that maried wyues of Asdod Ammon and of Moab and their children spake halfe in the speache of Asdod and coulde not speake in y e Iewish language but by y e tonge mighte a mā perceaue euery people And I reproued them and cursed them smote certayne men of thē and plucte them vp and toke an ooth of them by God Ye shal not geue youre daughters vnto their sonnes nether shal ye take their daughters vnto youre sonnes or for youre selues Dyd not Salomon y e kynge of Israel synne ther in yet amonge many Heythen was there no kynge like him he was deare vnto his God and God made him kynge ouer all Israel and the outlandish wemen And one of the children of Ioiada the sonne of Eliasib y e hye prest had made a cōtracte wyth Saneballath the Horonite but I chaced him fro me O my God thynke thou vpon them that are quyte of the presthode and haue desyled the couenaunt of the presthode and of the Leuites Thus clensed I them from all soch as were outlandish and appoynted the courses of the prestes and Leuites euery one to his office and to offre the wod at tymes appoynted and the first frutes Thynke thou vpon me O my God for the best The ende of the seconde boke of Eszdras otherwyse called the boke of Nehemias The boke of Hester What this boke conteyneth Chap. I. Ahasuerus maketh a greate feast to his lordes and prynces calleth for Vasthi the quene she commeth not therfore is she deposed from the kyngdome Chap. II. Amonge the daughters Hester pleaseth the kynge Mardocheus geueth the kynge warnynge of his harme Chap. III. Amā is greate with the kynge hateth Mardocheus that wil not worshippe him and cōmaundeth to slaye all the Iewes Chap. IIII. Greate heuynes amonge the Iewes Chap. V. Hester cōmeth before the kynge and byddeth him and Aman to a feast Aman maketh a galowe for Mardocheus Chap. VI. Mardocheus is recompensed for his frendshippe shewed vnto the kynge Chap. VII Hester prayeth for hir people Aman is hanged on the galowe that he had prepared for Mardocheus Chap. VIII The kynge geueth Amās house vnto the quene and at hir request he causeth Amās wrytinges to be called agayne Chap. IX Amans sonnes are hanged also and many enemyes slayne The Iewes kepe a ioyfull feast Chap. X. Of the auctorite of Mardocheus vnder the kynge The first Chapter IN the tyme of Ahasuerus which reigned from India vnto Ethiopia ouer an hundreth and seuen and twentye londes what tyme as he sat on his seate roiall in the castell of Susan in the thirde yeare of his reigne he made a feast vnto all his prynces and seruauntes namely vnto the mihgtie men of Persia and Media to the Debities and rulers of his countrees that he mighte shewe the noble riches of his kingdome and the glorious worshippe of his greatnesse many dayes longe euen an hundreth and foure score dayes And whan these dayes were expyred the kynge made a feast vnto all the people that were in the castell of Susan both vnto greate and small seuen dayes longe in the courte of the garden by the kynges palace where there hanged whyte reed yalow clothes fastened with coardes of lynnen and scarlet in siluer rynges vpon pylers of Marble stone The benches were of golde and siluer made vpon a pauement of grene white yalow◠and black Marble And y e drinke was caried in vessels of golde and there was euer chaunge of vessell And the kinges wine was moch acordynge to the power of the kynge And no man was appoynted what he shulde drinke for the kynge had commaunded all the officers of his house that euery one shulde do as it lyked him And the quene Vasthi made a feast also for the wemen in the palace of Ahasuerus And on the seuenth daye whan the kynge was mery of the wine he cōmaunded Mehuman Bistha Harbona Bigtha Abagtha Sethar and Charcas the seuen chamberlaynes that dyd seruyce in the presence of kynge Ahasuerus to fetch the quene Vasthi with the crowne regall that he might shewe y e people and prynces hir fairnesse for she was bewtifull But the quene Vasthi wolde not come at the kynges worde by his chamberlaynes Then was the kynge very wroth and his indignaciō kyndled in him And the kynge spake to y e wyse men that had vnderstondinge in the ordinaunces of the londe for the kinges matters must be hādled before all soch as haue knowlege of the lawe and iudgment And the nexte vnto him were Charsena Sethar Admatha Tharsis Meres Marsena and Memuchan the seuen prynces of the Persiās and Meedes which sawe the kynges face and satt aboue in the kyngdome What lawe shulde be execute vpon the quene Vasthi because she dyd not acordynge to the worde of the kynge by his chamberlaines Thē saide Memuchā before the kynge the prynces The quene Vasthi hath not onely done euell agaynst the kinge but also agaynst all the prynces and all the people in all the londes of kynge Ahasuerus for this dede of the quene shall come abrode vnto all wemen so that they shall despyse their huszbandes before their eyes and shall saye The kynge Ahasuers cōmaunded Vasthi y e quene to come before him but she wolde not And so shall the pryncesses in Persia and Media saye lykewyse vnto all the kynges prynces whan they heare of this dede of the quene thus shall there aryse despytefulnes and wrath ynough Yf it please the kynge let there go a kyngly commaundemēt from him and let it be wrytten acordynge to the lawe of the Persians and Median◠and not to be transgressed that Vasthi come nomore before kynge Ahasuerus and let the kynge geue the kyngdome vnto another that is better then she And y t this wrytinge of the kynge which shal be made be published thorow out all his empyre which is greate that all wyues maye holde their huszbandes in honoure both amonge greate and smal This pleased the kynge and the prynces and the kynge dyd acordynge to the worde of Memuchan Then were there letters sent forth in to all the kynges londes in to euery londe acordinge to the wrytinge ther of and to euery people after their lāguage y t euery man shulde be lorde in his awne house And this caused he be spoken after the language of his people The II Chapter AFter these actes whan the displeasure of kynge Ahasuerus was layed he thoughte vpon Vasthi what she had done and what was concluded concernynge her Then sayde the kynges seruauntes Let there be fayre yonge virgins soughte for the kynge and let the kynge appoynte ouerseers in all y e londes of his empyre that they maye brynge together all fayre yonge virgins vnto the castel of Susan to the Wemens buyldinge vnder the hande of Hegai the kynges clamberlayne that kepeth the wemen and let him geue them their apparell And loke which damsell pleaseth the kynge let her be quene in Vasthis steade This
acordinge as I promysed thy father Dauid and sayde Thou shalt not wante a man from the seate of Israel But yf ye turne back fro me ye and youre childreÌ„ and kepe not my commaundementes and ordinaunces which I haue layed before you but go and serue other goddes and worshipe them then wyll I rote Israel out of the londe that I haue geuen them And the house that I haue halowed vnto my name wyll I put awaye fro my face And Israel shall be come a byworde and fabell amoÌ„ge all nacions and so shal this hye house so that euery one y t goeth by shall be astonyed and make an hyssynge and saye Wherfore hath the LORDE done thus vnto this londe and to this house Then shal it be answered Because they forsoke y e LORDE their God which brought their fathers out of the londe of Egipte and haue receaued other goddes and worshipped them and serued them Therfore hath y e LORDE brought all this euell vpon them Now whan the twentye yeares were ended wherin Salomon buylded the two houses the LORDES house and the kynges house where vnto Hiram the kynge of Tyre brought SalomoÌ„ Ceder trees Pyne trees and golde after all his desyre then gaue kynge Salomon vnto Hiram twentye cities in the countre of Galile And Hiram departed from Tyre to vyset the cities which Salomon had geuen him they pleased him not and he sayde What maner of cities are these my brother that thou hast geueÌ„ me And he called them the londe of Cabul vnto this daye And Hiram sent vnto the kynge sixe score hundreth weight of Golde And the same is the summe of the taxe that kynge Salomon raysed to the buyldinge of the house of the LORDE and his awne house Millo and the walles of Ierusalem and Hasor and Megiddo and Gaser For Pharao y e kynge of Egipte came vp and waÌ„ne Gaser brent it with fyre slewe the Cananites y t dwelt in the cite gaue it for a gifte vnto his doughter SalomoÌ„s wife So Salomon buylded Gaser the lower Bethoron and Baelath and Thamar in y e wyldernes in the londe all the cities of the corne houses that Salomon had and all the cities of the charettes all the cities of the horsmen and what it pleased him to buylde at Ierusalem in Libanus in euery countre of his domynion And all the remnaunt of the people of the Amorytes Hethites Pheresites Henites and Ieâ—usites which were not of the children of Israel their children which they lefte behynde them in the londe whom the children of Israel coulde not vtterly destroye those dyd Salomon make tributaries vnto this daye But of the children of Israel he made no bondmen but let them be men of warre and his seruauntes and prynces and knightes and ouer his charettes and horsmeÌ„ And the officers which were ouer Salomons busynesse were fyue hundreth and fyftye which ruled the people and perfourmed the worke And Pharaos doughter wente vp from the cite of Dauid in to hir house which he had buylded for her Then buylded he Millo likewyse And thre tymes in the yeare dyd Salomon offre burnt offerynges and deed offerynges vpon the altare that he had buylded vnto the LORDE and burnt incense vpon it before the LORDE and so was the house ended and fynished And Salomon made shippes also at Ezeon Geber which lyeth by Eloth besyde the Reed See shorâ— in y e londe of the Edomites And Hiram sent his seruauntes by shippe which were shipmen and had experience of the See with Salomons seruauntes and they came vnto Ophir and fetched from thence one twenty score hundreth weight of golde and bâ—ought it vnto Salomon The X. Chapter ANd whan kynge Salomons fame of the name of the LORDE came to the eares of the Quene of riche Arabia she came to proue him with darke sentences And she came to Ierusalem with a maruelous greate trayne with camels which bare spyces and moch golde and precious stones And whan she came in to kynge Salomon she spake vnto him all that was in hir hert And Salomon tolde her euery thinge and the kynge had nothinge in secrete but he tolde it her But whan the Quene of riche Arabia sawe all the wyszdome of Salomon and the house that he had buylded and the meates of his table and the dwellinges of his seruauntes the offyces of his ministers and their garmentes and his butlers and the burnt offerynges which he offred in the house of the LORDE she wondred exceadingly and coulde no longer refrayne but sayde vnto the kynge It is true that I haue herde in my londe of thy behauoure and of thy wyszdome And I wolde not beleue it tyll I came and sawe it with myne eyes and beholde the halfe hath not bene tolde me Thou hast more wyszdome and good theÌ„ the fame is that I haue herde Happye are thy people and thy seruauntes that allwaie stonde before the and heare thy wyszdome Praysed be the LORDE thy God which had soch a pleasure vnto the that he set the vpon the seate of Israel because he hath allwaye loued Israel and hath set the to be kynge that thou shuldest mantayne iustyce and equyte And she gaue the kynge syxe score hundreth weighte of golde and very moch spyce and precious stones There came neuer so moch spyce thyther as the Quene of riche Arabia gaue vnto kynge Salomon And Hirams shippes which caried golde out of Ophir broughte maruelous moch costly tymber and precious stones from Ophir And of that costly tymber the kynge caused to make pilers in the house of the LORDE and in y e kinges house and harpes and Psalteries for the Musicians There came nomore soch costly tymber nether was it sene vnto this daye And kynge Salomon gaue the quene of riche Arabia all that she desyred and axed besydes that which he gaue her of a frye hande And she returned and departed in to hir lande with hir seruauntes The golde that came to Salomon in one yeare was nyne and thyrtie score hundreth weighte besydes that which came of chapmen marchauntes and Apotecaries and of the nexte kynges and of the mightie men in the londe And kynge Salomon caused to make two hundreth speares of beaten golde sixe hundreth peces of golde put he to euery speare and thre hundreth shyldes of y e best golde euen thre pounde of golde vpon euery shylde And the kynge put them in the house of the wod of Libanus And the kynge made a greate seate of Yuery and ouerlayed it with y e most precious golde And the seate had sixe steppes and y e heade of the seate was rouÌ„de behynde And there were two postes to leane vpoÌ„ on both the sydes of the seate and two lyons stode vpon the leanynge postes and twolue lyons stode vpon the sixe steppes on both the sydes Soch one hath not bene made in eny kyngdome All kynge
SalomoÌ„s drynkynge vessels were of golde and all the vessels in the house of y e wod of Libanus were of pure golde also for syluer was not regarded in Salomons tyme. For the kynges Seeshippe y t sayled vpon the See with y e shippe of Hiram came once in thre yeare and broughte golde syluer Yuery Apes and Pecockes Thus was kynge Salomon greater in riches and wyszdome then all the kynges vpoÌ„ earth And all the worlde desyred to se Salomon that they mighte heare the wyszdome which God gaue him in his hert And they broughte him yearly euery man his present vessels of syluer and golde rayment and harnesse spyces horses and Mules And Salomon broughte charettes and horsmen together so that he had a thousande and foure hundreth charettes and twolue thousande horsmen and those he put in y e charet cities and with the kynge at Ierusalem And the kynge broughte it to passe that there was as moch syluer at IerusaleÌ„ as stones and as many Ceders as there were wylde figge trees in the valleys And SalomoÌ„s horses were broughte out of Egipte and froÌ„ Kena for the kynges marchauntes fetched them from Kena for money And a charet came vp out of Egipte for sixe huÌ„dreth Sycles of Syluer and an horse for an huÌ„dreth and fyftye Thus were they brought also vnto all the kynges of the Hethites and to the kynges of Siria by their handes The XI Chapter BVt kynge Salomon loued many out landish wemen Pharaos doughter and wemen of Moab of AmmoÌ„ of Edom of Sidon and of Heth euen of those nacions that the LORDE spake of vnto the children of Israel Go not ye vnto them and let not them come vnto you they shal surely bowe youre hertes after their goddes Vnto these dyd Salomon enclyne with affeccion And he had seuen hundreth wemen to wyues and thre hundreth concubynes and his wyues turned his hert asyde And whan he was now olde his wyues bowed his hert after straunge goddes so that his hert was not whole with the LORDE his God as was the hert of Dauid his father So Salomon walked after Astaâ—oth the god of the Sidonians and after Malcom the abhominacion of the Ammonites And Salomon dyd y t which displeased the LORDE and folowed not y e LORDE to y e vttemost as dyd his father Dauid TheÌ„ buylded SalomoÌ„ an hie place vnto Chamos the abhominacioÌ„ of y e Moabites vpon the mount that lyeth before IerusaleÌ„ and vnto Moloch the abhominacion of the Ammunites Thus dyd Salomon for all his outlaÌ„dish wyues which brent incense and offred vnto their goddes But the LORDE was wroth at Salomon because his hert was turned asyde from y e LORDE God of Israel which had two tymes appeared vnto him and coÌ„maunded him that he shulde not walke after other goddes and yet kepte he not that the LORDE commaunded him Therfore sayde the LORDE vnto Salomon For so moch as this is done with the and hast not kepte my couenaunt and myne ordinaunces which I commaunded the therfore wyll I also plucke thy kyngdome from the