Sadoc sayde Let me runne now and brynge the kynge worde that the LORDE hath gotten him righte frō the hande of his enemies But Ioab sayde Thou shalt bringe no good tidinges to daie another daye shalt thou brynge him worde and not to daye for the kynges sonne is deed But vnto Chusi sayde Ioab Go thou thy waye and tell the kynge what thou hast sene And Chusi did his obeysaūce vnto Ioab and ranne Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc saide agayne vnto Ioab What and I ranne also Ioab sayde What wilt thou runne my sonne Come hither thou shalt brynge no good tydinges He answered What and I ranne yet He saide vnto him Renne on y e waye then So Ahimaas ranne the straight waye and came before Chusi As for Dauid he sat betwene the two gates And the watchman wente vp to y e toppe of the porte vpon the wall and lifte vp his eyes and sawe a man renninge alone and cryed and tolde the kinge The kynge sayde Yf he be alone then is there good tydinges in his mouth And as the same wente and came forth the watchman sawe another man rennynge and cryed in the porte and sayde Beholde there renneth a man alone The kinge sayde The same is a good messaunger also The watchman sayde I se the rennynge of the first as it were the rennynge of Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc And the kynge sayde He is a good man and bryngeth good tidinges Ahimaas cryed and sayde vnto y e kinge Peace and worshipped before the kynge vpon his face to the grounde and sayde Praised be the LORDE thy God which hath geuen ouer y e men that lifte vp their handes agaynst my LORDE the kynge The kynge sayde Goeth it well with the yonge man Absalom Ahimaas sayde I sawe a greate vproure whan Ioab the kynges seruaunt sent me thy seruaunt and I wote not what it was The kynge sayde Go aboute and stonde here And he wente aboute and stode there Beholde then came Chusi and sayde I brynge good tydinges my lorde the kynge The LORDE hath executed righte for the this daye from the hande of all them that rose vp agaynst the. But the kynge sayde vnto Chusi Goeth it well with the yonge man Absalom Chusi sayde Euen so go it w t all the enemyes of my lorde the kynge and with all them that ryse vp agaynst the to do euell as it goeth with the yonge man Then was the kynge soroufull and wente vp in to the perler vpon the gate and wepte and as he wente he sayde thus O my sonne Absalō my sonne my sonne Absalom wolde God y t I shulde dye for the. O Absalom my sonne my sonne The XIX Chapter ANd it was tolde Ioab beholde y e kinge wepeth mourneth for Absalom And so out of y e victory of y t daye there came a mourninge amonge all the people For the people had herde the same daye y t the kynge toke on heuely because of his sonne And y e people stale awaye the same daye so that they came not in to the cite as a people that is put to shame pycketh them selues awaye whan they are fled in a battayll As for the kynge he had couered his face and cryed loude and sayde Oh my sonne Absalom Absalom my sonne my sonne But Ioab came to the kynge in to the house and sayde This daye hast thou shamed all thy seruauntes which haue delyuered thy soule this daye and the soules of thy sonnes of thy doughters of thy wyues and of thy cōcubynes in that thou louest them that hate the and hatest those that loue ye. For to daye thou shewest thyselfe that thou carest not for the captaynes and seruauntes For I perceaue this daye that yf Absalom onely were alyue and we all deed this daye thou woldest thynke it were well Get the vp now therfore and go forth and speake louyngly vnto thy seruauntes For I sweare vnto the by y e LORDE yf thou go not forth there shall not be lefte the one man this nighte this shal be worse vnto y t then all the euell that happened the sence y e youth vp hither to Thē the kynge gat him vp and sat in the gate And it was sayde vnto the people beholde the kynge sytteth in the gate Then came all the people before y e kynge But Israel was fled euery one vnto his tent And all the people stroue in all the trybes of Israel and sayde The kynge ryd vs from the hande of oure enemies and delyuered vs from the hande of the Philistynes and was fayne to fle out of the lōde for Absalom So Absalom whom we had anoynted ouer vs is deed in the battayll Why are ye so styll now that ye fetch not the kynge agayne The kynge sent vnto Sadoc Abiathar the prestes caused to saye vnto thē Speake to the Elders of Iuda saye Why wyl ye be the last to fetch the kynge agayne vnto his house for y e sayenge of all Israel was come before the kynge in to his house ye are my brethren my bone and my flesh Wherfore wyl ye then be the last to brynge the kynge agayne And saye vnto Amasa Art