by iust reasons 26. and long prescription But they persisting obstinate he 30. inconsideratly vowing 32. ouerthroweth them 34. and sacrificeth his onlie daughter THERE was at that time Iephte the Galaadite a most valiant man and a warrier the sonne of a woman that was an harlot who was borne of Galaad †And Galaad had a wife of whom he had sonnes who after they were growen cast out Iepthte saying Thou canst not be heyre in the house of our father because thou art borne of an other mother †Whom he fleeing and auoyding dwelt in the Land of Tob and there were gathered to him needie men and theeuiâ—h and folowed him as their prince †In those dayes the children of Ammon fought against Israel †who pressing sore vpon them the ancientes of Galaad went to take Iephte out of the Land of Tob to helpe them †and they saied to him Come and be our prince and fight against the children of Ammon †To whom he answered Are not you they that hated me and cast me out of my fathers house and now are come to me forced by necessitie †And the princes of Galaad said to Iephte For this cause be we now come to thee that thou goe forth with vs and fight against the children of Ammon and be the captaine of al that dwell in Galaad †Iephte also said to them If you be come to me sincerly that I should fight for you against the children of Ammon and if our Lord deliuer them into my handes shal I be your prince †Who answered him Our Lord which heareth these thinges him selfe is mediatour and witnes that we wil doe as we haue promised †Iephte therfore went with the princes of Galaad and al the people made him their prince And Iephte spake al his wordes before our Lord in Maspha †And he sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon which should say in his person What is betwen me and thee that thou art come against me to wast my Land †To whom he answered Because Israel tooke my land when he ascended out of Aegypt from the coasts of Arnon vnto Iaboc and Iordan now therfore with peace restore the same to me †By whom Iephte againe sent word and commanded them that they should say to the king of Ammon †Thus sayth Iephte Israel did not take the Land of Moab nor the Land of the children of Ammon †but when they ascended out of Aegypt he walked through the desert vnto the Readsea and came into Cades †And he sent messengers to the king of Edom saying Suffer me that I may passe through thy land Who would not condescend to his requestes He sent also to the king of Moab who also him selfe contemned to geue passage He abode therfore in Cades †and compassed the Land of Edom at the side and the land of Moab and came against the East quarter of the Land of Moab and camped beyond Arnon neither would he enter the boundes of Moab for Arnon is the border of the Land of Moab †Israel therfore sent messengers to Sehon the king of the Ammorrheiâ—es who dwelt in Hesebon and they said to him Suffer me to passe through thy land vnto the riuer †Who also him selfe despising the wordes of Israel suffered him not to passe through his borders but gathering an infinite multitude went forth against him into Iasa and resisted strongly †And our Lord deliuered him into the handes of Israel with al his armie and he stroke him and possessed al the Land of the Ammorrheite the inhabiter of that countrie †and al the coastes therof from Arnon vnto Iaboc from the wildernes vnto Iordan †Our Lord therfore the God of Israel subuerted the Amorrheite his people of Israel fighting against him and wilt thou now possesse his land †Are not those thinges which Chamos thy God possessed dew to thee by right But the thinges that our Lord God hath obteyned conquerour shal come to our possession †vnlesse perhaps thou be better then Balac the sonne of Sephor the king of Moab or canst shew that he wrangled against Israel and fought against him †when he dwelt in Hesebon and the litle to wâ—es therof and in Aroer and the townes therof or in al the cities nere Iordan for three hundred yeares Wherfore haue you so long attempted nothing for reclaime †Therfore I doe not sinne against thee but thou doest euil against me denouncing me vniust warres Our Lord be iudge the arbiter of this day betwen Israel and betwen the children of Ammon †And the king of the children of Ammon would not harken to the wordes of Iephte which he sent him by the messengers †Therfore the spirite of our Lord came vpon Iephte and circuiting Galaad and Manasses Maspha also of Galaad and thence passing to the children of Ammon †he vowed a vow to our Lord saying If thou wilâ— deliuer the children of Ammon into my handes †whosoeuer shal first come forth out of the doores of my house and shal meete me returning with peace from the children of Ammon him wil I offer an holocauste to our Lord. †And Iephte passed to the children of Ammon to fight against them whom our Lord deliuered into his handes †and he stroke from Aroer til thou come to Mennith twentie cities and as farre as Abel which is sette with vineyardes with a very great plague and the children of Ammon were humbled by the children of Israel †But Iephte returning into Maspha to his house his onlie begotten daughter mette him with tymbrels and daunces for he had not other children †Whom when he saw he rent his gatmentes and said Wo is me my daughter thou hast deceiued me and thy self art deceiued for I haue opened my mouth to our Lord and I can doe no other thing †To whom she answered My father if thou hast opened thy mouth to our Lord do vnto me whatsoeuer thou hast promised the reuenge and victorie of thyne enemies being granted to thee †And she said to her father This only graunt me which I desire Suffer me that two monethes I may goe about the mountaines and bewayle my virginitie with my felowes †To whom he answered Goe And he dismissed her two monethes And when she was gone with her felowes and companions she mourned her virginitie in the mountaines †And the two monethes being expired she returned to her father and he “ did to her as he had vowed who knew not man Thence forth a fashion in Israel and a custome was kept †that after the compasse of a yeare the daughters of Israel assemble together and mourne the daughter of Iephte the Galaadite foure dayes ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XI â—9 Did to her as he had vovved VVhether Iephte did wel or no in sacrificing his daughter hauing vowed to offer in sacrifice whosoeuer or whatsoeuer should first mete him returning with victorie as it
this water the third day and the seuenth and so shal be cleansed If he were not sprinkled the third day the seuenth day he can not be clensed †Euerie one that toucheth the dead corps of mans soule and is not sprinkled with this commistion shal pollute the tabernacle of the Lord and shal perish out of Israel because he was not sprinkled with the water of expiation he shal be vncleane and his filthinesse shal remaine vpon him †This is the law of the man that dieth in a tabernacle Al that enter into his tent and al the vessel that are there shal be polluted seuen daies †The vessel that hath no couer nor bynding ouer it shal be vncleane †If any man in the field touch the corps of a man that was slaine or that died of himself or his bone or graue he shal be vncleane seuen daies †And they shal take of the ashes of combustion and of sinne and shal powre liuing water vpon them into a vessel †in the which when a man that is cleane hath dipped hyssope he shal sprinkle therwith al the tent and al the implementes and the men polluted with such contagion †and in this maner he that is cleane shal purge the vncleane the third and seuenth day And being expiated the senenth day he shal wash both himself and his garmentes and be vncleane vntil euening †If anie man be not expiated after this rite his soule shal perish out of the middes of the Church because he hath polluted the Lordes Sanctuarie and is not sprinkled with water of lustration †This precept shal be an ordinance for euer He also that sprinkleth the waters shal wash his garmentes Euerie one that toucheth the waters of expiation shal be vncleane vntil euen †Whatsoeuer he toucheth that is vncleane he shal make it vncleane and the soule that toucheth anie of these thinges shal be vncleane vntil euen CHAP. XX. ariâ— the sister of Moyses dieth 2. The people murmure for lack of water 7. Moysâ—s and Aaron being commanded to draw some out of a rock do it doutfully 12. and for the same are foretold that they shal die in the desert 14. Not obtaining licence to passe through Edom 22. they come into Mount Hor where Eleazar is ordained hiegh Priest Aaron dieth and is mourned by the people thirtie daie AND the children of Israel and al the multitude came into the desert Sin the first moneth and the people abode in Cades And Marie died there and was buried in the same place †And when the people lacked water they came together against Moyses and Aaron †and being turned into sedition said Would God we had perished among our brethren before our Lord. †Why haue you brought forth the Church of our Lord into the wildernesse that both we and our cattel should die †Why did you make vs ascend out of Aegypt and haue brought vs into this exceding naughtie place which can not be sowed which bringeth forth neither figge nor vines nor pomegranates moreouer also hath no water for to drinke †And Moyses and Aaron the multitude being dismissed entring into the tabernacle of couenant fel flatte vpon the ground and cried to our Lord and said Lord God heare the crie of this people and open vnto them thy treasure the fountaine of liuing water that being satisfied their murmuring may cease And the glorie of our Lord appeared ouer them †And our Lord spake to Moyses saying †Take the rodde and assemble the people together thou and Aaron thy brother and speake to the rocke before them and it shal geue waters And when thou hast brought forth water out of the rocke al the multitude shal drinke and their cattel †Moyses therfore tooke the rodde which was in the sight of our Lord as he commanded him †the multitude being assembled before the rocke and he said to them Heare ye rebellious and incredulous Can we out of this rocke bring you forth water †And when Moyses had lifted vp his hand stricking the rocke twise with the rodde there came forth great plentie of water so that the people drunke and their cattel †And our Lord said to Moyses and Aaron Because you haue not beleued me to sanctifie me before the children of Israel you shal not bring in these peoples into the land which I wil geue them †This is the water of contradiction where the children of Israel quarelled against our Lord and he was sanctified in them †In the meane time Moyses sent messengers from Cades to the King of Edom which should say Thus thy brother Israel biddeth vs to say Thou knowest al the labour that hath taken vs †in what maner our fathers went downe into Aegypt and there we dwelt a great time and the Aegyptians afflicted vs and our fathers †and in what maner we cried to our Lord and he heard vs and sent an Angel that hath brought vs out of Aegypt Loe being presently in the citie of Cades which is in thy vttermost borders †we besech thee that we may haue licence to passe through thy countrie We wil not goe through the fieldes not through the vineyardes we wil not drinke the waters of thy welles but we wil goe the common high way declining neither to the right hand nor to the left til we be past thy borders †To whom Edom answered Thou shalt not passe by me otherwise I wil come armed against thee †And the children of Israel said We wil goe by the beaten way and if we and the cattel drinke thy waters we wil geue thee that which is iust there shal be no difficultie in the price only let vs passe speedely †But he answered Thou shalt not passe And immediatly he came forth to meete them with an infinitie multitude and a strong hand †neither would he condescend to them desiring to grant them passage through his borders For the which cause Israel turned an other way from him †And when they had remoued the campe from Cades they came into the mountaine Hor which is in the borders of the land of Edom †Where our Lord spake to Moyses †Let Aaron sayeth he goe to his people for he shal not enter to the Land which I haue geuen the children of Israel for that he was incredulous to my mouth at the Waters of contradiction †Take Aaron and his sonne with him and thou shalt bring them into the mountaine Hor. †And when thou hast vnuested the father of his vesture thou shalt reuest therewith Eleazar his sonne Aaron shal be gathered and die there †Moyses did as our Lord had commanded and they went vp into the mountaine Hor before al the multitude †And when he had spoyled Aaron of his vestimentes be reuested Eleazar his sonne with them †After that he was dead in the toppe of the mountaine he went downe with Eleazar †And al the multitude seeing that Aaron
