gyue thy seruaunt leaue that we may pray before the that thou mayest gyue sede vnto oure herte tyllynge to our vndestandyng that there maye coÌ„me frute of it that euery one which is corrupte and beareth the state and place of a man may lyue For thou art alone we al are one work manshyppe of thy handes lyke as thou hast sayd and lyke as the body is fashioned now in the mothers woÌ„be thou geuest the meÌ„bres and thy creature is preserued in fyre water .ix. monethes doth thy worke suffre thy creature whiche is fashyoned in her but the thing that preserueth and it that is preserued shall both be kept together and wheÌ„ tyme is the wombe delyuereth the thynge that is kepte and growen in her For thou hast commauÌ„ded the brestes to geue mylcke vnto the fruyte that the thyng which is created and fashyoned may be noryshed for a tyme and then thou dysposest ordrest it with thy mercy bringeste it vp w t thy righteousnes nurturest it in thy lawe refourmest it with thy vnderstandyng mortifiest it as thy creature makest it lyuyng as thy worcke Seyunge then that thou destroyest him which with so great labours is created and fashyoned thorowe thy commaundemeÌ„t thou couldest lyghtly ordeine also that the thynge which is made myght be preserued And thys I speake now of all men in generall as y u knowest but of thy people for whose sake I am sory of thy inheritauÌ„ce for whose cause I mourne and of Israell for whom I am wofull and for Iacob for whose sake I am greued therfore begynne I to pray before the for my selfe for them for I se the fall of vs euen of vs that dwel vpon earth But I haue herde the swiftnes of y â— iudge which is to come therfore heare my voice and vnderstande my wordes and I shall speake before the. Thys is the begynnynge of the wordes of Esdras before he was receaued And I sayde O Lorde thou that dwellest in euerlastignesse whose eyes are lyfte vp in the ayre whose stoole is exceadynge hye whose glory maiesty may not be comprehended before whom the Hostes of aungels stande with treÌ„bling whose kepyng is turned in wynde and fyre whose worde is true whose talckynge is stedfaste whose commaundement is stronge whose ordinaunce is fearful whose loke drieth vp the depthes whose wrath maketh the mouÌ„taynes to melte awaye and whose trueth beareth wytnes O heare the prayer of thy seruaunt and marke with thyne eares the petycyon of thy creature For whyle I lyue I wyll speake and so longe as I haue vnderstanding I wyl answere O loke not vpon the synnes of thy people which serue the in trueth Haue no respecte vnto the wicked studies of the Heathen but to the desyre of those that kept thy testimonyes with sorowes Thyncke not vpoÌ„ those that haue walked fameâ—ly before the but vpon them whiche with wyll haue knowen thy feare Let it not be thy wyll to destroye them which haue had beastly maners but to loke vpon theÌ„ that haue clearly taught thy law Take thou no indignacyoÌ„ at theÌ„ which are worse then beastes but loue them that all waye put theyr trust in thy ryghteousnes glory for we our fathers haue al the same sycknes and dysease but because of our sinnes thou shalt be called mercyfull For yf thou hast mercy vpon vs y â— shalt be called mercyfull where as we haue no worckes of righteousnes for the righteous whiche haue sayed vp many good worckes together shal out of theyr dedes receaue rewarde For what is man that thou shuldest take displeasure at him Or what is the corruptible mortal generacyon that thou shul dest be so rough towarde hym For of a trueth there is no man amonge them that be borne but he hath dealte wyckedly and among the faithful there is none whiche hath not done amysse For in thys O Lord thy ryghteousnes and thy goodnes shal be praysed and declared yf thou be mercyfull vnto them which are not rych in good worckes Then answered he me and sayde Some thinges hast thou spoken a right and according vnto thy wordes it shall be For I wyl not verely consydre the worckes of them which haue synned before death before the iudgment before destruccyon but I wyll reioyce ouer the worcke and thought of the ryghteous I wyll remeÌ„bre also the pylgremage the holy makynge and the rewarde Lyke as I haue spoken now so shal it come to passe For as the husbande man so weth much sede vpon the grounde and planteth many trees and yet alwaye the thynge that is sowne or planted is not al kepte safe nether doth it all take rote Euen so is it of theÌ„ that are sowne in the worlde they shall not all be salued I answered then and sayde If I haue fouÌ„de grace then let me speake Like as the husbande mans sede perisheth yf it receaue not rayne in dewe season or it there come to much rayne vpoÌ„ it Euen so perysheth man also which is created with thy handes and is lyke vnto thyne owne ymage and to thy selfe for whose sake thou hast made al thynges and lykened hym vnto the husbande mans sede Be not wroth at vs O Lorde but spare thy people and haue mercy vpon thyne owne inherytaunce O be mercyfull vnto thy creature Then answered he me sayde Thinges present are for the preseÌ„te thinges to come for suche as be to come For thou lackeste yet much seynge thou mayest loue my creature aboue me I haue oft times drawne me vnto the but neuer to the vnryghteous In this also thou art maruelous before y â— Hieit in that thou hast humbled thy selfe as it becommeth the and haste not regarded thyne owne selfe that thou art had iÌ„ such honour amoÌ„ge the ryghteous Therfore shall great wrechednes and mysery come vpoÌ„ theÌ„ that in the latter tyme shall dwell in the worlde because they haue walcked in greate pryde But vnderstande thou for thy selfe and seke out glory for such as be lyke the for vn to you is paradyse opened the tre of lyfe is planted the tyme to come is prepared plenteousnes made ready a cytie is buylded for you a rest is prepared yee perfecte goodnes and wysdome The rote of euel is marcked from you the weaknes mothe is hyd froÌ„ you into hell flyeth corrupcyon in forgetfulnes Sorowes are vanyshed awaye and in the ende is shewed the treasure of immortalyte And therfore aske thou no more questions concernyng the multytude of theÌ„ that peryshe For they haue taken libertye despysed the Hyeste thought scorne of hys lawe and forsaken his wayes Morouer they haue troden downe hys ryghteous and sayde in theyr herte that there is no God yee and that wyttingly for they dye For lyke as the thige that I haue spoken of is made ready for you Euen so is thyrst payne prepared for them For it was not hys wyll that man shulde come
not be hyd Therfore beware of murmurynge which is nothynge worth and refrayne youre tonge from sclaunder For there is no worde so darcke and secrete that it shall goo for naught and the mouth that speaketh lyes sleyeth the soule O seke nat your owne death in y â— erroure of youre lyfe destroye not youre selues thorow the worckes of youre awne haÌ„des For God hath not made death nether hath he pleasure in the destruccyon of the lyuynge For he created all thinges that they myght haue theyr beynge yee all the people of the earth hathe he made that they shulde haue health that there shulde be no destruccyoÌ„ in them and that the kyngdome of hell shulde not be vpoÌ„ earth for ryghteousnesse is euerlastinge immortall but vnryghteousnes bryngeth death Neuerthelesse y â— vngodly call her vnto them bothe with wordes and workes and whyle they thynke to haue a frende of her they come to naught for the vngodly that are confederate with her and take her parte are worthy of death ¶ The ymaginacyons and desyres of the wycked and theâ—e councell agaynst the faythfull CAPI II. FOR the vngodly talke and ymagin thus amonge theÌ„ selues but not right The tyme of our lyfe is but short tedious and when a man is once gone he hathe no more ioye nor pleasure neyther knowe we any man that turneth agayne froÌ„ death for we are borne of naught we shal be hereafter as though we had neuer bene For oure breth is as a smoke in oure nosetreâ—s the wordes as a sparke to moue oure herte As for oure body it shal be very asshes that are quenched and oure soule shall vanish as the softe ayre Oure lyfe shal passe awaye as the trace of a cloude and come to naught as the myst that is dryuen awaye with y â— beames of the Sonne and put downe with the heate therof Oure name also shal be forgotten by lytle and lytle and no man shal haue oure workes in remembraunce For oure tyme is a very shadowe y â— passeth awaye after oure ende there is no returnynge for it is fast sealed so that no man coÌ„meth agayne Come on therfore let vs enioye the pleasures that there are and let vs soone vse the creature lyke as in youth Let vs fyll oure selues with good wyne oyntment and let there no floure of the tyme go by vs. Let vs crowne our selues with roses afore they be withered Let there be no fayre medowe but our lust go thorowe it Let euery one of you be partakeâ— of oure volupteousnes Let vs leaue some token of oure pleasure in euery place for that is oure porcyon els get we nothynge Let vs oppresse the poore ryghteous let vs nat spare the wyddowe nor olde man let vs nat regarde the heades y â— are graye for age Let y â— lawe of vnryghteousnesse be oure auctorite for the thing y â— is feble is nothing worth Therfore let vs defraude the ryghteous â—hy he is not for oure profet yee he is cleane contarye to oure doynges He checketh vs for offendynge agaynst the lawe â—â—landreth vs as trangressours of al nurtouâ— He maketh his boast to haue the knowledge of God yee he calleth him selfe Goddes sonne He is the be wrayer of our thoughtê It greueth vs also to loke vpoÌ„ him for his lite is not like other mens his wayes are of another fashyoÌ„ He counteth vs but vayne personnes he withdraweth hym selfe from our wayes as from fylthyues he commendeth greatly the latter ende of the iuit and maketh hys boast that God is his father Let vs se then yt his wordes be true let vs proue what shall come vpon hym so shall we knowe what ende he shall haue For yf he be y â— true sonne of God he wyl receaue hym and delyuer hym from the handes of his enemyes Let vs examen hym with despytefull rebuke aod tormentynge that we may knowe hys dignite and proue his pacyence Let vs condemne hym with the most shameful death for lyke as he hathe spoken so shall he be rewarded Suche thynges do the vngodly ymagin and go astraye for theyr owne wyckednes hath blynded them As for the mysteries of God they vnderstande theÌ„ not they neyther hope for the rewarde of ryghteousnesse nor regarde the worshyp that holy soules shall haue For God created maÌ„ to be vnde stroied yee after y â— ymage of hys owne lyckenesse made he hym Neuerthelesse thorowe enuye of the deuell came death in to the worlde they that holde of his syde do as he dothe ¶ The conseruatyon and assurance of the ryghteous The rewarde of the faythfull CAPI III. BVT the soules of the ryghteous are in the hande of God and the payne of death shall not touch them In the syght of the vnwyse they appeared to dye and theyr ende is taken for very destruccyon The waye of the ryghteous is iudged to be vtter destruceyon but they are in rest And though they suffre payne before men yet is theyr hope full of immbrtalyte They are punyshed but in fewe thinges neuerthelesse in many thynges shall they be well rewarded For God proueth them and fyndeth them meâ—e for hymselfe yee as the golde in the fornace dothe he trye the and receaueth them as a 〈…〉 offerynge and when the tyme commeth they shal be loked vpon The ryghteous shall shyne as y â— sparkes that renne thorow the red busshe They shal iudge the nacions and haue dominion ouer the people and theyr Lorde shall raygne for euer They that â—uâ— theyr trust in him shall vnderstande the trueth suche as be faythfull wyl agre vnto him in loue for his choseu shall haue gyftes and peace But the vngodly shal be punished according to their owne ymaginacions for they haue despised the ryghteous and forsaken the Lorde Who so despyseth wysdome uurtoure he is vnhappye as for the hope of suche it is but vayne theyr labours vnfruteful and theyr workes vnprofytable Theyr wyues are vndisercte and theyr chyldren most vngodly Theyr creature is cursed Blessed is rather the baren and vndefyled which hath nat knownethe synfull bed she shall haue frute in the rewarde of the holy soules And blessed is the gelded which with his haÌ„des hathe wrought no vnryghteousnesse nor ymagined wycked thynges agaynste God For vnto him shall be geuen y â— speciall gyfte of fayth the most acceptable porcion in y â— temple of God For glorious is the frute of good labour the rote of wysdome shal neuer fade awaye As for the chyldren of aduouterers they shall come to an ende the sede of an vnryghteous bed shall be roted out And though they lyue longe yet shall they he nothynge regarded theyr last age shal be without honoure Yf they dye hastely they haue no hope nether shal they be spokeÌ„ to in the daye of knowledge For horible is the death and ende of the vnryghteous ¶ Of the chaste generacyon of the faythfull and of them
But the worde of God was not bounde Therfore I suffre all thynges for the electes sakes that they myght also obtayne that saluacion whiche is in Christ Iesu with eternal glory It is a true sayinge for yf we be dead w t hym we shall also lyue with hym If we be paciente we shal also raygne wyth hym If we denye hym he also shall denye vs If we beleue not yet abydeth he faythful He cannot denye him selfe Of these thinges put them in remembraunce and testyfie before the Lorde that they folowe no contencious wordes which are to no pfet but to the peruertyng of the hearers Study to shewe thy selfe laudable vnto god a workman y â— nedeth not to be ashamed distributing the word of trueth iustly As for vnghostly vanityes of voices passe y â— ouer them For they wyl encreace vnto greater vngodlynes and their wordes shall fret euen as doth the disease of a cancre of whose noÌ„bre is Hymeneus Philetus whiche as concernynge the trueth haue exced sayinge that the resurreccyon is past all redy and do destroye the fayth of some But the sure grouÌ„de of god standeth styl and hath this seale the Lord knoweth theÌ„ that are his And let euery man that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquite Notwithstanding in a great house are not onely vessels of golde and of syluer but also of wood and of earth some for honour some vnto dishonour Yf a maÌ„ therfore pour ge hiÌ„ selfe from such men he shal be a vessell saÌ„ctified vnto honour mete for the vses of y â— Lord prepared vnto al good workes Lustes of youth auoyde but folow righ tuousnes fayth loue peace wyth theÌ„ that cal on the Lorde with a pure herte Folysh and vnlearned questioÌ„s put from the knowyng that they do but gendre stryfe The seruaunt of the Lorde muste not stryue but be gentle vnto al men apte to teach one that can suffre the euyl with mekenes and can infourme theÌ„ that resyst âšœ the trueth if that God at any tyme wyll gyue theÌ„ repentauÌ„ce for to knowe the trueth and that they maye come to them selues agayne out of the snare of the deuyll whiche are holden captyue of hym at his wyll ¶ He prophecyeth of the paâ—clous tymes sâ—â—tâ—â—h oâ—t ypocryâ—â— Persecuâ—ion for the Gospel CAPI III. THis know that in the last dayes shal come parelous tymes For men shal be louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proude cursed speakers disobedieÌ„t to fathers mothers vnthaÌ„kful vngodly vn kynd trucebrekers false accusers riotours fearce despisers of theÌ„ which are good tray tours heady hye mynded gredy vpoÌ„ volup tuousnes more then the louers of God hauyng a similitude of godlynes but haue denied the power therof such abhorre For of this sorte are they which entre into houses bryng into boÌ„dage wemen laden w t sinne which wemen are led w t diuers lustes euer lernig ueuer able to come vnto the know ledge of the trueth As Iannes Iambres with stode Moses euen so do these also resist the trueth meÌ„ they are of corrupte myndes and lewde as coÌ„cernyng the fayth but they shall preuayle no lenger For their madnes shal be vttered vnto all men euen as theirs was But thou hast sene the experience of my doctrine fassioÌ„ of lyuyng purpose fayth longe sufferyng loue pacience persecucions and affliccions which happened vnto me at Antioche at â—co niuÌ„ and at Lystra which persecucioÌ„s I suffred paciently And from them al the Lorde deliuered me Yee and all they that wyll lyue godly in Christ Iesu shall suffre persecucion But the euyll men dysceyuers shal wexe worsse and worsse whyle they deceyue and are deceyued them selues But continue thou in the thinges which thou hast learned which also were committed vnto the knowing of whom thou haste learned them and for as much also as of a chylde thou hast knoweÌ„ the holy scriptures which are able to make the learned vnto saluacion thorowe the fayth which is in Christ Iesu All scrypture gyuen by inspiracyon of God is profytable to teache to improue to ameÌ„de to instruct in rightuousnes that the man of God may be perfect prepared vnto all good workes ¶ He exhorteth Timothe to be feruent in the worde and to susâ—â—e Aduersite moketh meÌ„cion of his owne death and byd deth Tymothe come vnto hym CAPI IIII. I Testifie therfore before God before the Lord Iesu Christ whiche shall iudge the quicke dead at his apperyng in his kyngdome preach y â— the worde be feruent in seasoÌ„ out of season Improue rebuke exhorte w t al long suffryng doctrine For the time wyl come when they shall not suffre wholsome doctrine but after their owne lustê shal they whose earrs ytche get theÌ„ an heape of teachers shal withdraw their eares from the trueth and shal be turned vnto fables But watch y â— in al thingê suffre affliccions do the worke of an EuaÌ„gelyste fulfyll thyne offyce vnto the vtmost âšœ Be sober For I am now redy to be offred the time of my departyng is at haÌ„de I haue fought a good fyght I haue fulfylled my course I haue kept the fayth FroÌ„ hence forth there is layde vp for me a crowne of rightuousnes which the Lord that is a rightuous iudge shal giue me at that day not to me only but vnto al theÌ„ also that loue hê coÌ„ming Do thy diligeÌ„ce that y u maiest come shortly vnto me For Demas hath forsakeÌ„ me and loueth this present worlde and is departed vnto Thessalonica Crescens is gone to Galacia Titus vnto Dalmacia Onely Lucas is w t me Take Marke bryng him with the for he is profitable vnto me for the ministracion And Tichiâ—us haue I sent to Ephesus The cloke that I left at Troada with Carpus when thou commest brynge with the and the bokes but specially the partchâ—â—â—t Alexander the copper smyth dyd me muche euyl the Lorde rewarde hym accordynge to his dedes of whom be thou ware also For he hath greatly withstaÌ„de our wordes At my fyrst answeryng no man assysted me but also forsoke me I pray God that it may not be layde to their charges ✚ Notwithstanding the Lord assisted me strengthed me that by me the preachyng shulde be fulfylled to the vtmost that al the GeÌ„tyls shulde heare And I was delyuered out of the mouth of the Lyon And the Lord shall delyuer me from all euyl doyng shal kepe me vnto his heauenly kyngdome To whoÌ„ be prayse for euer euer Amen Salute Prisca Aquila the houshold of Onesiphorus Erastus abode at Corinthum Trophimus haue I left at MylctuÌ„ sycke Do thy dylygeÌ„ce that y â— mayest come before witer Eubolus gretith the so doth Pudens Lynus Claudia al the brethreÌ„ The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirite Grace be with you Amen
that were neuer dryed I shall be weake as other men And then the Lordes of the Philistines brought her seue wythes that were yet grene and neuer dryed she bounde hym therwith â–ª Notwithstandynge she had men lyenge in wayte with her in the chambre And she sayd vnto hym the Philistines be vpon the Samson And immediately he brake the cordes as a strynge of towe †that is tvvyned breaketh when it feleth fyre And so his strength was not knowen And Dalila sayde vnto Samson Se thou hast mocked me tolde me lyes Nowe therfore tell me wherwith thou myghtest be bounde He answered her yf they bynde me with newe ropes that were neuer occupyed I shall be weake and as another man Dalila therfore toke newe ropes bounde hym therwith and sayde vnto hym the Philistines be vpon the Samson And there were lyers of wayte in the chambre and he brake them from of his armes as they had ben but a threde And Dalila sayde vnto Samsom â—â—therto thou hast begyled me and tolde me lyes yet tell me howe y â— myghtest be bounde He sayde vnto her If thou plattedst the. vii â–ª lockes of my heade with an heere lace And she fastened them with a nayle sayde vnto hym the Philistines be vpoÌ„ the Samson And he awaked out of his slepe plucked awaye the nayle that was in the plattynge with the heere lace And she sayde vnto hym agayne Howe canst thou saye that thou louest me when thyne herte is not with me behold thou hast mocked me this thre tymes hast not tolde me wherin thy greate strength lyeth And as she laye vpon hym with her wordes contynually vexynge of hym his soule was encombred euen vnto the death And so he tolde her all his herte and sayde vnto her there neuer came raser vpon myne heade for I haue ben an absteyner †that is to say consecrate vnto God euen from my mothers wombe therfore when I am shauen my strength wyl go from me and I shall waxe weake and be lyke all other men And when Dalila sawe that he had tolde her all his herte she sent called for the Lordes of the Philistines sayenge come vp yet this once for he hath shewed me all his herte Then the Lordes of the Philistines came vp vnto her and brought the money in theyr handes And she made hym slepe vpon her knees †and to laye his heade dovvne in her lappe and she sent for a man and he dyd shaue of the seuen lockes of his heade and began to vexe hym and his strength was gone from hym And she sayd the Philistines be vpon the Samson And he awoke out of his slepe and sayde I wyll go out now as at other tymes before shake my selfe he wyst not that the lorde was departed from hym But the Philistynes toke hym put out his eyes brougth hym downe to Azath and bouÌ„de hym with two fetters of brasse And ☞ he dyd grynde in the pryson house howbeit the heere of his heade began to growe agayne after that he was shauen Then the Lordes of the Philistines gathered them togyther for to offre a solempne offerynge vnto Dagon theyr god and to reioyse for they sayde oure God hath deleuered Samson oure enemye in to oure handê And when the people sawe hym they praysed theyr God for they sayde our God hath delyuered into our handes our enemy and distroyer of oure countrey whiche slewe many of vs. And when theyr hertes were merye it fortuned that they sayd sende for SaÌ„son that he maye make vs laugh And they fet Samson out of the prysonhouse and he played before them and they set hym bytwene the pyllers And Samson sayde vnto the lad that led hym by the hand set me that I maye touche the pyllers that the house stande vpon that I maye leane to them And the house was full of men and women And there were all the Lordes of the Philistines And there were vpon the roofe a thre thousande men women that behelde whyle Samson played And Samson called vnto the Lorde and sayde O Lorde God thynke vpon me and strengthen me at this tyme onely â–ª O God that I maye be aduenged of the Philistines for my two eyes And Samson cought the two myddle pyllers on which the house stode on whiche it was borne vp the one in his ryght hande the other in his lefte sayde my soule shall dye with the Philistines and bowed them with all his myght And the house fell vpon the Lordes and vpon all the people that were therin And so the deade which he slew at his death were mo then they whiche he slew in his lyfe And then his brethren al the house of his father came downe and toke hym vp and brought hym and buryed hym bytwene Zarah and Esthaoll in the buryenge place of Manoah his Father And he iudged Israell twentye yeare ¶ Of Micah whose mother made hym an ydoll of syluer CAPI XVII THere was a man in mounte Ephraim named Micah and he sayde vnto his mother the eleuen hundred Syluerlynges that were taken from the aboute which thou cursedst spakest it in myne eares Behold the syluer is with me I toke it awaye And his mother sayde blessed be thou my son in the Lorde And when he had restored the eleuen hundred syluerlynges to his mother agayne his mother sayde I vowed the syluer vnto the lorde of myne hande for the my son that thou shuldest make a grauen ymage an ymage of metall Nowe therfore I wyl gyue it the agayne And when he restored the money agayne vnto his mother his mother toke two hundred syluerlyngê and gaue them to a goldsmyth which made therof a grauen ymage and an ymage of metall and it was in the house of Micah And the man Micah had a temple of goddes and made an Ephod and Theraphim †that is to say a garment for the preest and Ydols and fylled the hande of one of his sonnes whiche became his preest In those dayes there was no Kynge of Israell but euery man dyd that whiche was good in his owne eyes And there was a yonge man out of Bethleem Iuda of the kynred of Iuda which yonge man was a Leuite soiourned there And the man departed out of the citye of Bethleem Iuda to go dwell where he coulde fynde a conuenyent place And he came to mounte Ephraim to the house of Micah as he iourneyed And Micah sayde vnto hym whence coÌ„mest thou The Leuite answered hym I am of Bethleem Iuda go to dwel where I may fynde a place †and vvhere I may spye it to be for my profyt And Micah sayde agayne vnto hym dwell with me and be vnto me a father a preest And I wyll gyue the ten syluerlynges by yeare two garmentes and thy meate and drynke And the Leuite was content to dwel with the man and was vnto hym as one of his owne sonnes And
