man of God He sayde Go thy waye sell the oyle and paye the creditour but lyue thou and y e sonnes of the resydue And it fortuned at y e same tyme that Eliseus wente vnto Sunem And there was a riche woman which helde him to eate with her as he passed oft thorow y t waye he wēte in vnto her ate w t her And she sayde vnto hir huszbande Beholde I perceaue that this is an holy man of God which goeth euer thorow this waye let vs make hī a litle chamber of boordes set a bed a table a stole a candelsticke therin that whan he commeth vnto vs he maye resorte thither And it fortuned vpon a tyme that he came in layed him downe in the chamber slepte therin And he saide vnto Gehasi his childe Call this womā of Sunem And whā he had called her she stode before him He sayde vnto him Speake thou vnto her beholde thou hast mynistred vnto vs in all these thinges what shal I do for the Hast thou eny matter to be spoken for to the kynge or to the chefe captayne of the hoost She sayde Idwell amonge my people He sayde What hast thou then to do Gehasi sayde Alas she hath no sonne and hir huszbāde is olde He sayde Call her And whā he had called her she stode at the dore And he sayde Aboute this tyme yf y e frute can lyue thou shalt enbrace a sonne She sayde Alas no my lorde thou man of God lye not vnto thy handmayden And the woman conceaued and bare a sonne aboute the same tyme whā the frute coulde lyue acordynge as Eliseus had sayde vnto her But whan y e childe was growne it fortuned y t he wente forth to his father vnto the reapers sayde vnto his father Oh my heade my heade He saide vnto his seruaūt Bringe him to his mother And he toke him and broughte him to his mother and she set him vpon hir lappe vntyll y e noone daye thē he dyed And she wente vp and layed him vpō the bed of the man of God shut the dore and wēte forth called hir huszbande sayde vnto him Sende me one of the seruaūtes and an Asse I wyl go quyckly vnto the man of God and come agayne He sayde Why wilt thou go vnto him To daye is it nether new moone ner Sabbath She sayde Well And she sadled the asse sayde to the yongman dryue forth and kepe me not bak with rydinge and do as I byd the. So she wente and came to the man of God vnto mount Carmell Whā the man of God sawe her ouer agaynst him he sayde vnto his childe Gehasi Beholde the Sunamitisse is there runne now mete her and axe her yf it go well with her and hir huszbande hir sonne She sayde Well But whan she came to the man of God vpon y e mount she helde him by his fete And Gehasi stepte to her to put her awaye But y e man of God sayde Let her alone for hir soule is in heuynes and the LORDE hath hyd it fro me and not shewed it me She sayde Whan desyred I a sonne of my lorde Sayde I not y t thou shuldest not mocke me He sayde vnto Gehasi Girde vp thy loynes and take my staffe in thy hande and go thy waye Yf eny man mete the salute him not and yf eny man salute the thanke him not and laye thou my staffe vpon y e childes face But the childes mother sayde As truly as the LORDE lyueth and as truly as y e soule lyueth I wyll not leaue the. Then gat he vp and wente after her As for Gehasi he wente before them and layed the staffe vpon the childes face but there was nether voyce ner felynge And he wente agayne to mete him and shewed him and sayde The childe is not rysen vp And whan Eliseus came in to the house beholde y e childe laye deed vpō his bed And he wēte in shut the dore on thē both made his prayer vnto the LORDE wente vp layed him selfe vpon the childe layed his mouth vpon the childes mouth and his eyes vpon his eyes and his handes vpon his handes so stretched him selfe forth vpon him so y t the childes body was warme And he rose vp wente in to the house once hither and thither wente vp layed him selfe a longe vpon him Then nesed the childe seuē tymes and afterwarde the childe opened his eyes And he cried vpon Gehasi and sayde Call the Sunamitisse And whan he had called her she came in vnto him He sayde Take there thy sonne Then came she and fell at his fete and worshipped vnto the grounde and toke hir sonne and wente forth But whā Eliseus came againe vnto Gilgal there was a derth in the londe the prophetes children dwelt before him he sayde vnto his seruaunt Set on a greate pot and make potage for the children of the prophetes Then wente there one in to the felde to gather herbes and founde a Cucumbers stalke gathered wylde Cucumbers therof his cotefull And whan he came he chopped it small for potage to the pott for they knewe it not And whā they poured it forth for the mē to eate they ate of y e potage they cried and sayde O thou man of God death is in the pot for they mighte not eate it Neuertheles he sayde Brynge meel hither And he put it in the pot sayde Poure it out for the people that they maye eate And then was it not bytter in the pot There came a man from Baal Salisa broughte the man of God bred of the first frutes namely twentye barlye loaues new corne in his garment But he sayde Geue it vnto y e people that they maye eate His mynister sayde How shall I geue an hūdreth men of this He sayde Geue it vnto the people that they maye eate For thus sayeth the LORDE They shal eate and there shall be lefte ouer And he set it before them so that they ate and there lefte ouer acordinge to y e worde of the LORDE The V. Chapter NAaman the chefe captayne of the kynge of Syria was an excellēt mā in the sighte of his lorde and moch set by for thorow him the LORDE gaue health vnto Syria and he was a mightie man but a leper And there had men of warre fallen out of Syria and caried awaye a litle damsel out of the londe of Israel the same was in seruyce with Naamās wife and sayde vnto hir mastresse O that my master were with the prophet at Samaria he wolde heale him from his leprosy Then wente he in to his lorde and tolde him and sayde Thus and thus hath the damsel of the londe of Israel spoken The kynge of Syria sayde Go thy waye then I wyl wrytte a letter vnto the kynge of Israel And he wente and toke with him ten hundreth weighte of syluer and sixe
to be amōge the children of men Therfore harken vnto me o ye children for blessed are they that kepe my wayes ▪ O geue eare vnto nurtoure be wyse and refuse it not Blessed is y e man that heareth me watchinge daylie at my gates geuynge attendaunce at the postes of my dores For who so fyndeth me fyndeth life and shal optayne fauoure of the LORDE But who so offendeth agaynst me hurteth his owne soule All they that hate me are the louers of death The IX Chapter WYsdome hath buylded herself an house and hewen out seuen pilers she hath slaughted poured out hir wyne and prepared hir table She hath sent forth hir maydens to crie vpō the hyest place of the cite Who so is ignoraūt let him come hither And to the vnwise she sayde O come on youre waye eate my bred and drynke my wyne which I haue poured out for you Forsake ignoraūce and ye shal lyue and se that ye go in the waye of vnderstondinge Who so reproueth a scornefull personne getteth him self dishonoure and he that rebuketh the vngodly stayneth himself Reproue not a scorner lest he owe the euell wil but rebuke a wyse man and he wil loue the. Geue a discrete man but an occasion he wil be the wyser ▪ teach a rightuous man and he wil increase The feare of the LORDE is the begynnynge of wysdome the knowlege of holy thinges is vnderstondinge For thorow me y e dayes shal be prolonged and the yeares of thy life shal be many Yf thou be wyse y i wysdome shal do y i selfe good but yf thou thynkest scorne therof it shal be thine owne harme A foolish restlesse woman full of wordes and soch one as hath no knowlege sytteth in the dores of hir house vpō a stole aboue in the cite to call soch as go by and walke straight in their wayes Who so is ignoraunt sayeth she let him come hither and to the vnwyse she sayeth stollen waters are swete the bred that is preuely eaten hath a good taist But they cōsider not that death is there and that hir gestes go downe to hell The X. Chapter These are prouerbes of Salomon A Wyse sonne maketh a glad father but an vndiscrete sonne is the heuynesse of his mother Treasures that are wickedly gotten profit nothinge but rightuousnesse delyuereth from death The LORDE wil not let the soule of the rightuous suffre hōger but he putteth y e vngodly frō his desyre An ydle hande maketh poore but a quycke laboringe hande maketh riche Who so gathereth in Sommer is wyse but he that is slogish in haruest bringeth himself to confucion Louynge and fauorable is the face of the rightuous but y e fore heade of the vngodly is past shame and presumptuous The memoriall of the iust shall haue a good reporte but the name of the vn godly shal stynke A wyse man wil receaue warnynge but a foole wil sooner be smytten in the face He that leadeth an innocent life walketh surely but who so goeth a wrōge waye shal be knowne He y t wynketh with his eye wil do some harme but he that hath a foolish mouth shal be beaten The mouth of a rightuous man is a well of life but y e mouth of the vngodly is past shame presumptuous Euell will stereth vp strife but loue couereth y e multitude of synnes In y e lippes of him y t hath vnderstōdinge a mā shal fynde wysdome but y e redde belōgeth to y e backe of y e foolish Wyse mē laye vp knowlege but y e mouth of y e foolish is nye destrucciō The rich mās goodes are his strōge holde but pouerte oppresseth the poore The rightuous laboureth to do good but the vngodly vseth his increase vnto synne To take hede vnto y e chastenynge of nurtoure is y e waye of life but he that refuseth to be refourmed goeth wrōge Dissemblynge lippes kepe hatred secretly and he that speaketh eny slaunder is a foole Where moch bablinge is there must nedes be offence he that refrayneth his lippes is wysest of all An innocent tonge is a noble treasure but the herte of the vngodly is nothinge worth The lippes of the rightuous fede a whole multitude but fooles shal dye in their owne foly The blessynge of the LORDE maketh rich mē as for carefull trauayle it doth nothinge therto A foole doth wickedly maketh but a sporte of it neuertheles it is wysdome for a man to bewarre of soch The thinge that the vngodly are afrayed of shal come vpon them but the rightuous shal haue their desyre The vngodly is like a tempest that passeth ouer is nomore sene but the rightuous remayneth sure for euer As vyneger is to the teth and as smoke is vnto y e eyes euē so is a slogish personne to them that sende him forth The feare of y e LORDE maketh a lōge life but y e yeares of y e vngodly shal be shortened The pacient abydinge of the rightuous shal be turned to gladnesse but the hope of the vngodly shal perish The waye of the LORDE geueth a corage vnto y e godly but it is a feare for wicked doers The rightuous shal neuer be ouerthrowne but y e vngodly shal not remayne in the londe The mouth of the iust wil be talkynge of wysdome but the tonge of the frowarde shal perish The lippes of the rightuous are occupied in acceptable thinges but the mouth of the vngodly taketh them to the worst The XI Chapter A False balaunce is an abhominacion vnto the LORDE but a true weight pleaseth him Where pryde is there is shame also and confucion but where as is lowlynes there is wysdome The innocent dealynge of the iust shal lede them but the vnfaithfulnesse of the despysers shal be their owne destruccion Riches helpe not in the daye of vengeaunce but rightuousnesse delyuereth frō death The rightuousnes of y e innocent ordreth his waye but the vngodly shal fall in his owne wickednesse The rightuousnesse of the iust shal delyuer them but the despysers shal be taken in their owne vngodlynesse When an vngodly man dyeth his hope is gone the confydence of riches shal perish The rightuous shal be delyuered out of trouble the vngodly shal come in his steade Thorow y e mouth of y e dyssembler is his neghboure destroyed but thorow knowlege shal the iust be delyuered When it goeth well with the rightuous the cite is mery and when the vngodly perish there is gladnesse When the iust are in wealth the cite prospereth but whan the vngodly haue the rule it decayeth A foole bryngeth vp a slaunder of his neghboure but a wyse man wil kepe it secrete A dyssemblynge person wil discouer preuy thinges but he that is of a faithfull hert will kepe councel Where no good councel is there the people decaye but where as are many that can geue councell there is wealth He that is
them awaye eueÌ„ as thou hast plucked me because of all my wickednesse For my sorow is very greate and my herte is heuy The II. Chapter ALas how hath y e LORDE darckened the doughter of Sion so sore in his wrath As for the honoure of Israel he hath casten it downe from heauen How happeneth it that he remembred not his owne fote stole when he was angrie The LORDE hath cast downe all the glory of Iacob without eny fauoure All the stronge places of the doughter Iuda hath he broken in his wrath throwne them downe to the grounde hir kyngdome hir prynces hath he suspended In the wrath of his indignacion he hath broken all the horne of Israel he hath with draweÌ„ his right honde from the enemie yee a flame of fyre is kyndled in Iacob hath consumed vp all rounde aboute He hath bent his bowe like an enemie he hath fastened his right honde as an aduersary and euery thinge that was pleasauÌ„t to se he hath smyten it downe He hath poured out his wrath like a fyre in to the tabernacle of the doughter â—ion The LORDâ— is become like as it were an enemie he hath cast downe Israel all his places yee all his stronge holdes hath he destroyed and fylled the doughter of Iuda w t moch sorow and heuynesse Hir tabernacle which was like a garden of pleasure hath he destroyed hir hie soleÌ„pne feastes hath he put downe The LORDE hath brought it so to passe that the hie solempne feastes and Sabbathes in Sion are clene forgotteÌ„ In his heuy displeasure hath he made the kynge prestes to be despised The LORDE hath forsaken his owne aulter is wroth with his owne Sanctuary hath geuen the walles of their towres in to the hondes of the enemie Their enemies made a noyse in the house of the LORDE as it had bene in a solempne feast daye The LORDE thought to breake downe the walles of the doughter Sion he spred out his lyne drewe not in his honde till he had destroyed them Therfore mourne the turrettes and the broken walles together Hir portes are casten downe to the grounde hir barres are broken smytten in sonder hir kynge prynces are caried awaye to the GeÌ„tiles They haue nether lawe ner prophetes ner yet eny vision from the LORDE The Senatours of the doughter Sion sit vpon the grounde in sylence they haue strowed aszshes vpon their heades and gyrded them selues with sackcloth The maydens of Ierusalem hange downe their heades to the grounde Myne eyes begynne to fayle me thorow wepinge my body is disquieted my leueris poured vpon the earth for the greate hurte of my people seynge the children and babes dyd swowne in the stretes of the cite Euen when they spake to their mothers where is meate and drynke for whyle they so sayde they fell downe in the stretes of the cite like as they had bene wounded and some dyed in their mothers bosome What shal I saye of the O thou doughter Ierusalem to whom shall I lickeÌ„ the To whom shal I coÌ„pare the o thou doughter Sion to comforte the withall Thy hurte is like a mayne see who maye heale the Thy prophetes haue loked out vayne folish thinges for the they haue not shewed the of thy wickednesse to kepe the from captiuyte but haue ouerladen the and thorow falsede scatred the abrode All they that go by the clappe their hondes at the hissinge and wagginge their heades vpon the doughter Ierusalem and saye is this the cite that men call so fayre wherin the whole londe reioyseth All thine enemies gape vpon the whisperinge and bytinge their teth sayenge let vs deuoure for the tyme that we loked for is come we haue founde and sene it The LORDE hath fulfilled the thinge that he was purposed to do and perfourmed that he had deuysed longe agoo he hath destroyed and not spared He hath caused thine aduersary to tryumphe ouer the and set vp the horne of thine enemie Let thine hert crie vnto the LORDE O thou cite of the doughter Sion let thy teares ruÌ„ne downe like a ryuer daye night rest not let not the aple of thine eye leaue of Stonde vp and make thy prayer in the first watch of the night poure out thine heâ—â— like water before the LORDE lift vp thine hondes for the lyues of thy yonge children that dye of honger in the stretes Beholde O LORDE considre why hast thou gathered me vp so clene Shal the women then eate their owne frute euen children of a spanne longe Shal the prestes and prophetes be slayne thus in the Sanctuary of the LORDE Yonge olde lye behinde the stretes vpon the grounde my maydens yonge men are slayne with the swearde whom thou in the daye of thy wrothfull indignacion hast put to death Yee euen thou hast put them to death not spared them My neghbours that are rounde aboute me hast thou called as it were to a feast daye so that in the daye of the LORDES wrath none escaped nether was eny left behinde Those that I had brought vp norisshed hath myne enemy destroyed The III. Chapter I Am the maÌ„ that thorow the rodd of his wrath haue experieÌ„ce of misery He droue me forth and led me yee into darcknesse but not in to light Agaynst me only he turneth his honde layeth it euer vpon me My flesh my skynne hath he made olde and my bones hath he brussed He hath buylded rounde aboute me closed me in with gall and trauayle He hath set me in darcknesse as they that be deed for euer He hath so hedged me in that I can not get out hath layed heuy lynckes vpon me Though I crie call piteously yet heareth he not my prayer He hath stopped vp my wayes with foure squared stones made my pathes croked He layeth waite for me like a Bere and as a lyon in a hole He hath marred my wayes and brokeÌ„ me in peces he hath layed me waist altogether He hath bent his bowe and made me as it were a marck to shute at The arowes of his quyuer hath he shot euen in to my reynes I am laughed to scorne of all my people they make songes vpon me all y e daye loÌ„ge He hath fylled me with bytternesse geuen me wormwod to drynke He hatâ— smytten my teth in peces rolled me in the dust He hath put my soule out of rest I forget all good thinges I thought in myself I am vndone there is no hope for me in the LORDE O remembre yet my mysery and my trouble the wormwod and the gall Yee thou shalt remeÌ„bre them for my soule melteth awaye in me Whyle I coÌ„sidre these thinges in my hert I get a hope
wonderous thinge so euer is vnder the heauen thou art LORDE of all thinges and there is no man y t can resist the O LORDE Thou knowest all thinges thou wotest LORDE that it was nether of malyce ner presumpcion ner for eny desyre of glory that I wolde not bowe downe myself ner worshipe yonder proude presumptuous Aman for I wolde haue bene coÌ„tent and y t with good wyll yf it might haue done Israel eny good to haue kyst eueÌ„ his fotesteppes but that I dyd it because I wolde not sett the honoure of a maÌ„ in the steade of the glorye of God and because I wolde worshipe none but onely y e my LORDE And this haue I done in no pryde ner presumpcion And therfore O LORDE thou God and kinge haue mercy vpon thy people for they ymagyn how they maye bringe vs to naught yee their mynde and desyre is to destroye and to ouerthrowe the people that hath euer bene thine enheritaunce of olde O despyse not thy porcioÌ„ which thou hast delyuered brought out of Egipte for thine owne self Heare my prayer and be mercifull vnto y e people whoÌ„ thou hast chosen for an heretage vnto thyself Turne oure complaynte and sorow in to ioye that we maye lyue O LORDE and prayse thy name O LORDE suffre not y e mouthes of them that praise the to be destroyed All y e people of Israel in like maner cried as earnestly as they coude vnto the LORDE for their death and destruccion stode before their eyes The XIIII Chapter Of the sorowe complaynte and prayer of quene Hester QVene Hester also beynge in the battayll of death resorted vnto the LORDE layed awaye hir glorious apparell and put on the garmeÌ„tes that serued for sighinge and mournynge In the steade of precious oyntment she scatred ashes and doÌ„ge vpon hir heade and as for hir body she humbled it and brought it very lowe All the places where she was woÌ„te to haue ioye afore those fylled she with y e hayre y t she plucâ—â— out hirself She prayed also vnto the LORDE God of Israel with these wordes O my LORDE thou onely art oure kynge helpe me desolate womaÌ„ which haue no helper but y e for my misery and destruccion is harde at my hande Fro my youth vp I haue herde out of the kynred of my father that thou tokest Israel from amoÌ„ge all people and so haue oure fathers of their fore elders that they shulde be thy perpetuall inheritaunce and loke what thou didest promise theÌ„ thou hast made it good vnto theÌ„ Now well LORDE we haue synned before the therfore hast thou geuen vs in to the haÌ„des of oure enemies because we worshipped their goddes LORDE thou art righteous Neuertheles it satisfieth theÌ„ not that we are in bytter and heuy captiuyte and oppressed amonge them but thou hast layed their hondes vpon the hondes of their goddes so that they begynne to take awaye the thinge that thou with thy mouth hast ordened and appoynted to destroye thyne inheritaunce to shut and to stoppe y e mouthes of them that prayse the to queÌ„ch the glory and worshipe of thy house and thine aulter and to open the mouthes of the Heithen y t they maye prayse the power vertue of the goddes and to magnifie the fleshly kynge for euer O LORDE geue not thy cepter vnto theÌ„ that be nothinge lest they laugh vs to scorne in oure misery and fall but turne their deuyce vpoÌ„ them selues and punysh him that hath begonne the same ouer vs and set him to an exampls Thinke vpon vs O LORDE and shew thy self in y e tyme of oure distres and of oure trouble Strength me O thou kynge of goddes thou LORDE of all power geue me an eloqueÌ„t and pleasaunt speach in my mouth before the Lyon Turne his hert in to y e hate of oure enemie to destroye him and all soch as consent vnto him But delyuer vs with thy hande and helpe me desolate woman which haue no defence ner helper but onely ye. LORDE thou knowest all thinges thou wotest that I loue not the glory and worshipe of the vnrighteous and that I hate and abhorre the bed of the vncircuÌ„cyded and of all Heithen Thou knowest and wotest my necessite y t I hate the token of my preemynence worshipe which I beare vpon my heade what tyme as I must shew my self and be sene that I abhorre it as an vncleane cloth and that I weere it not whaÌ„ I am quyete and alone by my self Thou knowest also that I thy honde mayden haue not eaten at AmaÌ„s table and that I haue had no pleasure ner delyte in the kynges feast that I haue not dronke the drynk offeringes and that I thy honde mayden haue had not ioye sens y e daie that I was brought hither vnto this daye but onely in the O LORDE O thou God of Abraham O thou mightie God aboue all heare the voyce of them that haue none other hope and delyuer vs out of the hande of y e wicked delyuer me out of my feare The XV. Chapter Quene Hester appeareth before the kynge with an heuy hert for the trouble of hir people and God turneth the kynges hert ANd vpon y e thirde daye it happened that Hester layed awaye y e mournynge garmeÌ„tes and put on hir glorious apparell and decte hirself goodly after that she had called vpon God which is the beholder Sauioure of all thinges toke two maydes w t her vpon the one she leaned hir self as one y t was tender the other folowed her and bare the trayne of hir vesture The shyne of hir bewtye made hir face rose coloured The similitude of hir face was chearfull and amyable but hir hert was soroufull for greate feare She wente in thorow all the dores and stode before the kynge The kynge sat vpon the trone of his kingdome and was clothed in his goodly araye all of golde and sett w t precious stones and he was very terryble He lift vp his face that shone in the clearnes and loked grymly vpon her Then fell the Quene downe was pale and faynt leaned hir self vpon the heade of the mayde that wente with her Neuertheles God turned y e kynges mynde that he was gentle that he leape out of his seate for feare and gat her in his armes helde hir vp tyll she came to herself agayne He gaue her louynge wordes also sayde vnto her Hester what is the matter I am y e brother be of good cheare thou shalt not dye for oure commaundement toucheth the comons not the. Come nye And with that he helde vp his golden wande and layed it vpon hir neck and enbraced her frendly and sayde talke with me TheÌ„ sayde she I sawe the O lorde as an angell of God my hert was troubled for feare of thy maiesty and clearnesse For excellent and wonderfull art thou O lorde and thy face is full of amyte But as she was thus
¶ Because that whan thou goest to study in holy scripture thou shuldest do it with reuerence therfore for thy instruction louynge admonicion therto the Reuerende father in god Nicolas Bisshoppe of Salisbury hath prescrybed the this prayer folowynge taken out of the same O Lorde God almyghtye whiche longe agoo saydest by the mouthe of Iames thyn Apostle If any of you lacke wysdom let hym aske it of God whiche geueth it plenteously to all men and casteth no man in the tethe and it shal be geuen hym Heare my peticion for this thy promes sake Let my prayer ascende luckely in to thy syght lyke incense Let thy◠eare be attent vnto my depe desyre Geue me wysdome which is eue◠assistent about thy seate And put me not out from amonge 〈…〉 for I am thy seruaunt and y e sonne of thy handmayde ▪ 〈…〉 her I meane thy godly wysedome out of thyne holy heauens and from the trone of thy maiestye that she maye be with me and laboure with me y t I may knowe what is acceptable in thy syght Oh lerne me goodnes nurtoure and knowlege for I beleue thy commaundementes Thou art good and gracyous instructe me in thyne ordynaunces Let myne hertie besechynge ascende in to thy presence Geue me vnderstondynge accordynge to thy worde Oh geue me vnderstōdynge and I shall kepe thy lawe Yee I shall kepe it with all myne herte Shewe me thy wayes o Lorde teache me thy patthes Leade me in to thy trueth and lerne me for thou art the God of my helth And on the do I depende alway Heare now my voyce O Lorde with which I haue cryed vnto the. Haue mercy vpon me and gracyouslye heare me for Iesus Christes sake oure Lorde which lyueth and reygneth with the his father the holy goost worlde without ende Amen ¶ After the ende of any Chapter yf thou wylt thou mayest saye these verses folowynge LEade me o Lorde in thy waye and let me walke in thy trueth Oh let myne herte delyte in fearynge thy name Ordre my goynges after thy worde that no wyckednes reygne in me Kepe my steppes within thy patthes lest my fete turne in to any contrary waye Vnto the most victorious Prynce and oure most gracyous soueraigne Lorde kynge Henry the kynge of Englonde and of Fraunce lorde of Irlonde c. Defendour of the Fayth and vnder God the chefe and suppreme heade of the Church of Englonde ¶ The ryght iust administracyon of the lawes that God gaue vnto Moses and vnto Iosua the testimonye of faythfulnes that God gaue of Dauid the plenteous abundaunce of wysdome that God gaue vnto Salomon the lucky and prosperous age with the multiplicacyon of sede whiche God gaue vnto Abraham and Sara his wyfe be geuē vnto you most gracyous Prynce with your dearest iust wyfe and most vertuous Pryncesse Quene Anne Amen CAiphas beynge bysshope of that yeare lyke a blynde prophete not vnderstandyng what he sayd prophecied that it was better to put Christ vnto death then that all the people shulde perysshe he meanyng that Christ was an heretike a deceauer of the people a destroyer of the lawe and that it was better therfore to put Christ vnto death thā to suffre hym for to lyue and to deceaue the people c. where in very dede Christ was the true prophete the true Messias and the onely true Sauiour of the worlde sent of his heauenly father to suffre the moste cruell most shamefull and most necessary death for our redempcyon accordyng to y e meanynge of the prophecie truely vnderstonde Euen after the same maner y e blynde bysshoppe of Rome that blynde Baalam I saye not vnderstondynge what he dyd gaue vnto your grace this tytle Defendour of the fayth onely bycause your hyghnes suffred your bysshoppes to burne Gods worde the rote of fayth and to persecute the louers and mynisters of y e same where in very dede the blynde bysshoppe though he knewe not what he dyd prophecied that by the ryghteous admynistracyon and contynuall diligence of youre grace the fayth shulde so be defended that Gods worde the mother of Fayth with the frutes therof shulde haue his fre course thorowe out all Christendome but specyally in your realme Yf your hyghnesse now of your pryncely benignite wyll pardon me to compare these two bysshoppes I meane bysshoppe Caiphas and the bysshoppe of Rome theyr prophecies together I doute not but we shal fynde them agree lyke brethren though the one be a Iewe and the other a counterfayre Christian. Fyrst Caiphas prophecied that it was better to put Christ vnto death then that the people shulde perysshe The bysshoppe of Rome also not knowynge what he prophecied gaue youre grace this tytle Defendour of the fayth The trueth of both these prophecies is of the holy goost as was Baalams prophecie though they that spake thē knewe not what they sayd The trueth of Caiphas prophecie is that it was necessary for mans saluacyon that Christ by his death shulde ouercome death and redeme vs. And the trueth of oure Baalams prophecie is y t your grace in very dede shulde defende the Fayth Yee euen the true fayth of Christ no dreames no fables no heresie no papisticall inuencions but the vncorrupte fayth of Gods most holy worde which to set forth praysed be the goodnes of God and increace youre gracyous purpose your hyghnes with youre most honorable councell applyeth all his studye and endeuoure These two blynde bysshopes now agree in y e vnderstādyng of theyr prophecies for Caiphas taketh Christ for an heretike Oure Balaā taketh the worde of Christ for heresie Caiphas iudgeth it to be a good dede to put Christ vnto death that he shulde not deceaue the people Oure Balaam calleth defendynge of the fayth the suppressyng kepyng secrete and burnyng of the worde of fayth lest the lyght thereof shulde vtter his darknes lest his owne Decretales Decrees his owne lawes and constitucions his owne statutes and inuencions shulde come to none effecte lest his intollerable exactions and vsurpacions shulde lose theyr strengthe lest it shulde be knowen what a thefe and murtherer he is in the cause of Christ and how haynous a traytoure to God and man in defraudynge all Christen kynges prynces of theyr due obedience lest we youre graces subiectes shulde haue eyes in the worde of God at the last to spye out his crafty conueyaūce and iuglynges and lest men shulde se how sore he and his false Apostles haue deceaued all Christendome specyally youre noble realme of Englonde Thus your grace seyth how brotherly the Iewysh bysshoppe and oure Balaam agree together not onely in myter and outwarde appearaunce but as the one persecuted the Lorde Iesus in his owne persone so doth the other persecute his worde and resysteth his holy ordynaunce in the auctorite of his anoynted kynges For so moche nowe as the worde of God is the onely trueth that dryueth awaye all