shal die †What is al flesh that it should heare the voice of the liuing God who speaketh out of the middes of the fire as we haue heard and may liue †Approche thou rather and heare al thinges that the Lord our God shal say to thee and thou shalt speake to vs and we hearing wil doe them †Which when our Lord had heard he said to me I haue heard the voice of the wordes of this people which they spake to thee they haue spoken al thinges wel †Who shal geue them to haue such a minde that they would feare me and keepe al my commandementes at al time that it may be wel with them and with their children for euer †Goe and say to them Returne into your tentes †But thou stand here with me and I wil speake to thee al my commandementes and ceremonies and iudgementes which thou shalt teach them that they may doe them in the Land which I wil geue them in possession †Keepe therfore and doe the thinges which our Lord God hath commanded you you shal not decline neither to the right hand nor to the left †but the way that the Lord your God hath commanded shal you walke that you may liue and it may be wel with you and your daies may be prolonged in the land of your possession ANNOTATIONS CHAP. V. 8. Thou shalt not make If our aduersaries would quietly consider the coherence of the holie text they might easely see that this prohibition of making and worshipping the similitude of anie creature perteyneth to the former sentence Thou shalt not haue strange goddes more particularly forbidding either to make Idoles or to worship such as others make and that with commination because our Lord is a ielous God and wil not suffer his honour to be geuen to anie creature But other Images were made in the old Testament by Gods commandment and likewise Images of Christ and his Sainctes are lawful and profitable among Christians as before is noted Exod. 20. CHAP. VI. God is diligently to be serued and loued with thy whole hart thy whole soule and whole strength Al his precepts ceremonies and iudgements must be carefully kept and commended to posteritie THESE are the preceptes and ceremonies and iudgementes which the Lord your God commanded that I should teach you and you should doe them in the Land whereunto you passe ouer to possesse it †that thou mayest feare the Lord thy God and keepe his commandementes and preceptes which I command thee and thy sonnes and nephewes al the dayes of thy life that thy dayes may be prolonged †Heare Israel and obserue that thou doe the thinges which our Lord hath commanded thee and it may be wel with thee and thou mayest be greately multiplied as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee a land flowīg with milke and honie †Heare Israel The Lord our God is one Lord. †Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with thy whole hart and with thy whole soule and with thy whole strength †And these wordes which I command thee this day shal be in thy hart †and thou shalt tel them to thy children and thou shalt meditate sitting in thy house and walking on thy iourney sleeping and rysing †And thou shalt bind them as a signe on thy hand and they shal be shal moue betwen thine eies †and thou shalt write them in the entrie and on the doores of thy house †And when the Lord thy God shal haue brought thee into the Land for the which he sware to thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob and shal haue geuen thee great and goodlie cities which thou didst not build †houses ful of al riches which thou didst not erect cesternes which thou didst not digge vineyardes and oliueyardes which thou didst not plant †and thou shalt haue eaten and be ful †take heede diligently lest thou forget our Lord that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt out of the house of seuitude Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and him onelie shalt thou serue and by his name shalt thou sweare †You shal not goe after the strange goddes of al Nations that are round about you †because the Lord thy God is a Iealouse God in the middes of thee lest sometime the furie of the Lord thy God be wrath against thee and take thee away from the face of the earth †Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God as thou didst tempt him in the place of tentation †Keepe the preceptes of the Lord thy God and the testimonies and ceremonies which he hath commanded thee †And doé that which is pleasant and good in the sight of our Lord that it may be wel with thee and entring in thou mayest possesse the goodlie Land wherof our Lord sware to thy fathers †that he would destroy al thy enemies before thee as he hath spoken †And when thy sonne shal aske thee to morrow saying What meane these testimonies and ceremonies and iudgementes which the Lord our God hath commanded vs †thou shalt say to him We were the bondmen of Pharao in Aegypt and our Lord brought vs out of Aegypt in a strong hand †and he did signes wonders great and verie sore in Aegypt against Pharao and al his house in our sight †and he brought vs out from thence that being brought in he might geue vs the Land wherupon he sware to our fathers †And our Lord commanded that we should doe al these ordinances and should feare the Lord our God that it might be wel with vs al the daies of our life as it is at this day †And he wil be merciful to vs if we keepe and doe al his preceptes before the Lord our God as he commanded vs. CHAP. VII No league nor felowship to be had with the Gentiles 5. but their altares groues and al their idoles to be destroyed 17. God promiseth victories to his people willing them to trust in him and serue him VVHEN the Lord thy God shal haue brought thee into the land which thou doest enter in to possesse and shal haue destroyed manie Nations before thee the Hetheite and the Gergezeite and the Amorrheite and the Chananeite and the Pherezeite and the Heueite and the Iebuseite seuen nations of much greater number then thou art and stronger then thou †and the Lord thy God shal haue deliuered them to thee thou shalt strike them vnto vtter destruction Thou shalt not make league with them nor pitie them †nor make mariages with them Thy daughter thou shalt not geue to his sonne nor take his daughter for thy sonne †for he wil seduce thy sonne that he folow not me and that he rather serue strange goddes and the furie of our Lord wil be wrath and shal quickly destroy thee †But these thinges rather you shal doe to them Ouerthrow their altares and breake their statuees and cutte downe their groues and
which is erected before his tabernacle †Which thinges being heard Phinees the priest and the princes of the legacie which were with him were pacified and they admitted most willingly the wordes of the children of Ruben Gad and of the halfe tribe of Manasses †And Phinees the priest the sonne of Eleazar said to them Now we know that our Lord is with vs because you are not culpable of this preuarication and haue deliuered the children of Israel from the hand of our Lord. †And he returned with the princes from the children of Ruben and Gad out of the Land of Galaad into the Land of Chanaan to the children of Israel and reported to them †And the saying pleased al that heard it And the children of Israel praysed God and they did no more say that they would goe vp against them and fight and destroy the Land of their possession †And the children of Ruben the children of Gad called the altar which they had built Our testimonie that our Lord he is God CHAP. XXIII Iosue being old admonisheth the people to keepe Gods commandementes 12. and to auoide mariages and al societie with gentiles lest falling to idolatrie God as certainly punish them as he hath benne benificial and bountiful to them AND when much time was passed after that our Lord had geuen peace to Israel al the nations being subdewed round about and Iosue now verie ancient and of a great age †Iosue called al Israel and the elders and the princes and the iudges and the maisters and said to them I am old and farre gone in age †and you see al thinges that our Lord your God hath done to al the nations round about how him selfe hath fought for you †and now because he hath by lotte diuided to you al the Land from the East part of Iordan vnto the great sea and manie nations yet remaine †Our Lord your God wil destroy them and take them away from your face and you shal possesse the Land as he hath promised you †Onlie take courage and be careful that you keepe al thinges which be written in the volume of the law of Moyses and decline not from them neither to the right hand nor to the left †lest after that you are entred in to the Gentiles which shal be among you you sweare in the name of their goddes and serue them and adore them †but cleaue to our Lord your God which you haue done vntil this day †And then our Lord God wil take away in your sight the great nations and very strong and no man shal be able to resist you †One of you shal pursew a thousand men of the enemies because our Lord your God him self wil fight for you as he hath promised †This onlie beware very diligently before hand that you loue our Lord your God †But if you wil cleaue to the errour of these nations that dwel among you and make mariages with them and ioyne amitie †euen now know ye that our Lord your God wil not destroy them before your face but they shal be a pitte and a snare for you and a stumbling blocke at your side and stakes in your eies til he take you away and destroy you from this excellent Land which he hath deliuered to you †Behold I this day enter into the way of al flesh and you shal know with al your minde that al the wordes which our Lord promised that he would performe to you one is not escaped without effect †Therfore as he hath fulfilled in deede that which he promised and al thinges prosperous haue come so wil he bring vpon you what euils soeuer he hath threatened til he take you away and destroy you from this excellent Land which he hath deliuered to you †because you haue transgressed the couenant of our Lord your God which he hath made with you and haue serued strange goddes and adored them quickly and in hast shal the furie of our Lord ryse against you and you shal be taken away from this excellent Land which he hath deliuered to you CHAP. XXIIII In consideration of diuers principal benefites here recited 14. Iosue exorteth the people to serue God sincerly seing it is in their choise to do wel or euil 16. they promise al true seruice and obedience to God 25. VVherupon he reneweth the pact betwen God and them writing it in the volume of the law and erecting a great stone in testimonie 29. He dieth and is buried in mount Ephraim 32. Iosephs bones are buried in Sichem 33. Eleazar the high priest also dieth and is buried in Ephraim AND Iosue gathered together al the tribes of Israel into Sichem and called the ancientes and princes and iudges and maisters and they stoode in the sight of our Lord †and to the people he spake in this maner Thus saith our Lord the God of Israel Beyond the riuer did your fathers dwel from the beginning Thare the father of Abraham and of Nachor and “ they serued strange goddes †I tooke therfore your father Abraham from the coastes of Mesopotamia and brought him into the Land of Chanaan and multiplied his seede †and gaue him Isaac and againe to him I gaue Iacob and Esau Of whom to Esau I gaue mount Seir to possesse but Iacob and his children went downe into Aegypt †And I sent Moyses and Aaron and stroke Aegypt with many signes and wonders †And I brought you and your fathers out of Aegypt and you came to the sea and the Aegyptians pursewed your fathers with chariotes and horsemen as farre as the Read sea †And the children of Israel cried to the Lord who did put darkenes betwen you and the Aegyptians and brought the sea vpon them ouerwhelmed them Your eies saw al thinges that I did in Aegypt and you dwelt in the wildernes a great time †and I brought you into the Land of the Amorrheite which dwelt beyond Iordan And when they fought against you I deliuered them into your handes and you possessed their Land and slew them †And there rose Balac the sonne of Sephor king of Moab and fought against Israel And he sent and called Balaam the sonne of Beor that he might curse you †and I would not heare him but contrariwise by him I blessed you and deliuered you out of his hand †And you passed Iordan and came to Iericho And the men of that citie fought against you the Amorrheite and Pherezeite and Chananeite and the Hetheite and Gergeseite and the Heueite and Iebuseite and I deliuered them into your handes †And I sent before you hornettes and I cast them forth out of their places the two Kinges of the Amorrheites not in thy sword and bow †And I gaue you the Land wherein you laboured not and the cities which you built not to dwel in them vineyardes and oliue trees which you planted not †Now therfore feare our Lord