came fyre of God downe from heuen consumed hym his fyftie And the kynge went agayne and sent the thyrde captayne ouer fyftie with his fiftie men And the thyrde captayne ouer fyftie went vp and came fell on his knees before Elia and besought hym and sayde vnto hym O man of god let my lyfe and the lyfe of these fyfiye thy seruauntes be precyous in thy syght Beholde there came fyre downe from heuen burnt vp the two fore captaynes ouer fyftie with theyr fyfties therfore let my lyfe nowe be precyous in thy syght And the angell of the Lorde sayde vnto Elia Go downe w t hym be not afrayde of hym And he arose and went downe with hym vnto the kyng And he sayd vnto hym thus sayth the lorde for as moche as thou hast sent messengers to aske counsayle at Beelzebub the god of Ekrom as though there had bene no god in Israell whose worde thou myghtest like after Therfore thou shalte not come downe of the bed on whiche thou arte gone vp but shalt dye the death And so he dyed accordyng to the worde of the lorde which Elia had spoken And Iehoram †his brother began to reygne in his steade in the seconde yeare of Iehoram the son of Iehosaphat kyng of Iuda bycause he had no sonne The rest of the wordes that concerne Ahazia what thynges he dyd are they not wrytten in the boke of the cronicles of the kynges of Israel ¶ Elia deuydeth the waters with his maritell He â—s taken vp in to heuen The bâ—tter and venemous watâ—rs are healed The chyldren that mocke Hesâ—â—â—us otherwyse câ—llâ—d Elisa are rent in peces CAPI II. ANd it chaunced that when the Lorde wolde take vp Elia in to heuen ☞ by a whyrlewynde Elia went with Elisa froÌ„ Gilgal And Elia sayde vnto Elisa tary here I pray the for the Lorde hath sent me to Bethel Elisa sayd vnto hym as surely as the lorde lyueth and as thy soule lyueth I wyll not leaue the. And they came downe to Bethel And the chyldren of the Prophets that were at Bethell came out to Elisa and sayde vnto hym knowest thou not howe that the Lorde wyll take away thy mayster ☞ froÌ„ thy heade this day He sayde I know it also holde ye youre peace And Elia sayde vnto hym Elisa tary here I praye the for the lorde hath sent me to Iericho He sayd as surely as the lord lyueth and as surely as thy soule lyueth I wyll not leaue the and so they came to Iericho And the chyldren of the Prophettes that were at Iericho came to Elisa and sayde vnto hym Knowest thou not that the Lorde wyll take awaye thy mayster from thy heade this day He answered I knowe it also holde ye youre peace And Elia sayd vnto hym tary I pray the here for the lorde hath sent me to IordaÌ„ He sayd as surely as the Lorde lyueth as thy soule lyueth I wyll not leaue the. And so they two went togyther And fyftye meÌ„ of the sonnes of the prophets came stode on the other syde a far of they two stode by Iordan And Elia toke his mantell and wrapte it togyther smote the waters and they were deuided parte the one way and parte the other so that they two went ouer thorowe the drye lande And it fortuned that as soone as they were ouer Elia sayd vnto Elisa aske what I shall do for the or I be taken away from the. And Elisa sayd I praye the ☞ let thy spirite be double vpon me And he sayde thou hast asked an harde thyng Neuerthelesse yf thou se me when I am taken away from the thou shalte haue it so yf thou do not it shal not be And it fortuned that as they went walkyng and talkyng Beholde there appeared a charet of fyre and horses of fyre and parted them both a sonder And Elia wente vp thorowe the whyrle wynde in to heuen And Elisa sawe cryed O my father O my father the charet of Israel and the horsemen therof he sawe hym no more and he toke his owne clothes and rente them in two peces He toke vp also the mantell of Elia that fell from hym and went backe agayne and stode by Iordans syde toke the mantell of Elia that fell from hym and smote the waters †and they parted not a sonder and he sayd where is the lorde god of Elia and he hym selfe And when he had smytten the waters they parted this waye that way and Elisa went ouer And when the chyldren of the prophettes which were at Iericho sawe hym from a farre they sayde the spirite of Elia doth rest on Elisa they came to mete hym and fell to the grounde before hym and sayde vnto hym Se there be with thy seruauntes fyftie strong men ☞ let them go and seke thy mayster haply the spirite of the lorde hath taken hym vp cast him vpon some mountayne or in to some valley And he sayd Ye shall sende none And when they say vpon hym tyl he was ashamed he sayd send They sent therfore fyftie men whiche sought hym thre dayes but founde hym not And when they came agayne to hym whiche taried at Iericho he sayd vnto them dyd I not say vnto you that ye shulde not go And the men of the citye sayd vnto Elisa Beholde Syr the dwellynge of this citye is pleasaunt as thou my lorde seest but the waters is nought and the grounde bareyne He sayde brynge me a newe cruse and put salte therin And they brought it to hym And he went vnto the spryng of the waters and cast the salte in thyther and sayde thus sayth the Lorde I haue healed this water there shall not come henceforth eyther death or bareynnesse So the waters were healed vnto this daye accordynge to the sayenge of Heliseus which he spake And he went vp from thence vnto Bethel And as he was goynge vp the waye there came lytell chyldren out of the citye and mocked hym and sayd vnto hym go vp thou balde heade go vp thou balde heade And he turned backe and loked on them and cursed them in the name of the Lorde And there came two she Beares out of that wood and tare xlii chyldren of them And he went from thence to mount Carmel from thence he turned agayne to Samaria ¶ The kynges of Israell Iuda and Edom lacke water whiche they obteyne through the prayer of Heliseus The kynge of Moab fygh eth agaynst Israell CAPI III. I Ehoram the son of Ahab began to reygne vpon Israel in Samaria the. xviii yere of Iehosaphat kyng of Iuda and reygned twelue yeres And he wrought euyll in the syght of the Lorde but not lyke his father and lyke his mother for he put awaye the ymages of Baal that his father had made Neuerthelesse he ☞ cleaued vnto the synnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat whiche made Israel to synne and departed not therfrom And Mesa kyng of
the towne folowe me and I wyll bryng you to the man whome ye seke But he led them to Samaria And it fortuned that when they were come to Samaria Elisa sayde Lorde open theyr eyes that they may se. And the lorde opened theyr eyes they saw And behold they were in the myddê of Samaria And the kyng of Israell sayd vnto Elisa when he saw them My father shall I smyte them And he answered Thou shalte not smyte them But smyte those that thou hast taken with thyne owne swerde and with thyne owne bow But rather set breade and water before them that they maye eate drynke go to theyr mayster And he prepared a greate refection for them And when they had eaten and dronke he sent them awaye and they went to theyr mayster And so the souldyours of Siria ☞ came no more into the lande of Israel After this it chaunced that Benhadad kynge of Siria gathered all his hooste and went vp and beseyged Samaria But there was a greate derth in Samaria beholde they beseyged it vntyll an Asses heade was â—olde for lxxx syluer pens the fourth part of ☞ a Cab of doues dounge for fyue sycles And as the Kynge of Israell was goynge vpon the wall there cryed a womaÌ„ vnto hym saynge helpe my lorde O kynge He sayd yf the lorde do not succour the wherwith can I helpe the ☞ with the barne or w t the wyne presse And the kynge sayde vnto her what wylt thou She answered yonder woman sayde vnto me brynge thy son that we maye eate hym to daye we wyll eate myne to morowe And so we dressed my son dyd eate hym And I sayde to her the other day bryng thy Sonne that we maye eate hym and she hath hyd her sonne And it came to passe that when the kynge herde the wordes of the woman he rent his clothes went vp on the wall And the people loked behold he had a sacke clothe vnder vpon his flesshe Then he sayde God do so so to me yf the heade of Elisa the son of Saphat shall stande on hym this day But Elisa sat in his house the elders sat by him and the kynge sent a man before hym But or the messenger came to hym he sayde to the elders haue ye not sene howe that ☞ the son of this murtherer hath sent to take awaye myne heade Be circumspecte when the messenger coÌ„meth shut the dore holde hym at the dore is not the sounde of his maysters feete behynde him Whyle he yet talked with them Beholde the messeÌ„ger came downe vnto hym sayd beholde ☞ this euyll is of the lorde what more shal I loke for of the lord ¶ Elisa prophesyeth plenteousnes of vyttayles and othâ—â— thynges to Samaria The Sirians runne away and haue no man folowynge them The lorde that wolde not byleue the worde of Elisa is troden to death CAPI VII THen Elisa sayde heare ye the worde of the lorde thus sayeth the lorde to morowe this tyme shall a busshell of fyne floure be solde for a Sicle two busshels of Barley for a Sycle in the gate of Samaria Then a certayne Lorde on whose hande the kynge leaned answered the man of god and sayde beholde yf the lorde wolde make wyndowes in heuen myght this sayenge come to passe He sayde beholde thou shalt se it with thyne eyes but shalte not eate therof And there were foure leperous men at the entetynge in of the gate And they sayde one to another why syt we here vntyll we dye Yf we saye we wyll entre into the citye beholde the derth is in the citye and we shall dye therin And yf we syt styll here we dye also Nowe therfore come let vs fall vpon the hoost of the Sirians If they saue our lyues we shal lyue Yf they kyl vs then are we dead And so they arose in the nyght to go to the hoost of the Sirians And when they were come to the vttermoost parte of the hoost of Siria beholde there was no man there For the lord had made the hoost of the Sirians to heare a noyse of charettê a noyse or horses and the noyse of a great hoost In so moche that they sayde one to another lo the kynge of Israell hath hyred agaynst vs the kynges of the Hethites the kynges of the Egyptyans to come vpon vs. Wherfore they arose fled in the nyght left theyr ten tes theyr horses and theyr Asses the felde whiche they had pytched euen as it was and fled for theyr lyues And when these lepers came to the edge of the hoost they went in to a tent and dyd eate drynke caryed thence syluer and golde rayment went and hyd it came agayne entred in to another tent and caryed thence also and went and hyd it Then sayde one to another we do not well this daye for asmoch as it is a day to brynge good tydynges we holde our peace Yf we tarye tyll the day lyght some myscheyfe wyl come vpon vs. Nowe therfore come that we maye go and tell the kynges housholde And so they came called vnto the porter of the citye tolde them sayenge we came to the pauilions of the Sirians se there was no man there neyther voyce of man but horses asses tyed and the tentes were euen as they were wont to be And so the man called vnto the porters and they tolde the kynges house wtin And the kyng arose in the nyght sayde vnto his seruauÌ„tes I wyll shew you nowe what the Sirians haue done vnto vs â–ª They knowe that we be hungrye and therfore are they gone out of the pauilyons to hyde them selues in the felde sayenge When they come out of the citie we shall earth them alyue and get into the citye And one of his seruauntes answered sayde Let men taâ—â— I pray you fyue of the horses that remayne are lefte in the multytude Beholde ☞ they are euen as all the multytude of Israell that are lefte in the citye beholde I say they are euen as all the multytude of the Israelites that are coÌ„sumed we wyll sende se. They toke therfore the horses of two chareties and the kynge sent after the hoost of the Sirians sayenge go se. And they went after them euen vnto Iordan lo all the way was full of clothes and vessels whiche the Sirians had cast from them in theyr haste And the messengers returned and tolde the kynge And the peple went out spoyled the tentes of the Sirians And so it came to passe that a busshell of fyne floure was solde for a sycle and two busshels of barley for a sycle accordynge to the worde of the lorde And the kynge appoynted that Lorde on whose hande he leaned to be at the gate And the people trode vpon hym in the gate and he dyed accordynge to the
me thorowe therwith that these vncircumcysed come not and do me shame But his weapon berer wolde not for he feared excedingly So Saul caught a swerde and fell vpon it And when his haâ—nes berer sawe that Saul was deade he fell on a swerde also and dyed And thus Saul and his thre sonnes and all they of his house dyed togyther And wheÌ„ all the men of Israel that were in the valley â–ª sawe howe they fled and that Saull and his sonnes were deade they forsoke theyr cityes and ran away and the Philistines came and dwelte in them And it fortuned that on the morow when the Philistines came to strype the deade bodies they founde Saull his sonnes ouerthrowen in mount Gilboe And wheÌ„ they had strypte hym they toke his heade and his harnesse and sent them in to the lande of the Philistines rounde aboute to shewe them vnto theyr ydols and to the people And they put his harnesse in the house of theyr God and set vp his heade in the temple of Dagon And when al they of Iabes in Gilead herde all that the Philistines had done to Saull they arose all the strongest of them and fet away the body of Saull and the bodyes of his sonnes and brought them to Iabes and buryed the bodyes of them vnder an ooke in Iabes fasted seuen dayes So Saul dyed for his trespasse that he trespassed agaynst the lorde in that he kepte not the worde of the lorde and in that he sought and asked counsayle of a womaÌ„ that wrought with a spirite and asked not of the Lorde And therfore he slue hym and turned the kyngdom vnto Dauid the sonne of Isai. ¶ After the death of Saull is Dauid anoynted in Hebron The Iâ—busites rebell agaynst Dauid from whiche he taketh the â—oure of Sion His men are nombred CAPI XI THen all Israell gathered them selues to Dauid vnto Hebron saynge Behold we be thy bones thy flesshe And more ouer in tyme past euen wheÌ„ Saul was kyng thou leddest Israel out and in And the lorde thy God sayde vnto the thou shalte fede my people Israell and thou shalte be captayne ouer my people Israel Therfore came al the elders of Israel to the kyng to Hebron and Dauid made a couenaunt with them in Hebron before the Lorde And they anoynted Dauid kyng ouer Israel accordyng to the worde of the Lorde ☞ by the hande of Samuel And Dauid and all Israel went to Ierusalem whiche is Iebus where as were the Iebusites the enhabitours of the lande And the enhabitours of Iebus sayde to Dauid thou comest not here Neuerthelesse Dauid wan the castell of Sion whiche is called the citye of Dauid And Dauid sayde who so euer smyteth the Iebusites fyrst shall be the principall captayne and a Lorde So Ioab the sonne of Zâ—ruia wente fyrst vp and was made the cheyfe captayne And Dauid dwelt in the castell therfore they called it the citye of Dauid And he buylte the Citye on euery syde euen from Millo rounde about Ioab repayred the rest of the Citye And Dauid prospered and waxed great and the Lorde of hoostes was with hym These are the principall men of power whom Dauid had and that claue to hym in his kyngdom with all Israell to make hym kyng according to the word of the lorde vnto Israel And this is the nombre of the mighty men whom Dauid had Iasobeam the sonne of Hachmoni the cheyfe amonge thyrtye he lyfte vp his spere agaynst thre hundred and wounded them at one tyme. After hym was Eleazar his vncles son an Ahothyte whiche was one of thre myghtyest He was with Dauid at Pasdammin and there the Philistines were gathered togyther to battayle And ther was there a parcell of grounde full of barley and the people fled before the Philistines And ☞ they stepte forth in to the myddes of the felde and saued it and slue the Philistines And the lorde gaue a great victorye And the thre of the thyrtye cheyfe captaynes went to a rocke to Dauid in to the caue Adullam And the hoost of the Philistines abode in the valley of Rephaim And when Dauid was in the holde the Philistines watche was at BethleeÌ„ that same tyme. And Dauid longed and sayd Oh that one wolde gyue me drynke of the water of the well that is at the gate at Bethleem And the thre brake thorowe the hoost of the Philistines and drewe water out of the well that was by the gaâ—e at Bethleem and toke it brought it to Dauid Neuerthelesse Dauid wolde not drynke of it but rather offered it to the Lorde and sayde My God forbyd it me that I shulde do this thynge Shall I drynke the bloode of these men that haue put theyr lyues in ieoperdye for with the Ieoperdye of theyr lyues they brought it therfore he wolde not drynke it And this dyd these thre myghtyest And Abâ—sai the brother of Ioab he also was captayne among thre for he lyftâ— vp his speare agaynst thre hundred and wounded them and had a name amonge the thre Yea amonge thre he was more honourable then the two for he was theyr captayne Howbeit he attaynted not vnto the †fyrst thre Banaia the sonne of Iehoiaba the sonne of a verye stronge man dyd greater actes then Cabzeell for he slue two stronge lyons of Moab and went downe and slue a Lyon in a pyt in tyme of snowe And he slue an Egyptian whose stature was euen fyue cubytes longe and in the Egyptians hand was a speare lyke a weauers beame And the other went downe to hym with a waster plucked the speare out of the Egyptians hande and slue hym with his owne speare Soch thynges dyd Banaia the sonne of Iehoiada and had the name among the thre myghtest and was honourable amonge thyrtye but attayned not vnto the fyrst thre And Dauid made hym of his counsayle The other men of armes were these Asahell the brother of Ioab Elhanan his vncles sonne of Bethleem Sammoth the Harodite Helez the Pelonite Ira the sonne of Iâ—kes the Thekoite Abieser the Anatothite Sibaâ—ai the Husathite Ilai the Ahohite Maharai the Nethophathite Heled the son of Baâ—na the Nethophatite Ithai the sonne of Ribai of Gibea that perteyneth to the chyldren of Beniamin Benaia the Phirathonite Huâ—ai of the ryuers of Gaas Abiell the Arbathite Azmaneth the Baharumite Elihaba the Saalbonite The sonnes of Assem the Gezonite Iona than the sonne of Sage an Haraite Ahiam the sonne of Sacar the Haâ—aite Eliphal the sonne of Ur. Hepher the Mecherathite Ahia the Pelonite Hezro the Carmelite Naari the sonne of Ezbai Ioell the brother of Nathan Miâ—har the sonne of Hari Zelegam the Ammonite Naharai a Berothite the bearet of the harnesse of Ioab the son of Zeruia Ira the Iithrite and Gareb a Iethrite Uria the Hethite and Zahad the sonne of Ahlai Adina the sonne of Siza a Rubenite a captayne of the Rubenites and thyrtye with hym Hanan the Sonne of
the South and smote the foure corners of the house whiche fell vpon thy chyldren and they are deade and I am gotten away alone to tell the. Then Iob stode vp and rente his clothes and shaued his heade fell downe vpon the grounde worshypped and sayde Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I turne thyther agayne The Lorde gaue and the Lorde hath taken away †euen as it hath pleased the lorde so is it come to passe Blessed be the name of the lorde In all these thynges dyd Iob not offende nor murmured folysshly agaynst god ¶ Iob is plaged with sore byles and afterwards is mocked of his wyfe His frendes vispt hym and haue coÌ„mpassyon on hym CAPI II. ANd the chyldren of God came and stode before the Lorde and Satan came also amonge them stode before the Lorde And the Lorde sayde vnto Satan Frome whence comest thou Satan answered the Lorde and sayde I haue gone aboute the lande and walked thorowe it And the Lorde sayde vnto Satan hast thou not consydered my seruaunt Iob â–ª for there is none lyke hym in the lande For he is a perfyte and iust man suche a one as feareth God exchueth euyl and contynueth styll in his godlynesse And thou mouedst me agaynst hym that I shulde punysshe hym for nought And So â—an answered the Lorde and sayde Skynne for skynne yea a man wyll gyue all that euer he hath for his lyfe But laye thyne hande nowe vpon hym touche once his bonâ— and flesshe and he shall curse the to thy face And the Lorde sayde vnto Satan Lo there haste thou hym in thy power but spare his lyfe So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lorde and smote Iob with merueylous sore byles from the sole of his foote vnto his crowne so that he sat vpon the grounde in the asshes scraped of the fylthe of his sores with a pot sharde Then sayde his wyfe vnto hym Doest thou contynue yet in thy perfytenesse curse God and dye But Iob sayde vnto her Thou speakest lyke a folysshe woman Shal we receyue prosperite at the hand of God and not receyue aduersyte In all these thynges dyd not Iob synne with his lyppes Nowe when Iobs frendes herde of all the trouble that happened vnto hym there came thre of them euery one from his owne place namely Eliphas the Themanite Bildad the Suhite Zophad the Naamathite And they were agreed togyther to come to shewe theyr compassyon vpon hym and to conforte hym So when they lyfte vp theyr eyes a farre of they knewe hym not Then they cryed and wepte and euery one of them rente his clothes and sprynkeled dust vpon theyr heades in the ayre They sat them downe by hym also vpon the grounde seuen dayes vii nyghtes Neyther was there any of them that spake one worde vnto hym for they sawe that his payne was very great ¶ The wordes of Iob wherin he declareth that this present lyfe is miserable and that the death of the ryghteous is ioyous and â—orâ—unable CAPI III. AFter this opened Iob his mouth and ☞ cursed his day And Iob answered and sayd lost be that day wherin I was borne the nyght in the whiche it was sayd there is a man chylde conceyued The same day be turned to darkenesse and not regarded of god from aboue neyther let him shyne vpon it with lyght but let it be stayned with darkenesse and the shadowe of death Let the dymme cloude fall vpon it and let it be â—apped in with sorowe on the daye tyme. Let the darke storme ouercome that nyght and let it not be ioyned vnto the dayes of the yere nor counted in the monethes Desolate be that nyght and without gladnesse let them that curse the daye and that be redye to rayse vp mournynge gyue it also theyr curse Let the sterres of that night be dymme thorow darknesse of it Let it loke for lyghte but let it se none neyther †the rysynge vp of the fayre mornynge bycause it shut not vp the wombe that bare me For then shulde these sorowes haue bene hyd fro myne eyes Alas why dyed I not in the byrth why dyd not I perysshe as soone as I came oute of my mothers wombe Why set they me vpon theyr knees Why gaue they me sucke with theyr brestes Then shuld I nowe haue lyen styll I shulde haue slepte and bene at rest lyke as the kynges lordes of the earth which haue buylded them selues specyal places Or as the prynces that haue had greate substaunce of golde and theyr houses full of syluer Or why was I not hyd as a thynge borne out of tyme eyther as yonge chyldren whiche neuer sawe the lyght ☞ There must the wycked ceasse from theyr tyranny there such as are ouerlaboured be at rest there are those let out free which haue bene in pryson so that they heare no more the voyce of the oppressoure There are small and great and the seruaunt is free from his mayster Wherfore is the lyght gyuen to hym that is in miserye and lyfe vnto them that haue heuy hertes which long for death though it come not ☞ wolde dyg it out of hyd places whiche also wolde be excedyng glad and reioyce yf they coulde fynde theyr graue anywhere That shuld be ioy to that maÌ„ ☞ whose waye is hyd and God kepeth it backe from hym For my syghes come before I eate and my rorynges fall out lyke the water For the thynge that I feared is come vpon me and the thynge that I was afrayde of is happened vnto me Was I not happy Had I not quyetnesse Was I not in rest And nowe cometh suche misery vpon me ¶ Iob â—o reprehended of impatience and in iustice and 〈◊〉 the presumptyon of his owne ryghteousnesse CAPI IIII. ANd Eliphas the Themanite answered and sayde If we begyn to comen vâ—th the wylte thou be discontent but who can withholde hym selfe from speakynge Beholde thou hast bene a chastenet of many hast conforted the wery handes Thy wordê haue set vp those that were fallen thou hast refresshed the weyke knees But nowe that the plage is come vpon the thou arte greued nowe that it hath touched thy selfe thou arte faynt herted ☞ Is not this thy feare thy stedfastnesse thy pacience and the perfytenesse of thy wayes Consydre I praye the who euer perysshed beyng an innocent Or when were the Godly destroyed For as I haue proued by experience they that plowe iniquitie and sowe wretchednesse reape the same With the blaste of God they perysshe and with the breth of his nose thyrles are they consumed awaye The rorynge of the Lyon and the voyce of the Lyon and the teeth of the Lyons whelpes are pulled out The lyon peryssheth for lacke of praye and the lyons whelpes are scattered abrode And vnto me came the worde secretly and myne eare hath receyued a lytell therof In the thoughtes and visions of the
