46 Then sayde I vnto the angell what young person is it that crowneth them and geueth them the palmes in their handes 47 So he aunswered and sayd vnto me It is the sonne of God whom they haue knowledged in the world Then began I greatly to commende them that stoode so stiffely for the name of the Lorde 48 Then the angell sayde vnto me Go thy way and tell my people what maner of thinges howe great wonders of the Lorde thy God thou hast seene ¶ The .iij. Chapter 4 The wonderous workes whiche God dyd for the people are recited 31 Esdras marueyleth that God suffereth the Babylonians to haue rule ouer his people whiche yet are sinners also 1 IN the thirtith yere after the fall of the citie I was at Babylon and lay troubled vppon my bed and my thoughtes came vp ouer my heart 2 For I sawe the desolation of Sion and the plenteous wealth of them that dwelt at Babylon 3 And my spirite was sore moued so that I began to speake feareful wordes to the most hyest and sayde 4 O Lorde Lorde thou spakest at the beginning when thou plantedst the earth and that thy selfe alone and gauest commaundement vnto the people 5 And a body vnto Adam without soule whiche was a creature of thy handes and hast breathed in hym the breath of lyfe and so he liued before thee 6 And thou leddest hym into Paradise which thy ryght hande had planted or euer the earth brought fruites 7 And vnto him thou gauest commaundement to loue thy way which he transgressed and immediatly thou appoyntedst death in hym and in his generations Of whom came nations tribes people and kinredes out of number 8 And euery people walked after their owne wyll and did wonderfull thinges before thee and as for thy commaundementes they dispised them 9 But in processe of tyme thou broughtest the water fludde vpon those that dwelt in the worlde destroyedst them 10 So that by the fludde that was wrought in eche of them that was by death in Adam 11 Neuerthelesse one of them thou leftest namely Noe with his householde of whom came all ryghteous men 12 And it happened that when they that dwelt vpon the earth began to multiplie and had gotten them many children and were a great people they began to be more vngodly then the first 13 Nowe when they liued so wickedly before thee thou didst choose thee a man from among them whose name was Abraham 14 Hym thou louedst and vnto hym only thou shewedst thy wyll 15 And madest an euerlasting couenaunt with hym promisyng hym that thou wouldest neuer forsake his seede 16 And vnto hym thou gauest Isahac vnto Isahac also thou gauest Iacob and Esau As for Iacob thou dydst choose him to thee and put backe Esau And so Iacob became a great multitude 17 And it came to passe that when thou leddest his seede out of Egypt thou broughtest them vp to the mount Sina 18 Bowing downe the heauens setting fast the earth mouyng the grounde makyng the deapthes to shake and troublyng the worlde 19 And thy glorie went through foure portes of fire and earthquakes and windes and colde that thou myghtest geue the lawe vnto the seede of Iacob and diligence vnto the generation of Israel 20 And yet tokest thou not away from them that wicked heart that thy lawe myght bryng foorth fruite in them 21 For the first Adam bearyng a wicked heart transgressed and was ouercome and so be all they that are borne of him 22 Thus remayned weaknesse still and the lawe in the heartes of the people with the wickednesse of the roote so that the good departed away and the euyll abode styll 23 So the tymes passed away and the yeres were brought to an ende Then dyddest thou rayse thee vp a seruaunt called Dauid 24 Whom thou commaundedst to builde a citie vnto thy name and to offer vp incense and sacrifice vnto thee therin 25 When this was done nowe many yeres then the inhabiters of the citie forsoke them 26 And in all thynges dyd euen as Adam and all his generations had done for they also had a wicked heart 27 And so thou gauest the citie ouer into the handes of thine enemies 28 But do they of Babylon then any thyng better that they shoulde therfore haue the dominion in Sion 29 For when I came thyther and sawe there so great wickednesse that it coulde not be numbred then my soule sawe many euyl doers in this thirteth yere so that my heart fayled me 30 For I saw howe thou sufferedst them in such vngodlinesse and sparedst the wicked doers but thine owne people hast thou rooted out and preserued thine enemies and this hast thou not shewed me 31 I can not perceaue howe this happeneth Do they of Babylon then better then they of Sion 32 Or is there any other people that knoweth thee sauyng the people of Israel or what generation hath so beleued thy couenauntes as Iacob 33 And yet their rewarde appeareth not and their labour hath no fruite For I haue gone here and there through the heathen and I see that they be riche and wealthy and thynke not vpon thy commaundementes 34 Waygh thou therfore our wickednesse nowe in the ballaunce and theirs also that dwell in the worlde and so shall thy name be no where founde but in Israel 35 Or when was it that they which dwel vpon earth haue not sinned in thy sight or what people hath so kept thy commaundementes 26 Thou shalt finde that Israel by name hath kept thy preceptes but not the â—other people andâ— heathen The .iiij. Chapter 5 The angel reproueth Esdras because he seemed to enter into the profounde iudgementes of God 1 AND the angel that was sent vnto me whose name was Vriel gaue me an answere 2 And sayd Thy heart hath taken to much vpon it in this worlde and thou thinkest to comprehende the way of the hyghest 3 Then sayde I Yea my Lorde And he aunswered me and sayde I am sent to shewe thee three wayes and to set foorth three similitudes before thee 4 Wherof yf thou canst declare me one I wyll shewe thee also the way that thou desirest to see and I shall shewe thee from whence the wicked heart commeth 5 And I sayde Tell on my Lord. Then sayde he vnto me Go thy way waygh me the wayght of the fire or measure me the blast of the winde or call me agayne the day that is past 6 Then aunswered I and sayde What man borne is able to do that that thou shouldest aske such thynges of me 7 And he sayde vnto me If I shoulde aske thee howe deepe dwellynges are in the middest of the sea or howe great water springes are in the begynnyng of the deepe or howe great water springes are vpon the stretchyng out of the heauens or which are the outgoinges of Paradise 8 Peraduenture thou
dyd repent 14 He also reioyceth in God for the efficacie of his doctrine 17 confutyng therby such quarell pykers as vnder pretence of speakyng agaynst his person sought nothyng but the ouerthrowe of his doctrine 1 BVt I determined this in my selfe y t I would not come againe to you in heauynesse 2 For if I make you sorie who is he y t shoulde make me glad but the same which is made sorie by me 3 And I wrote this same vnto you lest when I came I shoulde take heauynesse of them of whom I ought to reioyce This confidence haue I toward you all that my ioy is the ioy of you all 4 For in great affliction and anguishe of heart I wrote vnto you with many teares not that ye shoulde be made sorie but that ye myght perceaue the loue which I haue most specially vnto you 5 But yf any man hath caused sorowe the same hath not made me sorie but partly lest I shoulde greeue you all 6 It is sufficient vnto the same man that he was rebuked of many 7 So that nowe contrarywise ye ought rather to forgeue hym and comforte hym lest that same person shoulde be swallowed vp with ouermuche heauynesse 8 Wherfore I pray you that you would confirme your loue towardes hym 9 For this cause veryly did I write that I myght knowe the profe of you whether ye be obedient in all thynges 10 To whom ye forgeue any thyng I forgeue also For if I forgaue any thing to whom I forgaue it for your sakes forgaue I it in the sight of Christe 11 Lest Satan shoulde circumuent vs For his thoughtes are not vnknowen vnto vs. ☜ 12 Furthermore when I came to Troada to preache Christes Gospell and a doore was opened vnto me of the lorde 13 I had no rest in my spirite because I founde not Titus my brother but toke my leaue of them and went away into Macedonia 14 Nowe thankes be vnto God whiche alwayes geueth vs the victorie in Christe and openeth the sauour of his knowledge by vs in euery place 15 For we are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christe in them that are saued and in them which perisshe 16 To the one part are we the sauour of death vnto death and vnto the other part are we the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe And who is meete vnto these thynges 17 For we are not as many are whiche chop chaunge with the word of God but as of purenesse of God in the syght of God so speake we in Christe ☜ ¶ The .iij. Chapter 1 He taketh for example the fayth of the Corinthians for a probation of the trueth which he preached 6 and to exalt his apostleship agaynst the braggers of the false apostles 7.13 he maketh comparison betwixt the lawe and the Gospell 1 DO we begyn to prayse our selues agayne Or neede we as some other of epistles of recōmendation vnto you or letters of recommendation from you 2 Ye are our epistle written in our heartes whiche is vnderstande and read of all men 3 Forasmuche as ye declare that ye are the epistle of Christ ministred by vs and written not with ynke but with the spirite of the lyuyng God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart 4 ☞ Such trust haue we through Christe to Godwarde 5 Not that we are sufficiēt of our selues to thynke any thyng as of our selues but our ablenesse is of God 6 Which hath made vs able ministers of the newe testament not of the letter but of the spirite For the letter kylleth but the spirite geueth lyfe 7 Yf the ministration of death through the letters figured in stones was in glorie so that the chyldren of Israel coulde not beholde the face of Moyses for the glorie of his countenaunce whiche glorie is done away 8 Howe shall not the ministration of the spirite be much more in glorie 9 For yf the ministration of condempnation be glorie much more doth the ministration of ryghteousnes exceede in glorie ☜ 10 For euen that which was glorified is not glorified in respect of this exceedyng glorie 11 For yf that whiche is destroyed was glorious much more that which remayneth is glorious 12 Seyng then that we haue such truste we vse great boldnesse 13 And not as Moyses which put a vayle ouer his face that the chyldren of Israel shoulde not see for what purpose that serued which is put away 14 * But their myndes were blynded For vntyll this day remayneth the same coueryng vntaken away in the reading of the olde testament which vayle is put away in Christe 15 But euen vnto this day when Moyses is read * the vayle is layde vppon their heart 16 Neuerthelesse * when it shall turne to the Lorde the vayle shal be taken away 17 The Lorde is a spirite And where the spirite of the Lorde is there is libertie 18 But we all behold as in a mirrour the glorie of the Lorde with his face open and are chaunged vnto the same similitude from glorie to glorie euen as of the spirite of the Lorde ¶ The .iiij. Chapter 1 He declareth his diligence and roundnesse in his office 8 and that which his enemies toke for his disaduauntage to wit the crosse and affliction which he endured he turned it to his great aduauntage 11 17 shewyng what profite commeth therby 1 THerfore seyng that we haue such a ministerie as we haue receaued mercie we faynt not 2 But haue cast from vs the clokes of vnhonestie and walke not in craftynesse neither handle we the word of God disceitefully but in openyng of the trueth and report our selues to euery mans conscience in the syght of God 3 ☞ Yf our Gospell be yet hyd it is hyd in them that are lost 4 In whom the god of this worlde hath blinded the myndes of them whiche beleue not lest the lyght of the Gospell of the glorie of Christe which is the image of God should shine vnto them 5 ☞ For we preache not our selues but Christe Iesus the Lord and our selues your seruauntes for Iesus sake 6 For it is God that commaundeth the lyght to shine out of darknesse whiche hath shined in our heartes for to geue the lyght of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christe 7 But we haue this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellencie of the power be Gods and not ours 8 We are troubled on euery syde yet are we not without shyft We are in pouertie but not vtterly without somewhat 9 We suffer persecution but are not forsaken therin We are cast downe but we perisshe not 10 We alwayes beare about in the body the dying of the Lorde Iesus that the lyfe of Iesus myght also appeare in our bodie ☜ 11 For we which lyue are alwayes deliuered vnto death for Iesus sake that the lyfe also of Iesu myght appeare in