men dying They fel and were ouerthrowen on the east side of the citie of Gabaa †And there were that were slaine in the same place eightene thousand men al most valiant warryers †Which when they had seene that were remayning of BeniamÃn they fled into the wildernes and went on to the rocke the name wherof is Remmon In that flight also stragling and going diuers waies they slew fiue thousand men And whereas they went farder they pursewed them and slew also other two thousand †And so it came to passe that al which were slaine of Beniamin in diuerse places were fiue and twentie thousand one hundred fighting men most prompt to warres †There remayned therfore of al the number of Beniamin that could escape and flee into the wildernes six hundred men and they abode in the Rocke Remmon foure monethes †But the children of Israel retyring stroke al the remaines of the citie with the sword from men euen to beastes and al the cities and villages of Beniamin the deuouring flame did consume CHAP. XXI The tribe of Beniamin is repayred 8. by foure hundred virgins reserued in the slaughter of Iabes Galaad 19. and by other virgins taken that come forth of Silo to daunce THE children of Israel sware also in Maspha and said None of vs shal geue of his daughters to the children of Beniamin to wife †And they came al to the house of God in Silo and sitting in his sight vntil euening lifted vp their voice and with great wayling beganne to weepe saying Wherfore ô Lord God of Israel is this euil done in thy people that this day one tribe should be taken away out of vs †And on the morrow rising early they built an altar and offered there holocaustes and pacifique victimes and said †Who hath not ascended in the hoste of our Lord of al the tribes of Israel For they had bound them selues with a great othe when they were in Maspha that they should be slayne which had beene wanting †And the children of Israel being moued with repentance vpon their brother Beniamin beganne to say One tribe is taken away out of Israel †whence shal they take wiues For we haue al sworne in common that we wil not geue our daughters to them †Therfore they said Who is there of al the tribes of Israel that went not vp to our Lord into Maspha And behold the inhabitantes of Iabes Galaad were found not to haue bene in that armie †At that time also when they were in Silo none of them was found there †They sent therfore ten thousand the strongest men and commanded them Goe and strike the inhabitantes of Iabes Galaad in the edge of the sword as wel their wiues as their litle ones †And this shal be it which you shal obserue Al of the male kinde and wemen that haue knowen men kil ye but the virgins reserue †And there were found of Iabes Galaad foure hundred virgins that knew not mans bedde and they brought them to the campe in Silo into the Land of Chanaan †And they sent messengers to the children of Beniamin that were in Rocke Remmon and commanded them that they should receiue them in peace †And the children of Beniamin came at that time and there were geuen vnto them wiues of the daughters of Iabes Galaad but others they found not which they might geue them in like maner †And al Israel was very sorie and repented for the killing of one tribe out of Israel †And the ancientes said What shal we doe to the rest that haue not taken wiues For al the wemen in Beniamin are dead †And we must very carefully and with great studie prouide that one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel †For our owne daughters we can not geue them being bound with an oath and a curse wherby we said Cursed be he that shal geue to Beniamin anie of his daughters to wife And they tooke counsail and said Behold there is an anniuersaire solemnitie of our Lord in Silo which is situate on the North of the citie of Bethel on the East side of the way that goeth from Bethel to Sichem and on the South of the towne of Lebona †And they commanded the children of Beniamin and said Goe and lie hidde in the vineyardes †And when you shal see the daughters of Silo come forth after the maner to lead daunses issue forth sodenly out of the vineyardes and catch of them euerie one his wife and goe into the Land of Beniamin †And when their fathers shal come and their brethren and shal beginne to complaine against you and to chide we wil say to them Haue pittie on them for they tooke them not away by the right of warryers and conquerours but when they desired to receiue them you gaue them not and on your part the fault was committed †And the children of Beniamin did as it had beene commanded them and according to their number they tooke away to them selues of those that ledde the daunses euerie one his wife and they went into their possession building cities and dwelling in them †The children of Israel also returned by their tribes and families into their tabernacles In those daies there was not a King in Israel but euerie one did that which semed right to him selfe THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF RVTH AMONGST other thinges that happened to the people of Israel in the time of the Iudges this historie of Ruth to witt her coming from Moab her conuersion to true Religion godlie conuersation and mariage with Booz of the tribe of Iuda is recorded as a more principal matter For that not onlie king Dauid but consequently also our SAVIOVR the Redemer of mankind descended from her VVherby was fore signified that as saluation thus proceded from the Gentiles together with the Iewes so the Gentiles are made partakers of the same grace More clerly prophecied as S. Hierom noteth by Isai cap. 16. saying Send forth ô Lord the lambe the Ruler of the earth from the Rocke of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Sion That is from Ruth the gentile to Hierusalem or rather to the Church This mariage of Ruth came to passe about the time of Abesan Iudge The booke was written as is most probable by Samuel and is diuided into foure chapters whose contentes folow in their places THE BOOKE OF RVTH CHAP. I. By occasion of famine Elimelech of Bethleem going with his wife Noemi and two sonnes into the Land of Moab there dieth 4. His sonnes marrie wiues of that countrie and die without issue 6. Noemi returning homewardes hardly perswadeth one of her daughters in law to part from her 15. The other called Ruth wil needes goe with her professing the same God and Religion 19. So these two arriue in Betheleem IN the dayes of one Iudge when the Iudges ruled there came a famine in the Land And there went a
goe out of thy hand a man worthie to die thy life shal be for his life and thy people for his people †The king of Israel therfore returned into his house contemning to heare raging came into Samaria CHAP. XXI Naboth for denying his vineyard to King Achab is by quene Iezabels commandment falsly accused and stoned to death 10. Achab hastening to possesse the vineyard Elias the prophet threatneth him manie euiles 23. and no lesse to Iezabel both being obstinate in sinne 27. Yet Achab for feare of punishment doth external workes of penance and therby escapeth part of the temporal plagues AND after these wordes at that tyme Naboth the Iezrahelite had a vineyard which was in Iezrahel beside the palace of Achab the king of Samaria †Achab therfore spake to Naboth saying Geue me thy vineyard that I may make me a garden of herbes because it is nigh and ioyning to my house and I wil geue thee for it a better vineyard or if thou thinke it more commodious for thee the price of siluer so much as it is worth †To whom Naboth answered Our Lord be merciful to me that I geue not the inheritance of my fathers to thee †Achab therfore came into his house with indignation and fretting vpon the word that Naboth the Iezrahelite had spoken to him saying I wil not geue thee the inheritance of my fathers And casting him self vpon his bed he turned away his face to the wal and did not eate bread †And Iezabel his wife went in vnto him and sayd to him What is this matter whereupon thy soule is greued and why eatest thou not bread †Who answered her I spake to Naboth the Iezrahelite and sayd to him Geue me thy vineyard taking money for it or if it please thee I wil geue thee a better vineyard for it And he sayd I wil not geue thee my vineyard †Iezabel therfore his wife sayd to him Thou art of great authoritie and doest wel gouerne the kingdome of Israel Arise and eate bread and be of good cheere I wil geue thee the vineyard of Naboth the Iezrahelite †She therfore wrote letters in the name of Achab and signed them with his ring and sent to the ancientes and the chiefe men that were in his citie and dwelt with Naboth †And this was the tenor of the letters Proclame a fast and make Naboth sitte among the chiefe of the people †and suborne two men the children of Belial agaynst him and let them beare false testimony that he hath blessed God and the king and bring him forth and stone him and so let him die †His citizens therfore the ancientes and chiefe men that dwelt with him in the citie did as Iezabel had commanded them and as it was written in the letters which she sent to them †they proclamed a fast and made Naboth sitte among the chiefe of the people †And two men the children of the diuel being brought forth they made them sitte agaynst him but they as deuelish men gaue testimonie agaynst him before the multitude Naboth hath blessed God and the king for the which thing they brought him forth without the citie and killed him with stones †And they sent to Iezabel saying Naboth is stoned and is dead †And it came to passe when Iezabel had heard that Naboth was stoned and dead she spake to Achab Arise and possesse the vineyard of Naboth the Iezrahelite who would not agree vnto thee and geue it taking money for Naboth liueth not but is dead †Which when Achab had heard to witte that Naboth was dead he arose went downe into the vineyard of Naboth the Iezrahelite to possesse it †The word of our Lord therfore came to Elias the Thesbite saying †Arise and goe downe to meete Achab the king of Israel who is in Samaria behold he goeth downe to the vineyard of Naboth to possesse it †and thou shalt speake to him saying Thus sayth our Lord Thou hast slayne moreouer also thou hast possest And after these wordes thou shalt adde Thus sayth our Lord In this place wherein the dogges haue licked the bloud of Naboth they shal licke thy bloud also †And Achab sayd to Elias Hast thou found me thyne enemie Who sayd I haue found thee for that thou art sold to doe euil in the sight of our Lord. †Behold I wil bring euil vpon thee and wil cut downe thy posteritie and wil kil of Achab him that pisseth agaynst the wal and the inclosed and the last in Israel †And I wil make thy house as the house of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat and as the house of Baasa the sonne of Ahias because thou hast done to prouoke me to anger and hast made Israel to sinne †But of Iezabel also our Lord spake saying The dogges shal eate Iezabel in the field of Iezrahel †If Achab die in the citie the dogges shal eate him but if he die in the field the foules of the ayre shal eate him †Therfore there was not such an other as Achab who was sold to doe euil in the sight of our Lord for his wife Iezabel sette him on †and he became abominable in so much that he folowed the idols which the Amorrheites had made whom our Lord consumed before the face of the children of Israel †Therfore when Achab had heard these wordes he rent his garmentes and couered his flesh with haercloth and fasted and slept in sackcloth and walked casting downe his head †And the word of our Lord came to Elias the Thesbite saying †Hast thou not seene Achab humbled before me therfore because he hath humbled him self for my sake I wil not bring in the euil in his dayes but in his sonnes daies wil I bring the euil vpon his house CHAP. XXII Achab King of Israel consulting and beleuing false prophetes rather then Micheas a true prophet accompanied with Iosaphat king of Iuda resolueth to fight against the Syrians for Ramoth Galaad 26. Committeth Micheas to prison 29. procedeth to the warre 34. is slaine and Ochozias saccedeth 41. Iosaphat refuseth to traffike longer with Ochozias dieth and his sonne Ioram reigneth 52. Ochozias foloweth the euil steppes of his parents THERE passed therfore three yeares without warre betwen Syria aud Israel †And in the third yeare Iosaphat the king of Iuda went downe to the king of Israel †And the king of Israel sayd to his seruantes are you ignorant that Ramoth Galaad is ours and we neglect to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria †And he sayd to Iosaphat Wilt thou come with me to sight into Ramoth Galaad †And Iosaphat sayd to the king of Israel As I am so thou also my people and thy people are one and my horsemen thy horsmen And Iosaphat sayd to the king of Israal Aske I besech thee this day the word of our Lord. †The king of Israel therfore assembled the
of the Assyrians into Samaria and assaulted it †and tooke it For after three yeares in the sixt yeare of Ezechias that is the ninth yeare of Osee the king of Israel Samaria was taken †and the king of the Assyrians transported Israel vnto the Assyrians and placed them in Hala and in Habor riuers of Gozan in the cities of the Medes †because they heard not the voice of our Lord their God but transgressed his couenant al things that Moyses the seruant of our Lord commanded they heard not neither did they it †In the fourtenth yeare of king Ezechias came vp Sennacherib the king of Assyrians to al the fensed cities of Iuda and tooke them †Then sent Ezechias the king of Iuda messengers to the king of the Assyrians into Lachis saying I haue sinned retyre from me and al that thou shalt put vpon me I will beare Therfore the king of the Assyrians put a taxe vpon Ezechias the king of Iuda three hundred talents of siluer and thirtie talents of gold †And Ezechias gaue al the siluer that was found in the house of our Lord and in the kinges treasures †At that time Ezechias brake the doores of the temple of our Lord and the plates of gold which he had fastened on them and gaue them to the king of the Assyrians †But the king of the Assyrias sent Tharthan and Rabsaris and Rabsaces from Lachis to king Ezechias with a strong powre to Ierusalem who when they were come vp they came to Ierusalem and stoode beside the conduite of the vpper poole which is in the way of the fullers field †And they called the king and there went out to them Eliacim the sonne of Helcias gouernour of the house and Sobna the Scribe and Ioahe the sonne of Asaph the register †And Rabsaces sayd to them Speake to Ezechias Thus sayth the great king the king of Assyrians What is this confidence that thou doest stay vpon †Perhaps thou hast taken counsel to prepare thy selfe to battle Wherin hast thou confidence that thou darest to rebel †Dost thou hope in Aegypt a staffe of reede and broken vpon which if a man leane broken into splinters it wil enter into his hand and pearce it so is Pharao the king of Aegypt to al that haue confidence