cal vpon me but I wyl not heare they shal seke me earely but they shal not fynde me And that because they ha ted knowledge receyued not the feare of the Lorde but abhorred my councell and despysed all my correccyon Therfore shall they eate the frutes of theyr owne way and be fylled with theyr owne inuencyons for the turnynge awaye of the vnwyse shal sley them and the prosperyte of fooles shall be theyr owne destruccyon â–ª But who so harkeneth vnto me shal dwel safely and be sure from any feare of euyll ¶ Wysdome 〈◊〉 to be embrased and set by whiche teacheth feare and knowledge wysdome directeth ve in the ways of God An aduouterous woman is to be eschued CAPI II. MY sonne yf thou wilte receyue my wordes and kepe my commaundementes by the that thou wylte enclyne thyne eares vnto wysdome applye thyne herte then to vnderstandynge For yf thou cryest after wysdome and callest for knowledge if thou sekest after her as after money and dyggest for her as for treasure then shalte thou vnderstande the feare of the Lorde and fynde the knowledge of God For it is the Lord that geueth wysdome out of hys mouthe coÌ„meth knoweledge and vnderstandynge He preserueth the well fare of the ryghtuous and defendeth them that walke syncerely he kepeth them in the ryght pathe and preserueth the waye of suche as serue hym with godlynesse Then shalte thou vnderstande ryghtuousnesse and iudgement and equite yee and euery good waye When wysdome entreth into thyne herte and thy soule delyteth in knowledge then shall couÌ„cell preserue the and vnderstandynge shall kepe the. That thou mayst be delyuered froÌ„ the euyll waye and from the man that speaketh frowarde thinges From such as leaue the right pathes and walke in the wayes of darkenesse whiche reioyse in doyng euyl delyte in wycked thinges whose wayes are croked and they frowarde in theyr pathes That thou mayst be delyuered also frome the straunge woman and from her that is not thyne owne whiche geueth swete wordes and whiche for saketh the husbande of her youth forgeteth the couenaunt of her God For her house is enclyned vnto death and her pathes vnto hel Al they that go in vnto hir come nat agayn neyther take they holde of the waye of lyfe Therfore walke thou in the waye of suche as be vertuous kepe the pathes of the ryghtuous For the iuste shall dwell in the lande and they that be perfecte shall remayne in it but the vngodly shal be roted out of the lande and the wycked doers shal be roted out of it ¶ The commaundementes of God muste be dylygentely regarded and obserued CAPI III. MY sonne forgette not thou my lawe but se that thyne hert kepe my coÌ„mauÌ„dementes For they shall prolonge the dayes and yeares of thy lyfe and bryng the peace Let mercy and faythfulnes neuer go from the bynde them aboute thy necke and wryte them in the tables of thyne herte So shalte thou fynde fauoure and good vnderstandynge in the syght of God and men Put thy truste in God with all thyne herte and leane nat vnto thyne owne wytte In all thy wayes haue respecte vnto hym and he shall ordre thy goynges Be not wyse in thyne owne conceyt but feare the Lorde and departe from euyll â–ª so shall thy ☞ nauell be whole and thy bones stronge ☞ Honoure the Lorde with thy substaunce and with the fyrstelynges of all thyne encrease âšœ geue vnto the poore so shall thy barnes be fylled with plenteousnesse and thy presses shall flowe ouer with swete wyne My sonne despyse not the chastenynge of the LORDE neyther faynte when thou arte rebuked of hym For whoÌ„ the Lorde loueth hym he chasteneth and yet delyteth iÌ„ hiÌ„ euen as a father iÌ„ his owne sonne Well is him that fyndeth wysdome and optayneth vnderstandynge for the gettynge of it is better then any marchaundise of syluer and the profeâ—e of it is better then golde Wysdome is more worthe then precyous stones and all the thynges that thou canste desyre are not to be compayred vnto her Upon her ryght hande is long lyfe and vpon her lefte hand â—s riches and honour Her wayes are pleasaunte wayes and all her pathes are peaceable She is a tree of lyfe to them that laye holde vpon her and blessed is he that kepeth her faste With wysdome hath the Lorde layed the foundacyon of the earthe and thorowe vnderstandynge hathe he stablyshed the heauens Thorowe hys wysdome the deapthes breake vp and the cloudes droppe downe the dewe My sonne let not these thynges departe from thyne eyes but kepe my lawe and my councell so shall it be lyfe vnto thy soule and grace vnto thy mouth Then shalte thou walke safely in thy way thy fote shal nat stoÌ„ble If y u slepest y u shalt nat be afrayed but take thy rest slepe swetely Thou nedest nat to be afrayed of any sodayne feare nether for y â— vyoleÌ„te russhynge in of the vngodly when it commeth for the Lorde shall stande by thy syde and kepe thy fote that thou be nat taken Withdrawe no good thing from them that haue nede so longe as thyne honde is hable to do it Saye nat vnto thy neyghbour go thy waye and come agayne to morowe wyl I geue the where as thou hast now to geue him Intende no hurte vnto thy neighbour seynge he dothe dwel in rest by the â–ª Stryue nat lyghtely with any man where as he hathe done the no harme Folowe nat a wycked man and chose none of hys wayes for the Lorde abhorreth the frowarde but hys councell is amonge the righteous The curse of the Lorde is in the house of the vngodly but he blesseth the dwellynges of the ryghteous As for the scoruefull dothe not he laughe them to scorne but he geuethe grace vnto the lowelye The wyse shall haue honour in possession but shame is the promocyon that fooles shall haue ¶ Wysdome and her fruytes and her waye ought to be sought ¶ CAP. IIII. HEARE O ye chyldren the fatherlye exhortacyon and take good hede that ye maye learne wysdome For I haue gyuen you a good doctryne forsake not ye my lawe For when I my selfe was my fathers deare sonne and tenderely beloued of my mother he taught me also and sayde vnto me Let thyne herte receyue my wordes kepe my commaundementes and thou shalte lyue Get the wysdome and get the vnderstandynge forget not y â— wordes of my mouth shriÌ„ke nat froÌ„ theÌ„ Forsake her nat she shal pÌ„serue y â— leue her she shal kepe y â— The chefe poynt of wysdome is y â— thou be williÌ„g to opteyne wysdome and before all thy goodes to get the vnderstandynge Make muche of her and she shall promote the Yee yf thou embrace her â–ª she shall bringe the vnto honour She shall make the a gracyous head and garnyshe the with a crowne of glory Heare my sonne and receaue my
called to councel aâ—â—â—e that can speake fayre shall vaue the moâ—e lernynge Understandynge is a welâ—â—f lyfe vnto hym that hathe it as forthe chastenynge of fooles it is but foolyshnesse A wyse harte ordreth his mouth wysly and amendeth the doctryne in hys lyppes Fayre wordes are an hony combe a refreshynge of the mynde and health of the bones There is a waye that meÌ„ thynke to be ryght but the ende therof leadeth vnto death A troublous soule disquyeteth her selfe for her oune mouth hath brought her therto An vngodly personne stereth vp euell and in hys lyppes he is as an hote burnynge fyre A frowarde body causeth stryfe and he that is a blabbe of hys tonge maketh deuysyon amonge prynces A wycked man begyleth his neyghbour and leadeth hym in to the waye that is not good He that wynketh with his eyes ymagyneth myschefe and he that byteth his lyppes wyll â–ª do some harme Age is a crowne of worshype yf it be founde in the waye of ryghteousnes A pacient man is better then one stronge he that can rule him selfe is more worth then he that wynneth a cytye The lottes are cast in to the lappe but the ordryng therof standeth all in the Lorde CAPI XVII BETTER is a drye morsell with quyetnesse then a full house and many fat catell with stryfe A dyscrete seruaunte shal haue more rule then the sonnes that haue no wysdome and shall haue lyke herytage with the brethen Lyke as syluer is tryed in the fyre and golde in the fornace euen so dothe the Lorde proue the hertes A wycked body holdeth muche of false lyppes and a frowarde personne geueth care to a dysceatfull tonge Who so laugheth the poore to scorne blasphemeth hê maker and he that is glad of another mans hurte shall nat be vnpunyshed Chylders chyldren are a worshyppe vnto the elders and the fathers are the honoure of the chyldren An eloqueÌ„te speach becommeth nat a foole a dyssemblynge mouth also besemeth nat a prynce Lyberalyte is a precyous stone vnto him that hathe it for where soeuer he becoÌ„meth he prospereth Who so couereth another mans offence seketh loue but he â—hat dyscloseth the faute setteth the prynce agaynst hym selfe One reprofe onely doâ—he more good to hym that hathe vnderstandynge then an Câ—storâ—pes vnto a foole A sedycyâ—us â–ª personne seketh myschefe and therfore is a cruell messaunger sent agaynste hym It were better to come agaynst a she euyll but put thy truste in the Lorde and he shall defende the. The Lorde abhorreth two maner of weyghtes and a false balaunce is an euyll thynge The Lorde ordreth euery mans goynges howe maye a man then vnderstande his owne waye It is a snare for a man to blaspheme that whiche is holy and then to go aboute with vowes A wyse kynge destroyeth the vn godly and bryngeth the whele ouer them The lanterne of the Lorde is the breth of man and goeth thorowe all the in warde partes of the body Mercy and faythfulnesse preserue the kynge and with louynge kindnes his seate is holden vp The streÌ„gth of yonge men is theyr worshyp and a graye heade is an honour vnto the aged Woun des dryue awaye euyl and so do strypes the inwarde partes of the body CAPI XXI THE Kynges herte is in the hande of the Lorde lyke as are the ryuers of water he maye turne it whether so euerhe wyll Euerye man thynketh hys owne waye to be ryght but the Lorde iudgeth the hertes To do ryghtuousnesse and iudgement is more acceptable to the Lorde theÌ„ sacrifyce A presumptuous loke a proude stomake and the lanterne of the vngodly is synne The deuyces of one that is dilygent brynge pletuousnesse but he that is vnaduysed commeth vnto pouerte Who so hordeth vp ryches with the dysceytfulnesse of his tonge he is a foole and lyke vnto them that seke theyr owne death The robberyes of the vngodly shall be theyr owne destruccyon for they wyl not do the thynges that is ryght The wayes of the frowarde are straunge but * the workes of hym that is cleane are ryght It is beâ—tter to dwell in a corner vnder the house toppe then with a braulynge woman in a wyde house The soule of the vngodly wyssheth euyll and hathe no pitye vpon his neyghboure When the scornefull is punyshed the ignoraunt take the better hede and when a wyse man is warned he wyll receyue the more vnderstandynge The ryghtuous wysely consydereth the house of the vngodly and he seeth that God ouerthroweth the vngodly for theyr owne wyckednesse Who so stoppeth his eare at the cryeng of the poore he shall crye him selfe and not be herde A preuy rewarde pacyfyeth dyspleasure and a gyfte in the bosome stylleth futyousnesse The iuste delyteth in doynge that thynge that is ryght but the workes of wyekednesse abhorre the same The man y â— wan dreth out of the waye of wysdome shall remayne ☞ in the congregacion of the deade He that hath pleasure in bancketâ—es shall be a pore man who so delyteth in wyne and delycates shall not be ryche The vngodly shall be gyuen for the ryghtuous and the wycked for the iuste It is better to dwel in a wyldernesse then with a chydynge and an angry woman In a wyse mans house there is greate treasure and plentuousnesse but a folyshe body spendeth vp all Who so foloweth ryghtuousnesse and mercy fyn deth both lyfe ryghtuousnesse and honoure A wyse man wynneth the cytie of the mightye and as for the strength that they trust in he bryngeth it downe Who so kepeth his mouth and his tonge the same kepeth hys soule from troubles He that is proude and presumptuous is called a scornefull man whiche in wrathe dare worke malycyously The voluptuousnes of the slouthful is his owne death for his handes wyll not labour He coueteth and desyreth all the daye longe but the ryghtuous is alwaye geuynge and kepeth nothynge backe The sacrifice of the vngodly is abhomynacion howe much more whan they offre the thynge that is got ten with wyckednesse A false witnes shall peryshe but he that wyl be content to heare shall alwaye haue power to speake hym self An vngodly man goeth forthe rashely but the iust refourmeth his owne way There is no wysdome there is no vnderstandyng there is no councell agaynste the Lorde The horse is prepayred agaynste the daye of battayle but the LORDE geueth the vyctorye CAPI XXII A GOOD name is more worthe then greate ryches and ☞ louynge fauoure is better then syluer and golde The ryche and poore mette together the Lorde is the maker of them all A wyse man seeth the plage and hydeth hym selfe but the folyshe go on styll and are punyshed The ende of lowelynes and the feare of GOD ryches honour prosperite and helthe Thornes and snares are in the way of the frowarde but he that dothe kepe hys soule wyl fle from suche Teache a chyld in his
that day shal the Lorde of hoostes be the crowne of glory and dyamonde of beautye vnto the resydue of his people He wyll be also a sprete of perfyte knowledge to hi that sytteth in iudgement and strength vnto them that turne awaye the batayle to the gate of the enemyes But they are out of the waye by reason of wyne yea farre out of y â— waye are they thorowe stronge drynke ☞ The preste also and the prophete are gone astraye by the meanes of stronge dryncke they are dronken with wyne they go amysse thorowe stronge drynke they fayle in sight and stomble in iudgement For all tables are so full of vomyte and fylthynes that no place is cleane Whome then shall suche one teache knowledge And whom shall be make to vnderstande the thynge that he hereth For they are ignoraunt as yonge chyldren that are taken from the mylke and are weened For they that be suche must haue ☞ after one lesson another lesson after one coÌ„mauÌ„dement another commaundemeÌ„t after one rule another rule after one instruccion another instruceyon there a lytle there a lytle For he y â— speketh vnto this people is eueÌ„ as one y â— vseth rudenesse of speche a straunge langage Yf any man say vnto them lo this is the rest where with ye maye ease him that is werye this is the refresshynge they wyll not herken Therfore shall the worde of the Lorde lesson vpon lesson commaundement vpon coÌ„maundement rule vpon rule instruccion vpon instruccyon there a lytle and there a lytle shall be vnto them an occasyon of stomblynge that they maye go on and fal backeward be broused tangled and snared Wherfore heare the worde of the Lorde ye mockers ye that haue rule of this people whiche is at IerusaleÌ„ Because ye haue said ☞ we haue made a couenaunt with death with hell are we at agremeÌ„t And though there go forth a sore plage it shall not come vnto vs. For we haue made falshode our refuge and vnder vanite are we hyd Therfore thus sayeth y â— Lorde God Beholde I lay in Syon for a foundacion a stone euen a tryed stone a precyous corner stone a sure fouÌ„dacion ☞ who so beleueth let him not be to hastye Iudgement also wyl I lay to y â— rule and ryghtuousnes to the balaunce so that ☞ y â— hayle shal take away your vayne confydence and the preuy place of your refuge shall the waters renne ouer And thus the couenaunt that ye made w t deathe shal be disanulled and your agremeÌ„t that ye made with hell shall not stande yea whan the sore plage goeth forth ye shall be troden downe vnder it From the tyme that it goeth forth it shall take you awaye For earely in the morninge euery day yea bothe daye and nyght shall it go thorowe whan the noyse therof is perceyued it shall gendre vexacion For ☞ the bedde is narowe and not large and the couerynge so small that a man can not wynde hym selfe vnder it For the Lorde shal stonde as ☞ in mount Pecazim and shal be wrothe lyke as in the valley Gibeon that he may do his worke ☞ his straunge worke and brynge to passe his acte his straunge acte Nowe therfore se that ye be no mockers lest your punishemeÌ„t icrese for I haue herd of the Lorde of hostes that there shall come a short ende vpon the whole earth Heare ye then herkeÌ„ vnto my voyse coÌ„sidre pondre my speche Doth not the husbande man plowe all the daye and openeth breaketh the clottê of his grounde that he may sow Whan he hath made it playne wyll he nat sprede abrode the fytches sowe comyn cast in wheate by measure the appoynted barly â—ye in theyr place God wyl instruct him to haue descrecion euen his God wyll teache him For fitches shal not be thresshed with an harowe nether shal a cart whele be brought thorowe the coÌ„men but the fytches are beaten out with a staffe and commyn w t a rod. But y â— sede y â— bread is made of is thresshed thoughe it be not alwaye a thresshing And the cart whele must be brought ouer it lest he grynde it with his teeth This also commeth of the Lorde of hostes which worketh with wonderfull wysdome bryngeth out arme with a terrible countenaunce and with the flame of a consumynge fyre with noysome lyghtenynge with a shower and with hayle stone For thorowe the voyce of the Lorde shall Assur be destroyed which smote other men with the rodde And it shal come to passe that whither soeuer he goeth the rodde shall cleaue vnto hym whiche the Lorde shall laye vpon hym ☞ with tabrettes and harpes And with great warre shal he fyght agaynst his hoste For the fyre of payne is ordeyned from the begynnynge yea euen for Kynges is it prepared This hathe the Lorde set in the depe and made it wyde the burnynge wherof is fyre moche woode The breth of the Lorde whiche is as a ryuer of brymstone doth kyndle it ¶ He curseth them that forsake God and seke for the helpe of men CAPI XXXI WO be vnto them that go downe into Egypte for helpe and truste in horses put theyr confydence in charettes because they be many and in horse men because they be lusty and stronge But they regarde not the holy one of Israell and they aske no questyon at the Lorde Where as he neuertheles beynge wysest of all plageth the wycked and yet goeth not from his worde when he steppeth forth and taketh the victory agaynst the housholde of the frowarde and agaynst the helpe of euel doers Nowe the Egipcians are men and not God and theyr horses fleshe and not spiryte And as soone as the Lorde stretcheth out his hande then shall the helper fal and he that shulde haue bene helped and they shall all together be destroyed For thus hathe the Lorde spoken vnto me Lyke as the Lyon or lyons whelpe roareth vpon the praye that he hath gotten is not afray ed thoughe the multytude of shephardes crye out vpon hym neyther abasshed for all the heape of them So shall the Lorde of Hostes come downe to fyght for mount Syon and defende his hyll Lyke as byrdes flotre aboute theyr nestes so shal the lorde of Hostes kepe saue defende and delyuer Ierusalem Therfore O ye children of Israell turne agayne lyke as ye haue exceaded in your goynge backe For ☞ in that day euery man shall cast out his Idols of syluer and golde whiche ye haue made with your synfull handes Assur also shal be slayne with the swerde not with a mans swerde A swerde shal deuoure him but not a mans swerde And he shall fle from the slaughter âšœ and hys seruauntes shall be taken prysoners He shall go for feare to hys stronge holdes and his Prynces shall fle from his badge This hath the Lorde spoken whose lyght
they shal be afrayed taken for lo they haue caste out the worde of the Lorde what wysdome can then be amonge them Wherfore I wyll geue theyr wyues vnto aleauntes their feldes to destroyers For from the loweste vnto the hyeste they folowe all filthy lucre from the Prophete vnto the preste they deale all w t lyes Neuerthelesse they heale the hurte of my people with swete wordes sayenge â–ª peace peace where there is no peace at all Fye for shame howe abhomynable thynges do they and yet they be nat ashamed yee they knowe of no shame Wherfore in the tyme of theyr vysitacyon they shall fal among the deed bodies sayeth the Lorde Moreouer I wyll gather them in sayeth the Lorde so that there shal not be one grape vpon the vine nether one fygge vpon the fygge tre and the leaues shal be plucte of Then wyll I cause them to departe and saye why prolonge we the tyme Let vs gather ourselues together and go into the stronge cytye there shall we be in reste For the Lorde oure God hath put vs to sylence and geuen vs water myxte with gall to dryncke because we haue synned agaynste hym We loked for peace and we fare not the better we wayted for the tyme of healthe lo here is nothynge but trouble The noyse of hys horsses is hearde from Dan the whole lande is afraied at the ueyenge of hys stronge horsses for they are come in haue deuoured the lande with al that is in it the cytyes and those that dwell therin â–ª Moreouer I wyl sende Cockatrices and serpentes amonge you which wyll not be charmed and they shal byte you sayeth the Lorde Sorowe is come vpon me and heuynesse vexeth my hert for lo the voyce of y â— cryeng of my people is herde from a farre countre Is not the Lorde in Sion Is not the King in her Wherfore then haue they greued me â–ª shal the Lorde say with theyr ymages and foolysh straunge fashyons The haruest is gone the Sommer hathe an ende we are not helped I am sore vexed because of the hurt of my people I am heuy and abashed for there is no more Triacle at Gylead and there is no physycyon that can heale the hurte of my people ¶ The complaynt and bewaylyng of the prophete the â—â—lyce of the people In the knowledge of God ought we onely to reioyse The vncyrcumcysyon of the herte CAPI IX O Who wyll geue my heade water ynough and a wel of teares for myne eyes that I maye wepe nyghte and daye for the slaughter of my people Wolde God that I had a cotage some where farre from folcke that I myght leaue my people and go from theÌ„ for they be all aduoutrers and a shrynckynge sorte They bende theyr tunges lyke bowes to shute out lyes As for the trueth they maye nothynge awaye withall in the worlde For they go from one wyckednes to another and wyl nat knowe me sayeth the Lorde Yee one must kepe hym selfe from another no man may safely trust his owne brother for one brother vndermyneth another one neyghboure begyleth another Yee one dissembleth with another and they deale with no trueth They haue practysed theyr tunges to lye and taken great paines to do myschefe Thou syttest in the myddes of a dysceatfull people whiche for very dissemblynge falshede wyll nat knowe me sayeth the Lorde Therfore thus sayth the Lorde of Hostes beholde I wyll melte them and trye them for what shulde I els do to my people Theyr tunges are lyke sharpe arowes to speake disceate With theyr mouth they speake peacyable to theyr neyghboure but preuely they laye wayte for hym Shuld I nat punysh them for these thynges sayth the Lorde Or shulde I nat be auenged of any suche people as this Upon the mountaynes wyll I take vp a lamytacyon and sorowfull crye and a mournynge vpon the fayre playnes of the wyldernesse Namely howe they are so brent vp y t no man goeth there any more Yee a man shall nat heare one beaste crye there Byrdes and catel are all gone from thence I wyll make IerusaleÌ„ also an heape of stones and a denne of venymous wormes And I wyll make the cyties of Iuda so waste that no man shall dwell therin What man is so wyse as to vnderstande thys Or to whom hathe the Lorde spoken by mouth that he maye shewe this and saye O thou lande why peryshest thou so Wherfore art thou so brynt vp and lyke a wyldernes that no maÌ„ goeth thorowe Yee the Lorde hym selfe tolde the same vnto them that forsoke his lawe and kepte nat the thynge that he gaue them in commaundemente nether lyued therafter but folowed the wickednes of theyr owne hertes and serued straunge Goddes as theyr fathers taught them Therfore thus sayeth the Lorde of Hostes the God of Israel Beholde âšœ I wyll fede this people with wormwod and geue them gall to drynke I wyl scater theÌ„ also among the Heathen whom nether they nor theyr fathers haue knowne I wyl sende a swearde amonge them to persecute them vntyll I brynge theÌ„ to naught Moreouer thus sayeth the Lord of Hostes loke that ye cal for mourning wyues and sende for wyse wemen that they come shortely and synge a mournynge songe of you that y e teares may fall out of our eyes and that our eye liddes maye gusshe on t of water For there is a lamentable noyse hearde of Sion O howe are we so sore destroyed O how are we so pyteously confounded We muste forsake oure owne naturall countre and we are shut out of our owne lodgyngges Yet heare the worde of the Lorde O ye wemen and let youre eares regarde the wordes of hys mouthe that ye maye lerne your daughters to mourne and that euery one maye teache her neyghboresse to make lamentacyon Namely thus Death is clymynge vp in at oure windowes he is come into oure houses to destroye the chylde before the dore the yonge man in the strete But tell thou playnely thus sayeth the Lorde The deed bodyes of men shall lye vpon the grounde as the donge vpon the felde and as the heye after the mower and ther shal be no man to take them vp Thus sayeth the Lorde Let not the wyse man reioyse in hys wysdome nor the stronge man in hys strength nether the ryche man in his rychesse But who so wyll reioyse let him reioyse in thys that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me for I am the Lorde whiche do mercy equyte and ryghteousnesse vpon the earthe Therfore haue I pleasure in such thynges sayeth the Lorde Beholde the tyme commeth sayeth the Lorde that I wyll vyset all them whose foreskynne is vncyrcumsysed The EgypciaÌ„s the Iewes the Edomytes the Ammonytes the Moabytes and the shauen Madyanytes that dwell in the wyldernes For all the Gentyles are vncyrcumcysed in the flesshe but all the house of