The blessâ—nges promised vnto thy father and my fore elders go mightely after the desyre of the hyest in the worlde these shal light on Iosephs heade and on the toppe of his heade that was separate from his brethren Ben Iamin a rauyshinge wolfe In the mornynge shal he deuoure the praye but in the euenynge he shal deuyde the spoyle All these are the twolue trybes of Israel and this is it that their father spake vnto them whan he blessed them euery one with a sundrye blessynge And he commaunded them and sayde vnto them I shal be gathered vnto my people burye me with my fathers in y e caue which is in the felde of Ephron the Hethite in the dubble caue that lyeth ouer against Mamre in y e lande of CanaaÌ„ which AbrahaÌ„ bought with the felde of Ephron the Hethite for a possession to burye in There buryed they AbrahaÌ„ Sara his wife there buried they Isaac also Rebecca his wife their buried I Lea in the good of the felde of the caue therin which was bought of the Hethites And whan Iacob had ended this commaundement vnto his children he pluckte his fete together vpon the bed and died and was gathered vnto his people TheÌ„ fell Ioseph vpon his fathers face and wepte and kyssed him The L. Chapter ANd Ioseph coÌ„mauÌ„ded his seruauÌ„tes y e PhisiciaÌ„s to embawme his father And the Phisicians embawmed Israel tyll fourtye dayes were ended for so longe endured the dayes of embawminge the Egipcians bewayled him seuentye dayes Now whan the mournynge dayes were ended Ioseph spake vnto Pharaos housholde sayde Yf I haue founde fauo r in youre sight theÌ„ speake vnto Pharao and saie My father hath taken an ooth of me sayde Beholde I dye burye me in myne owne graue which I dygged for myself in the laÌ„de of Canaan Therfore wyl I now go vp and burye my father and come agayne Pharao saide Go thy waye vp and burye thy father acordinge as thou hast sworne vnto him So Ioseph weÌ„te vp to burye his father And there weÌ„te w t him all Pharaos seruauÌ„tes y t were the elders of his courte and all y e elders of the lande of Egipte all Iosephs housholde and his brethren and his fathers housholde Onely their children shepe oxen left they in y e laÌ„de of Gosen toke their iourney vp with him vpoÌ„ charettes and horses and the company was exceadinge greate Now whan these came to the playne of Atad y t lyeth beyonde Iordane they made there a very greate and bytter lamentacion he mourned for his father seueÌ„ dayes And whaÌ„ the people in the lande the Cananites sawe the mournynge in the playne of Atad they sayde The EgipciaÌ„s make there greate lameÌ„tacion Therfore is the place called The lamentacion of the Egipcians which lyeth beyonde Iordane And his children dyd as he had coÌ„maunded them and caried him to y e lande of Canaan and buried him in y e dubble caue that Abraham bought with the felde for a possession to bury in of Ephron y e Hethite ouer ageynst Mamre So Ioseph toke his iourney agayne in to Egipte with his brethren and with all those that wente vp with him to burye his father whan they had buried him But Iosephs brethreÌ„ were afrayed whaÌ„ their father was deed and sayde Ioseph might happly haue indignacion at vs and recompense vs all the euell that we dyd vnto him therfore let they saye vnto him Thy father commaunded before his death and sayde Thus shal ye saye vnto Ioseph O for geue thy brethren the offence and their synne that they dyd so euell vnto the. O forgeue now this trespace of vs the seruauntes of thy fathers God But Ioseph wepte whan they spake so vnto him And his brethren wente and fell downe before him and sayde Beholde here are we thy seruauntes Ioseph sayde vnto theÌ„ Feare ye not for I am vnder God Ye thought euell ouer me but God hath turned it vnto good to do as it is come to passe this daye for the sauynge of moch people Therfore be not ye now afrayed I wyl care for you and youre children And he comforted them and spake louyngly vnto them Thus dwelt Ioseph in Egipte with his fathers house and lyued an huÌ„dreth and ten yeare and sawe Ephrayms children vnto y e thirde generacion In like maner the children of Machir the sonne of Manasses begat children also vpon Iosephs lappe And Ioseph sayde vnto his brethren I dye and God wyl vyset you and brynge you out of this lande to the lande that he sware vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob Therfore toke he an ooth of the childreÌ„ of Israel and sayde Whan God shal vyset you theÌ„ cary my bones froÌ„ hence So Ioseph dyed whaÌ„ he was an huÌ„dreth and ten yeare olde and they embawmed him layed him in a chest in Egipte The ende of the first boke of Moses called Genesis The seconde boke of Moses called Exodus What this boke conteyneth Chap. I. The childreÌ„ of Israel increase in Egipte The kynge commaundeth to slaye theÌ„ and to drowne them Chap. II. The byrth of Moses which is layed vpoÌ„ the water Pharaos doughter taketh him and bringeth him vp He slayeth one of the Egipcians and flyeth his waye in to Madian where he marieth The children of Israel crye vnto the LORDE Chap. III. God appeareth vnto Moses in the bush and sendeth him vnto the kynge and the people Chap. IIII. Moses is loth to go excuseth himself But the LORDE enfourmeth him maketh him stronge and comforteth him Moses taketh leue of his father in lawe to go vnto his people Chap. V. Moses and Aaron go vnto the kynge which oppresseth the people the more Chap. VI. God geueth Moses more instruccioÌ„ and sendeth him vnto the people The trybes are nombred Chap. VII Moses and Aaron go vnto the kynge and shewe tokens before him but the kynge waxeth hard harted Chap. VIII After many tokens Pharao graunteth to let the people go but assone as the plage ceaseth he is as vngodly as afore Chap. IX There commeth a death amoÌ„ge all the catell theÌ„ commeth the sores blaynes and the hayle Chap. X. The greshoppers and darcknes in Egipte Pharao forbyddeth Moses to come eny more in his sight Chap. XI The LORDE promiseth to brynge yet another plage vpon Egipte and coÌ„maundeth the Israelites to borowe Iewels of syluer and golde of the Egipcians Chap. XII The vse of the Easterlambe God slayeth all the firstborne Pharao dryueth all the people out of the lande Chap. XIII God commaundeth to sanctifie all the firstborne vnto him and carieth them towarde the lande of promyse not the next waye but thorow the wyldernes by a cloude in the daye tyme and a pyler of fyre in the night Chap. XIIII Pharao foloweth vpoÌ„ the people of God which delyuereth his owne carieth them thorow the reed see drowneth the enemies therin Chap. XV. Moses and the
shal be here after for they couered the londe and made it darcke And they ate vp all the herbes in y e londe all the frutes vpon the trees which remayned from y e hayle left no grene thinge behinde in the trees herbes vpon the felde in all the lande of Egipte Then Pharao called for Moses Aaron in all y e haist saide I haue synned against the LORDE yo r God agaynst you forgeue me my synne this once also pray the LORDE yo r God y t he maye take awaye fro me this death onely And he weÌ„te out from Pharao prayed vnto the LORDE TheÌ„ the LORDE turned a maruelous stroÌ„ge west wynde and toke vp the greshoppers caâ—â— them in to the reed see so that there was not one left in all the quarters of Egipte But the LORDE hardened Pharaos hert that he let not the childreÌ„ of Israel go The LORDE sayde vnto Moses Stretch out thine haÌ„de towarde heauen that it be so darck in the londe of Egipte y t it maye be felt And Moses stretched out his haÌ„de towarde heauen theÌ„ was there a thicke darcknesse in all the londe of Egipte thre dayes so y t in thre dayes no maÌ„ sawe another nor rose vp from y e place where he was But w t the childreÌ„ of Israel there was light in their dwellinges Then Pharao called for Moses sayde Go yo r waye serue the LORDE onely leaue yo r shepe yo r oxen here let yo r childreÌ„ go w t you also Moses sayde Thou must geue vs offringes and brent offerynges that we maye do sacrifice vnto the LORDE o r God Oure catell shal go w t vs and there shal not one hooffe be left behynde for we must take therof for the seruyce of the LORDE o r God Morouer we knowe not wherwithall we shal serue y e LORDE tyll we come thither But the LORDE hardened Pharaos hert y t he wolde not let them go And Pharao sayde vnto him Get the hence fro me bewarre that thou come nomore in my sight For loke what daie so euer thou coÌ„mest in my sight thou shalt dye Moses answered EueÌ„ as thou hast sayde I wil come nomore in thy sight The XI Chapter ANd the LORDE sayde vnto Moses I wil yet brynge a plage vpon Pharao and Egipte after y t shal he let you go from hence shal not onely let all go but also dryue you hence Therfore saye now vnto the people y t euery man borowe of his neghboure euery woman of his neghbouresse Iewels of syluer golde for the LORDE shal geue the people fauo r in the sight of y e EgipciaÌ„s And Moses was a very greate man in the lande of Egipte in y e sight of Pharaos seruauntes in the sight of the people And Moses sayde Thus sayeth the LORDE At mydnight wil I go out in the lande of Egipte all y e first borne in the lande of Egipte shall dye from Pharaos first sonne y t sytteth vpon his seate vnto the first sonne of the mayde seruaunte which is behynde y e myll all the first borne amonge the catell there shal be a greate crie in all the lande of Egipte soch as neuer was ner shal be But amonge all the childreÌ„ of Israel there shall not a dogg quatch w t his tonge fro men vnto catell y t ye maye knowe how y t the LORDE hath put a differeÌ„ce betwixte Egipte Israel TheÌ„ shal all these thy seruauntes come downe vnto me fal at my fote saye Get the out thou all the people that are vnder the. After that wyl I departe And he weÌ„te froÌ„ Pharao w t a wroth full displeasure The LORDE saide vnto Moses Pharao herkeneth not vnto you y t many woÌ„ders maye be done in y e laÌ„de of Egipte And Moses Aaron dyd all these woÌ„ders before Pharao but y e LORDE hardened his hert y t he wolde not let y e childreÌ„ of Israel go out of his londe The XII Chapter THe LORDE sayde vnto Moses Aaron in the londe of Egipte This moneth shal be with you y e first moneth at it ye shall begynne the monethes of the yeare Speake ye vnto all the congregacion of Israel saye Vpon y e tenth daye of this moneth let euery one take a laÌ„be or a kydd where a housholder is to euery house a laÌ„be But yf the housholde be to few for a lambe theÌ„ let him his neghbo r y t is next vnto his house take it acordinge to the nombre of y e soules and counte to the lambe what euery man maye eate But it shal be a lambe with out blemish a male of a yeare olde From amonge the lambes goates shal ye take it And ye shal kepe it vnto y e fourtene daye of the moneth And euery man of the congregacion of Israel shal slaye it aboute the eueninge And they shal take of his bloude and stryke it on both the syde postes of the dore and on the vpperdore post of the house that they eate it in And so shal they eate flesh y e same night rosted at the fyre vnleuended bred and shal eate it with sowre sawse Ye shal not eate it rawe ner sodden with water but onely rosted at the fyre his heade w t his fete and pertenaunce And ye shal leaue nothynge of it ouer vntyll the mornynge but yf eny thinge be left ouer vntyll the mornynge ye shal burne it with fyre Of this maner shal ye eate it Ye shal be gyrded aboute youre loynes and haue youre shues vpon youre fete and staues in yo r handes and ye shal eate it with haist for it is y e LORDES Passeouer For in the same night wil I go thorow the londe of Egipte smyte all the firstborne in the lande of Egipte from men vnto catell vpon all the goddes of Egipte wyll I do execucion Euen I the LORDE And the bloude shal be youre token vpon the houses wherin ye are y t whan I se the bloude I maye passe ouer and that the plage happen not vnto you to destroye you whan I smyte the londe of Egipte And this daye shall ye haue for a remembraunce and ye shall kepe it holy for a feast vnto the LORDE ye all youre posterities for a perpetuall custome Seuen dayes shall ye eate vnleuended bred namely vpon the first daie shal ye leaue of with leuended bred in youre houses Who so euer eateth leuended bred from the first daye vnto y e seuenth that soule shall be roted out from Israel The first daye shall be called holy amonge you and the seuenth also No maner of worke shall ye do therin saue what belongeth to the meate for all maner of soules that onely maye ye do for you And kepe you to leuended bred For euen vpon that same daye wil I brynge youre armies
in the night season was fyre therin in y e sight of all y e house of Israel in all their iourneis The ende of the seconde boke of Moses called Exodus The thirde boke of Moses called Leuiticus What this boke conteyneth Chap. I. The ordre and vse of burnt offerynges whether it be of small or greate catell or of foules Chap. II. Of meat offerynges with fyne floure c. Chap. III. Of deed offerynges otherwyse called health offrynges peace offrynges or thāk-offerynges and of the fatt Chap. IIII. The offringe for the sinne of a prest of the whole congregacion of the ruler or of eny other meane man Chap. V. The offerynge for swearinge for an erroure or ignoraunce Chap. VI. Of daylie burnt offerynges other oblacions The offerynge of the prest in the daye of his anoyntinge Chap. VII Of thank offerynges Of the fat bloude and of the anoyntinge of the prestes Chap. VIII Of the anoyntinge and consecratynge of Aaron and of his sonnes Chap. IX How Aaron and his sonnes offred for synne how the fyre of God consumed the burnt offerynge Chap. X. The death of Nadab Abihu The prestes were forbydden to drynke wyne and their porcion of the offerynges appoynted them Chap. XI Of cleane and vncleane beastes foules Chap. XII Of the vnclennesse of a woman in childe bedd of hir clensynge or purificacion of hir offerynge Chap. XIII Of Leprosy or Mezell Chap. XIIII The clēsynge of lepers and of their offerynge Chap. XV. Of all maner of vncleane fluxes or yssues both of men and wemen Chap. XVI Aarō might not allwaie go in to the Sanctuary Of the two goates Of fastinge in the seuenth moneth Chap. XVII All offrynges were first brought to the Tabernacle dore No bloude ner deed caryon was to be eaten Chap. XVIII The degrees of consanguynite and affynite And what wemen men ought not to marye Chap. XIX Dyuerse and many commaundemētes and statutes Chap. XX. To geue sede vnto Moloch other vnlaufull thinges are forbydden Chap. XXI How cleane and vndefyled the prestes ought to lyue Chap. XXII How the prestes and their housholdes ought to be how the offerynges ought to be vsed Chap. XXIII Of the holy dayes and hye feastes namely the Sabbath Easter Whyt sondaye otherwise called the feast of wekes the feast of Tabernacles c. Chap. XXIIII Of the oyle for the lampes and lightes Of the shewbred Punyshment for cursynge and blasphemy Chap. XXV Of the rest of the seuenth yeare libertye of the Fiftieth yeare otherwyse called the yeare of Iubylie the yeare of hornes blowinge or the trompet yeare Chap. XXVI Swete louynge promyses of God for all soch as wyl kep◠his commaundemētes Agayne Maruelous sore plages are threatened vnto them that wyll not harken to his worde Chap. XXVII Of vowes and of the fre yeare Of redemynge or lowsynge out agayne of catell or londe that a man promyseth voweth or dedicateth vnto the LORDE The first Chapter ANd the LORDE called Moses and spake vnto him out of y e Tabernacle of wytnesse and sayde Speake vnto y e childrē of Israel saie vnto them Who so euer amōge you wyl brynge an offerynge vnto the LORDE let him brynge it of y e catell euen of the oxen of the shepe Yf he wyl brynge a burnt offerynge of y e oxen or greate catell thē let him offre a male without blemysh before y e dore of the Tabernacle of wytnesse to reconcyle him self before the LORDE let him laye his hande vpon the heade of the burnt offerynge then shal he be reconcyled so y t God shal be mercifull vnto him And he shall kyll the yonge oxe before y e LORDE and y e prestes Aarons sonnes shal brynge the bloude and sprenkle it rounde aboute vpon the altare that is before the dore of the Tabernacle of wytnesse And the slrynne shal be flayne from of the burnt offerynge and it shal be hewen in peces And the sonnes of Aaron the prest shal make a fyre vpon the altare and laye wod aboue ther on and y e peces the heade and the fatt shal they laye vpon the wodd that lyeth vpon y e fyre on the altare But y e bowels legges shal be waszshen with water and the prest shal burne alltogether vpon the altare for a burntsacrifice this is an offerynge of a swete sauoure vnto the LORDE Yf he wyl offre a burntsacrifice of the small catell that is of the lambes or goates then let him offre a male without a blemysh And he shall kyll it before the LORDE euen at the corner of the altare on the north syde before y e LORDE And the prestes Aarons sonnes shal sprenkle his bloude rounde aboute vpon y e altare and it shal be hewen in peces And the prest shall laye them with the heade and the fatt vpon the wodd that lyeth vpon the fyre on the altare But the bowels and y e legges shal be waszshen with water And y e prest shal offre it alltogether and burne it vpon y e altare for a burntsacrifice This is an offerynge of a swete sauoure vnto the LORDE But yf he wil offre a burntsacrifice of y e foules vnto the LORDE then let him offre it of the turtill doues or of y e yonge pigeons And the prest shal brynge it vnto the altare and wrynge the neck of it a sunder that it maye be burnt vpon the altare and let the bloude of it runne out vpon the sydes of the altare and the croppe of it with the fethers shal be cast vpon the heape of aszshes besyde the altare towarde the east and he shall deuyde the wynges of it but not breake thē cleane of And thus shall the prest burne it vpon the altare euen vpon the wodd that lyeth vpō the fyre for a burntsacrifice This is an offerynge of a swete sauoure vnto the LORDE The II. Chapter WHan a soule wyll offre a meat offerynge vnto the LORDE then shal it be of fyne floure and he shal poure oyle vpon it and put frankencense theron so brynge it vnto Aarons sonnes the prestes Then shal one of them take his handefull of the same floure and oyle with all the frankēcense and burne it for a remembraunce vpon the altare This is an offeringe of a swete sauoure vnto the LORDE As for y e remnaunt of the meat offerynge it shal be Aarons and his sonnes This shal be y e most holy of the offerynges of the LORDE But yf he wyll brynge a meat offerynge of that which is baken in the ouen then let him take swete cakes of wheate mixte with oyle and vnleuended wafers anoynted with oyle Neuertheles yf thy meat offerynge be enythinge of that which is fryed in the panne then shal it be of fyne swete floure myxte with oyle And thou shalt cut it in peces poure oyle theron so is it a meat offerynge But yf thy meat offeringe be ought broyled on the gredyron then shalt
straunger amonge you in youre londe ye shall not vexe him He shal dwell with you euen as one that is at home amonge you thou shalt loue him as y e self for ye youre selues also were straungers in the lande of Egipte I am the LORDE youre God Ye shal not deale wrōgeously in iudgmēt with meteyarde with weight with measure A true balaunce a true weight a true Epha a true Hin shal be amōge you For I am the LORDE youre God which brought you out of the londe of Egipte that ye shulde kepe do all my statutes and lawes for I am the LORDE The XX. Chapter ANd the LORDE talked with Moses and saide Tell the children of Israel Who so euer he be amonge the children of Israel or eny straunger that dwelleth in Israel which geueth of his sede vnto Moloch the same shall dye the death the people of the lande shal stone him I wyll set my face agaynst that man and wyll rote him out from amōge his people because he hath geuen of his sede vnto Moloch and defyled my Sanctuary vnhalowed my holy name And though the people of the londe loke thorow the fyngers vpon that man which hath geuen of his sede vnto Moloch so that they put him not to death yet wyl I set my face agaynst the same man agaynst his generacion And him and all that go a whorynge with him after Moloch wyll I rote out from amonge their people Yf eny soule turne him to y e soythsayers and expounders of tokens so that he goeth a whorynge after them I wyl set my face agaynst the same soule and wyl rote him out from amonge his people Sanctifie youre selues therfore be holy for I am holy euen youre God And kepe ye my statutes and do them for I am y e LORDE that sanctifieth you Who so euer curseth his father or his mother shall dye the death his bloude be vpon him because he hath cursed his father or mother He that breaketh wedlocke with eny mās wife shal dye the death both the aduouterer and y e aduouteresse because he hath broken wedlocke with his neghbours wife Yf eny man lye with his fathers wife so y t he vncouer his fathers preuyte they shal both dye the death their bloude be vpō thē Yf eny man lye w t his doughter in lawe they shall dye both of them for they haue wrought abhominacion their bloude be vpon them Yf eny man lye with the mankynde as with womankynde they haue wrought abhominacion shal both dye the death their bloude be vpon them Yf eny man take a wyfe and hir mother therto the same hath wrought wickednes he shal be burnt with fyre and so shal they also that there be no wickednes amōge you Yf eny man lye with a beest he shall dye the death and the beest shal be slayne Yf a woman medle with a beest so y t she haue to do w t it thou shalt put her to death and the beest also they shall dye the death their bloude be vpon them Yf eny man take his sister his fathers doughter or his mothers doughter and se hir preuyte and she agayne se his secretes it is a wicked thinge They shal be roted out in the sight of their people For he hath vncouered his sisters preuyte he shal beare his synne Yf a man lye with a woman in the tyme of hir sicknesse and vncouer hir secretes open vp hir founteyne and she vncouer the fountayne of hir bloude they shall both be roted out from amonge their people Thou shalt not vncouer the preuytie of thy mothers sister and of thy fathers sister for soch one hath vncouered his nexte kynswoman and they shal beare their synne Yf eny man lye with his vncles wyfe the same hath vncouered the preuytie of his vncle they shal beare their synne without children shal they dye Yf eny man take his brothers wyfe y t is an vncleane thinge they shal be without children because he hath vncouered his brothers secretes So kepe now all my statutes my lawes do them y t the lōde whither I brynge you to dwell therin spewe you not out And walke not ye in y e statutes of the Heithen which I shal cast out before you For all soch thinges haue they done I haue abhorred thē But I saye vnto you Ye shall possesse their londe For I wyll geue you to enheritaunce a lōde that floweth with mylke and hony I am the LORDE youre God which haue separated you from the nacions that ye also shulde separate the cleane beestes frō the vncleane and the vncleane foules from the cleane not to defyle youre soules vpon beestes vpon foules vpon all that crepeth on the grounde which I haue separated vnto you that they shulde be vncleane Therfore shall ye be holy vnto me for I the LORDE am holy which haue separated you frō the nacions that ye shulde be myne Yf a man or woman be a soythsayer or an expounder of tokens the same shall dye the death they shal be stoned their bloude be vpon them The XXI Chapter ANd the LORDE sayde vnto Moses Speake to y e prestes y e sonnes of Aaron saye vnto thē A prest shal defyle him self vpō no soule of his people but vpon his nexte kynne y t belongeth vnto him as vpon his mother vpō his father vpō his sonne vpō his doughter vpon his brother vpon his sister which is yet a virgin hath bene no mans wife which belongeth vnto him vpon her maie he defyle himself Morouer he shal not defyle him self vpō eny ruler in his people to vnhalowe him self He shall make no crowne also vpon his heade ner shaue of his beerd nether shall they cut out eny markes ī their fleshe They shal be holy vnto their God and not vnhalowe y e name of their God for they offre the sacrifice of the LORDE the bred of their God therfore shal they be holy They shal take no whore ner one that is defyled or y t is put awaye from hir huszbande for he is holy vnto his God therfore shal he sanctifie him self for he offreth the bred of thy God He shal be holy vnto the for I am holy euen the LORDE that sanctifieth you Yf a prestes doughter fall to whoringe she shal be burnt with fyre for she hath shamed hir father He that is hye prest amonge his brethren vpō whose heade the anoyntinge oyle is poured and his hande fylled y t he might be arayed with the vestimentes shal not vncouer his heade ner cut his clothes shal come at no deed shal defyle him self nether vpon father ner mother He shall not go out of the Sanctuary that he vnhalowe not the Sanctuary of his God For y e crowne of the anoyntinge oyle of his God is vpon him for I am the LORDE A virgin shal he
them wyll I brynge in so y t they shal knowe the lande which ye haue refused But ye with youre carcases shall lye in this wildernesse and yo r children shal wander in this wildernesse fourtye yeares beare yo r whordome tyll yo r carcases be waisted in the wildernesse acordinge to the nombre of y e fourtye dayes wherin ye spyed out the londe A daye for a yeare so y t fourtye yeares ye shall beare youre myszdede that ye maye knowe what it is whan I with drawe my hande Euen I the LORDE haue sayde it wil do it in dede vnto all this euell congregacion that haue lift vp themselues agaynst me In this wildernesse shal they be consumed and there shal they dye So there dyed and were plaged before the LORDE all the mē whom Moses sent to spye out the lāde came agayne and made the whole cōgregacion to murmur agaynst it because they brought vp a myszreporte of the lande that it was euell But Iosua the sonne of Nun and Caleb y e sonne of Iephune were left alyue of the men that wente to spye out the lande And Moses spake these wordes vnto all the children of Israel Thē toke the people greate sorowe And they arose early in y e mornynge and wente vp to the toppe of y e mountayne and sayde Lo here are we and will go vp to the place wherof the LORDE hath sayde for we haue synned But Moses sayde wherfore go ye on this maner beyonde y e worde of the LORDE It shall not prospere with you go not vp for y e LORDE is not amōge you y t ye be not slayne before yo r enemies For the Amalechites and Cananites are there before you ye shal fall thorow y e swerde because ye haue turned yo r selues from the LORDE and the LORDE shal not be with you But they were blynded to go vp to the toppe of the mountaine neuertheles the Arke of the LORDES couenaunt Moses came not out of the hooste Then came downe y e Amalechites Cananites which dwelt vpon that mountayne and smote them and hewed them euen vnto Horma The XV. Chapter ANd the LORDE talked with Moses and sayde Speake to the childrē of Israel saye vnto them Whan ye come in to the lande of youre dwellinge which I shal geue you and wil do sacrifice vnto the LORDE whether it be a burnt offerynge or an offrynge for a speciall vowe or a frewyll offerynge or youre feast offerynges that ye maye make a swete sauoure vnto the LORDE of oxen or of shepe He y t wil offre now his gifte vnto y e LORDE shal brynge for the meat offeringe a tēth deale of fyne floure myngled with oyle of the fourth parte of an Hin and wyne for y e drynk offerynge the fourth parte of an Hin also to the burnt offeringe or eny other offeringe whan a lambe is offred But whā there is a ramme offred thou shalt make the meat offerynge two tēth deales of fyne floure myngled with oyle of the thirde parte of an Hin and y e thirde parte of an Hin of wyne also for a drynk offeringe this shalt thou offre for a swete sauo r vnto the LORDE But yf thou wilt offre an oxe for a burnt offerynge or for a speciall vowe offerynge or for an health offeringe vnto the LORDE thou shalt brynge to the oxe the meat offrynge euen thre tenth deales of fyne floure mingled with half an Hin of oyle half an Hin of wyne for a drynk offrynge This is an offerynge of a swete sauoure vnto the LORDE Thus shalt thou do with an oxe with a ramme with a lambe and with a goate Acordinge as the nombre of the offerynges is therafter shall the nombre of the meat offerynges and drynk offerynges be also He that is one of youre selues shall do this that he maye offre a sacrifice of a swete sauoure vnto the LORDE And yf there dwell a straunger with you or is amōge youre kynszfolkes and wil do an offerynge vnto the LORDE for a swete sauoure the same shal do as ye do Let there be one statute for the whole cōgregacion both vnto you and to the straungers A perpetuall statute shal it be vnto youre posterities that the straunger be euē as ye before y e LORDE One lawe and one ordinaunce shal be vnto you and to the straunger that dwelleth with you And the LORDE talked with Moses sayde Speake to the children of Israel and saye vnto them Whan ye come in to the lande in to y t which I shal brynge you so that ye eate the bred of the londe ye shal heue vp an Heue offerynge vnto the LORDE namely a cake of the firstlinges of youre dowe shall ye geue for an Heue offerynge as the Heue offerynge of the barne euen so shal ye geue the firstlinges of youre dowe also vnto the LORDE for an Heue offerynge amonge youre posterities And whan ye thorow ignoraunce ouer se eny of these commaundementes which the LORDE hath spoken by Moses and all y t the LORDE hath commaunded you by Moses from the daye that the LORDE beganne to commaunde for youre posterities and the cōgregacion do ought ignorauntly thē shal the whole congregacion offre a yonge bullocke from amonge the greate catell to a burnt offerynge for a swete sauoure vnto the LORDE with his meat offerynge and drynk offerynge as the maner is and an he goate for a syn offerynge And so shal the prest make an attonement for the whole congregacion of the children of Israel and it shal be forgeuen them for it is an ignoraunce And they shal brynge these their giftes for an offerynge vnto the LORDE and their syn offerynge before the LORDE for their ignoraunce and it shal be forgeuen the whole congregacion of the childrē of Israel the straunger also y t dwelleth amonge you for so moch as all the people is in soch ignoraunce Yf one soule synne thorow ignoraunce the same shal brynge a she goate of a yeare olde for a syn offerynge And the prest shall make an attonement for soch an ignoraunt soule with the syn offeringe for the ignoraunce before the LORDE that he maye reconcyle him and it shal be forgeuen him And it shal be one lawe that ye shal do for y e ignoraunce both vnto him that is borne amonge the children of Israel and to the straunger that dwelleth amonge you But yf a soule do ought presumptuously whether he be one of youre selues or a straunger he hath despysed the LORDE y e same soule shal be roted out from amōge his people because he hath despysed the worde of the LORDE and hath left his commaundement vndone that soule shall vtterly perishe his synne shal be vpon him Now whyle the children of Israel were in the wyldernesse they founde a man gatherynge stickes vpon the Sabbath daye And they that founde him gatherynge stickes brought him vnto Moses and Aaron and before