in him †But if you wil say to me We haue confidence in our Lord God is not this he whose excelses and altars Ezechias hath taken away and he commanded Iuda and Ierusalem Before this altar shal you adore in Ierusalem †Now therfore passe to my lord the king of the Assyrians and I wil geue you two thousand horses and see whether you be able to haue ryders for them †And how can you resiste before one prince of the least seruantes of my lord Hast thou confidence in Aegypt for the chariotes and horsemen †Why am I come vp without the wil of the Lord to destroy it The Lord sayd to me Goe vp to this land and destroy it †And Eliacim the sonne of Helcias and Sobna and Ioahe sayd to Rabsaces We pray thee that thou speake to vs thy seruantes in Syryake for we vnderstand this tongue and speake not to vs in the Iewes language the people hearing it which is vpon the wal †And Rabsaces answered them saying What did my lord send me to thee that I should speake these wordes and not rather to the men that sit vpon the wal that they may eate their owne dung and drinke their vâ—ine with you †Rabsaces therfore stood and cryed out with a lowd voyce in the Iewes language and sayd Heaâ—e ye the wordes of the great king the king of the Assyrians †Thus sayth the king Let not Ezechias seduce you for he shal not be able to deliuer you out my hand †Neither let him geue you confidence vpon the Lord saying Our Lord deliuering wil deliuer vs and this citie shal not be geuen into the hand of the king of the Assyrians †Doe not heare Ezechias For thus sayth the king of the Assyrians Doe with me that which is profitable for you and come forth to me and euery man shal eate of his vineyard and of his figge tree and you shal drinke waters of your owne cesternes †til I come and transporte you into a land that is like to your land into a fruiteful land and plentiful of wyne a land of bread and of vineyardes a land of oliuetes and of oyle and honie and you shal liue and shal not die Heare not Ezechias who deceiueth you saying Our Lord wil deliuer vs. †Did the goddes of Nations deliuer their land from the hand of the king of Assyrians †Where is the God of Emath Arphad Where is the God of Sepharuaim of Ana and Aua did they deliuer Samaria out of my hand †What are they among al the goddes of nations which haue deliuered their countrey out of my hand that the Lord can deliuer Ierusalem out of my hand †The people therfore held their peace and did not answer him any thing for they had receiued the kings commandement that they should not answer him †And Eliacim the sonne of Helcias gouernour of the house and Sobna the scribe and Ioahe the sonne of Asaph register came to Ezeehias their garments rent and told him the wordes of Rabsaces CHAP. XIX Ezechias in affliction requesteth the prayers of Isaias the prophet 6. who assureth him of Gods helpe 8. The king of the Assyrians stil threatneth and blasphemeth 15. Ezechias praieth 20. and God hearing the prayers of the one and blasphemies of the other 28. promiseth to protect Ierusalem 35. An Angel in one night killeth an hundred fourscore and fiue thousand of the Assyrians campe their king returneth to Niniue is there slaine by two of his owne sonnes and an other sonne reigneth in his place VVHICH thinges when Ezechias the king had heard he rent his garmentes and was couered with sackcloth and entered into the house of our Lord. †And he sent Eliacim the gouernour of the house and Sobna the scribe and the ancientes of the priestes couered with sackclothes to Isaias the prophete the sonne of Amos. †Who sayd to him Thus saith Ezechias This day is a day of tribulation and rebuke and of blasphemie the children are come to the birth and the woman in trauel hath not strength †If perhaps our Lord thy God wil heare al the wordes of Rabsaces whom the king of the Assyrians his maister hath sent to vpbrayd the liuing God and reproue with wordes which our Lord thy God hath heard and make thou prayer for the remnantes that are found †The seruantes therfore of king Ezechias came to Isaie †And Isaie sayd to them Thus shal you say to your maister Thus sayth our Lord Feare not for the wordes which thou hast heard with which the seruantes of the king of the Assyrians haue blasphemed me †Behold I wil send
the prophetes †And this by the word of our Lord was done against Iuda to take it away before him for al the sinnes of Manasses which he did †and for the innocent bloud that he had shed filled Ierusalem with the bloud of innocentes for this thing God would not be made propitious †But the rest of the wordes of Ioakim and al that he did are not these thinges writen in the Booke of the wordes of the daies of the kinges of Iuda And Ioakim slept with his fathers †and Ioachin his sonne reigned for him †And the king of Aegypt added no more to come out of his countrie for the king of Babylon had taken al that had beene the kinges of Aegypt from the riuer of Aegypt vnto the riuer Euphrates †Eightene yeares old was Ioachin when he began to reigne and he reigned three monethes in Ierusalem the name of his mother was Nohesta the daughter of Elnathan of Ierusalem †And he did euil before our Lord according to al thinges which his father had done †At that time came vp the seruantes of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon into Ierusalem and the citie was compassed with fortes †And Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon came to the citie with his seruantes to assault it †And Ioachin the king of Iuda went forth to the king of Babylon he and his mother and his seruantes and his nobles and his eunuches and the king of Babylon receiued him the eight yeare of his reigne †And he brought forth from thence al the treasures of the house of our Lord and the treasures of the kinges house and he cut in peces al the golden vessel which Salomon the king of Israel had made in the temple of our Lord according to the word of our Lord. †And he transported al Ierusalem and al the princes and al the strong men of the armie ten thousand into captiuitie and euerie artificer and incloser and nothing was left sauing the poore sorte of the people of the land †He transported also Ioachin into Babylon and the kinges mother and the kinges wiues and his eunuches and the iudges of the land he led into captiuitie from Ierusalem into Babylon †And al the strong men seuen thousand and the artificers and inclosers a thousand al valiant men and warries and the king of Babylon led them captiues into Babylon †And he appointed Matthanias his vncle for him and called his name Sedecias †One and twentie yeares old was Sedecias when he began to reigne and he reigned eleuen yeares in Ierusalem the name of his mother was Amital the daughter of Ieremie of Lobna †And he did euil before our Lord according to al thinges which Ioakim had done †For our Lord was wrath against Ierusalem and against Iuda til he cast them away from his sace and Sedecias reuolted from the king of Babylon CHAP. XXV Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon beseiging Ierusalem two yeares the souldiars pressed with famine flee away King Sedecias also fleeth 5. is taken and brought before Nabuchodonosor 7. Al his sonnes are slaine in his sight his eyes are put out and he is caried into Babylon the Temple the kinges palace and other houses burned the walles destroyed the people caried captiue 12. except poore husbandmen 13. Al vessel of brasse siluer and gold broken and transported 18. Saraias high priest and other principal men are slaine 22. Godolias made gouernernour 25. is slaine by Ismael 27. Ioachin is deliuered from prison and exalted by a new king of Babylon AND it came to passe in the ninthe yeare of his reigne the tenth moneth the tenth day of the moneth came Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon himselfe and al his armie vnto Ierusalem and they besette it and built rampires rond about it †And the citie was shut vp trenched about vntil the eleuenth yeare of king Sedecias †the ninth day of the moneth and there was a sore famine in the citie neither was there bread for the people of the land †And a breach was made into the citie and al the men of warre fled in the night by the way of the gate which is betwen the duble wal toward the kinges garden moreouer the Chaldees besieged the citie round about Sedecias therfore fled by the way that leadeth to the champayne of the wildernes †And the armie of the Chaldees pursewed the king and ouertooke him in the plaine of Iericho and al the warriers that were with him were dispersed and forsooke him †They therfore hauing taken the king brought him to the king of Babylon into Reblatha who spake iudgement with him †And he slewe the sonnes of Sedecias before his face and he put out his eies and bound him with cheynes and brought him into Babylon †The fifth moneth the seuenth day of the moneth that is the ninetenth yeare of the king of Babylon came Nabuzardan the General of the armie the seruant of the king of Babylon into Ierusalem †And he burnt the house of our Lord the kings house and the houses of Ierusalem euerie house he burnt with fyre †And al the armie of the Chaldees which was with the General of the souldiars destroyed the walles of Ierusalem round about †And Nabuzardan the General of the armie transported the remnant of the people that remained in the citie and the fugitiues that were fled to the king of Babylon and the rest of the comon people †And of the poore of the land he leift dressers of vineyardes and husbandmen †And the brasen pillers that were in the temple of our Lord and the feete and the sea of brasse which was in the house of our Lord the Chaldees brake and transported al the brasse into Babylon †The pottes also of brasse and masars and forkes with three teeth and cuppes and litle mortars and al the vessel of brasse in the which they ministred they tooke away †Moreouer also the censars and phials those that were of gold and that were of siluer the General of the warfare tooke †that is two pillers one sea and the feete which Salomon had made in the temple of our Lord there was no weight of the brasse of al the vessels †One piller had eightene cubites in height and the litle head of brasse vpon it was three cubites in height and the nette and the pomegranates vpon the litle head of the piller al of brasse the second also had the like adorning †Also the general of the armie tooke Saraias the chiefe priest and Sophonias the second priest and three porters †And of the citie one Eunuch which was captayne ouer the men of warre and fiue men of them that wayted before the king whom he found in the citie and Sopher the captaine of the armie who proued the yong souldiars of the people of the land and threescore men of the common people which were found in the citie â€
the house of our Lord. †Lottes therfore were cast equally both to litle and great by their families for euerie one of the gates †The lotte then of the East fel to Selemia Moreouer to Zacharias his sonne a most wise man and skilful the North quarter chanced by lot †But to Obededom and his sonnes toward the South in which part of the house was the councel of the ancientes †Sephim and Hosa toward the West by the gate which leadeth to the way of ascent watch against watch †And toward the East six Leuites and toward the North foure a day and toward the South likewise in a day foure and where the councel was two and two †In the celles also of the porters toward the West foure in the way and two at euerie celle †These be the diuisions of the porters of the sonnes of Core and of Merari †Moreouer Achias was ouer the treasures of the house of God and the vessels of the holie places †The sonnes also of Ledan the sonnes of Gersonni of Ledan princes of the families Ledan and Gersonni Iehieli †The sonnes of Iehieli Zathan and Ioel his brethren ouer the treasures of the house of our Lord †to the Amramites and Isaarites and Hebronites and Ozielites †And Subael the sonne of Gersom the sonne of Moyses chiefe ouer the treasures †His brethren also Eliezer whose sonne Rahabia and his sonne Isaias and his sonne Ioram his sonne also Zechri and his sonne Selemith †Selemith himself and his bretbren ouer the treasures of the sanctified holie thinges which Dauid the king sanctified and the princes of families and the centurions and the captaynes of the host †of the warres and of the spoyles of the battels which they had consecrated to the maynteynance and furniture of the temple of our Lord. †And al these thinges did Samuel the Seer sanctifie and Saul the sonne of Cis and Abner the sonne of Ner and Ioab the sonne of Saruia and al that had sanctified them by the hand of Selemith and of his brethren †But the chiefe ouer the Isaarites was Chonenias and his sonnes to the workes abrode ouer Israel to teach and iudge them †Moreouer the Hebronites Hasabias and his brethren most able men a thousand seuen hundred were chiefe ouer Israel beyond Iordan agaynst the West in al the workes our Lord and for the ministerie of the king †And the prince of the Hebronites was Ieria according to their families and kinredes In the fourteth yeare of king Dauid they were numbred and there were found most valiant men in Iazer Galaad †and his brethren of stronger age two thousand seuen hundred princes of families And Dauid the king made them ouerseers ouer the Rubenites and the Gaddites and the halfe tribe of Manasses for al the ministerie of God and the king CHAP. XXVII Twelue militarie tribunes with foure and twentie thousand vnder euerie one by course of monethes serue about the king 16. Other twelue tribunes of the people