Abraham and his seed to give the land of Canaan and of the bondage of Israel in Egypt and his Covenant and sent him againe to Pharaoh to let the children of Israel goe out of his land but all this while the children of Israel did mightily murmur against Moses and Aaron Moses was then fourescore yeares old and Aaron fourescore and three And they went both unto Pharaoh againe and Aaron cast down his Rod before Pharaoh and it became a serpent and the sorcerers of Pharaoh did the like with their inchantments But Aarons Rod swallowed up all theirs And as God commanded Moses and Aaron in the morning they met Pharaoh at the water and at the Rivers side and desired that the people of Israel might goe and worship God in the wildernesse But he refused then he smote the waters in the sight of Pharaoh and they were turned into blood and the fish died and the river stanke yet Pharaohs heart was hardened this continued for seven dayes in which time they digged for water to drinke And the Lord commanded Moses to goe againe unto Pharaoh to let the people of Israel goe and still his heart was hardened and Aaron stretched forth his hand with the Rod over the ponds and caused frogs to come over the land of Egypt and the Magicians did thâ— like then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said Intreat the Lord that he may take away the frogs from me and my people and I will let the people goe that they may doe service unto the Lord. And Moses said That thou mayst know that there is none like the Lord our God the frogs shall depart but onely they shall remaine in the rivers and the Lord did according to the word of Moses And the Lord commanded to say unto Aaron to stretch out his Rod and smite the dust of the land that it may be lice thorowout all Egypt and it was so and the Magicians attempted to doe the like but could not And they told the King it was the finger of God yet he hearkened not unto them Then the Lord commanded Moses to goe early in the morning unto Pharaoh as he came forth and speak to him that the people of Israel might goe to serve him and to tell him what plagues otherwise would follow but still his heart was hardened then there came a grievous swarme of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into all the land of Egypt and the land was corrupted by reason of the flies Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said Goe ye sacrifice to your God in the land But Moses said they desired to go three dayes journey for it was an abomination to the Egyptians to sacrifice in their land and Pharaoh let them goe desiring Moses to intreat the Lord for him the which he did and the flies departed out of the land of Egypt Yet againe Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let them goe then all the cattell of the land of Egypt died but of the cattell of the children of Israel died not one yet was Pharaohs heart hardened and would not let them goe Then as the Lord commanded Moses took ashes of the furnace and stood before Pharaoh and sprinkled it up towards heaven and there became boiles and blames upon man and beast and upon the Magicians And stil was the heart of Pharaoh hardened and would not let the children of Israel goe and Moses stretched forth his Rod and the Lord sent thunder and haile and the fire ran along upon the ground so there was fire and haile mingled together such as was not since the land of Egypt became a nation and it smote both man and beast and every herbe and brake downe the trees onely in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel were was none Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned the Lord is righteous I and my people are wicked Intreat the Lord for me and I will let ye goe And Moses went out of the city and spread his hands unto the Lord and the thunder and haile ceased yet neverthelesse Pharaohs heart was again hardened neither would he let the children of Israel goe And Moses and Aaron came againe unto Pharaoh and said thus unto him Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews How long wilt thou refuse to humble thy selfe before me let my people goe that they may serve me and his servants perswaded him to let them goe but he refused to heare them Then Moses stretcht forth his Rod over the land of Egypt and there came an East winde which brought in Locusts which went over the land of Egypt and the land was darkened and they left no greene thing upon the land Then Pharaoh called againe for Moses and Aaron in haste and said I have sinned against the Lord your God and you forgive my sinne and entreat the Lord for me The which Moses did and the Lord sent a mighty West winde which did drive the locusts into the Red Sea but yet would not Pharaoh let the children of Israel goe Then the Lord commanded Moses to stretch forth his hand towards heaven and there was a thick darknesse throughout the land of Egypt three dayes but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings Then Pharaoh called unto Moses and said to him Goe ye and serve the Lord onely let your flocks and herds stay here but Moses refused that and said they must have sacrifices for the Lord and all their cattell then Pharaoh would not let them goe but bid Moses to see his face no more And the Lord commanded Moses to speake to all the children of Israel upon the tenth day of the moneth to take every house a lambe a male lambe without blemish and to keep it untill the fourteenth day and then kill it in the evening and to take the blood with a bunch of hyssop and strike it on the