brought the children of Israel out of y e land of Egypte but it shall be sayde the Lorde lyueth that brought the chyldren of Israell from the North and from all landes where he had scatred them For I wyl bringe them agayne into the lande that I gaue vnto theyr fathers Beholde sayeth the Lorde I wyl send out many fysshers to take them and after that wyll I sende out many hunters to huÌ„te them out from all mountaynes and hylles and out of the caues of stone For myne eies beholde all theyr wayes and they can not be hyd fro my face neyther can theyr wycked dedes be kepte close out of my syght But fyrste wyll I sufficiently rewarde theyr shamefull blasphemyes and synnes because they haue defyled my lande Namely with theyr stynckynge Idoles and abhominacyons wherwith they haue fylled myne herytage O Lorde my strength my power refuge in tyme of trouble The Gentyles shall come vnto the frome the endes of the worlde and saye Uerely our fathers haue cleued vnto lyes theyr Idols are but vaine vnprofitable Howe can a maÌ„ make those hê goddes which are not able to be godes And therfore I wyl once teach them sayeth the Lorde I wyl shewe them my hande and my power that they maye knowe that my name is the Lorde ¶ The frowardenesse of the Iewes Curssed be those that put theyr confydence in man and those blessed that truste to God Mannes herte is wycked God is the searcher of the herte The lyuynge waters are forsaken The halowynge of the Sabboth is commaunded CAPI XVII YOVRE synne O ye of the tribe of Iuda is wrytten in the table of your hertes and grauen so vpon the edges of youre aulters with a penne of yron and with an adamant clawe that your chyldren also may thynke vpon your aulters woddes thycke trees hye hylles mountaynes and feldes Wherfore I wyll make al youre substauÌ„ce and treasure be spoyled for the great synne that ye haue done vpon your hye places thorowe out al the costes of your lande Ye shal be caste out also from the herytage that I gaue you And I wyl subdue you vnder the heuy bondage of youre enemyes in a lande that ye know not For ye haue ministred fire to my indignacion whiche shall burne euer more Thus sayeth the Lorde Cursed be the man that putteth his truste in man and that taketh flesshe for his arme he whose herte departeth from the Lorde He shall be lyke the heath that groweth in the wyldernesse As for the good thynge that is for to come he shall not se it but dwell in a drye place of the wyldernes in a salte and vnoccupyed lande O blessed is the man that putteth hys truste in the Lorde and whose hope is the Lorde hym selfe For he shal be as a tre that is planted by the water syde which spredeth out the rote vnto moystnesse whoÌ„ the heate caÌ„ nat harme wheÌ„it coÌ„meth but hys lefe shal be grene And though there growe but lytle frut because of drouth yet is he nat carefull but he neuer leaueth of to brynge forth frute Amonge all thynges man bathe the most disceatfull and vnsexcheable herte Who shall then knowe it Euen I the Lorde searche out the grounde of the herte and trye the raynes and rewarde euery man accordynge to hys wayes and accordynge to the frute of hys workes ☞ The partriche maketh a nest of egges but bryngeth forth no yonge He commeth by ryches but nat ryghteously In the myddest of hys lyfe muste he leaue them behynde hym and at the last be founde a very foole But thou O Lorde whose trone is most glorious excellent and of moste antyquite which dwellest in the place of our holy rest Thou art the comforte of Israel All they that forsake the shal be confounded all they that departe from the ☞ shal be wrytten in earth for they haue forsakeÌ„ the Lorde the very condyte of the waters of lyfe Heale me O Lorde and I shal be hole saue thou me and I shal be saued for thou art my prayse Beholde these men saye vnto me Where is the worde of the Lorde Let it come nowe where as I neuertheles ledynge the flocke in thy wayes haue compelled none by violeÌ„ce For I neuer desyred any mans dâ—eth this knowest thou wel My wordes also were ryght before the. Be nat no we terryble vnto me O Lorde for thou art he in whoÌ„ I hope when I am in parell Let my persecuters be confounded but nat me let them be afrayed and nat me Thou shalte brynge vpon them the tyme of theyr plage and shalte destroye them ryght sore Thus hathe the Lorde sayde vnto me Go and stande vnder the gate where thorowe the people and the kynges of Iuda go out and in yee vnder all the gates of Ierusalem and saye vnto them Heare the worde of the Lorde ye kynges of Iuda all thou people of Iuda and all ye cytesyns of Ierusalem that go thorowe thys gate Thus the Lorde commaundeth Take hede for your lyues that ye carie no burthen vpoÌ„ you in y â— Sabboth to brynge it thorowe the gates of Ierusalem ye shall beare no burthen also out of your houses in y â— Sabboth Ye shal do no labour therin but ☞ halowe the Sabboth as I commaunded youre fathers Howe be it they obeyed me nat neyther herkened they vnto me but were obstynate stubburne and neyther obeyed me nor receaued my correccyon Neuertheles yf ye wyll heare me sayeth the Lorde beare no burtheÌ„ in to the cytie thorowe this gate vpon the Sabboth If ye wyl halowe the Sabboth so that ye do no worke therin then shall there go thorowe the gates of thys cytâ—e kynges and prynces that shall syt vpon the stoole of Dauid They shall be caried vpon charettes and ryde vpon horses bothe they and theyr prynces Yee whole Iuda and all the cytesyns of Ierusalem shall go here thorowe and thys cytie shall euer be the more and more inhabited There shall come men also from the cyties of Iuda from about Ierusalem and from the lande of Beniamin from the playne feldes from the mountaynes and froÌ„ the wyldernesse whiche shall brynge burnt offerynges sacrifices oblacions and incense and offre vp thankesgeuynge in the house of the Lorde But yf ye wyl nat be obediente vnto me to alowe the Sabboth so that ye wyll beare youre burthens thorowe the gates of Ierusalem vpon the Sabboth TheÌ„ shall I set fyre vpon the gates of Ierusalem and it shall burne vp the houses of Ierusalem and no man shall be able to quench it ¶ God sheweth by the example of a pottâ—r that it is in his power to destroye the despysâ—rs of hys worde and to helpe theÌ„ agayne wheÌ„ they ameÌ„de The conspiraâ—ye of the Iewes agaynste Ieremy Hys prayer agaynste hys aduersaryâ—s CAPI XVIII THYS is another coÌ„municacioÌ„ that God had with Ieremy sayinge Aryse and go downe into
sayenge Thus sayeth the Lorde Stande in the courte of the LORDES house speake vnto all them whiche out of the cyties of Iuda come to do worship in the Lordes house al the wordes that I commaunde the to say Loke that thou kepe not one worde backe yf peraduenture they wyl herken and turne euery man from hys wycked waye that I maye also repente of the plage whiche I haue determyned to brynge vpon them because of theyr wycked inuencyons And after thys maner shalte thou speake vnto them Thus sayeth the Lord yf ye wyl not obey me to walcke in my lawes whiche I haue geuen you and to heare the wordes of my seruauntes the prophetes whoÌ„ I sent vnto you rysynge vp tymely and styll sendynge If ye wyll not folowe them I saye then wyll I do to this house ☜ as I dyd vnto Siloh and wyll make this cytie to be abhorred of all the people of the earth And the preastes the prophetes and all the people herde Ieremye preache these wordes in the house of the Lorde Nowe when he had spoken out all the wordes that the Lorde commaunded hym to preach vnto the people then the prestes y â— prophetes and al the people toke holde vpoÌ„ him and sayde thou shalt dye How darrest thou be so bolde as to saye in the name of y â— Lorde it shal happen to this house as it did vnto Siloh and thys cytye shal be so wast that no man shall dwell therin And when all the people were gathered aboute Ieremy in the house of the Lord the prynces of Iuda herde of this rumour and they came soone out of the kynges Palace into the house of the Lorde and sat them downe before the newe dore of the Lorde Then spake the prestes and the prophetes vnto the rulers and to all the people these wordes Thys man is worthy to dye for he hathe preached agaynste thys cytie as ye youreselues haue herde with youre eares Then sayde Ieremy vnto the rulers and to al the people The Lorde hath sent me to preach against this house and agaynst this cyty all y â— wordes that ye haue herde Therfore amende youre wayes and youre aduysementes and be obedient vnto the voice of the Lord your God so shall the Lord repeÌ„te of the plage that he had deuysed agaynste you Now as for me I am in youre handes do with me as ye thincke expedient good But thê shal ye know if ye put me to death ye shall make youreselues this cytye and all the inhabytours therof gyltye of innocent bloude For thys is of a trueth that the Lorde hathe sent me vnto you to speake all these wordes in youre eares Then sayde the rulers and the people vnto the prestes and prophetes This man maye not be condemned to death for he hath preached vnto vs in the name of the Lorde oure God The Elders also of the lande stode vp â–ª and sayd thus vnto al the people Micheah the Morasthite which was a prophet vnder Ezekiah kyng of Iuda spake to all the people of Iuda Thus sayeth the Lorde of Hostes Sion shal be plowed lyke a felde Ierusalem shal be an heape of stones the hyl of the Lordes house shal be turned to an hye wod Dyd Ezekiah the kyng of Iuda the people of Iuda put him to deth for this No verely but rather feared the Lorde made theyr prayer vnto him For the which cause also the Lorde repented of the plage y t he had deuysed against theÌ„ Shulde we theÌ„ do such a shameful dede agaynst our soules There was a prophet also y t preached stifly in the name of the Lorde called Uriah the sonne of Semeiah of Caryathyarym thys man preached also agaynst this cyty and against this laÌ„de according to al as Ieremy sayeth Nowe when Iehoakim the kynge with al the estates and priÌ„ces had herde his wordes the king went about to sleye him WheÌ„ Uriah perceaued that he was afraied and fled and departed into Egypte Then Iehoakim the kyng sent seruauntes into the lande of Egypte Namely ElnathaÌ„ the sonne of Achbor and certayne men with him into Egypte which fetched Uriah oute of Egypt brought him vnto kyng Iehoakim that slewe hym with the swearde and cast hys deed body into the comen peoples graue But Ahikam the sonne of Saphan helped Ieremy that he came not into the handes of the people to be slayne Ieremy at the commaundement of the Lorde sendeth bondes to the kyng of Iuda and to the other kynges that were nye wherby they are monyshed to become subiectes vnto Nabuchodonosor He warneth the people and the kynges and rulers that they beleue not false Prophetes CAPI XXVII IN THE begynnynge of the reygne of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosiah kynge of Iuda came thys worde vnto Ieremye from the Lorde whiche spake thus vnto me Make the bondes and chaynes and put them aboute thy necke and sende them to the kynge of Edom to the kynge of Moab to the kynge of Ammon to the kyng of Tyrus and to the kyng of Sidon and that by the messaungers which shall come to IerusaleÌ„ vnto Zedekiah the kinge of Iuda and byd them saye vnto theyr masters Thus sayeth the Lorde of Hostes the God of Israel speake thus vnto youre masters I am he that made the earth the meâ— and the catell that are vpon the grounde with my greate power and outstretched arme and haue geuen it vnto whom it pleased me And nowe wyl I delyuer all these landes into the power of Nabuchodonosor y â— kyng of Babylon my sernaunte The beastes also of the felde shall I geue hym to do him seruyce And al people shal serue him and hys sonne and hys chylders chyldren vntyl the tyme of the same lande be come also yee many people and greate kynges shall serue hym Moreouer that people and kyngdome whiche wyll nat â–ª serue Nabuchodonosor and that wyll not put theyr neckes vnder the yoke of the kynge of Babylon the same people wyll I vyset with the swearde with honger with pestylence vntyll I haue consumed theÌ„ in hys handes sayeth the Lorde And therfore folowe not your Prophetes sothesayers expounders of dreames charmeâ—s and wytches which saye vnto you ye shall not serue the kynge of Babylon For they preache you lyes to brynge you farre from your lande and that I might cast you out and destroye you But the people that put theyr neckes vnder the yoke of the king of Babylon and serue hym those I wyl let remayne styll in theyr owne lande sayeth the Lorde and they shall occoupye it and dwell therin All these thynges tolde I Zedekiah the kynge of Iuda and sayde Put youre neckes vnder the yoke of the kyng of Babylon and serue hym and hys people that ye maye lyue Why wylt thou and thy people peryshe with the swearde with honger with pestylence lyke as the Lorde hathe deuysed forall
mocyon of the rulers Ieremy is put in to a Dongeon At the requrste of Abedmelech the Chamberlayne the kynge commaundeth Ieremye to be brought for the of the Dongeon Ieremy sheweth the Kynge howe he myght escape death CAPI XXXVIII SAphatiah the sonne of Mathan Godoliah the sonne of Phasphur Iucall the sonne of Semeliah and Phashur the sonne of Melchiah perceaued the wordes that Ieremy had spoken vnto all the people namely on this maner Thus sayth the Lord Who so remayneth in this citye shall peryshe eyther with the swearde with honger or with the pestylence But who so falleth vnto the Caldees shall escape wynnynge his soule for a pray and shall lyue For thus sayeth the Lord Thys cytie no doute muste be delyuered into the power of the kynge of Babylon and he also shall wynne it Then sayde the Prynces vnto the kyng Syr we beseche you let this man be put to death For thus he discourageth the handes of the â—oudyours that be in this cytie and the handes of all the people when be speaketh such wordes vnto them This man verely laboureth not for peace of the people but mischefe Zedekiah the kyng answered and sayde lo he is in youre handes for the kynge may denye you nothyng Then toke they Ieremy cast him into the dongeon of Melchiah the sonne of Hamelech that dwelt in the fore entre of the preson And they let downe Ieremy with cordes into a doÌ„geon where there was no water but myre So Ieremy stacke fast in the myre Nowe when Abedmelech the Morian beyng a chamberlayne in the kinges courte vnderstode that they had cast Ieremye into the dongeon he went out of the kinges house spake to the kynge whiche then sat vnder the porte of Ben Iamin these wordes My Lorde the kynge where as these men medle with Ieremy the Prophete they do him wrong Namely in y â— they haue put him in preson there to dye of honger for there is no more breade in the citie Then the kynge commaunded Abedmelech the Morian and sayde Take from hence xxx men whom thou wylte and draw vp Ieremy the prophete out of the doÌ„geon before he dye So Abedmelech toke y â— men with hym and went to the house of the kynge there vnder an almery he gat olde ragges worne cloutes let them downe by a corde into the dongeon to Ieremy And Abedmelech the Morian sayd vnto the Prophete Ieremy O put these ragges cloutes vnder thyne arme holes betwyxte them and the cordes and Ieremy dyd so So they drew vp Ieremy with cordes and toke him out of the dongeon and he remayned in the fore entrye of the preson Then Zedekiah the kynge sent and caused Ieremy the prophete to be called vnto hi into the thirde entrye that is in y â— house of the Lorde And the kynge sayde vnto Ieremy I wyll aske the some what but hyde nothynge fro me â–ª Then Ieremy answered Zedekiah yf I be playne vnto the thou wylte cause me to suffre death If I geue the councel thou wylte not folowe me So the kynge swore an othe secretely vnto Ieremy saying As truely as the Lorde lyneth that made vs these soules I wyll not sleye the nor geue the into the haÌ„des of them that seke after thy lyfe Then sayde Ieremye vnto Zedekiah Thus sayeth the Lorde of Hoostes the God of Israell If case be that thou wylte go forthe vnto the kynge of Babilons princes thou shalt saue thy lyfe and this cytie shall not be brente yee bothe thou and thy housholde shall escape with your lyues But yf thou wylte not go forth to the kynge of Babylons prynces then shall this citie be delyuered into the handes of the Caldees which shall set fyre vpon it and thou shalte not be able to escape them And the kynge Zedekiah sayde vnto Ieremye I am afrayed for the Iewes that are fled vnto the Caldees least I come in theyr handes and so they to haue me in derision But Ieremy answered No they shal not betraye the O herken vnto the voyce of the Lorde I beseche the whiche I speake vnto the so shalte thou be well and saue thy lyfe But yf thou wylte not go forthe the Lorde hath tolde me this playnely Beholde al the wemen that are lefte in the kyng of Iudaes house shall go out to the kynge of Babylons Prynces For they thynke that thou arte disceyued and that the men in whome thou dyddest put thy trust haue gotten the vnder and set thy fete faste in the myre and gone theyr way from the. Therfore all thywiues w t theyr children shall fle vnto y â— Caldees and thou shalte not escape theyr handes but shalt be the kynge of Babylons prisoner and this cytie shalt thou cause be breÌ„t Then sayde Zedekiah vnto Ieremye loke that no body knowe of these wordes thou shalte not dye But yf the princes perceaue that I haue talked with the and come vnto the sayinge O speake what saydest thou to the kynge hyde it not from vs and we wyll not put the to death Tell vs we praye the what sayde the kynge to the Se thou geue them this answere I haue huÌ„bly besought the kynge that he wyll let me lye nomore in Iehonathans house that I dye not there Then came al the prynces vnto Ieremye asked hym And he tolde them after the maner as the kynge bad him Then they helde theyr peace for they perceyaued nothynge So Ieremy abode styll in the fore entrye of the preson vntyll the daye that Ierusalem was wonne ¶ Nabuchodonosor besegeth Ierusalem zedekiah flyeth He 〈◊〉 taken of the Lâ—â—dces His sonnes are slayne His eyes are thrust out Ieremye is prouyded for Abedmelech is delyuered frome captiuite because of the confydence that he hathe in God CAPI XXXIX NOwe when the cytye of Ierusalem was taken for in the. ix yeare of Zedekiah Kynge of Iuda in the tenth Moneth came Nabuchodonosor the Kynge of Babylon and all his Hoste and beseged Ierusalem And in the. xi yeare of Zedekiah in the fourth Moneth the. ix daye of the Moneth he brake into the cytie Then all the princes of the kyng of Babilon came in and sat theÌ„ downe vnder the porte Neregel Sarezer Samegarnabo Sarsachim Rabsaris Neregel Sarezer Rabmag with all the other Prynces of the Kynge of Babylon And when Zedekiah the kinge of Iuda with his soudiours sawe them they fled and departed out of the cytie by night thorowe the kinges garden and thorowe the porce that is betwene the two walles and so they wente towarde the wyldernesse But the Caldees Hoste folowed faste after them and toke Zedekiah in the felde of Iericho and brought him presoner to Nabuchodonosor the kynge of Babylon vnto Reblath that lyeth in the lande of Hemath where he gaue iudgement vpon him So the Kynge of Babylon caused the chyldren of Zedekiah and all the nobles of Iuda to be slayne before his face at Reblath And made
compare thinges that cannot fele vnto them and they are worse then those Yet is there not one of these beastes that with his syght can behold any good thing nether haue they geueÌ„ prayse nor thanckes vnto God ¶ The punyshment of Idolatrers and the benefytes done vnto the faythfull CAPI XVI FOr these and suche other thynges haue they suffred worthy punyshement and thorowe the multytude of beastes are they roted out In steade of the whiche punyshmentes thou hast gracyously ordred thyne owne people and geuen their desyre that they longed for a newe and straunge tayst preparynge them quales to be theyr meate to the intent that by the thynges which were shewed and sent vnto them they that were so gredy of meate myght be withdrawen euen froÌ„ the desyre that was necessary But these with in shorce tyme were brought vnto pouertye and tasted a newe meate For it was requysite that without any excuse destruccion shulde come vpon those which vsed tyranny and to shewe onely vnto the other how their enemyes were destroyed For when the cruel woodnesse of the beastes came vpon them they peryshed thorow the stinges of the cruel Serpentes Notwithstandynge thy wrath endured not perpetually but they were put in feare for a lytle season that they myght be refourmed hauyng a token of saluacyon to remeÌ„bre the commaundemeÌ„t of thy lawe For he that coÌ„uerted was not healed by the thynge y â— he sawe but by the O sauiour of all So in this thou shewedst thyne enemyes that it is thou which deliuered troÌ„ all euyll As for them wheÌ„ they were bytteÌ„ â–ª w t greshoppers and flyes they dyed for they were worthy to perysh by such But neyther y â— teth of dragoÌ„s nor of venimous wormes ouercame thy chyldreÌ„ for thy mercy was euer by theÌ„ helped theÌ„ Therfore were they punyshed to remeÌ„bre thy wordes but hastely were they healed agayn lest they shuld fal into so depe forgetfulnes y â— they myght not vse thy helpe It was nether herbe nor playster that restored theÌ„ to the helth but thy word O lord which healeth all thynges It is y u O Lord that hast the power of lyfe and death thou ledest vnto deathes dore and bryngest vp agayne But maÌ„ thorow wickednes slayeth his owne soule and when hys sprete goeth forth it turneth not agayne neyther may he call agayne the soule that is taken awaye It is not possyble to eskape thy hande For the vngodly that wolde not knowe y â— were punyshed by y â— strength of thyne arme wyth straunge waters hayles and raynes were they persecuted and thorowe fyre were they consumed For it was a wonderous thynge that fyre myght do more then water whiche quencheth all thynges but the worlde is the auenger of the ryghtuous Somtyme was the fyre so tame that the beastes which were sent to punysh the vngodly brente not and that because they shulde se and knowe that they were persecuted with the punyshmente of God And some tyme brent the fyre in the water on euery syde that it myght destroye y â— vnrightuous nacion of the earth Againe thou haste fed thyne owne people w t Angels fode and sent the breade redy from Heauen without their laboure beynge very pleasaunt and of good tast And to shewe thy ryches swetenesse vnto thy chyldren thou gauest euery one theyr desyre so that euery maÌ„ myght take what lyked hym best But the snowe and yse abode the vyolence of the fyre melted not that they myght knowe that the fyre burnyng in the hayle and rayne destroyed the frute of the enemyes the fyre also forgat his strength agayne that the rygh tuous myght be noryshed For the creature that serueth the whiche art the maker is fearse in punyshyng y â— vnryghtuous but is easy geÌ„tle to do good vnto suche as put their trust in the. Therfore dyd all thynges alter at the same tyme and were all obedient vnto thy grace whiche is the nurse of all thynges accordynge to the desyre of them that had nede therof that thy chyldren O Lord whoÌ„ thou louest myght knowe that it is not nature and the growynge of frutes that fedeth men but that it is thy worde whiche preserueth them that put theyr truste in the. For loke what myght not be destroyed wyth the fyre as soone as it was warmed wyth a lytle SuÌ„ne beame it meltetd y â— al meÌ„ myght knowe that thankes ought to be geuen vnto the before the Sunne ryse and that thou oughtest to be worshypped before the daye springe For the hope of the vnthaÌ„kfull shall melt awaye as the wynter yse perysshe as water that is not necessary ¶ The iudgementes of God vpon the Egyptions CAPI XVII GReate are thy iudgementes O Lord and thy councels can not be expressed therfore men do erre that wyl not be refourmed w t thy wysdome For when y â— vnryghsuons thought to haue thy holy people in subieccyon they were bounde with the bandes of darknes long nyght shut vnder the rofe thynkynge to escape the euerlastynge wysdome And whyle they thought to be hyd in the darckenesse of their synnes they were scatred abrode in the very middest of y â— darke couerynge of forgetfulnes put to horryble feare woÌ„derously vexed for the corner wher they myght not kepe them from feare because the sounde came downe and vexed them yee many terrible and straunge visions made them afrayed No power of the fyre myght geue them lyght nether myght the cleare tlammes of y â— starres lyghteÌ„ that horrible nyght For there appeared vnto them a sodayne fyre verye dredefull At the which when they sawe nothynge they were so afrayed y â— they thought the thynge whiche they sawe to be the more fearfull As for the sorcery enchauntmeÌ„t that they vsed it came to derysyon and the proude wysdome was brought to shame For they that promysed to dryue away the fearefulnes drede from that weake soules were sicke for feare them selues and y â— with scorne And though none of the wonders feared theÌ„ yet were they afrayed at the beastes whiche came vpon them at the Hyssyng of the serpentes In so much that with treÌ„blyng they swowned sayd they sawnot y â— ayre whiche no man yet may escape For it is an heuy thynge when a man 's owne conscience beareth recorde of his wyekednes and condempneth hym And whyâ—a vexed and wounded conscyence taketh euer cruell thynges in haÌ„d Fearefulnes is nothyng els but a declaring that a man seketh helpe and defence to answere for hym selfe And loke how much lesse the hope is within the more is the vncertentye of the matter for the whiche he is punyshed But they y â— came in the myghtye nyght slepe the slepe that fel vpon them from vnder and from aboue somtyme were they afrayed thorowe the feare of the wonders and somtime they were so weake that they swowned withall for an hastye and sodayne ferfulnes came vpon