gouerne in seueral tribes 25. Prefectes also are made ouer the kinges treasures cattles and other commodities in the court campe and countrie AND the children of Israel according to their number the princes of families tribune and centurions and ouerseers that ministred to the king according to their companies coming in and going out euerie moneth in the yeare euerie one was chiefe ouer foure and twentie thousand †Ouer the first companie the first moneth Iesboam was chiefe the sonne of Zabdicl and vnder him foure and twentie thousand †Of the sonnes of Phares the prince of al the princes in the hoste the first moneth †The companie of the second moneth had Dudia an Ahohite and after him an other named Macelloth which gouerned part of foure and twentie thousand †Captayne also of the third companie in the third moneth was Banaias the sonne of Ioiada the Priest and in his diuision foure and twentie thousand †The same is Banaias the most valiant among thirtie and aboue the thirtie ouer his companie Amizabad his sonne was chiefe †The fourth in the fourth moneth Asahel the brother of Ioab and Zabadias his sonne after him and in his companie foure and twentie thousand †The fifth in the fifth moneth prince Samaoth a Iezerite and his companie foure and twentie thousand †The sixth in the sixth moneth Hira the sonne of Acces a Thecuite and in his companie foure and twentie thousand †The seuenth in the seuenth moneth Helles a Phallonite of the children of Ephraim and in his companie foure and twentie thousand †The eight in the eight moneth Sobochai an Husathite of the stocke of Sarahi and in his companie foure and twentie thousand †The ninth in the ninth moneth Abiezer an Anathothite of the children of Iemini and in his companie foure and twentie thousand †The tenth in the tenth moneth Marai and he a Netophathite of the stocke of Zarahi and in his companie foure and twentie thousand †The eleuenth in the eleuenth moneth Banaias a Pharathonite of the children of Ephraim and in his companie foure and twentie thousand †The twelfth in the twelfth moneth Holdai a Netophathite of the stocke of Gothoniel and in his companie foure and twentie thousand †Furthermore there were chiefe ouer the tribes of Israel ouer the Rubenites Duke Eliezer the sonne of Zechri ouer the Simeonites Duke Saphatias the sonne of Maacha †ouer the Leuites Hasabias the sonne of Camuel ouer the Aaronites Sadoc †ouer Iuda Eliu the brother of Dauid ouer Issachar Amri the sonne of Michael †ouer the Zabulonites Iesmaias the sonne of Abdias ouer the Nepthalites Ierimoth thesonne of Ozriel †ouer the children of Ephraim Osee the sonne of Ozaziu ouer the halfe tribe of manasses Ioel the sonne of Phadaia †and ouer the halfe tribe of Manasses in Galaad Iaddo the sonne of Zacharias and our Beniamin Iasiel the sonne of Abner †But ouer Dan Ezrihel the sonne of Ieroham these be the princes of the children of Israel †And Dauid would not number them from twentie yeares downeward because our Lord had sayd that he would multiplie Israel “ as the starres of heauen †Ioab the sonne of Saruia beganne to number and finished not because vpon this there fel wrath vpon Israel and therfore the number of them that were numbered was not regestred in the chronicles of king Dauid †And ouer the kinges treasures was Azmoth the sonne of Adiel and ouer those treasures which were in the cities and in the townes and in the towers Ionathan the sonne of Ozias was president †And ouer husbandrie and the husbandmen which tilled the ground Ezri the sonne of Chelub was ouerseer †and ouer the dressers of vineyardes Semeias a Romathite and ouer the wine cellars Zabdias an Aphonite †For ouer the Oliuetes and the figgegroues which were in the champayne was Balanam a Gederite and ouer the oile cellars Ioas. â€
Goe ye forth into the mount and fetch branches of the oliue tree and branches of the most fayre tree branches of the mirtle tree and boughes of the palme trees and branches of the thicke leaued tree that tabernacles may be made as it is written †And the people went forth and brought And they made themselues tabernacles euery man in his house toppe and in his courtes and in the courtes of the house of God and in the streate of the water gate and in the streate of the gate of Ephraim †Therefore al the church of them that were returned from the captiuitie made tabernacles and dwelt in tabernacles For from the daies of Iosue the sonne of Nun the children of Israel had not done it in such sort vntil that day and there was exceeding great ioy †And he reade in the booke of the law of God day by day from the first day til the last and they made the solemnitie seuen dayes in the eight day a collect according to the rite CHAP. IX The people repenting in fasting and sakcloth put away their wiues of strange nations 5. Esdras confesseth Gods benefites and the peoples ingratitude 32. prayeth for them and maketh league with God AND in the foure and twenteth day of the moneth the children of Israel came together in fasting and sackeclothes and carth vpon them †And the seede of the children of Israel was seperated from euerie strange childe and they stood and confessed their sinnes and the iniquities of their fathers †And they rose vp to stand and they read in the volume of the law of our Lord their God foure times in a day and four times they confessed and adored our Lord their God †And there arose vpon the steppe of the Leuites Iosue and Bani Cedminel Sabania Bonni Sarebias Bani and Chanani and they cried with a lowde voice to our Lord their God †And the Leuites Iosue and Cedmihel Bonni Hasebnia Serebia Odaia Sebnia and Phathahia said Arise Blesse our Lord your God from eternitie to eternitie and let them blesse the high name of thy glorie in al blessing praise †Thou the same o Lord alone thou hast made heauen al the host therof the earth al thinges that are in it the seas and al thinges that are therin and thou dost giue life to al these thinges and the host of heaueÌ„ adoreth thee †Thou the same o Lord God which didst choose Abram broughtest him out of the fire of the Chaldees and gauest him the name Abraham †And thou didst finde his hart faithful before thee and thou madest a couenante with him that thou wouldest geue him the land of the Chananite of the Hetheite and of the Amorrheite and of the Pherezeire and of the Iebuseite of the Gergeseite to geue vnto his seede and thou hast fulfilled thy wordes because thou art iust †And thou sawest the afflicton of our fathers in Aegypt their crie thou didst hearâ— vpon the Read sea †And thou gauest signes wonders in Pharao and in al his seruants and in al the people of his land for thou didst know that they had done proudly against them and thou madest thyself a name as also at this day †And thou didst diuide the sea before them and they passed througth the midst of the sea in drie land but their persecutors thou threwest into the depth as a stone into the rough waters †And in a piller of a cloude thou wast their leader by day and in a piller of fire by night that the way might appeare to them by the which they went †To mount Sinai also thou didst descend and spakest with them from heauen and thou gauest them right iudgements and the law of truth ceremonies and good preceptes †Thy sanctified Sabbath thou didst shew them and the commandements and ceremonies and the law thou didst command them in the hand of Moyses thy seruant †Bread also from heauen thou gauest them in their hunger and water out of the rocke thou didst bring forth to them thirsting and thou saidest to them that they should enter in and possesse the land vpon which thou didst lift vp thy hand to diliuer it them †But they and our fathers did proudly and hardned their neckes and heard not thy coÌ„mandements †And they would not heare and they remembred not thy merueylous workes which thou hast done to them And they hardned their neckes and gaue the head to returne to their seruitude as it were by contention But thou a propitious God and gratious and merciful long suffering and of much compassion didst not forsake them †Yea and when they had made to them selues a molten calfe and had said This is thy God which brought thee out of Aegypt and they did great blasphemies †But thou in thy manie mercies didst not leaue them in the desert the piller of the cloude departed not from them by day to lead them into the way and the piller of fire by night to shew them the way by which they should goe †And thou gauest them thy good spirite which should teach them and thy Manna thou didst not withhold from their mouth and thou gauest them water in thirst †Fourtie yeares didst thou feede them in the desert and nothing was wanting to them their garmentes waxed not old and their feete not worne †And thou gauest them kingdomes and peoples and didst part lottes vnto them and they possessed the land of Sehon and the land of the king Hesebon and the land of Og the king of Basan †And thou didst multiplie their children as the starres of heauen brought them to the land wherof thou hadst said to their fathers that they should enter and possesse it †And the children came and possessed the land and thou didst humble before them the inhabiters of the land the Chananâ—ites and gauest them into their hand and their kinges and the peoples of the land that they might doe to them as it pleased them †They therfore tooke the fensed cities and fatte ground and possessed houses ful of al goodes cesternes made by others vineyardes and oliuetes manie trees that bare fruite and they did eate and were filled and became fatte and abounded with delicious thinges in thy great goodnes †But they prouoked thee to wrath departed from thee and threw thy law behind their backes they killed thy prophetes which admonished them ernestly to returne to thee and they did great blasphemies †And thou gauest them into the handes of their enemies and they afflicted them And in the time of their tribulation they cried to thee thou from heauen didst heare and according to thy manie coÌ„passions gauest them sauiours that should saue them from the hand of their enemies †And when they had rested they returned to do euil in thysight thou didst leaue them in the hand of their enemies and they possessed them And they
†And he gaue them into mercies in the sight of al that had taken them †Saue vs ô Lord our God and geather vs out of the Nations That we may confesse to thy holie name may glorie in thy prayse †Blessed be our Lord the God of Israel from euerlasting vnto euerlasting and al the people shal say Be it be it ANNOTATIONS PSALME CV 10. He redeemed them VVhat price or ransom saith S. Augustin was geuen in this redemption Or is it a prophecie that this was done in figure of Baptisme where we are redemed from the hand of the diuel by a great price which is the bloud of Christ VVherupon it was more conueniently figured not by what sea soeuer but by the read sea For bloud hath redde coulor And touching the effect of Baptisme destroying al former sinnes he teacheth in the exposition of the next Psalme and either the same holie father or some other good author Ser. 42. de temp that as the Israelites passed safely through the read sea and al the Aegyptians going in with them were drowned so the baptised are saued in the water of Baptisme and al their sinnes are destroyed PSALME CVI. Againe the Psalmist inuiteth al men to render thankes to God for their deliuerie from dangers or euils in general 4. particularly from dangers in iorney 10. in prison or captiuitie 17. in sicknes spiritual and corporal 23. in nauigation 33. describing the changeable course of thinges in this world 38. especially of mens states 42. for al which the iust wil praise God Allelu ia CONFESSE ye to our Lord because he is good because his mercie is for euer †Let them say that are redemed of our Lord whom he redemed out of the hand of the enemie and out of the countries he gathered them †From the rising of the sunne and the going downe from the north and the sea †They wandered in the wildernes in a place without water the way of citie for habitation they found not †Hungrie and thirstie their soule fainted in them †And they cried to our Lord when they were in tribulation and he deliuered them out of their necessities †And he conducted them in to the right way to goe into a citie of habitation †Let the mercies of our Lord confesse to him and his meruelous workes to the children of men †Because he hath filled the emptie soule and the hungrie soule he hath filled with good thinges †Them that sate in darkenes and in the shadow of death bound in needines and yron †Because they exasperated the wordes of God and they prouoked the counsel of the Highest †And their hart was humbled in labours they were weakened neither was there anie to helpe †And they cried to our Lord when they were in tribulation and he deliuered them out of their necessities †And he brought them out of darkenes and the shadow of death and brake their bondes asunder †Let the mercies of our Lord confesse to him and his meruelous workes to the children of men †Because he hath destroyed the gates of brasse and the barres of yron he hath broken †He hath receiued them out of the way of their iniquitie for they were humbled for their iniustices †Their soule did abhorre al meaâ—e they approched euen to the gates of death †And they cried to our Lord when they were in tribulation and he deliuered them out of their necessities †He sent his word and healed them and deliuered them out of their destructions †Let the mercies of our Lord confesse to him and his meruelous workes to the children