaus put out of y e presthode Lysimachus his brother came in his steade Sostratus also was made lorde of the Cyprians It happened in y e meane season y t y e Tharsians Mallocians made insurreciō because they were geuen for a present vnto kynge Antiochus concubyne Then came y e kinge in all y e haist to still them agayne and to pacifie the matter leauynge Andronicus there to be his debyte as one mete therfore Now Menelaus supposinge that he had gotten a right convenient tyme stole certayne vessels of golde out of the temple and gaue thē to Andronicus for a present and some he solde at Tyrus and in the cities therby Which when Onias knewe of a suertye he reproued him but he kepte him in a santuary besyde Daphnis that lyeth by Antioche Wherfore Menelaus gat him to Andronicus and prayed him that he wolde slaye Onias So when he came to Onias he counceled him craftely to come out of the santuary geuynge him his honde with an ooth how be it he suspecte him and thē he slewe Onias without eny regarde of rightuousnesse For the which cause not only the Iewes but other nacions also toke indignacion and were displeased for the vnrightuous death of so godly a man And when the kynge was come agayne from Cilicia the Iewes and certaine of the Grekes wente vnto him complayninge for the vnrightuous death of Onias Yee Antiochus himself also was sory in his mynde for Onias so y t it pitied him and he wepte remembringe his sobernesse and manerly be hauoure Wherfore he was so kyndled in his mynde y t he cōmaunded Andronicus to be striped out of his purple clothinge so to be led thorow out all the cite yee and y e vngracious man to be slayne in y e same place where he committed his wickednes vpon Onias Thus y e LORDE rewarded him his punyshment as he had deserued Now when Lysimachus had done many wycked dedes in y e temple thorow the councell of Menelaus and the voyce came abrode the multitude gathered thē together agaynst Lisimachus for he had caried out now moch golde So when the people arose and were full of displeasure Lisimachus armed iij. M. vnthriftes to defende him a certayne tyraunte beynge their captayne which was growen both in age woodnesse But when the people vnderstode the purpose of Lysimachus some gat stones some good stronge clubbes some cast aszshes vpon Lisimachus Thus there were many of thē wounded some beynge slayne all the other chaced awaye But as for y t wicked churchrobber himself they kylled him besyde the treasury Of these matters therfore there was kepte a courte agaynst Menelaus Now when y e kinge came to Tyrus they made a cōplaynte vnto him of Menelaus concerninge this busynesse y e embassitours were thre But Menelaus wente promised Ptolomy to geue him moch money yf he wolde persuade the kynge So Ptolomy wēte to the kinge in to a courte where as he was set to coole him brughte him out of y t mynde In so moch y t he discharged Menelaus frō y e accusacions y t not withstondinge was cause of all myschefe and those poore men which yf they had tolde their cause yee before the Scythians they shulde haue be iudged innocēt thē he cōdēned to death Thus were they so one punyshed which folowed vpō y e matter for y e cite for y e people for y e holy vessell Wherfore they of Tyrus toke indignacion buried thē honorably And so thorow y e covetousnesse of them that were in power Menelaus remayned still in authorite increasinge in malyce to the hurte of the citesyns The V. Chapter AT y e same tyme Antiochus made him ready to go againe in to Egipte Thē were there sene at Ierusalem xl dayes lōge horsmē runninge to and fro in the ayre which had rayment of golde speares There were sene also whole hoostes of mē weapened horses runnynge in an ordre how they came together how they helde forth their shildes how y e harnessed men drew out their sweardes shot their dartes The shyne of y e goldē weapēs was sene of all maner of armure Wherfore euerymā prayed y t those tokens might turne to good Now whē there was gone forth a false rumo as though Antiochus had bene deed Iason toke a M. mē came sodēly vpō y e cite The citesyns rāne vnto y e walles at y e last was y e cite taken and Menelaus fled in to the castell As for Iason he spared not his owne citesyns in the slaughter nether considered he what greate euell it were to destroye y e prosperite of his owne kynsmen but dyd as one that had gotten the victory of his enemies and not of his frendes For all this gatt he not the superiorite but at the last receaued confucion for his malice and fled agayne like a vagabunde in to the londe of the Ammonites Fynally for a rewarde of his wickednesse he was accused before Aretha the kynge of the Arabians In so moch that he was fayne to fle from cite to