and geue it vnto thy seruaunt Neruertheles in y e tyme will I not do it for thy father Dauids sake but from the hande of thy sonne wyl I plucke it Howbeit I wyl not plucke y e kyngdome cleane awaye One trybe wyll I geue vnto thy sonne for Dauid my seruauntes sake and for Ierusalems sake which I haue chosen And the LORDE raysed vp an aduersary vnto Salomon euen Hadad the Edomite of the kynges sede which was in Edom. For whan Dauid was in Edom and Ioab the chefe captayne wente vp to bury the slayne he smote all the males in Edom. For Ioab remayned there sixe monethes and all Israel tyl he had roted out all y e males that were in Edom. Then fled Hadad and certayne men of y e Moabites with him of his fathers seruauntes As for Hadad he was a yonge man And they gat them vp fro Madian and came vnto Paran and toke men with them out of Paran and came in to Egipte vnto Pharao the kynge of Egipte which gaue him an house and certayne vytales appoynted gaue him a countre And Adad founde greate fauoure in the sighte of Pharao so that he gaue him to wife euen the sister of his owne wife Thaphenes the Quene And Thaphenes sister bare him Genubath his sonne and Thaphenes norished him vp in Pharaos house in so moch that Genubath was in Pharaos house amonge Pharaos children Now whaÌ„ Hadad herde in Egipte that Dauid was falleÌ„ on slepte with his fathers and y t Ioab the chefe captayne was deed he sayde vnto Pharao Let me go in to my countre Pharao sayde vnto him What lackest thou with me that thou wilt go in to thy countre He sayde Nothynge but yet let me go God raysed him vp another aduersary also one Reson the sonne of El Iada which fled from his lorde Hadad Eser kynge of Zeba and gathered men agaynst him and was a captayne of the men of warre whan Dauid slewe them and they wente vnto Damascus and dwelt there and reigned at Damascus and he was Israels aduersary as loÌ„ge as Salomon lyued This is the harme y t Hadad suffred therfore had he euell will at Israel and was kynge ouer Israel Morouer Ieroboam the sonne of Nebatan Ephraite Salomons seruaunt and his mothers name was Zeruga a wedowe lifte vp his hande also agaynst the kynge And this is the cause wherfore he lifte vp his hande agaynst the kynge Whan Salomon buylded Millo he shut vp a gappe in the cite of Dauid his father And Ieroboam was a maÌ„ of armes And whan Salomon sawe that it was a mete yonge man he set him ouer all the burthens of the house of Ioseph But at the same tyme it fortuned that Ieroboam wente out from Ierusalem and the prophet Ahias of Silo founde hâ—m by the waye and he had a new cloke vpon him and they two were alone in the felde And Ahia toke holde of the new cloke y t he had on and rente the same in to twolue peces and sayde vnto Ieroboam Take thou ten peces vnto the. For thus sayeth the LORDE God of Israel Beholde euen thus wyll I rente the kyngdome from the hande of SalomoÌ„ and wyll geue the ten trybes One trybe shall he haue for my seruaunt Dauids sake and because of the cyte of Ierusalem which I haue chosen out of all the trybes of Israel for they haue forsaken me and worshipped Astaroth the god of the Sidonians Chamos the god of the Moabites and MalcoÌ„ the god of the children of Ammon and haue not walked in my wayes to fulfill my pleasure myne ordinaunces and lawes as dyd Dauid his father Notwithstondynge I wyll not take the whole kyngdome from out of his hande but wil make him a prynce as longe as helyueth for my seruaunt Dauids sake whom I dyd chose which kepte my commaundementes ordinaunces From out of the hande of his sonne
of the kynges children he sayde Laye them vpon two heapes at the dore of the porte tyll tomorow And on the morow whan he wente forth he stode and sayde vnto all the people Are ye righteous Beholde I haue made an appoyntmeÌ„t against my lorde and slayne him who hath slayne all these then Vnderstonde ye now therfore that there is not fallen vpon the earth one worde of the LORDE which he spake agaynst the house of Achab and the LORDE hath done euen as he sayde by his seruaunt Elias So Iehu smote all the remnaunt of the house of Achab at Iesrael all his greate men his kynsfolkes and his prestes tyll there was not one lefte ouer And he gat him vp wente his waye and came to Samaria By the waye there was a shepherdes house where Iehu founde the brethren of Ochosias kynge of Iuda and sayde Whence are ye They sayde We are Ochosias brethren and are goynge downe to salute the kynges children and the quenes children He sayde Take them alyue And they toke them alyue and slewe them by the welles syde at the shepherdes house euen two and fortye men and let not one of them remayne And whan he wente from thence he fouÌ„de Ionadab y e sonne of Rechab which met him saluted him And he sayde vnto him Is thyne hert righte as myne hert is with thyne hert Ionadab sayde Yee Yf it be so sayde he then geue me thy hande And he gaue him his hande And so he caused him to syt besyde him in the charet and saide Come with me and se my zele for the LORDE And they caryed him with him vpon his charet And whan he came to Samaria he smote all that remayned of Achab at Samaria tyll he had destroyed him acordynge to the worde of the LORDE which he spake vnto Elias And Iehu gathered all the people together and saide vnto them Achab did Baal but litle seruyce Iehu wyll serue him better Call vnto me now therfore all Baals prophetes all his seruauÌ„tes and all his prestes that there be none wantynge for I haue a greate sacrifyce to do vnto Baal Who so euer is myssed shal not lyue But Iehu dyd it craftely that he mighte destroye all the mynisters of Baal And Iehu sayde Sanctifie y e feast vnto Baal and proclame it And Iehu sent in to all Israel and caused all Baals ministers to come so that there was nomaÌ„ lefte behynde which came not And they came in to Baals house so that the house of Baal was full from one corner to another Then sayde he vnto him that had the rule of the vestrye Brynge forth rayment for all Baals mynisters And he broughte forth the rayment And Iehu wente in to Baals house with Ionadab the sonne of Rechab and sayde vnto Baals mynisters Search and se that there be not here amoÌ„ge you eny mynyster of the LORDE but onely Baals mynisters And whan they came in to offer sacrifyces and burnt offerynges Iehu appoynted him foure score men without sayde Yf eny of these men escape whom I delyuer vnder youre handes then shal the same mans soule be for his soule Now whaÌ„ he had made an ende of the burnt offerynge Iehu sayde vnto the fotemen and knyghtes Go in smyte euery man let noman go forth And they smote theÌ„ with the edge of the swerde And the fote men and knightes threw theÌ„ awaie and weÌ„te vnto the cite of Baals house and brought forth the piler in y e house of Baal and brent it and brake downe Baals pyler with the house of Baal and made a preuy house therof vnto this daie â—hus Iehu destroyed Baal out of Israel But Iehu lefte not of from the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat which caused Israel to synne namely from the golden calues at Bethel and at Dan. And the LORDE sayde vnto Iehu Because thou hast bene wyllinge to do that which was righte in my sighte hast done vnto Achabs house all that was in my hert therfore shall thy children syt vpon y e seate of Israel vnto the fourth generacion Neuerthelesse Iehu was not diligent to walke in the lawe of the LORDE God of Israel with all his hert for he lefte not of froÌ„ the synnes of Ieroboam which made Israel to synne At the same time beganne the LORDE to be greued at Israel For Hasael smote them in all the borders of Israel from Iordane Eastwarde and all the londe Gilead of the Gaddites Rubenites and Manassytes from Aroer that lyeth on the ryuer by Arnon and Gilead and Basan What more there is to saye of Iehu and all that he dyd and all his power beholde it is wryten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Israel And Iehu fell on slepe with his fathers they buryed him in Samaria And Ioahas his sonne was kynge in his steade The tyme that Iehu reigned ouer Israel is eight and twentye yeares at Samaria The XI Chapter AThalia the mother of Ochosias whaÌ„ she sawe that hir sonne was deed gat her vp and destroyed all the kynges sede But Ioseba kynge Iorams doughter the syster of Ochosias toke Ioas the sonne of Ochosias and stale him awaye with his norse in the chamber from amonge the kynges children which were slayne and she hyd him from Athalia so that he was not slayne And he was hyd with her in the house of the LORDE sixe yeares But Athalia was quene in the londe Neuertheles in the seuenth yeare sent Ioiada and toke the rulers ouer huÌ„dreds with the captaynes and fote men and caused theÌ„ to come to him in to the house of the LORDE and made a couenaunt with them and toke an ooth of them in the house of the LORDE and shewed them the kynges sonne and coÌ„maunded them and sayde This is it that ye shall do One thirde parte of you which enter on the Sabbath shall kepe the watch in the kynges house and one thyrde parte shal be at the porte of Sur and one thirde parte shal be at y e porte which is behynde the fote men and ye shal kepe the watch at the house of Massa. But two partes of you all that go of on the Sabbath shal kepe the watch in the house of the LORDE aboute the kinge and ye shall get you rounde aboute y e kynge and euery one with his weapen in his hande and who so euer coÌ„meth within y e wall let him die so that ye be with the kinge whaÌ„ he goeth out and in And the rulers ouer the hundreds dyd all as Ioiada the prest had commauÌ„ded them and toke vnto them their men which entred vpon the Sabbath with those that wente of on the Sabbath and came to Ioiada y e prest And the prest gaue the captaynes speares and shyldes which had bene kynge Dauids and were in the house of the LORDE And the fote men stode aboute the kynge euery one with his weapen in his hande froÌ„ the corner on the
brasen altare that Salomon made might not conteyne all the burnt offeringes meat offerynges and the fat And at the same tyme helde Salomon a feast seuen daies longe and all Israel with him a very greate congregacion from Hemath vnto the ryuer of Egipte and on the eight daye helde he a conuocacion For the dedicacion of the altare helde they seuen daies and the feast seuen dayes also But on the thre and twentyeth daye of the seuenth moneth he let the people go vnto their tentes ioyfull and with mery hertes because of all the good that the LORDE had done vnto Dauid vnto Salomō and to his people of Israel * Thus fynished Salomō the house of y e LORDE and the kinges house and all y t came in his hert to make in the house of the LORDE and in his awne house prosperously And the LORDE appeared vnto Salomon in the nighte season and sayde vnto him I haue herde thy prayer and chosen this place vnto my selfe for an house of sacrifyce Beholde whan I shut the heauē so y t it raine not or commaunde the greshopper to cōsume the londe or cause a pestilence to come amonge my people to humble my people which is named after my name and yf they praye and seke my face and turne from their euell wayes thē wyl I heare them from heauen and wyll forgeue their sinne and heale their londe So shal myne eyes now be open and myne eares shal be attente vnto prayer in this place Thus haue I now chosen this house and sanctifyed it that my name maye be there for euer and myne eyes and my hert shal allwaye be there And yf thou walke before me as thy father Dauid walked so that thou do all that I commaunde the and kepe myne ordinaūces and lawes then wyll I stablishe the seate of thy kyngdome acordynge as I promysed thy father Dauid and sayde Thou shalt not wante a man to be lorde ouer Israel But yf ye turne backe and forsake myne ordynaunces and commaundemētes which I haue layed before you and so go youre waye and serue other goddes and worshippe them thē wyll I rote you out of my londe that I haue geuen you and this house which I haue sanctifyed vnto my name wil I cast awaye out of my presence and geue it ouer to be a byworde and fabell amōge all nacions And euery one that goeth by shall be astonnyed at this hye house and shall hysse at it and saye Wherfore hath the LORDE dealte thus with this londe and with this house Then shall it be sayde Euen because they haue forsaken the LORDE God of their fathers which brought them out of the londe of Egipte haue cleued vnto other goddes worshipped them and serued thē therfore hath he brought all this euell vpon thē The VIII Chapter ANd after twentye yeares wherin Salomon buylded the house of the LORDE and his awne house he buylded the cyties also which Hiram gaue vnto Salomon and caused the children of Israel to dwell therin And Salomon wente vnto Hemath Zoba and made it stronge and buylded Thadmor in the wyldernes and all the cornecyties which he buylded in Hemath He buylded the vpper and lower Bethoron likewyse so that they were stronge cities w t walles portes and barres And Baelath and all the cornecites which Salomon had and all the cities of the charettes and of the horse men and all that Salomon had lust to buylde both at Ierusalem and vpon Libanus and in all the londe of his domynion All the remnaunt of the people of the Hethites Amorites Pheresites Heuites and Iebusites which were not of the children of Israel and their children which they had lefte behynde them in the londe whom the children of Israel had not vtterly destroied those dyd Salomon make trybutaries vnto this daye As for the children of Israel Salomon made no bondmen of them vnto his worke but they were men of warre and chefe captaynes and ouer his charettes horsmen And the chefe of kynge Salomons officers were two hundreth and fyftie which ruled the people And Salomon caused Pharaos doughter to be fetched vp out of the cite of Dauid in to the house that he had buylded for her for he sayde My wyfe shall not dwell in the house of Dauid the kynge of Israel for it is sanctifyed in as moch as y e Arke of the LORDE is come in to it Then offred Salomon burnt offerynges vnto the LORDE vpon the LORDES altare which he had buylded before the porche euery one vpon his daye to offre after the cōmaundement of Moses on the Sabbathes Newmones at the appoynted seasons of the yeare euen thre tymes namely in y e feast of vnleuended bred in the feast of wekes in the feast of Tabernacles And he set the prestes in ordre to their ministracion acordynge as Dauid his father had appoynted and the Leuites in their offyces to geue thankes and to mynister in the presence of the prestes euery one vpon his daye And the dorekepers in their courses euery one at his dore for so had Dauid the mā of God commaunded And they departed not from the kynges commaundement ouer the prestes and Leuites in euery matter and in the treasures Thus was all Salomons busynesse made ready from the daye that the foundacion of the LORDES house was layed tyll it was fynished so that the house of the LORDE was all prepared Then wente Salomon vnto Ezeon Geber and vnto Eloth by the See syde in the londe of Edomea And Hiram sent him shippes by his seruauntes which had knowlege of the See and they wente with Salomōs seruauntes vnto Ophir and fetched from thence foure hundreth and fyftye talentes of golde and broughte it vnto kynge Salomon The IX Chapter ANd whan the quene of rich Arabia herde the fame of Salomon she came with a very greate tryne to Ierusalem with Camels that bare spyces and golde and precious stones to proue Salomon with darke sentences And whan she came vnto Salomon she spake vnto him all that she had deuysed in hir mynde And the kynge tolde her all hir matters Salomon had nothinge in secrete but he tolde it her And whan the Quene of riche Arabia sawe the wyszdome of Salomon and y e house that he had buylded the meates of his table the dwellinges of his seruauntes y e offices of his mynisters and their garmentes his butlers and their apparell and his parler where he wente vp in to the house of the LORDE she coulde no longer refrayne And she sayde vnto the kynge It is true that I haue herde in my londe of thy behaue oure and of thy wyszdome howbeit I wolde not beleue their wordes tyll I came my selfe sawe it with myne eyes and beholde the halfe of thy greate wyszdome hath not bene tolde me there is more in y e then the fame that I haue herde Happye are thy men and happie are these thy seruauntes