whosoeuer is wylling may this day consecrate his hande vnto the Lorde 6 And so the auncient fathers and the lordes of the tribes of Israel the captaynes of thousandes and hundredes with the lordes that were rulers ouer the kinges worke were willing 7 And gaue for the seruice of the house of God fiue thousand talentes of golde and ten thousand peeces of golde and ten thousand talentes of siluer eyghtteene thousand talentes of brasse and one hundred thousand talentes of iron 8 And they with whom precious stones were founde gaue them to the treasure of the house of the Lord by the hand of Iehiel the Gersonite 9 And the people reioyced when they were so wylling to geue their goodes and with a perfect heart they offered wyllingly to the Lord And Dauid the king reioyced with great gladnesse 10 And Dauid blessed the Lorde before all the congregation and sayde Blessed be thou Lorde God of Israel our father from euer and for euer 11 Thyne O Lorde is greatnesse and power glory victorie and prayse for all that is in heauen and in earth is thyne and thyne is the kingdome O Lorde and thou excellest aboue all euen as the head of all 12 And richesse and honour come of thee and thou raignest ouer all and in thyne hande is power strength and in thyne hand it is to make great and to geue strength vnto all 13 And nowe our God we thanke thee and prayse thy glorious name 14 But who am I and what is my people that we should enforce our selues to geue these thinges so willingly But all thinges come of thee of that which we receaued at thyne hand we haue geuen thee 15 For we be but straungers before thee and soiourners as were al our fathers Our dayes on the earth also are but as a shadowe and there is none abiding 16 O Lorde our God all this stuffe that we haue prepared to builde thee an house for thy holy name commeth of thyne hand and is all thyne 17 I wot also my God that thou tryest the heartes and hast pleasure in vnfaynednesse in the vnfaonednesse of myne heart I haue wyllingly offered al these thinges And now haue I seene thy people which are founde here to offer vnto thee wyllyngly and with gladnesse 18 O Lorde God of Abraham Isahac and of Israel our fathers keepe this for euer in the desire of the thoughtes of the heart of thy people prepare their heartes vnto thee 19 And geue vnto Solomon my sonne a perfect heart to keepe thy commaundementes thy testimonies thy statutes and to do all and builde the house for the which I haue made prouision 20 And Dauid saide to all the congregation Now blesse the Lorde your God And all the congregation blessed the Lorde God of their fathers and bowed downe their heades and worshipped the Lorde and the king 21 And they offered offringes vnto the Lorde And on the morowe after the saide day they offred burnt offringes vnto the Lorde euen a thousand young oxen a thousand rammes and a thousand sheepe with their drinke offrings Many sacrifices offred they for all Israel 22 And did eate drinke before the Lord the same day with great gladnesse And they made Solomon the sonne of Dauid king the second time and annoynted him prince before the Lorde and Zadoc to be the hie priest 23 And Solomon sate on the seate of the Lorde and was king in steade of Dauid his father and prospered and all they of Israel obeyed him 24 And all the lordes and men of power and all the sonnes of king Dauid submitted them selues were vnder king Solomon 25 And the Lorde magnified Solomon in dignitie in the sight of all them of Israel and gaue him so glorious a kingdome as no king had before him in Israel 26 And so Dauid the sonne of Isai raigned ouer all Israel 27 And the space that he raigned ouer Israel was fouretie yeres Seuen yeres raigned he in Hebron and thirtie and three yeres raigned he in Hierusalem 28 And he dyed in a good age ful of dayes riches and honour and Solomon his sonne raigned in his steade 29 The actes of Dauid the king first and last beholde they are written in the booke of Samuel the sear and in the booke of Nathan the prophete and in the booke of Gad the sear 30 With all his kingdome and power and times that went ouer him ouer all Israel and ouer all the kingdomes of the earth ⧠The end of the first booke of the Chronicles otherwyse called the first booke of Paralipomenon ⧠The second booke of the Chronicles which in the Hebrue is one with the first ¶ The first Chapter 6 The offering of Solomon at Gibeon 8 He prayeth vnto God to geue him wysedome 11 which he geueth him and more 14 The number of his charets and horses 15 and of his riches 1 ANd Solomon the sonne of Dauid waxed strong in his kingdome and the Lord his God was with him and magnified him in dignitie 2 And Solomon spake vnto all Israel to the captaynes ouer thousandes to the captaynes ouer hundredes to the iudges and to euery officer in all Israel and to the auncient fathers 3 And so Solomon and all the congregation with him went to the hie place that was at Gibeon for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God which Moyses the seruaunt of the Lorde made in the wyldernesse 4 But the arke of God had Dauid brought from Kiriathiarim into the place which Dauid had prepared therfore For he had pitched a tent for it at Hierusalem 5 Moreouer the brasen aulter that Bezaleel the sonne of Vri the sonne of Hur had made was there before the tabernacle of the Lorde And Solomon and the congregation went to visite it 6 And Solomon gat vp there before the Lord to the brasen aulter that was before the tabernacle of the congregation and offered a thousand burnt sacrifices vpon it 7 And the same night did God appeare vnto Solomon and said vnto him Aske what I shall geue thee 8 And Solomon saide vnto God Thou hast shewed great mercie vnto Dauid my father and hast made me to raigne in his steade 9 Now therefore O Lorde God let thy promise which thou madest vnto Dauid my father be true For thou hast made me king ouer a people which is lyke the dust of the earth in multitude 10 Wherefore geue me now wysedome and knowledge that I may be able to go in and out before this people for who els can iudge this people that is so great 11 And God saide to Solomon Because this was in thyne heart and because thou hast not asked treasure and riches and honour the liues of thyne enemies neither yet long lyfe but hast asked wysedome and knowledge for thy selfe to iudge my people ouer which I haue made thee
house of the Lorde and hired masons and carpenters to repaire the house of the Lorde and so dyd they artificers in iron and brasse to mende the house of the Lorde 13 And so the workmen wrought and the worke mended through their handes and they made the house of God as it ought to be and strengthed it 14 And when they had finished it they brought the rest of the money before the king and Iehoiada and therwith were made vessels for the house of the Lorde euen vessels to minister withall and to serue for burnt offringes chargers and spoones vessels of golde and siluer And they offered burnt offringes in the house of the Lord continually all the dayes of Iehoiada 15 But Iehoiada waxed olde and dyed full of dayes for an hundred and thirtie yeres olde was he when he died 16 And they buried him in the citie of Dauid among the kinges because he dealt well with Israel and with God and with his house 17 And after the death of Iehoiada came the lordes of Iuda and made obeysaunce to the king And the king hearkened vnto them 18 And so they left the house of the Lorde God of their fathers and serued groues and idoles and then came the wrath of God vpon Iuda and Hierusalem for this their trespaces sake 19 And he sent prophetes to them to bring thē againe vnto the Lord they testified vnto them but they woulde not heare 20 And the spirite of God came vpon Zacharia the sonne of Iehoiada the priest which stoode by the people and sayd vnto them thus sayth God Why transgresse ye the commaundementes of the Lorde that ye can not prosper For because ye haue forsaken the Lord he also hath forsaken you 21 And they conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the commaundement of the king euen in the court of the house of the Lorde 22 And so Ioas the king remembred not y e kindnesse whiche Iehoiada his father had done to him but slue his sonne And when he died he sayde The Lorde loke vpon it and require it 23 And when the yere was out it fortuned that the hoast of Syria came vp against him and they came against Iuda and Hierusalem and destroyed all the lordes of the people from among the people and sent all the spoyle of them vnto the king to Damascon 24 For the Syrians came with a small companie of men and the Lorde deliuered a verie great hoast into their hande because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers And they gaue sentence against Ioas. 25 And when they were departed from him they left him in great diseases and his owne seruauntes conspired against him for the blood of the children of Iehoiada the priest and slue hym on his bed and he died and they buried him in the citie of Dauid but not in the sepulchres of the kinges 26 And these are they that conspired against him Zabad the sonne of Simeath an Ammonite Iehosabad the sonne of Simrith a Moabite 27 And his sonnes the summe of the taxe that was raysed in his time and the repairing of the house of God beholde they are written in the storie of the booke of the kinges and Amaziahu his sonne raigned in his steade The .xxv. Chapter 3 Amazia putteth them to death which slue his father 10 He sendeth backe them of Israel 11 He ouercommeth the Edomites 14 He falleth to idolatrie 17 And Ioas king of Israel ouercommeth Amazia 27 He is slayne by a conspiracie 1 AMaziahu was twentie and fiue yeres olde when he began to raigne and he raigned twentie and nine yeres in Hierusalē His mothers name was Iehoadan of Hierusalem 2 And he dyd that which is right in the sight of the Lorde but not with a perfect heart 3 And assoone as he was setled in the kingdome he slue his seruauntes that had killed the king his father 4 But he slue not their children because it is written thus in the lawe and booke of Moyses where the Lorde commaunded saying The fathers shall not dye for the children neither shall the children dye for the fathers but euery man shall dye for his owne sinne 5 And Amaziahu gathered Iuda together and made them captaynes ouer thousandes and ouer hundredes according to the houses of their fathers throughout all Iuda and Beniamin And he numbred them from twentie yeres olde and aboue and found among them three hundred thousande chosen men able to go to battell and that could handle speare and shield 6 He hired also an hundred thousande strong fighting men out of Israel for an hundred talentes of siluer 7 And there came a man of God to him and sayde O king let not the armie of Israel come with thee for the Lorde is not with Israel to wit with al the children of Ephraim 8 But if thou wilt needes be faytlesse come on and take the battell in hande and God shall make thee fall before the enemie For God hath power to helpe and to cast downe 9 And Amaziahu saide to the man of God What shal we do then for the hundred talentes which I haue geuen for the hoast of Israel The man of God aunswered The Lorde is able to geue thee much more then they be 10 And Amaziahu separated them to wit the armie that was come to him out of Ephraim to go home againe Wherefore they were exceeding wroth with Iuda returned home in great anger 11 And Amaziahu toke heart and caried out his people and went to the salt valley and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand 12 And other ten thousand did the children of Iuda take alyue caried them vnto the top of a rocke and cast them downe from the top of the rocke that they all to burst 13 But the souldiers of the armie which Amaziahu sent away that they should not go with his people to battaile fell vpon the cities of Iuda from Samaria vnto Bethron and smote three thousand of them and toke much spoyle 14 And it chaunced after that Amaziahu was come from the slaughter of the Edomites he brought the gods of the children of Seir and set them vp to be his gods and bowed him selfe before them and burned incense vnto them 15 Wherfore the Lorde was wroth with Amaziahu sent vnto him a prophete which saide vnto him Why hast thou sought the gods of the people which were not able to delyuer their owne people out of thyne hande 16 And it chaunced that as y e prophete talked with him the king saide vnto him Haue men made thee of the kinges counsel Ceasse why wylt thou be beaten And the prophete ceassed and said I am sure that God is minded to destroy thee because thou hast done this and agreest not vnto my counsell 17 Then Amaziahu king of Iuda toke aduise and sent to Ioas the sonne of Iehoahaz the sonne of Iehu king of Israel and