the whole congregacion And they put him in preson for it was not declared what shulde be done vnto him The LORDE sayde vnto Moses The man shall dye the death the whole congregacion shal stone him without the hoost Then the whole cōgregacion brought him out of y e hoost and stoned him that he dyed as y e LORDE commaunded Moses And y e LORDE sayde vnto Moses Speake to the childrē of Israel saye vnto thē y t they make them gardes vpon y e quarters of their garmentes amonge all yo r posterities and put yalowe rybandes vpon the gardes in y e quarters And y e gardes shal serue you y t ye maye loke vpon thē and remembre all the cōmaundementes of the LORDE do them that ye order not youre selues after y e meanynge of youre awne hert ner go awhorynge after youre awne eyes Therfore shal ye remembre and do all my commaundementes and be holy vnto youre God I am the LORDE youre God which brought you out of the lande of Egipte to be yo r God Euen I the LORDE youre God The XVI Chapter ANd Corah the sonne of Iezehar the sonne of Kahath the sonne of Leui with Dathan and Abiram the sonne of Eliab and On the sonne of Peleth y e sonnes of Rubē stode vp agaynst Moses with certayne men amonge the childrē of Israel two hundreth fyftie captaynes of the congregacion councelers famous men And they gathered them selues agaynst Moses Aarō sayde vnto them Ye make to moch a doo for all the congregacion is holy euery one and the LORDE is amonge them Why lifte ye youre selues vp then aboue the congregacion of the LORDE Whan Moses herde y t he fell vpō his face saide vnto Corah to all his company Tomorow shal y e LORDE shewe who is his who is holy to come vnto him Whō so euer he choseth y e same shal come vnto him This do Take y e censors thou Corah all y e cōpanye do fyre therin put incense theron tomorow before the LORDE then whom so euer the LORDE choseth the same shal be holy Ye make to moch a doo ye children of Leui. And Moses sayde vnto Corah Heare ye childrē of Leui Is it not ynough vnto you y t y e God of Israel hath separated you frō y e multitude of Israel y t ye shulde come nye him to do the seruyce of the dwellynge place of the LORDE and stonde before the people to mynister vnto them He hath caused the and all thy brethren the childrē of Leui with the to come nye vnto him and now ye seke the presthode also Thou and all thy cōpany conspyre agaynst the LORDE What is Aaron that ye shulde murmur against him And Moses sent to call Dathā Abirā y e sonnes of Eliab But they saide We wil not come vp Is it to litle y t thou hast brought vs out of y e lande of Egipte y t floweth w t mylke hony to kyll vs in y e wildernesse but thou must raigne ouer vs also How goodly well hast thou brought vs in to a londe that floweth w t milke and hony geuē vs feldes and vyniardes in possession Wilt thou put out these mens eyes We will not come vp Then was Moses very wroth saide vnto y e LORDE Turne y e not vnto their meatofferinges I haue not takē so moch as an Asse frō thē nether haue I hurte eny of thē And Moses sayde vnto Corah Tomorow be thou all y e companye before y e LORDE thou and they Aaron And take euery one his censer and put incense therin and come before the LORDE euery one with his censer that is two hundreth and fiftye censers and both thou and Aaron take either his censer And euery one toke his censer and put fyre therin and layed incense theron and came before the dore of the Tabernacle of witnes and Moses and Aaron also And Corah gathered y e whole congregaciō agaynst thē before the dore of the Tabernacle of witnes But y e glory of the LORDE appeared before y e whole congregacion And y e LORDE spake vnto Moses Aaron sayde Separate youre selues frō this congregaciō y t I maye shortly consume them And they fell vpon their faces sayde O God thou God of the spretes of all flesh yf one man haue synned wilt thou therfore be wroth ouer the whole congregacion And the LORDE spake vnto Moses saide Speake to the congregaciō and saye Come vp from y e dwellynge of Corah and Dathan and Abiram And Moses stode vp wente vnto Dathan Abiram the Elders of Israel folowed him he spake to y e cōgregaciō saide Departe frō y e tentes of these vngodly mē touche nothinge y t is theirs y t ye perishe not in eny of their sinnes And they gat them vp from the dwellynge of Corah Dathan Abiram But Dathan and Abirā came out and stode in the dore of their tentes with their wyues and sonnes and children And Moses sayde Hereby shal ye knowe that the LORDE hath sent me to do all these workes and that I haue not done them of myne awne hert Yf these men dye the comon death of all men or be vysited as all men are vysited then hath not the LORDE sent me But yf the LORDE make a new thinge and the earth open hir mouth and swalowe them with all that they haue so y t they go downe quycke in to hell thē shal ye knowe that the se men haue blasphemed the LORDE And whā he had spokē out all these wordes y e groūde cloue asunder vnder thē the earth opened hir wouth swalowed thē w t their houses all the mē y t were w t Corah all their substaūce and they wente downe quycke in to the hell with all that they had And the earth closed vpō them so they perished from amonge y e congregaciō And all Israel y t were aboute thē fled at y e crye of thē for they sayde That y e earth swalowe not vs also Morouer the fyre came out frō the LORDE and consumed the two hundreth and fyftye men that offred the incense And the LORDE spake vnto Moses sayde Speake to Eleasar y e sonne of Aaron y e prest y t he take vp y e censers out of y e burninge scater y e fyre here there For the censers of these synners are halowed thorow their soules y t they maye be beatē in to thinne plates fastened vpon y e altare For they are offred before y e LORDE halowed and they shal be a token vnto y e childrē of Israel And Eleasar the prest toke y e brasen censers which they y t were burnt had offred bet thē to plates to fasten thē vpon y e altare for a remēbraunce vnto y e children of Israel y t no straunger and he
of thy wyne presse and thou shalt reioyse in thy feast thou and thy sonne thy doughter thy seruaunte thy mayde the Leuite the straunger the fatherlesse and the wedowe that are within y e gates Seuen dayes shalt thou kepe y e feast vnto the LORDE thy God in the place that he hath chosen For the LORDE thy God shal blesse the in all thy frutes and in all the workes of thine hādes Therfore shalt thou be glad Thre tymes in the yeare shal all thy males appeare before the LORDE thy God in the place that he shall chose namely in the feast of vnleuended bred in the feast of wekes and in the feast of Tabernacles He shal not appeare emptie before the LORDE but euery one after the gifte of his hande acordinge to the blessinge that the LORDE thy God hath geuen the. The XVII Chapter IVdges officers shalt thou ordeyne within all y e gates which y e LORDE thy God geueth the amōge thy trybes y t they maye iudge the people with righteous iudgment Thou shalt not wrest the lawe Thou shalt knowe no personne also ner take giftes For giftes blynde the eyes of y e wyse peruerte y e righteous causes Loke what righte is y t shalt thou folowe that thou mayest lyue possesse the londe which the LORDE thy God shal geue the. Thou shalt plante no groue of what so euer trees it be nye vnto the altare of the LORDE thy God which thou makest the. Thou shalt set the vp no piler which y e LORDE y e God hateth Thou shalt offre vnto the LORDE thy God no oxe or shepe that hath a blemish or eny euell fauourednesse on it for that is abhominacion vnto the LORDE thy God Yf there be founde amonge you within eny of thy gates which the LORDE y e God shal geue y e a man or woman that worketh wickednesse in y e sighte of the LORDE thy God so that he transgresseth his couenaūte and goeth and serueth other goddes worshippeth them whether it be Sōne or Mone or eny of the hooste of heauen which I haue not commaunded and it is tolde the thou hearest of it Then shalt thou make diligent search therfore And yf thou fyndest that it is so of a trueth that soch abhominacion is wroughte in Israel then shalt thou brynge forth the same man or y e same womā which haue done soch euell vnto thy gates and shalt stone them to death At the mouth of two or thre witnesses shal he dye that is worthy of death At the mouth of one witnes shal he not dye The handes of the witnesses shal be the first to kyll him and thē y e handes of all the people that thou mayest put awaye the euell from the. Yf a matter be to harde for the in iudgmēt betwixte bloude and bloude betwixte plee and plee betwixte stroke and stroke and yf there be matters of stryfe within thy gates then shalt thou ryse and go vp vnto y e place that y e LORDE thy God hath chosen and shalt come to the prestes the Leuites to the iudge which shal be at that tyme and shalt axe They shal shewe the how to iudge and thou shalt do therafter as they saye vnto the in y e place which the LORDE hath chosen and thou shalt take hede that thou do acordinge vnto all y t they teach the. Acordinge to the lawe y t they teach the after the iudgment that they tell y e shalt thou do so that thou turne not asyde from y e same nether to the righte hande ner to the lefts And yf eny man deale presumptuously so that he herkeneth not vnto the prest which stondeth to do seruyce vnto the LORDE thy God or to the Iudge the same shal dye and thou shalt put awaye the euell from Israel that all y e people maye heare and feare and be nomore presumptuous Whan thou art come in to y e londe which the LORDE thy God shal geue the takest it in possession and dwellest therin and shalt saie I wil set a kinge ouer me as all the nacions haue aboute me thē shalt thou set him to be kynge ouer the whom the LORDE thy God shal chose One of thy brethren shalt thou sett to be kynge ouer the. Thou mayest not set a straūger ouer the which is not thy brother Onely let him not haue many horses y t he brynge not y e people againe in to Egipte thorow y e multitude of horses for as moch as y e LORDE hath sayde vnto you that from hence forth ye shulde come nomore this waye agayne He shall not haue many wynes also that his hert be not turned awaye Nether shal he gather him syluer and golde to moch And whan he is set vpon the seate of his kingdome he shal take of the prestes the Leuites this seconde lawe and cause it be wrytten in a boke and that shall he haue by him and he shall rede therin all the dayes of his life that he maye lerne to feare y e LORDE his God to kepe all the wordes of this lawe all these ordinaūces so that he do therafter He shall not lifte vp his herte aboue his brethren and shall not turne asyde from the commaundement nether to the right hāde ner to the lefte that he maye prolōge his dayes in his kyngdome he and his children in Israel The XVIII Chapter THe prestes the Leuites all the trybe of Leui shal haue no parte ner enheritaunce w t Israel The offerynges of y e LORDE his enheritaunce shal they eate Therfore shal they haue no inheritaunce amonge their brethren because the LORDE is their enheritaūce as he hath saide vnto thē This shal be y e prestes dutye of the people of thē that offre whether it be oxe or shepe so that they geue vnto the prest the shulder and both the chekes and the brest And the first frutes of thy corne of thy wyne and of thy oyle and the first of thy shepe sheringe For the LORDE thy God hath chosen him out of all thy trybes to stonde and mynyster in the name of the LORDE he and his sonnes all the dayes of their life Yf a Leuite come out of eny of thy gates or out of eny place of all Israel where he is a gest and cōmeth with all the desyre of his soule vnto the place which the LORDE hath chosen to mynister in the name of the LORDE his God like as all his brethren y e Leuites which stonde there before the LORDE thē shal he haue like porcion of meate with the other besydes that which he hath of the solde good of his fathers Whan thou commest in to y e londe which the LORDE thy God shal geue y e thou shalt not lerne to do y e abhominacions of these nacions that there be not founde amonge you y t maketh his sonne or doughter
also like as his hert is And whan the captaynes haue made an ende of speakinge vnto the people they shall set the rulers of the hoost before the people in the forefronte Whan thou commest nye vnto a cite to fight against it thou shalt offre them peace Yf they answere the peaceably and open vnto the then shal all y e people y t is founde therin be tributaries vnto the and serue ye. But yf they wyl not deale peaceably w t the and wyll warre with the then besege it and whan the LORDE thy God delyuereth it in to thy hande thou shalt smyte all the males that are therin with the edge of the swerde saue the wemen and the children As for the catell and all that is in the cite and all the spoyle thou shalt take them vnto thy selfe and eate the spoyle of thine enemies which the LORDE thy God hath geuen the. Thus shalt thou do vnto all the cities that are very farre from the and are not of the cities of these nacions But in the cities of these nacions which the LORDE thy God shall geue the to enheritaūce thou shalt leaue nothinge alyue that hath breth but shalt vtterly destroye thē namely the Hethites Amorites Cananites Pheresites Heuites Iebusites as the LORDE thy God hath commaunded the y t they teache you not to do all y e abhominacions which they do vnto their goddes so ye to synne agaynst the LORDE youre God Whan thou must lye a longe season before a cite against the which thou makest warre to take it thou shalt not destroye y e trees therof that thou woldest hew them downe w t the axe for thou mayest eate therof and therfore shalt thou not hew them downe For it is but wodd vpon the felde and no man and can not come be bullworkes agaynst the. But the trees which thou knowest y t mē eate not of those shalt thou destroye and rote out and make bullworkes therof agaynst the cite that warreth with the tyll thou haue ouercome it The XXI Chapter WHan there is one slayne founde in y e londe which y e LORDE y e God shall geue y e to possesse it lyeth in y e felde it is not knowne who hath slaine him then shal thy Elders iudges go forth and meet from the slayne vnto the cities that lye rounde aboute Loke which cite is the nexte y e Elders of the same shal take a yōge cowe which hath not bene laboured ner hath drawē in the yocke they shal brynge her in to a valley where as is nether earinge nor sowinge and strike of hir heade there in the valley Then shal the prestes y e children of Leuicome forth For the LORDE thy God hath chosen them to serue him and to prayse his name and at their mouth shal all plees and strypes be tryed And all the Elders of the same cite shall come forth vnto the slayne wash their handes ouer y e yonge cowe whose heade is stricken of in the valley and shal answere and saie Oure hādes haue not shed this bloude nether haue oure eyes sene it Be mercifull O LORDE vnto thy people of Israel whō thou hast delyuered laye no innocent bloude vnto thy people of Israels charge then shall they be reconcyled from the bloude Thus shalt thou put awaye the innocent bloude from the in that thou doest the thinge whis is righte in the sighte of y e LORDE Whā thou goest forth to warre against thine enemies the LORDE thy God delyuereth them in to thine handes so that thou cariest awaye their presoners and seist amōge the captyues a bewtyfull woman hast a desyre vnto her to take her to thy wife thē brynge her home to thine house and let her shaue hir heade and pare hir nayles and put of hir clothes that she was taken presoner in and let her sit in thine house and mourne for hir father and mother a moneth longe after that lye with her and mary her and let her be thy wife But yf thou haue no fauoure vnto her then shalt thou let her go whither she wyll and not to sell her ner to make cheuesaunce of her because thou hast dishonoured her Yf a man haue two wyues one that he loueth and one that he hateth and they beare him children both the beloued and the hated so that the firstborne be hirs that is hated and the tyme commeth that he dealeth out the inheritaunce vnto his children then can he not make the sonne of y e beloued first borne before the firstborne sonne of the hated but he shall knowe the sonne of the hated for y e first sonne so that he geue him dubble of all that is at hande for the same is y e begynnynge of his strength the firstbyrth righte is his Yf eny man haue a stubborne and dishobedient sonne which herkeneth not vnto the voyce of his father and mother and whan they teach him nurtoure wyll not folowe them then shall his father and mother take him and brynge him to y e Elders of their cite and to the gate of the same place and saye vnto the Elders of the cite This oure sonne is stobburne and dishobediēt and herkeneth not vnto oure voyce and is a ryoter and a dronkarde Then shal all the men of y e same cite stone him to death and thus shalt thou put awaye the euell frō the that all Israel maye heare and feare Yf a man haue commytted a synne y t is worthy of death and is put to death so that he is hanged on tre then shal not his body remayne all night on tre but thou shalt burye him the same daye For cursed is he of God that is hanged that thou defyle not thy londe which the LORDE thy God geueth the to enheritaunce The XXII Chapter YF thou se thy brothers oxe or shepe go astraie thou shalt not withdrawe thy selfe from them but shalt brynge thē againe vnto y e brother But yf y e brother be not nye vnto the thou knowest him not then shalt thou take thē in to thine house y t they maye be w t the tyll y e brother axe after them then delyuer him thē agayne In like maner shalt thou do with his Asse w t his rayment with euery lost thinge of y e brother which he hath lost thou hast founde it thou mayest not withdrawe thy selfe Yf thou se thy brothers oxe or Asse fallen downe by the waye thou shalt not wtdrawe thy selfe from him but shalt helpe him vp A woman shall not weere y t which pertayneth to a man nether shal a man put on womans raymēt For who so euer doth soch is abhominacion vnto y e LORDE y e God Yf thou chaunce vpon a byrdes nest by y e waye in a tre or on the grounde with yonge or with egges and the dame syttinge vpon the yonge or vpon
the egges thou shalt not take the dame with the yonge but shalt let the dame flye and take the yonge that thou mayest prospere and lyue longe Whan thou buyldest a new house make a battelment aboute thy rofe that thou lade not bloude vpon thine house yf eny man fall therof Thou shalt not sowe thy vynyarde with dyuerse sedes that thou halowe not to the full offerynge the sede which thou hast sowne with the increase of the vynyarde Thou shalt not plowe with an oxe and an Asse together at one tyme. Thou shalt not weere a garmeÌ„t y t is mixte with wollen and lynnen together Thou shalt make gardes vpon the foure quarters of thy garment wherwith thou couerest thy selfe Yf a man take a wife and hate her whan he hath lyen with her and layeth eny shamefull thinge vnto hir charge and bryngeth vp an euell name vpon her and sayeth I toke this wife whan I came to her I founde her not a mayde Then shall the father and mother of the damsell take her and brynge forth the tokens of the damsels virginite before the Elders of the cite euen vnto the gate And y e damsels father shal saie vnto y e Elders I gaue this man my doughter to wyfe Now hateth he her and layeth a shamefull thinge to hir charge and sayeth I founde not thy doughter a mayde And lo these are the tokens of my doughters virginite And they shal sprede out the clothe before the Elders of the cite So shal the Elders of the cite take that man and chastice him and put a pennaunce vpon him of an hundreth Sycles of syluer and geue the same vnto the father of the damsell because he hath brougte vp an euell name of a mayde in Israel and he shall haue her to wyfe so y t he maye not forsake her all his life longe But yf it be of a trueth that the damsell is not founde a virgin theÌ„ shal she be brought forth vnto the dore of hir fathers house and the meÌ„ of the cite shal stone her to death be cause she hath wrought foly in Israel and played the whore in hir fathers house And so shalt thou put awaye the euell from the. Yf a man be founde lienge with a womaÌ„ that hath a maried huszbande they shal dye both the man the womaÌ„ that he hath lien withall And so shalt thou put awaye euell from Israel Yf a mayde be handfested to eny man another man getteth her in the cite lyeth with her ye shal brynge them both out vnto the gate of the cite and stone them both y t they dye The damsell because she cryed not beynge in the cite The man because he hath brought his neghbours wife to shame And thou shalt put awaye the euell from the. But yf a man get an handfested damsell vpon the felde and take her and lye w t her then the man that laye with her shal dye alone and vnto the damsell thou shalt do nothinge for she hath done no synne worthy of death It is like as yf a man rose against his neghboure and slewe him euen so is this also For he founde her in the felde and the handfested damsell cryed and there was no man to helpe her Yf a man fynde a mayde that is not haÌ„d fested and take her and lye with her and be founde then shal he that laye with her geue hir father fyfâ—ie Sycles of syluer and shall haue her to wyfe because he hath shamed her he maye not forsake her all his life loÌ„ge NomaÌ„ shal take his fathers wife ner vncouer his fathers couerynge The XXIII Chapter THere shal none that hath his stones broken or y t is gelded come in to the coÌ„gregacion of the LORDE There shal no whores childe also come in to the coÌ„gregacion of y e LORDE no not after y e tenth generacioÌ„ but shal neuer come in to y e coÌ„gregacioÌ„ of y e LORDE The Ammonites Moabites shal not come in to y e coÌ„gregacioÌ„ of y e LORDE no not after y e tenth generacion but shall neuer come in because they met you not w t bred water in y e waye whaÌ„ ye came out of Egipte And besides y t they hiâ—ed agaynst you BalaaÌ„ y e sonne of Beor y e interpreter out of Mesopotamia to curse ye. But y e LORDE y e God wolde not heare Balaam and turned the curse to a blessynge vnto the because the LORDE y e God loued the. Thou shalt wysh him nether prosperite ner health all thy life longe for euer Thou shalt not abhorre an Edomite for he is thy brother An Egipcian shalt thou not abhorre for thou wast a straunger in his londe The children whom they beget in the thirde generacion shal come in to the congregacion of y e LORDE WhaÌ„ thou goest out to fighte agaynst thine enemies kepe the from all wickednesse Yf there be eny man amonge you which is vncleane so that eny thinge is chaunced to him by nighte the same shal go out of y e hoost vntyll he haue bathed himselfe with water before euen and whan the Sonne is gone downe he shall come in to the hoost agayne And without the hoost thou shalt haue place to resorte vnto for necessyte thou shalt haue a shouell vnder the gyrdle and whan thou wilt set y e downe without thou shalt dygge therwith and whan thou hast done thine easement thou shalt couer that which is departed from the. For the LORDE thy God walketh in thine hooste to delyuer the and to geue thine enemies before the. Therfore shall thy hooste be holy that he se no vncleane thinge in the and so turne himselfe from the. Thou shalt not delyuer vnto his master the seruaunt which is escaped froÌ„ him vnto the. He shall dwell with the in the place that he choseth within eny of thy gates for his wealth and thou shalt not vexe him There shal be no whore amonge y e doughters of Israel nether whorekeper amonge the sonnes of Israel Thou shalt not bringe y e hyre of an whoore ner the price of a dogg in to the house of the LORDE y e God for eny maner of vowe for they both are abhominacion vnto the LORDE thy God Thou shalt occupye no vsury vnto y e brother nether with money ner with fode ner with eny maner thinge that vsury maye be vsed withall Vnto a strauÌ„ger thou maiest lende vpoÌ„ vsury but not vnto thy brother y t the LORDE thy God maye blesse the in all y t thou takest in haÌ„de in the loÌ„de whither thou commest in to possesse it Whan thou makest a vowe vnto y e LORDE y e God to shalt not be slacke to perfourme it for the LORDE thy God shal requyre it of the and it shal be synne vnto the. Yf thou leaue vowinge then is it no synne vnto the. But that which is proceaded out of y e lyppes