two side posts and upon the upper post of the doore and that they shall eat the flesh that night rosted with unleavened bread and bitter herbs That they shall eat it with their loins girded shooes on their feet and staves in their hands and in haste for it is the Lords Passeover For the blood upon the posts shall be a token that the Lord would passe in mercy by them when the Egyptians should be destroyed And after the performance of many other ceremonies before the eating of the Passeover it came to passe that at midnight the Lord smote all the first-borne of Egypt and Pharaoh rose up in the night and all the Egyptians and there was a great cry then the children of Israel according as they were commanded departed taking their dough before it was levened and the kneading troughes upon their shoulders with great store of Jewels they had from the Egyptians And they journied towards Succoth being in number about six hundred thousand on foot besides children after they had beene
from him and for his Gods hee wisht him to make a search for them and with whom he found them that party should die but Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them then Laban came and searched in Jacob's Leah's and the maids Tents out there could not finde them and so came to Rachels but she had put them in the Camels litter and sat doâ—ne upon them Laban after hee had searched the Tent after came into the Stable where Rachel was siting who said unto him my Lord be not angry that I cannot rise up before thee for the custome of women is upon me so after his search he could not finde his Idols Then Jacob was angry with Laban for persuing after him in that manner telling him of the hard service he had under him even for twenty yeares and of the increase of his wealth by his care withall how hardly he had far'd and what strict accompt he gave unto him that if the least by mis-chance were given he had made it good if they were stolen by day or by night he did the like how in the day he had been consumed with the heat and in the night with frost and was kept from sleep and how he had served fourteen yeares for his two Daughters and six yeares for his sheep and how hee had changed his wages ten times and but that the God of Abraham and the feare of Isacc had been with him hee had sent him empty telling of him that God seeing his tribulation and the labour of his hands had rebuked him the last night Then Laban became exceeding milde with many expressions of fatherly love to his wives and there children and desired to make a firm covenant of friendship with Jacob the which being agreed upon then there was a Pillar set up to be a token thereof and his brethren made a great 〈◊〉 of stones wherepon they 〈◊〉 all eate which heape was likewise to be a witnesse between them of their frienship and they called it Galeed both of them promising neither of them to come over that heapâ—â— one to the other for evil to whâ—â— both of them did sweare Laban swear by the God of Abraham and Nahor his father but Jacob by the feare of his father Isacc Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mounte calling his brethren to eate who did so and stayed upon the mounte all night and early in the morning Laban roase up kissed his sonnes and daughters blessing them departed and went to his place againe After this Jacob going on his journey the Angels of God met him whom he called the hoste of God But being in great feare of his brother Esau he sent messengers before unto him with messages of great respect and humiliation but they returning told him that Esau was coming against him with foure hundred men at which he was sore troubled and divided his people and cattell into companies thinking if the one were taken the other might escape and then Jacob prayed unto the Lord saying O God of my father Abraham and Isacc which said unto me returne unto thy countrey and to thy kindred I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies which thou hast shewed unto me for with my staffe came I over this Jordan I pray thee deliver me from the hands of my brother Esau c. So he tarried there that night and preparing a present for Esau of severall cattell sending his servants before with them in two droves himself following commanding them to say if Esau met them and inquired whose cattell they were there answer should be they were presents sent from Jacob to him and himself followed so they went before and he stayed that night with the company but in the night hee aroase taking his two wives his two maides and his eleven children sending them over the river Jabhek with all his goods Now after they were gone there was a man wrestled with him untill break of the day who seeing he could not prevaile hee touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh which was loossed but Jacob would not let him go without a blessing then he asked his name and he told him Jacob then said he thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel because thou hast had power with God thou shalt also prevaile with men and so blessed him and as he parted the Sun aroase and he halted upon his thigh therefore the children of Israel eat not the sinewe that shrank in the hollow of the thigh unto this day After this Jacob going on in his journey he espyed Esau coming towards him with his foure hundred men then hee divided his children to Rachel and Leah and to the two maides putting the maides and their children foremost Leah and her children next and Rachel and Joseph hinmost and he going before them