And the Lorde tourned the captiuitie of Iob when he prayed for his friendes Yea the Lorde gaue Iob twyse as much as he had afore 11 And then came there vnto him all his brethren all his sisters and all they that had ben of his acquaintaunce afore and did eate bread with him in his house and had compassion on him and comforted him ouer all trouble that the Lorde had brought vpon him euery man also gaue him a certaine summe of money and a iewell of golde 12 So the Lorde blessed the last dayes of Iob more then the first for he had fourteene thousand sheepe sixe thousand camels a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand she asses 13 He had seuen sonnes also and three daughters 14 The first daughter called he Iemima the second Kezia and the third Kerenhapuch 15 In al the land were no women found so faire as the daughters of Iob and their father gaue them inheritaunce among their brethren 16 After this liued Iob an hundred and fourtie yeres so that he sawe his children and his childrens children into the fourth generation 17 And so Iob dyed being olde and of a perfect age The ende of the booke of Iob. A. P. C. ⧠The thirde part of the Bible contayning these bookes The Psalter Ecclesiastes The prouerbes Cantica canticorum ⧠The Prophetes Esai Ieremi Ezechiel Daniel Osee Ioel. Amos. Abdi Ionas Micheas Nahum Habacuc Sophoni Aggeus Zachari Malachi ¶ A Prologue of saint Basill the great vpon the Psalmes DAVID that not able king and prophete a man singulerly 〈◊〉 not almightie God after his own heart being 〈◊〉 both 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 him selfe and being through vexeâ— saint 〈…〉 〈◊〉 experience 〈◊〉 the world â—â—reth his sundry affection as his 〈◊〉 â—crued 〈◊〉 in this 〈◊〉 〈…〉 out with diuers names but sounding all to one thing Hebreus name â—â—m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a 〈…〉 and expresse it by the name of a musicall instrument 〈…〉 â—alled Our 〈…〉 â— that a bookâ— of psalmes as his disciple Peter doth the same Some intituâ— that liber contemplationum â—iue soliloquiorum A booke of contemplations or secrete meditatiâ—n 〈…〉 speaketh solitarily and alone to almightie God â–ª A booke of â—oly scripture 〈…〉 â—â—able in doctrine â—igâ— misterie and profounde in sense but yet familier and ready tâ— be vnderstanded of the true christen heart To the diligent vsing of which booke the holy Apâ—stle saint Truth by graue aduisement no lesse than in two of his epistles exhorteth vs saying in the â—ne thus Let tâ—e worde of Christe dwell in you richly in all wysdome thereof teaching and admâ—nishing your 〈◊〉 in psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songes singing with grace in your heartes to the Lord 〈◊〉 admonition so serious ought not to be contemned Now forasmuch as the vse of the psalmes 〈…〉 speciall peculiar grace aboue all other partes of scripture therâ—fore it ought of all other chiâ—fâ—ly tâ— be esteemed and duely to be vsed as euermore in the Church of God aswell of the olde people of 〈…〉 of the new people of the christians it hath ben in mâ—st frequâ—nt vse and reuerence Furthermâ—re all 〈…〉 that it is â—nspirde from God abâ—ue aâ— necessary for instruction is expressed by the determination of the holy ghost to the 〈…〉 〈◊〉 of a â—iere house of plaâ— for the soulâ— peculiar remeaâ—es euery one of vs for our owne infirmitie 〈◊〉 such 〈…〉 writeth 〈…〉 great and in any sinnes Now wheras the propheteâ— haue doctrine proper to them selues and the 〈…〉 them self the law haue his peculiar fâ—urm 〈◊〉 tâ—aching and the prouerbiall bookes haue their seuerall kinde â—f exhortatiâ—n â–ª Tâ—e 〈…〉 the whâ—e commâ—ditie of all their doctrines aforesaide for it prophecieth of thinges to come it â—câ—th the â—siâ—◠〈…〉 what ought to be done and to be short it is a common storehouse of all god doctrine which doth 〈…〉 not only olde â—estâ—ed woundes of the saide but 〈◊〉 geue quicke remedie to 〈◊〉 〈…〉 and comfâ—rtâ—d that 〈◊〉 may which his sake and corrupt and preserueth that which is while and 〈◊〉 it plucketh thâ— by the 〈…〉 and raigne 〈…〉 in the whole 〈◊〉 of mans lyfe which of 〈◊〉 it wâ—rketh 〈…〉 pleaâ—auntly 〈◊〉 our hearte all bâ—â—â—onestie For where as the hâ—ly ghâ—ste perceaued that mankind was hardly traâ—â—o 〈…〉 we bâ— very nâ—gâ—igent in thinges concerning the true lyfe in deede by reason of our 〈◊〉 to worldly pleasures and deâ—eâ—â—ationâ— â—ll â—â—at 〈…〉 in her fâ—urm of doctrine the deâ—eâ—tation of musicke to the intent that the commoditie of the doctrine might secretly 〈…〉 inâ—â—â—s 〈…〉 be touched with the pleaâ—antnesâ—e of the melodie Euen much lyke as expert Phisitions vse to do when they minister their bâ—tter â—ons to 〈…〉 they shoulde abâ—ethâ— aâ—th for the bitternes of their drinkes for the most part they annoynt the brinkes of the cuppes with â—y â–ª And 〈…〉 these sweete and harmonious songes deuised for vs that such as be children either by age or children by maners should in deede haue their 〈…〉 instructed though for the time they seeme but to sing onely Furthermore we see commonly that they which be of the vulgare peâ—ple or of rich and grosse nature can not reâ—dy tâ— bâ—are away and kepe in minde the graue preceptes of the Apostles or Prophetes where yet the deuine psalmes they sing at him â–ª in their houses and abrode they can recorde them And certainly though a man were neuer so furiously raging in ire and wrath yet assâ—e as be heareth the sweeteâ—es of the psalmes straight way is he asswaged of his fury and must depart more quiet in minde by reason of the melody The psalme is the reâ—t of the soule the radile of peace it stillâ—th and pacifieth the raging bellowes of the minde for it doth asswage and malisie that irefull power and passion of the suâ—e it indureth châ—stitie whâ—re raigned wantonnesse it maketh amitie where was discorde it knitteth friendes together it returneth enemies to an vnitie againe For who can long reputâ— iâ—â—as an enemie with whom be ioyneth him selfe in lyfting vp his voyce to God in prayer So that the song of the psalme work tâ— charitie which is the greatest treasure of all goodnesse that can be deuising by this enducement of concord singing the knot and bonde of vnitie so ioyning the people together after the similitude of a quyâ—r in their vnitie of singing The psalme is an introduction to beginners it is a furtherer to them which 〈…〉 vertue it is to the perfect man a stable foundation to rest on it is the sweete voyce the only mouth of the spouse of Christe the Church The psalme doth cheâ—re the leastfull day the better to reioyce it wâ—rketh that same heauinesse which is heauinesse to Godwarde For the psalme is able to plucke out teares of any mans heart though it be neuer so stony barde O wyse and maruâ—ylous deuise of our heauenly schoolemaister
sayde heare me lest that they shoulde triumph on me who auaunce them selues greatly agaynst me when my foote doth slyp 17 Because I am disposed to a haltyng and my sorowe is euer in my syght 18 Because I confesse my wickednesse and am sory for my sinne 19 But myne enemies lyuyng without payne are mightie they that hate me wrongfully are increased in number 20 They also that rewarde euyl for good are agaynst me because I folowe the thyng that is good 21 Forsake me not O God O my Lorde be not thou farre fro me 22 Haste thee to helpe me O Lorde my saluation ¶ The argument of the .xxxix. Psalme ¶ Dauid signifieth that in the anguishe of his sicknesse he woulde haue vttered no worde lest he should speake amisse in the presence of the vngodly He desireth to knowe the ende of his lyfe which is but short and vanitie He prayeth also that his sinnes may be pardoned and that his afflictions may be diminished ¶ To the chiefe musition Ieduthun a psalme of Dauid 1 I Sayde to my selfe I wyll take heede to my wayes that I offende not in my tongue I wyll kepe my mouth as it were with a brydell whylest the vngodly is in my syght 2 I became dumbe through scilence I helde my peace from speakyng of good wordes but the more was my sorowe increased 3 My heart was hotte within me and whyle I was thus musyng the fire kyndled and at the last I spake with my tongue 4 O God make me to knowe mine ende and the number of my dayes that I may be certified howe long I haue to lyue 5 Behold thou hast made my dayes as it were an hand breadth long mine age is euen as nothing before thee truely euery man is al together vanitie Selah 6 Truely man walketh in a vayne shadowe truely he and all his do disquiet them selues in vayne he heapeth vp riches can not tel who shal vse them 7 And nowe Lord what wayte I after truely my hope is euen in thee 8 Delyuer me from all my offences and make me not a rebuke vnto the foolishe 9 I became dumbe and opened not my mouth for it was thy doyng 10 Take thy plague away from me I am euen consumed by the meanes of thy heauy hande 11 Thou doest chasten man rebukyng him for sinne thou as a moth doest consume his excellencie for in very deede euery man is but vanitie Selah 12 Heare my prayer O God and geue eares to my crying holde not thy peace at my teares for I am a straūger with thee and a soiourner as all my fathers were 13 Oh spare me a litle that I may recouer my strength before I go hence and be no more seene ⧠The argument of the .xl. psalme ¶ Dauid commendeth hyghly Gods goodnesse for that he heareth those that put their trust in hym and delyuereth them out of all perilles and calamities He promiseth to geue hym selfe hereafter wholly to set foorth Gods glorie and prayeth for Gods helpe agaynst his enemies ¶ To the chiefe musition a psalme of Dauid 1 I Wayted paciently vpon God and he enclined vnto me his eare and heard my crying 2 He brought me also out of an horrible pyt out of the dirtie mire and set my feete vpon a rocke and directed my goynges 3 And he hath put a newe song in my mouth euen a thankesgeuyng vnto our Lorde 4 Many shall see it and feare and shall put their trust in God 5 Blessed is the man that hath set his hope in God and turned not vnto the proude and to such as decline to lyes 6 O God my Lord great are thy wonderous workes which thou hast done none can count in order thy benefites towarde vs yf I woulde declare them and speake of them they shoulde be mo then I am able to expresse 7 Thou wouldest haue no sacrifice or offeryng but thou hast opened myne eares thou hast not required burnt offerynges and sacrifice for sinne 8 Then sayde I lo I am come in the booke of thy lawe it is written of me that I shoulde fulfyll thy wyll O my God I am content to do it yea thy lawe is within the middest of my brest 9 I haue declared thy righteousnes in a great congregatiō lo I wil not refraine my lippes O God thou knowest it 10 I haue not hyd thy ryghteousnesse within my heart my talkyng hath ben of thy trueth and of thy saluation 11 I haue not concealed thy louyng mercie and trueth from the great congregation 12 Withdrawe not thou thy mercie from me O God let thy louyng kyndnesse and thy trueth alway preserue me 13 For innumerable troubles are come about me my sinnes haue taken such holde vpon me that I am not able to loke vp yea they are mo in number then the heere 's of my head my heart hath fayled me 14 O God let it be thy pleasure to deliuer me make haste O God to helpe me 15 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seke after my soule to destroy it let them be dryuen backwarde be put to rebuke that wyshe me euyll 16 Let them be desolate in recompence of their shame that say vnto me fye vpon thee fye vpon thee 17 Let all those that seeke thee be glad and ioyfull in thee and let such as loue thy saluation say alway God be magnified 18 As for me I am afflicted and needye but God careth for me thou art my ayde and delyuerer O my God make no long tarying The argument of the .xlj. psalme ¶ Dauid sheweth that they be happy who haue pitie on the afflicted He rehearseth his prayer made in his sicknesse to God He complayneth of fayned friendes and at the maliciousnesse of his enemies ¶ To the chiefe musition a psalme of Dauid 1 BLessed is he that considereth y e poore God wyll delyuer hym in the tyme of trouble 2 God wyll preserue hym kepe him aliue he shal be blessed vpon the earth and thou O God wylt not deliuer him into the wyll of his enemies 3 God wyll comfort hym when he lyeth sicke vpon his bed thou O God wylt turne vpside downe all his bed in his sicknesse 4 I sayde O God be mercifull vnto me heale my soule for I haue sinned agaynst thee 5 Myne enemies speake euyl of me whē shall he dye and his name perishe 6 But yf any of them came to visite me he spake vanitie his heart conceaued vngodlynesse within hym selfe when he came foorth a doores he vttered it 7 All they that hated me whispered together they imagined euyl agaynst me 8 They sayde some great mischiefe is lyghted vpon hym and he that lyeth sicke on his bed shall ryse vp no more 9 Yea besides this euen myne owne friende whom I trusted which dyd also eate of my bread hath kicked very much