first Chapter IN y e tyme whan the Iudges ruled there was a derth in the londe And there wente a mā from Bethleē Iuda to take his iourney in to the londe of the Moabites w t his wife and two sonnes which man was called Eli Melech and his wife Naemi his two sonnes the one Mahelon and the other Chilion these were Ephrates of Bethleem Iuda And whan they came in to the londe of y e Moabites they dwelt there And Eli Melech Naemis huszbande dyed she was left behinde w t hir two sonnes which toke Moabitish wyues the one was called Arpa the other Ruth And whan they had dwelt there ten yeare they dyed both Mahelon and Chilion so that the woman remayned desolate of both hir sonnes and hir huszbande Then gat she her vp w t both hir sonnes wyues wente agayne out of the lōde of y e Moabites for she had herde in the londe of the Moabites y t the LORDE had visited his people geuen them bred so she departed from y e place where she was both hir sonnes wyues w t her And as they wēte by the waye to come agayne in to the londe of Iuda she sayde vnto both hir sonnes wyues Go yo r waye turne backe ether of you to hir mothers house the LORDE shewe mercy vpon you as ye haue done on thē y t are deed on me The LORDE graunte you y t ye maie fynde rest ether of you in hir huszbādes house whom ye shal get and she kyssed them Then lift they vp their voyce and wepte sayde vnto her We wil go with the vnto y e people But Naemi sayde Turne agayne my doughters why wolde ye go with me How can I haue children eny more in my body to be youre huszbandes Turne agayne my doughters and go youre waye for I am now to olde to take an huszbande And though I shulde saye I hope this night to take an huszbande to brynge forth children yet coulde ye not tary tlll they were growne vp for ye shulde be to olde so that ye coulde haue no huszbandes No my doughters therfore am I sory for you for y e hāde of the LORDE is gone forth ouer me Then lifte they vp their voyce and wepte yet more and Arpa kyssed hir mother in lawe and turned backe againe but Ruth abode styll by her Neuertheles she sayde Beholde thy syster in lawe is turned backe vnto hir people and to hir god turne thou againe also after thy sister in lawe Ruth answered Speake not to me therof that I shulde forsake the and turne backe from the whither so euer thou goest thither wil I go also and loke where thou abydest there wil I abide also Thy people is my people thy God is my God Loke where thou diest there wil dye and euen there wil I also be buried The LORDE do this and that vnto me death onely shal departe vs. Now whan she sawe that she was stedfastly mynded to go with her she spake nomore to her therof So they wente on both together till they came vnto Bethleem And whan they were come in to Bethleem the whole cite was moued ouer them and sayde Is not this Naemi Neuerthelesse she sayde vnto them call me not Naemi but Mara for the Allmightie hath made me very sory I departed full but the LORDE hath brought me home agayne emptye Why call ye me then Naemi whā the LORDE hath broughte me lowe and the Allmightie hath made me sory It was aboute the tyme of the begynninge of the barlye haruest whan Naemi and his sonnes wife Ruth y e Moabitysse came agayne from the londe of the Moabites vnto Bethleem There was a kinsman also of y e kynred of Eli Melech Naemis huszbande whose name was Boos which was an honest man The II. Chapter ANd Ruth the Moabitisse saide vnto Naemi Let me go in to y e felde gather eares of corne after him in whose sight I shal finde fau◠She sayde vnto her Go y t waie my doughter She wēte on came gathered after y e reapers in y e feld And it fortuned that the same felde was the enheritaunce of Boos which was of the kynred of Elimelech and beholde Boos came from Bethleem and sayde vnto the reapers The LORDE be with you They answered The LORDE blesse the. And Boos sayde vnto his yongman which had the ouersight of y e reapers Whose damsell is this The yonge man that was set ouer y e reapers answered and sayde It is the damsell the Moabitisse which came agayne with Naemi from the londe of the Moabites And she sayde Let me plucke vp and gather I praie the betwene the sheues after the reapers and thus is she come and hath stonde here euer sence the mornynge and within a litle whyle she wolde haue bene gone home agayne Then sayde Boos vnto Ruth Hearest thou my doughter Thou shalt not come vpon another mans londe to gather and go not awaye from hence but tary with my dāsels and loke where they reape in y e felde go thou after them for I haue cōmaunded my seruauntes that no man touch the. And yf thou be a thyrst go thy waye to the vessell drynke where my seruauntes drawe Then fell she downe vpon hir face and bowed hir self downe to the earth and sayde vnto him How haue I founde this fauoure in y e sighte that thou woldest knowe me which am yet a straunger Boos answered and sayde vnto her It is tolde me alltogether what thou hast done vnto thy mother in lawe after thy huszbādes death how that thou hast left y e father and thy mother and thy natiue countre and art come to a people whom thou hast not knowne afore The LORDE recompence the thy doinge and thy rewarde be parfecte w t the LORDE God of Israel vnto whom thou art come to put thy trust vnder his wynges She sayde let me fynde fauoure syr before thyne eyes for thou hast comforted me and spoken frendly vnto thy handmaydē where as I am not yet like one of y e handmaydēs Boos sayde vnto her Whan it is eatinge tyme come hither and eate of the bred and dyppe thy morsell in the vyneger And she sat hir downe besyde the reapers And he set parched come before her and she ate was satisfyed and lefte ouer And whā she rose to gather Boos commaunded his seruauntes and sayde Let her gather betwene the sheues also and do her no dishonestye and cast of the sheues vnto her and let it lye that she maye gather it vp and se that noman reproue her for it So she gathered in the felde vntyll euen and she shaked out what she had gathered and it was allmost an Epha of barlye and she toke it vp and came in to the cite and shewed hir mother in lawe what she had gathered She toke forth also and gaue her of that which was left wherof she was satysfyed Thē sayde hir
a wyse womā out of y e cite Heare heare saye vnto Ioab that he come hither I wyl speake with him And whā he came to her the woman sayde Art thou Ioab He sayde Yee She sayde vnto him Heare the wordes of thy handmayden He sayde I heare She sayde The comonsayenge was somtyme Who so wyll axe let him axe at Abel and so came it to a good ende This is y e noble and faithfull cite in Israel and wilt thou destroye the cite and the mother in Israel Why wilt thou swalowe vp the enheritaunce of the LORDE Ioab answered and sayde That be farre that be farre fro me that I shulde swalowe vp and destroye The matter is not so but a certayne man of mount Ephraim named Seba the sonne of Bichri hath lifte vp him selfe agaynst kynge Dauid delyuer him onely and I wyl departe from the cite The woman sayde vnto Ioab Beholde his heade shal be cast vnto the ouer the wall And the woman came in to all the people with hir wyszdome And they smote of the heade of Seba the sonne of Bichri and cast it vnto Ioab Then blewe he the trompe and they departed from the cite euery one vnto his tent But Ioab came agayne to Ierusalem vnto the kynge Ioab was captayne ouer all the hoost of Israel Benaia y e sonne of Ioiada was ouer the Chrethians and Plethians Adoram was rent gatherer Iosaphat the sonne of Ahilud was Chaunceler Seia was the scrybe Sadoc and Abiathar were the prestes Ira also y e Iairite was Dauids prest The XXI Chapter THere was a derth also in Dauids tyme thre yeares together And Dauid soughte the face of y e LORDE And the LORDE sayde Because of Saul and be cause of that bloudy housholde y t he slewe the Gibeonites Then the kynge caused for to call the Gibeonites and spake vnto them As for the Gibeonites they were not of y e children of Israel but a remnaunt of the Amorites howbeit the children of Israel had sworne vnto thē and Saul soughte for to smyte them in his gelousy for the childrē of Israel and Iuda Then sayde Dauid to the Gibeonites What shal I do vnto you And where withall shal I make the attonement that ye maye blesse y e enheritaunce of y e LORDE The Gibeonites sayde vnto him It is not for golde and syluer that we haue to do w t Saul and his house nether haue we oughte to do for to slaye eny mā in Israel He sayde What saye ye then that I shal do vnto you They sayde vnto y e kynge The man that hath destroyed vs and broughte vs to naughte shulde we destroye that nothinge be lefte him in all the coastes of Israel Let there be geuen vs seuen men of his sonnes that we maye hange them vp vnto the LORDE at Gibea of Saul the chosen of the LORDE The kynge sayde I wyll geue them Howbeit the kynge spared Mephiboseth y e sonne of Ionathas y e sonne of Saul because of the ooth of the LORDE y t was betwene them namely betwene Dauid Ionathas the sonne of Saul But the two sonnes of Rispa y e doughter of Aia whom she had borne vnto Saul Armoni Mephiboseth And the fyue sonnes of Michol the doughter of Saul whom she bare vnto Adriel the sonne of Barsillai the Mahalothite dyd the kynge take and gaue them in to the handes of y e Gibeonites which hanged thē vp vpō the mount before the LORDE So these seuen fell at one tyme and dyed in the tyme of the first haruest whan y e barly haruest begynneth Then toke Rispa the doughter of Aia a sackcloth spred it vpon the rock in the begynnynge of the haruest tyll the water from the heauen dropped vpō them and suffred not the foules of the heauen to rest on them on the daye tyme nether the wylde beestes of the felde on the nighte season And it was tolde Dauid what Rispa the doughter of Aia Sauls concubyne had done And Dauid wente and toke the bones of Saul and the bones of Ionathas his sonne from y e citesens at Iabes in Gilead which they had stollen from y e strete at Bethsan where y e Philistynes had hanged thē what tyme as the Philistynes had smytten Saul vpon mount Gilboa and broughte them vp from thence and gathered them together w t the bones of them that were hanged And the bones of Saul and of his sonne Ionathas buried they in y e londe of Ben Iamin besyde y e graue of his father Cis. So after this was God at one with the londe But there arose warre agayne of y e Philistynes agaynst Israel And Dauid wente downe his seruauntes with him foughte agaynst the Philistynes And Dauid was weery Ieszbi of Nob which was one of the children of Rapha and the weight of his speare was thre C. weight of brasse and had a new harnesse vpon him thoughte to smyte Dauid Neuertheles Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia helped him smote the Philistyne to death Then sware Dauids men vnto him sayde Thou shalt nomore go forth with vs vnto the warre that the lanterne in Israel be not put out Afterwarde there arose yet warre at Nob with the Philistynes Then Sibechai the Husathite smote Saph which also was one of the childrē of Rapha And there arose yet warre at Gob with the Philistynes Then Elhanan the sonne of Iaere Orgim a Bethleemite smote Goliath the Gethite which had a speare whose shaft was like a weeuers lome And there arose yet warre at Gath where there was a cōtencious man which had sixe fyngers on his handes and sixe toes on his fete that is foure and twēty in the nombre and he was borne also of Rapha And whan he spake despitefully vnto Israel Ionathas y e sonne of Simea Dauids brother smote him These foure were borne vnto Rapha at Gath and fell thorow the hande of Dauid and of his seruauntes The XXII Chapter ANd Dauid spake the wordes of this songe before the LORDE what tyme as the LORDE had delyuered him frō the hande of all his enemies and from the hande of Saul and he sayde The LORDE is my stony rock my castell and my delyuerer God is my strength in him wyl I put my trust my shylde the horne of my saluacion my defence my refuge my Sauioure thou shalt helpe me from violent wronge I wil call vpon the LORDE with prayse so shal ▪ I be delyuered fro myne enemies For the sorowes of death cōpased me and the brokes of Belial made me afrayed The paynes of hell came aboute me and the snares of death had ouertaken me Whā I was in trouble I called vpō the LORDE yee euen my God called I vpon so he herde my voyce frō his holy temple my cōplaynte came in to his eares The earth trembled and quaked the foundacions of the heauen shoke and moued be cause he was wroth
I ▪ Adonias seketh his fathers kyngdome Salomon is ordeyned kynge Chap. II. Dauid before his death exhorteth Salomō to godlynes Adonias Ioab and Semei are put to death Abiathar is deposed from the presthode Chap. III. Salomō optayneth wyszdome of God The wise sentence of Salomon betwene the two wemen that stroue for the childe Chap. IIII. The descripcion of Salomons kyngdome and of his wyszdome Chap. V. Hiram the kinge of Tyre sendeth Salomon connynge craftesmen to buylde the Temple Chap. VI. The descripcion of the time whā Salomon beganne to buylde the Temple and how it was buylded Chap. VII Salomon buyldeth himselfe an house of the tymber of mount Libanus Chap. VIII The Arke of the LORDE is brought in to Salomons temple The thankesgeuynge and prayer of Salomon Chap. IX The LORDE appeareth vnto Salomon which geueth Hiram twenty cities c. Chap. X. Quene Saba hearynge of Salomons wyszdome commeth to Ierusalem Chap. XI Salomon displeaseth God with the loue of Heythenysh wemen God deuydeth his kyngdome he dyeth Chap. XII Roboam foloweth yonge councell and maketh the people to cleue to Ieroboam which setteth vp Idolatry with the two golden calues Chap. XIII Ieroboam despiseth the prophet of the LORDE is punyshed receaued to grace agayne A Lyon slayeth the dishobedient prophet Chap. XIIII Ieroboam dyeth his sonne Nadab is kynge Of Roboams dominion Chap. XV. Abia reigneth in Iuda after hī reigneth Asa which hath warre with Baasa the kynge of Israel After him reigneth Iosaphath and Baesa dyeth Chap. XVI Ella reigneth in steade of his father Baesa Simri slayeth him and taketh the kyngdome The people are deuided Achab is kynge Chap. XVII A greate drouth derth in Elias tyme. The LORDE fedeth him thorow the Rauens and by the wedowe at Sarepta Chap. XVIII Elias commeth agayne vnto Achab. All Baals prestes are slayne Chap. XIX Iesebel threateneth Elias he flieth and is fed and strengthed by the angell The LORDE talketh with him vpon mount Horeb ▪ Eliseus is called Chap. XX. Benadab the kynge of Siria fighteth agaynst Samaria and Israel is ouercome and discomfited Chap. XXI Achab oppresseth Naboth for his vynyarde Elias rebuketh him Chap. XXII Iosaphat ande Achab helpe one another to fighte The prophet Micheas warueth them The first Chapter ANd whā kinge Dauid was olde well stryckē in age he coulde not be warme though he was couered with clothes Then sayde his seruauntes vnto him Let vs seke a yonge damsell a virgin for oure lorde the kynge to stonde before the kynge and to norish him to slepe in his armes and to warme oure lorde the kynge And they sought a fayre dāsell in all the coastes of Israel and founde Abisag of Sunem and brought her vnto y e kynge And she was a very fayre damsell and noryshed y e kynge and serued him Howbeit the kynge knewe her not Adonias y e sonne of Hagith lifte vp him selfe and sayde I wyl be kynge And he prepared him charettes and horsmen and fyftie men to be renners on fote before him And his father reproued hī not therfore so moch as to saye Wherfore doest thou so And he was a man of a very fayre bewtye and he had begotten him nexte after Absalō And his matter stode by Ioab y e sonne of Zeru Ia and by Abiathar the prest which helped Adonias But Sadoc the prest and Benaia the sonne of Ioiada and Nathan the prest and Semei and Rei and Dauids Worthies were not with Adonias And whā Adonias offred shepe and oxē and fat catell besyde the stone of Soheleth which lyeth by the well of Rogel he called all his brethrē the kynges sonnes and all the men of Iuda the kynges seruaūtes But the prophet Nathan and Benaia and the Worthies and his brother Salomon called he not Then sayde Nathan vnto Bethseba Salomons mother Hast thou not herde y t Adonias is kynge and oure lorde Dauid knoweth not therof Come now therfore I wyll geue the councell that thou mayest delyuer thy soule and the soule of thy sonne Salomon Come now and go in to kinge Dauid and saye vnto him Hast not thou my lorde the kynge sworne and sayde vnto thy handmayden Salomon thy sonne shall be kynge after me and he shall sytt vpon my seate Why is then Adonias made kynge Beholde while thou art yet there and talkest with the kynge I wyll come in after the and tell forth thy tayle And Bethseba wente in to the kynge to y e chamber And the kynge was very olde And Abisag of Sunem serued the kynge And Bethseba bowed hirselfe and worshipped the kynge The kynge sayde What wilt thou She sayde vnto him My lorde Thou hast sworne vnto thy handmayde by the LORDE thy God Thy sonne Salomon shall be kynge after me and syt vpon my seate But now lo Adonias is kynge and my lorde the kynge knoweth it not He hath offred oxen and fat catell and many shepe and hath called all the kynges sonnes and Abiathar the prest and Ioab the chefe captayne But thy seruaunt Salomon hath he not bydden Neuertheles thou my lorde art kynge the eyes of all Israel loke vnto the. that thou shuldest shewe them who shall syt vpon the seate of my lorde the kynge after the. And whā my lorde the kynge slepeth with his fathers then shal I and my sonne Salomon be fayne to be synners But whyle she yet spake to the kynge the prophet Nathan came and she tolde y e kinge beholde there is the prophet Nathan And whan he came in before the kynge he worshipped the kynge vpon his face to the grounde and sayde My lorde O kynge hast thou saide Adonias shal be kinge after me syt vpō my seate For he is gone downe this daye and hath offred oxen and fat catell hath called all the kynges sonnes and the captaynes and the prest Abiathar And beholde they eate and drynke before him and saye God saue the kynge Adonias But me thy seruaunt and Sadoc the prest and Benaia the sonne of Ioiada and thy seruaunt Salomon hath he not called Hath my lorde the kynge commaunded this and not certifyed his seruauntes who shall sytt vpon the seate of my lorde the kynge after him The kinge answered and saide Call Bethseba vnto me And she came in before the kinge And whan she stode before the kynge the kynge sware and sayde As truly as the LORDE lyueth which hath delyuered my soule out of trouble I wyl do vnto the this daye euen as I sware vnto the by the LORDE the God of Israel so that Salomon thy sonne shal be kynge after me and he shal sit pon my seate in my steade Then Bethseba bowed hir selfe with hir face to the grounde and thanked the kynge and sayde God saue my lorde kynge Dauid for euermore And the kynge sayde Call me the prest Sadoc the prophet Nathan and Benaia the sonne of Ioiada And whan they came in before the kynge the kynge sayde vnto them Take youre lordes seruauntes
answered kynge Salomon and saide vnto his mother Why desyrest thou Abisag of Sunem for Adonias Axe the kyngdome or him also for he is my greater brother and hath Abiathar the prest and Ioab the sonne of Zeru Ia. And the kynge sware by the LORDE and sayde God do this and that vnto me Adonias shall haue spoken this agaynst his lyfe And now as truly as the LORDE lyueth which hath ordeyned me and made me to syt vpon the seate of my father Dauid and hath made me a house acordynge as he sayde this daye shal Adonias dye And kynge Salomon sent thither by Benaia the sonne of Ioiada which smote him that he dyed And to the prest Abiathar sayde y e kynge Go thy waye vnto Anathoe to thy londe for thou art a man of deeth Neuerthelesse I wyl not slaye the this daye for thou hast borne the Arke of the LORDE God before my father Dauid and hast suffred also where my father suffred Thus Salomō put forth Abiathar that he must nomore be the prest of the LORDE that the worde of the LORDE mighte be fulfilled which he spake ouer the house of Eli at Silo. And this rumoure came before Ioab for Ioab cleued vnto Adonias and not vnto Salomon Then fled Ioab in to the Tabernacle of the LORDE and toke holde of the hornes of the altare And it was tolde kynge Salomon that Ioab was fled in to the Tabernacle of the LORDE and beholde he stondeth at the altare Then sent Salomon Benaia the sonne of Ioiada and sayde Go slaye him And whan Benaia came to the Tabernacle of the LORDE he sayde vnto him Thus sayeth the kynge Come forth He sayde No I wyl dye here And Benaia tolde this vnto the kynge agayne and sayde Thus hath Ioab spoken and thus hath he answered me The kinge saide vnto him Do as he hath spoken and slaye him and bury him that thou mayest put fro me and my fathers house the bloude which Ioab hath shed with out a cause and that the LORDE maye recompence him his bloude vpon his heade because he smote two men which were more righteous and better then he and slewe them with y e swerde that my father Dauid knewe not of namely Abner y e sonne of Ner the chefe captaine ouer Israel Amasa the sonne of Iether y e chefe captaine ouer Iuda y t their bloude maye be recompensed vpō y e heade of Ioab and of his sede for euer but Dauid and his sede his house and his seate haue peace for euermore of the LORDE And Benaia the sonne of Ioiada wente vp and smote him and slewe him he was buried in his house in the wyldernes And y e kynge set Benaia y e sonne of Ioiada in his steade ouer the hoost And Sadoc y e prest dyd the kynge set in the steade of Abiathar And the kynge sent and caused for to call Semei and sayde vnto him Buylde the an house at Ierusalem and dwell there and departe not from thence nether hither ner thither In what daye so euer thou departest forth and goest ouer y e broke Cedron be thou sure that thou shalt dye the deeth thy bloude be vpon thy heade Semei sayde vnto the kynge This is a good meanynge as my lorde the kynge hath sayde so shal thy seruaunt do So Semei dwelt at Ierusalem a longe season But after thre yeare it fortuned that two seruauntes ranne awaye from Semei vnto Achis the sonne of Maecha kynge of Gath. And it was tolde Semei beholde thy seruauntes are at Gath. Then Semei gat him vp and sadled his asse and wēte vnto Gath to Achis for to seke his seruaūtes And whā he came thither he broughte his seruauntes from Gath. And it was tolde Salomon that Semei wente from Ierusalem vnto Gath and was come agayne Then sent the kynge and caused for to call Semei and sayde vnto him Sware not I to the by the LORDE and assured the and sayde Loke what daye so euer thou departest out and goest hither or thither be sure that thou shalt dye the death And thou saydest vnto me I haue herde a good meanynge Why hast thou not kepte the then acordinge to the ooth of the LORDE and commaundement that I commaunded the And the kynge sayde vnto Semei Thou remembrest all y e wickednes which thy hert knoweth that thou dyddest vnto my father Dauid The LORDE hath recompenced y e thy wickednes vpon thy heade And kynge Salomon is blessed and the seate of Dauid shal be stablished before y e LORDE for euer And the kynge commaunded Benaia y e sonne of Ioiada which wente forth and smote him that he dyed And the kyngdome was stablished by Salomons hande The III. Chapter ANd Salomon made mariage w t Pharao the kynge of Egipte toke Pharaos doughter and broughte her in to the cite of Dauid tyll he had buylded his house and the LORDES house and the walles rounde aboute Ierusalem But the people offred yet vpon the hye places for as yet there was no house buylded vnto the name of the LORDE vnto that tyme. But Salomon loued the LORDE and walked after the ordinaunces of Dauid his father excepte onely that he offred and brent incense vpon the hye places And the kynge wente vnto Gibeon to do sacrifice there for that was a goodly hye place And Salomon offred a thousande burnt offerynges vpon the same altare And the LORDE appeared vnto Salomon at Gibeon in a dreame of the nighte and God sayde Axe what I shal geue ye. Salomō saide Thou hast done greate mercy vnto my father Dauid thy seruaunt Like as he walked before the in faithfulnes and righteousnes and in a true hert with the this greate mercy hast thou layed vp for him and geuen him a sonne to syt vpon his seate as it is now come to passe Now LORDE my God thou hast made thy seruaunt kynge in my father Dauids steade As for me I am but a small yonge man knowynge nether my outgoynge ner ingoynge And thy seruaunt is amonge the people whom thou hast chosen which is so greate that no man can nombre them ner descrybe them for multitude Geue thy seruaunt therfore an obedient hert that he maye iudge thy people vnderstonde what is good bad for who is able to iudge this thy mightie people This pleased the LORDE well that Salomon axed soch a peticion And God sayde vnto him For so moch as thou axest this and desyrest not longe lyfe nether riches nether y e soules of thine enemies but vnderstōdinge to heare iudgment beholde therfore haue I done acordynge to thy wordes Beholde I haue geuen the an hert of wyszdome and vnderstondynge so that soch one as thou hath not bene before the nether shall ryse vp after the. Yee and that thou hast not prayed for haue I geuen the also namely ryches and honoure so that amonge the kynges in y e tyme there is not soch one as
kynge of Israel and sayde vnto him Go thy waye and strength the and take hede and loke well what thou doest for whan the yeare is aboute the kynge of Syria shall come agaynst the of the new For the kynge of y e Syrians seruauntes sayde vnto him Their goddes are goddes of the mountaynes therfore haue they gotten the victory But let vs fyghte with them on the playne and thou shalt se that we shal ouercome them Do thus put awaye the kynges euery one from his place and set dukes in their steades and appoynte the an hoost as was that which thou hast lost horses charettes as the other were and led vs fight agaynst thē in the plaine and thou shalt se that we shal haue the victory He cōsented vnto their voyce and dyd so Now whan the yeare was gone aboute Benadab appoynted the Sirians and wente vp towarde Aphek to fighte agaynst Israel and the childrē of Israel mustured and prouyded them selues with vytailes and wēte to mete them and pitched their tētes ouer against them like two litle flockes of goates but the londe was full of the Syrians And there came a man of God and sayde vnto the kynge of Israel Thus sayeth the LORDE Because the Syrians haue sayde that the LORDE is a God of the moūtaynes and not a God of the valleys therfore haue I geuen all this greate heape in to thy handes that ye maye knowe how that I am y e LORDE And they pitched their tentes right ouer agaynst them seuen dayes But vpon y e seuenth daye they wente together in to the battayll and the children of Israel smote of the Sirians an hundreth thousande fote men in one daye and the remnaunt fled to Aphek in to the cite and the wall fell vpon the other seuen and twenty thousande men And Benadab fled also vnto the cite in to a litle chamber Then sayde his seruauntes vnto him Beholde we haue herde that the kynges of the house of Israel are mercifull kinges Let vs therfore put sack cloth aboute oure loynes and halters aboute oure neckes go forth to the kynge of Israel peraduenture he shal let y e soule lyue And they put sack cloth aboute their loynes and halters aboute their neckes and came to the kynge of Israel and sayde Benadab thy seruaunt sayeth vnto the O let my soule lyue He sayde yf he be yet alyue he is my brother And the men toke him shortly at his worde and expounded it for them selues and sayde Yee Benadab is thy brother He sayde Come and brynge him Thē wente Benadab forth vnto him and he caused him to syt vpon the charet and sayde vnto him The cities that my father toke from thy father wyl I geue the agayne And make thou stretes for thyselfe at Damascō as my father did at Samaria so wyl I let the go with a bonde of peace And he made a couenaunt with him and let him go Then spake there a man amonge the children of the prophetes vnto his neghboure by the worde of the LORDE I praye the smite me But he refused to smite him Then saide he vnto him because thou hast not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE beholde therfore shall there a lyon smyte the whan thou goest fro me· And whan he wente frō him a lyon founde him and slewe him And he founde another man and sayde I praye the smyte me And the man smote him and wounded him Then wente the prophet and stepte vnto the kynge by the waye syde and altered his face with aszshes And whan the kynge wente by he cried vpon y e kynge and sayde Thy seruaunt wente forth in to the battayll and beholde there wente one asyde and broughte a man vnto me and sayde Kepe this mā yf he be myssed thy soule shall be in steade of his soule or els thou shalt weye downe an hundreth weighte of syluer And whyle thy seruaunt had here there to do he was awaye The kynge of Israel sayde vnto him It is thine owne iudgment thou hast geuen it thyselfe Then put he the aszshes from his face in all the haist And the kynge of Israel knewe him that he was one of the prophetes And he sayde vnto him Thus sayeth the LORDE Because thou hast let the damned man go therfore shall thy soule be for his soule and thy people for his people And the kynge of Israel departed vnto his house beinge troubled in his mynde and full indignacion and came to Samaria The XXI Chapter AFter these actes it fortuned that Naboth the Iesraelite had a vyniarde at Iefreel besyde the palace of Achab kynge of Samaria And Achab spake to Naboth and sayde Geue me thy vynyarde I wyll make me an herbgarden therof because it is so nye my house I wyl geue the a better vynyarde for it or yf it please the I wyll geue the syluer for it as moch as it is worth But Naboth sayde vnto Achab The LORDE let that be farre fro me that I shulde geue y e my fathers heretage Then came Achab home beinge moued and full of indignacion because of the worde that Naboth the Iesraelite had spoken vnto him sayde I wyl not geue the my fathers inheritaunce And he laied him downe vpon his bed and turned his face asyde and ate no bred Then Iesabel his wyfe came in to him and sayde vnto him What is y e matter that thy sprete is so cōbred and that thou eatest no bred He sayde vnto her I haue spokē vnto Naboth the Iesraelite and sayde Geue me thy vynyarde for money or yf it please y t I wyl geue the another for it But he sayde I wyll not geue the my vynyarde Then sayde Iesabel his wyfe vnto him What kingdome were in Israel yf thou diddest it Stonde vp and eate bred I wyl get the the vynyarde of Naboth the Iesraelite And she wrote a letter vnder Achabs name and sealed it with his signet and sent it vnto y e Elders and rulers in his cite which dwelt aboute Naboth and wrote thus in y e letter Proclame a fast and set Naboth aboue in the people and set two men of Belial before him to testifye and saye Thou hast blasphemed God and the kynge And brynge him forth and stone him to death And the Elders and rulers of his cyte which dwelt in his cite dyd as Iesabel had commaunded them acordynge as she had wrytten in the letter that she sent vnto them and they proclamed a fast and caused Naboth to syt aboue amonge the people Then came the two men of Belial and stode before him and testyfyed agaynst Naboth in y e presence of the people and sayde Naboth hath blasphemed God and the kynge Then broughte they him out of the cite and stoned him to death And they sent Iesabel worde sayenge Naboth is stoned put to death Whā Iesabel herde that Naboth was stoned and deed she sayde vnto Achab Vp and take possession of the vynyarde of Naboth