meeting Esau bowed himselfe to the ground seven times untill he came neare him then Easu ran to him and did imbrace him and kisse him and they both wept and seeing the women and children Esau asked who they were who answered they were the children God hath given to thy servant and so in order the mothers and their children came towards him and bowed with great reverence then Esau asked him what he meant by all them drovs of cattell he met hee told him I have sent them to thee that I may finde favour in the sight of my Lord then Esau said I have enough my brother keep them to thy self but Jacob answered nay I pray thee if I have found grace in thy sight then receive my present for I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God because thou hast accepted me therefore take my blessing for God hath had mercy on me and so Esau tooke it then Esau said let us take our journey and I will goe before thee but Jacob said my Lord thou know'st the children are tender and the cattel with young and it were dangerous to go too fast but go my Lord before thy servant and I will drive softly untill I come to my Lord unto Sier and so they parted Esau going that day to Sier And Jacob going towards Succoth where coming he built a house and made provision for his cattell after he came to Sechem in the Land of Canaan and pitched before that Citie there he bought a parcell of Land of the sonnes of Hamor where hee set up an Altar and called it the mighty God of Israel And it came to passe that Dinah the daughter of Jacob by Leah going to see the daughters of that countrie Shechem whom the sonne of Hamor Lord of that country seeing took and defiled and after loved her exceedingly desiring his father to obtaine her for his wife who according to his sons desire went to speake unto Jacob about it but Jacob and his sonnes having heard of this wronge done to Dinah were much displeased thereat because he had wrought such villany in Israel Now Hamor coming to Jacob told
and then they confessed their sinnes unto Moses and desired him to pray to the Lord for them the which he did And the Lord commanded Moses to make a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live and Moses did accordingly make a brazen serpent and they that were bitten when they beheld it lived And the children of Israel then journeyed faster and came to Beor unto a place where the Princes and Nobles digged it by the directions of the Lawgiver and went further where they sent to Sihon the King of the Amorites to let them passe thorough his land paying for what they had and onely to goe the Kings high way while they were past his borders but he would not suffer them to passe but gathered his people together and fought with Israel where the Amorites were overthrowne Israel taking all their cities and dwelt in them and the Countrey thereabouts and Moses sent to spy out Jaazer and drave the Amorites from thence and possessed it And after they marched and Og King of Bashan raised his people and then Israel did overthrow them and possessed their land After this the children of Israel set forward and pitched in the plaines of Moab and Moab was affraid Balak the sonne of Zippor was King of the Moabites at that time who sent messengers unto Balaam to come to him letting him know how the children of Israel who came out of Egypt came neare him praying him to curse them And he bade the messengers sent lodge there that night but God said unto Balaam Thou shalt not goe with them neither curse them for they are blessed and Balaam told the messengers Get ye home for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to goe with you and the Princes returned to Balak saying Balaam refuseth to come with us then Balak sent Princes more honourable then they with proffers unto Balaam of great preferments and honour unto him but he answered If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold hee could not goe beyond the command of God to doe lesse or more but desired them to stay that night that he might know the will of the Lord and that night the Lord said unto Balaam If they call goe along with them but doe that which I shall say unto thee Then Balaam rose up in the morning and sadled his Asse and went with the Princes of Moab and the Angel of the Lord stood in the way and as he was riding with his two servants the Asse seeing the Angel of the Lord with his sword in his hand he turned out of the way and Balaam smote her it being betweene two wals the Asse thrust her selfe upon the wall crusht Balaams foote against the wall and then he smote her againe then the Asse fell down under Balaam and then he smote the Asse againe and the Lord opened the mouth of the Asse and she said unto Balaam What have I done unto thee that thou hast smitten me these three times and Balaam said unto the Asse Behold thou hast mocked me if I had a sword I would kill thee and the Asse said unto Balaam Am not I thine Asse upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day was I ever wont to doe so unto thee and he said Nay then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the Angel of the Lord and he bowed downe his head and fell flat on his face and said he had sinned Now therefore if it please thee I will returne back but the Angel said Goe on with the men but onely speake that word I shall speak unto thee and so he went with the Princes and Balak hearing of his coming he went to meet him and said unto him Wherefore diddest thou not come sooner am not I able to promote thee to honour but Balaam said The