cite beynge despysed of euery man as a forsaker of the lawes and an abhominable personne And at y e last as an open enemy of his owne naturall countre and of the citesyns he was dryuen in to Egipte Thus he y t afore put many out of their owne natyue londe peryshed from home him self He wente to Lacedemon thinkinge there to haue gotten sucoure by reason of kynrede And he that afore had casten many one out vnburied was throwen out him self no man mournynge for him ner puttinge him in his graue so that he nether enioyed y e buriall of a straunger nether was he partaker of his fathers sepulcre Now when this was done the kinge suspecte y t the Iewes wolde haue fallen from him wherfore he came in a greate displeasure out of Egipte toke the cite by violence He cōmaunded his men of warre also that they shulde kyll not spare but slaye downe soch as w t stode them or clymmed vp vpō y e houses Thus was there a greate slaughter of yonge men olde men women children and virgins In iij. dayes were there slayne lxxx M fourty thousande put in preson no lesse solde Yet was he not cōtent w t this
that one man shulde dye for the people As for Symon Peter he and another disciple folowed Iesus The same disciple was knowne vnto the hye prest and wēte in with Iesus in to the hye prestes palace But Peter stode without at the dore Then y t other disciple which was knowne vnto the hye prest wente out and spake to the damsell y t kepte the dore and brought in Peter Then the damsell that kepte the dore sayde vnto Peter Art not thou also one of this mans disciples He sayde I am not The seruauntes officers stode and had made a fyre of coles for it was colde warmed thē selues Peter also stode with them and warmed him self The hye prest axed Iesus of his disciples and of his doctryne Iesus answered him I haue spoken openly before the worlde I haue euer taught in the synagoge and in the tēple whither all the Iewes resorted in secrete haue I spokē nothinge Why axest thou me Axe thē y t haue herde what I haue spoken vnto thē beholde they can tell what I haue sayde But whan he had thus spokē one of the officers that stode by smote Iesus on the face and sayde Answerest thou the hye prest so Iesus answered him Yf I haue euell spokē thē beare wytnesse of euell but yf I haue well spoken why smytest thou me And Annas sent him bounde vnto Caiphas y e hye prest Symō Peter stode and warmed him self Thē sayde they vnto him Art not thou one of his disciples He denyed and sayde I am not A seruaūt of the hye prestes a kynszmā of his whose eare Peter had smytten of sayde vnto him Dyd not I se the in the gardē with him Then Peter denyed agayne And immediatly the cock crew Then led they Iesus from Caiphas in to the comon hall And it was early in the mornynge And they them selues wēte not in to the comō hall lest they shulde be defyled but y t they might eate y e Pascall lambe Then wente Pilate out vnto thē and sayde What accusacion brynge ye agaynst this man They answered and sayde vnto him Yf he were not an euell doer we had not delyuered him vnto the. Then sayde Pilate vnto thē Take ye him and iudge him after yo lawe Then sayde y e Iewes vnto him It is not laufull for vs to put eny mā to death That y e worde of Iesus might be fulfilled which he spake whan he signified what death he shulde dye Then entred Pilate in to the comon hall agayne and called Iesus sayde vnto him Art thou the kynge of the Iewes Iesus answered Sayest thou that of thy self or haue other tolde it the of me Pilate answered Am I a Iewe Thy people and the hye prestes haue delyuered the vnto me What hast thou done Iesus answered My kyngdome is not of this worlde Yf my kyngdome were of this worlde my mynisters wolde fight therfore y t I shulde not be delyuered vnto the Iewes But now is my kyngdome not from hence Thē sayde Pilate vnto hī Art thou a kynge thē Iesus answered Thou sayest it for I am a kynge For this cause was I borne and came in to the worlde that I shulde testifye the trueth Who so euer is of the trueth heareth my voyce Pilate sayde vnto hī What is the trueth And whan he had sayde that he wēte out agayne to the Iewes and sayde vnto them I fynde no gyltinesse in him But ye haue a custome that I shulde geue one vnto you lowse at Easter Wyl ye now y t I lowse vnto you the kynge of y e Iewes Thē cryed they agayne alltogether and sayde Not him but Barrabas Yet was Barrabas a murthurer The XIX Chapter THen Pilate toke Iesus and scourged him And the soudyers platted a crowne of thornes and set it vpon his heade and put a purple garment vpon him and sayde Hayle kynge of the Iewes And they smote him on the face Then wente Pilate forth agayne and sayde vnto thē Beholde I brynge him forth vnto you