the LORDE as his father Amasias had done and soughte God as longe as Zacharias lyued which taughte in the visyons of God and as longe as he sought the LORDE God made him to prospere For he wente forth and foughte agaynst the Philistynes and brake downe y e walles of Gath and the walles of Iabne and the walles of Aszdod and buylded cities aboute Aszdod amonge the Philistynes For God helped him agaynst the Philistines against the Arabians agaynst them of Gur Baal agaynst the Meunites And y e Ammonites gaue Osias presentes his name came in to Egipte for he was exceadinge stronge And Osias buylded towres at Ierusalem vpon the cornerporte and on the valley gate and on other corners and made them stronge He buylded castels also in the wyldernesse and dygged many welles for he had many catell both in the medewes and in the playnes huszbandmen also and wynegardeners on the mountaynes and on Carmel for he delyted in huszbandaye And Osias had an hoost of men of warre goynge forth to the battaill which were noÌ„bred vnder the hande of Ieiel the scrybe of Maesa the offycer vnder the haÌ„de of Hanania of the kynges rulers And the nombre of the chefe fathers amonge the stronge meÌ„ of warre was two thousande and syxe hundreth And vnder the hande of the hoost thre hundreth thousande and seuen thousande and fyue hundreth mete for the battayll in the strength of an armye to helpe the kinge agaynst the enemies And Osias prepared for all the hoost shyldes speares helmettes brestplates bowes and slyngstones And at IerusaleÌ„ he made ordinaunce coÌ„ningly to be vpon the towres and in the pynnacles to shute arowes and greate stones And the fame of him came farre abrode because he was specially helped tyll he became mightie And whan his power was greate his hert arose to his awne destruccion for he trespaced agaynst the LORDE his God and wente in to the temple of the LORDE to burne incense vpon the altare of incense But Asarias the prest wente after him and foure score prestes with him valeaunt men and withstode kynge Osias and saide vnto him It belongeth not vnto thy offyce Osias to burne incense vnto the LORDE but vnto the prestes belongeth it euen vnto the children of Aaron which are halowed to burne incense Go forth out of the Sanctuary for thou offendest and it shall be no worshippe vnto the before God the LORDE And Osias was wroth and had a censoure in his hande And whyle he murmured with the prestes the leprosy spronge out of his foreheade in the presence of the prestes in the house of the LORDE before the altare of incense And Asarias the chefe prest turned his heade towarde him and so dyd all the prestes and beholde he was leper in his foreheade And they put him out from thence Yee he made haist himselfe to go forth for his plage came of the LORDE Thus became Osias y e kynge a leper vnto his death and dwelt full of leprosye in a fre house for he was put out of the house of the LORDE But Ioram his sonne had the ouersight of the kynges house and iudged the people in the lâ—nde What more there is to saie of Osias both first and last Esay the sonne of Amos hath wrytten it And Osias fell on slepe w t his fathers and they buryed him with his fathers in the pece of grounde beside y e kynges sepulcres for they sayde He is leporous And Iotham his sonne was kynge in his steade The XXVII Chapter IOtham was fyue and twentye yeare olde whan he was made kynge and reigned sixtene yeare at Ierusalem His mothers name was Ierusa the daughter of Sadoc he dyd righte in the sighte of the LORDE as did Osias his father sauynge y t he wente not in to the temple of the LORDE and the people yet marred them selues He buylded the hye porte of the house of y e LORDE and on the wall of Ophel buylded he moch and buylded the cities vpon the mountaynes of Iuda and in the woddes buylded he castels and towres And he fought with the kinge of the children of Ammon and ouer came them so that the childreÌ„ of Ammon gaue him y e same yeare an hundreth talentes of siluer ten thousande quarters of wheate and ten thousande of barlye So moch dyd the children of Ammon geue him also in y e seconde thirde yeare Thus became Iotham mightye for he gyded his wayes before the LORDE his God What more there is to saye of Iotham all his warres vnd his waies beholde it is wrytten in y e boke of the kinges of Israel Iuda Fyue and twentye yeare olde was he whan he was made kynge reigned sixtene yeare at IerusaleÌ„ And IothaÌ„ fell on slepe w t his fathers they buryed him in the cite of Dauid and Achas his sonne was kynge in his steade The XXVIII Chapter AChas was twentye yeare olde whan he was made kynge and reigned sixtene yeare at Ierusalem and dyd not that which was righte in the sighte of the LORDE as did Dauid his father but walked in the wayes of the kinges of Israel and made molten ymages vnto Baalim and brent incense in the valley of the children of Hennon and breÌ„t his awne sonnes in y e fire after the abhominacions of the Heithen whoÌ„ the LORDE expelled before the childreÌ„ of Israel And he dyd sacrifice and brent incense vpon the hye places and vpon the hilles and amoÌ„ge all grene trees Therfore dyd the LORDE his God delyuer him in to the hande of the kynge of Syria so that they smote him and caryed awaye a greate multitude of his men presoners and broughte them to Damascon He was geuen also vnder the hande of the kynge of Israel so y t he dyd a greate slaughter vpon him For Pecah the sonne of Romelia smote in Iuda an hundreth twentye thousande in one daye which all were valeaunt men eueÌ„ because they had forsaken y e LORDE God of their fathers And Sichri a mightie maÌ„ of Ephraim slewe Maeseia y e kinges sonne Asriâ—am the prynce of the house Elâ—ana the nexte vnto the kynge And the children of Israel caried of their brethren presoners two hundreth thousande wemen sonnes and doughters and toke a greate spoyle from them and broughte the spoyle vnto Samaria But eueÌ„ there was there a prophet of y e LORDE whose name was Obed which weÌ„te out to mete y e hoost that came to Samaria and sayde vnto them Beholde because the LORDE God of youre fathers is wroth at Iuda therfore hath he geuen them ouer in to youre handes but ye haue slayne them so abhominably that it is come vnto heaueÌ„ Now thinke ye to subdue the children of Iuda and Ierusalem to be bondmen and bond maydens vnto you Is not this a trespace then w t you agaynst the LORDE yo r God Herken now vnto me and sende y e presoners hence agayne whom
bullockes and ten thousande shepe And many of the prestes sanctified them selues And the whole congregacion of Iuda reioysed the prestes and Leuites and all the congregacion that came out of Israel and the straungers that were come out of the londe of Israel and they that dwelt in Iuda and greate ioye was there at Ierusalem for sence the tyme of Salomon the sonne of Dauid the kynge of Israel was there no soch ioye at IerusaleÌ„ And the prestes and Leuites stode vp and blessed the people and their voyce was herde and their prayer came in to his holy habitacion in heauen The XXXI Chapter ANd whan all this was fynished all the Israelites that were founde in y e cities of Iuda wente out and brake the pilers and hewed downe the groues and brake downe the hye places and altares out of all Iuda Ben Iamin Ephraim and Manasses tyll they had destroyed theÌ„ And all the children of Israel wente agayne euery one to his possession vnto their cities But Ezechias set the prestes and Leuites in their ordinaunces euery one after his office both the prestes and Leuites for the burntsacrifices and thank offerynges to mynister to geue thankes and prayse in the gates of the hoost of the LORDE And the kynge gaue his porcion of his substauÌ„ce for the burnt offerynges in the mornynge and euenynge and for the burnt offerynges of the Sabbath and of the newmone and of the feastes as it is wrytten in the lawe of the LORDE And he spake vnto y e people which dwelt at Ierusalem that they shulde geue porcioÌ„s vnto the prestes and Leuites y t they mighte the more stedfastly endure in the lawe of the LORDE And whaÌ„ y e worde came forth the childreÌ„ of Israel gaue many fyrst frutes of corne wyne oyle hony and allmaner increace of the felde and broughte in moch of all maner tithes And the children of Israel and Iuda which dwelt in the cities of Iuda broughte the tithes also of oxen and shepe and the tithes of soch thinges as were sanctifyed which they had halowed vnto the LORDE their God and made here an heape and there an heape In the thirde moneth begaÌ„ne they to laye vpon heapes and in the seuenth moneth dyd they fynishe it And whaÌ„ Ezechias with the rulers wente in and sawe the heapes they praysed the LORDE and his people of Israel And Ezechiâ—s axed the prestes and Leuites concernynge the heapes And Asaria the prest the chefe in the house of Sadoc sayde vnto him Sence the tyme that they beganne to brynge the Heue offerynges in to y e house of the LORDE we haue eaten and are satisfied and yet is there lefte ouer for the LORDE hath blessed his people therfore is this heape lefte ouer Then commaunded the kynge that they shulde prepare chestes in the house of the LORDE And they prepared them â–ª and put in the Heue offerynges and tithes and that which was halowed faithfully And the ouersighte of the same had Chanania the Leuite and Simei his brother the seconde and Iehiel Asasia Naglath Asahel Ierimoth Iosabad Eliel Iesmachia Mahath and Benaia ordeyned of the hande off Chanania and Simei his brother acordinge to the commaundement of kynge Ezechias But Asaria was prynce in the house of God And Core y e sonne of Iemna the Leuite the power of the Eastgate was ouer the frewyllinge giftes of God which were geuen for Heue offerynges vnto the LORDE and ouer the Most holy And vnder his hande were Eden Miniamin Iesua Semaia Amaria and Sachania in the cities of the prestes vpon credence that they shulde geue vnto their brethreÌ„ acordinge to their courses to the leest as to the greatest And vnto them that were counted for men childreÌ„ from thre yeare olde and aboue amonge all theÌ„ that weÌ„te in to the house of the LORDE euery one vpoÌ„ his daye to their office in their attendaunces after their courses And they that were rekened for prestes in the house of their fathers and the Leuites from twentye yeare and aboue in their attendaunces after their courses And they that were rekened amonge their children wyues sonnes and doughters amoÌ„ge the whole congregacion for that which was halowed sanctifyed they vpon credence There were men also named by name amonge Aarons children the prestes vpon the feldes of the suburbes in all y e cities that they shulde geue porcions vnto all the men children amoÌ„ge the prestes and to all them that were nombred amonge the Leuites Thus dyd Ezechias in all Iuda and dyd that which was good righte and true in the sighte of the LORDE his God And in all the busynes that he toke in haÌ„de concernynge the seruyce of the house of God acordinge to the lawe and commaundement to seke his God that dyd he with all his hert and therfore prospered he well The XXXII Chapter AFter these actes and faithfulnes came Sennacharib the kynge of Assur and wente in to Iuda and pitched before the stroÌ„ge cities and thoughte to plucke them vnto him And whan Ezechias sawe that Sennacherib came and that his face stode to fighte agaynst Ierusalem he deuysed with his rulers and mightie men to couer the waters of the welles that were without the cite and they helped him and there gathered together a greate people and couered all y e welles and water brokes in the myddes of the londe and sayde Lest the kynges of Assur fynde moch water whaÌ„ they come And he toke a corage vnto him and buylded all the walles where they were in decaye and made towres theron and buylded yet another wall without and strengthed Millo in the cite of Dauid And made moch ordinaunce and shyldes and set captaynes of warre ouer the people And gathered them vnto him vpon the brode strete by the gate of the cite and spake hertely vnto them and sayde Be stronge and bolde feare not and be not afrayed for the kynge of Assur ner all y e multitude that is with him for there is one greater with vs then with him With him is a fleshly arme but with vs is the LORDE oure God to helpe vs and to fighte for vs. And y e people trusted vnto the wordes of Ezechias kynge of Iuda Afterwarde sent Sennacherib the kynge of Assur his seruauntes vnto Ierusalem for he laye before Lachis all his hoost w t him to Ezechias y e kinge of Iuda to all Iuda that was at IerusaleÌ„ sayenge Thus sayeth Sennacherib y e kynge of Assur Wherin put ye youre trust ye that dwell in the beseged Ierusalem Ezechias disceaueth you that he maye delyuer you vnto death hoÌ„ger and thyrst and sayeth The LORDE oure God shal delyuer vs from the hande of the kynge of Assur Is it not Ezechias that hath put awaye his hye places and altares and sayde vnto Iuda and Ierusalem Before one altare shal ye worshippe and burne incense theron Knowe ye not what I and my fathers haue done to all y e people in the londes Haue the
requyred acordinge to the hande of the LORDE his God vpon him And there wente vp certayne of the children of Israel and of the prestes and of the Leuites of the syngers of the porters and of the Nethinims vnto Ierusalem in the seuenth yeare of kynge Artaxerses And they came to Ierusalem in the fifth moneth that is the seuenth yeare of the kynge For vpon the first daye of the first moneth deuysed he to go vp from Babilon and on y e first daye of the fifth moneth came he to Ierusalem acordinge to the good hande of God vpon him For Eszdras prepared his hert to seke the lawe of the LORDE and to do it and to teach the precepte iudgment in Israel And this is the summe of the letter that kynge Artaxerses gaue vnto Eszdras the prest the scrybe which was a teacher in the wordes of the LORDE and of his statutes ouer Israel Vnto Eszdras the prest and scrybe in the lawe of the God of heauen peace and salutacion I haue commaunded that all they of the people of Israel and of the prestes and Leuites in my realme which are mynded of their awne good wyll to go vp to Ierusalem that they go with the beynge sent of the kynge and of the seuen lordes of the councell to vyset Iuda and Ierusalem acordinge to the lawe of God which is in thy haÌ„de And that thou shuldest take with the syluer and golde which the kynge and the lordes of his councell geue of their awne good wyll vnto the God of Israel whose habitacion is at Ierusalem and all the syluer and golde that thou canst fynde in all y e countre of Babilon with it that the people and prestes geue of their awne good wil vnto the house of God at Ierusalem Take thou the same and bye diligently with the same money calues lambes goates and meat offerynges and drynk offerynges to be offred vpon the altare of the house of youre God at Ierusalem And loke what it lyketh the and thy brethren to do with the remnaunt of the money that do after the wyll of youre God And the vessels that are geuen the for the mynistracion in the house of thy God those delyuer thou before God at Ierusalem And what so euer thinge more shal be nedefull for the house of thy God which is necessary for the to spende let the same be geueÌ„ out of the kynges chamber I kynge Artaxerses haue commaunded all the treasurers beyonde the water y t loke what so euer Eszdras the prest and scrybe in the lawe of the God of heaueÌ„ requyreth of you that ye fulfyll the same diligently vntyll an hundreth taleÌ„tes of syluer and tyll an hundreth quarters of wheate and tyll an huÌ„dreth Batthes of wyne and tyll an hundreth Batthes of oyle and salt without measure Whatsoeuer belongeth to the lawe of the God of heaâ—uen let the same be done with diligence for the house of the God of heaueÌ„ that there come no wrath vpon the kynges realme his children And knowne be it vnto you that ye shall haue no auctorite to requyre taxinge custome and yearly rentes vpon eny of the prestes Leuites syngers porters Nethinims and mynisters in y e house of this God But thou Eszdras after the wyszdome of y e God that is in thy hande set thou iudges and arbiters to iudge all the people that is beyonde Iordane euen all soch as knowe the lawe of thy God and them that knowe it not those se that ye teache And who so euer wyl not diligently fulfyll the lawe of thy God and the kynges lawe shall haue his iudgmeÌ„t for the dede whether it be vnto death or to be banyshed or to be condemned in good or to be put in preson Praysed be the LORDE God of oure fathers which so hath inspyred y e kynges herâ— to garnysh the house of God at Ierusalem and hath enclyned his mercy vnto me in the presence of the kynge and his councelers and before all the kynges hye estates And I was comforted acordinge to the haÌ„de of the LORDE my God ouer me and so gathered I the heades of Israel together y t they mighte go vp with me The VIII Chapter THese are the heades of their fathers that were named which wente vp w t me from Babilon what tyme as kynge Artaxerses reigned Of the childreÌ„ of Phineas Gersom of the children of Ithamar Daniel of the children of Dauid Hattus of the childreÌ„ of Pareos Zachary and the men childreÌ„ nombred with him an hundreth and fiftye Of the children of Pahath Moab Eleoenai the sonne of Serahia and w t him two hundreth males Of the children of Sechania the sonne of Iehasiel and with him thre hundreth males Of the children of Adin Ebed the sonne of Ionathan and with him fiftie males Of the children of Elam Iesaia the sonne of Athalia and with him seuentie males Of the children of Sephatia Sebadia the sonne of Michael and w t him foure score males Op the children of Ioab Obadia the sonne of Iehiel and with him two hundreth eightene men children Of the children of Selomith the sonne of Iosiphia and with him an hundreth and thre score males Of the children of Bebai Zachary the sonne of Bebai and with him eight and twentye males Of the children of Asgad Iohanan the yongest sonne and with him an hundreth and ten males Of the last children of Adonicam and these were their names Eliphelet Ieiel and Semaia and with them thre score males Of the children of Bigenai Vthai and Sabud and with them seueÌ„ males And I gathered them together by the water that renneth towarde Ahena there abode we thre dayes And whan I loked amonge the people the prestes I founde no Leuites there TheÌ„ sent I Elieser Ariel Semaia Elnathan Iarib Elnathan Natha Zachary and Mesullam the rulers and Ioiarib and Elnathan the teachers and those sent I vnto Iddo y e chefest at Casiphia that they shulde fetch us mynysters for the house of oure God and I tolde them what they shulde saye vnto Iddo and to his brethren the Nethinims at Casiphia And acordinge to the good hande of oure God vpon us they broughte us a wyse man from amonge the children of Maheli the sonne of Leuithe sonne of Israel euen Serebia with his sonnes and brethren eightene And Hasabia and with him Iesaia of the children of Merari with his brethren their sonnes twentye And of the Neâ—hinims whom Dauid and the princes gaue to mynister vnto the Leuites two hundreth twentye all named by name And euen there at the water besyde Ahena caused I a fastinge to be proclamed y t we mighte humble oure selues before oure God to seke of him a righte waye for us oure children and all oure substaunce For I was ashamed to require of the kynge soudyers horsmen to helpe us agaynst the enemye in the waye For we had sayde vnto the kynge The hande of oure God is for the best vpon
a dyssemblynge tonge hādes that shed innocent bloude an herte y t goeth aboute w t wicked ymaginaciōs fete that be swift in rennynge to do myschefe a false wytnesse y t bringeth vp lyes soch one as soweth discorde amonge brethren My sonne kepe thy fathers cōmaundemētes forsake not y e lawe of thy mother Put thē vp together in thine herte and bynde thē aboute thy necke That they maye lede the where thou goest preserue the when thou art aslepe y t when thou awakest thou mayest talke of thē For the commaundement is a lanterne and the lawe a light yee chastenynge nurtoure is y e waye of life that they maye kepe the frō the euell woman from the flaterynge tonge of the harlott y t thou lust not after her beuty in thine herte lest thou be takē w t hir fayre lokes An harlot wil make a mā to begg his bred but a maried woman wil hunt for y e precious life Maye a man take fyre in his bosome and his clothes not be brent Or can one go vpon hote coales and his fete not be hurte Euen so who so euer goeth in to his neghbours wife and toucheth her can not be vngiltie Men do not vtterly despyse a thefe that stealeth to satisfie his soule when he is hongerie but yf he maye be gotten he restoreth agayne seuen tymes asmoch or els he maketh recompence with all the good of his house But who so cōmitteth aduoutrie with a womā he is a foole and bryngeth his life to destruccion He getteth him self also shame dishono r soch as shal neuer be put out For the gelousy wrath of the mā will not be ītreated no though thou woldest ofre him greate giftes to make amendes he will not receaue them The VII Chapter MY sonne kepe my wordes laye vp my cōmaundemētes by the. Kepe my cōmaundemētes my lawe euē as the aple of thine eye thou shalt lyue Bynde them vpon thy fyngers wryte thē in the table of thine hert Saye vnto wysdome thou art my sister and call vnderstondinge thy kynswoman that she maye kepe y e frō y e straūge womā frō y e harlot which geueth swete wordes For out of the wyndowe of my house I loked thorow the trelies behelde the simple people amonge other yonge folkes I spyed one yonge foole goinge ouer the stretes by the corner in the waye towarde the harlottes house in the twylight of of the euenynge when it begāne now to be night and darcke And beholde there mett him a womā in an harlottes apparell a disceatfull wāton an vnstedfast womā whose fete coude not abyde in y e house now is she without now ī y e stretes lurketh ī euery corner she caught y e yōge mā kyssed him was not ashamed sayēge I had a vowe to paye this daye I perfourme it Therfore came I forth to mete the that I might seke thy face and so I haue founde the. I haue deckte my bed with coueringes clothes of Egipte My bed haue I made to smell of Myrre Aloes and Cynamom Come let vs lye together take oure pleasure till it be daye light For the good man is not at home he is gone farre of He hath taken the bagg of moneye with him who can tell whē he cōmeth home Thus with many swete wordes she ouercame him and with hir flateringe lippes she wanne him Immediatly he foloweth her as it were an oxeled to the slaughter and like as it were to the stockes where fooles are punyshed so longe till she hath wounded his lyuer with hir darte like as yf a byrde haisted to the snare not knowinge that the parell of his life lyeth there vpō Heare me now therfore o my sonne and marcke the wordes of my mouth Let not thine herte wandre in hir wayes be not thou disceaued in hir pathes For many one hath she woūded and cast downe yee many a stronge mā hath she slayne Hir house is the waye vnto hell where men go downe to the chambers of death The VIII Chapter DOth not wysdome crie doth not vnderstondinge put forth hir voyce Stondeth she not in the hye places in the stretes wayes doth she not crie before the whole cite in the gates where men go out in It is you o ye men sayeth she whom I call Vnto you o ye childrē of mē lift I vp my voyce Take hede vnto knowlege o ye ignoraūt be wyse in herte o ye fooles Geue eare for I wil speake of greate matters open my lippes to tell thinges that be right For my throte shal be talkynge of y e trueth my lippes abhorre vngodlynesse All the wordes of my mouth are rightuous there is no frowardnesse ner falsede therin They are all playne to soch as wil vnderstōde right to thē that fynde knowlege Receaue my doctryne therfore and not syluer knowlege more then fyne golde For wysdome is more worth then precious stones ye◠all the thinges that thou cāst desyre are not to be compared vnto it I wysdome haue my dwellynge w t knowlege and prudent councell is myne owne With me is the feare of the LORDE and y e eschuynge of euell As for pryde disdayne an euell waye a mouth that speaketh wicked thīges I vtterly abhorre thē I can geue councell and be a gyde I haue vnderstondinge I haue strength Thorow me kynges reigne thorow me paces make iust lawes Thorow me lordes beare rule and all iudges of y e earth execute iudgmēt I am louynge vnto those that loue me and they that seke me early shal fynde me Riches honoure are w t me yee excellent goodes rightuousnes My frute is better thē golde precious stone myne encrease more worth then fyne syluer I walke in y e waye of rightuousnes in the strete of iudgment That I maye sende prosperite to those that loue me to encrease their treasure The LORDE himself had me in possessiō in the begynnynge of his wayes or euer he begame his workes aforetyme I haue bene ordened frō euerlastīge frō y e beginnynge or euer the earth was made When I was borne there were nether depthes ner springes of water Before the foundacions of y e mountaynes ▪ were layed yee before all hilles was I borne The earth and all that is vpon the earth was not yet made no not the grounde it self For when he made the heauens I was present whā he set the depthes in ordre whan he hanged the cloudes aboue whan he fastened the sprynges of the depe Whan he shutt the see within certayne bowndes that y e waters shulde not go ouer their marckes When he layed the foundacions of the earth I was with him ordringe all thinges delytinge daylie reioysynge all waye before him As for the roūde cōpase of his worlde I make it ioyfull ▪ for my delyte is
couered her with his greate wawes Hir cities are layed waist the londe lieth vnbuylded and voyde it is a londe where no man dwelleth where no mā traueleth thorow Morouer ▪ I wil vyset Bel at Babilō the thinge that he hath swalowed vp that same shal I plucke out of his mouth The Gentiles also shall runne nomore vnto him yee and the walles of Babilon shal fall O my people come out of Babilon that euery man maye saue his life from the fearfull wrath of the LORDE Be not faynte herted feare not at euery rumoure that shal be herde in the londe for euery yeare bringeth new tydinges yee straunge wickednes and lordshipe And lo the tyme commeth that I wil vyset the ymages of Babilō and the whole londe shal be confounded yee and hir slayne shal lie in the myddest of her Heauen and earth with all that is therin shall reioyce ouer Babilon when the destroyers shal come vpon her from the north saieth y e LORDE Like as Babilō hath beaten downe and slayne many out of Israel so shal there fall many and be slayne in all hir kyngdome Ye that haue escaped the swearde haist you stōde not still remembre the LORDE afarre of and thinke vpon Ierusalem for we were ashamed to heare the blasphemies oure faces were couered with shame because the straunge aleauntes came in to the Sanctuary of the LORDE Wherfore beholde saieth the LORDE the tyme commeth that I wil vyset the ymages of Babilon and thorow the whole lōde they shal mourne and fall Though Babilon clymmed vp in to heauē and kepte her power an hie yet shal I sende her destroyers saieth the LORDE A piteous crie shall be herde from Babilon and a greate mysery from the londe of the Caldees when the LORDE destroyeth them and when he dryueth out the hie stomack proude boostinge where with they haue bene as furious as the wawes of greate water floudes and made greate crakes with their wordes For the destroyers shall come vpon her euen vpon Babilon which shal take hir worthies and brake their bowes for God is disposed to avenge him self vpon them sufficiently to recompence thē Yee saieth the LORDE I will make their prynces their wyse men their chefe rulers all their worthies dronckē so that they shal slepe an euerlastinge slepe and neuer wake Thus saieth the kinge whose name is y e LORDE of hoostes Morouer thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes The thicke wall of Babilon shal be broken and hir proude gates shal be brente vp And the thinge that the Gētiles and the people haue wrought with greate trauayle and laboure shal come to naught and be consumed in the fyre This is the charge that Ieremy gaue vnto Sarias the sonne of Nerias the sonne of Maasia when he wente towarde Babilon with Sedechias the kinge of Iuda in the fourth yeare of his reigne Now this Sarias was a peaceable prynce Ieremy wrote in a boke all the misery that shulde come vpon Babilon yee and all these sermons that be written agaynst Babilon and gaue Sarias this charge When thou commest vnto Babilon se that thou rede all these wordes and saye O LORDE thou art determed to rote out this place so that nether people ner catell shal dwell there eny more but to lie waist for euer and when thou hast redde out the boke bynde a stone to it and cast it in the myddest of Euphrates and saye Euē thus shal Babilon syncke be thrust downe with the burthen of trouble that I will bringe vpon her so that she shal neuer come vp agayne Thus farre are y e preachinges of Ieremy The LII Chap. SEdechias was xxj yeare olde when he was made kynge he raigned xj yeare in Ierusalem His mothers name was Hamithal Ieremies doughter of Lobna He lyued wickedly before the LORDE euen as Ioachim dyd Wherfore the LORDE was angrie at Ierusalem Iuda so longe till he had cast thē out of his presence And Sedechias fel from the kynge of Babilon But in y e ix yeare of his raigne In the tēth Moneth the tenth daye of the Moneth it happened that Nabuchodonosor kynge of Babilon with all his hooste came before Ierusalem beseged it made them bulworkes rounde aboute it And this beseginge of the cite endured vnto the xj yeare of kynge Sedechias And in the fourth Moneth the ix daye of the Moneth there was so greate honger in the cite that there were no more vitayles for the people of the londe So all the souldyers brake awaye and fled out of the cite by night thorow the waye of the porte betwene the two walles by the kynges garden Now y e Caldees had cōpassed the cite rounde aboute yet wente these men their waye towarde the wildernesse And so the Caldees folowed vpon them and toke Sedechias the kinge in the felde of Iericho when his hoost was runne from him So they caried the kynge awaye presoner to Reblatha vnto the kinge of Babilon in the londe of Hemath where he gaue iudgment vpon him The kinge of Babilō also caused Sedechias sonnes be slayne before his face yee put all the prynces of Iuda to death at Reblatha Morouer he put out the eyes of Sedechias caused him be bounde with cheynes to be caried vnto Babilon let him lie in preson till he dyed Now y e tenth daye of the fyfth Moneth in the xix yeare of Nabuchodonosor kynge of Babilon Nabusaradan the chefe captayne and the kinge of Babilons seruauntes came vnto Ierusalem brent vp the house of the LORDE He brent vp also the kinges palace all the houses all the gorgeous buyldinges in Ierusalē And the whole hoost of the Caldees y t were with the chefe captayne brake downe all the walles of Ierusalem rounde aboute As for the poore people soch folke as yet was left in the cite which also were fallen to the kinge of Babilon yee what people as yet remayned Nabusaradan the chefe captayne caried them awaye presoners But y e poore people of the countre dyd Nabusaradan the chefe captayne leaue in the londe to occupie the vynyardes feldes The Caldees also brake the brasen pilers that were in the house of the LORDE yee the seate and the brasen lauer that was in the house of y e LORDE caried all the metall of them vnto Babilon They toke awaye also the Cauldrons shouels flesh hokes sprinklers spones all the brasen vessell that was occupide in the seruyce with the basens colepannes sprinklers pottes candilstickes spones and cuppes wherof some were of golde and some of syluer The chefe captayne toke also the two pilers the lauer the xij brasen bullockes y t stode vnder y e seate which kinge Salomon made in the house of the LORDE all the vessell conteyned so moch metall that it might not be weyed For euery piler was xviij cubites hie the rope that went aboute it