of men †And let them sacrifice the sacrifice of praise and shew forth his workes in exulation †They that goe downe into the sea in shippes making trafike in the great waters †They haue sene the workes of our Lord and his meruelous thinges in the depth †He sayd and the blast of the storme stood and the waues therof were exalted †They ascend euen to the heauens and they descend euen to the depthes their soule pyned away in euils †They were trubled and were moued as a drunken man and al their wisedom was deuoured †And they cried to our Lord when they were in tribulation and he brought them out of their necessities †And he turned his storme into calme and the waues therof were quiet And they reioyced because they were quiet and he conducted them into the hauen of their wil. †Let the mercies of our Lord confesse to him and his meruelous workes to the children of men †And let them exalt him in the church of the people and the chayre of the ancientes let them praise him †He turned the riuers into a desert and the issues of waters into drinesse †The fruiteful land into a salt ground for the malice of them that inhabite it †He turned the desert into pooles of waters and the land without water into issues of waters †And he placed the hungrie there and they built a citie of habitation †And they sowed fildes and planted vineyardes and they made fruicte of natiuitie †And he blessed them and they were multiplied excedingly and their beastes he lessened not †And they were made fewe and were vexed by the tribulation of euiles and with sorow †Contempt was powred out vpon princes and he made them wander where was no way and not in the way †And he did helpe the poore out of pouertie and made families as sheepe †The iust shal see and shal reioyce al iniquitie shal stoppe her mouth †Who is wise and wil keepe these thinges and wil vnderstand the mercies of our Lord PSALME CVII The royal prophet promiseth 5. and rendereth praises to God 7. for his deliuerie from trubles and aduancement in the kingdom 13. praying God stil to helpe mans infirmitie A Canticle of Psalme to Dauid himselfe MY HART is readie ô God my hart is readie I wil chaunte and wil sing in my glorie †Arise my glorie arise psalter and harpe I wil arise early †I wil confesse to thee in peoples ô Lord and I wil sing to thee in the Nations †Because thy mercie is great aboue the heauens and thy truth euen to the cloudes †Be exalted aboue the heauens ô God and thy glorie ouer al the earth †that thy beloued may be deliuered Saue with thy righthand and heare me †God spake in his holie I wil reioyce and wil diuide Sichem and I wil mesure the vale of tabernacles †Galaad is mine and Manasses is mine and Ephraim the protection of my head Iuda is my king †Moab the potte of my hope Vpon Idumea I wil extend my shoe the strangers are made my freindes †Who wil conduct me into a fensed citie who wil conduct me into
laide oppen before prophane persons S. Gregorie also alleageth an other reason ho. 17. in Ezech. that occasion of humilitie may be geuen vs by those thinges which are hidden in holie Scriptures And increase also of merite by beleuing more then we vnderstand because faith hath not merite where reason geueth experiment THE ARGVMENT OF THE PROPHECIE OF ISAIE ISaie the sonne of Aâ—os and nephew as S. Ierom insinuateth to king Amasias prophecied in the times of Osias Ioathan Achaz Ezechias and in the beginning of Manasses Kinges of Iuda in al aboue three score yeares and was cruelly put to death sawed into partes by commandment of Manasses He is commonly called the Euangelical Prophet for his ample and particular speaches of Christ more large and more plaine then in aâ—â—e other of the old Prophetes His stile is high and eloquent according to his liberal education being of the royal bloud For so it pleaseth the Holie Ghost to vtter his diuine prophecies diuersly according to the qualities and conditions of the persons by whom he speaketh by Isaie in a loftie and by Amos in a meane stile as a musitian soundeth the same songue by a simple pipe by a corneâ— trumpet or other musical instrument Which S. Paul also witnesseth saying Diuersly and by diuers meanes God spake to the fathers in the Prophetes Isaie therfore conuersing in the kingdom of Iuda especially in the Emperial and Metropolitan citie of Ierusalem preached prophecied manie thinges perteyning to the Tribes of Iuda and Beniamin as also to the tribe of Leui. Which after the schisme of Ieroboam repayred in maner al to the kingdom of Iuda where God was rightly serued He prophecied also of the tenne Tribes the kingdom of Israel of the future captiuities of them both and of the reduction of Iuda Also he prophecied of other nations and peoples with whom the Iewes had either emnitie or freindlie conuersation and of al the world But most especially of the coming of Christ to redeme and deliuer mankind from captiuitie of sinne The whole prophecie conteyneth two general partes First more principally the Prophet admonisheth and threatneth the people that they shal be punished for their manifold sinnes in the 39. former chapters In the other 27. he comforteth them signifying that God of his mercie wil after chatisment their repentance deliuer them from their aduersaries Yet so that ech part participateth of the principal contents with the other More particularly the whole booke may be diuided into eight partes In the twelue first chapters the Prophet admonisheth alsortes in the kingdom of Iuda of their ingratitude towards God with manie other sinnes and of iust punishment but mixt with consolation of Gods mercie and thanksegeuing for the same In eleuen chapters folowing he directeth his speach to other Nations aduersaries to the Iewes In foure more he extendeth his admonitions to al the world stil intermixing some consolations In other foure he reprehendeth both the kingdoms of Israel and Iuda for seeking helpe of strange nations In the next eight chapters he prophecieth of diuers dangers immineÌ„t to the kingdom of Iuda of their captiuitie in Babylon of Gods benignitie deliuering them very much in euerie part of Christ and his Church Then in fiue chapters he prophecieth very particularly of the comfortable deliuerie from sinne by Christ In other foure from temporal captiuitie by Cyrus King of Assirians And finally in the last eightene chapters he prophecieth largely of the perfect deliuerie by Christ conuersion of al Nations reiection of the Iewes til nere the end of the world when they shal also returne to Christ THE PROPHECIE OF ISAIE CHAP. I. Isaie prophecying in the dayes of foure kinges of Iuda 2. admonisheth both princes and people of their ingratitude and other sinnes against God 7. for which they shal be led captiue 11. Neither shal sacrifices nor prayers saue them 16. except they cleanse their soules from sinnes 20. which they not doing shal be seuerely punished 26. Wherby the reliques shal be purged and the Church shal flourish THE vision of Isaie the sonne of Amos which he sawe concerning Iuda and Ierusalem in the dayes of Ozias Ioathan Achaz and Ezechias kinges of Iuda †Heare ye heauens geue eare ô earth because our Lord hath spoken I haue brought vp children and exalted them but they haue despised me †The oxe hath knowen his owner and the asse his masters crib but Israel hath not knowen me and my people hath not vnderstood †Woe to the sinful nation the people loden with greeuous iniquitie the wicked seede vngracious children they haue forsaken our Lord they haue blasphemed the holie one of Israel they are reuolted backewards †For what shal I strike you anie more which adde preuarication euerie head is sicke euerie hart in heauines †From the sole of the foote vnto the toppe of the head there is no health therein wound and wayle and swelling stroke it is not bound vp nor cured with medicine nor mollified with oile †Your land is desolate your cities burnt with fire your countrie strangers deuoure before your face and it shal be made desolate as in the spoile of enemies †And the daughter of Sion shal be left as a vineyard and as a cottage in a place of cucumbers and as a citie that is wasted †Vnlesse the Lord of hostes had lefte vs seed we had beene as Sodom and we should be like to Gomorrha †Heare the word of our Lord ye princes of Sodom geue eare to the law of our God ye people of Gomorrha †To what purpose do you offer me the multitude of your victimes saith our Lord I am ful the holocaust oframmes and the fatte of fatlings and the bloud of calues and lambes and buck goates I haue not desired †When you should haue come before my sight who sought for these thinges at your handes that you should walke in my courtes †Offer sacrifice no more in vaine incense is abomination to me The Newe moone and the Sabbath and other sestiuities I wil not abide your assemblies are wicked †My soule hateth your Calendes and your solemnities they are become tedious to me I haue laboured in susteyning †And when you shal streach forth your hands I wil turne away mine eies from you when you shal multiplie prayer I wil not heare for your handes are ful of bloud †Wash you be cleane take away the euil of your cogitations from mine eies cease to doe peruersely †Lerne to doe good seeke iudgement succour the oppressed iudge for the pupil defend the widow †And come and accuse me sayth our Lord if your sinnes shal be as scarlet they shal be made white as snow and if they be red as vermelon they shal be white as wooll †If you be willing and wil heare me you shal eate the good thinges
Depart from me approch not to me because thou art vncleane these shal be smoke in my furie a fyre burning al the day †Behold it is written before me I wil not hold my peace but I wil render and repay into their bosome †your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together sayth our Lord that haue sacrificed vpon the mountaines and vpon the litle hilles haue reproched me I wil remeasure their first worke in their bosome †Thus saith our Lord As if a berrie be found in a cluster and it be said Destroy it not because it is a blessing so wil I doe for my seruants sake that I destroy not the whole †And I wil bring forth seede out of Iacob out of Iuda a possessour of my mountaines and mine elect shal inherite it and my seruants shal inhabite there †And the champaine countries shal be into foldes of flockes and the valley of Achor for the couche of heardes vnto my people that haue sought after me †And you that haue forsaken the Lord that haue forgotten my holie mount that sette a table to Fortune and offer libaments vpon it †I wil number you in the sword and you shal al fal by slaughter because I called and you haue not answered I spake and you haue not heard and you did euil in mine eies and you haue chosen the thinges that I would not †For this cause thus sayth our Lord God Behold my seruants shal eate and you shal be hungrie behold my seruants shal drinke and you shal be thirstie †Behold my seruants shal reioyce and you shal be confounded behold my seruants shal prayse for ioyfulnes of hart and you shal crie for sorow of hart and for contrition of spirit you shal howle †And you shal leaue your name for an othe to mine elect and the Lord God shal kil thee and wil cal his seruants by an other name †In which he that is blessed vpon the earth shal be blessed in God amen he that sweareth in the earth shal sweare by God amen because the former distresses are forgotten and because they are hid from myne eyes †For behold I create new heauens and a new earth and the former thinges shal not be in memorie and they shal not ascend vpon the hart †But you shal be glad and reioyce for euer in these thinges which I create because loe I create Ierusalem exultation and the people therof ioy †And I wil reioyce in Ierusalem and be glad in my people and there shal no more be heard in it the voice of weeping and the voice of crying †There shal no more be a childe of daies and an old man that shal not fil vp his dayes because the childe of an hundred yeares shal die and the sinner of an hundred yeares shal be accurst †And they shal build cities and inhabite and they shal plant vineyardes and eate the fruites therof †They shal not build and an others shal dwel they shal not plant and an other shal eate for according to the daies of the tree shal be the dayes of my people and they shal make old the workes of their handes †Myne elect shal not labour in vayne nor ingender in conturbation because it is the seede of the blessed of the Lord and their posteritie with them †And it shal be before they cal I wil heare as they are yet speaking I wil heare †The wulfe and the lambe shal feede together the lion and the oxe shal eate straw to the serpent dust shal be his bread they shal not hurt nor kil in al my holie mountaine sayth our Lord. CHAP. LXVI God who filleth heauen and earth wil dwel in the hart of the humble 3. For the sinnes of the Iewes Ierusalem shal be destroyed 5. The faith of Christ shal be propagated by the preaching of the Apostles 15. And Christ coming to iudge 19. al shal receiue according to their desertes THVS sayth our Lord “ Heauen is my seate and the earth my foote stoole what is this house that you wil build to me and what is this place of my rest †My hand hath made al these thinges al these thinges haue bene done sayth our Lord. But to whom shal I haue respect but to the poore litle one and the contrite of spirit and him that trembleth at my wordes †He that immolateth an oxe is as he that should stay a man he that killeth a sheepe in sacrifice as he that should braine a dog he that offereth oblation as