word that God putteth into my mouth will I speake And they offered burnt-offerings and he said unto Balak How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed or how shall I defie whom the Lord hath not defied at which Balak was offended but he answered must I not take heed to speake that which the Lord hath put into my mouth and after other burnt-offerings at Zophim his answer was to Balak Behold I have received commandement to blesse and he hath blessed and I cannot reverse it he hath not behâ—ld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seene perversenesse in Israel the Lord his God is with him and the shout of a King is among them then Balak said Neither doe thou blesse them nor curse them but he answered All that the Lord speaketh that I must doe but Balaam seeing it was Gods will to blesse Israel he left after looking to enchantments but set his face towards the wildernesse and he saw Israel abiding in their tents according to their tribes and the Spirit of God came upon him and he said How goodly are thy tents O Jacob and thy tabernacles O Israel c. then Balaks anger was kindled against him but Balaam prophesied saying I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh There shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the children of Seth out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion c. And Balaam rose up and went and returned to his place and Balak also went his way And Israel abiding in Shittim the people beganne to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab and bowed towards their gods and the anger of the Lord was kindled against them One of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses and all the congregation of Israel who were weeping before the doore of the tabernacle and when Phineas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest saw it he rose from amongst the congregation and tooke a Javelin in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both the man and the woman Zimri and Cozbi through so the plague was stayed in Israel and those that dyed of the plague were twenty and foure thousand And Moses desired of the Lord to set a man over the congregation to goe in and out before them that they may not be as sheep that have no shepherd and the Lord said unto Moses Take thee Joshuah the sonne of Nun a man in whom is the Spirit and lay thine hand upon him and set him before Eleazar the Priest and before all the congregation and give him a charge in their sight and thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him that all Israel may be obedient and he shall stand before Eleazar the Priest who shall aske counsell for him after the judgement of Urim before the Lord and Moses did as the Lord commanded him and he
so to doe and they did accordingly and the seventh day they rose up early and compassed the City seven times and at the seventh time when the Priests blew the trumpet Joshua commanded the people to shout for the Lord hath given you the City and it shall be accursed even it and all that is therein onely Rahab the harlot shall live she and all that are with her because she hid our messengers but let all the gold and silver and vessels of brasse and iron be consecrated to the Lord they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. So when the Priests sounded the trumpets the people shouted and the wals of Jericho fell flat downe and they tooke the City and they utterly destroyed the City and put them to the sword man and woman young and old oxe sheepe and asse but Joshua sent the two spies unto Rahabs house those men whom she had entertained and they brought her safe forth of her house with her father and mother her brethren and all she had and her kinred and left them in safety without the Campe of Israel and they burnt the City and Rahab lived long after amongst the Israelites and Joshua cursed the man that should build Jericho againe and Joshua was famous throughout the land But the children of Israel committed a trespasse in the accursed thing even Achan one of the tribe of Judah for which the anger of the Lord was kindled And Joshua sent spies from Jericho to Ai to view the Countrey and they viewed Ai and they returned to Joshua and told him that in Ai were but few people Joshua upon their report sent thither about three thousand men and they fled before the men of Ai being mightily discomfited the which did much dishearten the people of Israel and Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the Arke of the Lord untill the evening he and all the Elders of Israel and put dust upon their heads and they did grieve exceedingly And the Lord said unto Joshua Get thee up wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned and transgressed my Covenant for they have taken of the accursed thing they have stollen and dissembled therefore could not the children of Israel stand before their enemies neither will I be with you any more except ye destroy the accursed from you And the Lord commanded them to sanctifie the people against the next day that the accursed thing may be taken from amongst them and in the morning Joshua rose up early and brought Israel by their tribes and the tribe of Judah was taken by lot and every houshold of that tribe was examined and Achan was found to have stolne the accursed thing and Joshua coming to Achan said unto him Achan my sonne give I pray thee glory unto the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him and tell me now what thou hast done hide it not from me And Achan