y t ye maye knowe y t I fynde no faute in hī So Iesus wente out ware a crowne of thorne and a purple robe And he sayde vnto them Beholde the man Whan the hye prestes the mynisters sawe him they cryed sayde Crucifye crucifye Pilate saide vnto thē Take ye him and crucifye him for I fynde no giltynesse in him The Iewes answered him We haue a lawe after oure lawe he ought to dye because he made him self the sonne of God Whan Pilate herde that worde he was the more afrayed and wente agayne in to the comon hall and sayde vnto Iesus Whence art thou But Iesus gaue him no answere Thē sayde Pilate vnto him Speakest thou not vnto me Knowest thou not y t I haue power to crucifye y e haue power to lowse y e Iesus answered Thou shuldest haue no power vpō me yf it were not geuē the from aboue Therfore he that delyuered me vnto y e hath the more synne From that tyme forth Pilate sought meanes to lowse him But the Iewes cryed sayde Yf thou let him go thou art not the Emperours frēde For whosoeuer maketh himself kynge is agaynst the Emperoure Whan Pilate herde y t worde he brought Iesus forth sat hī downe vpō y e iugdmēt seate in the place which is called the Pauement but in the Hebrue Gabbatha It was the daye of preparinge of the Easter aboute the sixte houre And he sayde vnto the Iewes Beholde yo kynge But they cryed Awaye w t him awaye w t him crucifie him Pilate saide vnto thē Shal I crucifye yo kynge The hye prestes answered We haue no kynge but y e Empero Thē delyuered he him vnto them to be crucifyed They toke Iesus and led him awaye And he bare his crosse and wente out to the place called y e place of deed men skulles which in Hebrue is named Golgatha where they crucified him and two other with him on either syde one but Iesus in the myddes Pilate wrote a superscripcion and set vpon the crosse And there was wrytten Iesus of Nazareth kynge of the Iewes This superscripcion red many of the Iewes For y e place where Iesus was crucifyed was nye vnto the cite And it was wrytten in Hebrue Greke Latyn Then sayde the hye prestes of the Iewes vnto Pilate Wryte not kynge of the Iewes but y t he sayde I am kynge of the Iewes Pilate answered What I haue wrytten that haue I wrytten The sondyers whan they had crucifyed Iesus toke his garmentes and made foure partes to euery soudyer one patte and the cote also As for the cote it was vnsowed frō aboue wrought thorow and thorow Then sayde they one to another Let vs not deuyde it but cast lottes for it who shal haue it that the scripture might be fulfilled which sayeth They haue parted my garmentes amonge them and on
the Iewes thorow out all the worlde and a manteyner of the secte of the Nazaretes and hath taken in hande also to suspende the temple whom we toke and wolde haue iudged him acordinge to oure lawe But Lysias the hye captayne came vpoÌ„ vs and with greate violence delyuered him out of oure handes and commaunded his accusers to come vnto the of whom yf thou wilt enquyre thou mayest haue knowlege of all these thinges wherof we accuse him The Iewes likewyse affirmed and sayde that it was euen so But Paul whan the debyte had beckened vnto him that he shulde speake answered Seynge I knowe that thou hast bene iudge now many yeares amonge this people I wil not be afrayed to answere for my selfe because that thou mayest knowe that there are yet nomore but twolue dayes sence I came vp to Ierusalem for to worshippe and that they nether founde me in the temple disputinge with eny man or makynge eny vproure amonge the people ner in y e synagoges ner in the cite nether can they proue the thinges wherof they accuse me But this I confesse vnto the that after this waye which they call heresye so worshippe I the God of my fathers that I beleue all that is wrytten in the lawe and in the prophetes and haue hope towarded God that the same resurreccion of the deed which they them selues loke for also shal be both of the iust and vniust Therfore studye I to haue allwaye a cleare conscience towarde God and towarde men But after many yeares I came and broughte allmesse vnto my people and offeringes whervpon they founde me purifyed in the temple without eny maner of rumoure or vnquyetnesse Howbeit there were certayne Iewes out of Asia which shulde be here presente before the and accuse me yf they had oughte agaynst me or els letâ— these same here saye yf they haue founde eny vnrighteousnes in me whyle I stonde here before y e councell excepte it be for this one worde that I cried stondinge amonge them Of the resurreccion off the deed am I iudged of you this daye Whan Felix herde this he dyfferred theÌ„ for he knewe very well of that waye and sayde Whan Lysias the vpper captayne commeth downe I wyl knowe y e