Coudest thou not make those that haue bene made and that be now and that are fo◠to come in one that thou mightest shewe thy iudgment the sooner Then answered heme and sayde The creature maye not haist aboue the maker nether maye the worlde holde thē at once that shal be created And I sayde How hast thou sayde then vnto thy seruaunt that thou lyuynge maker hast made the creature lyuynge at once the creature bare it euē so might it now also beare them that be present at once And he sayde vnto me Axe the childeszbed of a womā and saye vnto her Yf thou bringest forth childrē why doest thou it not together but one after another Praye her therfore to brynge forth ten children at once And I sayde she can not but must do it one after another Then sayde he vnto me Euen so haue I geuen a childeszbed vnto the earth for those that be sowne vpon it by processe of tyme. For like as a yonge childe maye not brynge forth the thinges that belonge to the aged euen so haue I ordened the worlde which I made And I axed and sayde Seynge thou hast now geuē me a waye I wyl speake before y e for oure mother of whō thou hast tolde me is yet yonge now she draweth nye vnto age He answered me sayde Axe a woman that beareth children she shal tell the. Saye vnto her wherfore are not they whom thou hast now brought forth like those that were before the but lesse of stature And she shal answere the They y t be borne in the youth of strēgth are of one fashion and they that are borne in the tyme of age whan the childeszbed fayleth are other wyse Cōsidre now thyself how that ye are lesse of stature then those that were before you and so are they that come after you lesse then ye as the creatures which now begynne to be olde and haue passed ouer the strength of youth Then sayde I LORDE I beseke the yf I haue founde fauoure in thy sight shewe thy seruaunt by whom doest thou vyset thy creature The VI. Chapter ANd he sayde vnto me In the begynnynge whan the grounde was made before the worlde stode or euer y e wyndes blew before it thondred and lightened or euer the foundacions of Paradise were layed before the fayre floures were sene or euer the moueable powers were stablished before y e innumerable multitudes of angels were gathered together or euer y e highnesses of y e ayre were lifted vp afore y e measures of the firmament were named or euer y e chymneys in Sion were hote and or the presente yeares were sought out and or euer the invencions of them y t now synne were put asyde before they were sealed that now gather faith for a treasure then dyd I cōsidre and pondre all these thinges and they all were made thorow me and thorow none other by me also they be ended and by none other Then answered I and sayde which shal be the partynge asunder of the tymes Or whan shal be the ende of the first and the begynnynge of it that foloweth And he sayde vnto me From Abrahā vnto Isaac whā Iacob Esau were borne of him Iacobs hande helde first the hele of Esau for Esau is the ende of this worlde and Iacobis the begynnynge of it that foloweth The hande of man betwixte the hele and the hande Other question Eszdras axe thou not I answered then and sayde O LORDE LORDE yf I haue founde fauoure in thy sight I beseke the shewe thy seruaunt the ende of thy tokēs wherof thou shewdest me parte the last night So he answered and sayde vnto me Stōde vp vpon thy fete and heare the perfecte voyce and sounde There shal come a greate mocion but y e place where thou stōdest shal not be moued And therfore whan thou hearest the wordes be not afrayed for of the ende shal the worde and foundacion of y e earth be vnderstonde And why the worde therof trembleth and quaketh for it knoweth that it must be chaunged at the ende And it happened that whā I had herde it I stode vp vpon my fete and herkened and beholde there was a voyce y t spake and the sounde of it was like the sounde of many waters and it sayde Beholde y e dayes come y t I wyl begynne to drawe nye and to vyset them that dwell vpō earth and wyl begynne to make inquysicion of them what they be y t haue hurte equyte w t vnrighteousnes and whan the lowe estate of Sion shal be fulfylled and whan the worlde that shal vanish awaye shal be ouersealed then wyl I do these tokens The bokes shal be opened before the firmament and they shal se all together the children of a yeare olde shal speake w t their voyces the womē with childe shal brynge forth vntymely children of thre or foure monethes olde and they shall lyue and be raysed vp sodēly shal the sowne places appeare as the vnsowne the full store houses shal sodenly be founde emptie and the trompett shal geue a sounde which whā euery man heareth they shal be haistely afrayed At that tyme shall frendes fight one agaynst another like enemies and the earth shal stonde in feare with them The sprynges of the welles shal stonde styll and in thre houres they shal not renne Who so euer remayneth from all these thinge◠that I haue tolde the shal escape and se my saluacion and the ende of youre worlde And the men that are receaued shal se it they that haue not taisted death frō their byrth and the hert of the indwellers shal be chaunged and turned in to another meanynge for euell shal be put out and disceate shal be quenched As for faith it shal florish corrupcion shal be ouercome and the trueth which hath bene so longe without frute shal be declared And it happened whan he talked w t me that I loked demurely vpō him before whō I stode and these wordes sayde he vnto me I am come to shewe y e the tyme of y e night for to come Yf thou wilt praye yet more and fast seuē dayes agayne I shal tel the more thinges greater then before for thy voyce is herde before the Hyest for why the Mightie hath sene thy righteous dealynge he hath sene also thy chastite which thou hast had euer sence thy youth and therfore hath he sent me to shewe the all these thinges and to saye vnto the Be of good comforte and feare not and haist not with y e tymes that are past to thynke vayne thinges and make no haist of the latter tymes And it happened after this y t I wepte agayne and fasted seuen dayes in like maner that I might fulfill the thre wekes which he tolde me In the eight night was my hert vexed within me agayne and I beganne to speake before the Hyest for my sprete was greatly set on fyre and my soule was in distresse
promysed offerynges And Iudith offred all Holofernes weapâ—ns and all the Iewels that y e people had geueÌ„ her and the canapy that she toke from his bed and hanged them vp vnto the LORDE The people was ioyfull as the vse is this ioye by reason of the victory with Iudith endured thre monethes So after these dayes euery man wente home agayne and Iudith was in greate reputacion at Bethulia and right honorably taken in all the londe of Israel Vnto hir vertue also was chastite ioyned so y t after hir huszbonde Manasses dyed she neuer knew man all the dayes of hir life Vpon the hye solempne dayes she wente out with greate worshipe She dwelt in hir huszbandes house an hundreth and fyue yeare left hir hondâ— mayden fre and dyed and was buried besyde hir huszbande in Bethulia And all the people mourned for her seuen dayes So longe as she lyued there was none that troubled Israel and many yeares also after hir death The daye wherin this victory was gotten was solemply holden and rekened of the Iewes in the nombre of the holy dayes and is yet greatly holden of the Iewes euer sence vnto this daye The ende of the boke of Iudith The chapters in the boke of Hester which are not founde in the text of the Hebrue but in the Greke and Latyn The XI Chapter after the Latyn In this chapter is descrybed the dreame of Mardocheus MArdocheus the sonne of Iair the sonne of Semei y e sonne of Cisei of y e trybe of Ben Iamin a Iew which had his dwelllynge in Susis a man of greate reputacioÌ„ excellent amonge all them that were in the kynges courte Neuerthelesse he was one of the presoners whom Nabuchodonosor the kynge of BabiloÌ„ had caried awaye from Ierusalem vnto Babilon w t Iechonias the kynge of Iuda In the seconde yeare of the raigne of greate Artaxerses in the first daye of y e moneth Nisan had this Mardocheus soch a dreame He thought he herde a greate teÌ„pest horrible thonder clappes erthquakes greate vpro r in y e londe y t he sawe two greate dragoÌ„s ready to fight one agaiÌ„st another Their crye was greate At the which roaringe and crye all Heithen were vp to fight agaynst y e righteous people And y e same daye was full of darcknes very vncleare full of trouble anguysh yee a greate fearfulnes was there in all the londe The righteous were amased for they feared y e plage euell y t was deuysed ouer theÌ„ were at a poynte w t them selues to dye So they cried vnto God and while they were cryenge the litle well grew in to a greate ryuer in to many waters And with y t it was daye the sonne rose vp agayne And y e lowly were exalted and deuoured the glorious and proude Now whan Mardocheus had sene this dreame he awoke and mused stedfastly in his hert what God wolde do and so he desyred to knowe all the matter and his mynde was there vpon vntyll the night The XII Chapter In this chapter is declared how Mardocheus vttereth the treason of the two seruauntes agaynst the kynge and therfore doth the kynge rewarde him AT the same tyme dwelt Mardocheus with Bagatha and Thares the kynges chamberlaynes and porters of the palace But whan he herde their deuyce and had diligently considered their ymaginacions he perceaued that they wente aboute to laye their cruell handes vpon the kynge Artaxerses and so he certified the kinge therof Then caused the kynge to examen y e two gelded with tormentes And whan they had graunted it they were put to death This the kynge caused to be put in y e Cronicles for an euerlastinge remembrauÌ„ce and Mardocheus wrote vp the same matter So the kynge commaunded that Mardocheus shulde do seruyce in the courte and for this faithfulnesse of his he gaue him a rewarde But Aman the sonne of Amadathu the Agagite which was holden in greate honoure and reputacion in the kynges courte vndertoke to hurte Mardocheus his people because of the two chamberlaynes that were put to death The XIII Chapter The copie of the commaundement which kiÌ„ge Artaxerses by the entisinge of AmaÌ„ sent out in to all countres for the destruccion of the Iewes The prayer of Mardocheus THe greate kynge Artaxerses which raigneth from India vnto Ethiopia ouer an hundreth and seuen and tweÌ„tye londes sendeth his frendly salutacion vnto all the prynces and debytes of the countrees which be subiecte vnto his dominion Whan I was made lorde ouer many people and had subdued the whole earth vnto my dominion my mynde was not with crueltye and wronge to exalte myself by the reason of my power but purposed w t equyte allwaye and gentylnes to gouerne those that be vnder my iuriszdiccion and wholy to set them in a peaceable life and therby to brynge my kingdome vnto tranquylite that men might safely go thorow on euery syde and to renue peace agayne which all men desyre Now whan I axed my councelers how these thines might be brought to a good ende there was one by vs excelleÌ„t in wyszdome whose good wyll trueth faithfulnes hath oft bene shewed proued which was also y e pryncipall next vnto y e kiÌ„ge AmaÌ„ by name which certified vs how y t in all loÌ„des there was crepte in a rebellious folke y t made statutes lawes agaynst all other people haue allwaye despysed the proclamed commaundementes of kynges and how that for this cause it were not to be suffred that soch rule shulde contynue by you not to be put downe Seinge now we perceaue the same that this people alone are contrary vnto euery man vsynge straunge and other maner of lawes withstonde oure statutes and doinges and go aboute to stablish shrewd matters that oure kyngdome shulde neuer come to good estate and stedfastnes Therfore haue we commauÌ„ded that all they that are appoynted in wrytinge and shewed vnto you by Aman which is ordened and set ouer all oure busynes and the most pryncipall next vnto the kynge and in maner as a father shal with their wiues children be destroyed and roted out with the swerde of their enemies and aduersaries y t there shal be no mercy shewed no man spared And this shal be done y e xiiij daye of the moneth called Adar of this yeare that they which of olde and now also haue euer bene rebellious maye in one daye with violence be thrust downe in to the hell to the inteÌ„t that after this maner oure empyre maye haue peace and tranquylite But Mardocheus thought vpon all the workes and noble actes of y e LORDE made his prayer vnto him sayenge O LORDE LORDE thou valeaunt and allmightie kynge for all thinges are in thy power and yf thou wilt helpe and delyuer Israel there is no maÌ„ that can withstoÌ„de ner lett the for thou hast made heauen earth and what
speakynge vnto him she fell downe agayne for fayntnes for the which cause the kynge was afrayed and all his seruauntes comforted her The XVI Chapter A copye of the commaundement which kinge Artaxerses caused to be proclamed in all the countrees of his domynion for the wealth of the Iewes THe greate kynge Artaxerses which raigneth frō India vnto Ethiopia ouer an hundreth and xxvij londes sendeth vnto the prynces rulers of the same londes soch as loue him his frendly salutacion There be many that for the sondrye frendshipes and benefites which are diuersly don◠vnto them for their worshipe be euer y e more proude and hye mynded and vndertake not onely to hurte oure subiectes for plenteous benefites maye they not suffre and begynne to ymagin some thinge agaynst those that do them good and take not onely all vnthankfulnes awaye fro men but in pryde and presumpcion as they that be vnmyndefull and vnthākfull for the good dedes they go aboute to escape the iudgment of God y t seyth all thinges which iudgment hateth punysheth all wickednes It happeneth oft also y t they which be set in office by the hyer power and vnto whom the busynes and causes of the subiectes are cōmytted to be handled waxe proude and defyle thē selues with sheddynge of innocent bloude which bryngeth them to intollerable hurte Which also with false and disceatfull wordes and with lyenge tales disceaue and betraye the innocent goodnes of prynces Now is it profitable and good that we take hede make search therafter and consider not onely what hath happened vnto vs of olde but the shamefull vnhonest and noysome thinges that the debites haue now taken in hande before oure eyes and therby to bewarre in tyme to come that we maye make the kyngdome quyete peaceable for all men and that we might some tyme drawe it to a chaunge and as for y e thinge that now is present before oure eyes to withstande it and to put it downe after the most frendly maner What tyme now as Aman the sonne of Amadathu y e Macedonyan a straunger verely of the Persians bloude and farre from oure goodnes was come in amōge vs as an aleaunt and had optayned the frendshipe that we beare towarde all people so that he was called oure father and had in hye honoure of euery man as the next and pryncipall vnto the kynge he coude not forbeare him self from his pryde hath vndertaken not onely to robbe vs of the kyngdome but of oure life With manyfolde disceate also hath he desyred to destroye Mardocheus oure helper and preseruer which hath done vs good in all thinges and innocent Hester the like partaker of oure kyngdome with all hir people For his mynde was whan he had takē them out of the waye and robbed vs of them by this meanes to translate the kyngdome of the Persians vnto thē of Macedonia But we fynde that the Iewes which were accused of y e wicked y t they might be destroyed are no euell doers but vse reasonable right lawes and that they be the children of the most Hye lyuynge God by whom the kyngdome of vs and oure progenitours hath bene well ordred hither to Wherfore as for the letters and cōmaundementes that were put forth by Aman the sonne of Amadathu ye shal do well yf ye holde them of none effecte for he that set them vp and inuented thē hangeth at Susis before the porte with all his kinred and God which hath all thinges in his power hath rewarded him after his deseruynge And vpon this ye shal publish and set vp the copy of this letter in all places that the Iewes maye frely and without hinderaunce holde them selues after their owne statutes and that they maye be helped and that vpō y e xiij daye of y e xij moneth Adar they may◠be auenged of them which in the tyme of their anguysh and trouble wolde haue oppressed thē For the God that gouerneth all thinges hath turned to ioye the daye wherin y e chosen people shulde haue perished Morouer amōge the hye solempne dayes that ye haue ye shall holde this daye also w t all gladnesse that now and in tyme to come this daye maye be a remembraūce to good for all soch as loue the prosperite of the Persians but a remembraunce of destruccion to those that be sedicious vnto vs. All cities and lōdes that do not this shal horribly perish and be destroyed w t the swerde and fyre and shall not onely be nomore inhabited of men but be abhorred also of y e wilde beastes foules The boke of Wyszdome What this boke conteyneth Chap. I. An exortaciō for iudges and rulers to loue wyszdome The sprete of wyszdome hateth falsede disfimulacion and Ypocrysie rebuketh vnrighteousnesse and abhorreth wicked doers Chap. II. The ymaginaciōs and thoughtes of the vngodly how they geue thē selues ouer vnto synne and persecute all vertue and trueth Chap. III. The felicite and health of godly people though they be put here to trouble and heuynesse Agayne what sorow shall happen to the vngodly and their children Chap. IIII. To lyue chaist godly withall is cōmendable A disprayse of the wicked The honoure of verteous age The shamefull death of the vngodly Chap. V. How the iust men shal stōde against the wicked that haue put them here to trouble what sorowe shall come vpon the vngodly Agayne what ioye shal happen to the righteous which haue God himself for their defēce Chap. VI. An exortacion vnto soch as be in rule and auctorite to receaue wyszdome A commēdacion of wyszdome Chap. VII All men haue like intraūce in to the worlde yet who so calleth vpon God for wyszdome shal haue his desyre The profit that cōmeth by wyszdome passeth all other thinges Chap. VIII Wiszdome shulde be receaued in youth He that marieth himself vnto her shall optayne loue of God and men Chap. IX A prayer vnto God for the gift of wyszdome Chap. X. What profit and good came by wyszdome in the olde tyme. Chap. XI How wiszdome ledeth the righteous how the vngodly are punyshed thorow the mightie hande of God Chap. XII God is mercifull and suffreth longe to the intent that synners shulde amende Chap. XIII Vayne are they that haue not the knowlege of the lyuynge God but turne vnto to the creatures vnhappie are they that honoure ymages Chap. XIIII The worshippinge of ymages The power of God Punyshment of them that make ymages and of soch as worshipe them How ymages came vp first The honouringe of ymages is the cause begynnynge and ende of all myschefe Chap. XV. The faithfull haue respecte vnto God and not vnto ymages Chap. XVI God punisheth the wicked but defendeth the godly that by greate wonders Chap. XVII Of the greate darcknesse in Egipte and blyndnesse of the vngodly Chap. XVIII How God destroied the firstborne of Egipte Gods people eate the easter lambe ioyfully the Egiptians mourne God punysheth the synners in the
and fede me also of that thou hast Awaye thou straunger so that he regardeth his honoure nomore my brother commeth in to my house so he telleth him the necessite of his house These thinges are heuy to a man that hath vnderstandinge namely the forbyddinge of y e house that the leÌ„der casteth him in the teth The XXX Chapter WHo so loueth his childe holdeth him still vnder correccion that he maye haue ioye of him afterwarde and that he grope not after his neghbours dores He y t teacheth his sonne shall haue ioye in him nede not be ashamed of him amoÌ„ge his aquantauÌ„ce Who so enfourmed teacheth his sonne greueth y e enemie â—nd before his frendes he maye haue ioye of him Though the father dye yet is he as though he were not deed for he hath left one behynde him that is like him In his life he sawe him had ioye in him was not sory in his death nether was he ashamed before y e enemies For he left behinde him an auenger agaynst his enemies and a good doer vnto the frendes For the life of childreÌ„ he shal binde the woundes together and his hert is greued at euery crye An vntamed horse wylbe harde and a wanton childe wyl be wylfull Yf thou brynge vp thy sonne delicatly he shal make y e afrayed and yf thou playe with him he shal brynge the to heuynes Laugh not with him lest thou wepe w t him also and lest thy teth be sett on edge at the last Geue him not liberte in his youth excuse not his foly Bow downe his neck whyle he is yonge hytt him vpon the sydes whyle he is yet but a childe lest he waxe stubburne geue no more force of y e and so shalt thou haue heuynes of soule Teach thy childe be diligeÌ„t therin lest it be to thy shame Better is the poore beynge whole stronge theÌ„ a man to be riche not to haue his health Health and welfare is aboue all golde and an whole body aboue all treasure There is no riches aboue a sounde body no ioye aboue the ioye of the hert Death is better then a wretched life or contynuall sicknes The good thinges y t are put in a close mouth are like as whan meate is layed vpon y e graue What good doth the offeringe vnto an Idoll For he can nether eate taist ner smell EueÌ„ so is it also with the riche whom God maketh seke he seith it with his eyes groneth therafter and is euen as a gelded man that lyeth with a vyrgin and sygheth Geue not ouer thy mynde in to heuynes vexe not thy self in thine owne councell The ioye chearfulnes of the hert is the life of man and a mans gladnes is the prolonginge of his dayes Loue thine owne soule and comforte thine hert as for sorow and heuynes dryue it farre from y e for heuynes hath slayne many a man and bryngeth no profit Zele and anger shorten the dayes of the life carefulnes and sorow brynge age before the tyme Vnto a mery hert euery thinge hath a good taist that he eateth The XXXI Chapter TRauayle and carefulnes for riches taketh awaye the slepe and maketh the flesh to coÌ„sume Whan one lyeth and taketh care he waketh euer vp like as greate sicknes breaketh the slepe The rich hath greate labo r in gatheringe his riches together and then with the pleasure of his riches he taketh his rest is refreshed But who so laboureth and prospereth not he is poore and though he leaue of yet is he a begger He that loueth riches shall not be iustified and who so foloweth corrupcioÌ„ shal haue ynough therof Many one are come in greate mysfortune by the reason of golde haue founde their destruccion before them It is a tre of fallynge vnto them that offre it vp and all soch as be foolish fall therin Blessed is the rich which is founde without blemysh and hath not gone after golde ner hoped in money and treasures Where is there soch one and we shal commende him and call him blessed for greate thinges doth he amonge his people Who so is tryed founde perfecte in soch thinges shal be commended and praised Who might offende hath not offended Who coude do euell and hath not done it Therfore shal his good be stablished and the whole congregacion shal declare his allmesses Yf thou sytt at a greate mans table open not thy mouth wyde vpon it and make not many wordes Remembre that an euell eye is a shrew What thinge created is worse then a wicked eye therfore wepeth it before euery maÌ„s face Laye not thine hand vpon euery thinge that thine eye seyth and stryue not with him in the dyshe Ponder by thy self what thy neghboure wolde fayne haue be descrete in euery poynte Eate the thinge that is set before the manerly as it becommeth a man and eate not to moch lest thou be abhorred Leaue thou of first of all because of nurtoure lest thou be he whom no man maye satisfie which maye turne to thy decaye WhaÌ„ thou syttest amonge many men reach not thine haÌ„de out first of all O how well conteÌ„t is a wyse man w t a litle wyne so y t in slepe thou shalt not be seke therof ner fele eny payne A swete wholsome slepe shal soch one haue and fele no inwarde grefe He ryseth vp by tymes in y e mornynge and is well at ease in him self But an vnsaciable eater slepeth vnquyetly and hath ache and payne of the body Yf thou felest that thou hast eaten to moch aryse go thy waye cast it of thy stomack and take thy rest My sonne heare me and despyse me not and at the last thou shalt fynde as I haue tolde the. In all thy workes be diligent and quycke so shal there no sicknes happen vnto the. Who so is liberall in dealynge out his meate many men shall blesse him and prayse him with their lippes and the same is a sure token of his loue and faithfulnes But he y t is vnfaithfull in meate the whole cite shall complayne of him and that is a sure experieÌ„ce of his infidelite and wickednes Be not thou a wine bebber for wyne hath destroyed many a man The fyre proueth y e hard yron euen so doth wyne proue the hertes of the proude whan they be droncken Wyne sorbely droncken quyckeneth the life of maÌ„ Yf thou drynckest it measurably thou shalt be temperate What life is it y t maye contynue without wyne Wyne was made from the begynnynge to make men glad and not for dronkennes Wyne measurably dronkeÌ„ is a reioysinge of the soule and body But yf it be dronken with excesse it maketh bytternes and sorowe vnto the mynde DronkeÌ„nes fylleth the mynde of the foolish with shame and ruyne mynisheth the streÌ„gth and maketh woundes Rebuke not thy neghboure at y