them Afterwarde yf any of them had fallen he was kepte and shut in preson but without chaynes But if any dwelt in a vyllage if he had bene an heyrde or husbandman he suffred intollerable necessyte for they were all bounde with one cheyne of darkenes Whether it were a blasynge wynde or a swete songe of the byrdes among the thycke braunches of the trees or the vehemency of hastye runnynge water or great noyse of the fallyng downe of Stones or the play enge and runnynge of beastes whom they sawe not or the myghtye noyse of roarynge beastes or the sownde that aunswereth agayne in the hye Mountaynes it made them swowne for very feare For all the earthe shyned with cleare lyght and no man was hyndered in his labour Onely vpon them there fell a heuy nyght an ymage of dareknesse that was to come vpon them Yee they were vnto them selues the moste heuy horryble darcknes ¶ The Fyre lyghte that the Israelytes had in Egypte The persecucyon of the faythfull The Lorde smote all the fyrste borne of Egypte The synne of the people in the wyldernesse Aaton stode betwyte the lyue and the deed with his censoure CAPI XVIII NEuertheles thy Saynctes had a very great lyght and the ennemyes herde theyr voyce but they sawe not the fygure of them And because they suffred not the same thynges they magnyfied the and they that were vexed afore because they were not hurte nowe thancked the and besought the O God that there myghte be a dyfference Therfore had they a burnynge pyler of fyre to lede them in the vnknowne waye and thou gaueste them the Sunne for a fre gyft without any hurte Reason it was that they shulde want lyght and be put in y ◠preson of darcknes whiche kepte thy chyldren in captyuyte by whom the vncorrupte lyght of the lawe of the worlde was for to be geuē When they thought to slaye the ba bes of the ryghtuous one beynge layed out and preserued to be leader vnto the other thou broughtest out y e whole multytude of the chyldren and destroyedst these in the myghtye water Of that nyght were oure fathers certyfyed afore that they knowynge vnto what othes they had geuen credence myght be of good cheare Thus thy people receaued y ◠health of the ryghteous but the vngodly were destroyed For lyke as thou hast hurte our enemyes so hast thou promoted vs whome thou calledest afore For the ryghteous chyldren of the good men offred secretly ordred the lawe of ryghteousnes vnto vnite that the iust shuld receaue good and cuyll in lyke maner syngynge prayses vnto the father of all men Agayne there was herde an vnconueniēt voyce of the enemyes and a pyteous crye for chyldren that were bewayled The master and the seruaunt were punyshed in lyke maner For they altogether had innumetable that died one deathe Neyther were the lyuinge sufficient to bury the deed for in the twyncklynge of an eye the noblest nacion of them was destroyed As ofte as God helped them afore yet wolde it not make thē beleue but in the destruccyon of the fyrste borne they knowledged that it was the people of God For whyle all thynges were styll and when the nyght was in the myddest of her course thy Almyghtye worde O Lorde leapte downe from heauen oute of thy royall trone as a rough man of warre in the myddeste of the lande that was destroyed and the sharpe swerde perfourmed theyr strayte commaūdement standynge and fyllyng all thynges with death yee it stode vpon the earth reached vnto the heauen Then the sight of the euyl dreames vexed them sodenly and fearfulnesse came vpon them vnawares Then laye there one here another there halfe deed halfe quycke shewed the cause of hys deathe For the vysyons that vexed them shewed them these thynges afore so that they were not ignoraunte wherfore they peryshed The tētacion of death touched the ryghteous also and among the multytude in the wyldernesse there was insurreccyō but thy wrath endured not lōge For the blamelesse man wente in all the hast and toke the battayll vpō him brought forth the weapen of his myny stracyon euen prayer and the censours of reconcylynge set him selfe agaynst the wrath and so brought the misery to an ende declaringe the chy that he was thy seruaunt For he ouercame not the multytude with bodely power nor wyth weapens of myght but with the worde he sobdued hym that vexed hym puttynge them in remembraunce of the othe and couenaunte made vnto the fathers For when the deed were fallen downe by heapes one vpō another he stode in the myddest pacified the wrath and parted y ◠waye vnto lyuynge And whyem hys longe garment was al the bewtye and in the foure rowes of the stones was y e glory of the fathers grauen and thy maiesty was wrytten in the crowne of hys heade Unto these the destroyer gaue place was afrayed of them for it was onely a temtaciō worthy of wrath ¶ The deeth of the Egypcyans and the greate ioye of the Hebrues The meate that was geuen at the despre of the preople The elementes serut not onely to the wyll of God but also to the wyll of man CAPI XIX AS FOR the vngodly the wrathe came vpon them without mercye vnto the ende For he knewe before what shulde happen vnto them howe that when they had consented to let them go and had sente oute with great dylygence they wolde repente and folowe vpon them For when they were yet mournynge and makynge lamentacyon by the graues of the dead they deuysed another fooly shenes so that they persecuted them in theyr flyenge whom they had cast out afore with prayer Worthy necessyte also broughte them vnto thys ende for they had cleane forgotten the thynges that happened vnto them afore But the thinge that was wantinge of theyr punyshemente was requysyte so to be fulfylled vpon them wyth tormentes that thy people myghte haue a maruelous passage thorowe and that these myght fynde a straunge death Thē was euery creature fashioned againe of newe accordinge to the wyll of theyr maker obeyenge thy commaundementes that thy chyldren myght be kept without hurte For the cloude ouershadowed theyr tentes and y e dry earth appeared where afore was water so that in y ◠reed see there was awaye without unpedimēt and the great depe became a grene felde where thorow al the people wēte that were defended with thy hand seing thy wonderous and maruelous workes For as the horses so were they fed and leapte lyke lambes praisynge the O Lord which haddest deliuered thē And whyethey were yet myndefull of the thynges y t happened whyle they dwelt in the lāde how the groūde brought for the flyes in steade of catell howe the ryuer scrauled with the multytude of frogges in steade of rythes But at the last they sawe a new creacion of byrdes what tyme as they were diceaued with lust and desyred delicate meates
in the balaunce The hert of foles is in theyr mouth but the mouth of the wyse is in theyr herte When the vngodly curseth the blasphemer he curseth hys owne soule A preuy accuser of other men shal defyle his owne soule be hated of euery maÌ„ but he that kepeth his tong is discrete shal come to honour ¶ The purgacyon of the slouthfull Of the foolyshe sonne and dauughter we must haue dyscrecyon howe to whom we ought to preach of sorowynge vpon the deade A fole is not to be much talked with all Iniuryes wronges do brenke frendshypy and amytye CAPI XXII A Slouthfull body is moulded of a stone of claâ—e and euery man wyl speake to hys vysprayse A slouthfull body is made of the donge of oxen and euery one that toucheth hym muste washe hys handes agayne A mysnurtured sonne is the dishonoure of the father A foolyshe daughter shall be lytle regarded A wyse daughter is an herytage vnto her husbande but she that commeth to dishonesty bringeth her father in heuynes A daughter that is past shame dishonoureth both her father her husbaÌ„d the vngodly shal regarde her but they both shall despyse her The playeng of Musicke is not mete where heuines is euen so is the correccioÌ„ and doctrine of wysdome euer vn pleasaunt vnto fooles Who so teacheth a foole is euen as one y â— gleweth a potsharde together as one that telleth a tale to hym that heareth hym not and as one that raiseth a maÌ„ out of an heuy slepe Who so telleth a foole of wysdome is euen as a maÌ„ which speaketh to one that is a slepe When he hath tolde hys tale he sayeth what is the matter When one dyeth lamentacyon is made for hym because the lyght fayleth hym euen so let men mourne ouer a foole for he wanteh vnderstanding Make but lytle wepyng because of the deed for he is come to rest but the lyfe of the fole is worse theÌ„ the deeth Seuen dates do men mourne for him that is deed but the lamentacion ouer the vnwyse and vngodly shuld endure all the dayes of theyr lyfe Talke not much with a foole and go not with him that hath no vnderstanding Beware of him lest it turne y â— to trauayle and thou shalt not be defyled w t hys synne Departe froÌ„ him and thou shalt finde rest and shalt not be drawen back into hê folyshnes What is heuier then leade And what shuld a foole be called els but leade Sand salt and a luÌ„pe of yron is easier to beare then an vnwyse folish and vngodly maÌ„ Like as y â— bande of wod bounde together in the foundacion of the house caÌ„not be lowsed euen so it is w t the hert y â— is stablyshed in y â— thought of councell The thought of the wyse shall neyther feare nor be offended at any tyme. Lyke as a fayre playitred wall in a wynter house an hye building may not abyde the wynde and storme euen so is a foles hert afrayed in hys ymagynacion he feareth at euery thynge and cannot endure A waueryng hart in the ymaginacyon of a fole wyl not euer stand in awe but he y â— abydeth i the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of God wyl alway feare He that nyppeth a mans eye bryngeth forth teares he y â— prycketh y â— hert bringeth forth the meanyng and thought Who so casteth a stone at y â— byrdes frayeth theÌ„ awaye and he that blasphemeth his freÌ„de breaketh the frendshyppe though y â— drewest a slâ—â—rde at thy frende yet dispayre not for y u mayest come agayne to thy frende If he speake sowrely feare not for ye maye be agreed together agayne except it be that thou blaspheme him dysdayne him open his secretes wouÌ„de him traytorously for all such thinges shall dryue awaye a frende Be faythfull vnto thy neyghbour in hys pouerte that thou may est reioyce with him also in hys prosperyte Abyde stedfast vnto him in the tune of his trouble that y â— matest be heyre wyth hym in hys heritage Like as the vapour and smoke goeth out at y â— ouen before the fyre euen so euyl wordes rebukes and threatenynges go before bloudsheddyng Be not a shamed to defende thy treÌ„de as for me I wyll not hyde my face from hym though he shulde do me harme Whosoeuer heareth it shal beware of him Who shall set a watche before my mouthe and a sure seale vpon my lyppes y â— I fal not with them and that my tonge destroy me not ¶ A proper agaynste pryde â–ª â—echery and glotony Of othrs blasphâ—my and of wyse communicacion Of the thre kyâ—des of sâ—â—nes Mâ—hy synnes proceade of abuouâ—ry Of the feare of God CAPI XXIII O Lorde father and gouernoure of my lyfe leaue me not in theyr y magynacyon and councell Oh let me not fal in such reprofe Who wyll kepe my thought with the scourge and the doctryne of wysdome in myne herte that he spare not myne ignoraunce that I fall not wyth them lest mine ignoraunces increase that myne offences be not many in nombre and that my sinnes exceade not leste I fall before myne enemyes and so my aduersary reioyce O Lord thou father and God of my lyfe leaue me not in theyr ymaginacyoÌ„ O let me not haue a proude loke but turne awaye all â—olupte ousnes fro me Take fro me the lustes of the body let not the desyres of vnclennes take holde vpoÌ„ me and geue me not ouer into an vnshamefast and obstynate mynde Heare me O ye chyldren I wyll geue you a doctrine howe ye shall ordre your mouthe who so kepeth it shal not perish thorow his lippes nor be hurt thorow wicked worckes As for the synner he shall be taken in hys owne vanyte he that is proude and cursed shal fal therin Let not thy mouth be acustomed w t swearynge for in it there are many falles Let not the naming of God be coÌ„tynually ithy mouth and medle not w t the names of saintes for y u shalt not be excused of theÌ„ for lyke as a seruauÌ„t which is oft punished cannot be without some fore euen so whatsoeuer he be y â— sweareâ—â— nameth god shall not be clene pourged froÌ„ sinne A man y â— vseth much swearing shal be filled w t wic kednes the plage shall neuer go from his house If he begyle hys brother hys faure shal be vpon hym yf he knowledge not hys sine he maketh a doble offeÌ„re if he sweare in vayne he shall not be founde ryghteous for his house shall be full of plages â–ª The wordes of y â— swearer bryngeth death God graunte that it be not founde in the house of Iacob But they that feare God eschue all such lye not weltryng in synne Use not thy mouth to vnhoneste and fylthy talkynge for in it is the worde of synne Remembre thy father and thy mother wheÌ„ thou art set among great men lest God forget the in theyr syght
wyth the swerde but many mo thorowe the tonge Well is hym that is kepte from an euyll tonge and commeth not in the angre therof which draweth not the yocke of suche and is not bounde in the bandes of it For the yock thereof is of yron and the bande of it of stele The death therof is a very euyll death hell were better for one then suche a tonge But the fyre of it maye not oppresse them that feare God and the flamme thereof maye not burne thē Suche as forsake the Lorde shal fall therein and it shall burne them and no man shal be able to quenche it It shall fall vpon them as a Lyon and deuoure them as a leoparde Thou hedgest thy goodes with thornes why doest thou not rather make dores and barres for thy mouth Thou wcyest thy golde syluer Why doest y u not weye thy wordes also vpon the y ◠balance Beware y ◠y u slyde not in thy tonge so fall before thyue enemyes y ◠lay wayte for the thy fal be incurable euen vnto death ¶ Howe we ought to lende oure monye and do almes Of a faythfull man answerynge for hys frende Of lyberalite and hospytalyte CAPI XXIX WHo so wyll shewe mercy let him lende vnto hys neyghboure and he that is able let hym kepe the commaundemente Lende vnto thy neyghboure in tyme of his nede and pay thou thy neyghboure agayne in due season Kepe thy worde and deale faythfully with hym and thou shalte allwaye fynde the thynge that is necessary for the. There haue bene many that when a thynge was lent them reckened it to be founde and made them trauayle and laboure that helped thē Whyle they receyne anythinge they kysse the handes of suche as geue them and for theyr neyghbours good they humble theyr voyce But when they shulde paye agayne they kepe it back and geue euell wordes and make many excuses by reason of the tyme and though he be able yet geueth he scarse y ◠halfe agayne and rekeneth the other to be founde And yf he with holde not his money yet hathe he an enemye of hym and that vndeserued He payeth him with cursynge rebuke and geueth hym euell wordes for hys good dede There be many one which are not glad for to lende not because of euel but they feare to lese the thyng that they lende Yet haue thou pacyence with the symple and withholde not mercy from hym Helpe the poore for the commaundemētes sake and let hym not go emptie from the because of hys necessite Lese thy money for thy brother and neyghbours sake and burie it not vnder a stone where it rusteth corrupteth Gather thy treasure after the commaundement of the Hyest and so shall it brynge the more profyt then golde Laye vp the almes in the herte of the poore and it shall kepe the from all euel A mans almes is as a purse with him and shall kepe a mans fauoure as the apple of an eye and after warde shall it aryse and paye euery man his rewarde vpō his heade It shal fyght for the against thyne enemyes better then the chylde of a gyaunte or speare of the myghtye A good honest mā is suertie for his neyghboure but a wycked personne letteth hym come to shame Forget not the frendeshyp of thy suertye for he hathe geuen his soule for the. The vngodly despyseth the good dede of hys suertye and the vnthanckfull and ignoraunte leaueth his suertie in daunger Some man promeseth for his neyghboure and when he hathe lost hys honeste he shal forsake him Suertishyppe hathe destroyed many a ryche man and remoued them as the waues in the see Myghtie people hathe it dryuen awaye and caused them to wandre in straunge coūtres An vngodly man transgressynge the commaundemente of the Lorde shall fall into an euell suertishyppe and though he force him selfe to get out yet shall he fall into iudgement Helpe thy neyghboure out after thy power and beware that thou thy selfe fal not into such dett The chefe thynge that kepeth in the lyfe is water and bred clothinge and lodgynge to couer the shame Better is it to haue a poore lyuynge in a mans owne house then delicate fare among the straūge Be it lytle or much that thou hast holde the content withall thou shalt not be blamed as a vagabounde for a myserable lyfe is it to go from house to house where a man is fremde he darre not open his mouth Though one be lodged haue meate dryncke yet shal he be taken as vnworthy heare many bytter rough wordes namely thus Go thy waye thou straunger and prepare a table for thy selfe and fede me also of that thou hast A way thou straūger so that he regardeth his honoure no more my brother cōmeth into my house and so he telleth hym the necessite of his house These thynges are heuy to a man that hath vnder standynge namely the forbyddynge of the house that y ◠lēoer casteth hym in the teth ¶ Of the correccyon of chyldren Of the commodytye of health Deeth is better then a sorowefull lyfe Of hydde wysdome Of the ioye and sorowe of the herte CAPI XXX WHo so loueth his chylde holdeth him styll vnder coreccion that he may haue ioye of him after warde and y ◠he grope not after hys neyghbours dores He that teacheth his sōne shal haue ioye in hym and nede not to be ashamed of hym amonge hys aquayntaunce Whose enfourmeth and teacheth his sōne greueth the enemye before his frendes he maye haue ioye of hym Though the father dye yet is he as though he were not deed for he hathe left one behynde him that is lyke hym In his lyfe he sawe hym and had ioye in hym and was not sory in his death neyther was he ashamed before the enemyes For he left behynde him an auenger against his enemies a good doer vnto the frēdes For the lyfe of chyldren he shall bynde the woundes together and his herte is greued at euery crye An vntamed horse wylbe harde a wanton childe wylbe wylfull If thou brynge vp thy sonne delicatly he shall make y ◠afayed and yf thou playe with him he shall brynge the to heuynes Laugh not with him lest thou wepe with him also and lest thy teth be set on edge at the last Geue him no liberte in his youth excuse not his foly Bowe downe hys necke whyle he is young hyt hym vpon the sydes whyle he is yet but a chylde lest he waxe stubberne and geue no more force of the so shalt thou haue heuynes of soule Teach thy childe and be diligent therin lest it be to thy shame Better is the poore beyng whole and stronge then a man to be ryche and not to haue his health Health and wellfare is about all golde and a whole body aboue al treasure There is no tyches aboue a sounde body no
ioye aboue the ioye of the herte Death is better then a wreched lyfe eternall rest better then contynuall syckenes The good thyngê y â— are put in a close mouth are lyke as wheÌ„ meate is laied vpoÌ„ y â— graue What good doth the offerynge vnto an Idol For he caÌ„ nether eate tast nor smel Euen so is he that is chased of the Lorde heareth the rewardes of iniquytte He seyth with is eyes groneth lyke a gelded man that lyeth w t a vyrgin sygheth Geue not ouer thy mynde into heuynes and vexe not thy selfe in thyne owne councell The ioye and chearfulnes of y â— hert is y â— lyfe of man a mannes gladnes is the prolongyng of his dayes Loue thyne owne soule comforte thyne hert as for sorowe heuynes dryue it farre froÌ„ y â— for heuynes hath slayne many a man bryngeth no profyt zele anger shorten y â— dayes of the lyfe carefulnes and sorow bring age before y â— tyme. Unto a mery hert euery thing hath a good tast y â— he eateth ¶ We ought to geue dilygent hede to honesty Of theÌ„ that â—ake payue to gather ryches The prayse of a ryche maÌ„ without a faute We ought to fle dronckenesse folowe soâ—â—â—ntâ— CAPI XXXI TRauayle carfulnes for ryches taketh away the slepe maketh the flesh to consume When one lyeth taketh care he waketh euer vp lyke as a great sycknes breaketh the slepe The ryche hathe greate laboure in gatheringe his ryches together and then with the pleasure of his ryches he taketh his rest and is refreshed But who so laboureth prospereth not he is poore though he leaue of yet is he a begger He y â— loueth ryches shall not be iustified who so foloweth corrupcion shall haue ynough therof Many one are come in greate mysfortune by the reason of golde and haue founde theyr destruccyon before them It is a tre of fallynge vnto them that offre it vp all such as be foolysh fall therin Blessed is the ryche whiche is founde without blemysh and hathe not gone after golde nor hoped in money tresures Where is there such a one and we shal commende him and call him blessed for greate thinges dothe he amonge his people Who so is tryed and founde parfecte in such thynges shal be coÌ„mended and praysed Who myght offende and hath not offeÌ„ded Who coulde do euel and hathe not done it Therfore shall hys good be stablyshed the whole coÌ„gregacioÌ„ shall declare his almesses Yf thou syt at a greate mans table open not thy mouth wyde vpon it and make not many wordes Remembre that an euel eye is a shrowe What thing created is worse then a wycked eye therfore wepeth it before euery maÌ„s face Laye not thine haÌ„de vpon euery thing that thyne eye seyth stryue not with hym in the dyshe Ponder by thy selfe what thy neyghboure wolde fayne haue be discrete in euery poynte Eate the thynge that is set before the manerly as it becommeth a man and eate not to much lest thou be abhorred Leaue y â— of fyrst of al because of nurtoure lest thou be he whom no man maye satisfye which may turne to thy decaye When thou syttest amonge many men reache not thyne hande out fyrst of all Oho we well conteÌ„t is a wyse man with a lytle wyne so that in slepe y â— shalt not be sycke therof nor fele any payne A swete whosome slepe shall suche a one haue fele no inwarde grefe He ryseth vp by tymes in y â— morninge is well at â—ase in him selfe But an vnsaciable eater slepeth vnquietly hath ache payne of the body It y â— felest that y â— hast eaten to moche aryse go thy waye cast it of thy stomacke and take thy rest it shall ease the so that thou shalt brynge no syckenesse vnto thy body My sonne heare me despyse me not at the last y u shalt fynde as I haue tolde the. In all thy workes be diligent quycke so shall there no sycknes happe vnto y â— Who so is liberal in dealyng out his meate many men shall blesse hym and prayse hym with theyr lyppes and the same is a sure token of hys loue and faythfulnes But he that is vnfaythful in meate the whole cytie shal coÌ„playne of hym and that is a sure experience of his infidelite and wyckednes Be not thou a wyne bybber for wyne hath destroied many a man The fyre proueth the herde yron euen so doth wyne proue hertes of the proude when they be droncken Wyne sobrely droncken queckeneth the lyfe of maÌ„ If thou drynckest it measurably thou shalt be temperate What lyfe is it that maye continue without wyne â— What taketh awaye the lyfe euen death Wyne was made froÌ„ the begynnyng to make men glad and not for droÌ„ckennes Wyne measurably droncken is a reioysyng of the soule body A measurable dryncke is health to soule body But yf it be droncken with excesse it maketh bytternes and sorowe vnto the mynde Dronkennes fylleth the mynde of the foolysh with shame and ruyne mynysheth the strength and maketh woundes Rebuke not thy neyghbour at the wyne and despyse hym not in his myrth Geue hym no despytefull wordes preasse not vpon hym with contrary sayinges ¶ Of the discrecyon and prayse of the preacher and of the hearer Of the feare fayth and coÌ„fydence of God CAPI XXXII YF thou be made a ruler pryde not thy self therin but be thou as one of the people Take dylygent care for them and loke well therto and when thou hast done all thy dewtye syt the downe that thou mayest be mery with them and receyue a crowne of honour Talke wysely and honestly for wysdome becommeth the ryght wel Hynder not musycke Speake not where there is no audyence and poure not forth wysdome out of tyme at an importunite Lyke as the Car buncle stone shyneth that is set in golde so doth a songe garnysh the wyne feast and as the Smaragde that is set in golde so is the swetnesse of Musycke by the myrth of wyne Geue eare and be styll and for thy good behauour thou shalte be loued Thou yonge man speake that becoÌ„meth the and that is profytable yet scarse when thou art twyse asked Comprehende muche with fewe wordes In many thynges be as one that is ignoraunt geue eare and holde thy tonge withall Yf thou be amonge men of hyer auctoryte desyre not to compare thy selfe vnto them and when an elder speaketh make not thou many wordes therin Before the thonder goeth lyghtenynge and before nurtoure and shamefastnes goeth loue and fauour Stande vp by tymes and be not the laste but get the home soone and there take thy pastyme and do what thou wylt so that thou do no euell and defye no man But for all thynges geue thankes vnto hym y