vttemost of youre matter But he commaunded the vndercaptayne to kepe Paul and to let him haue rest and that he shulde forbydde none of his acquauntauÌ„ce to mynister vnto him or to come vnto him But after certayne dayes came Felix w t his wife Drusilla which was a Iewesse and called for Paul and herde him of the faith in Christ. Howbeit whan Paul spake off righteousnesse and off chastite and off the iudgment to come Felix trembled and answered Go thy waye for this tyme. Whan I haue a conuenyent tyme I wil sende for the. He hoped also that money shulde haue bene geuen him of Paul therfore called he oft for him and commened with him But after two yeares came Portius Festus in to felix rowme Yet Felix wyllinge to shewe the Iewes a pleasure left Paul bounde The XXV Chapter NOw whan Festus was come in to the countre ouer thre dayes he wente vp from Cesarea to Ierusalem Then appeared the hye prestes and the chefe of the Iewes before him agaynst Paul and intreated him and desyred fauoure agaynst him that he wolde sende for him to Ierusalem and layed wayte for him that they might slaye him by the waye Then answered Festus that Paul shulde be kepte at Cesarea but that he himselfe wolde shortly go thither agayne Let them therfore sayde he which are able amonge you come downe with vs to accuse the man yf there be ought in him Whan he had taried amonge them more then ten dayes he wente downe to Cesarea And on the nexte daye he sat downe on the iudgment seate and commaunded Paul to be broughte Whan he was come y e Iewes which were come downe from Ierusalem stode rounde aboute him and broughte vp many and greuous quarels agaynst Paul which they coulde not proue whyle he answered for himselfe I haue nether offended ought agaynst the lawe of the Iewes ner agaynst the teÌ„ple ner agaynst the Emperoure But Festus wyllinge to shewe the Iewes a pleasure answered Paul and sayde Wilt thou go vp to Ierusalem and there be iudged off these thinges before me But Paul sayde I stonde at the Emperours iudgmeÌ„t seate where I ought to be iudged to the Iewes haue I done no harme as thou also knowest very well Yf I haue hurte eny man or committed eny thinge worthy off death I refuse not to dye But yf there are no soch thinges as they accuse me off then maye no man delyuer me vnto them I appeale vnto the Emperoure Then spake Festus with the Councell and answered Thou hast appealed vnto the Emperoure to the Emperoure shalt thou go After certayne dayes came kynge Agrippa and Bernice to Cesarea to welcome Festus And whan they had taried there many dayes Festus rehearsed Pauls cause vnto the kynge and sayde There is a man left bounde of Felix for whose cause the hye prestes and Elders of the Iewes appeared before me whan I was at Ierusalem and desyred a sentence agaynst him Vnto whom I answered It is not the maner off the Romaynes to delyuer eny man that he shulde perishe before that he which is accused haue his accusers presente and receaue libertye to answere for him selfe to the accusacion WhaÌ„ they were come hither together I made no delaye but sat the nexte daye in iudgment and commaunded the man to be broughte forth Of whom whan the accusers stode vp they broughte no accusacion of soch thinges as I supposed But had certayne questions agaynst him of their awne supersticions and of one Iesus deed whom Paul affirmed to be alyue Howbeit because I vnderstode not the question I axed hiÌ„ whether he wolde go to IerusaleÌ„ and there be iudged of these matters But whaÌ„ Paul had appealed that he might be kepte vnto the knowlege of the Emperoure I coÌ„maunded him to be kepte tyll I mighte sende him to the Emperoure Agrippa sayde vnto Festus I wolde fayne heare the man also He sayde Tomorow shalt thou heare him And on the nexte daye came Agrippa Bernice with greate pompe and weÌ„te in to the comon hall with the captaynes chefe meÌ„ of the cite And at Festus coÌ„maundement Paul was brought forth And Festus sayde Kynge Agrippa and all ye men which are here with vs ye se this man aboute whom all the multitude of the Iewes haue entreated me both at IerusaleÌ„ and here also and cried that he ought not to lyue eny lenger But whan I perceaued that he had done nothinge worthy off death and that he himselfe also had appealed vnto the Emperoure I determyned to sende him of whoÌ„ I haue no certayne thinge â—o â—â—ryte vnto my lorde Therfore haue I caused hiÌ„ to be broughte forth before you specially before the O kynge Agrippa