confessed the fact saying I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel for when I saw amongst the spoiles a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight I tooke and hid them in my tent and Joshua presently sent for them and being brought unto him and before the children of Israel he laid them before the Lord and Joshua and all Israel with him brought Achan the silver and the gold and the Babylonish garment his sonnes and daughters his oxen and his asses his sheepe and his tent and all that he had unto the valley of Achor and all Israel stoned him with stones and after burnt them and raised over him a heape of stones so the Lord turned from his fierce anger And the Lord commanded Joshua to go a second time to Ai with a great army and he chose thirty thousand of the most valiant men giving them directions what to doe and sent them away by night commanding them to lye in ambush neare the City of Ai and they lay before Bethel and Ai and Joshua rose early in the morning and with all the Elders of Israel and a great strength he marched towards Ai and drew near the City and when the King of Ai saw it hastily came forth with his whole strength to give battell to Israel but he knew not of the ambush and Joshua and all Israel seemed to fly before them and the whole strength of Ai and Bethel pursued them towards the wildernesse then they which were in ambush speedily made towards the City and took it and instantly set it on fire The men of Ai looking back and seeing their City on fire they were astonished and disheartened and being scattered and in disorder Joshua and his army fell upon them one way and they that tooke Ai issued out another way and so cut them off every man and they took the King of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua and the Israelites returning to Ai put all within it to the sword so there fell that day of men and women twelve thousand And Joshua burnt Ai downe to the ground and the King of Ai he hanged upon a tree and after the Sunne was down commanded to take him downe and his carkasse to be cast at the entry of the gate of the City and raised thereon a great heape of stones And Joshua built an Altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Eball as Moses had commanded and there they offered sacrifice and writ the Law of Moses upon the stones and there the Arke of the covenant being brought all Israel and the Elders Officers and Judges stood before it and before the Priests and Levites that bare it and the whole Law was read unto them And when all the Kings on this side Jordane heard of these things they joyned together to fight with Joshua but the Gibeonites had heard what they had done to Jericho and Ai they cunningly came unto Joshua in poore habite and great humiliation unto the campe at Gilgal and there made their peace with Joshua and the Princes of the Congregation who sware unto them But after the Princes finding they had deceived them for their oath sake they would not destroy them and Joshua called them before him and said Wherefore have you beguiled us saying you dwelt a farre off when ye dwell among us for this deceit ye shall be bondmen and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God and they said It was told us that Moses commanded we should be wholly destroyed therefore we were afraid and did this thing and doe with us as thou pleasest and Joshua saved their lives and made them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord and so they did continue to doe Now the King of Jerusalem and the other Kings understanding that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and Gibeon being a great City they feared greatly
therefore five Kings and all the strength they could make came and encamped before Gibeon they of the City having made their peace with Joshua sent presently for aid unto him then presently Joshua marched with a mighty army from Gilgal toward Gibeon all night and falling suddenly upon them gave them a great defeate and flying before Israel the Lord cast great stones from heaven upon them and kil'd more of them then the sword and the Sunne and Moone stood still that day untill the people had destroyed their enemies and Joshua and all Israel returned to Gilgal but the five Kings fled and hid them in a cave afterwards Joshua commanded they should bee brought forth then Joshua called for all the men of Israel and said unto the Captaines Come neare and put your feet upon the necks of these Kings and they did so and after Joshua commanded them to be hanged upon five trees and there they did hang untill the evening and being taken down Joshua commanded they should be cast into the cave where they were found and laid great stones to the caves mouth and Joshua conquered all the Countrey and put them to the sword for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel and Joshua returned and all Israel with him unto the campe to Gilgal After this Jabin King of Hazar Jahab King of Madon and all the Kings north of the mountaines gathered themselves together and raised a marvellous great host and pitched themselves together by the waters of Merom to fight against Israel and Joshua came and all his people of war with him and came suddenly upon them by the waters of Merom and put them to a very great slaughter and chased them unto great Zidon and Mizpeh houghing their horses and burning their chariots and Joshua returned and took Hazor and kill'd the King thereof and did all things as the Lord commanded Moses his servant so did Moses command Joshua and so did Joshua So Joshua took the whole land according to all that the Lord said unto Moses and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes and the land rested from warre chap. 18. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there for the land was subdued before them And the Lord appointed them by Joshua Cities of refuge that he that killeth a man unawares and unwittingly may flee thither for refuge and coming to that Citie he shall stand at the entering of the gate of the Citie and declare his cause to the Elders of that Citie and they shall receive him in and if he be followed thither they shall not deliver him back because he did the act unwittingly and hated him not before time And they appointed Kedesh in Gallole in mount Nepthale and Shechem in mount Ephraim and Hebron in the mountaine of Judah and on the other side Jordan by Jericho Bezer in the wildernesse out of the tribe of Reuben and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad and Golon out of the tribe of Manasseh These were the Cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the strangers that sojourned among them that whosoever killeth any person at unawares may flee thither and not die by the avenger of blood untill â—e stand before the congregation Now after the land was conquered and every tribe settled in their severall divisions Joshua called for the Reubenites the Gadites and the halfe tribe of Manasseh and commended them for their valour and obedience to the Commandment of their Lord and said unto them Now the Lord hath given rest unto your brethren returne you unto the land of your possession which Moses the servant of God gave you on the other side of Jordane but be carefull to doe the commandements and the Law which Moses gave you and love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and with all your soules so Joshua blessed them and sent them away and they departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh to go unto Gilead the land of their possession formerly by the hand of Moses and when they came to the borders of Jordan there they built an altar by Jordan and when the children of Israel heard thereof they gathered themselves together at Shiloh to goe and warre against them and they sent unto them Phineas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest and with him ten Princes of each tribe of Israel one and coming unto the children of Reuben Gad and Manasseh unto Gilead and said unto them Thus saith the congregation of the Lord What trespasse is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel to turne away from following the Lord in that ye have built you an altar Is the iniquitie of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed untill this day although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord if the Land you possesse be uncleane then come over to us where the tabernacle dwelleth and take possessions amongst us but rebell not against the Lord nor rebell against us in building you an altar beside the Altar of the Lord our God Did not Achan commit a sinne in the accursed thing and wrath fel on all the congegation of Israel and that man perished not alone in his iniquitie then the children of Reuben Gad and Manasseh answered them The Lord God of gods The Lord God of gods and Israel shall know that this is no rebellion in building this altar being not intended to offer thereon burnt offerings or meat offerings or peace offerings thereon but onely our reason was to set up a monument for feare of the time to come that your children might speake to our children What have you to do with the Lord God of Israel because the river Jordan hath divided us and so your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord and therefore we raised that altar not for burnt-of-ferings but that it may be a witnesse betweene us and you and our generations after us that we may doe the service of the Lord before him with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings that your children may not say to our children in time to come Ye have no part in the Lord and therefore this altar we have made is a witnesse unto you and to your children hereafter God forbid that we should have any altar but that Altar of the Lord our God that is before the tabernacle and when Phineas the Priest the Princes of the congregation and the Elders of Israel heard this from them Phineas said unto them This day we perceive that the Lord is among us because ye have not committed this trespasse against the Lord and they returned unto the land of Canaan unto the children of Israel and they all rejoyced and blessed God and the children of Reuben Gad and Manasseh called the