wyse prudent sentences Hys name wente abrode in the Iles because of his peace he was beloued All landes marueled at his soÌ„ges prouerbes similitudes and at his peace and at the name of the Lorde God which is called the God of Israel He gathered golde as tynne he had as much syluer as leade He was moued in inordynate loue towarde wemen was ouercome in affeccyon He stayned his honoure and worshyppe yee hys posteryte defyled he also in bryngynge the wrathe of the Lorde vpon hys chyldren and sorowe after his ioye so y â— his kyngdome was deuyded Ephraim became an vnfaythfull and an vncoÌ„staÌ„t kyngdome Neuertheles God forsoke not his mercy neyther was he vtterly destroyed because of his worckes y â— he shulde leaue him no posterite As for y â— sede that came vpoÌ„ him which he loued he brought it not vtterly to naught but gaue yet a remnauÌ„te vnto Iacob and a rote vnto Dauid out of hym Thus rested Salomon with his fathers and out of hys sede he left behynde hym a very foolyshnes of the people and such one as had no vnder standynge euen Roboam whiche turned awaye the people thorowe his councel and Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat which caused Israell to sinne and shewed Ephraim y â— way of vngodlynes In so much that theyr synnes and misdedes had the vpper hand so sore that at the last they were dryuen out of the land for the same Yee he sought out and brought vp all wyckednes tyll the vengeaunce came vppon them ¶ The prayse of Eliah Elizeas Hezekiah and Esaye CAPI XLVIII THEN stode vp Eliah the Prophet as a fyre and hys worde brente lyke a creshet He brought an honger vpon them and in hys zele he made them fewe in nombre For they might not away with the commaundementes of the Lorde Thorowe the worde of the Lord he shut the heauen and thre times brought he the fyre downe Thus became Eliah honorable in his wonderous dedes Who may make his boast to be lyke him One that was deed raysed he vp from deathe and i the worde of the hyest he brought hym oute of the graue agayne * He caste downe kinges destroyed them and the honorable from theyr seate Upon the mount Syna he herde the punyshment and vpon Horeb the iudgement of the vengeaunce He prophecyed recoÌ„pensynge vnto kynges ordeyned prophetes after hym He was taken vp in the storme of fyre in a charet of horses of the Lorde He was ordaned in the reprouynges in tyme to pacyfye the wrath of the Lorde to turne the hertes of the fathers vnto the chyldren and to set vp the trybes of Iacob agayne Blessed were they that saw the and were garnyshed in loue for we lyue in lyfe but after death we shall haue no such name Elias was couered in y â— storme but Helyseus was fylled with his sprete Whyle he lyued he was afrayed of no prynce and no man myght ouercome him There coulde no worde disceaue him after his death his body prophecied He dyd wonders in his lyfe in death were his workes maruelous For all this the people amended not nether departed they froÌ„ theyr synnes tyll they were caried away presoners out of the laÌ„de and were scatred abrode in all countrees so that of them there ramayned but a very lytle people and a prynce vnto the house of Dauid Howe be it some of them dyd ryght and some heaped vp vngodlynes Hezekias made his cytie stronge conueyed water in to it dygged thorowe the stony rocke with yron made vp a well by the water syde In his tyme came Sennaheryb vp and sent Rabsakes lyft vp his hande agaynste Syon and defied theÌ„ with greate pryde Then trymbled theyr nettes and haÌ„des so that they sorowed lyke a woman trauaylinge with chylde So they called vpon the Lorde which is mercyful and lyfte vp theyr handes before hym Immediatly the Lorde harde them out of heauen he thought nomore vpon theyr sinnes nor gaue them ouer to theyr enemyes but delyuered them by the hande of Esay the holy prophet He smote the hoost of y â— Assyrians and his angell destroyed theÌ„ For Hezekias had done the thynge y â— pleased the Lorde remayned stedfastly in the waye of Dauid his father as Esay the greate and faythful prophet in the syght of God had coÌ„maunded hym In his tyme the Sunne wente backwarde he lengthened the kinges lyfe With a ryghte sprete prophecyed â—e what shulde come to passe at the last and to suche as were sorowfull in Syon he gaue coÌ„solacion wher w t they myght coÌ„fort them selues for euermore He shewed thynges y â— were â—or to come secrete or euer they came to passe ¶ Of Iosiah Hezethiah Dauid Ieremy Ezechiel zoâ—o babel Iesua Nehemiah Enoch and Ioseph CAPI XLIX THE remeÌ„braunce of Iosias is lyke as whaÌ„ the apothecary maketh many precious swete smellyng thynges together His remembraunce shal be swete as hony in all mouthes as the playenge of Musyck at a bancket of wyne He was appoynted to turne the people agayne to take awaye all abhomynacions of the vngodly He dyrected his herte vnto the Lorde and in the tyme of the vngodly he set vp the worshyp of God agayne All kynges except Dauid Hezechiah and Iosiah coÌ„mytted wyckednes for euen the kynges of Iuda also forsoke the lawe of God For they gaue theyr horne vnto other theyr honoure and worshyppe also to a straunge people Therfore was the electe cytâ—e of y â— Sanctuary brent with fyre the streates therof laye desolate wast in the hande of Ieremy for they intreated hym euell whiche neuertheles was a prohpet ordeyned froÌ„ hys mothers wombe y t he myght rote out breake of and destroye and that he myght builde vp and plant agayne Ezechiel sawe the glorye of the Lorde in a vysion which was shewed him vpon y â— charet of y â— Cherubins For he thought vpoÌ„ the enemies in y â— rayne to do good vnto suche as had ordred theyr wayes a ryght And the bones of the twelue prophetes floryshed from out of theyr place for they gaue comforte consolatyon vnto Iacob delyuered theÌ„ faythfully Howe shall we prayse Zorobabel whiche was as a rynge in the rght hande So was Iesus also the soÌ„ne of Iosedec these men in theyr tymes buylded the house and set vp y â— â–ª Sanctuary of y â— Lorde agayne which was prepared for an euerlasting worshyp And Nehemias is all waye to be coÌ„mended whiche set vp for vs the walles that were broken downe made the portes and barres agayne buylded our houses of the newe But vpon the earth is there no man created like Enoch for he was takeÌ„ vp from the earth And Ioseph which was Lorde of hys brethren the vp holder of hys people his bones were couered and kepte Seth
Sem were in great honoure amonge the people so was Adam aboue all the beastes whan he was created ¶ Of Symon the sonne of Onias CAPI L. SYmon the soÌ„ne of Onias the hye prest which in his lyfe set vp y â— house agayne and in his dayes made fast the temple The heygth of the temple also was founden of him the double buyldinge the hye walles of the teÌ„ple In his dayes the welles of water flowed out and were exceadynge full as the see He toke care for his people delyuered them froÌ„ destruccyon He kepte hys cytie made it stronge that it shulde not be beseged He dwelt in honoure worshyppe amonge his people enlarged the intrauÌ„ce of the house the courte He gaue lyght as the mornynge starre in the myndest of the cloudes and as the moone whan it is full He shyned as the sunne in the teÌ„ple of God He is as bryght as the rayne bowe in the fayre cloudes and florysheth as the floures and roses in the sprynge of the yeare and as lylyes by the ryuers of water Lyke as the braunches vpon the mount Libanus in the tyme of sommer as a fyre incense that is kindled Lyke as an whole ornameÌ„t of pure golde set with al maner of precious stones and as an Olyue tree that is frutefull and as a Cipres tree which groweth vp an hye When he put on the garment of honoure and was clothed with all bewtye when he went to the holy aulter to garnysh the coue rynge of the Sanctuarye when he toke the porcyons out of the Prestes hande he hym selfe stode by the herth of the aulter and his brethren rounde about in ordre As y â— braunches of Cedre tree vpon the mouÌ„t Libanus â—o stode they rounde about him And as the braunches of the Olyue tree so stode al the sones of Aaron in the glorye the oblatioÌ„s of the Lorde in theyr handes before all the congregacion of Israel And that he myght suffycyently perfourme hys setuyce vpon y â— aulter and garnysh the offrynge of y â— hyest God he stretched out his hande and toke of the drynck offerynge and poured in of the wyne so he poured vpon the botome of the aulter a good smel vnto the hyest Prynce Then beganne the sonnes of Aaron to syng to blowe with troÌ„pettes to make a great noyce for remembraunce and prayse vnto the Lorde Then were all the people afrayed fell downe to the earth vpoÌ„ theyr faces to worshyppe the Lorde theyr God and to geue thankes to the almyghty God They sunge godly also with theyr voyces so that there was a pleasaunce noyse in the great house of the Lorde And the people in theyr prayer besought the Lorde the hyest that he wolde be mercyfull tyll the honour of the Lorde were perfourmed Thus ended they theyr mynistracyon and seruice Then went he downe and stretched out hys haÌ„des ouer the whole multitude of the people of Israel that they shulde geue prayse thankes out of theyr lyppes vnto the Lorde and to reioyse in his name He beganne yet once also to praye that he myght openly shewe the thankesgeuynge before y â— Hyest namely thus O geue prayse and thankes pe al vnto the Lorde our God which hath euer done noble great thinges which hath increased oure dayes from our mothers wombe and dealt with vs accordynge to his mercy that he wyll geue vs the ioyfulnes of herte and peace for our tyme in Israel Which faythfully kepeth his mercy for vs euermore and alwaye delyuereth vs in due season There be two maner of people that I abhorre fro my hert as for the thyrde whom I hate it is no people They that syt vpon the mouÌ„tayne of Samaria the Phylystynes the foolysh people that dwell in Sichimis I Iesus the sonne of Sirach Eleazarus of Ierusalem haue tokened vp these informacyons and documentes of wysdome and vnderstandynge in thys boke poured out the wysdome of my herte Blessed is he that exercyseth hym selfe therin and who so taketh such to herte shal be wyse for euer Yf he do these thynges he shal be stroÌ„ge in al. For the lyght of the Lorde leadeth hym ¶ The prayer of Iesus the â—ouâ—e of Sirach CAPI LI. I Wyll thanke the O Lorde and kynge and prayse the O God my sauyoure I wyll yelde prayse vnto thy name for thou arte my defender and helper and haste preserued my bodye from destruccyon from the snare of traytorous tonges and from the lyppes that are ocupyed with lyes Thou hast bene my helper from suche as stode vp agaynst me and hast delyuered me after the multytude of thy mercy and for thy holy names sake Thou bast delyuered me from the roarynge of them that prepared theÌ„selues to deuoure me out of the handes of such as sought after my lyfe from the multitude of theÌ„ that troubled me and went about to set fyre vpoÌ„ me on euery syde so that I am not brent in the myddest of the fyre FroÌ„ the depe of hell from an vnclene tonge from lyenge wordes from the wycked Kynge and from an vnryghteous tonge My soule shall prayse y â— Lord vnto death for my lyfe drewe nye vnto hell downwarde They coÌ„passed me round aboute on euery syde and there was no man to helpe me I loked aboute me yf there were any man that wolde socoure me but there was none Then thought I vpon thy mercy O Lorde and vpon thy actes that thou haste done euer of olde namely that thou delyuerest suche as put theyr trust in the and ryddest theÌ„ out of the handes of the Heathen Thus lyfte I vp my prayer from the earth and prayed for delyueraunce froÌ„ death I called vpon the Lorde the father of my Lorde that he wolde not leaue me without helpe in the daye of my trouble and in the tyme of the proude I wyl prayse thy name coÌ„tynually yeldynge honour and thankes vnto it and so my prayer was herde Thou sauedest me from destruccion and deliueredest me from the vnryghteous tyme. Therfore wyll I a knowledge and prayse the and magnyfye thy name O Lorde When I was yet but yonge or euer I went astraye I desyred wysdome openly in my prayer I came therfore before the teÌ„ple and sought her vnto y â— laste Then floryshed she vnto me as a grape that is soone type My hert reioysed in her then went my tote the ryght waye yee from youth vp sought I after her I bowed downe myne eare and receaued her I founde me much my soome and prospered greatly in her Therfore wyl I ascrybe the glory vnto hym that geueth me wysdome for I am aduysed to do there after I wyll be gelous to cleue vnto the thynge that is good so shall I not be confounded My soule hache wrestled with her and I haue bene dilygent to be occupyed in her I lyfte vp myne handes an hye then was my soule lyghtened thorowe wisdome that I knowledged
a great rich man had a fayre orcharde ioyninge vnto his house And to h◠resorted the Iewes comēly because he was a mā of reputacion among thē The same yere were there made two Iudges suche as the Lorde speaketh of Al the wyckednesse of Babylon cōmeth from the elders that is from the iudges whiche seme to rule the people These came ofte to Ioachims house and all such as had any thyng to do in the law came thyther vnto them Nowe when the people came agayne at after noone Susanna went into her husbādes orcharde to walcke The elders seinge this that she wente in daylye and walcked they burned for luste to her yee they were almost out of theyr wyttes and caste downe theyr eyes that they shulde not se heauen nor remembre that God is a ryghtuous iudge For they were both wounded with the loue of her nether durst one shew another his grefe And for shame they duest not tel her there in ordinate lust that they wold fayne haue had to do with her Yet they layed wayte for her earnestly from daye to day that they myght at the least haue a syght of her And the one sayde to the other Up let vs go home forit is diner tyme. So they wēt their way frō her When they returned agayne they came together enquyryng out y ◠matter betwyxte them selues yee the one tolde y ◠other of hys wycked lust Then appoynted they a tyme when they myght take Susanna alone It happned also y ◠they spyed out a conuenient tyme when she went forth to walke as her maner was and no body wyth her but two maydens thought to wasshe her selfe in the gardē for it was an hote season And there was not one person there excepte the two elders had y ◠hyd them selues to beholde her So she sayde to her maydens go fet me oyle and sope and shut the orcharde dore that I may wash me And they dyd as she bad them and shut the orchard dore and went out them selues at a backe dore to fet the thyng that she had commaūded but Susanna knewe not that the elders laye there hyd within Nowe when the maydens were gone forth the two elders gat them vp and ranne vpō her saying now the orcharde dores are shut that no man can se vs we haue a lust vnto the therfore cōsente vnto vs and lye wyth vs. If thou wylt not we shal brynge a testymoniall agaynst the that there was a yonge felo we wyth the and that thou hast sente away thy maydēs from the for the same cause Susanna syghed sayde Alas * I am in trouble on euery syde Though I folow your mynde it wyll be my death yf I cōsent not vnto you I can not escape your hādes Wel it is better for me to fall into your hāde with out the dede doynge then to synne in y e syght of the Lorde and wyth that she cryed out wyth a loude voyce the elders also cried out agaynst her Then rāne there one to the orchard dore and smote it open Nowe when the seruauntes of the house herde the erye in the orchard they russhed in at the backe dore to se what the matter was So when the elders tolde them the seruauntes were greatly ashamed for whyethere was neuer such a reporte made of Susanna On the morowe after came the people to Ioachim her husbande the two elders came also full of myscheuous ymaginacyon agaynst Susanna to brynge her vnto death and spake thus before the people Sende for Susanna the daughter of Helchias Ioachims wyfe And imediately they sente for her So she came wyth her father mother her chyldrē and all her kynred Now Susanna was a tender person and maruelous fayre of face Therfore the wycked men commaunded to take of the clothes from her face for she was couered that at the leest they might so be satisfyed in her buety Then her frendes yee and all they that knewe her beganne to wepe Those two elders stode vp in the myddest of the people layed theyr handes vpon the heade of Susanna which wepte and loked vp towarde Heauen for her herte had a sure toust in the Lord. And the elders sayde As we were walkynge in the orchard alone thys woman came in with her two maydēs whom she sente away from her and sparred the orcharde dores wyth that a yonge felow whiche there was hyd came vnto her and laye with her As for vs we stode in a corner of the orcharde And when we sawe this wyckednes we ranne to her and perceaued that they had medled together But we could not holde him for he was stronger then we thus he opened the dore and gat him away Now when we had taken thys woman we asked her what yonge felowe thys was but she wolde not tel vs. This is the matter and we be wytnesses of the same The comen sorte beleued them as those that were the elders and iudges of the people and so they condemned her to death Susāna cryed out with a loude voyce and sayd O euerlastyng God thou sercher of secretes thou that knowest al thynges afore they come to pas thou wotest that they haue borne false wytnes agaynste me beholde I muste dye where as I neuer dyd any suche thynges as these men haue malycyously inuented agaynst me And the Lorde herde her voyce For when she was led forth to death the Lorde raysed vp the sprete of a yonge chylde whose name was Daniel whiche cryed with a loude voyce I am cleane from this bloude Then al the people turned them towarde hym and sayde What meane these wordes that thou hast spoken Daniel stode in the myddest of thē and sayde Are ye suche fooles O ye chyldren of Israel that ye can not discerne nor know the truth Ye haue here condemned a daughter of Israell vnto death and know not y ◠trueth wherfore Go syt on iudgement agayne for they haue spoken false wytnesse agaynst her Wherfore the people turned agayne in al the hast And the elders that is the pryncypall heades sayde vnto him come syt downe here amonge vs and shewe vs this matter seyng God hath geuē the as greate honoure as an elder And Daniel said vnto thē Put these two asyde one from another and then shall I heare thē When they were put asunder one frome another he called one of them and sayde vnto hym O thou olde canckerd earle that hast vsed thy wickednesse so lōg thyne vngracyous dedes which y u hast done afore are nowe come to lyght For thou hast geuen false iudgementes thou hast oppressed the innocent letten the gyltye go fre where as yet y ◠Lord sayeth The innocent ryghtuous se thou sley not Wel thā yf thou hast sene her tell me vnder what tre sawest thou them talkyng together He answered vnder a Molbery tree And Danyel sayde very well now thou lyest euen vpon thyne head Lo
this answere sayd Yet had I rather fyrst be layde iÌ„ my graue For it becoÌ„meth not myne age sayde he in any wyse to disseÌ„ble wherby many yonge personnes myght thynke that Eleazar beyng â—xxx yeare olde x. were nowe gone to a straunge lyfe so thorow myne ypocrisy for a lytle tyme of a transytory lyfe they myght be disceaued by this meanes also shulde I defyle myne age and make it abhomynable For though I were nowe deliuered froÌ„ the tormeÌ„tes of meÌ„ yet shulde I not escape y â— hand of almyghty God nether alyue nor deed Wherfore I wil dye maÌ„fully do as it becoÌ„meth myne age wherby I maye peraduenture leaue an exaÌ„ple of stedfastnes for suche as be yonge yf I w t a readye mynde maÌ„fully dye an honest death for the moste worthy and holy lawes When he had sayde these wordes immediatly he was draweÌ„ to the tormente Nowe they y â— led him were mylde a lytle afore beganne to take displeasure because of y â— wordes y t he sayd for they thought he had spokeÌ„ theÌ„ of an hye mynde But wheÌ„ he was in his mariyrdome he mourned sayde Thou O Lorde whiche haste the holy knowlege knowest openly y t where as I myght be delyuered froÌ„ death I suffre these sore paynes of my body but iÌ„ my minde I am wel coÌ„tent to suffee theÌ„ because I feare the. Thus thys maÌ„dyed leauinge y â— memorial of his death for an exaÌ„ple not only vnto yong men but vnto all y â— people to be stedfast and manly ¶ The punishmeÌ„t of the â–ª vii brethren and of theyâ— mother CAPI VII IT happened also that there were vij brethren with theyr mother taken coÌ„pelled by the kynge agaynst the lawe to eate swynes flesh namely w t scourges â—erâ—ren whyppes And one of them whiche was the these sayde what sekest thou what requirest thou of vs As for vs we are readye rather to suffre death then to offede the lawes of God the fathers Then was the kynge angrye and â—ad heate cauldrons brasen pottes Whiche when they were made hote immediatly he coÌ„maunded the tonge of hym that spake fyrst to be cut out to put y â— skynne ouer his head to pare of the edges of his handes fete yee and y â— in the syght of hys mother and the other of his brethreÌ„ Nowe when he was cleane marred he coÌ„maunded a fyre to be made and so whyle there was any breath in hym to be fryed in the caudron In the which when he had bene longe payned the other brethren with theyr mother exhorted him to dye manfully sayeng The Lorde God shall regarde the trueth â— comforte vs lyke as Moses testifyeth and declareth in his songe sayenge and he wyll haue compassyon on hys seruauntes So when the fyrst was deed after thys maner they brought the secoÌ„de to haue him in derysyon pulled the skynne w t the heare ouer his heade asked him yf he wold eatâ— swynes flesh or he were payned in the other meÌ„bres also thorow out his bodye But he answered boldly sayde I wyll not do it And so was he tormented like as the fyrst â— when he was euen at the geuyng vp y â— gost he sayde Thou most vngracious personne puttest vs nowe to death but y â— kyng of the worlde shall rayse vs vp which dye for hys lawes in y â— resurreceioÌ„ of euerlastyng lyfe After him was the thâ—rde had in derysyon and wheÌ„ he was requyred he put out his tonge that right soone holdyng forth hys bandes manfully spake w t a stedfast fayth These haue I of heaueÌ„ but nowe for the lawe of God I despyse theÌ„ for my trust is y t I shall receaue theÌ„ of hym agayne In so much y t the kynge they which were with him marueled at the yong mans boldnesse that he nothynge regarded the paynes Nowe when he was deed also they vexed the fourth with tornementes in lyke maner So when he was nowe at hys death he sayde It is better y â— we beynge put to death of men haue our hope and trust in God for he shall rayse vs vp agayne As for the thou shalt haue no resurreccyon to lyfe And when they had spoken to the fyfth they tormented hym TheÌ„ loked he vnto the kyng sayd thou hast power among men for thou art a mortal man also thâ— self to do what thou wylt but thynke not that God hathe forsaken oure generacion Aâ—yde the tary styl a whyle and thou shalt se the great power of God howe he wyl punysh the and thy sede After hym they brought the syxte which beynge at the poynte of death sayde Be not disceaued O kynge for this we suffre for our owne sakes because we haue offeÌ„ ded our God therfore meruelous thinges are shewed vpon vs. But thynke not thou whiche takest in hande to stryue agaynste God that thou shalt escape vnpunyshed This excellent mother worthy to be well reported of and had in remembrauÌ„ce sawe her seuen sonnes dye in one day and suffred it paciently because of the hope that she had in God yee she exhorted euery one of theÌ„ in especyall and that boldly stedfastly with perfyte wysdome wakynge vp her wyuysh thought with a manly stomacke and sayde vnto them I can not tel how ye came in my woÌ„be for I nether gaue you breth nor soule no nor lyfe It is not I y â— ioyned the meÌ„bres of youre bodyes together but the maker of the worlde whiche fashyoned the byrth of man beganne all thynges Euen he also of his owne mercy shall geue you breath lyfe agayne lyke as ye nowe regarde not youre owne selues for hys lawes sake Nowe thought Antyochus that she had despysed hym therfore he let her go with her reproues and beganne to exhorte the yongest soÌ„ne which yet was lefte not onely with wordes but swore vnto hym with an othe that he shulde make hym a ryche and welthy man yf he wolde forsake the lawes of hys fathers yee and that he shulde geue hym what soeuer were necessarye for hym But when the yonge man wolde not be moued for all these thynges he called hys mother and counceled her to saue her sonnes lyfe And when he had exhorted her with many wordes she promysed hym that she shulde speake vnto her sonne So she turned her vnto hym laughynge the cruell tyraunte to scorne and spake with a bolde voyce O my sonne haue pytie vpoÌ„ me that bare the. ix monethes in my wombe that gaue the sucke noryshed the and brought the vp vnto thys age I beseche the my sonne loke vpon heaueÌ„ and earth and all that is therin consydre that God made them and mans generacyoÌ„ of nought so shalt thou not feare this hang man but suffre death stedfastly lyke as thy brethren haue done y â— I maye receaue the againe in the same mercy with thy brethren Whyle she was yet