6 Neuerthelesse lo thou requirest trueth in the inwarde partes of me therfore thou wylt make me learne wisdome in the secrete part of myne heart 7 Purge thou me with hyssop and I shal be cleane washe thou me and I shal be whyter then snowe 8 Make thou me to heare some ioy and gladnesse let the bones reioyce which thou hast broken 9 Turne thy face from my sinnes and wype out all my misdeedes 10 Make thou vnto me a cleane heart O Lorde and renue thou a ryght spirite within me 11 Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirite from me 12 Geue me agayne the comfort of thy saluation and confirme me with a free wyllyng spirite 13 Then wyll I teache thy wayes vnto the wicked and sinners shal be conuerted vnto thee 14 Deliuer me from blood O Lorde the Lorde of my saluation and my tongue shall sing with a ioyfull noyse of thy iustice 15 O Lorde open thou my lippes and my mouth shall set foorth thy prayse 16 For thou desirest no sacrifice els I would geue it thee thou delightest not in a burnt offering 17 Sacrifices for God is a mortified spirite O Lorde thou wylt not despise a mortified and an humble heart 18 Be thou beneficiall vnto Sion according to thy gracious good wyll buylde thou the walles of Hierusalem 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousnes with burnt offeringes and oblations then wyll they offer young bullockes vpon thyne aulter The argument of the .lij. psalme ¶ Dauid inueyeth against Doeg and describeth his and all other mischeuous mens natures and doynges which the godly perusing be more incited to put their whole confidence in God and to prayse God ¶ To the chiefe musition a wyse instruction of Dauid when Doeg the Edomite came to Saul and tolde him saying Dauid is come to the house of Achimelek 1. Sam. 21. 1 WHy boastest thy self thou tiraunt of mischiefe the goodnes of God dayly endureth 2 Thy tongue imagineth wickednes and deceaueth like a sharpe raser 3 Thou hast loued vngratiousnes more then goodnes and to talke of falshood more then of righteousnes Selah 4 Thou hast loued to speake all wordes that may do hurt O thou deceiptfull tongue 5 Therfore the Lord wyll destroy thee for euer he wyll take thee and plucke thee out of thy dwelling and roote thee out of the lande of the liuing Selah 6 The righteous also shall see this and they wyll be afraide and laugh hym to scorne 7 Saying lo this is the man that put not the Lorde to be his strength but trusted vnto the multitude of his riches and strengthed him selfe in his wickednesse 8 As for me I am lyke a greene oliue tree in the house of the Lorde my trust is in the tender mercy of the Lorde for euer and euer 9 I will alway confesse it vnto thee for that thou hast done it and I wyll hope in thy name for it is good in the sight of thy saintes The argument of the .liii. psalme ¶ Dauid declareth the originall roote with the fruites and punishment of the wicked how they oppresse cruelly the people of God whom neuerthelesse God by his prouidence defendeth and wyll deliuer from the bloodie handes of the wicked whose vngodlynes he detesteth alwayes ¶ To the chiefe musition vpon Mahalah a wise instruction of Dauid 1 THe foole hath sayde in his heart there is no God they haue corrupted them selues haue made their wickednes abhominable he is not that doeth good 2 The Lorde looked downe from heauen vpon the chyldren of men to see if there were any that did vnderstand and seeke after the Lorde 3 But they dyd all go out of the way they dyd altogether become abhomible there was also none that would do good no not one 4 Wyll not the workers of iniquitie vnderstande eating vp my people as if they eated bread that they do not call vpon God 5 They shal be greatly there afraide where no cause of feare is for the Lord wyll breake the bones of hym that besiegeth thee thou wylt put them to shame because the Lorde hath despised them 6 Who is he that wyll geue saluation vnto Israel out of Sion when the Lord wyll reduce his people out of captiuitie Iacob wyll reioyce and Israel wyll be glad The argument of the .liiii. psalme ¶ Dauid brought into marueylous daunger through the treason of Ziphims who were counterfayted Israelites calleth earnestly vpon God from whom receauing succour he thanketh him with a free heart acknowledging the benefite ¶ To the chiefe musition vpon Neginoth a wyse instruction of Dauid when the Zaphims came and sayd vnto Saul hath not Dauid hyd him selfe amongst vs 1. Sam. 23. .26 1 SAue me O Lorde for thy name sake iudge me accordyng to thy mightie power 2 Heare my prayer O Lord and hearken vnto the wordes of my mouth 3 For straungers are rysen vp against me and tirauntes whiche haue not the Lorde before their eyes seeke after my soule Selah 4 Behold God is an ayde vnto me the Lorde is with them that vpholde my soule 5 He wyll rewarde euyll vnto mine enemies destroy thou them according to thy trueth 6 I wyll sacrifice vnto thee with a true wyllyng heart I wyll confesse thy name O God because it is good 7 For he hath deliuered me out of all my trouble and mine eye hath seene auengaunce vpon mine enemies The argument of the .lv. psalme ¶ Dauid desireth God to heare his prayers he declareth his griefes and afflictions he wisheth auengment of his enemies who pretending frendship and familiaritie craftyly seeketh his dishonour Finally he sheweth what comfort he hath taken in that God wyll helpe him and destroy his aduersaries ¶ To the chiefe musition vpon Neginoth a wise instruction of Dauid 1 O Lorde geue eare vnto my prayer and hide not thy selfe from my petition 2 Take heede vnto me and heare me I can not choose but mourne in my prayer and make a noyse 3 Deliuer me from the voyce of the enemie and from the present affliction of the wicked for they are minded to do me mischiefe and are set malitiously against me 4 My heart trembleth within me and the feare of death is fallen vpon me 5 Fearefulnes and trembling are come vpon me and an horrible dread hath ouerwhelmed me 6 And I sayde O that I had wynges like a doue for then woulde I flee away and be at rest 7 Lo then woulde I fleeing get me away farre of and remayne in the wyldernesse Selah 8 Then woulde I make hast to escape from the stormie wynde and from the tempest 9 Destroy their tongues O Lorde and deuide them for I haue seene oppression and strife in the citie 10 They do compasse it day and night within the walles mischiefe also and labour are in the midst of it 11 Malice is in the midst of it disceipt and guyle go
breake downe the wall therof that it may be troden vnder foote 6 I wyll lay it waste it shall neither be digged nor cut but beare thornes and briers I wyll also forbyd the cloudes that they shall not rayne vpon it 7 As for the vineyarde of the Lorde of hoastes it is the house of Israel and the man of Iuda the plant of his pleasure Of these he loked for equitie but see there is oppression for ryghteousnesse and lo it is a crying 8 Wo vnto them that ioyne one house to another and bring one lande so nigh vnto another that there is no more place Wyll ye be placed alone in the myddest of the earth 9 These thynges are in the eares of the Lorde of hoastes of a trueth great and faire houses shal be without any dweller in them 10 And tenne acres of vines shall geue but a quart and thirtie busshels of seede shall geue but an Epha 11 Wo be vnto them that rise vp early to folowe drunkennesse continuyng vntyll nyght tyll they be set on fire with wine 12 In their feastes are harpes and lutes tabrettes and pipes and wine but they regarde not the worke of the Lord and consider not the operatiō of his handes 13 Therfore commeth my folke into captiuitie because they haue no vnderstandyng Their glorie is famished with hunger and their multitude dryed vp with thirst 14 Therfore gapeth hell and openeth her mouth marueilous wyde that their glorie multitude and wealth with such as reioyce in her may descende into it 15 Thus hath man a fall and is brought lowe and the hygh loke of the proude shal be layde downe 16 But the Lorde of hoastes shal be exalted in iudgement and God that is holy is sanctified in ryghteousnesse 17 Then shall the sheepe eate as they were wont and the riche mens landes that were layde waste shall straungers deuour 18 Wo be vnto them that drawe wickednesse with cordes of vanitie and sinne as it were with a cart rope 19 Which vse to speake on this maner Let hym make speede and hasten his worke that we may see it let the counsayle of the holy one of Israel come and drawe nye that we may knowe it 20 Wo be vnto them that call euyll good and good euyll which make darknesse lyght and lyght darknesse that make sowre sweete and sweete sowre 21 Wo be vnto them that are wise in their owne syght and thynke them selues to haue vnderstandyng 22 Wo be vnto them that are strong to suppe out wine and expert men to set vp drunkennesse 23 Wo be vnto them that geue sentence with the vngodly for rewardes but condempne the iust cause of the ryghteous 24 Therfore lyke as fire licketh vp the strawe and as the flambe consumeth the stubble euen so their roote shal be as corruption and their blossome shall vanishe away lyke dust for they haue cast away the lawe of the Lorde of hoastes and despised the worde of the holy one of Israel 25 Therfore is the wrath of the Lorde kindeled against his people and hath stretched foorth his hande vpon them yea he hath smitten them and the hilles dyd tremble and their carkases dyd lye torne in the open streetes and in al this the wrath of God hath not ceassed but his hande stretched out styll 26 And he shall geue a token to a people of a farre countrey and shall hisse vnto them from the ende of the earth and beholde they shall come hastyly with speede 27 There shall not be one faynt nor feeble among them no not a sluggishe nor sleepie person there shall not one of them put of his gyrdle from his loynes nor loose the latchet of his shoe 28 His arrowes are sharpe and all his bowes bent his horse hoofes are as flint and his cart wheeles like a whyrle winde 29 His crye is as it were of a Lion and he roreth lyke Lions whelpes they shall roare and hantche vpon the pray and no man shall recouer it nor get it from them 30 In that day he shal be so fierce vpon him as the raging of the sea then one shall beholde the lande and lo darkenesse and sorow and the light is darkened in the heauens therof The .vj. Chapter 1 Esai sawe the glory of the Lorde 9 And was sent to prophecie the desolation of Iurie 1 IN the yere that kyng Oziah dyed I sawe also the Lorde sitting vpon an high and glorious seate and his trayne filled the temple 2 And about hym stoode Seraphims whereof one had sixe winges with twayne eche couered his face with twayne his feete and with twayne did he flee 3 They cryed also eche one to another on this maner Holy holy holy is the Lorde of hoastes the whole earth is full of his glory 4 And the lintels of the doore cheekes moued at his crying and the house was full of smoke 5 Then sayd I Wo is me for I am lost in as much as I am a man of vncleane lippes and dwell among people that hath vncleane lippes also for mine eyes haue seene the kyng the Lorde of hoastes 6 Then flewe one of the Seraphims vnto me hauing a hote cole in his hand whiche he had taken from the aulter with the tongues 7 And layde it vpon my mouth and sayde Lo this hath touched thy lippes and thine vnrighteousnesse shal be taken away and thy sinne forgeuen 8 Also I hearde the voyce of the Lorde on this maner whom shall I sende and who wyll be our messenger Then I sayde Here am I sende me 9 And he sayd Go and tell this people Heare in deede yet vnderstande not ye shall playnely see and yet perceaue not 10 Harden the heart of this people stop their eares and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes heare with their eares and vnderstande with their heartes and conuert and be healed 11 Then spake I Lord howe long He aunswered vntill the cities be vtterly wasted without inhabiters and the houses without men and tyll the lande be also vtterly desolate 12 For the Lorde shall put the men farre away and there shal be great waste in the middest of the lande 13 Yet in it shall succeede ten kinges and it shall returne and be afterwarde wasted But as the Teyle tree and the Oke in the fall of their leaues haue yet the sappe remayning in them euen so the holy seede shal be the stay therof ¶ The .vij. Chapter 1 The Syrians moue battayle against Hierusalem 14 A virgin shall beare a chylde 1 IT happened in the tyme of Ahaz y e sonne of Iotham whiche was the sonne of Vziah king of Iuda that Razin the kyng of Syria and Pechah the sonne of Romeliah kyng of Israel went vp towarde Hierusalem to besiege it but Razin was not able to winne it 2 Nowe when the house of Dauid hearde worde thereof that Syria and Ephraim was cōfederate together his heart quaked yea and the heartes also of his people lyke