where he sayeth Aboute this tyme wyl I come and Sara shal haue a sonne Howbeit it is not so with this onely but also whan Rebecca was with childe by one namely by oure father Isaac or euer the childrē were borne had done nether good ner bad that the purpose of God might stōde acordinge to the eleccion not by the deseruynge of workes but by the grace of the caller it was sayde thus vnto her The greater shal serue the lesse As it is wrytten Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated What shal we saye then Is God then vnrighteous God forbyd For he sayeth vnto Moses I shewe mercy to whom I shewe mercy and haue cōpassion on whō I haue compassion So lyeth it not then in eny mans wyll or runnynge but in the mercy of God For the scripture sayeth vnto Pharao For this cause haue I stered the vp euen to shewe my power on the that my name mighte be declared in all lōdes Thus hath he mercy on whom he wyl and whom he wyl he hardeneth Thou wilt saye then vnto me Why blameth he vs yet For who can resiste his will O thou man who art thou that disputest with God Sayeth the worke to his workman Why hast thou made me on this fashion Hath not the potter power out of one lompe of claye to make one vessell vnto honoure and another vnto dishonoure Therfore whan God wolde shewe wrath and to make his power knowne he broughte forth with greate pacience the vessels off wrath which are ordeyned to damnacion that he mighte declare the riches off his glorye on y e vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glorye whom he hath called namely vs not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentyles As he sayeth also by Osee I wil call that my people which is not my people and my beloued which is not y e beloued And it shal come to passe in y e place where it was sayde vnto them Ye are not my people there shal they be called the children of the lyuynge God But Esay crieth ouer Israel Though the nombre of the children of Israel be as the sonde of the see yet shal there but a remnaunt be saued For there is the worde that fynisheth and shorteneth in righteousnes for a shorte worde shal God make vpon earth And as Esay sayde before Excepte the LORDE of Sabbaoth had lefte vs fede we shulde haue bene as Sodoma and like vnto Gomorra What shal we saye then This wil we saye The Heythen which folowed not righteousnes haue ouertaken righteousnes but I speake of the righteousnes that commeth of faith Agayne Israel folowed the lawe of righteousnes and attayned not vnto the lawe of righteousnes Why so Euen because they soughte it not out of faith but as it were out of the deseruynge of workes For they haue stombled at the stomblinge stone As it is wrytten Beholde I laye in Sion a stone to stōble at and a rocke to be offended at and who so euer beleueth on him shal not be confounded The X. Chapter BRethren my hertes desyre prayer vnto God for Israel is that they might be saued For I beare them recorde that they are zelous for Gods cause but not w t vnderstondinge For they knowe not the righteousnes which auayleth before God and go aboute to manteyne their awne righteousnes and thus they are not subdued vnto the righteousnes that is off value before God For Christ is the ende of the lawe vnto righteousnes for euery one y t beleueth Moses wryteth of y e righteousnes which commeth of the lawe that the man which doth y e same shal lyue therin But y e righteousnes which cōmeth of faith speaketh on this wyse Saye not in thine hert Who wil go vp in to heauē that is nothinge els then to fetch Christ downe Or who wyl go downe in to y e depe that is nothinge els thē to fetch vp Christ from the deed But what sayeth the scripture The worde is nye the euen in thy mouth and in thine hert This is y e worde of faith y t we preach For yf thou knowlegest Iesus with thy mouth that he is the LORDE and beleuest in thine hert that God hath raysed him vp from the deed thou shalt be saued For yf a man beleue from the hert he shal be made righteous and yf a mā knowlege with the mouth he shal be saued For the scripture sayeth Who so euer beleueth on him shal not be confounded Here is no difference nether of the Iewe ner of the Gentyle For one is LORDE of all which is riche vnto all y t call vpō him * For who so euer shal call vpon the name of the LORDE shal be saued But how shal they call vpō him on whō they beleue not How shal they beleue on him of whō they haue not herde How shal they heare without a preacher But how shal they preach excepte they be sent As it is wryttē How beutyfull are the fete of thē y t preach peace y t brynge good tidinges But they are not all obedient vnto the Gospell For Esaye sayeth LORDE who beleueth oure preachinge So thē faith cōmeth by hearynge but hearinge cōmeth by the worde of God But I saye Haue they not herde No doute their sounde wēte out in to all londes and their wordes in to the endes of the worlde But I saye Hath not Israel knowne First Moses sayeth I wil