not thou my bone and my flesh God do this that vnto me yf thou shalt not be the chefe captayne before me in Ioabs steade as longe as thou lyuest And he bowed the hert of all the men of Iud◠as of one man And they sent vnto y e kynge Come agayne thou and all thy seruauntes So the kynge came agayne And whan he came vnto Iordane y e men of Iuda were come to Gilgal for to go downe to mete the kynge that they mighte brynge y e kynge ouer Iordane And Semei the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini which dwelt at Bahurim made haist and wente downe with y e men of Iuda to mete kynge Dauid and there were with him a thousande mē of Ben Iamin Siba also the seruaunt of the house of Saul with his fyftene sonnes and twenty seruauntes gat them thorow Iordane and passed ouer y e fery that they mighte brynge ouer the kynges housholde and to do him pleasure But Semei the sonne of Gera fell downe before the kynge whan he passed ouer Iordane and sayde vnto the kynge O my lorde laye not the trespace vnto my charge thynke not vpon it that thy seruaunt vexed the in the daye whan my lorde the kynge wente out of Ierusalem and let not y e kynge take it to hert for thy seruaunt knoweth that he hath synned And beholde this daye am I come the first amonge all the house of Ioseph for to go downe to mete my lorde the kynge Neuertheles Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia answered and sayde And shulde not Semei dye therfore seynge he hath cursed y e anoynted of y e LORDE But Dauid sayde What haue I to do with you ye children of Zeru Ia that ye wyll become Sathan vnto me this daye Shulde eny man dye this daye in
y t my people maye knowe my name I my self will speake in that daye Beholde here am I. O how bewtiful are the fete of the Embassitoure y t bringeth the message froÌ„ the mountayne proclameth peace y t briÌ„geth the good tydinges preacheth health saieth vnto Sion Thy God is the kinge Thy watchmeÌ„ shal lift vp their voyce w t loude voyce shal they preach of him for they shal se him present wheÌ„ the LORDE shal come agayne to Sion Be glad o thou desolate IerusaleÌ„ reioyse together for the LORDE will coÌ„forte his people he wil delyuer IerusaleÌ„ The LORDE wil make bare his holy arme shewe it forth in the sight of all the GeÌ„tiles all the endes of the earth shal se the sauynge health of oure God Awaye Awaye get you out froÌ„ thence touch no vncleane thinge Go out from amonge soch And be cleane ye that beare the vessell of the LORDE But ye shal not go out with sedicioÌ„ ner make haist as they that fle awaye for the LORDE shal go before you aÌ„d the God of Israel shal kepe the watch Beholde my seruaunt shal deale wysely therfore shal he be magnified exalted greatly honoured Like as y e multitude shal woÌ„dre vpon him because his face shal be so deformed not as a mans face his bewtie like no man Euen so shal the multitude of the GeÌ„tiles loke vnto him y e kinges shal shut their mouthes before him For they y t haue not bene tolde of him shal se him and they y t herde nothinge of him shal beholde him The liij Chapter BVt who geueth credence vnto oure preachinge Or to whoÌ„ is the arme of the LORDE knowne He shal growe before the LORDE like as a brauÌ„ch as a rote in a drie grounde He shal haue nether bewty ner fauoure When we loke vpon him there shal be no fayrnesse we shal haue no lust vnto him He shal be the most symple despised of all which yet hath good experience of sorowes infirmities We shal reken him so symple so vyle that we shal hyde oure faces froÌ„ him Howbeit of a treuth he only taketh awaye oure infirmite beareth oure payne Yet we shal iudge him as though he were plaged and cast downe of God where as he notwithstoÌ„dinge shal be wouÌ„ded for oure offences smytten for oure wickednes For the payne of o r punyshmeÌ„t shal be layde vpoÌ„ him w t his stripes shal we be healed As for vs we go all astraye like shepe euery one turneth his owne waye But thorow him the LORDE pardoneth all o r synnes He shal be payned troubled aÌ„d shal not opeÌ„ his mouth He shal be led as a shepe to be slayne yet shal he be as still as a lambe before the shearer not open his mouth He shal be had awaye his cause not herde wtout eny iudgment Whose generacion yet no man maye nombre when he shal be cut of froÌ„ the grounde of the lyvinge Which punyshment shal go vpon him for the transgression of my people His graue shal be geueÌ„ him with the coÌ„demned his crucifienge with the theues Where as he dyd neuer violence â—er vnright nether hath there bene eny disceatfulnesse in his mouth Yet hath it pleased y e LORDE to smyte him with infirmite that when he had made his soule an offeringe for synne he might se a