y t allwaye stonde before the and heare thy wyszdome Praysed be the LORDE thy God which had soch pleasure vnto the that he hath set the vpon his seate to be kynge vnto the LORDE thy God Because thy God loueth Israel to set them vp for euer therfore hath he ordeyned y t to be kynge ouer them that thou shuldest mayntayne iustice and equyte And she gaue y e kynge an hundreth and twentye talentes of golde very moch spyce precious stones There were no mo soch spyces as these that the Quene of riche Arabia gaue vnto kynge Salomō And Hirams seruauntes and the seruauntes of Salomon which broughte golde from Ophir broughte costly tymber also precious stones And of the same costly tymber dyd Salomon cause to make stares in the house of the LORDE and the kynges house and harpes and psalteries for the Musicians There was no soch tymber sene before in the londe of Iuda But kynge Salomon gaue the Quene of riche Arabia all that she desyred and axed moch more then she had broughte vnto the kynge And she returned and departed in to hir londe with hir seruauntes The golde that was broughte vnto Salomon in one yeare was sixe hundreth and sixe and thre score talentes besydes that y e chap men and marchauntes broughte And all the kynges of the Arabians and the lordes in y e londe broughte golde and syluer vnto Salomon Of the which kynge Salomon made two hundreth speares of beaten golde so y t sixe hundreth peces of beaten golde came vpō one speare thre hundreth shildes of beaten golde so that thre hundreth peces of beaten golde came to one shylde and the kynge put thē in the house of the wod of Libanus And the kynge made a greate seate of Yuery and ouerlaied it with pure golde and the seate had sixe steppes and a fotestole of golde festened vnto the seate and it had two leanynge postes vpon both the sydes of the seate and two lyons stode beside the leanynge postes and there stode twolue Lions vpō the syxe steppes on both the sides In all realmes hath not soch one bene made And all kynge Salomons drynkynge vessels were of golde and all the vessels of the house of the wod of Libanus were of pure golde for syluer was rekened nothinge in Salomons tyme. For the kynges shippes wente vpon the See with the seruauntes of Hirā came once in thre yeare and brought golde syluer Yuery Apes and Pecockes Thus was kynge Salomon greater then all the kynges vpon earth in riches and wisdome And all the kynges of y e earth desired to se Salomons face and to heare his wysdome which God had geuen him in his hert And they brought him yearly euery mā his present Iewels of siluer and golde raymēt harnesse spyces horses and Mules And Salomon had foure thousande charethorses and twolue thousande horsmen and put them in the charetcities and with the kynge at Ierusalem And he was lorde ouer all the kynges from the water vnto the londe of the Philistynes and to the coaste of Egipte And the kynge brought it so to passe that there was as moch syluer at Ierusalem as stones and as many Ceders as there were Molbery trees in the valleys And there were horses broughte vnto him out of Egipte and out of all countres What more there is to saye of Salomon both of his first and of his last beholde it is writtē in the Cronicles of the prophet Nathan and in the prophecies of Ahia of Silo in y e actes of Ieddithe Seer against Ioroboā y e sonne of Nebat And Salomō reigned at Ierusalē ouer all Israel fortie yeares And Salomon fell on slepe w t his fathers was buried in the cyte of Dauid his father And Roboā his sonne was kīge ī his steade The X. Chapter EOboam wente vnto Sichem for all Israel was come vnto Sichem to make him kinge And whan Ieroboā the sonne of Nebat herde that which was in Egipte whither he was fled for kynge Salomon he came agayne out of Egipte And they sent for him and called him And Ieroboam came with all Israel and spake to Roboam and sayde Thy father made o r yocke greuous make thou lighter now y e harde bondage of thy father and y e heuy yocke that he layed vpon vs and we wyll submytte oure selues vnto the. He sayde vnto them Come to me agayne ouer thre dayes And y e people wente their waye And Roboam the kynge axed coūcell at the Elders which had stonde before Salomon his father whyle he lyued and he sayde What is youre councell that I maye geue this people an answere They spake vnto him and sayde Yf thou be louynge vnto this people and deale gently with them and geue them good wordes then shal they allwaye be obedient vnto the. Neuerthelesse he forsoke the councell of the Elders that they had geuen him and toke councell at y t yonge men which were growne vp w t him and stode before him And he sayde vnto thē What is youre councell that we maye answere this people which haue spoken vnto me and saide Make oure yock lighter y t thy father layed vpon vs The yongemen y t were growne vp with him spake vnto him and sayde Thus shalt thou saye vnto the people that haue talked with the spoken Thy father made oure yock to heuy make thou o r yock lighter Thus shalt thou saye vnto them My litle finger shal be thicker then my fathers loynes Yf my father hath layed an heuy yock vpon you I wyl make youre yock the more My father chastened you w t scourges but I wyl beate you with scorpions Now whan Ieroboam and all the people came to Roboam on the thirde daye acordynge as y e kinge sayde Come to me againe on the thirde daie the kynge gaue thē an harde answere And Roboā the kynge forsoke y e councell of the Elders spake vnto thē after y e yonge mens councell sayde Yf my father haue made yo r yock to heuy I wil make it yet heuyer My father chastened you w t scourges but I wyl beate you w t scorpiōs Thus the kynge folowed not y e peoples minde for so was it determyned of God y t y e LORDE might stablishe his worde which he spake by Ahia of Silo vnto Ieroboā y e sonne of Nebat But whan all Israel sawe that the kynge wolde not consente vnto them ▪ y e people answered the kynge and sayde What porcion haue we then in Dauid or inheritaūce in the sonne of Isai Let euery man of Israel get him to his tent Loke thou now to thy house Dauid And all Israel wente vnto their tentes so that Roboam reigned but ouer the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Iuda And Roboam sent forth Adoram the rent gatherer but the children of Israel stoned him to death And kynge Roboā strengthed himselfe vpon his charet to flye vnto Ierusalem Thus
slewe all his brethrē with the swerde certayne rulers also in Israel Two thirtie yeare olde was Ioram whan he was made kynge reigned eight yeare at Ierusalē walked in the waye of y e kynges of Israel euen as the house of Achab dyd for Achabs doughter was his wife he dyd that which was euell in the sighte of the LORDE Neuertheles y e LORDE wolde not destroie the house of Dauid for the couenauntes sake which he made w t Dauid and acordinge as he had sayde y t he wolde geue him and his children a lanterne for euermore At y e same tyme fell y e Edomites awaye from Iuda and made a kynge ouer them selues for Ioram had gone ouer with his captaynes and all the charettes with him had gotten him vp in the night season and slayne the Edomites on euery syde and the rulers of the charettes therfore fell y e Edomites awaye from Iuda vnto this daye At y e same tyme fell Lybna awaye from him also because he forsoke the LORDE God of his fathers He made hye places also on the mountaynes in Iuda caused them of Ierusalē to go awhorynge and disceaued Iuda But there came a wrytinge vnto him frō the prophet Elias sayenge Thus sayeth the LORDE God of thy father Dauid Because thou hast not walked in the wayes of thy father Iosaphat nether in y e wayes of Asa the kynge of Iuda but walkest in the waye of the kynges of Israel and makest Iuda and them of Ierusalem to go awhorynge after the whordome of the house of Achab and hast slayne thy brethren also of thy fathers house which were better thē thou Beholde the LORDE shal smyte the w t a greate plage on thy people on thy children thy wyues and on all thy substaunce But thou thy selfe shalt haue moch sicknesse in thy bowels tyll thy bowels go forth from daye to daye for very disease So y e LORDE raysed vp agaynst Ioram the sprete of the Philistynes Arabians which lye besyde the Morians and they wente vp in to Iuda and waysted it and caried awaye all the substaunce that was founde in the kynges house his sonnes and his wyues so y t there was not one sonne lefte him saue Ioahas his yōgest sonne And after all this dyd y e LORDE smyte him in his bowels with soch a sicknesse as coulde not be healed And whyle that endured from daye to daye whan the tyme of two yeares was expyred his bowels wente from him w t his sicknesse and he dyed in euell diseases And they made not a burninge ouer him as they dyd vnto his fathers Two and thirtie yeare olde was he whā he was made kynge and reigned eight yeare at Ierusalē and walked not well And they buried him in the cite of Dauid but not amōge the sepulcres of the kynges The XXII Chapter ANd they of Ierusalem made Ochosias his yōgest sonne kynge in his steade for the men of warre that came w t the hoost of the Arabians had slayne all y e first therfore reigned Ochosias the sonne of Ioram kynge of Iuda Two and fortye yeare olde was Ochosias whan he was made kynge and reigned one yeare at Ierusalem His mothers name was Athalia the doughter of Amri And he walked also in y e wayes of the house of Achab for his mother entysed him so y t he was vngodly Therfore dyd he euell in y e sighte of the LORDE euen as y e house of Achab for they were his councell geuers after his fathers death to destroye him and he walked after their councell And he wente with Ioram the sonne of Achab kynge of Israel to the battayll vnto Ramoth in Gilead agaynst Hasael the kynge of Syria But the Syriās smote Ioram so y t he turned back to be healed at Iesreel for he had woundes that were geuen him at Rama whan he foughte with Hasael the kynge of Syria And Asarias the sonne of Ioram kynge of Iuda wēte downe to vyset Ioram y e sonne of Achab at Iesreel which laye sicke For it was ordeyned of God vnto Ochosias that he shulde come to Ioram so to go forth with Ioram agaynst Iehu y e sonne of Nimsi whom the LORDE had anoynted to rote out the house of Achab. Now whan Iehu wolde be auēged of y e house of Achab he founde certayne rulers of Iuda and y e childrē of Ochosias brethren which serued Ochosias and he slewe them And he soughte Ochosias and they ouertoke him whā he had hyd him at Samaria he was broughte vnto Iehu which slewe him and they buried him for they sayde He his the sonne of Iosaphat which soughte y e LORDE with all his hert And there was no man more of the house of Ochosias that mighte be kynge Whan Athalia the mother of Ochosias sawe y t hir sonne was deed she gat hir vp destroyed all the kynges sede in the house of Iuda But Iosabeath y e kynges sister toke Ioas y e sonne of Ochosias and stale him awaye frō amonge the kynges childrē y t were slayne put him with his norse in a chamber Thus Iosabeath kynge Iorams douhgter the wyfe of Ioiada the prest hyd him from Athalia so y t he was not slayne for she was Ochosias sister And he was hyd with them in the house of God sixe yeares for so moch as Athalia was quene in the londe The XXIII Chapter BVt in the seuenth yeare was Ioiada bolde and toke the rulers ouer hundreds namely Asaria y e sonne of Ieraham Ismael y e sonne of Iohanan Asaria y e sonne of Obed Maeseia y e sonne of Adaia and Elisaphat y e sonne of Sichri with him in to the couenaunt and they wente aboute in Iuda and broughte y e Leuites together out of all the cities of Iuda and the chefe fathers of Israel to come vnto Ierusalem And all the cōgregacion made a couenaunt with the kynge in the house of God and he sayde vnto them Beholde the kynges sonne shal be kynge euē as the LORDE spake cōcernynge the children of Dauid This is it therfore y t ye shal do The thirde parte of you that entre on the Sabbath shal be amonge the prestes Leuites which are dorekepers at the thresholdes one thirde parte in the kynges house and one thirde parte at the grounde porte But all the people shal be in the courtes of the house of the LORDE and that no man go in to the house of the LORDE excepte the prestes and Leuites that mynister there they shal go in for they are halowed And let all y e people wayte vpon the LORDE And the Leuites shal get them rounde aboute y e kynge euery one with his weapen in his hande And who so els goeth in to y e house let him dye And they shall be w t the kynge whā he goeth out in And the Leuites all Iuda dyd as Ioiada y
put on a sack cloth aszshes wente out in to the myddes of the cite and cried loude and lamentably and came before the kynges gate for there might no man entre within the kynges gate that had a sack cloth on And in all lōdes places as farre as the kynges worde and commaundement extended there was greate lamentacion amonge the Iewes and many fasted wepte mourned laye in sack clothes in aszshes So Hesters dāsels and hir chamberlaines came and tolde it her Then was the quene exceadingly astonnyed And she sent rayment that Mardocheus shulde put them on and laye the sacklothe from him But Mardocheus wolde not take them Thē called Hester Hathac one of the kinges chamberlaines which stode before her and gaue him a cōmaundement vnto Mardocheus that he might knowe what it were and wherfore he dyd so So Hathac wente forth to Mardocheus vnto the strete of the cite which was before the kynges gate And Mardocheus tolde him of all y t had happened vnto him and of the summe of siluer that Amā had promysed to weie downe in the kynges chamber because of y e Iewes for to destroye them and he gaue him the copye of the commaundement that was deuysed at Susan to destroye them that he mighte shewe it vnto Hester and to speake to her and charge her y t she shulde go in to the kynge and make her prayer and supplicacion vnto him for hir people And whā Hathat came in and tolde Hester the wordes of Mardocheus Hester spake vnto Hathat and cōmaunded him to saye vnto Mardocheus All the kynges seruauntes and the people in the londes of the kynge knowe that who so euer commeth within the courte vnto y e kynge whether it be man or woman which is not called the cōmaundement is that the same shal dye immediatly excepte the kynge holde out the goldē cepter vnto him that he maye lyue As for me I haue not bene called to come in to the kynge now this thirtie dayes And whā Mardocheus was certified of Hesters wordes Mardocheus bad saie againe vnto Hester Thynke not to saue thine awne life whyle thou art in y e kynges house before all Iewes for yf thou holdest thy peace at this tyme then shal the Iewes haue helpe and delyueraunce out of another place thou thy fathers house shal be destroyed And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kyngdome for this tymes sake Hester had geue Mardocheus this answere Go thou y t waye then gather together all y e Iewes y t are founde at Susan fast ye for me y t ye eate not drynke not in thre dayes nether daye ner nighte I my damsels wil fast likewyse so wyl I go in to the kynge cōtrary to the cōmaundement yf I perishe I perishe So Mardocheus wente his waye dyd all y t Hester had cōmaunded him The V. Chapter ANd on the thirde daye put Hester on hir royall apparell and stode in the courte of y e kinges palace within ouer agaynst the kynges house And y e kynge sat vpō his royall seate in y e kynges palace ouer agaynst y e dore of the house And whan the kynge sawe Hester the quene stōdinge in the courte she founde grace in his sighte And y e kynge helde out the goldē cepter in his hāde