mother flee in to Egypt and be thou there tyll I brynge the worde For it wyll come to passe that Herode shal seke the chylde to destroye hym So when he awoke he toke the chylde and his mother by nyght and departed in to Egypte and was there vnto the death of Herode that it might be fulfylled whiche was spoken of the lorde by the Prophet sayeng out of Egypt haue I called my sonne Then Herode when he sawe that he was mocked of the wyse men he was excedynge wroth and sent forth men of warre and slue all the chyldren that were in Bethleem and in all the coostes as many as were two yere olde or vnder accordynge to the tyme which he had diligently knowen out of the wyse men Then was fulfylled that whiche was spoken by the Prophet Ieremy where as he sayde in Rama was there a voyce herde lamentacyon wepynge and great mournynge Rachell wepynge for her chyldren and wolde not be conforted ☞ bycause they were not ⊢ But when Herode was deade behold ✚ an angell of the Lorde appeared in a slepe to Ioseph in Egypte sayenge aryse and take the chylde and his mother and go in to the lande of Israell For they are deade which sought the chyldes lyfe And he arose toke the chyld and his mother and came in to the lande of Israel But when he herde that Archelaus dyd reygne in Iury in the rowme of his father Herode he was afrayde to go thyther Notwithstandynge after he was warned of god in a slepe he turned asyde into the partyes of Galile and went and dwelte in a citye which is called Nazareth that it myght be fulfylled whiche was spoken by the Prophettes he shall be called a Nazarite ⊢ ¶ The Baptym preachynge and offyce of Iohn̄ and how Chryst was baptysed of hym in Iordane CAPI III. ✚ IN those dayes came Iohn̄ the Baptyst preachyng in the wylnernesse of Iury and sayenge ☞ Repente of the lyfe that is past for the kyngdome of heuen is at hande For this is he of whome the prophet Esay spake whiche sayeth The voyce of a cryer in the wyldernesse prepare ye the waye of the Lorde and make his pathes streyght This Iohn̄ had his garment of camels heer And a gyrdell of a skyn aboute his loynes His meate was locustes and wylde hony Then went out to hym Ierusalem all Iury and all the regyon rounde aboute Iordane and were baptysed of hym in Iordan confessyng theyr synnes ⊢ ✚ But when he sawe many of the Pharises and Saduces come to his baptyme he sayde vnto them O generacyon of vypers who hath taught you to flee from the vengeaunce to come Bryng forth therfore the frutes that be longe to repentaunce And be not of soch mynde that ye wold say within yourselues we haue Abraham to our father For I saye vnto you that God is able to brynge to passe that of these stones there shal ryse vp chyldren vnto Abraham Euen nowe is the are also put vnto the rote of the trees so that euery tree whiche bryngeth not forth good fruyte is hewen downe and cast into the fyre I baptise you in water vnto repentaūce but he that shall come after me is myghtyer then I whose shoes I am not worthy to beare He shall Baptyse you with the holy gooste and with fyre Whose fan is in his hand and he wyll pourge his floore and gather his wheat in to the barne but wyl burne the chaffe with vnquencheable fyre ⊢ ✚ Then cometh Iesus from Galile to Iordane vnto Iohn̄ to be Baptysed of hym But Iohn̄ forbad hym saynge I haue nede to be baptised of the and comest thou to me Iesus answered and sayde vnto hym Let it be so nowe For thus it becometh vs to fulfyll all ryghtewysenesse Then he suffered him And Iesus when he was baptised came streyght waye out of the water And lo heuen was open vnto him and he sawe the spiryte of god descendynge lyke a doue lyghtynge vpon hym And lo there came a voyce from heuen sayenge This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased ▪ ⊢ ¶ Chryst fasteth and so tempted he calleth Peter Androwe Iames and Iohn̄ and healeth all the sycke CAPI IIII. ✚ THen was Iesus led awaye of the spiryte in to wyldernesse to be tempted of the deuyll And when he had fasted xl dayes and. xl nyghtes he was at the last an hūgred And when the tempter came to him he sayde yf thou be the son of god cōmaund that these stones be made bread But he answered sayd it is wrytten Man shall not lyue by breade only but by euery worde that procedeth out of the mouth of god Then the deuyl taketh hym vp in to the holy citye and setteth hym on a pynacle of the temple and sayeth vnto hym yf thou be the sonne God cast thy selfe downe headlyng For it is wrytten He shall gyue his Angels charge ouer the and with theyr handes they shall holde the vp leest at any tyme thou dasshe thy fote agaynst a stone And Iesus sayde to hym it is wrytten agayne Thou shalte not tempt the Lorde thy God Agayne the deuyll taketh hym vp in to an excedyng hygh moūtayne sheweth him all the kyngdomes of the worlde the glory of them sayeth vnto hym all these wyll I gyue the yf thou wylt fall downe worshyp me Then sayeth Iesus vnto hym Auoyde Satan For it is wryten Thou shalte worshyp the lorde thy god him only shalt thou serue Then the deuyl leaueth hym behold the angels came minystred vnto hym ⊢ ✚ When Iesus had herde that Iohn was taken he departed in to Galile and lefte Nazareth and went and dwelte in Capernaum whiche is a citye vpon the see coost in the borders of Zabulon Neptalim that it myght be fulfylled whiche was spoken by Esay the prophet sayenge The lande of Zabulon Nephtalim by the waye of the see beyonde Iordane Galile of the Gentyls the people whiche sat in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death sawe great lyght to them whiche sat in the regyon and shadow of death is the lyght spronge vp From that tyme Iesus began to preache and to saye repent for the kyngdome of heuen is at hande ⊢ ✚ As Iesus walked by the see of Galilee he sawe two brethren Simon whiche was called Peter Andrewe his brother castyng a net in to the see for they were fysshers and he sayeth vnto them folowe me and I wyll make you †to become fysshers of men And they streyght waye lefte the nettes and folowed hym And when he was gone forth from thence he sawe other two brethren Iames the son of Zebede Iohn̄ his brother in the shyp with Zebede theyr father mendynge theyr nettes and he called them And they immediatly lette the shyp and theyr
be in an agonye and sayeth vnto them My soule is heuy euen vnto the death tary ye here and watche And he went forth a lytel and fel downe flat on the grounde prayed that yf it were possyble the houre myghte passe from hym And he sayd Abba father all thynges are possyble vnto the take away this cup from me Neuerthelesse not that I wyll but that thou wylte be done And he came and founde them slepynge and sayeth to Peter Simon slepest thou Couldest not thou watche one houre Watche ye praye lest ye entre in to temptacyon the spirite trulye is redy but the flesshe is weyke And agayne he went asyde and prayed and spake the same wordes And he returned and founde them a slepe agayne For theyr eyes were heuye neyther wyst they what to answere hym And he came the thirde tyme sayde vnto them slepe henceforth and take your ease it is ynough The houre is come beholde the sonne of maÌ„ is betrayed in to the handes of synners Ryse vp let vs go Lo he that betrayeth me is at hande And immediatly whyle he yet spake cometh Iudas whiche was one of the twelue and with him a great nombre of people with swerdes and staues from the hygh preestes and Scribes and elders And he that betrayed hym had gyuen them a general token sayenge Who soeuer I do kysse that same is he Take hym and leade hym awaye warely And as soone as he was come he goeth streyghte waye to hym and sayeth vnto him Mayster mayster and kyssed hym And they layde theyr handê on hym and toke hym And one of them that stode by drue out a swerde and smote a seruaunt of the hygh preest and cur of his care And Iesus answered sayd vnto them ye be come out as vnto a thefe with swerdê with staues for to take me I was dayly w t you in the Temple teachynge ye toke me not but these thynges come to passe that the scriptures shulde be fulfylled And they al forsoke hym ran away And there folowed hym a certayne yong man clothed in lynnen vpon the bare and the yonge men caughte hym he lefte his lynnen garment and fled from them naked And they lâ—d Iesus away to the hyghest preest of all with hym came all the hygh preestes the elders and the Scribes And Peter folowed hym a greate way of euen tyl he was come in to the palace of the hyghe preest and he sat with the 〈…〉 and warmed hym selfe at the fyre And the hygh preestes and all the counsell sought for wytnes agaynst Iesus to put hym to death founde none for many bare false wytnesse agaynst him but theyr wytnesses agreed not togyther And there arose cerâ—ayn brought false wytnes agaynst hym sayeng We herâ—e hym saye I wyll destroy this temple that is made with handes and within thre dayes I wyl buylde an other made without handê but yet theyr wytnesses agreed not togyther And the hygh Preest stode vp amongest them and asked Iesus sayenge Answerest thou nothynge Howe is it that these beare wytnesse agaynst the But he helde his peace answered nothynge Agayne the hyghest preest asked hym and sayde vnto hym Arte thou Christ the son of the blessed And Iesus sayde I am And ye shal se the sonne of man syttyng on the ryght hande of power comynge in the cloudes of heuen Then the hygh Preest rent his clothes sayde What nede we any further of wytnesses Ye haue herde blasphemye what thynke ye and they al condemned hym to be worthy of death And some began to spyt at hym to couer his face to beate him with fystes and to say vnto hym Arede And the seruauntê buffetted hym on the face And as Peter was byneth in the palace there came one of the wenches of the hyghest preest and when she sawe Peter warmyng hym selfe she loketh on hym and sayeth Wast not thou also with Iesus of Nazareth And he denyed sayenge I knowe hym not neyther wote I what thou sayest And he went out in to the porche and the cocke crewe And a damsel when she sawe hym began agayne to say to them that stode by this is one of them And he denyed it agayn And anone after they that stode by sayde agayne to Peter surely thou arte one of them for thou art of Galile and thy speache agreeth therto But he began to curse and to swere sayenge I know not this maÌ„ of whom ye speake And agayne the cocke crewe and Peter remembred the worde that Iesus sayd vnto hym before the cocke crowe twyse thou shalte denye me thre tymes And he began to wepe ¶ Of the Passyon death and buryall of Chryst. CAPI XV. ANd anone in the downyng the hygh Preestes helde a counsell with the elders and the Scribes and the hole congregacion and bounde Iesus and led hym away and delyuered hym to Pilate And Pilate asked hym Arte thou the kynge of the Iues And he answered and sayd vnto him thou sayest it And the hygh preestes accused hym of many thyngê So Pilate asked hym agayne sayeng Answerest thou nothyng Beholde howe many thynges they lay vnto thy charge Iesus yet answered nothynge so that Pilate meruayled At that feast Pilate dyd delyuer vnto them a prysoner whom soeuer they wolde desyre And there was one that was named Barrabas which lay bounde with them that made insurreccyon he had coÌ„mytted murther And the people called vnto hym and began to desyre hym that he wolde do accordynge as he had euer done vnto them Pilate answered them sayenge Wyll ye that I let loose vnto you the kyng of the Iues For he knew that the hygh preestes had deliuered him of enuy But the high preestê moued the people that he shulde rather delyuer Barrabas vnto them Pilate answered agayne sayde vnto them What wyll ye then that I do vnto hym whom ye call the kyng of the Iues And they cryed agayne crucifie hym Pilate sayd vnto them what euyll hath he done And they cryed the more feruently Crucifie hym And so Pilate wyllyng to content the people let loose Barrabas vnto them and delyuered vp Iesus when he had scourged hym for to be crucified And the souldioures led hym away into the comen hall and called togyther the hole multitude they clothed hym with purple and they platted a crowne of thornes and crowned hym withall and began to salute hym Hayle kyng of the Iues. And they smote hym on the head with a reede and dyd spyt vpon hym and bowed theyr knees and worshypped hym And wheÌ„ they had mocked hym they toke the purple of him and put his owne clothes on hym and led hym out to crucifie hym And they compelled one that passed by called Simon of Cyrene the father of Alexander and Rufus whiche came out of the felde to beare his crosse And they broughte
was sayde of some that IohnÌ„ was rysen agayne from death and of some that Elias had appeared and of some that one of the olde Prophets was rysen agayne And Herode sayde IohnÌ„ haue I beheaded but who is this of whom I heare suche thynges and he desyred to se hym And the apostles returned and tolde hym all that they had done And he toke them and wente asyde in to a solitarye place nygh vnto the citie that is called Bethsaida which when the people knewe they folowed hym And he receyued them and spake vnto them of the kyngdome of God and healed them that had nede to be healed And when the day began to weare away then came the twelue and sayde vnto hym sende the people away that they may go in to the townes and nexte villages and lodge and get meate for we are here in a place of wyldernesse But he sayde vnto them Gyue ye them to eate And they sayde We haue no mo but fyue looues and two fysshes excepte we shuld go bye meate for all this people And they were aboute a fyue thousande men And he sayd to his disciples Cause them to syt downe by fyfties in a company And they dyd so and made them al to syt downe And he toke the fyue looues and the two fysshes and loked vp to heuen and blessed them and brake and gaue to the disciples to set before the people And they al dyd eate and were satisfied And there was taken vp of that remayned to them twelue baskettes full of broken meate And it fortuned as he was alone prayeng his disciples were with hym he asked them sayenge Who say the people that I am They answered and sayde IohnÌ„ Baptyst Some say Elias And some saye that one of the olde Prophettes is rysen He sayde vnto them But whom saye ye that I am Symon Peter answered and sayde Thou arte the Christ of God And he warned and coÌ„maunded them that they shulde tell no maÌ„ that thynge sayeng The son of man must suffre many thynges and be reproued of the elders and of the hygh preestes and scribes be sleyne and ryse agayne the thyrde day And he sayde to them all yf any man wyll come after me let hym denye hym selfe and take vp his crosse dayly and folowe me ☞ For who soeuer wyll saue his lyfe shal lose it But who soeuer doth lose his lyfe for my sake the same shall saue it For what aduauntageth it a man yf he wynne the hoole world and loose hym selfe or run in damage of hym selfe For who so is ashamed of me and of my wordes of hym shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he cometh in his maiestye and in the maiestye of his father and of his holy angels I tell you of a trueth ☞ There be some standyng here whiche shall not taste of death tyll they se the kyngdome of God And it fortuned that about an eyght dayes after these sayenges he toke Peter and IohnÌ„ and Iames and wente vp in to a mountayne to pray And as he prayed the fassyon of his countenaunce was chaunged and his garment was whyte and shone And beholde there talked with hym two men which were Moses and Elias that appeared in the maiestye spake of his departynge whiche he shulde ende at Ierusalem But Peter and they that were with hym were heuy with slepe And when they awoke they sawe his maiestye and two men standyng with hym And it chaunced as they departed frome hym Peter sayde vnto Iesus Mayster it is good beynge here for vs Let vs make also thre tabernacles one for the and one for Moses and one for Elias and wyst not what he sayde Whyle he thus spake there came a cloude and ouershadowed them they feared when they were come in to the cloude And there came a voyce out of the cloude sayenge This is my deare son heare him And as soone as the voyce was past Iesus was founde alone And they kepte it close tolde no maÌ„ in those dayes any of those thynges whiche they had sene And it chaunsed that on the nexte day as they came downe from the hyll moche peple met hym And beholde a maÌ„ of the company cryed out sayenge Mayster I beseche the beholde my son for he is all that I haue and se a spirite taketh hym sodeynly he cryeth and †he knocketh and teareth hym that he fometh agayne and with moche payne departeth from hym when he hath rent hym and I besought thy disciples to cast hym oute and they coulde not Iesus answered sayd O faythlesse and croked nacion how long shall I be with you and shall suffre you Brynge thy sonne hyther As he was yet a comynge the fende rent hym and tare hym And Iesus rebuked the vncleane spirite and healed the chylde and delyuered hym to his father And they were all amased at the myghtye power of god But while they wondred euery one at all thynges whiche he dyd he sayd vnto his disciples Let these sayengê synke downe in to youre eares For it wyll come to passe that the sonne of man shal be delyuered in to the handes of men But they wyst not what that worde mente and it was hyd from them that they vnderstode it not And they feared to aske hym of that sayenge And there entred a thoughte amonge them whiche of them shulde be the greatest When Iesus perceyued the thought of theyr hertes he toke a chylde and set hym harde by hym and sayde vnto them Who soeuer receyueth this chylde in my name receyueth me And who soeuer receyueth me receyueth hym that sent me For he that is least amonge you all the same shal be great And IohnÌ„ answered and sayde Mayster we sawe one castynge oute deuyls in thy name and we forbad hym bycause he folowed not with vs. And Iesus sayde vnto hym forbyd ye hym not For he that is not agaynst vs is with vs. And it fortuned when the tyme was come that he shulde be receyued vp he set his face to go to Ierusalem and sent messengers before hym And they wente and entred in to a citye of the Samaritans to make redye for hym And they wolde not receyue hym bycause his face was as though he wolde go to Ierusalem When his disciples Iames and IohnÌ„ sawe this they sayd Lorde wylte thou that we coÌ„maunde fyre to come downe from heuen consume them euen as Elias dyd Iesus turned about and rebuked them sayenge ye wote not what maner a spirite ye are of For the son of man is not come to destroy mennes lyues but to saue them And they went to an other towne ✚ And it chaunsed that as they were walkyng in the way a certayne man sayd vnto hym I wyll folowe the whyther soeuer thou wylt go Iesus sayd vnto hym Foxes haue holes and byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the
rysen Remember howe he spake vnto you when he was yet in Galile sayenge that the sonne of man must be delyuered in to the handes of synfull men and be crucyfyed and the thyrde daye aryse agayne And they remembred his wordes and returned from the Sepulcre and tolde al these thynges vnto those eleuen and to all the remenaunt It was Mary Magdalen and Ioanna and Mary Iacobi and other that were with them whiche tolde these thynges vnto the apostles And theyr wordes semed vnto them fayned thynges neyther byleued they them Then arose Peter and tan vnto the Sepulcre and loked in and sawe the lynnen clothes layde by them selfe and departed wondrynge in hym selfe at that whiche had happened ⊢ ✚ And beholde two of them went that same daye to a towne called Emaus which was from Ierusalem aboute thre score furlonges and they talked togyther of all these thinges that had happened And it chaunsed that whyle they comoned togyther and â—â—aso ned Iesus hym selfe drewe neare and went with them But theyr eyes were holden that they shulde not knowe hym And he sayd vnto them What maner of comunicacions are these that ye haue one to an other as ye walk are sad And the one of them whose name was Cleophas answered and sayde to hym arte thou onely a straunger in Ierusalem hast not knowen the thynges whiche haue chaunsed there in these dayes He sayd vnto them what thynges And they sayde vnto hym of Iesus of Nazareth whiche was a prophet myghtye in dede and worde before God and all the people and howe the hygh preestes and our rulers delyuered hym to be condemned to death haue crucified hym But we trusted that it had bene he whiche shulde haue redemed Israell And as touchynge all these thynges to daye is euen the thyrde day that they were done Yea and certayne women also of our company made vs astonyed whiche came early vnto the sepulcre and founde not his bodye and came sayeng that they had senâ— a vision of angels whiche sayde that he was alyue And certayne of them whiche were with vs went to the sepulcre founde it euen so as the women had sayd but hym they sawe not And he sayd vnto them O fooles slowe of herte to by leue all that the prophets haue spoken Ought not Chryst to haue suffred these thynges and to entre in to his glorye And he began at Moses all the prophettes and interpreted vnto them in all scriptures whiche were wrytten of hym And they drewe nygh vnto the towne which they went vnto And he made as though he wolde haue gone further And they coÌ„strayned him sayenge abyde with vs for it draweth towarde nyght and the daye is farre past And he went in to tary with them And it came to passe as he sat at meate with them he toke breade and blessed it and brake and gaue to them And theyr eyes were opened and they knew hym he vanysshed out of theyr syght And they sayd bytwene themselues dyd not our hertê burne within vs whyle he talked with vs by the waye and opened to vs the scryptures And they rose vp the same houre and returned agayne to Ierusalem and founde the eleuen gathered togyther them that were with them sayeng the Lorde is tysen in dede and hath appered to Simon And they tolde what thynges were done in the way howe they knewe hym â–ª in breakyng of breade ⊢ As they thus spake ✚ Iesus hym selfe stode in the myddes of them and sayeth vn to them peace be vnto you †It is I feare not But they were abasshed and afrayde supposed that they had sene a spirite and he sayd vnto them Why are ye troubled or why do thoughtes aryse in your hertes Beholde my handes and my fete that it is euen I my selfe Handle me and se for a spirite hath not fleshe and bones as ye se me haue And wheÌ„ he had thus spoken he shewed them his handes his fete And whyle they yet byleued not for ioy and wondred he sayd vnto them Haue ye here any meate And they offered hym a pece of a broyled fysshe and of a hony combe â–ª And he toke it and dyd eate before them And he sayd vnto them These are the wordes whiche I spake vnto you whyle I was yet with you that all must nedes be fulfylled whiche were wrytten of me in the lawe of Moses and in the Prophettes and in the Psalmes Then opened he theyr wyttes that they myght vnderstande the scryptures and sayd vnto them Thus it is wrytten and thus it behoued Chryst to suffre and to ryse agayne from death the thyrde daye and that repentaunce and remyssyon of synnes shulde be preached in his name among all nacyons ⊢ and must begyn at Ierusalem And ye are wytnesses of these thynges ✚ And beholde I wyll sende the promesse of my father vpon you But tary ye in the citye of Ierusalem vntyl ye be endued with power from on high And he led them out in to Bethany and lyfte vp his handes and blessed them And it came to passe as he blessed them he departed from them and was caryed vp in to heuen And they worshypped hym and returned to Ierusalem with great ioye and were contynually in the temple praysyng and laudyng God ⊢ Amen ¶ Here endeth the Gospell of Saynt Luke ¶ The Gospell of Saynt IohnÌ„ ¶ The euerlastynge byrthe of Chryst and howe he became man The testymony of IohnÌ„ The callyng of Andrewe Peter c. CAPI Primo ✚ IN the begynnynge was the worde the worde was with God and God was the worde The same was in the beginnyng with God All thynges were made by it without it was made no thynge that was made In it was lyfe and the lyfe was the lyght of men and the lyght shyneth in darkenes the darkenes comprehended it not There was sent from God a man whose name was IohnÌ„ The same came as a wytnes to beare wytnes of the lyght that al men through hym myght byleue ☞ He was not that lyght but was sent to beare wytnes of the lyghte That lyght was the true lyghte whiche lyghteth euery man that cometh into the worlde He was in the worlde the world was made by hym and the worlde knew him not He came among his owne and his owne receyued hym not But as many as receyued hym to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God euen them that byleued on his name whiche were borne not of bloode nor of the wyll of the flesshe nor yet of the wyl of man but of God And the same worde became flesshe and dwelte amonge vs and we sawe the glory of it as the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the father full of grace and trueth ⊢ ✚ IohnÌ„ beareth wytnes of hym cryeth sayenge This was he of whome I spake which though he