loÌ„ge lastinge sede And this device of the LORDE shal prospere in his honde With trauayle and laboure of his soule shal he optayne greate riches My rightuous seruaunt shall with his wisdome iustifie delyuer the multitude for he shal beare awaye their synnes Therfore wil I geue him the multitude for his parte he shal deuyde the stroÌ„ge spoyle because he shal geue ouer his soule to death shal be rekened amonge the transgressours which neuertheles shal take awaye y e synnes of the multitude and make intercession for the myszdoers The liiij Chapter THerfore be glad now thou bareÌ„ that bearest not Reioyce synge be mery thou y t art not with childe For the desolate hath moo children then the maried wife saieth the LORDE Make thy tente wyder sprede out the hanginges of thine habitacioÌ„ spare not laye forth thy coardes and make fast thy stakes for thou shalt breake out on the right syde and on the left thy sede shal haue y e GeÌ„tiles in possession aÌ„d dwel in the desolate cities Feare not for thou shalt not be confouÌ„ded Be not ashamed for thou shalt not come to confucion Yee thou shalt forget the shame off thy youth and shalt not remembre the dishonoure of thy wedo wheade For he that made the shal be thy LORDE husbonde whose name is the LORDE of hoostes thine avenger shal be euen the holy one off Israel the LORDE of the whole worlde For the LORDE shal call the beinge as a desolate soroufull woman and as a yonge wife that hath broken hir wedlocke saieth thy God A litle while haue I forsaken the but w t greate mercifulnes shal I take the vp vnto me WheÌ„ I was angrie I hid my face from the for a litle season but thorow euerlastinge goodnesse shal I pardon the saieth the LORDE thine avenger And this must be vnto me as the water of Noe For like as I haue sworne y t I wil not bringe the water off Noe eny more vpoÌ„ the worlde So haue I sworne y t I wil neuer be angrie w t the ner reproue the The mountaynes shall remoue the hilles shal fall downe but my louynge kyndnesse shal not moue and the bonde off my peace shal not fall downe froÌ„ y e saieth y e LORDE thy merciful louer Beholde thou poore vexed despised I wil make thy walles of precious stones y e foundacioÌ„ of Saphires thy wyndowes off Cristall thi gates of fyne cleare stone y e borders of pleasauÌ„t stones Thy childreÌ„ shal all be taught of God I wil geue theÌ„ plenteousnes of peace In rightuousnes shalt thou be grounded be farre froÌ„ oppression for the which thou nedest not be afrayed nether for hynderauÌ„ce for it shal not come nye the. Beholde y e aleâ—unt y t was farre froÌ„ the shal dwell w t the he y t was somtyne a straunger vnto the shal be ioyned w t the Beholde I make the smyth y t bloweth the coles in the fyre he maketh a weapon after his hondy worke I make also the waister to destroye but all the weapens y t are made agaynst the shal not prospere And as for all tunges y t shal resiste the in iudgmeÌ„t thou shalt ouer come theÌ„ coÌ„demne them This is the heretage of the LORDES seruauntes the rightuousnes that they shal haue of me saieth the LORDE The lv Chapter COme to the waters all ye
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
where he sayeth Aboute this tyme wyl I come and Sara shal haue a sonne Howbeit it is not so with this onely but also whan Rebecca was with childe by one namely by oure father Isaac or euer the childrē were borne had done nether good ner bad that the purpose of God might stōde acordinge to the eleccion not by the deseruynge of workes but by the grace of the caller it was sayde thus vnto her The greater shal serue the lesse As it is wrytten Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated What shal we saye then Is God then vnrighteous God forbyd For he sayeth vnto Moses I shewe mercy to whom I shewe mercy and haue cōpassion on whō I haue compassion So lyeth it not then in eny mans wyll or runnynge but in the mercy of God For the scripture sayeth vnto Pharao For this cause haue I stered the vp euen to shewe my power on the that my name mighte be declared in all lōdes Thus hath he mercy on whom he wyl and whom he wyl he hardeneth Thou wilt saye then vnto me Why blameth he vs yet For who can resiste his will O thou man who art thou that disputest with God Sayeth the worke to his workman Why hast thou made me on this fashion Hath not the potter power out of one lompe of claye to make one vessell vnto honoure and another vnto dishonoure Therfore whan God wolde shewe wrath and to make his power knowne he broughte forth with greate pacience the vessels off wrath which are ordeyned to damnacion that he mighte declare the riches off his glorye on y e vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glorye