towarde Hester So Hester stepte forth and touched the toppe of y e cepter Then sayde y e kynge vnto her What wilt thou quene Hester ▪ what requyrest thou axe euē the halfe of y e empyre it shal be geuē the. Hester sayde Yf it please y e kynge let y e kynge Aman come this daye vnto y e banket y t I haue prepared The kynge sayde Cause Aman to make haist y t he maye do as Hester hath saide Now whā the kynge Aman came to y e banket y t Hester had prepared the kynge sayde vnto Hester whan he had dronken wyne Hester what is thy peticion it shal be geuē the. And what requyrest thou euen the halfe of the empyre it shal be done Then answered Hester and sayde My peticion and desire is yf I haue founde grace in y e sight of the kynge yf it please the kinge to geue me my peticion and to fulfill my request then let the kynge Aman come to the bancket y t I shal prepare for thē and so wil I do tomorow as the kynge hath sayde Then wente Aman forth the same daye ioyfull and mery in his mynde And whan he sawe Mardocheus in the kynges gate y t he stode not vp and kneled before him he was full of indignacion at Mardocheus Neuertheles he refrained himselfe and whā he came home he sent and called for his frēdes and Seres his wyfe and tolde them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children all together how the kynge had promoted him so greatly and how that he was taken aboue the prynces and seruauntes of the kynge Aman sayde morouer Ye◠and Hester the quene let no man come with the kynge vnto the bancket that she had prepared excepte me and tomorow am I bidden vnto her also with the kynge But in all this am I not satisfied as longe as I se Mardocheus the Iewe syttinge in y e kynges gate Then sayde Seres his wife and all his frendes vnto him Let thē make a galowe of fiftye cubites hie tomorow speake thou vnto the kynge that Mardocheus maye be hanged theron yf thou cōmest merely with the kynge vnto the bancket Aman was well content withall and caused a galowe to be prepared The VI. Chapter THe same night coulde not the kynge slepe and he commaunded to brynge y e Cronicles and storyes which whā they were red before y e kinge they happened on the place where it was wryttē how Mardocheus had tolde that the kynges two chāberlaynes which kepte y e tresholdes sought to laie hondes on kinge Ahasuerus And the kynge saide What worshippe and good haue we done to Mardocheus therfore Then sayde the kynges seruauntes that mynistred vnto him There is nothinge done for him And the kynge sayde Who is in y e courte for Aman was gone in to y e courte without before y e kinges house y t he might speake vnto y e kinge to hange Mardocheus on y e tre y t he had prepared for him And the kinges seruauntes saide vnto him Beholde Amā stōdeth in the courte The kynge saide Let him come in And whā Amā came in y e kinge saide vnto him What shal be done vnto y e mā whom the kynge wolde fayne brynge vnto worshippe But Hamā thought in his hert Whom shulde the kynge els be glad to brynge vnto worshippe but me And Aman sayde vnto the kynge Let the man vnto whom the kynge wolde be glad to do worshippe be broughte hither that he maye be araied with the royall garmentes which the kynge vseth to weere and the horse that the kynge rydeth vpon and
that the crowne royall maye be set vpon his heade And let this rayment and horse be delyuered vnder the hande of one of the kynges prynces that he maye araye the man withall whom the kynge wolde fayne honoure and cary him vpon the horse thorow the strete of the cite and cause it to be proclamed before him Thus shal it be done to euery man whom the kynge wolde fayne honoure The kynge sayde Make haist and take as thou hast sayde the raymeÌ„t and the horse and do euen so with Mardocheus y e Iewe that sitteth before the kynges gate and let nothinge fayle of all that thou hast spoken Then toke Aman the rayment and the horse and arayed him and broughte him on horszbacke thorow the strete of the cite and proclamed before him Euen thus shall it be done vnto euery man whom the kynge is disposed to honoure And Mardocheus came agayne to the kynges gate but Aman gat him home in all the haist mournynge with bare heade and tolde Seres his wyfe and all his frendes euery thynge that had happened him Then sayde his wise men and Seres his wyfe vnto him Yf it be Mardocheus of the sede of the Iewes before whoÌ„ thou hast begonne to fall thou canst do nothynge vnto him but shalt fall before him Whyle they were yet talkynge with him came the kynges chamberlaynes and caused Aman to make haist to come vnto the bancket that Hester had prepared The VII Chapter ANd whan the kynge and Aman came to the bancket that quene Hester had prepared the kynge sayde vnto Hester on the seconde daye whan he had droÌ„ken wyne What is thy peticion quene Hester that it maye be geuen the And what requyrest thou Yee axe euen halfe of the empyre and it shal 〈◊〉 done Hester y e quene answered and sayde Yf I haue founde grace in thy sighte O kynge and yf it please the kynge then graunte me my lyfe at my desyre and my people for my peticions sake for we are solde to be destroyed to be slayne and to perishe And wolde God we were solde to be bondmen and bondwemen then wolde I holde my tonge so shulde not the enemye be so hye to the kynges harme The kynge Ahasuerus spake saide vnto quene Hester What is he that Or where is he y t darre presume in his mynde to do soch a thinge after that maner Hester sayde The enemye and aduersary is this wicked Aman. As for AmaÌ„ he was exceadingly afraied before y e kynge y e quene And the kynge arose froÌ„ the bancket froÌ„ y e wyne in his displeasure and wente in to the palace garden And Aman stode vp and besoughte quene Hester for his life for he sawe y t there was a mischauÌ„ce prepared for him of the kynge allready And whan the kynge came agayne out of the palace garden in to y e parler where they had eaten Aman had layed him vpon the bed that Hester sat vpon Then saide the kinge wyl he force the quene also besyde me in the house As soone as that worde wente out of the kynges mouth they couered Amans face And Harbona one of the chamberlaynes that stode before the kynge sayde Beholde there stondeth a galowe in AmaÌ„s house fiftie cubytes hye which he had made for Mardocheus that spake good for y e kinge The kynge sayde Hange him theron So they hanged Aman on the galowe that he had made for Mardocheus Then was the kynges wrath stylled The VIII Chapter THe same daye dyd kynge Ahasuerus geue the house of Aman the Iewes enemye vnto quene Hester And Mardocheus came before y e kinge for Hester tolde how that he beloÌ„ged vnto her And the kynge put of his fynger rynge which he had taken from Aman gaue it vnto Mardocheus And Hester set Mardocheus ouer the house of Aman. And Hester spake yet more before the kynge and fell downe at his fete besought him that he wolde put awaye the wyckednes of Aman the Agagite and his deuice that he had ymagined against y e Iewes And the kynge helde out the goldeâ— cepter vnto Hester Then rose Hester and stode before the kynge and sayde Yf it please the kynge and yf I haue fouÌ„de grace in his sight yf it be coÌ„uenyent for the kinge and yf it be accepted in his sighte then let it be wrytteÌ„ y t the letters of the deuyce of AmaÌ„ the sonne of Amadathai the Agagite maie be called agayne which letters he wrote to destroie y e Iewes in all y e kynges loÌ„des For how can I se the euell that shal happeÌ„ vnto my people and how can I loke vpon the destrucâ—ion of my kynred Then sayde y e kynge Ahasuerus vnto quene Hester and to Mardocheus the Iewe Beholde I haue geuen Hester the house of Aman him haue they hanged vpon a tre because he layed haÌ„de vpon y e Iewes Wryte ye now therfore for the Iewes as it liketh you in the kynges name and seale it with y e kynges rynge for the wrytinges that were wrytten in y e kynges name and sealed with the kynges rynge durst no man dysanulle Then were the kynges scrybes called at the same tyme in the thirde moneth that is the moneth Siâ—an on the thre twentieth daie And it was wrytten as Mardocheus coÌ„maunded vnto the Iewes and to the prynces to the Debities and captaynes in the londes from India vntyll Ethiopia namely an hundreth and seuen and twentye londes vnto euery one acordinge to the wrytinge therof vnto euery people after their speche and to the Iewes acordinge to their wrytinge and language And it was written in the kynge Ahasuerus name and sealed with the kynges rynge And by postes that rode vpon swyfte yonge Mules sent he the wrytinges wher in the kynge graunted the Iewes in what cities so euer they were to gather them selues together and to stonde for their lyfe and for to rote out to slaye and to destroye all the power of the people and londe that wolde trouble them with children and wemen and to spoyle their good vpon one daye in all the londes of kynge Ahasuerus namely vpon the thirtenth daye of the twolueth moneth which is the moneth Adar The summe of the wrytinge was how there was a coÌ„maundement geuen in all londes to be publisled vnto all the people that y e Iewes shulde be ready agaynst that daye to auenge them selues on their enemies And the postes that rode vpon the Mules made haist with all spede acordinge to the kynges worde and the commaundement was deuysed in the castel of Susan As for Mardocheus he wente out from the kynge in royall apparell of yalow and whyte and wyth a greate crowne of golde beynge arayed with a garment of linnen and purple and y e cite of Susan reioysed was glad but vnto the Iewes there was come light and gladnesse ioye worshippe And in all londes and cities in to what places so euer the kynges worde and commaundemeÌ„t reached there
my soule why art thou so disquieted withâ—â— me O put thy trust in God for I wil yet gâ—â—ue him thaÌ„kes for y e helpe of his countenaâ—â—ce and because he is my God The XLIII A psalme of y e childreÌ„ of Corah WE haue herde with o r eare 〈◊〉 God o r fathers haue tolde vs what thou hast done in their tyme of olde How thou hast dryueÌ„ out the Heithen w t thy honde plaÌ„ted theÌ„ in how thou hast destroyed the nacions cast theÌ„ out For they gat not the londe in possession thorow their owne swerde nether was it their owne arme that helped them But thy right haÌ„de thyne arme the light of thy countenaunce because thou haddest a fauoure vnto them Thou art y e kinge my God thou sendest helpe vnto Iacob Thorow y e wil we ouer throwe oure enemies in thy name will we treade them vnder that ryse vp agaynst vs. For I will not trust in my bowe it is not my swerde y t shal helpe me But it is thou that sauest vs froÌ„ oure enemies and puttest them to confucion that hate vs. We will allwaye make oure boast of God and prayse thy name for euer Sela. But now thou forsakest vs puttest vs to confucion and goest not forth with oure hoostes Thou makest vs to turne oure backes vpon oure enemies so that they which hate vs spoile oure goodes Thou lettest vs be eaten vp like shepe scatrest vs amonge the Heithen Thou sellest thy people for naught takest no moneye for them Thou makest vs to be rebuked of o r neghbours to be laughed to scorne aud had in derision of them that are rounde aboute vs. Thou hast made vs a very by worde amonge the Heithen that the people shake their heades at vs. My coÌ„fucion is daylie before me the shame of my face couereth me For the voyce of the slaunderer blasphemer for the enemie and auenger All this is come vpon vs yet haue we not forgotten the ner behaued oure selues vnfaithfully in thy couenaunt Oure hert is not turned backe nether oure steppes gone out of thy waye That thou smytesâ— vs so in the place of the serpeÌ„t couerest vs with y e shadowe of death Yf we had forgotten the name of oure God holdeÌ„ vp oure hondes to eny straunge God Shulde â—ot God fynde it out for he knoweth the very secretes of the hert But for thy sake we are kylled all the daie longe and are counted as shepe apoynted to be slayne Vp LORDE why slepest thou â–ª Awake and cast vs not of for euer Wherfore hydest thou thy face wilt thou clene forget oure misery and oppressioÌ„ For oure soule is brought lowe euen vnto the dust and oure bely cleueth vnto the grounde Arise o LORDE helpe vs and delyuer vs for thy mercie sake The XLIIII A psalme of the children of Corah MY hert is dytinge of a good matter I speake of that which I haue made of the kynge My tonge is y e penne of a ready wryter Thou art the fayrest amonge the children of meÌ„ full of grace are thy lippes therfore God blesseth the for euer Gyrde the with thy swerde vpon thy thee o thou mightie with worshipe and renowne Good lucke haue thou with thine honoure ryde on with the treuth mekenesse rightuousnes thy right hoÌ„de shal teach y e woÌ„derfull thinges Thy arowes are sharpe the people shal be subdued vnto the euen in the myddest amonge the kynges enemies Thy seate o God endureth for euer the cepter of thy kyngdome is a right cepter Thou hast loued rightuousnesse hated iniquite wherfore God which is thy God hath anoynted the with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fâ—lowes All thy garmentes are like myrre Aloes Cassia when thou coÌ„mest out of thine yuerie palaces in thy beutifull glory Kynges doughters go in thy goodly araye vpon thy right honde stondeth the quene in a vesture of the most fyne golde Herken o doughter considre enclyne thine eare forget thine owne people thy fathers house So shal the kynge haue pleasure in thy beutie for he is thy LORDE thou shalt worshipe him The doughters of Tyre shal be there with giftes the riche amonge the people shal make their supplicacion before the. The kynges doughter is all glorious within hir clothinge is of wrought golde â–ª She shal be brought vnto the kynge in rayment of nedle worke and maydens after her soch as be next her shal be brought vnto the. With ioye and gladnesse shal they be brought and go into the kynges palace In steade of thy fathere thou hast gotten children whom thou shalt make prynces in all londes I wil remembre thy name from one generacioÌ„ to another therfore shal the people geue thankes vnto the worlde without ende The XLV A psalme of the children of Corah IN oure troubles and aduersite we haue founde that God is oure refuge oure strength and helpe Therfore wil we not feare though the earth fell and though the hilles were caried in to the myddest of the see Though the waters of the see raged were neuer so troublous though the mountaynes shoke at the teÌ„pest of the same Sela. For there is a floude which w t his ryuers reioyseth y e cite of God the holy dwellynge of the most hyest God is in y e myddest of her therfore shall she not be remoued for God helpeth her y e right early The Heithen are madd the kyngdomes make moch a doo but wheÌ„ he sheweth his voyce y e earth melteth awaye The LORDE of hoostes is w t vs the God of Iacob is oure defence Sela. O come hither beholde y e workes of the LORDE what destruccioÌ„s he hath brought vpoÌ„ y e earth He hath made warres to ceasse in all the worlde he hath broken the bowe he hath knapped the speare in sonder breÌ„t the charettes in the fyre Be still theÌ„ confesse y t I am God I wil be exalted amonge the HeitheÌ„ I wil be exalted vpon earth The LORDE of hoostes is w t vs the God of Iacob is oure defence Sela. The XLVI A psalme of the children of Corah O Clappe youre hoÌ„des together all ye people O synge vnto God with the voyce of thaÌ„kesgeuynge For the LORDE the most hyest is to be feared he is the greate kynge vpoÌ„ all y e earth He shal subdue the people vnder vs the HeitheÌ„ vnder oure fete He choseth vs for an heretage the beutie of Iacob whom he loued Sela God is gone vp w t a mery noyse the LORDE w t the sownde of the troÌ„pet O synge prayses synge prayses vnto God O synge prayses synge prayses vnto oure kynge For God is kynge of all the earth O synge prayses vnto him with vnderstondinge God is kinge ouer the HeitheÌ„ God sitteth in his holy seate The prynces of the people are gathered together vnto the