That the wordes of Iesus myght be fulfylled whiche he spake sygnyfyenge what death he shulde dye Then Pylate entred into the iudgement hall agayne and called Iesus and sayde vnto hym Arte thou the kynge of the Iues Iesus answered sayest thou that of thy selfe or dyd other tell it the of me Pilate answered Am I a Iue Thyne owne nacyon and hygh Preestes haue delyuered the vnto me What haste thou done Iesus answered my kyngdom is not of this worlde If my kyngdom were of this worlde then wolde my ministers surely fyght that I shulde not be delyuered to the Iues but nowe is my kyngdome not from hence Pylate therfore sayde vnto hym Arte thou a kynge then Iesus answered Thou sayest that I am a kynge For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I in to the worlde that I shulde beare wytnesse vnto the trueth And al that are of the trueth heare my voyce Pylate sayde vnto hym What thynge is trueth And when he had sayde this he wente oute agayne vnto the Iues and sayeth vnto them I fynde in hym no cause at all Ye haue a custome that I shulde delyuer you one loose at Easter Wyll ye that I loose vnto you the kynge of the Iues Then cryed they all agayne sayenge Not hym but Barrabas the same Barrabas was a murtherer ¶ Chryste is crucifyed ▪ He cōmitteth his mother vnto Iohn̄ dyeth and is turyed CAPI XIX THen Pilate toke Iesus therfore and scourged hym And the souldyers wounde a crowne of thornes and put it on his heade And they dyd on hym a purple garment †and came vnto hym and sayde Hayle kynge of the Iues they smote hym on the face Pylate went forth agayne and sayde vnto them behold I bryng hym forth to you that ye maye knowe that I fynde no faute in hym Then came Iesus forth wearynge a crowne of thorne and a robe of purple And he sayeth vnto them beholde the man When the hygh Preestes therfore minysters sawe hym they cryed sayenge crucifye him crucifye hym Pilate sayeth vnto them Take ye hym and crucifye hym for I fynde no cause in hym The Iues answered hym We haue a lawe and by our lawe he ought to dye bycause he made hym selfe the sonne of God When Pylate herde that sayenge he was the more afrayde and wente agayne in to the Iudgement hall and sayeth vnto ▪ Iesus whence arte thou But Iesus gaue hym none answere Then sayde Pilate vnto him Speakest thou not vnto me Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifye the and haue power to loose the Iesus answered Thou couldest haue no power at all agaynst me excepte it were gyuen the from aboue Therfore he that deliuered me vnto the hath the more syn And frō thence forth sought Pilate meanes to loose hym but the Iues cryed sayenge yf thou let hym go thou arte not Cesars frende For whosoeuer maketh hym selfe a kynge is agaynst Cesar. When Pilate herde that sayeng he brought Iesus forth and sat downe to gyue sentence in a place that is called the pauement but in the Hebrue tongue Gabbatha It was the preparynge daye of the Easter aboute the syxte houre And he sayeth vnto the Iues be holde your kynge They cryed awaye with hym awaye with hym crucifye hym Pilate sayeth vnto them shal I crucify your kyng The hyghe Preestes answered we haue no kynge but Cesar Then deliuered he hym vnto them to be crucifyed And they toke Iesus and led hym away And he bare his crosse and went forth in to a place which is called the place of dead mens sculles But in Hebrue Golgotha where they crucifyed hym and two other with hym on eyther syde one and Iesus in the myddes And Pilate wrote a tytle and put it on the crosse The wrytynge was Iesus of Nazareth kynge of the Iues. This tytle red many of the Iues. For the place where Iesus was crucifyed was nygh to the citye And it was wrytten in Hebrue and Greke and Latyn Then sayde the hyghe Preestes of the Iues to Pilate wryte not kynge of the Iues but that he sayde I am kynge of the Iues. Pilate answered what I haue wrytten that haue I wrytten The souldyers when they had crucifyed Iesus toke his garmentes and made foure partes to euery souldyer a parte and also his cote The cote was without seame wrought vpon throughout They sayde therfore amonge them selues Let vs not deuyde it but cast lottes for it who shall haue it That the scrypture myght be fulfylled sayenge They parted my rayment amonge them and for my coote dyd they cast lottes And the souldyers dyd soch thynges in dede There stode by the crosse of Iesus his mother and his mothers syster Mary the wyfe of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene When Iesus therfore sawe his mother and the discyple standyng whome he loued he sayeth vnto his mother woman beholde thy sonne Then sayde he to the discyple beholde thy mother And frō that houre the discyple toke her for his owne After these thynges Iesus knowyng that all thynges were nowe performed that the scrypture myght be fulfylled he sayeth I thyrst So there stode a vessell by full of byneger Therfore they fylled a sponge with vyneger and wounde it aboute with yscope and put it to his mouth As soone as Iesus then receyued of the vyneger he sayde It is finyshed and bowed his heade and gaue vp the gooste The Iues therfore bycause it was the preparyng of the Sabboth that the bodyes shulde not remayne vpon the crosse on the Sabboth daye for that Sabboth day was an hyghe daye besought Pilate ▪ that theyr legges myght be broken and that they myght be taken downe Then came the souldyers and brake the legges of the fyrst and of the other which was crucifyed with hym But when they came to Iesus and sawe that he was deade alredy they brake not his legges but one of the souldyers with a speare thrust hym in to the syde and forthwith came there out blood and water And he that sawe it bare recorde and his recorde is true And he knoweth that he sayeth true that ye myght byleue also For these thynges were done that the scrypture shuld be fulfylled Ye shall not breake a bone of hym And agayne an other scrypture sayeth they shall loke on hym whom they pearsed After this Ioseph of Aramathia whiche was a disciple of Iesus but secretly for feare of the Iues besought Pilate that he myght take downe the body of Iesus And Pilate gaue hym licence †He came therfore and toke the body of Iesus And there came also Nicodemus whiche at the begynnyng came to Iesus by nyght and brought of myre and aloes myngled togyther about an hundred pounde weyght Then toke they the body of Iesus and wounde it in lynnen clothes with the odours as the maner of the Iues is to burye And in the place
which staÌ„deth vpon the see â— vpoÌ„ the erth And I went vnto y â— angell sayde to hym geue me the lytel boke and he sayde vnto me take it eate it vp it shall make thy belly bytter but it shal be in thyâ— nouth as swete as hony And I toke y â— lytl â— boke out of his hande and eate it vp and it was in my mouth as swete ashony and â—s sone as I had eaten it my belly was bytâ— er And he sayde vnto me y â— muste prophesy agayne among the people and nations and toÌ„ges and to many kynges ¶ The temple is measured The seconde wo io past CAPI XI ANd then was giuen me a rede lyke vnto a rodde and it was sayde vnto me Ryse meate the teÌ„ple of god the aulter them that worshyp therin the queer whyche is within the temple cast out meate it not for it is gyuen vnto the Gentyles the holy cytie shall they treade vnder fote xliâ— monethes And I wyl gyue power vnto my two wytnesses they shall prophesy a thousande two hundreth and. lx dayes clothed in sacke clothe These are two olyue trees two candelstyckes standyng before the god of the earth And yf any man wyl hurt them fyre shall procede out of their mouthes and consume their enemyes And yf any man wyll hurte them this wyse must he be kylled These haue power to shut heauen that it raine not in the dayes of their prophesying and haue power ouer waters to turne them to bloude to smyte the earth with al maner plages as often as they wyll And when they haue fynyshed their testimony the beast that came out of the bottom lesse pyt shall make warre agaynste them shall ouercome the and kyl them And their bodyes shall lye in the stretes of the greate cytie whiche spiritually is called Zodom Egypte where our Lorde was crucyfied And they of the people and kynredes tonges and they of the nacioÌ„s shall se their bodies iij. dayes and an halfe shal not suffre their bodies to be put in graues And they that dwel vpon the earth shall reioyce ouer them be glad and shal sende gyftes one to another for these two prophetes vexed them that dwelt on the earth And after iii. dayes an halfe the spirit of lyfe from God entred into theÌ„ And they stode vp vpon their fete great feare came vpon them which saw them And they herde a great voyce from heauen saying vnto theÌ„ Come vp hyther And they ascended vp into heauen in a cloude and their enemyes sawe them And the same hour was there a great earthquake the tenth part of the cytie fell and in the earth quake were slaine names of men seuen M. and the remnaunt were feared and gaue glory to God of heauen The seconde wo is past beholde the thyrde wo wyll come anone And the seuenth angel blewe there were made greate voyces in heauen sayinge the kyngdomes of this worlde are our Lordes his Christes he shal raigne for euermore And the. xxiiij elders which syt before God on their seates fell vpon their faces worshypped God sayinge we gyue the thankes O Lorde God almightye which art wast and arte to come for thou hast receyued thy great myght and hast raygned And the nacions were angrye and thy wrath is come and the tyme of the dead that they shulde be iudged and that thou shuldest gyue reward vnto thy seruauntes the Prophetes and Saynctes and to them that feare thy name small and great and shuldest destroy them whiche destroy the earth And the temple of God was opened in heauen and there was sene in his temple the arcke of his testameÌ„t and ther folowed lyghtnynges and voices and thondrynges and earthquake and muche hayle ¶ The seuenth Angell bloweth his crompet There appereth in heauen a womaÌ„ dothed with the soÌ„ne Michael â—igh teth with the dragon whiche persecuteth the woman CAPI XII ANd there appeared a great wonder in heuen A woman clothed with the soÌ„ne and the mone vnder her fete and vpon her heade a crowne of xij starres And she was with chylde cryed trauaylynge in byrth payned redy to be delyuered And there aâ—red another wonder in heauen for behold a great red dragon hauyng vij heades ten hornes crownes vpon his heades and his tayle drue the thyrde part of the starres and cast them to the earth And the dragon stode before the woman whiche was redy to be delyuered for to deuoure her chylde as sone as it were borne And she brought forth a man chylde whych shulde rule all nacions with a rod ofyron And her sonne was taken vp vnto god and to his seate And the woman fled into wyldernes where she had a place prepared of God that they shulde fede her there â— M. ij hundreth and lx dayes And there was a great battayle in heauâ— Michael his Angels fought with the dragon and the dragoÌ„ fought and his angels and preuayled not neyther was there place founde any more in heauen And the great dragon that old serpeÌ„t called the deuyl and Sathanas was cast out Which deceyueth al the worlde And he was cast into the earth and his angels werecast out also And I hearde a loude voyce sayinge in heauen is now made saluacion and strength the kyngdome of our God and the power of his Christ. For he is cast downe which accused them before God day and nyght And they ouercame him by the bloude of the laÌ„be and by the worde of their testimonye they loued not their lyues vnto the death Therfore reioyce heuens and ye that dwel in theÌ„ Wo to the inhabiters of the erth and of the see for the deuyll is come downe vnto you which hath gret wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short tyme. And when the dragon sawe that he was cast vnto the earth he persecuted the womaÌ„ whiche brought forth the maÌ„ chylde And to the woman were gyuen two wynges of a great Egle that she myght flye into the wyldernes into her place where she is noryshed for a tyme tymes and halfe a time from the presence of the serpent And the dragon cast out of his mouth water after the woman as it had bene a ryuer because she shulde haue bene caught of the flode And the erth holpe the woman and the erth opened her mouth and swalowed vp the ryuer whych the dragon cast out of his mouth And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went and made warre wyth the remnaunt of hyrsede which kepe the commaundementes of God haue the testimony of Iesus Christ. And I stode on the see sande ¶ A beast ryseth out of the see with seuen heades and ten hururs Another beaste commeth out of the earth with two hornes CAPI XIII ANd I sawe a beast tyse out of the see hauyng seuen heades and ten hornes and vpon his hornes ten
sayde vnto them Ye haue sene all that the Lorde dyd before your eyes in the lande of Epypte vnto Pharao and vnto all his seruauntes and vnto all his lande the greate temptacyons whiche thyne eyes haue sene those great myracles wonders and yet the Lorde hath not gyuen you an herte to perceyue and eyes to se and eares to heare vnto this daye And I haue led you xl yere in the wyldernesse and your clothes are not wared olde vpon you thy shoo is not wared olde vpon thy foote Ye haue eateÌ„ no breade nor dronke wyne or strong drynke that ye myght know howe that I am the lorde your god And ye came vnto this place Sehon the kynge of Hesbon and Og kynge of Basan came out agaynst vs vnto battayle and we smote them and toke theyr lande gaue it for an enherytaunce vnto the Rubenites and Gadites and to the halfe tribe of Manasse Kepe therfore the wordes of this appoyntment and do them that ye may vnderstande all that ye ought to do Ye stande this daye euery one of you before the Lorde youre God your captaynes youre tribes youre elders your offycers and al the men of Israel your chyldren also your wyues the straunger that is in thyne hoost from the hewer of thy wood vnto the drawer of thy water that thou shuldest go in to the appoyntment of the LORDE thy God and in to his othe whiche the Lorde thy god maketh with the this day For to make the a people vnto hym selfe and that he maye be vnto the a GOD as he hathe sayde vnto the and as he hathe sworne vnto thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob I make not this bonde and this othe with you onely but both with hym that standeth here with vs this day before the lord our god also with hym that is not here with vs this daye For ye knowe howe we haue dwelte in the lande of Egypte and howe we came thorowe the myddes of the nacyons whiche ye passed by And ye haue sene theyr abhominacyons and theyr ydols wood and stone syluer and golde whiche were amonge them Lest there be among you man or woman kynred or trybe whose herte turneth awaye this day from the Lorde our God to go and serue the Goddes of these nacions and leest there be among you some roote that beareth gal and wormwood so that when he heareth the wordes of this othe he blesse hym selfe in his herte sayenge I shall haue peace I wyll walke in the meanyng of myne owne herte †to put the ☞ dronken to the thyrstye And so the Lorde wyl not consent to be mercyfull vnto hym but then the wrathe of the Lorde and his ielousye shall smoke agaynst that man and all the curses that are wrytten in this boke shall lyght vpon hym and the Lorde shall do out his name frome vnder heuen and the lorde shal seperate hym vnto euyll out of all the tribes of Israel accordynge vnto all the curses of the appoyntment that are wrytten in the booke of this law So that the generacion to come of your chyldren that shall ryse vp after you and the straunger that shall come from a farre lande shall say when they se the plagê of that lande and the dyseases wherwith the Lorde hathe smytten it howe all the lande is burnt vp w t brymstone salte that it is neyther sowen nor beareth nor any grasse groweth therin lyke as in the place of the ouerthrowynge of Sodome Gomor Adama and Zeboim whiche the Lorde ouerthrewe in his wrathe and angre Euen then shall all nacions say Wherfore hath the Lorde done of this facion vnto this lande O how fearse is this great wrathe And men shall saye bycause they lefte the testament of the Lorde God of theyr fathers which he made with them wheÌ„ he brought them out of the lande of Egypte For they went and serued straunge goddes and worshypped them Goddes whiche they knewe not which had gyuen them nought And the wrathe of the Lorde wared hoote agaynst this lande to brynge vpon it all the curses that are wrytten in this boke And the Lorde cast them out of theyr lande in angre wrath and great indignacion and cast them in to a straunge lande as this daye beareth wytnesse The secretes of the Lorde our God are opened vnto vs and to oure chyldren for euer that we maye do all the wordes of this lawe ¶ The worde of God is at hande CAPI XXX WHen all these wordes are come vpon the the blessynge and the curse whiche I haue set before the thou shalte turne vnto thyne herte among all the nacyons whyther the Lorde thy God hath thrust the and come agayne vnto the Lorde thy god and herken vnto his voyce in all these thyngê that I coÌ„maunde the this daye thou and thy chyldren with all thyne herte and al thy soule And the Lorde thy god wyll turne thy captiuite and haue compassyon vpon the and wyll turne and fet the agayne from all the nacyons amonge whiche the Lorde thy God shal haue scattered the. Though thou wast cast vnto the extreme partes of heuen euen from thence wyll the Lorde thy God gather the from thence wyl he fet the the Lorde thy God wyll brynge the in to the lande whiche thy fathers possessed and thou shalte enioye it And he wyll shewe the kyndnesse and multiply the aboue thy fathers And the Lorde thy god wyl circumcyse thyne herte the herte of thy seede that thou mayst loue the Lorde thy god with all thyne herte and all thy soule that thou mayst lyue And the Lorde thy God wyll put all these curses vpon thyne enemyes and on them that hate the and that persecute the. But thou shalte turne and herken vnto the voyce of the Lorde and do al his commaundementes whiche I coÌ„maunde the this day And the Lorde thy God wyll make the plenteous in al the workes of thyne hande in the fruyte of thy bodye and in the fruyte of thy cattell and in the fruyte of thy lande for thy welthe For the Lorde wyll turne agayne and reioyce ouer the to do the good as he reioysed ouer thy fathers If thou herken only vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy God to kepe his coÌ„maundementes and his ordinaunces whiche are wrytten in the boke of this lawe and yf thou turne vnto the Lorde thy God with all thyne herte and all thy soule For the commaundement whiche I coÌ„maunde the this daye is not seperated from the neyther farre of It is not in heuen that thou nedest to †complayne and saye who shall go vp for vs to heuen and fet it vs that we may heare it and do it Neyther is it beyonde the see that thou shuldest saye who shall go ouer the see for vs and fet it vs that we may heare it and do it But the worde is very nygh vnto the euen in thy mouth
and in thyne herte that thou do it Beholde I haue set before the this daye lyfe and good deathe and euyll For where as I commaunde the this daye to loue the LORDE thy God to walke in his wayes and to kepe his coÌ„maundementes his ordinaunces and his lawes yf thou so do thou shalte lyue and multiplie and the Lorde thy God shal blesse the in the lande whither thou goest to possesse it But and yf thyne herte turne awaye so that thou wylt not heare but shalt go astray and worshyppe straunge goddes and serue them I pronounce vnto you also this daye that ye shal surely peryshe that ye shal not prolong your dayes vpon the lande whyther thou passest ouer Iordane to go possesse it I call heuen earth to recorde this daye agaynst you that I haue set before you lyfe death blessyng cursynge Therfore chose lyfe that both thou thy seed may lyue that thou mayst loue the lorde thy god and be obedyent to his voyce and cleaue vnto hym For he is thy lyfe the length of thy dayes that thou mayst dwell vpon the earth whiche the lorde sware vnto thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob to gyue them ¶ Moses beynge redy to dye ordereth Iosua to rule the people in his steade This boâ—e Deuteronomy to wrytten and layde in the Tabernacle besyde the Arke The Leuttes are charged to rede it to the people CAPI XXXI ANd Moses went and spake these wordes vnto al Israel sayde vnto them I am an hundred xx yere olde this day and can no more go out in Also the lorde hath sayde vnto me thou shalt not go ouer this Iordan The lorde thy God he wyll go ouer before the he wyll destroy these nacions before the thou shalte conquere them And Iosua he shal go before the as the lorde hath sayd And the lorde shall do vnto them as he dyd to Sehon Og kyngê of the Amorites vnto the lande of them whom he destroyed And the Lorde shall gyue them ouer before your face that ye maye do vnto them accordyng vnto al the coÌ„maundementes which I haue coÌ„mauÌ„ded you Plucke vp your hertes therfore be strong drede not nor be afrayde of them for the lorde thy god hym selfe dothe go w t the. He shall not fayle the nor forsake the. And Moses called vnto Iosua sayde vnto hym in the syghte of all Israell Be strong bolde for thou must go w t this people vnto the land which the lord hath sworne vnto theyr fathers to gyue them thou shalt gyue it them to enherite And the lord he doth go before the He shall not fayle the neyther forsake the feare not therfore nor be discomforted And Moses wrote this lawe delyuered it vnto the preestes the sonnes of Leui which bare the arke of the testament of the lorde vnto all the elders of Israel Moses coÌ„maunded them saynge At the poynte of vii yeres in the solempnyte of the freyere euen in the feast of tabernacles when all Israel is come to appeare before the Lorde thy god in the place whiche he hath chosen thou shalt rede this lawe before all Israel in theyr eares Gather the people togyther men women chyldren the straunger that is within thy gates that they may heare and learne feare the lorde your God kepe obserue all the wordes of this lawe that theyr chyldren whiche knowe nothyng may heare and learne to feare the lorde your god as long as ye lyue in the lande whyther ye go ouer Iordane to possesse it And the lorde sayd vnto Moses Beholde thy dayes are come that thou must dye Call Iosua therfore stande ye in the tabernacle of wytnesse that I may gyue hym a charge And Moses Iosua went and stode in the tabernacle of wytnesse And the lorde appeared in the tabernacle euen in the pyller of the cloude And the pyller of the cloude stode ouer the dore of the tabernacle And the lorde sayd vnto Moses beholde thou shalte slepe with thy fathers this people wyll ryse vp go a hooryng after straunge goddes of the lande whyther they go wyll forsake me breake the appoyntment which I haue made with them And then my wrath wyll ware hoote agaynst them and I wyl forsake them and wyll hyde my face from them and they shall be consumed And moche aduersyte and tribulacyons shall come vpon them so that then they wyll saye Are not these troubles come vpon me bycause God is not with me And I also wyl surely hyde away my face in that daye for all the euyls sake which they shal haue wrought in that they are turned vnto strauÌ„ge goodê Nowe therfore wryte ye this songe for you and teache it the chyldren of Israell and put it in theyr mouthes that this songe may be my wytnesse agaynst the chyldren of Israel For I wyll brynge them in to the lande whiche I sware vnto theyr Fathers that floweth with mylke and honye and they shal eate and fyll them selues and waxe fat and turne vnto straunge goddes and serue them and †blaspheme me and breake my couenaunt And then when moche myscheyfe and tribulacion is come vpon them this songe shall answere them as a wytnesse For it shal not be forgotten out of the mouthes of theyr seede for I knowe theyrymaginacion which they goo aboute euen nowe before I haue brought them in to the lande which I sware ✚ Moses therfore wrote this song the same reason and taught it the chyldren of Israell And he gaue Iosua the son of Nun a charge and sayd be bolde strong for thou shalt bryng the chyldren of Israel into the lande ☞ whiche I sware vnto them and I wyl be with the. And wheÌ„ Moses had made an ende of wrytyng out of the wordes of this lawe in a boke vnto the ende of them Moses coÌ„mauÌ„ded the Leuites whiche bare the arke of the testament of the Lorde sayenge take ye the boke of this lawe put it in the syde of the arke of the testament of the lorde your God that it maye be there for a wytnesse agaynste the. For I know thy stubbornes thy styffe necke whyle I am yet alyue w t you this day ye haue bene dysobedient vnto the lorde and how moche more after my death Gather vnto me all the elders of your tribes your offycers that I may speke these wordê in theyr cares call heuen earth to recorde agaynst them For I am sure that after my death ye wyll vtterly corrupte turne from the waye which I haue coÌ„maunded you tribulacion wyll come vpon you in the latter dayes bycause ye shal haue wrought wickednes in the syght of the Lorde to prouoke hym thorowe the workê of your handê And Moses spake in the eares of al the congregacion of Israel the wordes of this songe vntyll he