whom he hath called namely vs not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentyles As he sayeth also by Osee I wil call that my people which is not my people and my beloued which is not y e beloued And it shal come to passe in y e place where it was sayde vnto them Ye are not my people there shal they be called the children of the lyuynge God But Esay crieth ouer Israel Though the nombre of the children of Israel be as the sonde of the see yet shal there but a remnaunt be saued For there is the worde that fynisheth and shorteneth in righteousnes for a shorte worde shal God make vpon earth And as Esay sayde before Excepte the LORDE of Sabbaoth had lefte vs fede we shulde haue bene as Sodoma and like vnto Gomorra What shal we saye then This wil we saye The Heythen which folowed not righteousnes haue ouertaken righteousnes but I speake of the righteousnes that commeth of faith Agayne Israel folowed the lawe of righteousnes and attayned not vnto the lawe of righteousnes Why so Euen because they soughte it not out of faith but as it were out of the deseruynge of workes For they haue stombled at the stomblinge stone As it is wrytten Beholde I laye in Sion a stone to stōble at and a rocke to be offended at and who so euer beleueth on him shal not be confounded The X. Chapter BRethren my hertes desyre prayer vnto God for Israel is that they might be saued For I beare them recorde that they are zelous for Gods cause but not w t vnderstondinge For they knowe not the righteousnes which auayleth before God and go aboute to manteyne their awne righteousnes and thus they are not subdued vnto the righteousnes that is off value before God For Christ is the ende of the lawe vnto righteousnes for euery one y t beleueth Moses wryteth of y e righteousnes which commeth of the lawe that the man which doth y e same shal lyue therin But y e righteousnes which cōmeth of faith speaketh on this wyse Saye not in thine hert Who wil go vp in to heauē that is nothinge els then to fetch Christ downe Or who wyl go downe in to y e depe that is nothinge els thē to fetch vp Christ from the deed But what sayeth the scripture The worde is nye the euen in thy mouth and in thine hert This is y e worde of faith y t we preach For yf thou knowlegest Iesus with thy mouth that he is the LORDE and beleuest in thine hert that God hath raysed him vp from the deed thou shalt be saued For yf a man beleue from the hert he shal be made righteous and yf a mā knowlege with the mouth he shal be saued For the scripture sayeth Who so euer beleueth on him shal not be confounded Here is no difference nether of the Iewe ner of the Gentyle For one is LORDE of all which is riche vnto all y t call vpō him * For who so euer shal call vpon the name of the LORDE shal be saued But how shal they call vpō him on whō they beleue not How shal they beleue on him of whō they haue not herde How shal they heare without a preacher But how shal they preach excepte they be sent As it is wryttē How beutyfull are the fete of thē y t preach peace y t brynge good tidinges But they are not all obedient vnto the Gospell For Esaye sayeth LORDE who beleueth oure preachinge So thē faith cōmeth by hearynge but hearinge cōmeth by the worde of God But I saye Haue they not herde No doute their sounde wēte out in to all londes and their wordes in to the endes of the worlde But I saye Hath not Israel knowne First Moses sayeth I wil prouoke you to enuye by them that are not my people by a foolish nacion wyl I anger you Esaye after him is bolde and sayeth I am founde of them that sought me not haue appeared vnto them that axed not after me But vnto Israel he sayeth All the daye lōge haue I stretched forth my handes vnto a people y t beleueth not but speaketh agaynst me The XI Chapter I Saye then Hath God thrust out his people God forbyd for I also am an Israelite of the sede of Abraham out of the trybe of Ben Iamin God hath not thrust out his people whom he knewe before Or wote ye not what the scripture sayeth of Elias how he maketh intercession vnto God agaynst Israel and sayeth LORDE they haue slayne thy prophetes dydged downe thine altares and I am lefte ouer onely and they seke my life But what sayeth the answere of God vnto him I haue reserued vnto me seuen thousande men which haue not bowed their knee before Baal Euē so goeth it now at this tyme also w t this remnaunt after y e eleccion of grace Yf it be done of grace thē is it not of deseruynge els were grace no grace But yf it be of deseruynge then is grace nothinge els were deseruynge no deseruynge What thē Israel hath not optayned y t which he soughte but the eleccion hath optayned it As for y e other they are blynded As