prouoke you to enuye by them that are not my people by a foolish nacion wyl I anger you Esaye after him is bolde and sayeth I am founde of them that sought me not haue appeared vnto them that axed not after me But vnto Israel he sayeth All the daye lōge haue I stretched forth my handes vnto a people y t beleueth not but speaketh agaynst me The XI Chapter I Saye then Hath God thrust out his people God forbyd for I also am an Israelite of the sede of Abraham out of the trybe of Ben Iamin God hath not thrust out his people whom he knewe before Or wote ye not what the scripture sayeth of Elias how he maketh intercession vnto God agaynst Israel and sayeth LORDE they haue slayne thy prophetes dydged downe thine altares and I am lefte ouer onely and they seke my life But what sayeth the answere of God vnto him I haue reserued vnto me seuen thousande men which haue not bowed their knee before Baal Euē so goeth it now at this tyme also w t this remnaunt after y e eleccion of grace Yf it be done of grace thē is it not of deseruynge els were grace no grace But yf it be of deseruynge then is grace nothinge els were deseruynge no deseruynge What thē Israel hath not optayned y t which he soughte but the eleccion hath optayned it As for y e other they are blynded As
wall that was a stoppe betwene vs and hath also thorow his flesh put awaye the cause off hatred namely the lawe of the commaundemeÌ„tes contayned in the lawe wrytten that of twayne he mighte create one new man in him selfe and make peace and to reconcyle both vnto God in one body thorow the crosse and so he slewe y e hatred thorow his owne selfe and came and preached peace in the Gospell vnto you which were afarre of and to theÌ„ that were nye For thorow him we both haue intraunce in â—ne sprete vnto the father Now therfore ye are nomore gestes and straungers but citesins with the sayntes of the housholde of God buylded vpon y e foundacion of y e Apostles and prophetes where Iesus Christ is y e heade corner stone in whom euery buyldinge coupled together groweth to an holy temple in the LORDE in whom ye also are buylded together to be an habitacion of God in the sprete The III. Chapter FOr this cause I Paul am a presoner of Iesus Christ for you Heythen acordinge as ye haue herde of y e office of the grace of God which is geuen me to you warde For by reuelacion was this mystery shewed vnto me as I wrote abouâ— in fewe wordes wherby whan ye rede it 〈◊〉 maye perceaue myne vnderstondynge in y e mystery of Christ which mystery in tymes past was not opened vnto the childreÌ„ of meÌ„ as it is now declared to his holy Apostles and prophetes by the sprete namely that the Heythen shulde be inheritours also and of the same body and partakers of his promes in Christ by the Gospell wherof I am made a mynister acordynge to the gifte of the grace of God which is geueÌ„ me acordinge to the workynge of his power Vnto me the leest of all sayntes is this grace geuen that I shulde preach amonge the HeytheÌ„ y e vnsearcheable riches of Christ and to make all men se what is the fellishippe of the mystery which froÌ„ the begynnynge of the worlde hath bene hyd in God which made all thiÌ„ges thorow Iesus Christ to the intent that now vnto the rulers and powers in heaueÌ„ mighte be knowne by the congregacion the manifolde wyszdome off God acordinge to y e eternall purpose which he hath shewed in Christ Iesu oure LORDE by whom we haue boldnesse and intraunce in all confideÌ„ce thorow faith on him Wherfore I desyre that ye faynte not because of my tribulacions y t I suffre for you which is youre prayse For this cause I bowe my knees vnto the father of oure LORDE Iesus Christ which is the true father ouer all that is called father in heauen and in earth that he graunte you acordinge to y e riches of his glory to be strengthed with power by his sprete in y e inwarde maÌ„ that Christ maye dwell in youre hertes by faith that ye beynge roted and grounded in loue maye be able to coÌ„prehende with all sayntes what is the bredth and the length and the deepth and the heyth and to knowe the loue of Christ which loue yet passeth all knowlege that ye maye be fylled with all maner of fulnesse of God Vnto him that is able to do exceadinge abundauntly aboue all that we axe or vnderstonde acordinge to y e power that worketh in vs be prayse in the congregacion which is in Christ Iesu at all tymes for euer and euer Amen The IIII. Chapter I Therfore which am presoner in the LORDE exhorte you that ye walke as it becoÌ„meth yo r callinge wherin ye are called with all humblenes off mynde and mekenes and longe sufferinge forbearinge one another in loue and be diligent to kepe the vnite of the sprete thorow the bonde of