and what maner of troubles we haue sene thorow occasion wherof all my brethren are slayne for Israels sake and I am left alone And now let not me spare myne owne life in eny maner of trouble for I am no better then my brethren but wil avenge my people and the Sanctuary oure children and oure wyues for all the Heithen are gathered together to destroye vs of very malice At these wordes the hartes of the people were kyndled together so that they cried with a loude voyce sayenge Thou shalt be o captayne in steade of Iudas Ionathas thy brethren ordre thou oure batell what so euer thou commaundest vs we shall do it So he gathered all the men of warre makinge haist to fynish all the walles of Ierusalem which he made stronge rounde aboute Then sent he Ionathas the sonne of Absalomus w t a fresh hoost vnto Ioppa which droue them out y t were in the castell and remayned there himself Triphon also remoued from Ptolomais with a greate armye to come in to the londe of Iuda and Ionathas with him in warde And Simon pitched his tentes at Addus before the playne felde But when Triphon knewe that Symon stode vp in steade of his brother Ionathas and that he wolde warre agaynst him he sent messaungers vnto him sayenge Where as we haue kepte Ionathas thy brother it is for money that he is owynge in the kynges accompte concernynge the busynesse y t he had in honde Wherfore sende now an C. talētes of syluer and his two sonnes for suertie that when he is lettē forth he shal not forsake vs and we shal sende him agayne Neuerthelesse Symon knewe that he dyssembled in his wordes yet commaunded he the money children to be delyuered vnto him lest he shulde be the greater enemye agaynst y e people of Israel and saye because he sent him not the money and the children therfore is Ionathas deed So Symon sent him the children and an hundreth talentes but he dyssembled wolde not let Ionathas go Afterwarde came Triphon in to the londe to destroye it and wente rounde aboute by the waye y t ledeth vnto Ador. But where so euer they wente thither wente Symon and his hoost also Now they that were in the castell sent messaungers vnto Triphon that he shulde make haist to come by the wyldernesse and to sende them vytales And Triphon made ready all his horsmen to come that same night Neuerthelesse it was a very greate snowe so that he came not in Galaadithim And whē he drewe nye Baschama he slewe Ionathas and his sonnes there and then turned for to go home in to his owne londe Thē sente Symon for to fet his brothers deed coarse and buried it in Modin his fathers cite So all Israel bewayled him with greate lamentacion and mourned for him very longe And Symon made vpon the sepulcre of his father and his brethrē a buyldynge hye to loke vnto of fre stone behynde and before and set vp seuen pylers one agaynst another for his father his mother and foure brethren and set greate pilers roūde aboute with armes vpon them for a perpetuall memory and carued shippes besyde the armes y t they might be sene of mē saylinge in the see This sepulcre which he made at Modin stondeth yet vnto this daye Now as Triphō wente forth to walke w t y e yōge kynge Antiochus he slewe him trayterously and raigned in his steade crowned himself kynge of Asia and dyd moch euell in the londe Symon also buylte vp the castels in Iewry makynge them stronge with hye towres greate walles portes and lockes and layed vp vytales in the stronge holdes And Symon chose certayne men and sente them to kynge Demetrius to desyre him y t he wolde discharge the londe from all bondage for Triphon had spoyled it very sore Where vpon Demetrius the kynge answered him wrote vnto him after this maner Demetrius y e kīge sendeth gretinge vnto Symon the hye prest his frende with the elders and people of the Iewes The golden crowne and precious stone y t ye sente vnto vs haue we receaued and are ready to make a stedfast peace with you yee and to wryte vnto oure officers for to release you concernynge the thinges wherin we made you fre and the appoyntment y t we make with you shal be firme and stable The stronge holdes which ye haue buylded shal be youre owne As for eny ouer sight or fawte committed vnto this daye we forgeue it and the crowne taxe that ye ought vs also And where as was eny other tribute in Ierusalem it shal now be no tribute and loke who are mete amonge you to be in oure courte let them be written vp that there maye be peace betwixte vs. Thus the yock of the Heithen was taken from Israel in the hundreth and seuentie yeare And the peple of the Iewes beganne to write in their lettres and actes on this maner In y e first yeare of Symon the hye prest and prynce of the Iewes In those dayes wente Symon vnto Gaza and beseged it rounde aboute where he set vp ordinaunce of warre And wanne a towre which he toke So they that gat in to the towre leapte into the cite which was in a greate feare In so moch that the people of the cite rente their clothes and clymmed vp vpon the walles with their wyues and children besekynge Symon to be at one with them sayenge O rewarde vs not after o wickednes but be gracious vnto vs and we shal do y e seruyce Then Symon for very pite wolde fight nomore agaynst them but put them out of the cite and caused the houses wherin the ymages were to be clensed and so entred the cite with Psalmes of prayse geuinge thankes vnto the LORDE So when he had cast all abhominaciōs out of the cite he set soch men in it as kepte the lawe of God and made the cite stronge and builded a dwellinge place for himself Now when they in the castell at Ierusalem were kepte so strately that they coude not come forth ner in to countre and might nether bye ner sell they were very hungrie and many of them famished to death In so moch that they besought Symon to be at one with them which he graunted them So he put them out from thence and clensed the castell from fylthynesse And vpon the xxiij daye of the seconde moneth in the Clxxj. yeare they entred in to it with thankesgeuynge and braunches of palme trees with harpes crowdes cymbals and lutes synginge psalmes and songes of prayse vnto God for that the greate enemy of Israel was ouer come And Symon ordened that the same daye shulde be kepte euery yeare in gladnesse and made stronge the hyll of the temple that was besyde the castell where he dwelt him self with his company Symon also perceauynge that Ihon his sonne was a mightie man of armes made him captayne of all the hoostes and caused him to
might be disceaued by this meanes also shulde I defyle myne age make it abhominable For though I were now delyuered from the tormentes of men yet shulde I not escape the honde of allmightie God nether alyue ner deed Wherfore I will dye manfully do as it becommeth myne age Wherby I maie peraduenture leaue an exāple of stedfastnesse for soch as be yonge yf I w t a ready mynde manfully dye an honest death for the most worthy and holy lawes When he had sayde these wordes immediatly he was drawen to the tormēte Now they that led him and were mylde a litle afore beganne to take displeasure because of the wordes y t he sayde for they thought he had spokē them of an hye mynde But whē he was in his martirdome he mourned and sayde Thou O LORDE which hast the holy knowlege knowest openly that where as I might be delyuered frō death I suffre these sore paynes of my body but in my mynde I am wel contente to suffre them because I feare the. Thus this man dyed leauynge y e memoriall of his death for an example not only vnto yonge men but vnto all y e people to be stedfast and manly The VII Chapter IT happened also that there were vij brethren with their mother taken compelled by the kynge agaynst the lawe to eate swynes flesh namely w t scourges and lethren whippes And one of them which was y e chefe sayde What sekest thou and what requyrest thou of vs As for vs we are ready rather to suffre death then to offende the lawes of God and the fathers Then was the kynge angrie and bad heare cauldrons and brasen pottes Which when they were made hote immediatly he commaunded y e tonge of him that spake first to be cut out to pull the skynne ouer his heade to payre of the edges of his handes and fete yee and that in the sight of his mother and the other of his brethren Now when he was cleane marred he commaunded a fyre to be made so whyle there was eny breath in him to be fryed in the caudron In the which when he had bene longe payned the other brethren with their mother exorted him to dye manfully sayēge The LORDE God shal regarde the treuth and comforte vs like as Moses testifieth and declareth in his songe sayenge and he wyl haue compassion on his seruauntes So whē the first was deed after this maner they brought the seconde to haue him in derision pulled the skynne with the hayre ouer his heade and axed him yf he wolde eate swynes flesh or he were payned in y e other membres also thorow out his body But he answered boldly and sayde I will not do it And so was he tormented like as y e first And whē he was euē at y e geuinge vp of y e goost he sayde Thou most vngracious personne puttest vs now to death but the kynge of y e worlde shall rayse vs vp which dye for his lawes in y e resurreccion of euerlastinge life After him was the thirde had in derision and when he was requyred he putt out his tonge and that right soone holdinge forth his hondes manfully and spake with a stedfast faith These haue I of heauē but now for the lawe of God I despyse them for my trust is that I shall receaue them of him agayne In so moch that the kynge and they which were with him marueled at the yonge mans boldnesse that he nothinge regarded the paynes Now when he was deed also they vexed the fourth with tormentes in like maner So when he was now at his death he sayde It is better that we beynge put to death of mē haue oure hope and trust in God for he shal rayse vs vp agayne As for the thou shalt haue no resurreccion to life And when they had spoken to the fifth they tormēted him Then loked he vnto y e kinge sayde Thou hast power amōge mē for thou art a mortall man also y i self to do what thou wilt but thinke not y t God hath forsaken o r generacion Abyde the tary styll a whyle thou shalt se the greate power of God how he wil punysh the thy sede After him they brought the sixte which beynge at the poynte of death sayde Be not disceaued o kynge for this we suffre for oure owne sakes because we haue offended oure God therfore marvelous thinges are shewed vpon vs. But thinke not thou which takest in honde to stryue agaynst God that thou shalt escape vnpunyshed This excellent mother worthy to be well reported of and had in remembraunce sawe hir seuen sonnes dye in one daye and suffred it paciētly because of the hope that she had in God Yee she exorted euery one of them in especiall and that boldly and stedfastly w t parfite wyszdome wakynge vp hir wyuysh thought with a manly stomacke and sayde vnto them I can not tell how ye came in my wombe for I nether gaue you breth ner soule no ner life It is not I y t ioyned y t mēbres of yo bodies together but y e maker of y e worlde which fashioned y e byrth of mā begāne all thinges Euen he also of his owne mercy shall geue you breath and life agayne like as ye now regarde not youre owne selues for his lawes sake Now thought Antiochus that she had despysed him therfore he let her go with hir reproues and beganne to exorte the yongest sonne which yet was left not only w t wordes but swore vnto him w t an ooth y t he shulde make him a rich welthy man yf he wolde forsake y e lawes of his fathers yee and y t he shulde geue him what so euer were necessary for him But whē the yonge man wolde not be moued for all these thinges he called his mother counceled her to saue hir sonnes life And when he had exorted her with many wordes she promised him that she shulde speake vnto hir sonne So she turned her vnto him laughinge y e cruell tyraunte to scorne spake w t a boylde voyce O my sonne haue pite vpon me y t bare y e ix monethes in my wombe that gaue the sucke norished the and brought the vp vnto this age I beseke the my sonne loke vpon heauen and earth and all that is therin and considre that God made them and mans generacion of naught so shalt thou not feare this hangman but suffre death stedfastly like as thy brethren haue done that I maye receaue the agayne in the same mercy with thy brethren Whyle she was yet speakynge these wordes the yonge man sayde Whom loke ye for ▪ Wherfore do ye tary I wil not obeye the kynges commaundement but the lawe that God gaue vs by Moses As for the that ymaginest all myschefe agaynst the Iewes thou shalt not escape the honde of God for we suffre these thinges because of oure synnes And though
he sent him home and sayde Go not in to y e towne and tell it also vnto noman therin And Iesus wente out and his disciples into the townes of the cite Cesarea Philippi And in y e waye he axed his disciples and sayde vnto them What do men saye that I am They answered They saye thou art Ihon the baptist Some saye thou art Elias some that thou art one of the prophetes And he sayde vnto them But whom saye ye that I am Then answered Peter and sayde vnto him Thou art very Christ. And he charged them strately that they shulde tell no man of him And he begāne to teach them The sonne of man must suffre many thinges and be cast out of the elders hye prestes and scrybes and be put to death and after thre dayes ryse agayne And that worde spake he fre openly And Peter toke him vnto him and beganne to rebuke him But he turned him aboute and loked vpon his disciples and reproued Peter and sayde Go after me thou Sathan for thou sauourest not the thinges that be of God but of men And he called vnto him the people with his disciples and sayde vnto them Who so euer wyl folowe me let him denye himself and take vp his crosse and folowe me For who so euer wyl saue his life shal lose it and who so euer loseth his life for my sake and y e gospels y e same shal saue it What helpeth it a mā though he wāne the whole worlde and yet toke harme in his soule Or what can a man geue to redeme his soule withall Who so euer is ashamed of me and of my wordes amonge this aduouterous and synfull generacion of him shal the sonne of man also be ashamed whan he commeth in the glory of his father with the holy angels And he sayde vnto them Verely I saye vnto you There stōde here some which shal not taist of death tyll they se the kyngdome of God come with power The IX Chapter ANd after sixe dayes Iesus toke vnto him Peter Iames and Ihon and brought them vp in to an hye mountayne out of the waye alone and was ttāsfigured before them and his clothes were bright and very whyte as y e snowe so whyte as no fuller can make vpon earth And there appeared vnto thē Elias with Moses and they talked with Iesus And Peter answered and sayde vnto Iesus Rabbi here is good beynge for vs. Let vs make thre tabernacles one for the one for Moses and one for Elias For he knewe not what he sayde and they were very fearfull And there was a cloude which ouershadowed thē And out of the cloude there came a voyce and sayde This is my deare sonne heare him And immediatly they loked aboute them and sawe noman more then Iesus onely with them But whan they wente downe from the mountayne Iesus charged them that they shulde tell no man what they had sene tyll the sonne of man were rysen agayne from the deed And they kepte that sayenge by them and axed one another What is that rysinge agayne from the deed And they axed him and sayde Why saye the scrybes then that Elias must first come He answered and sayde vnto them Elias shal come first in dede and brynge all thinges to right agayne The sonne of man also shal suffre many thinges and be despysed as it is wrytten But I saye vnto you Elias is come and they haue done vnto him what they wolde acordinge as it is wrytten of him And he came to his disciples and sawe moch people aboute them and the scrybes disputynge with them And as soone as the people sawe they were astonnyed and ranne vnto him and saluted him And he axed the scrybes What dispute ye with them And one of the people answered and sayde Master I haue brought vnto the my sonne which hath a domme sprete and whan so euer he taketh him he teareth him and he fometh and gnaszheth with the teth and pyneth awaye I haue spoken to thy disciples that they shulde cast him out and they coude not He answered him and sayde O thou vnfaithfull generacion how longe shal I be with you How longe shal I suffre you Brynge hī hither to me And they brought him vnto him And as soone as the sprete sawe him he tare him and fell vpon the earth and weltred and fomed And he axed his father How longe is it sens this happened vnto him He sayde Of a childe and oft tymes hath he cast him in to the fyre and water to destroye him but yf thou canst do eny thinge haue mercy vpon vs and helpe vs. Iesus sayde vnto him Yf thou couldest beleue All thinges are possible vnto him that beleueth And immediatly the father of the childe cried with teares and sayde LORDE I beleue O helpe thou myne vnbeleue Now whan Iesus sawe that the people ranne to he rebuked the foule sprete and sayde vnto him Thou domme and deaf sprete I charge the departe out of him and entre nomore in to him from hence forth And he cried and rent him sore and departed And he was as though he had bene deed in so moch that many sayde he is deed But Iesus toke him by the hande and set him vp And he arose And whan he came home his disciples axed him secretly Why coulde not we cast him out And he sayde This kynde cā go out by no meanes but by prayer and fastynge And they departed thēce and toke their iourney thorow Galile and he wolde not that eny man shulde knowe of it But he taught his disciples and sayde vnto them The sonne of mā shal be delyuered in to the handes of men and they shal put him to death and whan he is put to death he shal ryse ageyne the thirde daye But they vnderstode not that worde and were afrayed to axe him And he came to Capernaum And whan he was at home he axed them What disputed ye amonge youre selues by y e waye But they helde their tūges For they had disputed by the waye amonge them selues who shulde be y e greatest And he sat downe and called the twolue and sayde vnto them Yf eny man wyl be the first the same shal be the last of all and the seruaunt of all And he toke a childe and set him in the myddest of them and toke him in his armes and sayde vnto them Who so euer receaueth soch a childe in my name receaueth me and who so euer receaueth me receaueth not me but him that hath sent me Ihon answered him and sayde Master we sawe one dryue out deuels in thy name but he foloweth not vs and we forbad him because he foloweth vs not But Iesus sayde Forbyd him not for there is no mā that doth a myracle in my name and can soone speake euell of me For who so euer is not agaynst vs the same is for vs.
And whosoeuer euer geueth you a cuppe of water to drynke in my name because ye belonge vnto Christ verely I saye vnto you he shal not lose his rewarde And who so offendeth one of these litle ones that beleue in me it were better for him that a mylstone were hāged aboute his neck and he cast in to the see Yf thy hāde offende the cut him of Better it is for the to entre in to life lame thē hauynge two hondes to go in to hell in to the euerlastinge fyre where their worme dyeth not and their fyre goeth not out Yf thy fote offende the cut him of Better it is for the to entre into life crepell thē hauynge two fete to be cast into hell in the fyre euerlastynge where their worme dyeth not and their fyre goeth not out Yf thine eye offende the cast him from the. Better it is for the to entre in to y e kyngdome of God with one eye then hauynge two eyes to be cast in to the fyre of hell where their worme dyeth not and their fyre goeth not out For euery mā must be salted w t fyre euery offerynge shal be seasoned w t salt The salt is good but yf y e salt be vnsauery wherwith all shal it be salted Haue salt in you peace amonge yo selues one with another The X. Chapter ANd he rose vp and came from thence in to the places of Iewry beyonde Iordan And the people wēte agayne vnto him by heapes and as his maner was he taught them agayne And the Pharises came vnto him and axed him yf it were laufull for a man to put awaye his wife and tempted him withall But he answered and sayde What hath Moses cōmaunded you They sayde Moses suffred to wryte a testimoniall of deuorcemēt and to put her awaye Iesus answered and sayde vnto them Because of y e hardnesse of yo hert dyd Moses wryte you this commaundement But from the first creacion God made thē man and woman For this cause shal a man leaue his father mother and cleue vnto his wife and they two shal be one flesh Now are they not twayne thē but one flesh Let not man therfore put asunder that which God hath coupled together And at home his disciples axed him agayne of y e same And he sayde vnto thē Whoso euer putteth awaye his wife marieth another breaketh wedlocke to her warde And yf a womā forsake hir huszbande be maried to another she cōmitteth aduoutrie And they brought childrē vnto him that he might touch them But the disciples reproued those that brought thē Neuertheles whan Iesus sawe it he was displeased and sayde vnto them Suffre the children to come vnto me and forbyd them not for of soch is the kyngdome of God Verely I saye vnto you Who so euer receaueth not the kyngdome of God as a childe he shal not entre therin And he toke them vp in his armes and layed his handes vpon them and blessed them And whan he was gone forth vpon the waye there came one runninge and kneled vnto him axed him Good Master what shal I do that I maye inheret euerlastinge life But Iesus saide vnto him Why callest thou me good There is no man good but God onely Thou knowest the commaundementes Thou shalt not breake wedlocke thou shalt not kyll thou shalt not steale thou shalt beare no false wytnesse thou shalt begyle no man Honoure thy father and mother But he answered and sayde vnto him Master all these haue I kepte fro my youth vp And Iesus behelde him and loued him sayde vnto him Thou wantest one thinge Go thy waye and sell all that thou hast and geue it vnto y e poore so shalt thou haue a treasure in heauen and come folowe me and take the crosse vpon ye. And he was disconforted at the sayenge wente awaye sory for he had greate possessions And Iesus loked aboute him and sayde vnto his disciples O how hardly shal the ryche come into y e kyngdome of God And the disciples were astonnyed at his wordes But Iesus answered agayne and sayde vnto them Deare children how harde is it for them that trust in riches to come in to the kyngdome of God It is easier for a Camell to go thorow the eye of a nedle then for a rich man to entre in to y e kyngdome of God Yet were they astonnyed y e more and sayde amonge thē selues Who can thē be saued But Iesus behelde them and sayde With men it is vnpossyble but not with God for with God all thinges are possyble Then sayde Peter vnto him Beholde we haue forsaken all and folowed the. Iesus answered sayde Verely I saye vnto you There is no man that forsaketh house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or londes for my sake and the gospels that shal not receaue an hundreth folde now in this tyme houses and brethrē and sisters and mothers and children and londes with persecucions and in the worlde to come euerlastinge life But many that are the first shal be the last and the last the first They were in the waye goinge vp to Ierusalem and Iesus wente before them And they were astonnyed and folowed him and were afrayed And Iesus toke the twolue agayne and tolde them what shulde happē vnto him Beholde we go vp to Ierusalem and the sonne of man shal be delyuered vnto the hye prestes and scrybes and they shal condemne him to death and delyuer him vnto the Heythē And they shal mocke hī and scourge him and spyt vpon him and put him to death and on the thirde daye shal he ryse agayne Then wēte vnto him Iames and Ihon y e sonnes of Zebede and sayde Master We desyre that whatsoeuer we axe of the thou wilt do it for vs. He sayde vnto thē What desyre ye that I shal do to you They sayde vnto him Graunte vs that we maye syt one at thy right hande and one at thy left hande in thy glory But Iesus sayde vnto thē Ye wote not what ye axe Maye ye drynke the cuppe y t I shal drynke and be baptysed with the baptyme that I shal be baptysed withall They sayde vnto him Yee y t we maye Iesus sayde vnto them The cuppe that I drynke shal ye drynke in dede and be baptysed with the baptyme that I shall be baptysed withall Neuertheles to syt at my right hande and at my left is not myne to geue you but vnto them for whom it is prepared And whā the ten herde that they disdayned at Iames and Ihon. But Iesus called them and sayde vnto them Ye knowe that the prynces of y e worlde haue domynacion of the people and y e mightie exercise auctorite amonge them So shal it not be amonge you but who so euer wil be greate amōge you shal be youre mynister and who
syngle all thy body shal be full of light but yf thine eye be wicked then shal all thy body be full of darcknesse Take hede therfore that the light which is in the be not darcknesse Yf thy body now be light so that it haue no parte of darknesse then shal it be all full of light and shall light the euen as a cleare lightenynge But whyle he yet spake a certayne Pharise prayed him that he wolde dyne with him And he wente in and sat him downe at the table Whan the Pharise sawe that he marueyled that he waszhed not first before dyner But the LORDE sayde vnto him Now do ye Pharises make cleane the out syde of the cuppe and platter but youre inwarde partes are full of robbery and wickednesse Ye fooles is a thinge made cleane within because the outsyde is clensed Neuertheles geue almesse of that ye haue and beholde all is cleane vnto you But wo vnto you Pharises ye that tythe mynt and rewe and all maner herbes and passe ouer iudgmēt and y e loue of God These ought to haue bene done and not to leaue the other vndone Wo vnto you Pharises for ye loue to syt vppermost in the synagoges and to be saluted in the market Wo vnto you scrybes and Pharyses ye ypocrites for ye are like couered sepulcres where ouer men walke and are not awarre of them Then answered one of the scrybes and sayde vnto him Master with these wordes thou puttest vs to rebuke also But he saide And wo vnto you also ye scrybes for ye lade men with vntollerable burthens and ye youre selues touch them not with one of yo fyngers Wo vnto you for ye buylde the sepulcres of the prophetes but youre fathers put them to death Doutles ye beare wytnesse and consente vnto the dedes of yo fathers for they slewe them and ye buylde their sepulcres Therfore sayde the wyszdome of God I wil sende prophetes and Apostles vnto thē and some of them shal they put to death and persecute that the bloude of all the prophetes which hath bene shed sens the foundacion of the worlde was layed maye be requyred of this generacion from the bloude of Abell vnto y e bloude of Zachary which perished betwene the altare and y e temple Yee I saye vnto you it shal be requyred of this generacion Wo vnto you scrybes for ye haue receaued y e keye of knowlege Ye are not come in youre selues and haue forbydden them that wolde haue bene in Whan he spake thus vnto them the scrybes and Pharyses beganne to preasse sore vpon him and to stoppe his mouth with many questions and layed wayte for him and sought to hunte out some thinge out of his mouth that they might accuse him The XII Chapter THere were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people in so moch that they trode one another Then beganne he and sayde first vnto his disciples Bewarre of the leuen of the Pharises which is ypocrisye But there is nothinge hyd that shal not be discouered nether secrete that shal not be knowne Therfore what soeuer ye haue spokē in darknesse that same shal be herde in light and that ye haue spoken in to the eare in the chābers shal be preached vpon the house toppes But I saye vnto you my frendes Be not afrayed of them that kyll the body and after that haue no more that they can do But I wil shewe you whom ye shal feare Feare him which after he hath kylled hath power also to cast in to hell Yee I saye vnto you Feare him Are not fyue sparowes bought for two farthinges Yet is not one of them forgotten before God The very hayres of youre heade also are nombred euery one Feare not therfore for ye are better then many sparowes I saye vnto you Who so euer knowlegeth me before men him shal the sonne of mā also knowlege before the angels of God But he that denyeth me before men shal be denyed before the angels of God And who so euer speaketh a worde agaynst the sonne of man it shal be forgeuen him But who so blasphemeth the holy goost it shal not be forgeuen him Whan they brynge you in to their synagoges and to the rulers officers take ye no thought how or what ye shal answere or what ye shal speake for the holy goost shal teach you in the same houre what ye ought to saye But one of the people sayde vnto him Master byd my brother deuyde the enheritaunce with me Neuertheles he sayde vnto him Man who hath set me to be a iudge or heretage parter ouer you And he sayde vnto them Take hede and bewarre of couetousnesse for no man lyueth therof that he hath abundaunce of goodes And he tolde them a symilitude and sayde There was a riche man whose felde had brought forth frutes plenteously and he thought in himself and sayde What shal I do I haue nothinge wher into gather my frutes And he sayde This wil I do I wil breake downe my barnes buylde greater and therin wil I gather all myne increace my goodes wil saye vnto my soule Soule thou hast moch goodes layed vp in stoare for many yeares take now thine ease eate drinke and be mery But God sayde vnto him Thou foole this night shal they requyre thy soule from the and whose shal it be that thou hast prepared Thus goeth it with him y t gathereth treasure for himself and is not riche in God But he sayde vnto his disciples Therfore I saye vnto you Take ye no thought for youre life what ye shal eate nether for youre body what ye shal put on The life is more then meate and the body more then raymēt Consydre the rauens they nether sowe ner reape they haue also nether stoarehouse ner barne and yet God fedeth them But how moch better are ye then the foules Which of you though he toke thought therfore coulde put one cubyte vnto his stature Seinge then ye be not able to do that which is least why take ye thought for the other Considre the lilies vpō the felde how they growe they laboure not they spynne not But I saye vnto you that euen Salomen in all his royalte was not clothed like one of these Wherfore yf God so cloth the grasse y t is to daye in y e felde and tomorow shal be cast into the fornace how moch more shal he clothe you o ye of litle faith Axe not ye therfore what ye shal eate or what ye shal drynke and clymme not vp an hye The Heithen in the worlde seke after all soch thinges But seke ye the kyngdome of God and all these shal be mynistred vnto you Feare not thou litle flocke for it is youre fathers pleasure to geue you the kyngdome Sell that ye haue and geue almesse Make you bagges which waxe not olde euen a treasure that neuer fayleth in heauen