The dayes of man are shorte God suffreth longe rebuketh and teacheth all soch as wil receaue nurtoure Chap. XIX Many good lessons of wyszdome Chap. XX. Men ought to geue warnynge to exorte and to rebuke but not to be cruell violent or malicious Of sylence and speakinge how to bewarre of lyes Chap. XXI All maner of synnes ought to be eschued The difference of the wyse and foolish Chap. XXII A foole wyll not be refourmed nor rebuked Be faithfull vnto thy neghboure and frende Chap. XXIII A faithfull prayer vnto God to preserue the mouth and tonge from noysome wordes and oothes the hert from euell thoughtes How greate abhominacion aduoutry is Chap. XXIIII A commendacion of wyszdome Chap. XXV There is nothinge better then an honest verteous woman Agayne there is nothinge worse then an euell vngodly frowarde woman Chap. XXVI A commendacion and prayse of a good honest woman and how noysome an euell wyfe is Chap. XXVII Many goodly sentences Chap. XXVIII Men ought not to take vengeauÌ„ce but euery man to forgeue his neghboure not to beare euell wil ner to stryue What harme commeth of false tongues slaunderers Chap. XXIX How meÌ„ shulde haue compassion and lende vnto their neghbours and how they that borowe ought to behaue them selues agayne Of vnaduysed suertieshipe How euery man ought to be content with that he hath and not to be chargeable vnto other Chap. XXX Who so loueth his children teacheth them nurtoreth them and chasteneth theÌ„ Health is a noble gift Chap. XXXI The misery of the cuvetous How one shulde be haue him self at the table and be measurable in meate and drynke What harme commeth of drynkinge to moch wyne Chap. XXXII To be set in rule dignite shulde not make a man proude and hye minded but to feare to be diligent and faithful vnto them that are committed vnto him c. with other good lessons Chap. XXXIII How God ought to be feared his lawe kepte The difference of dayes and of men The ordringe of children and housholde Chap. XXXIIII The hope of the vngodly is vayne the righteous shal be preserued for he putteth his trust in God which wil not be reconciled with offeringes but with an innocent life Chap. XXXV The offringe that pleaseth God is to kepe his coÌ„maundementes to be thankful mercifull and to ceasse from synne God is the defender of wyddowes fatherlesse and oppressed and heareth their prayer Chap. XXXVI An earnest prayer vnto God for helpe agaynst the enemies The prayse of an honest woman Chap. XXXVII Of true false freÌ„dshipe Good councell ought to be sought at them which are verteous and feare God but first at God himself Of wyszdome and sobernesse Chap. XXXVIII Phisicians and medicyns ought not to be despysed but vsed as a gift of God neuertheles God himself is first to be sought in all sicknesse Men shulde be measurable in mourninge for the deed prepare them selues also vnto death Euery workman ought to be diligent in his laboure and to please God with kepinge his commaundementes Chap. XXXIX Wyszdome and the feare of God excell all other thinges All thinges are made to serue the faithfull Chap. XL. The life of man is a battayll All thinges passe awaie but the trueth abydeth for euer The liberall and louynge condicions of the righteous The vnfaithfullnes and nigardnesse of the vngodly Chap. XLI Death is fearfull vnto the wicked but a ioye vnto the righteous The cursinge of the vngodly A good name is a noble thinge What the thinges be wherof a man ought to be ashamed Chap. XLII Where one ought not to be ashamed The care and bringinge vp of childreÌ„ The power and wyszdome of God Chap. XLIII The beuty of the firmameÌ„t wher by the power and wyszdome of God is knowne shulde by right be praysed Chap. XLIIII A commendacion and prayse of the olde fathers Chap. XLV Of the faithfull worthies and their noble actes Of the presthode and offeringes The punyshment of the sedicious Chap. XLVI The manlynesse of Iosue Caleb Of the rulers in Israel vnto the tyme of faithfull Samuel Chap. XLVII Of Nathan Dauid and Salomon Chap. XLVIII Of Elyas Ezechias and Esay Chap. XLIX The actes of good Iosias The decaye of Ierusalem Of the prophetes and patriarckes Chap. L. A commeÌ„dacion of Simeon the sonne of Onias Chap. LI. A prayer of Iesus Syrac Wyszdome calleth the ignoraunt vnto her The first Chapter ALl wyszdome coÌ„meth of God the LORDE hath bene euer w t him and is before all tyme. Who hath nombred y e sonde of the see y e droppes of the rayne the dayes of tyme Who hath measured the heyth of heaueÌ„ y e bredth of the earth the depenesse of the see Who hath sought out the grounde of Gods wiszdome which hath bene before all thinges Wiszdome hath bene before all thinges and the vnderstandinge