had eat drunk and cheared his heart he lay down by the heap of corn she came softly and uncovering his feet lay downe and he awaking about midnight and feeling one he was affraid Then he said who art thou she answered Ruth thy hand-maid spread therefore the wing of thy garment over me for thou art the Kinsman Then said hee Blessed be thou of the Lord my daughter thou hast shewed more goodnesse in the latter end then at the beginning inasmuch as thou followedst not young men were they poore or rich And now my daughter fear not I will doe what thou requirest for all the City of my people know thee that thou art a vertuous woman Telling her that true it was he was her kinsman but there was one nearer so bade her lye there all night and if in the morning hee would doe the duty of a Kinsman to marry her well and good but if he would not he would then doe the duty of a Kinsman himselfe So she lying at his feet untill the morning she arose early he desiring that none should know that any woman had been there so he calling for her sheet giving her fix measures of barley and returning to the Citie she came to her Mother in law and gave her the corne telling her all the passages betweene Boaz and her selfe So shee bade Ruth sit still untill shee heard further of the thing telling her how hee would not rest untill the thing were done Then without delay Boaz went up to the gate of the City to whom came this Kinsman named to Ruth Boaz desiring him to sit down likewise ten Elders of the City came and sate downe with them Then said Boaz to this Kinsman Naomi is come out of the country of Moab who will sell a parcell of land that was our brother Elemelicks and so proffered it unto him being of nearest in kindred to redeem it before them Elders If he would not that himselfe being the next he would Then he said he would redeem it Then said Boaz if thou buyest it of Naomi thou must also buy it of Ruth the Moabitis the wife of the dead to stirre up the name of the dead upon his inheritance the which this Kinsman refused saying if hee did so he should destroy his owne and so put off that his right to Boaz and to confirme it according to the custome then he put off his shooe and gave it to him which confirmed the agreement Then Boaz called them all to witnesse of this contract wherein he likewise did buy Ruth the Wife of Mahlon to be his Wife to stir up the name of the dead All which the Elders did witnes who prayed unto God that Ruth might be to him like Rachel and Leah which two did build the house of Israel and that he might be famous in Bethlehem and that by the seede of Ruth his house might be like Pharez whom Thamer bare unto Judah So Boaz took Ruth to his wife and the Lord gave her a son and the women said to Naomi blessed be the Lord which hath not lest thee this day without a kinsman And his name shall be continued in Israel and this shall bring thy life again and cherish thine old age for thy daughter in law which loveth thee hath born unto him she is better unto thee then seven sons And Naomi tooke the child and laid it in her lap and became nurse unto it and the women gave it a name calling it Obed which after was the father of Ishai the father of David the King PRAYERS UPON THE History of RUTH O Lord in the prosperities adversities of this world thou hast thy waies of mercie unto us as it befell unto the children of Israel even in their famines what blessings diddest thou give theÌ„ by their perigrinations into other Lands and how diddest thou from time to time not only provide for their bodily sustinance but likewise for their spirituall welfare both in Aegypt and other places And O Lord no less was thy extraordinary mercy unto Naomi by her journey in the time of famine unto Moab with her husband and children whom though by the course of nature death deprived her of theÌ„ yet thou diddest raise up unto her a most happy daughter in law even Ruth O Lord this is the generall current of thy continuall mercy unto us and nothing makes us so unhappy as the want of the fight consideration of that which daily befalls us through the course of our fraile life Therefore open thou mine eyes that I may see these thy mercies unto me for ever praise thee for thy goodness The constant resolution and charity of Ruth unto her Mother in law is for our imitation as the very true example of love and pitty it being the more full of goodness and rarity they being of two severall Nations and Religions O Lord give me such happy love and pitty as was in this thy servant Ruth with her resolution in the pursute of all good things which may tend to thy glory and worship let no worldly perswasions or reasons draw me from my way to Bethlehem in the land of thy promised happinesse but with the good and vertuous let me follow their steps as Ruth did Naomi that thou their God mayst be my God and that I may turne from my worldly and Moabitish affections attain to the happy serving of thee in Judah so shall I live and dye amongst the righteous by this thy mercie and help unto my weakenesse And as nothing but death could part Ruth from Naomi so good Lord let my soule so love and feare thee as to my last breath my hope comfort and confidence may rest in thee alone undividable O Lord furnish me with such happines as was in Ruth by her charity and humble deportment for which as thy blessing was upon this thy own gift of mercy unto her so she had the happinesse of a good esteem in the world shee being so full of modesty and vertue Give me O Lord such piety as may bee pleasing unto thee with such humility harmless courtesie as may gaine the love and good opinion of my neighbours O Lord grant unto mee such perfect frendship with my friend as was between Naomi Ruth with such loving and plain intentions so by thy goodnesse and mercie shall I enjoy such love comfort content as was between them to their dying daies O Lord all thy works are so full of wonder as wee cannot sufficiently admire them as it was by thy provideÌ„ce to bring Ruth unto Judah not only through so many stops by confirming her good purpose so now so strangely to bring her to glean in the field of Boaz whereby such a happiness did befall her not only for worldly respects â—ut likewise even in a heavenly happiness by the marriage and issue she had by Boaz. O Lord my God my ingratitude would cast me even into hell without recovery if I