are true and his wayes right As for those that go on proudly he is able to brī bringe them downe The V. Chapter BAlthasar the kynge made a greate bancket to his thousande lordes withall these thousande he made greate cheare and when he was dronken w t wyne he commaunded to brynge him y e golden and syluer vessel which his father Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the temple at Ierusalem that the kynge and his lordes with his quene and concubynes might drīke therout So they brought the golden vessel that was takē out of the temple of the LORDES house at Ierusalem Then the kynge and his lordes with his quene and concubines dronke out of them They dronke wyne and praysed their Idols of golde syluer copper yron wodde and stone In the very same houre there appeared fyngers as it had bene of a mans honde writynge right ouer agaynst the candelsticke vpon the playne wall in the kynges palace and the kynge sawe the palme of y e honde y t wrote Then chaunged the kynge his countenaunce and his thoughtes troubled him so that the ioyntes off his body shoke and his knees smote one agaynst the other Wherfore the kynge cryed mightely that thy shulde brynge him the charmers Caldees and coniurers of deuels The kynge spake also to the wysemen of Babilon and sayde Who so can rede this wrytynge and shewe me the playne meanynge theroff shall be clothed with purple haue a cheyne off golde aboute his necke and rule the thirde parte off my kyngdome Vpon this came all the kynges wyse men but they coude nether rede the wrytinge 〈◊〉 shewe the kynge what it signified Thē was the kynge sore afrayed in so moch that his coloure chaunged and his lordes were so sorevexed So by reason off this matter y t had happened to the kynge his lordes the quene went vp herself in to the bancket house and spake vnto the kynge sayenge O kynge God saue thy life for euer Let not y t thoughtes trouble the and let not thy countenaunce be chaunged For why there is a man in y e kyngdome that hath the sprete off the holy goddes within him as it was sene in thy fathers dayes He hath vnderstondinge ād wysdome like the goddes Yee the kynge Nabuchodonosor thy father made this man chest of the soythsayers charmers Caldees and deuel coniurers because that soch an abundaunt sprete knowlege wisdome to expoūde dreames to open secretes and to declare harde dowtes was founde in him yee euen in Daniel whom the kynge named Balthasar Let this same Daniel be sente for and he shall tell what it meaneth Then was Daniel brought before the kinge So the kynge spake vnto Daniel and sayde Art thou that Daniel one off the presoners of Iuda whom my father the kynge brought out of Iewry I haue herde speake of the that thou hast the sprete of the holy goddes experience and vnderstōdinge and that there hath bene greate wisdome founde in the. Now haue there bene brought me wise and connynge charmers to rede this wrytynge and to shewe me the meanynge theroff But they coude not tell me what this matter signified Then herde I saye y t thou canst expounde darcke thinges and declare harde doutes Well than yf thou canst rode this writinge and shewe me the meaninge therof thou shalt be clothed w t purple haue a cheyne of golde aboute thy necke rule the thirde parte of my kyngdome Daniel answered and sayde before y e kynge As for thy rewardes kepe them to thy self or geue y e rych giftes to another yet not thelesse I wil rede the wrytynge vnto y e kinge and shewe him the interpretacion therof O kinge God the hyest gaue vnto Nabuchodonosor thy father y e dignite of a kynge w t worshipe hono r so y t all people kynreddes tunges stode in awe feare of him by reason off the hye estate that he had lent him For why he slewe whom he wolde he smoke whom it pleased him Agayne whom he wolde he set vp and whom he list he put downe But because his herte was so proude and his stomack set fast vnto wylfulnesse he was deposed from his kyngly trone and his magesty was taken from him He was shot out from amonge men his herte was like a beestes herte and his dwellynge was with the wylde Asses he was fayne to eate grasse like an oxe and his body was wet with the dew off the heauen till he knewe that the hyest had power vpon the kyngdomes of men and setteth ouer them whom he list And thou his sonne o Balthasar for all this hast not submitted thine hert though thou knewest all these thinges but hast magnified thy selff aboue the LORDE off heauen so that the vessels off his house were brought before the that thou and thy lordes with thy quene and concubynes might drynke wyne therout And hast praysed the Idols of syluer and golde copper and yron off wodde stone As for the God in whose honde consisteth thy breth ād all thy wayes thou hast not loaued him Therfore is the palme off this honde sent hither from him to token vp this wrytinge And this is the scripture that is written vp Mane Thetel Phares Now the interpretacion off the thynge is this Mane God hath nombred thy kyngdome and brought it to an ende Thetel Thou art weyed in the balaunce and art founde to light Phares Thy kyngdome is delt in partes and geuen to the Medes and Perses Then commaunded Balthasar to cloth Daniel with purple to hange a cheyne off golde aboute his necke and to make a proclamacion concernynge him that he shulde be the ruler off the thirde parte off his kyngdome The very same night was Balthasar the kynge off the Caldees slayne and Darius out of Media toke in the kyngdome beynge lxij yeare off age The VI. Chapter IT pleased Darius to set ouer his kīgdome an C and xx lordes which shulde be in all his kingdome aboute Aboue these he set thre prynces off whom Daniel was one that the lordes might geue accomptes vnto them and the kynge to be vndiseased But Daniel exceaded all these princes ād lordes for the sprete off God was plenteous in him so that the kynge was mynded to set him ouer the whole realme Wherfore the prynces and lordes sought to pyke out in Daniel some quarel agaynst the kyngdome yet coude they fynde none occasion ner fawte vpon him For why he was so faythful y t there was no blame ner dishonesty founde in him Then sayde these men we will get no quarell agaynst this Daniel excepte it be in the lawe off his God Vpon this wente the princes and lordes together vnto the kynge and sayde thus vnto him kynge Darius God saue thy life for euer All the great estates off the realme as y e prynces dukes senatours and iudges are determed to put out a commaundement off y e kynge and to make a sure
What this boke conteyneth Chap. I. Of the kyngdome of Salomon to whom the LORDE appeareth and Salomon maketh his prayer vnto him Chap. II. How Salomon deuyseth to buylde the temple of the LORDE Chap. III. How he begynneth to buylde and after what faszshion Chap. IIII. Of the ornamentes of the temple Chap. V. The Arke is broughte in to the temple c. Chap. VI. Salomon speaketh vnto the people prayseth God and beseketh him to heare soch as make their prayer in the temple Chap. VII The fyre commeth from heauen consumeth the sacrifice The kynge the people offre The LORDE appeareth vnto Salomon and promyseth to heare him Chap. VIII Salomon buyldeth cities and subdueth the Heythen Of his captaynes and of his wife Chap. IX The Quene of Saba bringeth presentes vnto Salomon receaueth giftes of him Salomon dyeth Chap. X. Roboam oppressynge the people maketh them to fall awaye from him Chap. XI The LORDE wil not suffre Roboam kynge of Iuda BeÌ„ Iamin to fighte agaynst Israel He buyldeth cities Chap. XII Roboam forsaketh the lawe of the LORDE The kynge of Egipte commeth vpon him The LORDE delyuereth him Chap. XIII Of Abia Ieroboam their warres Chap. XIIII XV. Of kynge Asa. Chap. XVI Baesa coÌ„meth vp against Asa which agreeth with him therfore is he rebuked Chap. XVII Of the reigne of Iosaphat Chap. XVIII Iosaphat maketh frendshippe with Achab and helpeth him to fight Chap. XIX Iehu rebuketh Iosaphat for helpynge the vngodly Iosaphat amendeth and lyueth well Chap. XX. The Moabites Ammonites with the Syrians and Edomites go forth agaynst Iosaphat which prayeth vnto God and he helpeth him Chap. XXI Iosaphat dyeth Ioram his sonne is made kynge slayeth his brethren and forsaketh the LORDE Edom falleth awaye from Iuda God punysheth Ioram Chap. XXII Ochosias is made kinge and taketh parte with Achabs sonne Chap. XXIII Ioiada maketh Ioas kynge commaundeth to slaye Athalia Chap. XXIIII Whyle Ioiada lyueth kynge Ioas doth well but after his death he forsaketh the LORDE And because Zacharias reproueth him he coÌ„maundeth to stone him to death His awne seruauntes kyll him vpon his bed Chap. XXV Of kynge Amasias which smyteth the Edomites He worshippeth their Idols therfore the prophet reproueth him He wyll nedes fight with the kynge of Israel which ouercommeth him and taketh him Chap. XXVI Of kynge Osias other wyse called Vsia or Azarias of his buyldinges how he became leper for his presumpcion Chap. XXVII Of Iothams reigne of his buyldinges and of his warres Chap. XXVIII Of the wicked kynge Achas Chap. XXIX XXX.XXXI Of the verteous kynge Ezechias and of his noble actes Chap. XXXII Sennacherib layeth sege to Ierusalem Ezechias comforteth the people Sennacherib threateneth but the LORDE delyuereth Iuda Ezechias is sicke and recouereth Chap. XXXIII Of the reigne of Manasses and of his amendment from his wickednes Of kynge Ammon his sonne Chap. XXXIIII XXXV Of the reigne and most vertuous actes of kynge Iosias and of his death Chap. XXXVI Thre monethes reigneth Ioachas after whom reigneth Eliachim other wyse called Ioachim whom Nabuchodonosor carieth vnto Babilon and in his steade reigneth Ioachim his sonne which also is led awaye captayne vnto Babilon Sedechias is made kynge and at the last caried awaye presoner with all the people and Ierusalem destroyed The first Chapter ANd Salomon the sonne of Dauid was stablyshed in his kyngdome and the LORDE his God was with him made him exceadinge greate And Salomon spake vnto all Israel to the captaynes ouer thousandes and ouer hundreds to the Iudges and to all y e prynces in Israel and to the chefest fathers so that they wente Salomon and the whole congregacion with him vnto the hye place which was at Gibea for there was y e Tabernacle of y e witnesse of God which Moses the seruaunt of the LORDE had made in y e wyldernesse For Dauid had brought vp the Arke of God from Kiriath Iarim whan he had prepared for it for he had pitched a tent for it at Ierusalem As for y e brasen altare which Bezaleel the sonne of Vâ—â— the sonne of Hur had made it was there before the habitacion of the LORDE and Salomon and the congregacion soughte God And Salomon offred a thousande burntofferynges vpoÌ„ the brasen altare that stode before the Tabernacle of witnesse In the same nighte appeared God vnto Salomon and sayde vnto him Axe what shal I geue the And Salomon sayde vnto God Thou hast done greate mercy vnto my father Dauid â—nd hast made me kynge in his steade Now LORDE God let y e worde that thou hast pâ—omysed vnto my father Dauid be verified for thou hast made me kynge ouer a people which is as many in noÌ„bre as the dust vpon the earth Graunte me wyszdome therfore and knowlege y t I maye go out and in before this people for who is able to iudge this greate people of thine Then sayde God vnto Salomon For so moch as thou art so mynded and hast not desyred riches ner good ner hono r ner the soules of thine enemies ner longe life but hast requyred wyszdome and knowlege to iudge my people ouer whom I haue made the kynge wyszdome therfore and knowlege be geuen the. Morouer riches good and honoure wyll I geue the so that soch one as thou hath not bene before the amoÌ„ge the kynges nether shal be after the. So came Salomon from the hye place which was at Gibeon vnto IerusaleÌ„ from y e Tabernacle of witnesse and reigned ouer Israel And Salomon gathered him charettes and horsmen so that he had a thousande and foure hundreth charettes twolue thousande horsmen and those appoynted he to be in the charet cities and with the kynge at Ierusalem And the kynge broughte it so to passe that there was as moch syluer golde at IerusaleÌ„ as stones and as many Ceders as the Molberyes trees that are in the valleys And there were horses broughte vnto Salomon out of Egipte the kynges marchauntes fetched them from Kena for moneye And they came vp and broughte out of Egipte a charet for sixe huÌ„dreth syluer peÌ„s and an horse for an hundreth and fiftye Thus broughte they also vnto all the kynges of the Hethites and to the kynges of y e Syrians The II. Chapter ANd Salomon thoughte to buylde an house vnto the name of the LORDE an house for his kyngdome and tolde out thre score and ten thousande men to beare burthens and foure score thousande that hewed tymber vpoÌ„ the mount and thre thousande and sixe hundreth officers ouer them And Salomon sent vnto Hiram the kynge of Tyre sayenge As thou dyddest with my father sendedst him Ceder trees to builde an house for to dwell in euen so do thou w t me also Beholde I wyl buylde an house vnto the name of the LORDE my God to sanctifie it for to burne good incense before him and allwaye to prepare y e
commaundementes do them though ye were cast out vnto the vttemost parte of heauen yet wyl I gather you from thence and wyll brynge you from thence eueÌ„ vnto the place that I haue chosen for my name to dwell there They are thy seruauntes and thy people whom thou hast delyuered thorow thy greate power mightie hande O LORDE let thine eares marke the prayer of thy seruaunt the prayer of thy seruauntes whose desyre is to feare thy name let thy seruaunt prospere this daye graunte him mercy in the sight of this man for I was the kynges bâ—tâ—ar The II. Chapter IN the moneth Nisan of the twentieth yeare of kynge Artaxerses whaÌ„ the wyne stode before him I toke vp the wyne and gaue it vnto y e kynge and I was heuy in his presence Then sayde y e kynge vnto me Why lokest thou so sadly Thou art not sicke that is not y e matter but thou art heuy harted Neuertheles I was sore afrayed sayde vnto the kynge God saue the kynges life for euer shulde I not loke sadly the cite of my fathers buryall lyeth wayest the portes therof are consumed w t the fyre Then sayde the kynge vnto me What is theÌ„ thy request Then made I my prayer to the God of heaueÌ„ and sayde vnto the kynge yf it please the kynge and yf thy seruaunt be fauoured in thy sighte I beseke the sende me in to Iuda vnto y e cite of my fathers buryall that I maye buylde it And y e kynge sayde vnto me so dyd the quene y t sat by him How loÌ„ge shal thy iourney coÌ„tynue and whaÌ„ wilt thou come agayne And it pleased y e kynge to sende me and I set him a tyme sayde vnto the kynge Yf it please the kynge let him geue me letters to the Debites beyonde y e water y t they maye conueye me ouer tyll I come in to Iuda letters vnto Assaph the lorde of the kynges wod y t he maye geue me wodd for balkes to the gates of the palace which are harde on the house harde on the walles of the cite for the house that I shal entre in to And y e kynge gaue me acordinge to the good hande of God vpoÌ„ me And whan I came to y e Debites beyonde the water I gaue them y e kynges letters And the kynge sent captaynes and horsmen with me But whan Saneballath the Horonite Tobias the seruaunt of the Ammonites herde y t it greued them sore y t there was come a man which soughte the welth of the children of Israel And whan I came to Ierusalem had bene there thre daies I gat mâ— vp in y e night season a fewe men with me for I tolde no man what God had geueÌ„ mâ— in my hert to do at Ierusalem there was not one beest w t me saue it y t I rode vpon And I rode by nighte vnto the valley poâ—â— before the Dragon well to the Dongporte considered y e walles of Ierusalem that were broken downe the portes therof consumed w t the fyre And I wente ouer vnto y e Well porte to the kynges condyte there was no rowme for my beest y t it coulde go vnder me Then weÌ„te I on in the nighte by the broke syde