trueth is cleane rooted out of their mouth 29 Wherefore cut of thine heere O Hierusalem and cast it away take vp a complaint on hye for the Lorde hath cast away and forsaken the people that he is displeased withall 30 For the chyldren of Iuda haue done euyll in my sight saith the Lorde they haue set vp their abhominations in the house that hath my name and haue defiled it 31 They haue also buylded an aulter at Topheth whiche is in the valley of the chyldren of Hennom that they might burne their sonnes and daughters in fire whiche I neuer commaunded them neither came it euer in my thought 32 And therfore beholde the dayes shall come saith the Lorde that it shall no more be called Topheth or the valley of the chyldren of Hennom but the valley of slaughter for in Topheth they shall be buried because they shall els haue no roome 33 Yea the dead bodyes of this people shal be eaten vp of the foules of the ayre and wylde beastes of the earth and no man shall fray them away 34 And as for the voyce of mirth and gladnesse of the cities of Iuda and Hierusalem the voyce of the bridegrome and of the bride I wyll make them ceasse for the lande shal be desolate The .viij. Chapter 1 The destruction of the Iewes 4 The Lorde moueth the people to amendement reckening vp their sinnes 10 He reprehendeth the lying doctrine of the prophetes and priestes 1 AT the same tyme saith the Lorde the bones of the kinges of Iuda the bones of his princes the bones of the preachers and prophetes yea and the bones of the citizens of Hierusalem shal be brought out of their graues 2 And layde against the sunne the moone all the heauenly hoast whom they loued whom they serued whom they ranne after whom they sought and worshipped they shall neither be gathered together nor buried but shall lye as dunge vpon the earth 3 And all they that remaine of this wicked generation shal desire rather to die then to line whersoeuer they remaine and where as I scatter them saith the Lorde of hoastes 4 Thus shalt thou say vnto them also Thus saith the Lorde Do men fall so that they arise not vp againe or if Israel repent wyll not God turne againe to them 5 Wherefore then is this people of Hierusalem gone so farre backe that they turne not againe They are euer the longer the more obstinate and wyll not be conuerted 6 For I haue loked and considered but there is no man that speaketh a good worde there is no man that taketh repentaunce for his sinne that wyll so muche say what haue I done but euerie man turneth to his owne course like a fierce horse headlong to the battaile 7 The Storke in the ayre knoweth his appointed tyme the Turtle doue the Swallowe and the Crane consider the tyme of their trauayle but my people wyll not knowe the tyme of the punishment of the Lorde 8 Howe dare ye say then we are wyse we haue the lawe of the Lorde among vs Truely in vayne hath he prepared his penne and vainely haue the writers written it 9 Therefore shall the wyse be confounded they shal be afraide and taken for lo they haue cast out the worde of the Lorde what wisdome can then be among them 10 Wherfore I wyl geue their wiues vnto aliauntes and their fields to destroyers For from the lowest vnto the hyest they folowe filthy lucre and from the prophete vnto the priest they deale all with lies 11 Neuerthelesse they heale the hurt of my people very slenderly saying peace peace where there is no peace at all 12 Fye for shame howe abhominable thinges do they and yet they be not ashamed yea they knowe of no shame Wherefore in the tyme of their visitation they shal fal among the dead bodies and be ouerthrowne saith the Lorde 13 Moreouer I wyll consume them in deede saith the Lorde so that there shall not be one grape vpon the vine neither one figge vpon the figge tree and the leaues shal be pluckt of and the thing that I haue geuen them shal be taken from them 14 Why prolong we the time Let vs gather our selues together and go into the strong citie there shall we be in rest for the Lorde our God hath put vs to scilence and geuen vs water mixt with gall to drinke because we haue sinned against hym 15 We loked for peace and we fare not the better we wayted for the tyme of health and lo â—re is nothing but trouble 16 The noyse of his horses is heard from Dan the whole lande is afraide at the neighing of his strong horses for they are come in and haue deuoured the lande withall that is in it the cities and those that dwell therin 17 Moreouer I wyll sende cockatrices and serpentes among you whiche wyl not be charmed and they shall bite you saith the Lorde 18 I woulde haue had comfort against sorowe but sorowe is come vpon me and heauinesse vexeth my heart 19 For lo the voyce of the crying of my people is hearde for feare of them that come from a farre countrey Is not the Lord in Sion Is not her king in her Wherefore then haue they greeued me shall the Lorde say with their images and foolishe straunge fashions of a forraine god 20 The haruest is gone the sommer hath an ende and we are not helped 21 I am sore vexed because of the hurt of my people I am heauie and abashed 22 Is there not triacle at Gilead Is there no phisitioÌ„ there why then is not the health of my people recouered The .ix. Chapter 1 The complaint and bewayling of the prophete 3 the malice of the people 24 In the knowledge of God ought we onlye to reioyce 26 The vncircumcision of the heart 1 O Who wyll geue my head water inough and a wel of teares for mine eyes that I may weepe night and day for the slaughter of my people 2 Woulde God that I had a cottage somewhere farre from folke that I might leaue my people and go from them for they be all adulterers and a shrinking sort 3 They bend their tongues like bowes to shoote out lyes they waxe strong vppon earth As for the trueth they may nothing away withall in the worlde for they go from one wickednes to another and wyll not knowe me saith the Lorde 4 Yea one must kepe hym selfe from another no man may safely trust his owne brother for one brother vndermindeth another one neighbour beguileth another 5 Yea one dissembleth with another and they deale with no trueth They haue practised their tongues to lye and taken great paynes to do mischiefe 6 Thou sittest in the middes of a deceiptfull people which for very dissembling falshood wyll not knowe me saith the Lorde 7 Therefore thus saith the Lorde of hoastes Beholde I wyll melt them and trye them
about 24 The chiefe captayne also toke Saraiah the hye priest and Sophoniah that was chiefe next hym the three kepers of the doore 25 He toke out of the citie a chaumberlaine which was captaine of the souldiers and seuen men that were the kinges seruauntes which were founde in the citie and Sopher a captaine that vsed to muster the men of warre with threescore men of the countrey that were taken in the citie 26 These Nabuzaradan the chiefe captaine toke and caryed them to the king of Babylon vnto Reblath 27 And the kyng of Babylon caused them to be put to death at Reblath in the lande of Hemath And thus Iuda was ledde away captiue out of his owne lande 28 This is the summe of the people whom Nabuchodonozor led away captiue in the seuenth yere of his raigne he caryed away of the Iewes three thousande twentie and three 29 In the eyghteenth yere Nabuchodonozor caryed away from Hierusalem eyght hundred thirtie and two persons 30 In the three and twentie yere of Nabuchodonozor Nabuzaradan the chiefe captayne toke away seuen hundred fourtie and fiue Iewes prisoners The whole summe of the prisoners is foure thousande and sixe hundred 31 In the thirtie and seuenth yere after that Iehoakim the kyng of Iuda was caryed away in the fiue and twentith day of the twelft moneth Euilmerodach kyng of Babylon the same yere that he raigned gaue Iehoakim the kyng of Iuda his pardon and let hym out of prison 32 And spake louyngly to hym and set his throne aboue the thrones of the other kynges that were with hym in Babylon 33 He chaunged also the clothes of his prison yea and did eate with hym all his life long 34 And he had a continuall lyuyng geuen hym of the kyng of Babylon euery day a certayne thyng alowed hym all the dayes of his life vntyll he dyed The ende of the booke of the prophete Ieremie ¶ The lamentations of the prophete Ieremie ⧠The first Chapter 1 It happened after Israel was brought into captiuitie and Hierusalem destroyed that Ieremie the prophete sate weepyng and sorowfully bewayled Hierusalem and sighyng and howlyng with an heauy and wofull heart sayde 1 ALas howe sitteth the citie so desolate that sometime was full of people Howe is she become lyke a widow which was great among nations Howe is she brought vnder tribute that ruled landes 2 She weepeth sore in the nyght so that the teares runne downe her cheekes â–ª for among all her louers there is none that geueth her any comfort yea her next friendes transgresse agaynst her and are become her enemies 3 Iuda went away by reason of the affliction and great bondage she dwelleth among the heathen she findeth no rest all they that persecuted her toke her in strayte places where she coulde not escape 4 The streetes of Sion mourne because no man coÌ„meth no more to the solempne feastes all her gates are desolate her priestes make lamentatioÌ„ her maydens are carefull and she her selfe is in great heauinesse 5 Her enemies haue ben rulers ouer her and her enemies haue prospered because the Lorde hath chastened her for her great wickednesse her children are led away captiue before their enemies 6 All the beautie of the daughter of Sion is away her princes are become lyke hartes that fynde no pasture they are driuen away before their enemie so that they haue no more power 7 Nowe Hierusalem remembred in the tyme of her miserie and bare estate all her ioy pleasure that she hath had in tymes past seyng her people is brought downe vnder the power of their enemies and there is no man for to helpe her her enemies stande lokyng at her and laugh her Sabbath daies to scorne 8 Hierusalem hath sinned greeuouslye therfore is she come in decay all they that had her in honour dispise her for they haue seene her filthinesse yea she sigheth and is ashamed of her selfe 9 Her skirtes are defiled she remembred not her last ende therfore is her fall so wonderfull and there is no man to comfort her O Lorde consider my trouble for myne enemie hath the vpper hande 10 The enemie hath put his hande to all the precious thinges that she had yea euen before her eyes came the heathen in and out of the sanctuarie whom thou neuerthelesse hast forbidden to come within thy congregation 11 All her people seeke their bread with heauinesse and loke what precious thyng euery man hath that geueth he for meate to saue his lyfe Consider O Lorde and see howe vile I am become 12 Haue ye no regarde all ye that go foreby beholde see yf there be any sorowe lyke vnto mine wherwith the Lorde hath troubled me in the day of his fearefull wrath 13 From aboue hath he sent downe a fire into my bones and it burneth them cruelly he hath layde a net for my feete and throwen me wyde open he hath made me desolate so that I must euer be mournyng 14 The yoke of my transgressions is bounde fast to his hande they are wrapped or writhen and come vp about my necke he hath caused my strength to fayle the Lorde hath deliuered me into those handes wheroâ—t I can not quyte my selfe 15 The Lorde hath destroyed all the mightie men that were in me he hath proclaymed an appoynted tyme to slaughter all my best men the Lorde hath troden downe the daughter of Iuda lyke as it were in a winepresse 16 Therfore do I weepe and mine eyes gushe out of water for the comfort that shoulde quicken me is farre fro me my children are driuen away for why the enemie hath gotten the vpper hande 17 Sion casteth out her handes and there is no man to comfort her the Lorde hath layde the enemies rounde about Iacob and Hierusalem is become abhomination in the middest of them 18 The Lorde is righteous for I haue prouoked his countenaunce vnto anger O take heede all ye people and consider my heauinesse my maydens and my young men are led away into captiuitie 19 I called for my louers but they beguiled me for my priestes and counsaylers but they perished euen whyle they sought for meate to saue their lyues 20 Consider O Lorde howe I am troubled my wombe is disquieted my heart turneth about in me and I am full of heauinesse because I rebelled stubburnly the sworde hurteth me without and within I am lyke vnto death 21 They heare my mournyng but there is none that wyll comfort me All myne enemies haue hearde of my trouble and are glad therof because thou hast done it and thou hast brought foorth the time which thou calledst when they also shal be lyke vnto me 22 Let all their wickednesse come before thee and do thou to them as thou hast done vnto me for all my trespasses for my sorowe is very great and my heart is heauy The .ij. Chapter 1 ALas howe hath the Lorde darckened the daughter of Sion