peace One body and one sprete eueÌ„ as ye are called in one hope of youre callynge One LORDE one faith one baptyme one God and father of vs all which is aboue all and thorow all and in you all Vnto euery one of vs is geuen grace acordinge to the measure off the gifte off Christ. Therfore sayeth he He is gone vp an hye and hath led awaye captiuyte captyue and hath geueÌ„ giftes vnto men That he wente vp what is it but that he first came downe in to y e lowest partes of y e earth He that came downe is euen the same which is gone vp aboue all heauens to fulfill all And y e same hath set some to be Apostles some to be prophetes some to be Euangelistes some to be shepherdes teachers wherby the sayntes mighte be coupled together thorow comen seruyce to the edifienge of y e body of Christ tyll we all come vnto one maner of faith and knowlege of the sonne of God and become a perfecte man in to the measure of the perfecte age of Christ that we be nomore children waueringe caried aboute with euery wynde of doctryne thorow the wickednes of men and craftynes wherby they laye awayte for vs to disceaue vs. But let vs folowe the trueth in loue and in all thinges growe in him which is the heade euen Christ in whom all the body is coupled together and one membre hangeth by another thorow out all y e ioyntes Wherby one mynistreth vnto another acordinge to the operacion as euery membre hath his measure and maketh that y e body groweth to the edifienge of it selfe in loue This I saye therfore and testifye in the LORDE that ye walke nomore * as y e other Heythen walke in the vanite of their mynde blynded in their vnderstondinge beynge straungers froÌ„ the life which is in God thorow the ignoraunce that is in them because of the blyndnes of their hert which beynge past repentaunce haue geueÌ„ them selues ouer vnto wantonnes to worke all maner of vnclennes euen with gredynesse But ye haue not so learned Christ yf so be that ye haue herde of him are taught in him euen as the trueth is in Iesu. So then as concernynge the conuersacion in tyme past laye from you that olde man which marreth himselfe thorow disceauable lustes but be ye renued in the sprete of youre mynde and put on that new man which is shapen after God in true righteousnes and holynes Wherfore put awaye lyenge and speake euery man the trueth vnto his neghboure for as moch as we are membres one of another Be angrie but synne not Let not y e Sonne go downe vpoÌ„ youre wrath nether geue place to the bacbyter He that hath stollen let him steale nomore but let him laboure rather and do some good with his hondes that he maye haue to geue vnto him that nedeth Let no filthy communicacion proceade out of youre mouth but that which is good to edifye withall whaÌ„ nede is that it be gracious to heare And greue not the holy sprete of God wherwith ye are sealed vnto y e daye of redempcion Let all bytternes and fearsnes and wrath and
that after examinacion had I might haue somwhat to wryte For me thynke it an vnreasonable thinge to sende a presoner and not to shewe the causes which are layed agaynst him The XXVI Chapter AGrippa sayde vnto Paul Thou hast leue to speake for thy selfe Thē Paul stretched forth the hande and answered for himselfe I thinke my selfe happye O kynge Agrippa because I shal answere this daye before the of all the thinges wherof I am accused of the Iewes specially forsomoch as thou art experte in all customes and questions which are amonge the Iewes Wherfore I beseche the to heare me paciently My lyuynge truly from youth vp how it was led from the begynnynge amonge this people at Ierusalē knowe all the Iewes which knewe me afore at the first yf they wolde testifye for after the most strayte secte of oure Iewysh lawe I lyued a Pharise And now stonde I and am iudged because of the hope of the promes that was made of God vnto oure fathers vnto the which promes oure twolue trybes hope to come seruynge God instātly daye and nighte For the which hopes sake O kynge Agrippa I am accused of the Iewes Wherfore is this iudged amonge you not to be beleued that God rayseth vp the deed I also verely thoughte by my selfe that I oughte to do many cōtrary thinges cleane agaynst the name off Iesus off Nazareth which I dyd at Ierusalem whan I shut vp many sayntes in preson whervpon I receaued auctorite of y e hye prestes And whā they shulde be put to death I broughte the sentence And thorow all the synagoges I punyshed them oft and compelled thē to blaspheme and was exceadinge mad vpon them and persecuted them euen vnto straunge cities Aboute which thinges as I wente towarde Damascon with auctorite and lycence of the hye prestes euen at myddaye O kynge I sawe in the waye that a lighte from