coÌ„sidered y e wall turned back came home agayne to y e valley porte And y e rulers knewe not whither I weÌ„te or what I dyd for hither to had I not tolde the Iewes the prestes the councelers the rulers the other y t laboured in the worke I saide vnto theÌ„ Ye se the myserye y t we are in how IerusaleÌ„ lyeth wayst how y e gates therof are brent w t fyre come let vs buylde vp y e walles of IerusaleÌ„ y t we be nomore a rebuke And I tolde theÌ„ of the good haÌ„de of my God which was vpoÌ„ me And y e kynges wordes y t he had spokeÌ„ vnto me And they saide Then let vs get vp And we buylded and their handes were strengthed to good But whan Saneballat y e Horonite and Tobias the seruaunt of y e Ammonites Gosem the Arabian herde it they laughed vs to scorne and despised vs sayde What is this that ye do Wyll ye fall awaye agayne from the kynge Then answered I them and sayde The God of heauen shal cause vs to prospere for we his seruauntes are gotten vp are buyldinge As for you ye haue no porcioÌ„ ner right ner remembraunce in IerusaleÌ„ The III. Chapter ANd Eliasib the hye prest gat him vp with his brethren the prestes and buylded the Shepegate They halowed it and set vp the dores of it euen vnto the tower Mea halowed they it namely vnto the tower of Hananeel Nexte vnto him buylded y e men of Iericho And besyde him buylded Sachur the sonne of Imri But the Fyshporte dyd the children of Senaa buylde they couered it and set on the dores lockes and barres of it Nexte vnto him buylded Meremoth the sonne of Vria the sonne of Hacoz Nexte vnto him buylded Mesullam y e sonne of Barachias y e sonne of Mesesabeel Nexte vnto him buylded Sadoc y e sonne of Baena Nexte vnto him buylded they of Thecoa But their greate meÌ„ put not their neckes to y e seruyce of their lorde The Oldgate buylded Ioiada y e sonne of Passeah Mesullam the sonne of Besodia they couered it and set on the dores lockes barres of it Nexte vnto them buylded Melacia of Gibeon and Iadon of Morono meÌ„ of Gibeon and of Mispa for the seate of the Debyte on this syde the water Nexte vnto him buylded Vsiel the sonne of Harhaia the goldsmyth Nexte vnto him buylded Hanania y e Apotecarys sonne they repayred IerusaleÌ„ vnto the brode wall Nexte vnto him buylded Rephâ—ia the sonne of Hur the ruler of the halfe quarter of Ierusalem Nexte vnto him buylded Iedaia the sonne of Harumaph ouer agaynst his house Nexte vnto him buylded Hattus the sonne of Hasabenia But Malchia the sonne of Harim and Hasub the sonne of Pahath Moab buylded y e other pece and the tower beside the fornace Nexte vnto him buylded Sallum the sonne of Halohes the ruler of the halfe quarter of Ierusalem and his daughters The valley gate buylded Hanum and the citesins of Sanoah They buylded it and set on the dores lockes and barres therof and a thousande cubytes on the wall vnto the DoÌ„geporte But the Dongeporte buylded Malechia the sonne of Rechab the ruler of the fourth parte of the vynyardes He buylded it set on the dores lockes barres therof But the Wellgate builded Sallum y e sonne of Chal Hose the ruler of the fourth parte of Mispa He builded it couered it set on y e dores lockes barres therof the wall vnto the pole of Sybah by the kynges garden vnto the steppes that go downe from the cite of Dauid After
pleased the kynge and he dyd so In the castell of Susan there was a Iewe whose name was Mardocheus the sonne of Iair the sonne of Simei the sonne of Cis the sonne of Iemini which was caried awaye from Ierusalem whan Iechonias the kynge of Iuda was led awaye whom Nabuchodonosor the kynge of Babilon caried awaye and he norished Hadassa that is Hester his vncles daughter for she had nether father ner mother and she was a fayre and beutyfull damsell And whan hir father and mother dyed Mardocheus receaued her as his awne daughter Now whan y e kynges coÌ„maundemeÌ„t and coÌ„myssion was published many daÌ„sels were broughte together vnto the castell of Susan vnder y e hande of Hegai Hester was takeÌ„ also vnto y e kynges house vnder y e hande of Hegai y e keper of y e wemeÌ„ the damsell pleased him she founde grace in his sighte And he put her w t hir maydeÌ„s in y e best place of y e WomeÌ„s buildiÌ„ge And Hester shewed it not vnto hir people hir kynred for Mardocheus had charged her y t she shulde not tell it And Mardocheus walked euery daye before y e courte of y e WomeÌ„s buyldinge y t he might knowe how Hester dyd and what shulde be come of her And whan the appoynted tyme of euery damsell came that she shulde come to y e kynge Ahasuerus after that she had bene twolue monethes in the deckynge of the wemen for their deckynge must haue so moch tyme namely sixe monethes with Balme Myrre sixe monethes w t good spyces so were the wemeÌ„ beutifyed then wente there one damsell vnto y e kynge and what so euer she requyred y t must be geueÌ„ her to go w t her out of the Womens buyldinge vnto y e kynges palace And whan one came in the euenynge y e same weÌ„te froÌ„ him on y e morow in to y e seconde house of wemen vnder the hande of Saasgas the kynges chamberlayne which kepte y e concubines And she must come vnto the kynge nomore excepte it pleased the kynge and that he caused her to be called by name Now whan the tyme came of Hester the daughter of Abihail Mardocheus vncle whom he had receaued as his awne daughter y t she shulde come to the kynge she desyred nothinge but what Hegai the kynges chamberlayne the keper of the wemen sayde And Hester founde fauoure in the sighte of all them that loked vpon her And Hester was taken vnto kynge Ahasuerus in to the house royall in the tenth moneth which is called Tebeth in the seuenthe yeare of his reigne And the kynge loued Hester aboue all the wemen and she founde grace and mercy in his sighte before all the virgins and he set the quenes croune vpon hir heade and made her quene in steade of Vasthi And the kynke made a 〈◊〉 feast vnto all his prynces and seruauntes â—hâ—ch feast was because of Hester and let the londes be in quyetnes gaue royall giftes And whan the virgins were gathered together the seconde tyme Mardocheus sat in the kynges gate And as yet had not Hester shewed hir kynred and hir people acordinge as Mardocheus had bydden her for Hester dyd after the worde of Mardocheus like as whan he was hir tutoure At the same tyme whyle Mardocheus sat in the kynges gate two of the kinges chamberlaynes â–ª Bigthan and There 's which kepte the dore were wroth and sought to laye their handes on the kynge Ahasuerus Wherof Mardocheus gat knowlege and tolde it vnto quene Hester and Hester certified the kynge therof in Mardocheus name And whan inquisicion was made it was founde so And they were both hanged on tre and it was wrytteÌ„ in the Cronicles before the kynge The III. Chapter AFter these actes dyd the kynge promote Aman the sonne of Amadathi the Agagite vnd set him hye set his seate aboue all y e prynces that were with him And all the kynges seruauntes that were in the gate bowed their knees and dyd reuerence vnto Aman for the kinge had so coÌ„maunded But Mardocheus bowed not the knee and worshipped him not Then the kynges seruauntes which were in the kynges gate sayde vnto Mardocheus Why transgressest thou the kynges commaundement And whan they spake this daylie vnto him and he folowed them not they tolde Aman that they mighte se whether Mardocheus matters wolde endure for he had tolde them y t he was a Iewe. And whaÌ„ Aman sawe that Mardocheus bowed not the knee vnto him ner worshipped him he was full of indignacion despyte that he shulde laye hondes onely on Mardocheus for they had shewed him y e people of Mardocheus but he sought to destroye the people of Mardocheus and all the people that were in the whole empyre of Ahasuerus In the first moneth that is the moneth Nissan in y e twolueth yeare of kinge Ahasuerus was there occasion and oportunyte sought by Aman from one daye to another and from the same moneth vnto the twolueth moneth that is the moneth Adar And AmaÌ„ sayde vnto kinge Ahasuerus There is a people scatered abrode and dispersed amonge all people in all the londes of thine empire and their lawe is coÌ„trary vnto all people and they do not after the kynges lawes nether is it the kinges profit to suffre theÌ„ after this maner Yf it please the kynge let him wryte that they maye be destroyed so wil I weye downe ten thousande talentes of siluer vnder the handes of the workmen to be brought in to the kynges chamber Then toke the kynge his rynge from his hande and gaue it vnto Aman the sonne of Amadathi the Agagite the Iewes enemie And the kinge sayde vnto Aman Let the siluer be geuen the and that people also to do withall what pleaseth the. Then were the kynges scrybes called on y e thirtenth daye of the first moneth there was wrytten acordynge as Aman commauÌ„ded vnto the kynges prynces and to the Debites euery where in the londes and to the captaynes of euery people in the countrees on euery syde acordynge to the wrytinge of euery nacion and after their language in the name of kynge Ahasuerus and sealed with the kynges rynge And the wrytynges were sent by postes in to all the kynges loÌ„des to rote out to kyll and to destroye all Iewes both yonge and olde childreÌ„ and wemen in one daye namely vpon the thirtenth daye of the twolueth moneth which is the moneth Adar and to spoyle their goodes This was the summe of the wrytinge y t there shulde be a commaundement geuen in all londes to be published vnto all people y t they shulde be ready agaynst the same daye And the postes wente in all the haist acordynge to the kynges commaundement And in the castell of Susan was the coÌ„maundement deuysed And the kynge Aman sat dranke But y e cite of Susan was disquieted The IIII. Chapter WHan Mardocheus perceaued all that was done he reÌ„te his clothes and
was ioye myrth prosperite and good dayes amonge the Iewes in so moch that many of the people in the londe became of the Iewes beleue for the feare of the Iewes came vpon them The IX Chapter IN the twolueth moneth that is the moneth Adar vpon the thyrtenth daye which the kinges worde and cōmaundement had appoynted that it shulde be done euē vpon y e same daie y t the enemies shulde haue destroyed the Iewes to haue oppressed them it turned contrary wise euen y t the Iewes shulde subdue their enemies Then gathered the Iewes together in their cities within all y e londes of kynge Ahasuerus to laye honde on soch as wolde do thē euell no man coulde withstonde them for y e feare of thē was come ouer all people And all the rulers in the londes and prynces and Debities and officers of the kinge promoted the Iewes for the feare of Mardocheus came vpō thē For Mardocheus was greate in the kynges house the reporte of him was noised in all lōdes how he increased grewe Thus the Iewes smote all their enemies with a sore slaughter and slewe and destroyed dyd after their wyll vnto soch as were their aduersaries And at y e castell of Susan slewe the Iewes and destroied fyue hūdreth men slewe Parsandatha Dalphon Aspatha Poratha Adalia Aridatha Parmastha Arissai Aridai Vaiesatha the ten sonnes of Aman y e sonne of Amadathi y e enemie of the Iewes but on his goodes they layed no handes At the same tyme was the kynge certified of the nombre of those that were slaine at the castell of Susan And the kynge sayde vnto quene Hester The Iewes haue slayne and destroyed fyue hūdreth men at y e castell of Susan and the ten sonnes of Amā What shal they do in the other londes of y e kynge What is thy peticion that it maye be geuen the what requirest thou more to be done Hester sayde Yf it please the kynge let him suffre the Iewes tomorow also to do acordinge vnto this dayes commaundement that they maye hange Amans ten sonnes vpō y e tre And the kynge charged to do so and the commaundement was deuysed at Susan Amans ten sonnes were hanged And the Iewes gathered thē selues together at Susan vpon the fourtenth daye of the moneth Adar and slewe thre hundreth men at Susan but on their goodes they laied no hādes As for the other Iewes in the kynges lōdes they came together stode for their lyues gatt rest frō their enemies and slewe of their enemies fyue and seuentye thousande howbeit they layed no hondes on their goodes This was done on the thirtēth daie of the moneth Adar and on the fourtenth daye of the same moneth rested they which daye they ordeyned to be a daye of feastinge and gladnesse But the Iewes at Susan were come together both on the thyrtenth daye and on the fourtenth and on the fyftenth daye they rested and the same daye ordeyned they to be a daye of feastinge gladnes Therfore the Iewes that dwelt in the vyllages and vnwalled townes ordeyned y e fourtenth daye of the moneth Adar to be a daye of feastinge and gladnes and one sent giftes vnto another And Mardocheus wrote these actes and sent the writinges vnto all the Iewes y t were in all y e londes of kynge Ahasuerus both nye and farre that they shulde yearly receaue and holde the fourtenth and fiftenth daie of the moneth Adar as the daies wherin y e Iewes came to rest from their enemies as a moneth wherin their payne was turned to ioye and their sorowe in to prosperite that they shulde obserue the same as dayes of wealth and gladnes and one to sende giftes vnto another to distribute vnto the poore And the Iewes receaued it that they had begonne to do and that Mardocheus wrote vnto them how that Aman the sonne of Amadathai all y e Iewes enemye had deuysed to destroye all the Iewes and caused the lot to be cast for to put them in feare and to brynge them to naughte and how Hester wente and spake to the kynge that thorow letters his wicked deuyce which he ymagyned agaynst the Iewes might be turned vpon his awne heade and how he and his sonnes were hanged on the tre For the which cause they called this daye Purim after the name of the lot acordynge to all y e wordes of this wrytinge and what they thē selues had sene and what ha◠happened vnto them And the Iewes set it vp and toke it vpon them and their sede and vpon all soch as ioyned themselues vnto them that they wolde not mysse to obserue these two dayes yearly acordynge as they were wryttē and appoynted how y t these dayes are not to be forgotten but to be kepte of childers children amōge all kynreds in all londes and cities They are the dayes of Purim which are not to be ouerslipte amonge the Iewes and the memoriall of them oughte not to perishe from their sede And quene Hester the daughter of Abihail and Mardocheus the Iewe wrote with all auctorite to confirme this seconde wrytinge of Purim and sent the letters vnto all the Iewes in the hundreth and seuen and twentye londes of y e empyre of Ahasuerus with frendly and faithfull wordes to confirme these dayes of Purim in their tyme appoynted acordynges as Mardocheus the Iewe and Hester the quene had ordeined cōcernynge them lyke as they vpon their soule and vpon their sede had cōfirmed the actes of the fastinges and of hir cōplainte And Hester cōmaunded to stablish these actes of this Purim and to wryte them in a boke The X. Chapter ANd the kynge Ahasuerus layed tribute vpon the londe and vpon the Iles of the See As for all y e worke of his power and auctoryte and y e greate worshippe of Mardocheus which the kynge gaue him beholde it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Media Persia For Mardocheus the Iewe was the seconde nexte vnto kynge Ahasuerus and greate amonge y e Iewes and accepted amonge the multitude of his brethren as one y t seketh the welth of his people and speaketh the best for all his sede The ende of the seconde parte of the Olde Testament The boke of Iob. What this boke conteyneth Chap. I.II. The prosperite of Iob and how God geueth Satan power ouer his body ād goodes which he is content withall Chap. III. The flesh can not suffre and here is described the vnpacient man that grudgeth agaynst the iudgment of God Chap. IIII. Iobs frendes comforte him and geue his synnes the blame of his punyshmēt Chap. V. That no man is without synne A prayse off the allmightynesse and louynge kyndnesse of God Chap. VI. Iob excuseth his owne vnpacience layeth ypocrysie to his frēdes charge ād sayeth they are but dyssemblers Chap. VII A frendly contencion that Iob maketh with God shewinge the myserable life and trauayle of man Chap. VIII Baldad