he that should offer swines bloud he that remembreth frankincense as he that should blesse an idol Al these thinges haue they chosen in their wayes and in their abominations their soule is delighted †Wherfore I also wil choose their delusions and the thinges that they feared I wil bring to them because I called and there was none that would answer I haue spoken and they heard not and they haue done euil in mine eies and haue chosen the thinges that I would not †Heare the word of our Lord ye that tremble at his word your brethren that hate you and reiect you for my name sake haue sayd Let the Lord be glorified we shal see in your ioy but they shal be counfounded †A voice of people from the citie a voice from the temple the voice of our Lord repaying retribution to his enemies †Before she traueled she brought forth before her time came to be deliuered she brought forth a man childe †Who euer heard such a thing and who hath sene the like to this why shal the earth trauel in one day or shal a nation be brought forth together because Sion hath traueled and brought forth her children †Shal not I that make others to bring forth children my self bring forth saith the Lord shal I that geue generation to others be barren sayth the Lord thy God †Reioyce with Ierusalem and be ioyful in her al ye that loue her be glad with her in gladnes al ye that mourne vpon her †that you may sucke and be filled of the breast of her consolation that you may milke and flow with delightes in al maner of her glorie †Because thus saith our Lord Behold I wil decline vpon her as it were a floud of peace and as a torrent ouerflowing the glorie of the Gentiles which you shal sucke at the breasts you shal be caried vpon the knees they shal speake you fayre †As if the mother would speake one fayre so wil I comfort you and in Ierusalem you shal be comforted †You shal see and your hart shal reioyce and your bones shal spring as an herbe and the hand of our Lord shal be knowen to his seruants and he shal be wrath with his enemies †Because loe our Lord wil come in fyre and his chariotes as
they had taken the king they brought him to the king of Babylon into Reblatha which is in the land of Emath and to him iudgements †And the king of Babylon killed the sonnes of Sedecias before his eies yea and al the princes of Iuda he slew in Reblatha †And he plucked out the eies of Sedecias and bound him with fetters and the king of Babylon brought him into Babylon and he put him in the prison house euen to the day of his death †And in the fifth moneth the tenth of the moneth the same is the ninetenth yeare of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon came Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare who stood before the king of Babylon in Ierusalem †And he burnt the house of our Lord and the kings house and al the houses of Ierusalem and euerie great house he burnt with fire †And al the host of the Chaldees that was with the prince of the warfare destroyed al the wall of Ierusalem round about †But of the poore of the people and of the rest of the vulgar sorte which remayned in the citie and of the fugitiues that were fled to the king of Babylon and the rest of the multitude Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare transported †But of the poore of the land Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare left some to be dressers of vineyards and husbandmen †The brasen pillers also that were in the house of our Lord and the feete and the sea of brasse that was in the house of our Lord the Chaldees brake and they tooke al the brasse of them into Babylon †And the kettles and the fleshhookes and the psalteries and the phials and the litle mortars and al the brasen vessels that had bene in the ministrie they tooke †and the water pottes and the censars and the pitchers and the basins and the candlestickes and the mortars the gobblets as manie as of gold of gold and as manie as of siluer of siluer did the prince of the warfare take †and two pillars and one sea twelue oxen of brasse that were vnder the feete which king Salomon had made in the house of our Lord there was no weight of the brasse of al these vessels †And concerning the pillars there were eightene cubits of height in one pillar and a corde of twelue cubits did compasse it about moreouer the thicknes thereof of foure fingers and within it was holow †And the litle heads of brasse vpon both the height of one litle head of fiue cubits and the litle nettes and the pomegranates vpon the crowne round about al of brasse Likewise of the second piller and the pomegranates †And there were nintie six pomegranates hanging downe and al the pomegranates an hundred were compassed with litle nettes †And the master of the warefare tooke Saraias the chiefe priest and Sophonias the second priest and the three kepers of the entrie †And of the citie he tooke one eunuch that was chiefe ouer the men of warre and seuen men of them that saw the kings face that were found in the citie and a scribe the captayne of the souldiars who tryed the yong souldiars and three score of the people of the land that were found in the middes of the citie †And Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare tooke them and he brought them to the king of Babylon into Reblatha †And the king of Babylon stroke them and he killed them in Reblatha in the land of Emath and Iuda was transported from his land †This is the people which Nabuchodonosor transported In the seuenth yeare Iewes three thousand and twentie three †In the eightenth yeare of Nabuchodonosor from Ierusalem soules eight hundred thirtie two †In the three and twentith yeare of Nabuchodonosor Nabuzardan the prince of the warefare transported of the Iewes seuen hundred fourtie fiue soules al the soules therfore were foure thousand six hundred †And it came to passe in the seuen and thirtith yeare of the transmigration of Ioachin the king of Iuda the twelfth moneth the fiue and twentith of the moneth Euilmerodach the king of Babylon lifted vp in the very yeare of his reigne the head of Ioachin the king of Iuda and he brought him out of the prison house †And he spake with him good thinges and he sette his throne aboue the thrones of the kinges that were after himself in Babylon †And he changed his prison garments and he did eate bread before him alwaies al the daies of his life †And his allowance of meate a continual prouision of meate was geuen him by the king of Babylon euerie day a certaine euen vnto the day of his death al the daies of his life THE ARGVMENT OF IEREMIES LAMENTATIONS THESE Lamentations in Greeke called Threni and by the Hebrew Rabhins intituled Cinoth were written by Ieremie before the greatest part of his oâ—her prophecies as semeth most probable to S. Ierom and were first songue at the death of Iosias king of Iuda Againe when king Sedecias with manie others were taken captiues manie also slaine and the Temple and citie of Ierusalem destroyed But most especially he prophecieth the Iewes miserable estate and iust cause of Lamentation after Christs coming and their reiecting him And therfore his Church singeth the same in the Aniuersarie or Commemoration of his Passion and Death and most piously inuiteth al sinners both Iewes and Gentiles to returne vnto Christ our Redemer saying Ierusalem IERVSALEM conuertere ad Dominum Deum tuum In this litle booke the diligent reader wil easely obserue manie doleful patheticalspeaches powred out from a pensiue hart as in great calamities it commonly happeneth with litle connexion of sentences but otherwise foure whole chapters are very artificially compiled in verse not by number of times with measure of long and short syllables as the Grekes and Latines vse but after the Hebrew maner obseruing number of syllables and beginning euerie verse with a distinct letter from the first to the last in order with some smal varietie of the Hebrew Alphabet Doubtles with great mysteries as S. Ierom iudgeth and therfore explicateth the significations and certains connexions of the two and twentie Hebrew letters as we haue noted vpon the 118. Psalme but aboue the capacitie of our vnderstanding In the last chapter the Prophet omitting the obseruation of Initial letters in twentie two verses prayeth lamentably as the whole people shal pray in captiuitie THE THRENES that is to say THE LAMENTATIONS OF IEREMIE THE PROPHET And it came to passe after that Israel was brought into captiuitie and Ierusalem was desolate Ieremie the prophete sate weeping and he mourned with this lamentation vpon Ierusalem and with a pensiue mind sighing and wayling he sayd CHAP. I. HOW doeth the citie ful of people sitte solitarie how is the ladie of the Gentiles become as a widow the princesse of prouinces is made tributarie Weeping she
the bed and in the couche of Damascus †Heare ye and contest in the house of Iacob sayth our Lord the God of hosts †That in the day when I shal begin to visite the preuarications of Israel I wil visite vpon him and vpon the altars of Bethel and the hornes of the altar shal be cut of and shal fal to the ground †And I wil strike the winter house with the summer house and the houses of yuorie shal perish and manie houses shal be dissipated sayth our Lord. CHAP. IIII. The tenne tribes are particularly charged for oppressing the poore 2. therfore threatned with calamities 6. blamed for their obstinacie 12. neuertheles al are admonished to expect Christ HEARE this word ye fatte kine which are in the mountaines of Samaria which doe calumnie to the needie and breake the poore which say to your lords Bring and we wil drinke †Our Lord God hath sworne by his holie that loe the dayes shal come vpon you and they shal lift you vp on poles and your remnant in pottes boyling hotte †And by the breaches you shal goe out one against an other you shal be cast forth into Armon saith our Lord. †Come ye to Bethel and doe impiousely to Galgal and multiplie preuarication and offer in the morning your victimes three dayes your tithes †And sacrifice ye prayse of the leauened and cal voluntarie oblations and proclaime it for so would you ô children of Israel sayth our Lord God †Wherupon I also haue geuen you dulnes of the teeth in al your cities and lacke of bread in al your places and you haue nor returned to me sayth our Lord. †I also haue stayed the rayne from you when there remayned yet three monethes vnto haruest and I rayned vpon one citie and vpon an other citie I rayned not one part was rayned vpon and the part whereupon I rayned not withered †And two and three cities came to one citie to drinke water were not filled you returned not to me saith our Lord. †I stroke you with a burning winde with blasting the multitude of your gardens and al your vineyards your oliue groues figgroues the eruke hath eaten and you returned not to me sayth our Lord. †I sent death vpon you in the way of Aegypt I stroke your yongmen with the sword euen to the captiuitie of your horses and I made the putrefaction of your campe to come vp into your nostherels and you returned not to me sayth our Lord. †I subuerted you as God subuerted Sodom and Gomorth and you were made as a fyrebrand hastely caught from the burning and you returned not to me sayth our Lord. †Wherfore these thinges wil I doe to thee Israel but after I shal doe these thinges to thee be prepared to meete thy God ô Israel †Because loe he that formeth the mountaines and createth the wind and declareth his word to man maketh the morning mist and walketh vpon the high places of the earth our Lord the God of host is his name CHAP. V. Notwithstanding great miseries threatned against the tenne tribes 4. yet if they wil repent they shal escape 7. otherwise they shal fal into captiuitie 14. and therfore they are admonished to returne to God 16. but being obstinate 21. no sacrifice can appeaze Gods wrath HEARE ye this word that I lift vpon you a lamentation The house of Israel is fallen and it shal not adde to rise againe †The virgine of Israel is cast forth vpon her land there is none to rayse her vp †Because thus sayth our Lord God The citie out of which came forth a thousand there shal be left in it an hundred and out of which there came an hundred there shal be left in it tenne in the house of Israel †Because thus sayth our Lord to the house of Israel Seeke ye me and you shal liue †And seeke not Bethel and into Galgal enter not and into Bersabee you shal not passe because Galgal shal be led captiue and Bethel shal be vnprofitable †Seke ye our Lord and liue lest perhaps the house of Ioseph be burnt as fyre and it shal deuoure and there shal be none to quench Bethel †You that turne iudgement into wormewod and leaue of iustice in the land †Him that maketh Arcturus and Orion and that turneth darknes into morning and that changeth day into night that calleth the waters of the sea and powreth them out vpon the face of the earth The Lord is his name †He that seeketh destruction vpon the strong and bringeth depopulation vpon the mightie †They haue hated him that rebuketh in the gate and him that speaketh perfectly they haue abhorred †Therfore because you spoiled the poore and tooke the chosen praye from him you shal build houses with square stone and shal not dwel in them you shal plant most amiable vineyards and shal not drinke the wine of them †Because I haue knowen manie your wickednesses and your strong sinnes enemies of the iust taking bribe and oppressing the poore in the gate †Therfore shal the wise at that time hold his peace because it is an euil time †Seeke ye good and not euil that you may liue and our Lord the God of hosts wil be with you as you haue sayd †Hate ye euil and loue good and establish iudgement in the gate if perhaps our Lord the God of hosts may haue mercie on the remnant of Ioseph †Therfore thus sayth our Lord the God of hosts the Dominatour in al streates lamentation and in al places that are without shal be sayd wo wo and they shal cal the husbandman to mourning and to lamentation them that know to lament †And in al vineyardes there shal be lamentation because I wil passe through in the middes of thee sayth our Lord. †Wo vnto them that desyre the day of our Lord to what purpose the same vnto you This day of our Lord darkenes and not light †As if a man should flee from the face of a lion a beare should mete him enter into the house leane with his hand vpon the wal and a serpent should bite him †Why is not the day of our Lord darkenes and not light and mist and no shining therein †I haue hated and haue reiected your festiuities and I wil not take the odour of your assemblies †And if you shal offer vnto me holocausts and your gifts I wil not receiue them and the vowes of your far thinges I wil not respect †Take away from me the tumult of thy songes and the canticles of thy harpe I wil not heare †And iudgement shal be reueled as water and iustice as a mightie torrent †Why did you offer hostes and sacrifice to me in the desert fourtie yeares ô house of Israel †And you caried a tabernacle for your Moloch