in his wrath As for the honour of Israel he hath cast it downe frō heauen vnto the earth and he remembred not his owne footestole when he was angry 2 The Lorde hath cast out all the habitations of Iacob without any fauour all the strong places of the daughter of Iuda hath he broken in his wrath and throwen them downe to the grounde her kingdome and her princes hath he prophaned 3 In the wrath of his indignation he hath broken all the horne of Israel he hath withdrawen his right hande from the enemie yea a flambe of fire is kindled in Iacob and hath consumed vp all rounde about 4 He hath bent his bowe like an enemie he hath fastened his ryght hande as an aduersarie and euery thyng that was pleasaunt to see he hath slayne he hath powred out his wrath like a fire into the tabernacle of the daughter of Sion 5 The Lorde is become like as it were an enemie he hath deuoured Israel and all his palaces yea all his strong holdes hath he destroyed and fylled the daughter of Iuda with much sorowe and heauinesse 6 His tabernacle as a garden hath he destroyed his solempne meetinges hath he put downe the Lord hath brought it so to passe that the hye solempne feastes and Sabbathes in Sion are cleane forgotten in his heauy displeasure hath he dispised the kyng and priestes 7 The Lorde hath forsaken his owne aulter and hath abhorred his owne sanctuarie and hath geuen the walles of their towres into the handes of the enemie their enemies made a noyse in the house of the Lorde as it had ben in a solempne feast day 8 The Lorde thought to breake downe the walles of the daughter of Sion he spread out his line and drewe not in his hande tyll he had destroyed them therfore mourne the turrettes the broken walles fall downe together 9 Her gates are suncke downe to the grounde her barres are broken and smitten in sunder the kyng and princes are caryed away to the gentiles they haue neither lawe nor prophetes nor yet any vision from the Lorde 10 The senatours of the daughter Sion sit vpon the grounde in scilence they haue strawed asshes vpon their heads and gyrded them selues with sackcloth the maydens of Hierusalem hang downe their heades to the grounde 11 Mine eyes begin to fayle me through weeping my body is disquieted my liuer is powred vpon the earth for the great hurt of the daughter of my people seeing the chyldren and babes dyd swowne in the streetes of the citie 12 Euen when they spake to their mothers Where is meate and drinke for whyle they so sayde they fell downe in the streetes of the citie like as they had ben wounded and some dyed in their mothers bosome 13 What shall I say vnto thee O thou daughter Hierusalem to whom shal I liken thee To whom shall I compare thee O thou daughter Sion to comfort thee withall thy heart is lyke a mayne sea who may heale thee 14 Thy prophetes haue looke dout vayne and foolish thinges for thee they haue not shewed thee of thy wickednesse to kepe thee from captiuitie but they haue seene out for thee burthens of vanitie and banishment 15 All they that go by thee clappe their handes at thee hissing and wagging their heades vpon the daughter Hierusalem and say Is this the citie that men call so faire wherein the whole lande reioyceth 16 All thyne enemies gape vpon thee whispering and grinding their teeth saying let vs deuour for the tyme that we looked for is come we haue founde and seene it 17 The Lorde hath fulfilled the thing that he was purposed to do and perfourmed that he had deuised long ago he hath destroyed and not spared he hath caused thyne aduersarie to triumph ouer thee and set vp the horne of thyne enemie 18 Their heart cryed vnto the Lorde O thou citie of the daughter Sion let thy teares runne downe like a riuer day and night rest not and let not the apple of thyne eye leaue of 19 Stand vp and make thy prayer in the first watche of the night powre out thine heart like water before the Lord lift vp thyne handes for the liues of thy young chyldren that dye of hunger in the streetes 20 Beholde O Lorde and consider to whom thou hast done thus Shall the women then eate their owne fruite euen chyldren of a spanne long shall the priestes and prophetes be slayne in the sanctuarie of the Lorde 21 Young and olde lye thorowe the streetes vpon the grounde my maydens and young men are slayne with the sworde whom thou in the day of thy wrathfull indignation hast put to death yea euen thou hast put them to death and not spared them 22 My neighbours that are rounde about me hast thou called as it were to a feast day so that in the day of the lordes wrath none escaped neither was any left behinde those that I haue brought vp and nourished hath myne enemie destroyed The .iij. Chapter 1 I Am the man that thorowe the rodde of his wrath haue experience of miserie 2 He droue me foorth and led me yea into darknesse but not into light 3 Against me is he turned he turneth his hande dayly against me 4 My flesh and my skinne hath he made olde and my bones hath he bruised 5 He hath buylded rounde about me and closed me in with gall and trauaile 6 He hath set me in darknesse as they that be dead for euer 7 He hath so hedged me in that I can not get out and hath layde heauie linkes vpon me 8 Though I crye and call pitiously yet heareth he not my prayer 9 He hath stopped vp my wayes with foure squared stones and made my pathes crooked 10 He layeth wayte for me lyke a beare and as a lion in a hole 11 He hath marred my wayes and broken me in peeces he hath layde me waste altogether 12 He hath bent his bowe and made me as it were a marke to shoote at 13 The arrowes of his quiuer hath he shot euen into my reynes 14 I am laughed to scorne of all my people they make songues vpon me all the day long 15 He hath filled me with bitternesse and geuen me wormewood to drinke 16 He hath smitten my teeth in peeces with stones and roulled me in the dust 17 He hath put my soule out of rest I forget all good thinges 18 I thought in my selfe I am vndone there is no hope for me in the Lorde 19 O remember yet my miserie and my trouble the wormewood and the gall 20 Yea thou shalt remember them for my soule melteth away in me 21 Whyle I consider these thinges in my heart I get a hope agayne 22 Namely it is of the Lordes mercies that we are not vtterly consumed for truely his pitifull compassion hath not ceassed 23 Newe mercyes shall the Lord shewe vpon thee early in the day springing O Lorde great is
of Huz be glad and reioyce for the cup shall come vnto thee also thou shalt be dronken and discouer thy nakednesse 22 Thy sinnes are wel punished O thou daughter Sion he shall not suffer thee to be caried away but thy wickednesse O daughter Edom shall he visite and wyll discouer thy sinnes The .v. Chapter The prayer of Ieremie 1 CAll to remembraunce O Lorde what we haue suffred consider and see our confusion 2 Our inheritaunce is turned to the straungers and our houses to the aliaunts 3 We are become carefull and fatherlesse and our mothers are as the wydowes 4 We are fayne to drinke our owne water for money and our owne wood must we buy for money 5 Our neckes are vnder persecution we are weery and haue no rest 6 Aforetime we yeelded our selues to the Egyptians and nowe to the Assyrians onlye that we might haue bread inough 7 Our fathers which nowe are gone haue sinned and we must beare their wickednesse 8 Seruauntes haue the rule of vs and no man deliuereth vs out of their handes 9 We must get our liuing with the perill of our liues because of the drouth of the wildernesse 10 Our skinne is as it had ben made blacke in an ouen for very sore hunger 11 The wiues are rauished in Sion and the maydens in the cities of Iuda 12 The princes are hanged vp with the hand of the enemies they haue not spared the olde sage men 13 They haue taken young men to grinde and the boyes fainted vnder the burthens of wood 14 The elders sit no more vnder the gates and the young men vse no more playing of musicke 15 The ioy of our heart is gone our melodious meeting is turned into mourning 16 The garlande of our head is fallen alas that euer we sinned so sore 17 Therefore our heart is full of heauinesse and our eyes dimme 18 Because of the hill of Sion that is destroyed insomuch that the foxes runne vpon it 19 But thou O Lorde that remaynest for euer and thy seate worlde without ende 20 Wherefore wylt thou styll forget vs and forsake vs so long 21 O Lord turne thou vs vnto thee and so shall we be turned renue our dayes as in olde tymes 22 But thou hast banished vs vtterly and hast ben displeased at vs. ¶ The ende of the lamentations of Ieremie R. W. ⧠The booke of the prophete Ezechiel The first Chapter 1 The time wherein Ezechiel prophecied and in what place 3 His kinred 5 The vision of the foure beastes 16 The fasshion and worke of the wheeles 26 The vision of the throne 1 IT came to passe in the thirtith yere in the fourth moneth in the fifth day of the moneth that I beyng in the middes of the captiuitie by the riuer Chebar the heauens were opened and I sawe visions of God 2 In the fifth day of the moneth which was the fifth yere of kyng Ioakins captiuitie 3 The worde of the Lorde came to Ezechiel the priest the sonne of Buzi in the lande of the Chaldeans by the riuer Chebar where the hand of the Lord was vpon hym 4 And I looked and beholde a stormie wind came out of the north a great cloude and a fire folding it selfe in the cloude and a brightnes rounde about it and foorth of the middes therof as the colour of amber out of the middes of the fire 5 And out of the middes therof the likenesse of foure beastes appeared and this was their fourme they had the likenesse of a man 6 And euery one had foure faces and euery one of them had foure wynges 7 Their feete were straight feete and the sole of their feete lyke the sole of calues feete and they glistered as the appearaunce of brasse burnished 8 From vnder their wynges vpon all the foure corners they had mens handes and they foure had their faces and their wynges 9 Their wynges were ioyned one to another when they went they looked not backe but eche one went straight forwarde 10 But touching the similitude of their faces they foure had the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side and they foure had the face of an oxe on the left side the foure also had the face of an Egle. 11 Thus were their faces and their winges were spread out aboue so that two wynges of euery one were ioyned one to another and two wynges couered euery one of their bodyes 12 Euery one went straight forward whyther as the spirite led them thither thei went returned not in their going 13 And the fashion of the beastes their appearaunce was lyke coales of fire burning like the appearaunce of cressets it ran among the beastes and the fire gaue a glister and out of the fire there went lightening 14 And the beastes ranne and returned like lightening 15 When I had considered the beastes beholde a wheele vpon the earth nye to the beastes to euery of the foure before his face 16 The fashion worke of the wheeles was lyke the colour of Tharsis and they foure had one fashion and their fashion their worke was as though it were a wheele in y e middle of a wheele 17 When they went they went vpon their foure sides they returned not backe when they went 18 They had ringes and heyght and were feareful to beholde their ringes were full of eyes rounde about them foure 19 When the beastes went the wheeles went also by them and when the beastes were lift vp from the earth the wheeles were lyft vp 20 Whyther soeuer the spirite was to go they went and thyther was the spirite to go and the wheeles were lyft vp before them for the spirite of the beastes were in the wheeles 21 When the beastes went they went when thei stoode they stoode and when they were lifted vp from the earth the wheeles were lifted vp before thē for y e spirite of y e beastes was in the wheeles 22 And the similitude of the firmament vpon the heades of the beastes was like the colour of christall wonderfull spread ouer their heades aboue 23 And vnder the firmament their winges were stretcht foorth one towardes another euery one had two couering them and euery one had two couering them euen their bodyes 24 And when they went I hearde the noyse of their wynges lyke the noyse of great waters as it had ben the voyce of the almightie the voyce of speache as the noyse of an hoast when they stoode they let downe their winges 25 And there was a noyse from aboue the firmament that was ouer their heades when they stoode they let downe their wynges 26 And aboue the firmament that was ouer their heades there was the fashion of a throne lyke a Saphir stone and vpon the similitude of the throne by appearaunce as the similitude of a man aboue vpon it 27 And I sawe as the appearaunce of amber and as the