heauē clearer then the brightnesse of the Sonne shyned rounde aboute me and them that iourneyed with me But whan we were all fallen downe to the earth I herde a voyce speakynge vnto me and sayēge in Hebrue Saul Saul why persecutest thou me It shal be harde for the to kycke agaynst the prycke But I sayde LORDE who art thou He sayde I am Iesus whom thou persecutest But ryse vp and stonde vpon thy fete for therfore haue I appeared vnto the that I mighte ordeyne the to be a mynister and witnesse of it that thou hast sene and that I wyll yet cause to appeare vnto the. And I wil delyuer the from the people and from the Heythen amonge whō I wil now sende the to opē their eyes that they maye turne from the darknesse vnto the lighte and from the power of y e deuell vnto God that they maye receaue forgeuenesse of synnes and the enheritaunce with them that are sanctified by faith in me Wherfore O kynge Agrippa I was not faithlesse vnto y e heauēly vision but shewed it first vnto them at Damascon and at Ierusalē and in all the coastes of Iewry and to the Heythen that they shulde do pennaunce and turne vnto God and to do the righte workes of pennaunce For this cause the Iewes toke me in the temple and wente aboute to kyll me But thorow the helpe of God lent vnto me I stonde vnto this daye and testifye both vnto small and greate and saye no other thinge thē that y e prophetes haue sayde that it shulde come to passe and Moses that Christ shulde suffre and be the first of the resurreccion from the deed and shew light vnto the people and to the Heythen Whan he thus answered for himselfe Festus sayde with a loude voyce Paul thou art besydes thy selfe moch lernynge maketh y e madd But Paul sayde I am not madd most deare Festus but speake the wordes of trueth and sobernesse for y e kynge knoweth this well vnto whom I speake frely For I thinke that none off these thinges is hyd from him for this was not done in a corner Beleuest thou the prophetes O kynge Agrippa I knowe that thou beleuest Agrippa sayde vnto Paul Thou persuadest me in a parte to become a Christen Paul sayde I wolde to God that not onely in a parte but alltogether I mighte persuade not the onely but all them that heare me this daye to be soch I am these bondes excepte And whan he had spoken this the kynge rose vp and the Debyte and Bernice and they that sat with them and wente asyde and talked together and sayde This man hath done nothinge that is worthy of death or of bondes But Agrippa sayde vnto Festus This man mighte haue bene lowsed yf he had not appealed vnto the Emperoure The XXVII Chapter WHan it was concluded that we shulde sayle in to Italy they delyuered Paul and certayne other presoners to the vndercaptayne named Iulius of the Emperours soudyers And whan we were entred in to a shippe of Adramitium to sayle by Asia we lowsed from londe And there was with vs one Aristarchus out of Macedonia off Thessalonica and on the nexte daye we came vnto Sidon And Iulius intreated Paul curteously and gaue him liberty to go to his frendes and to refresh himselfe And from thence launched we and sayled harde by Cypers because the wyndes were agaynst vs and sayled ouer the see of Celicia and Pamphilia and came to Myra in Lycia And there the vndercaptayne founde a shippe of Alexādria ready to sayle in to Italy and put vs therin And whan we had sayled slowly and in many dayes were scarcely come ouer agaynst Gnydon for the wynde with stode vs we sayled by Candy nye vnto the cite off Salmo and came scarcely beyonde it Then came we to a place which is called Goodhauen nye where vnto was the cite Lasea Now whan moch tyme was spent and saylinge was now ioperdous because that they also had fasted ouerlonge Paul exhorted them and sayde vnto them Syrs I se that this saylinge wyl be with hurte and moch dammage not onely of the ladynge and of the shippe but also of oure lyues Neuertheles y e vndercaptayne beleued the gouernoure of the shippe and y e master more then it that was spoken of Paul And for somoch as the hauē was not comodious to wynter in the more parte off them toke councell to departe thēce yf by eny meanes they might come to Phenices to wynter there which is an hauen of Candy towarde the Southwest and Northwest wynde Whan the South wynde blewe they supposinge to haue had their purpose lowsed vnto Asson and sayled past all Candy But not longe after there rose agaynst their purpose a flawe of wynde which is called the Northeast And whan the shippe was caught and coulde not resist y e wynde we let her go and draue with the wedder But we came to an I le named Claudia where we coulde scarce get a bote Which they toke vp and vsed helpe and bounde it vnder harde to the shippe fearinge