it shal be in that day saith our Lord God The sunne shal goe downe at midday I wil make the earth to be darke in the day of light †And I wil turne your festiuities into mourning and al your songues into lamentation and I wil bring in vpon euerie backe of yours sack cloth and vpon euerie head baldnes and I wil lay it as the mourning of an onlie begotten sonne and the later end therof as a bitter day †Behold the dayes come saith our Lord and I wil send forth famine into the land not the famine of bread nor thirst of water but of hearing the word of the Lord. †And they shal be moued from the sea euen to sea and from the North euen to the East they shal goe about seeking the word of our Lord and shal not finde †In that day the fayre virgins shal faile the yongmen in thirst †They that sweare by the sinne of Samaria and say Thy God ô Dan liueth and the way of Bersebee liueth and they shal fal and shal rise no more CHAP. IX The great destruction of Ierusalem 8. and dispersion of al the Iewes are againe prophecied 11. with the conuersion of Gentils and the Church of Christ shal greatly prosper I SAW our Lord standing vpon the altar and he sayd †Strike the henges let the lintels be moued for there is auarice in the head of al and the last of them wil I kil by the sword there shal be no flight for them they shal flee and he shal not be saued that shal flee of them †If they shal descend euen to hel thence shal my hand bring them out and if they shal a scend enen to heauen thence wil I plucke them downe †And if they shal be hid in the toppe of Carmel thence searching wil I take them away and if they shal hide themselues from mine eyes in the depth of the sea there wil I command the serpent he shal bite them †And if they shal go into captiuitie before their enemies there wil I command the sword and it shal kil them And I wil set mine eyes vpon them to euil and not to good †And our Lord the God of hostes which toucheth the earth and it shal melt away and al that dwel therein shal mourne and it shal al rise as a riuer and shal runne downe as the floud of Aegypt †He that buildeth in heauen his ascension and hath founded his bundel vpon the earth who calleth the waters of the sea and powreth them out vpon the face of the earth the Lord is his name †Why are not you as the children of the Aethiopians vnto me ô children of Israel saith our Lord Did not I make Israel to ascend out of the Land of Aegypt and the Palesthins out of Cappadocia and the Syrians out of Cyrenee †Behold the eyes of our Lord God vpon the sinning kingdom I wil destroy it from the face of the earth but yet destroying I wil not destroy the house of Iacob sayth our Lord. †For behold I wil command and wil shake the house of Israel in al nations as wheate is shaken in a sieue and there shal not a litle stone fal vpon the earth †Al the sinners of my people shal fal by the sword which say The euil shal not approch shal not come vpon vs. †In that day I wil rayse vp the tabernacle of Dauid that was fallen I wil reedifie the breaches of the walles therof and those thinges that were fallen I wil repayre and I wil reedifie him as in the dayes of old †That they may possesse the remnant of Idumea and al nations because that my name is inuocated vpon them saith our Lord that doth these thinges †Behold the dayes come saith our Lord and the plougher shal ouertake the reaper the treader of the grape him that soweth sede and the mountaynes shal droppe sweetnes and al hilles shal be tilled †And I wil conuert the captiuitie of my people Israel and they shal build the desert cities inhabite and shal plant vineyards and drinke the wine of them shal make gardens and eate the fruites of them And I wil plant them vpon their owne ground I wil no more plucke them out of their land which I haue geuen them sayth our Lord thy God THE PROPHECIE OF ABDIAS ABDIAS borne in Sichem of the tribe of Ephraim prophecied the same time with Amos so briefly that his prophecie is not parted into chapters I. against the Idumeans foreshewing their destruction 10. for their perpetual emnitie against the lewes and confederacie with the Chaldees 17. The captiuitie and relaxation of the lewes 19. And redemption of the whole world by Christ THE vision of Abdias Thus sayth our Lord God to Edom We haue heard a bruit from our Lord and he hath sent a legate to the Gentils Rise ye and let vs arise against him into battel †Behold I haue geuen thee a litle one in the Gentils thou art contēptible excedingly †The pride of thy hart hath extolled thee dwelling in the clefts of rockes exalting thy throne which sayst in thy hart Who shal plucke me downe to the earth †If thou shalt be exalted as an eagle and if thou shalt set thy nest among the starres thence wil I plucke thee downe sayth our Lord. †If theues had gone in to thee if robbers by night how hadst thou held thy peace would not they haue stolen thinges sufficent for themselues if the grape gatherers had entered in to thee would they not haue left thee at the least a cluster †How haue they searched Esau haue they sought out his hidden thinges †Euen to the border haue they cast thee out al the men of thy league haue mocked thee the men of thy peace haue preuailed against thee they that eate with thee shal lay embushments vnder thee there is no wisedom in him †Why shal not I in that day sayth our Lord destroy the wise out of Idumea and prudence from the mount of Esau †And thy valients of the South shal feare that man may perish from the mount of Esau †For the slaughter and for the iniquitie against thy brother Iacob confusion shal couer thee and thou shalt perish for euer †In the day when thou stoodest against him when strangers tooke his armie and foreners entered his gates and vpon Ierusalem cast lotte thou also wast as one of them †And thou shalt not dispise in the day of thy brother in the day of his peregrination and thou shalt not reioyce ouer the children of Iuda in the day of their perdition thou shalt not magnifie thy mouth in the day of distresse †Neither shalt thou enter the gate of my people in the day of their ruine neither shalt thou also
of you by violence shal make the slaine to be meate for idols †And they that shal consent vnto them shal be to them in derision and in reproch and in conculcation †For there shal be place against places and against the next cities great insurrection vpon them that feare our Lord. †They shal be as it were madde sparing no bodie to spoyle and waste yet them that feare our Lord. †because they shal waste and spoyle the goodes and shal cast them out of their houses †Then shal appeare the probation of mine elect as gold that is proued by the fire †Heare my beloued sayth our Lord Behold the dayes of tribulation are come and out of them I wil deliuer you †Doe not feare nor stagger because God is your guide †And he that kepeth my commandmentes and precepts sayth our Lord God Let not your sinnes ouerway you nor your inquities be aduanced ouer you †Woe to them that are entangled with their sinnes and are couered with their iniquities as a filde is entangled with the wood the path therof couered with thornes by which no man passeth it is closed out cast to be deuoured of the fire FINIS A table of the Epistles taken forth of the old Testament vpon certayne festiual dayes The other feastes and al the sundayes haue their Epistles in the new Testament As is there noted In the feast of our Blessed Ladies Conception Prou. 8 v. 22 to the v. 36 S. Iohn Euangelist Eccli 15. v. 1. to v. 7. The Epiphanie Isaioe 60. v. 1. to v. 7. Candlemasse day Malach 3. v. 1. to v. 5. S. Thomas Aquinas Sap. 7. v. 7. to v. 15. The Annunciation of our B. Ladie Isaioe 7. v. 11. to v. 16. S. Marke Ezechiel 1. v. 5. to v. 14. S. Philippe and S. Iames. Sap. 5. v. 1. to v. 6. S Iohn ante portam Latinam the same The Natiuitie of S. Iohn Baptist Isa 49. v. 1. to v. 6. v. 23. Visitation of our B. Ladie Cant. 2. v. 8. to v. 15. The octaue of S. Peter and S. Paul Eccli 44. v. 10. to v. 16. S. Marie Magdalen Cant. 3. v. 2. to 6. ca. 8. v. 6. to 8. S. Anne Prouerb 31. v. 10. to the end of the chap. The Assumption of our B. Ladie Eccli 24. v. 11. to 21. Decollation of S. Iohn Baptist Iere. 1. v. 17. to the end The Natiuitie of our B. Ladie Prouerb 8. v. 22. to 36. S. Mathew Ezech. 1. v. 10. to 15. S. Martin Eccli 44. v. 25. ca. 45. v. 1. to v. 9. S. Cecilie Eccli 51. v. 13. to 18. S. Catherin Eccli 51. v. 1. to 13. In the Anniuersarie of the dead 2. Mach. 12. v. 42. to the end of the chapter Deo Gratias AN HISTORICAL TABLE OF THE TIMES SPECIAL PERSONS MOST NOT ABLE THINGES AND CANONICAL BOOKES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT Anni mundi Pattiarches Especial pointes of the sacred historie of Gods Church euer visible Schismes and infidelitie Canonical Scriptures a The first yeare first weeke Adam the first man of whom al mankind is propagated a Creation of heauen and earth and al thinges therin in six dayes Gen. 1. Man last created was made lord of al corporal creatures of this lower world placed in paradise Gen. 2. For transgressing Gods cōmandment Adam and Eue were cast out of paradise But by Gods grace repenting had promise of a Redemer Gen. 3.  Genesis conteyneth the historie of the visible Church from the beginning of the world to the death of Ioseph in the yeare of the world 2340. b 130. Seth borne Cain the first borne became a husbandman Abel next borne a shepheard Gen. 4. God respecting Abels sacrifice and not Cains Cain killed Abel Gen. 4.   c. 235. Enos borne Seths children and other faythful were called the sonnes of God to distinguish the true Church from the wicked citie begune by Cain Gen. 6. Cain wentforth from the face of our Lord begane a new city opposite to the Citie of God  d. 325. Cainan In the dayes of Enos begane publique prayers of manie assembling together besides Sacrifice which was before Gen. 4. v. 26. Gen. 4. v. 16. His generations in the right line to Lamech who slew him are these without notice of time when they were borne or dyed Enoch Irad Mauiael Mathusael Lamech Gen. 4. v. 17.  e 395. Malaleel    f 460. Iared    g 622. Enoch Mathusala Lamech Enoch a Prophet pleased God in al his wayes None borne in the earth like to Enoch Eccli 49. v. 16. Some declining from God and marchīg in mariage with Cains race begate those monstruous men huge of stature most wicked cruel called giantes  h 687. Noe bor k Adam dyed at the age of 930. yeares Gen. 5. v. 5. To whom Seth succeded chief Patriarch And so in the rest Gen. 6. v. 4.  i 874. Sem bor And the next two yeares Cham Iaphet l Enoch in the yeare of his age 365. was sene no more because God tooke him Gen. 5. v. 24. Enoch was translated that he should not see death Heb. 11. v. 5.   k 930.  m Seth dyed in the yeare of his age 912.   l 987.  o Enos dyed anno aetatis 905.   m 1042.  p Cainan dyed an aet 980.   n 1056.  q Malaleel dyed an aet 895.   o 1140.  r Iared dyed an aet 962.   p 1265.  s Noe the preacher of iustice forewarned al men that except they repented God would destroy them with a floud And by Gods commandement built an Arke or shippe wherin himself his familie with other liuing creatures were preserued from drowning   q 1290.  v Lamech dyed before his father in the yeare of his age 777.   r 1422.  w Mathusala dyed an aet 969. immediatly before the floud as semeth most probable   s 1536.     t 1556.     v 1651.     w 1656     x 1656.  x The same yeare of the world 1656. the 17. day of the second moneth Noe with his three sonnes his wife and their wiues in al eight persons and seuen payres of euerie kinde of cleane liuing creatures and two payres of vncleane entered into the Arke And presently it rayned fourtie dayes and nightes together Wherby al liuing creatures on the earth out of the arke were drowned Gen. 7. Al Cains race with other wicked infideles were vtterly destroyed by the flould Gen. 7.  THE END OF THE FIRST AGE AND BEGINNING OF THE SECOND y 1658. Arphaxad borne the sonne of Sem. The whole earth being couered with water Noe with his familie and other liuing creatures remained in the arke twelue monethes and ten dayes a iust yeare of the sunne then coming forth built an altar and offered