comfort her 42 Neuerthelesse nowe seest thou the likenes of the womā no more but there appeared vnto thee a citie buylded 43 And where she tolde thee of the fall of her sonne so is this the solution of it 44 This woman whom thou sawest is Sion and where as she tolde thee euen she whom thou seest nowe as a citie buylded 45 And as touching that she sayde vnto thee that she hath ben thirtie yeres vnfruitefull and baren those are the thirtie yeres wherein there was no offering made in her 46 But after thirtie yeres Solomon builded the citie and offred offeringes and then bare the baren a sonne 47 And where as she tolde thee that she nourished hym with labour that was the dwelling in Hierusalem 48 But where as she tolde thee that her sonne dyed as his chaunce was when she came into her chaumber that is the fall that is come to Hierusalem 49 And beholde when thou sawest her like one that mourned for her sonne and begannest to comfort her of these things whiche haue chaunced these are to be opened vnto thee 50 For nowe the most hyghest seeth that thou art sory in thy minde and suffrest from thy whole heart for her and so hath he shewed thee her clearenesse and the fayrenesse of her beautie 51 And therefore I bad thee remayne in the fielde where no house was builded 52 For I knewe that the highest would shewe this vnto thee 53 Therfore I commaunded thee to go into the fielde where no foundation nor buylding is 54 For in the place where the highest beginneth to shewe his citie there can no mans buylding be able to stande 55 And therefore feare not and let not thyne heart be afraide but go thy way in and see the beautie and greatnes of the buylding as much as thyne eyes be able to see 56 And then shalt thou heare as muche as thyne eares may comprehende 57 For thou art blessed aboue many other and art called with the highest as the fewe 58 But to morowe at night thou shalt remayne here 59 And so shall the highest shewe thee visions of the hye thinges which he wyll do vnto them that dwell vpon earth in the last dayes So I slept y e same night another like as he commaunded me The .xi. Chapter 1 The vision of an Egle comming foorth of the sea and of her fethers 37 Of a Lion comming out of the forest 1 THen saw I a dreame and beholde there came vp from the sea an Egle whiche had xii fethered winges and three heades 2 And I sawe and beholde she spread her wynges ouer all the earth and al the wyndes of the ayre blew on her gathered them together 3 And I behelde and out of her fethers there grew other contrary fethers and they became litle fethers and small 4 But her heades remayned styll the head in the middest was greater then the other yet rested it with the residue 5 Moreouer I saw that the Egle flewe with her wynges and raigned vpon earth and ouer all them that dwelt vppon the earth 6 And I sawe that all thinges vnder heauen were subiect vnto her and no man spake against her no not one creature vpon earth 7 I sawe also that the Egle stoode vp vpon her clawes and gaue a sounde with her fethers and a voyce saying after this maner 8 Watche not altogether sleepe euery man in his owne place and watche by course 9 But let the heades be preserued for the last 10 Neuerthelesse I sawe that the voyce went not out of her heades but from the myddest of her body 11 And I numbred her contrary fethers and beholde there were eyght of them 12 And I loked and beholde vpon the ryght syde there arose one fether and raigned ouer all the earth 13 And so it was that when it raigned the ende of it came and the place therof appeared no more So the next folowyng stoode vp and raigned and had a great tyme. 14 And it happened that when it raigned the ende of it came also lyke as the first so that it appeared no more 15 Then came there a voyce vnto it and sayde 16 Heare thou that hast kept the earth so long this I say vnto thee before thou begynnest to appeare no more 17 There shall none after thee attayne vnto thy tyme neither vnto the halfe therof 18 Then arose the thirde and raigned as the other afore and appeared no more also 19 So went it with all the residue one after another so that euery one raigned and then appeared no more 20 Then I loked and beholde in processe of tyme the fethers that folowed stoode vp on the ryght syde that they myght rule also and some of them ruled but within a whyle they appeared no more 21 For some of them were set vp but ruled not 22 After this I loked and beholde the twelue fethers appeared no more nor the two wynges 23 And there was no more vpon the Egles body but two heades that rested and sixe wynges 24 Then sawe I also that two wynges deuided them selues from the sixe and remayned vnder the head that was vpon the right side for the foure continued in their place 25 So I loked and beholde the fethers that were vnder the wyng thought to set vp them selues and to haue the rule 26 Then was there one set vp but shortly it appeared no more 27 And the seconde was sooner away then the first 28 And I behelde and lo the two that remayned thought also in them selues to raigne 29 And when they so thought beholde there awaked one of the heades that were at rest namely it that was in the myddest for that was greater then the two other heades 30 And then I sawe that the two heades were ioyned with hym 31 And the head was turned with them that were with hym and dyd eate vp the two vnder wynges that woulde haue raigned 32 But this head put the whole earth in feare and bare rule in it ouer all those that dwelt vpon the earth with much labour and he had the gouernaunce of the worlde ouer all the wynges that had ben 33 After this I loked and beholde the head that was in the myddest sodaynly appeared no more lyke as the wynges 34 But there remayned the two heades which ruled vpon earth and ouer those that dwelt therin 35 And I behelde and lo the head vpon the ryght syde deuoured it that was vpon the left syde 36 Then I hearde a voyce which sayde vnto me loke before thee and consider the thyng that thou seest 37 Then I sawe and beholde as it were a lion that roareth runnyng hastyly out of the wood and I sawe that he sent out a mans voyce vnto the Egle and sayde 38 Heare thou I wyll talke with thee and the hyest shall say vnto thee 39 Is it not thou that hast the victorie of the foure beastes whom I made to raigne vpon earth and in my worlde
that his workes might be knowen vpon the earth vnder the heauen 16 His mercie is knowen to all creatures he hath seperated his light from the darkenesse with an adamant 17 Say not thou I wyll hide my selfe from God for who wyll thinke vpon me from aboue I shall not be knowen in so great an heape of people for what is my soule among so many creatures 18 Beholde the heauen yea the heauen of heauens of God the deepe the earth and all that therein is shal be moued at his presence 19 The mountaynes the hilles and the foundations of the earth shall shake for feare when God visiteth them 20 These thinges doth no heart vnderstand worthyly but he vnderstandeth euery heart 21 And who vnderstandeth his wayes No man seeth his stormes and the most part of his workes are secrete 22 Who wyll declare the workes of his righteousnesse or who shal be able to abide them For the couenaunt is farre from some and trying out of men is in the ende 23 He that is humble of heart thinketh vpon such thinges but an vnwyse and erronious man casteth his minde vnto foolishe thinges 24 My sonne hearken thou vnto me and learne vnderstanding and marke my wordes with thyne heart I wyll geue thee a sure doctrine and plainely shall I instruct thee 25 Marke my wordes then in thyne heart for in righteousnesse of the spirite do I speake of the wonders that God hath shewed among his workes from the beginning in the trueth do I shew the knowledge of him 26 God hath set his workes in good order from the beginning part of them hath he sundred from the other 27 He hath garnished his workes from euerlasting and their beginninges according to their generations they are not hungrie nor weeried in their labours nor ceasse from their offices 28 None of them hindred another neitheir was any of them disobedient vnto his wordes 29 After this God loked vpon the earth and filled it with his goodnesse 30 With all maner of liuing beastes hath he couered the grounde and they all shal be turned vnto earth againe ¶ The .xvii. Chapter 1 The creation of man and the goodnesse that God hath done vnto him 20 Of almes 26 and repentaunce 1 GOd shaped man of the earth made him after his owne image and turned him vnto earth againe and cloathed him with his owne strength 2 He gaue him the number of dayes and certaine time yea and gaue him power of the thinges that are vpon earth 3 He made all fleshe to stand in awe of him so that he had the dominion of all beastes and foules 4 He made out of him an helper lyke vnto to him selfe gaue them discretion and tongue eyes and eares and a heart to vnderstande 5 He gaue them a spirite and a speache to declare his workes filled them with instruction and vnderstanding 6 He created for them also the knowledge of the spirite filled their heartes with vnderstanding and shewed them good and euill 7 He set his eye vpon their heartes declaring vnto them his great and noble workes 8 That they should prayse his holy name together reioyce of his wonders and be telling of his noble actes 9 Beside this he gaue them instruction and the lawe of life for an heritage that they might now know that they were mortall 10 He made an euerlasting couenaunt with them and shewed them his righteousnesse and iudgementes 11 They sawe the maiestie of his glorie with their eyes and their eares heard the maiestie of his voyce and he saide vnto them beware of all vnrighteous thinges 12 He gaue euery man also a cōmaundement concerning his neighbour 13 Their wayes are euer before him and are not hid from his eyes 14 Euery man from his youth is geuen to euill and their stony heartes can not become fleshe 15 He hath set a ruler vpon euery people but Israel is the Lordes portion 16 Whom he nourisheth with discipline as his first borne and geueth him most louing light and doth not forsake him 17 All their workes are as the sunne in the sight of God his eyes are alway looking vpon their wayes 18 All their vnrighteousnesses are manifest vnto him and al their wickednesses are open in his sight 19 And as he is mercifull and knoweth his worke he doth not leaue them nor forsake them but spareth them 20 The mercie that a man sheweth is as a seale with him and the grace that is geuen to man preserueth him as the apple of an eye and geueth repentaunce to their sonnes and daughters 21 At the last shall he awake and reward euery man vpon his head shall turne them together into the neathermost partes of the earth 22 But vnto them that wyll repent he hath geuen the way of righteousnesse As for such as be weake he comforteth them suffereth them and sendeth them the portion of the veritie 23 O turne then vnto the Lorde forsake thy sinnes make thy prayer before the Lorde do the lesse offence 24 Turne againe vnto the Lorde for he wyll bring thee from darkenesse vnto holsome light forsake thyne vnrighteousnesse be an vtter enemie to abhomination 25 Learne to know the righteousnesse and iudgementes of God stand in the portion that is set foorth for thee and in the prayer of the most hye God 26 Go in the portion of the holy worlde with such as be lyuing geue thankes vnto God 27 Who wil prayse the Lorde in the hel abide not thou in y e errour of the vngodlie but geue him thankes before death 28 As for the dead thankfulnes perisheth from him as nothing Geue thou thankes in thy lyfe yea whyle thou art lyuing and whole shalt thou geue thankes and prayse God and reioyce in his mercie 29 O how great is the louing kindnesse of the Lorde and his mercifull goodnes vnto such as turne vnto him 30 For all thinges may not be in man and why the sonne of man is not immortal and he hath pleasure in the vanitie of wickednesse 31 What is more cleare then the sonne yet shall it fayle 32 Or what is more wicked then the thyng that fleshe and blood hath imagined and that same shal be reproued 33 The Lorde seeth the power of the hye heauen and al are but earth and asshes The .xviii. Chapter 1 The marueylous workes of God 6 The miserie and wretchednes of man 9 Against God ought we not to complaine 21 The perfourming of vowes 1 HE that lyueth for euermore made al thinges together God onely is righteous and there is none other but he and remaineth a victorious king for euer 2 He ordereth the worlde with the power of his hande and all thinges obey his wyl for he gouerneth all thinges by his power and deuideth the holy thinges from the prophane 3 Who shal be able to expresse the workes of him who wyll seeke out the grounde of his