last enemye that shal be destroyed is death for he hath put all thinges vnder his fete But whā he sayeth that all thinges are put vnder him it is manifest that he is excepted which put all thinges vnder him Whan all thinges shal be subdued vnto him then shal the sonne himselfe also be subiecte vnto him which put all thinges vnder him that God maye be all in all Or els what do they which are baptised ouer y e deed yf the deed ryse not at all Why are they then baptysed ouer the deed And why stonde we in ioperdy euery houre By oure reioysinge which I haue in Christ Iesu o LORDE I dye daylie That I haue foughte with beestes at Ephesus after y e maner of men what helpeth it me yf the deed ryse not agayne Let vs eate and drynke for tomorow we shal dye Be not ye disceaued Euell speakinges corruppe good maners Awake righte vp and synne not for some haue not y e knowlege of God This I saye to youre shame But some man mighte saye How shal the deed aryse And with what maner off body shal they come Thou foole y t which thou sowest is not quyckened excepte it dye And what sowest thou thou sowest not y e body that shal be but a bare corne namely of wheate or of some other But God geueth it a body as he wil and vnto euery one of y e sedes his owne body All fleszhe is not one maner of fleszhe but there is one maner fleszhe of men another of beastes another of fiszhes another of byrdes And there are heauenly bodies and there are earthy bodies but the heauenly haue one glory and y e earthy another The Sonne hath one clearnes the Moone hath another clearnesse and the starres haue another clearnesse for one starre excelleth another in clearnesse Euen so the resurreccion of the deed It is sowne in corrupcion and shal ryse in vncorrupcion It is sowne in dishonoure shal ryse in glory It is sowne in weaknesse and shal ryse in power It is sowne a naturall body shal ryse a spirituall body Yf there be a naturall body there is a spirituall body also As it is wrytten The first man Adam was made in to a naturall life and the last Adā in to a spiritual life Howbeit the spirituall body is not the first but y e naturall and then the spirituall The first man is of the earth earthy y e seconde mā is frō heauē heauēly As the earthy is soch are they also that are earthy and as y e heauenly is soch are they also y t are heauenly And as we haue borne the ymage of the earthy so shal we beare the ymage of the heauenly also This I saye brethren that flesh bloude can not inheret y e kyngdome of God nether shal corrupcion inheret vncorrupcion Beholde I saye vnto you a mystery We shal not all slepe but we shal all be chaunged and that sodenly and in the twinklynge of an eye at the tyme of the last trompe For the trompe shal blowe and the deed shal ryse vncorruptible and we shal be chaunged For this corruptible must put on vncorrupcion and this mortall must put on immortalite But whan this corruptible shal put on vncorrupcion and this mortall shal put on immortalite thē shal the worde be fulfylled that is wryttē Death is swalowed vp in victory Death where is thy stynge Hell where is y e victory The stynge of death is synne The strength of synne is the lawe But thankes be vnto God which hath geuē vs the victory thorow oure LORDE Iesus Christ. Therfore my deare brethrē be ye stedfast vnmoueable allwaye riche in the worke of the LORDE for as moch as ye knowe that youre laboure is not in vayne in the LORDE The XVI Chapter COncernynge the gadderynge that is made for the sayntes as I haue ordeyned in the congregacions of Galacia euen so do ye also Vpon some Sabbath daye let euery one of you put aside by himselfe and laye vp what so euer he thinketh mete that the colleccion be not to gather whan I come Whan I am come whom so euer ye shal alowe by youre letters thē wyll I sende to brynge youre liberalite vnto Ierusalem Neuertheles yf it be mete that I go thither also they shal go with me But I wil come vnto you whan I go thorow Macedonia for thorow Macedonia wyl I take my iourney With you peraduēture wil I abyde or els wynter that ye maye brynge me on my waye whither so euer I go I wyl not se you now in my passage for I hope to abyde a whyle with you yf the LORDE shal suffre me But I wil tary at Ephesus vntyll whitsontyde For a greate and frutefull dore is opened vnto me and there are many aduersaries Yf Timotheus come se that he be without feare with you for he worketh y e worke of the LORDE as I do Let no man therfore despyse him but conuaye him forth in peace that he maye come vnto me for I loke for him with the brethren As for brother Apollo be ye sure that I greatly desyred him to come vnto you with the brethrē And his mynde was not at all to come at this tyme but he wyl come whā he hath oportunyte Watch ye stonde fast in the faith quyte you like men and be stronge let all youre thinges be done in loue But brethren ye knowe the house off Stephana that they are the first frutes in Achaia and that they haue appoynted thē selues to mynister vnto the sayntes I exhorte you to be obedient vnto soche and to all that helpe and laboure I am glad of the cōmynge of Stephana and Fortunatus and Achaicus For loke what was lackynge vnto me on youre parte y t haue they suppleed they haue refreszhed my sprete and youres Knowe them therfore that are soch The congregacions of Asia salute you Aquila and Priscilla salute you moch in the LORDE and so doth the cōgregacion that is in their house All the brethren salute you Salute ye one another with an holy kysse The salutacion of me Paul w t myne awne hande Yf eny mā loue not the LORDE Iesus Christ the same be Anathema Maharan Matha The grace of the LORDE Iesus Christ be with you My loue be with you all in Christ Iesu. Amen The first Epistle to the Corinthians sent out of Asia by Stephana and Fortunatus and Achaicus and Timotheus The seconde Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Corinthians The summe of this Epistle Chap. I. The consolacion of God in trouble The loue of Paul towarde the Corinthians and his excuse that he came not vnto them Chap. II. He sheweth the cause of his absence and exorteth thē to forgeue the man that was fallen and to receaue him agayne with loue Chap. III. He prayseth the preachinge of the Gospell aboue the preachinge of the lawe Chap. IIII. A
thou LORDE of thy goodnesse haddest made my hill so stronge But as soone as thou turnedest thy face fro me I was brought in feare TheÌ„ cried I vnto y e O LORDE yee vnto y e LORDE made I my prayer What profit is there in my bloude yf I go downe to corrupcion Maye the dust geue thankes vnto ye Or shal it declare thy faithfulnesse Heare O LORDE and haue mercy vpon me LORDE be thou my helper And so thou hast turned my heuynesse in to ioye thou hast put of my sack cloth gyrded me w t gladnesse That my hono r might synge prayses vnto the w t out ceassynge O LORDE my God I wil geue thankes vnto the for euer The XXX A psalme of Dauid IN the O LORDE is my trust let me neuer be put to coÌ„fucion but delyuer me in thy rightuousnesse Bowe downe thine eare to me make haist to delyuer me be thou my stronge rocke and a house of defence that thou mayest saue me For thou art my stronge holde my castell O be thou my gyde lede me for thy names sake Drawe me out of the nett y t they haue layed priuely for me for thou art my streÌ„gth Into thy hondes I commende my sprete thou hast â—â—lyuered me O LORDE thou God of treuth I hate them that holde of vanities and my trust is in the LORDE I will be glad and reioyse in thy mercy for thou hast considred my trouble thou hast knowne my soule in aduersite Thou hast not delyuered me ouer in to the hoÌ„des of the enemie but hast set my fete in a large rowme Haue mercy vpon me O LORDE for I am in trouble myne eye is consumed for very heuynesse yee my soule and my body My life is waxen olde with heuynesse and my yeares w t mournynge My streÌ„gth fayleth me because of my aduersite and my bones are corrupte I am become a very reprofe amonge all myne enemies my neghbours they of myne owne acquauntaunce are afrayed of me they y t seme in the strete coÌ„veye them selues fro me I am clene forgotten and out of mynde as a deed man I am become like a broken vessell For I haue herde the blasphemy of the multitude euery man abhorreth me they haue gathered a councel together agaynst me and are purposed to take awaye my life But my hope is in y e O LORDE I saye thou art my God My tyme is in thy honde delyuer me from the honde of myne enemies from them y t persecute me Shewe thy seruaunt the light of thy countenaunce helpe me for thy mercies sake Let me not be confounded o LORDE for I call vpon the let the vngodly rather be put to confucion and brought vnto the hell Let the lyenge lippes be put to sylence which cruelly diszdanedly despitefully speake agaynst the rightuous O how greate and manifolde is thy good which thou haist hyd for them that feare y e O what thinges bringest thou to passe for them that put their trust in the euen before the sonnes of men Thou hydest them priuely by thine owne presence from the proude men thou kepest them secretly in thy tabernacle from the strife of tonges Thankes be to the LORDE for he hath shewed me maruelous greate kyndnesse in a stronge cite For when the sodane feare came vpon me I sayde I am cast out of thy sight Neuertheles thou herdest myne humble prayer when I cried vnto the. O loue the LORDE all ye his sayntes for the LORDE preserueth the faith full and plenteously rewardeth he the proude doer Be stroÌ„ge therfore take a good herte vnto you all ye that put youre trust in the LORDE The XXXI A psalme of Dauid BLessed are they whose vnrightuousnesse is forgeuen and whose synnes are couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the LORDE imputeth no synne in whose sprete there is no gyle For whyle I helde my tonge my bones consumed awaye thorow my daylie complaynynges And because thy hande was so heuy vpon me both daye and night my moysture was like the drouth in Sommer Sela. Therfore I confessed my synne vnto the and hyd not myne vnrightuousnesse I saide I will knowlege myne offence and accuse my self vnto the LORDE and so thou forgauest me the wickednesse of my synne Sela. For this shal euery saynte make his prayer vnto the in due season therfore shall not the greate water floudes come nye him Thou art my defence in the trouble that is come aboute me O coÌ„passe thou me aboute also with the ioye of delyueraunce Sela. I wil enforme the and shewe the the waye wherin thou shalt go I wil fasten myne eyes vpon the. Be not ye now like horses mooles which haue no vnderstondinge Whose mouthes thou must holde with bytt brydle yf they wil not obeie the. Greate plages shall y e vngodly haue but who so putteth his trust in the LORDE mercy shall compasse him on euery syde Be glad o ye rightuous and reioyse in the LORDE be ioyfull all ye that are true of herte The XXXII A psalme of Dauid EEioyse in y e LORDE o ye rightuous for it becommeth well the iust to be thankfull Prayse the LORDE with harpe synge psalmes vnto him with the lute and instrument of ten strynges Singe him a new songe yee synge lustely vnto him with a good corage For the worde of y e LORDE is true and all his workes are faithfull He loueth mercy iudgment y e earth is full of the goodnesse of the LORDE By the worde of the LORDE were the heauens made all the hoostes of them by y e breth of his mouth He gathereth y e waters together as it were in a bottell laieth vp the depe in secrete Let all the earth feare the LORDE and let all them that dwell in the worlde stoÌ„de in awe of him For loke what he sayeth it is done and loke what he coÌ„mauÌ„deth it stondeth fast The LORDE bryngeth the councell of the Heithen to naught and turneth the deuyces of the people But the couÌ„cell of the LORDE endureth and the thoughtes of his hert from generacion to generacion Blessed are the people that holde the LORDE for their God blessed are the folke whom he hath chosen to be his heretage The LORDE loketh downe from heauen beholdeth all the children of men from his stronge seate he considreth all them y t dwell in the worlde He only hath fashioned all the hertes of them knoweth all their workes A kynge is not helped by his owne greate hoost nether is a giaunte saued thorow the might of his owne streÌ„gth A horse is but a vayne thynge to saue a man it is not the power of his streÌ„gth that can delyuer him Beholde the eye of the LORDE loketh vnto them that feare him 〈◊〉 put their trust in his mercy That he maye delyuer their soules from death and to fede them
in the deare tyme. Let oure soule paciently abyde the LORDE for he is oure helpe and shilde So shal oure herte reioyse in him because we haue hoped in his holy name Let thy mercifull kyndnesse o LORDE be vpon vs like as we put oure trust in the. The XXXIII A psalme of Dauid I Wil allwaye geue thankes vnto the LORDE his prayse shal euer be in my mouth My soule shall make hir boast in the LORDE the poore oppressed shal heare therof and be glad O prayse y e LORDE with me and let vs magnifie his name together I sought the LORDE and he herde me yee he delyuered me out of all my feare They that haue an eye vnto him shal be lightened their faces shall not be ashamed This poore man cried vnto the LORDE and he herde him yee and delyuered him out of all his troubles The angell of the LORDE pitcheth his tente rounde aboute them that feare him and delyuereth them O taist and se how frendly the LORDE is blessed is the man y t trusteth in him O feare the LORDE ye y t be his sayntes for they that feare him lacke nothinge The rich shal want and suffre hunger but they which seke the LORDE shal wāt no maner of thinge that is good Come hither o ye children herken vnto me I wil teach you the feare of the LORDE Who so listeth to lyue wolde fayne se good dayes Let him refrayne his tonge from euell and his lippes that they speake no gyle Let him eschue euell and do good Let him seke peace ensue it For the eyes of the LORDE are ouer the rightuous and his eares are open vnto their prayers But the face of the LORDE beholdeth them that do euel to destroye the remembraunce of them out of the earth When the rightuous crie the LORDE heareth them and delyuereth thē out of all their troubles The LORDE is nye vnto them y t are contrite in hert wil helpe soch as be of an hūble sprete Greate are y e troubles of the rightuous but the LORDE delyuereth them out of all He kepeth all their bones so y t not one of them is broken But miszfortune shal slaye the vngodly and they that hate y e rightuous shal be giltie The LORDE delyuereth the soules of his seruaūtes and all they that put their trust in him shal not offende The XXXIIII A psalme of Dauid STryue thou with them o LORDE that stryue w t me fight thou agaynst them that fight agaynst me Laye honde vpon the shylde and speare and stonde vp to helpe me Drawe out thy swearde and stoppe the waye agaynst them that persecute me saye vnto my soule I am y i helpe Let them be cōfounded and put to shame that seke after my soule let thē be turned back and brought to confucion that ymagin myschefe for me Let thē be as y e dust before the wynde and the angell of the LORDE scaterynge thē Let their waye be darcke and slippery and the angell of the LORDE to persecute them For they haue pryuely laied their nett to destroye me without a cause yee and made a pitte for my soule which I neuer deserued Let a sodane destrucciō come vpon him vnawarres and y e nett that he hath layed priuely catch him self that he maye fall in to his owne myschefe But let my soule be ioyfull in the LORDE and reioyse in his helpe All my bones shal saie LORDE who is like vnto the which delyuerest y e poore from those that are to stronge for him yee the poore and the nedy from his robbers False witnesses are rysen vp laye to my charge thinges that I knowe not They rewarde me euell for good to the greate discomforth of my soule Neuertheles when they were sick I put on a sack cloth I humbled my soule with fastinge and my prayer turned in to myne owne bosome I behaued myself as though it had bene my frende or my brother I wēte heuely as one y e mourneth for his mother But in my aduersite they reioyse and gather them together yee y e very lame come together agaynst me vnawarres makynge mowes at me ceasse not With y e gredy scornefull ypocrites they gnaszshed vpon me with theirteth LORDE whan wilt thou loke vpō this O restore my soule from y e wicked rumoure of thē my dearlinge from the lyons So wil I geue y e thankes in the greate congregacion prayse the amonge moch people O let thē not triūphe ouer me that are myne enemies for naught O let them not wyncke w t their eyes that hate me without a cause And why their comonynge is not for peace but they ymagin false wordes agaynst y e outcastes of the londe They gape vpon me w t their mouthes sayenge there there we se it with oure eyes This thou seist o LORDE holde not thy tonge thē go not farre fro me o LORDE Awake LORDE and stonde vp auenge thou my cause my God and my LORDE Iudge me o LORDE my God acordinge to thy rightuousnesse y t they triūphe not ouer me O let thē not saye in their hertes there there so wolde we haue it O let them not saye we haue ouercome him Let them be put to confucion and shame that reioyse at my trouble let thē be clothed with rebuke and dishonoure that boost thē selues agaynst me Let them also be glad and reioyse that fauoure my rightuous dealinge yee let them saye allwaye blessed be y e LORDE which hath pleasure in the prosperite of his seruaunt And as for my tonge it shall be talkynge of thy rightuousnes and of thy prayse all the daye longe The XXXV A psalme of Dauid MY hert sheweth me the wickednesse of the vngodly that there is no feare of God before his eyes For he dyssembleth before his face so longe till his abhominable synne be founde out The wordes of his mouth are vnrightuousnesse and disceate he wil not be lerned to do good He ymagineth myschefe vpon his bedde he will come in no good waye ner refuse the thinge that is euell Thy mercy O LORDE reacheth vnto the heauen and thy faith fulnesse vnto the cloudes Thy rightuousnesse stondeth like the stronge mountaynes thy iudgment like the greate depe Thou LORDE preseruest both mē the beestes How precious is thy mercy O God that the children of men maye put their trust vnder y e shadowe of thy wynges They shal be satisfied with the plēteousnesse of thy house and thou shalt geue them drynke of the ryuer of thy pleasures For by the is y e well of life in thy light shall we se light O sprede forth thy louynge kyndnesse vnto them that knowe the thy rightuousnes vnto thē that are true of hert O let not the fote of pryde ouertake me O let not the hande of y e vngodly cast me downe As for wicked doers they fall they
the LORDE be commytted vnto them then let them praye the LORDE of hoostes that the remnaunt of the ornamentes which are in the house of the LORDE and remayne yet in the house of the kinge of Iuda and at Ierusalem be not caried to Babilon also For thus hath the LORDE of hoostes spoken concernynge the pylers the lauer the seate and the residue of the ornamentes that yet remayne in this citie which Nabuchodonosor the kinge of Babilon toke not when he caried awaye Iechonias the sonne of Ioachim kinge of Iuda with all the power of Iuda and Ierusalem from Ierusalem vnto Babilon captyue Yee thus hath the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel spoken as touchinge the residue of the ornamentes of the LORDES house â–ª of the kinge of Iudaes house and of Ierusalem They shal be caried vnto Babilon and there they shall remayne vntil I vyset them saieth the LORDE Then wil I bringe them hither agayne And this was done in the same yeare eueÌ„ in the begynnynge of the reigne of Sedechias kinge of Iuda The XXVIII Chapter BVt in the fourth yeare of the reigne of Sedechias kinge of Iuda in the fifth Moneth It happened that Hananias y e sonne of Assur the prophet of Gabaon spake to me in the house of the LORDE in the presence of the prestes of all the people sayde Thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel I haue brokeÌ„ the yock of the kinge of Babilon and after two yeare will I bringe agayne in to this place all the ornamentes of the LORDES house y t Nabuchodonosor kinge of Babilon caried awaye from this place vnto Babilon Yee I will bringe agayne Iechonias the sonne of Ioachim the kinge of Iuda himself with all the presoners of Iuda y t are caried vnto Babilon eueÌ„ in to this place saieth y e LORDE for I wil breake y e yock of the kinge of BabiloÌ„ Then the prophet Ieremy gaue answere vnto that prophet Hananias before the prestes before all the people that were present in the house of the LORDE And the prophet Ieremy sayde Amen the LORDE do that graunte the thinge which thou hast prophecied that he maye bringe agayne all the ornamentes of the LORDES house restore all the presoners from Babilon in to 〈◊〉 place Neuertheles herken thou also what I will saye that thou all the people maye heare The prophetes that were before vs in tymes past which prophecied of warre or trouble or pestilence ether of peace vpon many nacions greaâ—e kingdomes were proued by this yf God had sende them in very dede when the thinge came to passe which that prophet tolde before And Hananias the prophet toke the chayne from the prophet Ieremias neck brake it with that sayde Hananias that all the people might heare Thus hath the LORDE spoken Euen so will I breake the yock of Nabuchodonosor kinge of BabiloÌ„ from the neck of all nacions yee that within this two yeare And so the prophet Ieremy wente his waye After now that Hananias the prophet had taken the chayne from the prophet Ieremies neck and broken it The worde of the LORDE came vnto the prophet Ieremy sayenge Go and tell Hananias these wordes Thus saieth the LORDE Thou hast broken the chayne of wodd but in steade of wodd thou shalt make chaynes of yron For thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel I wil put a yock of yron vpon the neck of all this people that they maye serue Nabuchodonosor the kinge of Babilon yee so shal they do And I wil geue him y e beestes in the felde Then sayde the prophet Ieremy vnto y e prophet Hananias Heare me I praye the Hananias The LORDE hath not sent the but thou bringest this people in to a false beleue And therfore thus saieth y e LORDE beholde I wil sende the out of the loÌ„de within a yeare thou shalt die because thou hast falsely spokeÌ„ agaynst the LORDE So Hananias the prophet died the same yeare in the seuenth Moneth The XXIX Chapter THis is the Copie of the lettre y t Ieremy the prophet sent from Ierusalem vnto the presoners the Senatours presies prophetes all the people whom Nabuchodonosor had led vnto BabiloÌ„ after y e tyme y t kinge Iechonias his Quene his chambrelaynes the prynces of Iuda IerusaleÌ„ the workmasters of IerusaleÌ„ were departed thither Which lettre Elasa y e sonne of SaphaÌ„ Gamaria y e sonne of Helchia dyd beare whoÌ„ Sedechias the kinge of Iuda sent vnto BabiloÌ„ to Nabuchodonosor y e kinge of BabiloÌ„ these were y e wordes of Ieremias lettre Thâ—s hath y e LORDE of hoostes y e God of Israel spokeÌ„ vnto all the presoners y t were â—ed froÌ„ IerusaleÌ„ vnto BabiloÌ„ 〈…〉 you houses to dwell therein plaÌ„te you â–ª 〈◊〉 y t ye maye enioye the frutes thereof take you wyues to beare you sonnes and doughters prouyde wyues for youre sonnes huszbondes for youre doughters that they maye get sonnes doughters and that ye maye multiplie there Laboure not to be fewe but seke after peace prosperite of the cite where in ye be presoners praye vnto God for it For in the peace there of shal yo r peace be For thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel Let not those prophetes and soythsaiers y t be amonge you disceaue you beleue not youre owne dreames For why they preach you lies in my name I haue not sent them saieth the LORDE But thus saieth the LORDE When ye haue fulfilled lxx yeares at Babilon I wil bringe you home and of myne owne goodnes I will carie you hither agayne vnto this place For I knowe what I haue deuysed for you saieth the LORDE My thoughtes are to geue you peace not trouble which I geue you all redie that ye might haue hope agayne Ye shall crie vnto me ye shal go call vpoÌ„ me I shal heare you Ye shal seke me fynde me Yee yf so be that ye seke me with youre whole herte I will be founde of you saieth the LORDE and will delyuer you out of preson gather you together agayne out of all places where in I haue scatred you saieth the LORDE and wil bringe you agayne to the same place from whence I caused you be caried awaye captyue But where as ye saye that God hath raysed you vp prophetes at Babilon Thus hath the LORDE spoken concernynge the kinge that sytteth in the stole of Dauid and all y e people that dwell in this cite youre brethren that are not gone with you in to captiuyte Thus I saye speaketh the LORDE of hoostes Beholde I wil sende a swearde honger pestilence vpon them wil make them like vntymely fyges that maye not be eateÌ„ for bytternes And I wil persecute them with the swearde with honger death I will delyuer them vp to be
vexed of all kingdomes to be cursed abhorred laughed to scorne put to confucion of all the people amonge whom I haue scatred them that because they haue not bene obedient vnto my commaundementes saieth the LORDE which I sent vnto them by my seruauntes the prophetes I stode vp early and sent vnto them but they wolde not heare saieth the LORDE Heare therfore the worde of the LORDE all ye presoners whom I sent from IerusaleÌ„ vnto Babilon Thus hath the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel spoken of Achab y e sonne of Colaias of Sedechias the sonne of Maasia which prophecie lies vnto you in my name Beholde I wil delyuer them in to the honde of Nabuchodonosor the kinge of Babilon that he maye slaye them before youre eyes And all y e presoners of Iuda that are in Babilon shal take vpoÌ„ them this terme of cursinge and saye Now God do vnto the as he dyd vnto Sedechias Achab whom the kinge of Babilon rosted in the fyre because they synned shamefully in Israel For they haue not onely defiled their neghbours wyues but also preached lyenge wordes in my name which I haue not commaunded them This I testifie assure saieth the LORDE But as for Semeia the Nehelaâ—â—te thou shalt speake vnto him Thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel Because thou hast sealed lettres vnder thy name vnto all the people that is at Ierusalem to Sophonias the sonne of Maasia the prest yee and sent them to all the prestes where in thou wrytest thus vnto him The LORDE hath ordened the to be prest in steade of Ioiada the prest that thou shuldest be the chefe in the house of the LORDE aboue all prophetes preachers that thou mightest put them in preson or in y e stockes How happeneth it then that thou hast not reproued Ieremy of Anathot which neuer leaueth of his prophecienge And beside all this he hath sent vs worde vnto Babilon and tolde vs planely that oure captiuyte shal longe endure that we shulde buylde vs houses to dwell therin to plante vs gardens that we might enioye the frutes therof Which lettre Sophonias the prest dyd rede and let Ieremy the prophet heare it Then came the worde of the LORDE vnto Ieremy sayenge Sende worde to all them that be in captiuyte on this maner Thus hath the LORDE spoken concernynge Semeia y e Nehelamite Because that Semeia hath prophecied vnto you without my commyssion brought you in to a false hope therfore thus the LORDE doth certifie you Beholde I wil vyset Semeia the Nehelamite his sede so that none of his shall remayne amonge this people none of them shall se the good y t I will do for this people saieth the LORDE For he hath preached falsely of the LORDE The XXX Capter THese are the wordes that the LORDE shewed vnto Ieremy saienge Thus saieth the LORDE God of Israel Wryte vp diligently all the wordes that I haue spoken vnto the in a boke For lo the tyme commeth saieth the LORDE that I will bringe agayne the presoners of my people of Israel and Iuda saieth the LORDE For I will restore them vnto the londe that I gaue to their fathers and they shall haue it in possession Agayne these wordes spake the LORDE coÌ„cernynge Israel and Iuda Thus saieth the LORDE We heare a terrible crie feare and disquietnesse For what els doth this signifie that I se Namely that all stronge men smyte euery man his honde vpon his loynes as a woman in the payne of hir trauayle Who euer sawe a man trauayle with childe Enquere therafter se. Yee all their faces are maruelous pale Alas for this daye which is so dredefull that none maye be lickened vnto it and alas for the tyme of Iacobs trouble from the which he shall yet be delyuered For in that daye saieth the LORDE I will take his yock from of thy neck breake thy bondes They shall nomore serue straunge goddes vnder him but they shall do seruyce vnto God their LORDE and to Dauid their kinge whom I will rayse vp vnto them And as for the o my seruaunt Iacob feare not saieth y e LORDE and be not afrayed o Israel For lo I will helpe the also from farre thy sede from the londe of their captiuyte And Iacob shall turne agayne he shal be in rest and haue a prosperous life and no man shall make him afrayed For I am with the to helpe the saieth the LORDE And though I shal destroye all the people amonge whom I haue scatred the yet will I not destroye the but correcke the and that with discrecion For I knowe that thou art in no wise without faute Therfore thus saieth y e LORDE I am sory for thy hurte and woundes There is no man to medle with thy cause or to bynde vp thy woundes there maye no man helpe the. All thy louers haue forgotten the and care nothinge for the. For I haue geuen the a cruell stroke and chastened the roughly and that for the multitude of thy myszdedes for thy synnes haue had the ouer hande Why makest thou mone for thy harme I my self haue pite of thy sorowe but for the multitude of thy myszdedes and synnes I haue done this vnto the. And therfore all they that deuoure the shal be deuoured and all thine enemies shal be led in to captiuyte All they that make the waist shal be waisted them selues and all those that robbe the will I make also to be robbed For I will geue the thy health agayne and make thy woundes whole saieth the LORDE because they reuyled the as one cast awaye vnd despised o Sion For thus saieth the LORDE Beholde I will set vp Iacobs tentes agayne and defende his dwellinge place The cite shal be buylded in hir olde estate and the houses shal haue their right foundacion And out of them shall go thankesgeuynge and the voyce of ioye I will multiplie them and they shall not mynishe I shall endue them with honoure and no man shall subdue them Their children shal be as a fore tyme and their congregacion shal coÌ„tinue in my sight And all those that vexe them will I viset A captayne also shall come of them and a prynce shall springe out from the myddest of them him will I chalenge to my self and he shall come vnto me For what is he that geueth ouer his herte to come vnto me saieth the LORDE Ye shal be my people also and I wil be youre God Beholde on the other syde shall the wrath of the LORDE breake out as a stormy water as a mightie whyrle wynde and shal fall vpoÌ„ the heades of the vngodly The terrible displeasure of the LORDE shall not leaue of vntill he haue done perfourmed the intent of his herte which in the latter dayes ye shal vnderstonde At the same tyme saieth the LORDE shal I be the God of all