me Herken vnto me o Iacob Israel whō I haue called I am euen he that is I am y e first and the last My honde is the foundacion of the earth my right honde spanneth ouer the heauens As soone as I called thē they were there Gather you all together ād herken Which of yonder goddes hath declared this that the LORDE wil do by the kinge of Babilon whom he loueth fauoureth and by the Caldees his arme ▪ I my self alone haue tolde you this before Yee I shal call him and bringe him forth geue him a prosperous iourneye Come nye heare this haue I spokē eny thīge darckly sence the begynnynge whē a thīge begynneth I am there Wherfore the LORDE God with his sprete hath sent me And thus saieth the LORDE thine avenger the holyone of Israel I am y e LORDE thy God which teach the profitable thinges and lede y e the waye that thou shuldest go Yf thou wilt now regarde my cōmaundement thy welthynes shal be as the water streame thy rightuousnes as the wawes flowinge in the see Thysede shal be like as the sonde in the see the frute of thy body like the grauel stones therof Thy name shal not be roted out nor destroyed before me Ye shal go awaye from Babilon and escape the Caldees with a mery voyce This shal be spoken of declared abrode go forth vnto the ende of the worlde so that it shal be sayde The LORDE hath defended his seruaunte Iacob that they suffred no thurste whē they trauayled in the wildernesse He claue the rockes a sonder and the water gusshed out As for the vngodly they haue no peace saieth the LORDE MESSIAS The xlix Chapter HErken vnto me ye Iles and take hede ye people from farre The LORDE hath called me fro my byrth and made mēcion of my name fro my mothers wōbe he hath made my mouth like a sharpe swerde vnder y e shadowe of his honde hath he defended me and hyd me in his quyuer as a good arowe and sayde vnto me Thou art my seruaunt Israel I wil be honoured in the. Then answerde I I shal lese my laboure I shal spende my strength in vayne Neuertheles I wil commytte my cause and my worke vnto the LORDE my God And now saieth the LORDE euē he that fashioned me fro my mothers wombe to be his seruaūte that I maye bringe Iacob agayne vnto him howbeit Israel will not be gathered vnto hī agayne In whose sight I am greate which also is my LORDE my God and my strēgth Let it be but a smal thinge that thou art my seruaunt to set vp the kinreddes of Iacob to restore the destructiō of Israel yf I make the not also the light of the Gentiles that thou mayest be my health vnto the ende of the worlde Morouer thus saieth the LORDE the avēger and holy one of Israel because of the abhorringe and despisinge amonge the Gentiles concernynge the seruaunt of all them y t beare rule Kynges and prynces shal se and arise and worshipe because of the LORDE that he is faithfull and because of the holy one of Israel which hath chosen the. And thus saieth the LORDE In the tyme apoynted wil I be present with the. And in the houre of health wil I helpe the delyuer the. I wil make the a pledge for y e people so y t thou shalt helpe vp the earth agayne and chalenge agayne the scatred heretages That thou mayest saye to y e presoners go forth to them that are in darknesse come in to the light that they maye fede in the hie wayes get their lyuynge in all places There shal nether hunger ner thirste heate nor Sonne hurte them For he that fauoureth them shal lede them and geue them drīke of the springe welles I will make wayes vpon all my mountaynes and my fote pathes shal be exalted And beholde they shal come from farre lo seme from the north and west some from the south Reioyse ye heauens and synge prayses thou earth Talke of ioye ye hilles for God wil cōforte his people haue mercy vpon his y t be in trouble Then shal Sion saye God hath forsaken me and the LORDE hath forgottē me Doth a wife forget the childe of hir wombe ād the sonne whō she hath borne And though she do forget yet wil not I forget the. Beholde I haue written the vp vpon my hondes thy walles are euer in my sight They that haue broken the downe shal make haist to buylde the vp agayne and they that made the waist shal dwell in the. Lift vp thine eyes and loke aboute the all these shal gather them together and come to the. As truly as I lyue saieth the LORDE thou shalt put them all vpō the as an apparell and gyrde thē to the as a bryde doth hir Iewels As for thy londe that lieth desolate waisted destroyed it shal be to narow for thē that shal dwell in it And they y t wolde deuoure the shal be farre a waye Then the childe whō y e barē shall bringe forth vnto y e shal saye in thine eare this place is to narow syt nye together y t I maye haue rowme Then shalt thou thinke by thy self Who hath begottē me these seinge I am barē alōe a captyue an outcast And who hath norished thē vp for me I am desolate alone but frō whēce come these And therfore thus saieth the LORDE God Beholde I will stretch out myne honde to the Gentiles and set vp my token to the people They shal bringe the thy sonnes in their lappes carie thy doughters vnto y e vpon their shulders For kinges shal be thy noursinge fathers and Quenes shal be thy noursinge mothers They shal fall before the w t their faces flat vpon the earth and lick vp the dust of thy fete that thou mayest knowe how that I am the LORDE And who so putteth his trust in me shal not be confounded Who spoyleth the giaunte of his pray or who taketh the presoner from the mightie And therfore thus saieth the LORDE The prisoners shal be taken from the giaunte and the spoyle delyuered from the violēte for I wil maynteyne thy cause agaynst thine aduersaries and saue thy sonnes And wil fede thine enemies with their owne fleshe and make thē drinke of their owne bloude as of swete wyne And all flesh shal knowe o Iacob that I am the LORDE thy Sauioure and stronge auenger Chap. I. THus saieth the LORDE Where is the bill of yo r mothers deuorcemēt that I sent vnto her or who is the vsurer to whō I solde you Beholde for youre owne offēces are ye solde because of youre transgression is youre mother forsakē For why wolde no mā receaue me when I came when I called no man gaue me answere Was my hōde clene smytē of that it
the LORDE be commytted vnto them then let them praye the LORDE of hoostes that the remnaunt of the ornamentes which are in the house of the LORDE and remayne yet in the house of the kinge of Iuda and at Ierusalem be not caried to Babilon also For thus hath the LORDE of hoostes spoken concernynge the pylers the lauer the seate and the residue of the ornamentes that yet remayne in this citie which Nabuchodonosor the kinge of Babilon toke not when he caried awaye Iechonias the sonne of Ioachim kinge of Iuda with all the power of Iuda and Ierusalem from Ierusalem vnto Babilon captyue Yee thus hath the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel spoken as touchinge the residue of the ornamentes of the LORDES house â–ª of the kinge of Iudaes house and of Ierusalem They shal be caried vnto Babilon and there they shall remayne vntil I vyset them saieth the LORDE Then wil I bringe them hither agayne And this was done in the same yeare eueÌ„ in the begynnynge of the reigne of Sedechias kinge of Iuda The XXVIII Chapter BVt in the fourth yeare of the reigne of Sedechias kinge of Iuda in the fifth Moneth It happened that Hananias y e sonne of Assur the prophet of Gabaon spake to me in the house of the LORDE in the presence of the prestes of all the people sayde Thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel I haue brokeÌ„ the yock of the kinge of Babilon and after two yeare will I bringe agayne in to this place all the ornamentes of the LORDES house y t Nabuchodonosor kinge of Babilon caried awaye from this place vnto Babilon Yee I will bringe agayne Iechonias the sonne of Ioachim the kinge of Iuda himself with all the presoners of Iuda y t are caried vnto Babilon eueÌ„ in to this place saieth y e LORDE for I wil breake y e yock of the kinge of BabiloÌ„ Then the prophet Ieremy gaue answere vnto that prophet Hananias before the prestes before all the people that were present in the house of the LORDE And the prophet Ieremy sayde Amen the LORDE do that graunte the thinge which thou hast prophecied that he maye bringe agayne all the ornamentes of the LORDES house restore all the presoners from Babilon in to 〈◊〉 place Neuertheles herken thou also what I will saye that thou all the people maye heare The prophetes that were before vs in tymes past which prophecied of warre or trouble or pestilence ether of peace vpon many nacions greaâ—e kingdomes were proued by this yf God had sende them in very dede when the thinge came to passe which that prophet tolde before And Hananias the prophet toke the chayne from the prophet Ieremias neck brake it with that sayde Hananias that all the people might heare Thus hath the LORDE spoken Euen so will I breake the yock of Nabuchodonosor kinge of BabiloÌ„ from the neck of all nacions yee that within this two yeare And so the prophet Ieremy wente his waye After now that Hananias the prophet had taken the chayne from the prophet Ieremies neck and broken it The worde of the LORDE came vnto the prophet Ieremy sayenge Go and tell Hananias these wordes Thus saieth the LORDE Thou hast broken the chayne of wodd but in steade of wodd thou shalt make chaynes of yron For thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel I wil put a yock of yron vpon the neck of all this people that they maye serue Nabuchodonosor the kinge of Babilon yee so shal they do And I wil geue him y e beestes in the felde Then sayde the prophet Ieremy vnto y e prophet Hananias Heare me I praye the Hananias The LORDE hath not sent the but thou bringest this people in to a false beleue And therfore thus saieth y e LORDE beholde I wil sende the out of the loÌ„de within a yeare thou shalt die because thou hast falsely spokeÌ„ agaynst the LORDE So Hananias the prophet died the same yeare in the seuenth Moneth The XXIX Chapter THis is the Copie of the lettre y t Ieremy the prophet sent from Ierusalem vnto the presoners the Senatours presies prophetes all the people whom Nabuchodonosor had led vnto BabiloÌ„ after y e tyme y t kinge Iechonias his Quene his chambrelaynes the prynces of Iuda IerusaleÌ„ the workmasters of IerusaleÌ„ were departed thither Which lettre Elasa y e sonne of SaphaÌ„ Gamaria y e sonne of Helchia dyd beare whoÌ„ Sedechias the kinge of Iuda sent vnto BabiloÌ„ to Nabuchodonosor y e kinge of BabiloÌ„ these were y e wordes of Ieremias lettre Thâ—s hath y e LORDE of hoostes y e God of Israel spokeÌ„ vnto all the presoners y t were â—ed froÌ„ IerusaleÌ„ vnto BabiloÌ„ 〈…〉 you houses to dwell therein plaÌ„te you â–ª 〈◊〉 y t ye maye enioye the frutes thereof take you wyues to beare you sonnes and doughters prouyde wyues for youre sonnes huszbondes for youre doughters that they maye get sonnes doughters and that ye maye multiplie there Laboure not to be fewe but seke after peace prosperite of the cite where in ye be presoners praye vnto God for it For in the peace there of shal yo r peace be For thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel Let not those prophetes and soythsaiers y t be amonge you disceaue you beleue not youre owne dreames For why they preach you lies in my name I haue not sent them saieth the LORDE But thus saieth the LORDE When ye haue fulfilled lxx yeares at Babilon I wil bringe you home and of myne owne goodnes I will carie you hither agayne vnto this place For I knowe what I haue deuysed for you saieth the LORDE My thoughtes are to geue you peace not trouble which I geue you all redie that ye might haue hope agayne Ye shall crie vnto me ye shal go call vpoÌ„ me I shal heare you Ye shal seke me fynde me Yee yf so be that ye seke me with youre whole herte I will be founde of you saieth the LORDE and will delyuer you out of preson gather you together agayne out of all places where in I haue scatred you saieth the LORDE and wil bringe you agayne to the same place from whence I caused you be caried awaye captyue But where as ye saye that God hath raysed you vp prophetes at Babilon Thus hath the LORDE spoken concernynge the kinge that sytteth in the stole of Dauid and all y e people that dwell in this cite youre brethren that are not gone with you in to captiuyte Thus I saye speaketh the LORDE of hoostes Beholde I wil sende a swearde honger pestilence vpon them wil make them like vntymely fyges that maye not be eateÌ„ for bytternes And I wil persecute them with the swearde with honger death I will delyuer them vp to be
the God off Israel I am stedfastly advysed and determed to punysh you and to rote out all Iuda As for the remnaunt off Iuda that purposly wente in to Egipte there to ease them off their mysery I will take them and they shall all be destroyed In y e londe of Egipte shall they perishe beynge consumed with the swearde and with honger For from y e leest vnto y e most they shal perishe with the swearde and with honger Morouer they shal be reuyled abhorred shamed and confounded For I will viset them that dwell in Egipte as I haue visited Ierusalem with the swearde with honger and with pestilence So that none off the remnaunt off Iuda which are gone to dwell in Egipte shall be left to come agayne in to y e londe off Iuda all though they thynke to come thither agayne and to dwell there For none shal come agayne but soch as are fled awaye Then all the men which knewe that their wyues had offred vnto straunge goddes a greate sorte off wyues that stode there yee and all the people that dwelt there in Egipte in the cite of Patures answerde Ieremy sayde As for the wordes that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the LORDE we will in no wyse heare them but what so euer goeth out of oure owne mouth that wil we do We will do sacrifice and offre oblacions vnto the Quene off heauen like as we and o r forefathers oure kynges and oure heades haue done in the cities off Iuda and in the stretes and feldes of Ierusalem For then had we plenteousnesse off vytales then were we in prosperite and no myszfortune came vpon vs. But sens we left of to offre and to do sacrifice vnto the Quene of heauen we haue had scarcenes of all thinges and perish w t the swearde and honger Last of all when we womeÌ„ did sacrifice and offred vnto the Quene of heaueÌ„ did we make her cakes aÌ„d poure vnto her drink offeringes to do her seruyce without oure huszbondes wylles Then sayde Ieremy vnto all the people to the men to the women and to all the folâ—â— which had geuen him that answere Dyd not the LORDE remembre the sacrifices that ye yo r forefathers youre kiÌ„ges rulers w t all the people haue offred in the cities of Iuda in the stretes and londe off Ierusalem and hath he not considered this in his mynde In so moch that the LORDE might no longer suffre the wickednes off youre inuencions and the abhominable thynges which ye dyd Is not youre londe desolate voyde yee and abhorred so that no maÌ„ dwelleth therin eny more as it is come to passe this daye Dyd not all this happen vnto you because ye made soch sacrifice and synned agaynst the LORDE Ye haue not folowed his voyce to walke in his lawe in his ordinaunces and statutes Yee this is the cause that all mysfortune happened vnto you as it is come to passe this daye Morouer Ieremy spake vnto all the people and to all the women Heare the worde off the LORDE all Iuda ye that be in the londe off Egipte Thus saieth the LORDE off hoostes the God of Israel Ye and youre wyues haue spoken with youre owne mouth the thinge that ye haue fulfilled in dede Yee thus haue ye sayde We will not fayle but do the thynge that pleaseth vs we wil do sacrifice and poure out drynk offringes to the Quene