gyftes of the holy ghost accordyng to his owne wyll 5 For vnto the Anges hath he not put in subiection the worlde to come wherof we speake 6 But one in a certayne place witnessed saying What is man that thou arte myndeful of hym Or the sonne of man that thou wouldest loke vpon hym 7 Thou madest hym for a litle whyle lower then the Angels thou hast crowned him with glorie and honour and hast set hym aboue the workes of thy handes 8 Thou hast put all thynges in subiectiō vnder his feete In y t he put all thinges vnder hym he left nothyng that is not put vnder hym But nowe we see not yet all thynges put vnder hym 9 But hym that for a whyle was made lesse then the Angels we see that it was Iesus who through the sufferyng of death was crowned with glorie and honour that he by the grace of God shoulde taste of death for all 10 For it became hym for whom are all thynges and by whom are all thynges after he had brought many sonnes vnto glorie that he shoulde make the capitayne of their saluation perfect through afflictions 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are all of one For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren 12 Saying I wyll declare thy name vnto my brethren in the myddes of the Churche wyll I prayse thee 13 And agayne I wyll put my trust in hym And agayne Beholde here am I and the chyldren whiche God hath geuen me 14 Forasmuch then as the chyldren are partakers of flesshe and blood he also hym selfe lykewyse toke part with thē that through death he myght expell hym that had lordship ouer death that is the deuyll 15 And that he myght delyuer them which through feare of death were all their lyfe tyme in daunger of bondage 16 For he in no place taketh on hym the Angels but the seede of Abraham taketh he on hym 17 Wherfore in all thinges it became him to be made lyke vnto his brethren that he myght be mercyfull and a faythfull hye priest in thynges concernyng God for to purge the peoples sinnes 18 For in that he hym selfe suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted ¶ The .iij. Chapter 1 He requireth them to be obedient vnto the worde of Christe 3 who is more worthy then Moyses 12 The punishment of such as wyll harden their heartes and not beleue that they myght haue eternall rest 1 THerfore holy brethren partakers of the celestiall callyng consider the apostle and hye priest of our profession Christe Iesus 2 Beyng faythfull to hym that appoynted hym as also was Moyses in all his house 3 For this man is counted worthy of more glorie then Moyses inasmuch as he which hath buylded the house hath more honour then the house 4 For euery house is buylded of some man But he that buylded all thynges is God 5 And Moyses veryly was faythfull in al his house as a minister for a witnesse of those thynges whiche were to be spoken after 6 But Christe as a sonne hath rule ouer his owne house whose house are we yf we holde fast the confidence and the reioycyng of that hope vnto the ende 7 Wherfore as the holy ghost saith To day yf ye wyll heare his voyce 8 Harden not your heartes as in the prouokyng in the day of the temptation in the wyldernesse 9 Where your fathers tempted me proued me and sawe my workes .xl. yeres 10 Wherfore I was greeued with that generation and sayde they do alway erre in heart they veryly haue not knowen my wayes 11 So that I sware in my wrath yf they shall enter into my rest 12 Take heede brethren lest at any tyme there be in you an euyll heart of vnbeliefe to depart from the lyuyng God 13 But exhort ye one another dayly whyle it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceytfulnesse of sinne 14 For we are made partakers of Christe yf we kepe sure vnto the ende the begynnyng of the substaunce 15 So long as it is said to day yf ye wyll heare his voyce harden not your heartes as in the prouokyng 16 For some when they had hearde dyd prouoke howe be it not all that came out of Egypt by Moyses 17 But with whom was he displeased fourtie yeres Not with them that had sinned whose carkases fell in the desert 18 And to whō sware he that they should not enter into his rest but vnto them that were not obedient 19 And we see that they coulde not enter in because of vnbeliefe The .iiij. Chapter 2 The worde without fayth is vnprofitable 3 The Sabboth or rest of the Christians 6 Punishment of vnbeleuers 12 The nature of the worde of God 1 LEt vs feare therfore lest at any tyme by forsakyng the promise of entryng into his reste any of you shoulde be defrauded 2 For vnto vs was the Gospell preached aswell as vnto them But the worde whiche they hearde dyd not profite them not beyng coupled with fayth to them that hearde 3 For we which haue beleued do enter into his rest as he sayde Euen as I haue sworne in my wrath if they shal enter into my rest Although the workes were made perfecte from the foundation of the worlde 4 For he spake in a certayne place of the seuenth daye on this wyse And God dyd rest the seuenth daye from all his workes 5 And in this place againe yf they shall enter into my rest 6 Seing therfore it foloweth that some must enter there into and they to whō the Gospell was first preached entred not therin for vnbeliefe 7 Againe he appoynteth a certaine day by to day saying in Dauid after so long a tyme as it is sayde To day yf ye wyl heare his voyce hardē not your hearts 8 For yf Iesus had geuen them reste then woulde he not afterwarde haue spoken of another day 9 There remayneth therfore yet a rest to the people of God 10 For he that is entred into his rest hath ceassed also from his owne workes as God dyd from his 11 Let vs studie therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same ensample of disobedience 12 For the worde of God is quicke and myghtie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and entreth thorowe euen vnto the deuydyng a sunder of the soule the spirite and of the ioyntes the marie and is a discerner of the thoughtes and of the intentes of the heart 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in the syght of hym But all thinges are naked and open vnto the eyes of hym of whom we speake 14 Seyng then that we haue a great hye priest which is entred into heauens Iesus the sonne of God let vs holde faste the confession 15 For we haue not an hye priest whiche
sense but by the worde and spirite of God Or of the children of men 〈…〉 v. b. Or praised (a) He speaketh here accordyng to the iudgement of y e fleshe which can not well abyde persecution and trouble (b) The more perfect that y e worke is the more it is enuied of the wicked (c) For idlenesse destroyeth hym selfe (d) Mutuall societie is both comfortable necessarie for a mans lyfe “ Or and wyll not receaue admonition Gen. xii b. 1. Reg. 16. c. (e) Men seke rather to plese and to come in to fauour with hym that shall succeede into the place of honour then with him that doth occupie the present estate (f) The people wyll not be long pleased with hym that occupieth the place of honour (g) We must direct our fayth prayer and workes by the worde of God and not by a blinde or wicked intent (a) Be not rashe in speakyng of the maiestie of God or in vowyng and praying to God Deu. xx ii e Baruc. vi c. (b) We ought to vowe those thynges the which tendeth to the glory of God which are in our power to perfourme (c) In promising that which thou 〈◊〉 not able to perfourme Or by inteâ—rate eatyng drynkyng â–ª or by saying that you sinned not voluntarily but of necessitie makyng God the aucthour of sinne (d) Dreames are not to be credited but God is to be feared (e) Meanyng that God will redresse these thynges and therfore we must depende vpon hym (f) The decay of husbandry is the decay of the prince (g) A plague of the coueâ—ous man Iob. i d. 1. 〈◊〉 vi b. (h) That is in vayne and without profite (i) Man by reason can comprehende nothyng better in this life then to vse the gyftes of God soberly and comfortably for to knowe farther is a speciall gyft of God reuealed by his spirite (a) The wicked couetous man by many kynde of offences wanteth y e honour of a christian mans buryal either by murtheryng hym selfe or by such other kynde of offence (b) That is to death meanyng that he is nothyng better then the vntimely fruite “ Or for his mouth (c) That is that he knoweth howe to vse his riches well in the iudgement of the wyse (d) It is better to be content with that God hath geuen thâ—â— to folowe 〈…〉 wyll beâ—fied (f) That is with God who wyll teache hym that he is mortall Prou. xxii a Canti i. a. (a) Because that this corporall death is the entring in to life euerlasting (b) The house of mourning put vs in mind of death and so to examine and amende our liues (c) The heart of a sinner is sooner refourmed by an angrie countenaunce then by a smiling Prou. xvii a (d) Thornes in the fire crackleth for a whyle but they are soone gone out (e) Good dayes are not to be esteemed by prosperitie but by vertue and true religion as the dayes of Christe are better then the former dayes of Moyses (f) No man can make him see or go whoÌ„ God hath appointed to be borne blinde or 〈◊〉 (g) That no man can finde fault with Gods doinges (h) Meaning that the cruel tirauntes put the innocent to death spare the wicked (i) Folow not thy good intent in those thinges which be contrary to Gods commaundement or punishe not euery light fault with extremitie (k) Be not wyse in thyne owne conceipt (l) Depart quickly from that that is wicked (m) Take heede of these admonitions iii. Re. viii c. ii Par. vi g. Prou. xx d. i. Iohn i. d. Iob. xxviii c Prou. vii d. (n) A shrewde woman is escaped only by the grace of God Or my soule seeketh (o) Solomon hauing a thousande wiues founde not one that was perfectly good (p) And so are cause of their owne destruction (a) That is getteth to him fauour “ Or strength (b) Withdraw not thy selfe lightly from the kynges obedience Iob. xi b. Leu. xviii a. (c) As commeth often tymes to tirauntes and wicked rulers d That is the vngodly hath ben praysed after their buriall (e) That is the holy men after their buriall grow out of memorie (f) Where â—uâ—tice is delayed there sinne raigneth (g) Thâ—s he speaketh in the person of a carnall man By 〈◊〉 outwarde thing in this life no man knoweth whether he is loued or hated of God (b) Prosperitie and aduersitie commeth in this life as well to the godly as to the wicked (c) This prouerbe is the saying of the Epicures the whiche beleueth not the immortalitie of the soule (d) Repentaunce after this life is to late and vnprofitable (e) The wicked flatter them selues to be in Gods fauour whatsoeuer they do for that they do abounde in prosperitie Math. vi b. Prou. v. c. (f) There is no tyme of working or repentaunce after this life (g) Thus the wicked worldlinges are deceaued attributing to fortune the which is ordered by the secrete prouidence of god for that the rewarde according to mens doinges is not in this life but chiefly in the life to come (h) A prayse of wyse men “ Or hearde Sâ—pi vi a. i. Reg xvii e ii Re. xxii c. (a) A wyse man doth thinges aptly and with good consideration but a foole doth contrary Or and beyng a foole hym self esteemeth all other men as â—ooles Rom. xii b. (b) Riche in wysdome and vertue “ Or the earth Pro. xxvi d. Eccl. xxvii d (c) Arte helpeth nature (d) The foolishe wyll discusse high mâ—ters and know not his owne duetie (e) A chylde in affection and maners and voyde of graue counselâ— Psal ciiii b. (f) Treason can not be wrought so secretly but it wil be knowen (a) Be liberall to the poore though it seeme to be cast into the sea yet it shall profite thee at the last (b) Distribute thy almes to any that haue neede without respect of persons In what state man dyeth in that shal he be iudged at the latter day of iudgement (c) So behaue thy selfe in all worldly affayres that thou remember alwayes the counte that thou must make to God for the same at the day of iudgement (a) The handes (b) The thighes (c) The teeth (d) The eyes (e) The mouth (f) The châ—wes (g) At the crowing of the â—ocke (h) The eares (i) When he shal be afraide to climbe (k) Of stumbling (l) The white head (m) When he shal be able to beare no burden n His graue (o) Lamenting the dead (p) The marowe in the backe bone (q) The yelowe skinne that couereth the brayne (r) The two great vaynes (Å¿) The liuer (t) The head (u) The heart Eccle. i. a. Hebr. iiii c. (x) Auctoures of gatheringes he calleth wise men because they gather the sayinges of the wiser â–ª sort of men in their booke (a) The Churche desireth y e peace of Christe (b) Christes mercy to set foorth by preaching The maydens that is they that are pure in heart (d) Priuie chaumber that is his secretes