of heauen Purposly haue ye set vp youre owne good meanynges hastely haue ye fulfilled youre owne intente And therfore heare the worde of the LORDE all Iuda ye that dwell in the londe off Egipte Beholde I haue sworne by my greate name saieth the LORDE that my name shal not be rehearsed thorow eny mans mouth of Iuda in all the londe of Egipte to saye The LORDE God lyueth for I wil watch to plage them and not for their wealth And all the men of Iuda that be in the loÌ„de of Egipte shal perish with the swearde and with hoÌ„ger vntill they be vtterly destroyed Neuertheles those that fled awaye for y e swearde shal come agayne in to the loÌ„de of Iuda but there shal be very fewe of them And all the remnaunt off Iuda that are gone in to Egipte there to dwell shall knowe whose wordes shal be founde true theirs or myne Take this for a token that I wil viset you in this place saieth the LORDE and that ye maye knowe how that I without doute wil perfourne my purpose vpon you to punysh you Beholde saieth the LORDE I wil delyuer Pharao Ophram kynge of Egipte in to the hondes of his enemies y t seke after his life euen as I gaue Sedechias the kynge of Iuda in to the hondes of Nabuchodonosor kiÌ„ge of BabiloÌ„ which sought after his life The XLV Chapter THese are the wordes y t Ieremy the prophet spake vnto Baruch the sonne of Nerias after that he had written these SermoÌ„s in to a boke at the mouth of Ieremy In the fourth yeare of Ioachim the sonne of Iosias kynge of Iuda Thus saieth the LORDE God of Israel vnto the O Baruch In so moch as thou thoughtest thus when thou wa st writinge Wo is me the LORDE hath geuen me payne for my trauayle I haue weeried my self w t sighinge and shall I fynde no rest Therfore tell him O Ieremy y t the LORDE saieth thus Beholde The thiÌ„ge that I haue buylded wil I breake downe agayne and rote out the thinge that I haue planted yee this whole londe And sekest thou yet promocioÌ„ Loke not for it and desyre it not For I will bringe a miserable plage vpoÌ„ all flesh saieth the LORDE But thy life will I geue the for a pray where so euer thou goest The XLVI Chapter HEre folowe the wordes off the LORDE to the prophet Ieremy which he spake vnto the Gentiles These wordes folowinge preached he to the EgipciaÌ„s concernynge the hoost off Pharao Necho kynge off Egipte when he was in Charcamis besyde the water off Euphrates what tyme as Nabuchodonosor the kynge of Babilon slewe him In the fourth yeare off Ioachim the sonne off Iosias kynge off Iuda Ye make redy buckler and shylde ye go forth to fight Yee harnesse youre horses set youre selues vpon them Ye set youre salettes fast on ye bringe forth speares ye scoure youre sweardes put on youre brest plates But alas how happeneth it that I se you so afrayed why shreÌ„cke ye backe where fore are youre worthies slayne Yee they runne so fast awaye that none off them loketh behynde him Fearfulnesse is fallen vpon euerychone off them saieth the LORDE The lightest off fote shall not fle awaye and the worthies shall not escape Towarde the north by the water of Euphrates they shall stomble and fall But what is he this that swelleth vp as it were a floude roaringe raginge like the streames
O thou enemie of myne reioyce not at my fall for I shal get vp agayne and though I syt in darcknesse yet y e LORDE is my light I will beare the punishment of the LORDE for why I haue offended him till he syt in iudgment vpon my cause and se that I haue right He wil bringe me forth to the light and I shal se his rightuosnesse She that is myne enemy shall loke vpon it be confounded which now saieth Where is thy LORDE God Myne eyes shal beholde her when she shal be troden downe as the claye in the stretes The tyme wil come that thy gappes shal be made vp and the lawe shal go abrode and at that tyme shal they come vnto the from Assur vnto the stroÌ„ge cities and from the stronge cities vnto the ryuer from the one see to the other from the one mountayne to the other Notwtstondinge the londe must be waisted because of them that dwell therin and for the frutes of their owne ymaginacions Therfore fede thy people with thy rodde the flocke of thine heretage which dwell desolate in the wodde that they maye be fedde vpon the mount of Charmel Basan Galaad as afore tyme. Maruelous thinges will I shewe them like as when they came out of Egipte This shal the Heithen se and be aszshamed for all their power so that they shal laye their honde vpon their mouth and stoppe their eares They shal licke the dust like a serpent as the wormes of the earth y t tremble in their holes They shal be afrayed of the LORDE oure God they shal feare ye. Where is there soch a God as thou that pardonest wickednes and forgeuest the offences of the remnaunt of thine heretage He kepeth not his wrath for euer And why his delyte is to haue compassion he shal turne agayne be mercyfull to vs he shal put downe oure wickednesses cast all oure synnes in to the botome of the see Thou shalt kepe thy trust with Iacob and thy mercy for Abraham like as thou hast sworne vnto oure fathers longe agoo The ende of the prophet Micheas The Prophet Naum. What Naum conteyneth Chap. I. He prayseth the power and goodnesse of God he reproueth the Niniuites because they despysed the councell and punyshment of God Chap. II. He descrybeth vnto them the terryblenesse of the plage Chap. III. He reproueth the abhominacions of the malicious cite and â—â—heweth them of their punyshment This is the heuy burthen of Niniue which Naum of Elchos dyd wryte as he sawe it The first Chapter THe LORDE is a gelous God and a taker of vengeaunce yee a taker of veÌ„geaunce is y e LORDE and wrothfull The LORDE taketh vengeaunce of his enemies and reserueth displeasure for his aduersaries The LORDE suffreth longe he is of greate power so innocent that he leaueth no man fautlesse before him The LORDE goeth forth in tempest and stormy wether the cloudes are the dust of his fete WheÌ„ he reproueth the see he dryeth it vp turneth all the floudes to drye londe Basan is desolate Charmel and the pleasure of Libanus waisteth awaye The mountaynes tremble for him the hilles consume At the sight of him the earth quaketh yee the whole worlde and all that dwell therin Who maye endure before his wrath Or who is able to abyde his grymme displeasure His anger taketh on like fyre and the harde rockes burst in sunder before him Ful gracious is the LORDE and a stronge holde in tyme of trouble he knoweth theÌ„ that put their trust in him when the floude renneth ouer and destroyeth the place and when the darcknesse foloweth still vpon his enemies What do ye ymagin then agaynst the LORDE on this maner Tush when he hath once made an ende there shal come nomore trouble For like as the thornes that sticke together and as the drye strawe so shal the dronckardes be consumed together euen when they be full There come out of y e soch as ymagin myschefe and geue vngracious councell agaynst the LORDE Therfore thus saieth the LORDE Let theÌ„ be as wel prepared yee and as many as they can yet shal they be hewen downe and passe awaye And as for the I wil vexe the but not vtterly destroie the. And now wil I breake his rodde from thy backe and burst thy bondes in sonder But the LORDE hath geuen a commaundement coÌ„cernynge the that there shall come nomore sede of thy name The carued and casten ymages will I rote out of the house of thy god Thy graue shal I prepare for the and thou shalt be confounded The II. Chapter BEholde vpon the mountaynes come the fete of him that bryngeth good tydinges preacheth peace O Iuda kepe thy holy dayes perfourme thy promyses for Belial shal come nomore in the he is vtterly roted out The scaterer shal come vp agaynst the laye sege to the castell Loke thou wel to the stretes make thy loynes stronge arme thy self with all thy myght for the LORDE shal restore agayne the glory of Iacob like as y e glory of Israel The destroyers haue broken them downe marred the wyne braunches The shylde of his giauntes glistereth his men of warre are clothed in purple His charettes are as fyre when he maketh him forwarde his archers are wel deckte trimmed The charettes rolle vpon the stretes welter in the hye wayes They are to loke vpon like cressettes of fyre and go swyftly as the lightenynge When he doth but warne his giauntes they fall in their araye haistely they clymme vp the walles yee the engyns of the warre are prepared all ready The water portes shal be opened and the kinges palace shall fall The quene hir self shal beled awaye captyue and hir gentilwomen shal mourne as the doues grone within their hertes Niniue is like a pole full of water but then shal they be fayne to fle Stonde stoÌ„de shal they crie there shal not one turne backe Awaye with the syluer awaye with the golde for here is no ende of treasure There shal be a multitude of all maner costly ornamentes Thus must she be spoyled emptied clene striped out that their hertes maye be melted awaye their knees treÌ„ble all their loynes be weake and their faces blacke as a pot Where is now the dwellinge of the lyoÌ„s and the pasture of the lyons whelpes where the lyon and the lyonesse wente with the whelpes and no man frayed them awaye But the lyon spoyled ynough for his yonge ones and deuoured for his lyonesse he fylled his dennes with his pray his dwellinge place with that he had rauyszshed Beholde I wil vpon the saieth the LORDE of hoostes and wil set fyre vpon thy charettes that they shal smoke withall and the swerde shal deuoure thy yonge lyons I wil make an ende of thy spoylinge from out of the earth the voyce of thy messaungers shall nomore be herde The
wonderous thinge so euer is vnder the heauen thou art LORDE of all thinges and there is no man y t can resist the O LORDE Thou knowest all thinges thou wotest LORDE that it was nether of malyce ner presumpcion ner for eny desyre of glory that I wolde not bowe downe myself ner worshipe yonder proude presumptuous Aman for I wolde haue bene coÌ„tent and y t with good wyll yf it might haue done Israel eny good to haue kyst eueÌ„ his fotesteppes but that I dyd it because I wolde not sett the honoure of a maÌ„ in the steade of the glorye of God and because I wolde worshipe none but onely y e my LORDE And this haue I done in no pryde ner presumpcion And therfore O LORDE thou God and kinge haue mercy vpon thy people for they ymagyn how they maye bringe vs to naught yee their mynde and desyre is to destroye and to ouerthrowe the people that hath euer bene thine enheritaunce of olde O despyse not thy porcioÌ„ which thou hast delyuered brought out of Egipte for thine owne self Heare my prayer and be mercifull vnto y e people whoÌ„ thou hast chosen for an heretage vnto thyself Turne oure complaynte and sorow in to ioye that we maye lyue O LORDE and prayse thy name O LORDE suffre not y e mouthes of them that praise the to be destroyed All y e people of Israel in like maner cried as earnestly as they coude vnto the LORDE for their death and destruccion stode before their eyes The XIIII Chapter Of the sorowe complaynte and prayer of quene Hester QVene Hester also beynge in the battayll of death resorted vnto the LORDE layed awaye hir glorious apparell and put on the garmeÌ„tes that serued for sighinge and mournynge In the steade of precious oyntment she scatred ashes and doÌ„ge vpon hir heade and as for hir body she humbled it and brought it very lowe All the places where she was woÌ„te to haue ioye afore those fylled she with y e hayre y t she plucâ—â— out hirself She prayed also vnto the LORDE God of Israel with these wordes O my LORDE thou onely art oure kynge helpe me desolate womaÌ„ which haue no helper but y e for my misery and destruccion is harde at my hande Fro my youth vp I haue herde out of the kynred of my father that thou tokest Israel from amoÌ„ge all people and so haue oure fathers of their fore elders that they shulde be thy perpetuall inheritaunce and loke what thou didest promise theÌ„ thou hast made it good vnto theÌ„ Now well LORDE we haue synned before the therfore hast thou geuen vs in to the haÌ„des of oure enemies because we worshipped their goddes LORDE thou art righteous Neuertheles it satisfieth theÌ„ not that we are in bytter and heuy captiuyte and oppressed amonge them but thou hast layed their hondes vpon the hondes of their goddes so that they begynne to take awaye the thinge that thou with thy mouth hast ordened and appoynted to destroye thyne inheritaunce to shut and to stoppe y e mouthes of them that prayse the to queÌ„ch the glory and worshipe of thy house and thine aulter and to open the mouthes of the Heithen y t they maye prayse the power vertue of the goddes and to magnifie the fleshly kynge for euer O LORDE geue not thy cepter vnto theÌ„ that be nothinge lest they laugh vs to scorne in oure misery and fall but turne their deuyce vpoÌ„ them selues and punysh him that hath begonne the same ouer vs and set him to an exampls Thinke vpon vs O LORDE and shew thy self in y e tyme of oure distres and of oure trouble Strength me O thou kynge of goddes thou LORDE of all power geue me an eloqueÌ„t and pleasaunt speach in my mouth before the Lyon Turne his hert in to y e hate of oure enemie to destroye him and all soch as consent vnto him But delyuer vs with thy hande and helpe me desolate woman which haue no defence ner helper but onely ye. LORDE thou knowest all thinges thou wotest that I loue not the glory and worshipe of the vnrighteous and that I hate and abhorre the bed of the vncircuÌ„cyded and of all Heithen Thou knowest and wotest my necessite y t I hate the token of my preemynence worshipe which I beare vpon my heade what tyme as I must shew my self and be sene that I abhorre it as an vncleane cloth and that I weere it not whaÌ„ I am quyete and alone by my self Thou knowest also that I thy honde mayden haue not eaten at AmaÌ„s table and that I haue had no pleasure ner delyte in the kynges feast that I haue not dronke the drynk offeringes and that I thy honde mayden haue had not ioye sens y e daie that I was brought hither vnto this daye but onely in the O LORDE O thou God of Abraham O thou mightie God aboue all heare the voyce of them that haue none other hope and delyuer vs out of the hande of y e wicked delyuer me out of my feare The XV. Chapter Quene Hester appeareth before the kynge with an heuy hert for the trouble of hir people and God turneth the kynges hert ANd vpon y e thirde daye it happened that Hester layed awaye y e mournynge garmeÌ„tes and put on hir glorious apparell and decte hirself goodly after that she had called vpon God which is the beholder Sauioure of all thinges toke two maydes w t her vpon the one she leaned hir self as one y t was tender the other folowed her and bare the trayne of hir vesture The shyne of hir bewtye made hir face rose coloured The similitude of hir face was chearfull and amyable but hir hert was soroufull for greate feare She wente in thorow all the dores and stode before the kynge The kynge sat vpon the trone of his kingdome and was clothed in his goodly araye all of golde and sett w t precious stones and he was very terryble He lift vp his face that shone in the clearnes and loked grymly vpon her Then fell the Quene downe was pale and faynt leaned hir self vpon the heade of the mayde that wente with her Neuertheles God turned y e kynges mynde that he was gentle that he leape out of his seate for feare and gat her in his armes helde hir vp tyll she came to herself agayne He gaue her louynge wordes also sayde vnto her Hester what is the matter I am y e brother be of good cheare thou shalt not dye for oure commaundement toucheth the comons not the. Come nye And with that he helde vp his golden wande and layed it vpon hir neck and enbraced her frendly and sayde talke with me TheÌ„ sayde she I sawe the O lorde as an angell of God my hert was troubled for feare of thy maiesty and clearnesse For excellent and wonderfull art thou O lorde and thy face is full of amyte But as she was thus