of prudence from euerlastinge Gods worde in the heyth is the well of wyszdome and the euerlastinge coÌ„maundementes are the intraunce of her Vnto whom hath y e rote of wyszdome bene declaâ—red Or who hath knowne hir wyt Vnto whom hath the doctrine of wyszdome bene discouered and shewed and who hath vnderstande the many folde entrauÌ„ce of her There is one eueÌ„ the Hyest the maker of all thinges y e Allmightie y e kynge of power of whom men ought to stonde greatly in awe which sytteth vpon his trone beinge a God of dominion He hath created her thorow y e holy goost he hath sene her nombred her and measured her He hath poured her out vpon all his workes and vpon all flesh acordinge to his gift he geueth her richely vnto them that loue him The feare of the LORDE is worshipe and triuÌ„phe gladnesse a ioyfull crowne The feare of the LORDE maketh a mery hert geueth gladnesse ioye and longe life Who so feareth the LORDE it shal go well with him at the last in the daye of his death he shal be blessed The loue of God is honorable wiszdome loke vnto whom it appeareth they loue it for they se what woÌ„derous thinges it doth The feare of LORDE is the begynnynge of wyszdome and was made with the faithfull in the mothers wombe it shall go with the chosen wemen and shal be knowne of y e righteous and faithfull The feare of the LORDE is y e right Gods seruyce that preserueth and iustifieth the hert and geueth myrth gladnesse Who so feareth the LORDE shal be happie and whan he hath nede of comforte he shal be blessed To feare God is the wiszdome that maketh rich and bringeth all good with her She fylleth the whole house with hir giftes the garners with her treasure The feare of the LORDE is the crowne of wyszdome and geueth plenteous peace health He hath sene her nombred her knowlege and vnderstandinge of wyszdome hath he poured out as rayne and them that helde her fast hath he brought vnto honor. The feare
straunger or gest that he maye lyue by the and thou shalt take no vsury of him ner more then thou hast geuē but shalt feare thy God that thy brother maye lyue besydes the. For thou shalt not lende him y e money vpon vsury ner delyuer him thy meate vpon vauntage For I am the LORDE yo r God which haue brought you out of the lōde of Egipte to geue you the lande of Canaan and to be youre God Whan thy brother waxeth poore besyde the and selleth himself vnto the thou shalt not holde him as a bōde mā but as an hyred seruaunte and as a soiourner shall he be w t the and serue the vntyll y e yeare of Iubilye Then shal he departe lowse from the his childrē with him shal returne to his awne kinred and to his fathers possession for they are my seruauntes whom I brought out of the londe of Egipte Therfore shal they not be solde like bondmen And thou shalt not raigne ouer them with crueltie but shalt feare thy God But yf thou wylt haue bōde seruauntes and maydens thou shalt bye them of the Heithen that are rounde aboute you of the children of the soiourners and straungers amonge you and of their generacions with you and that are borne in youre londe the same shal ye haue for bonde seruaūtes shal possesse them youre children after you for an euerlastinge possession these shal be yo r bondmen But ouer youre brethren the children of Israel there shall none of you raigne ouer another with crueltie Whan a straunger or soiourner waxeth ryche by the and thy brother waxeth poore besyde him selleth him self vnto y e straunger or soiourner by the or to eny of his kynne then shall he haue right after that he is solde to be redemed agayne And eny of his brethren maye lowse him out or his vncle or his vncles sonne or eny other kynszman of his kynred Or yf his awne hande getteth so moch he shal lowse him self out and shal reken with him that bought him from y e yeare that he solde him self vntyll the yeare of Iubilye And y e money shal be counted acordinge to the nombre of the yeares that he was solde and his wages of the whole tyme shal be rekened withall Yf there be yet many yeares vnto y e yeare of Iubilye then shal he acordinge to the same geue the more for his delyueraunce therafter as he is solde Yf there remayne but few yeares vnto the yeare of Iubilye then shall he geue agayne therafter for his redempcion And his wages from yeare to yeare shall he reken withall and thou shalt not let the other raigne cruelly ouer him in y e sight But yf he bye not him self out after this maner then shal he go out fre in the yeare of Iubilye and his childrē with him for the childrē of Israel are my seruauntes which I haue brought out of the londe of Egipte I am the LORDE youre God Ye shall make you no Idols ner ymage and ye shal reare you vp no piler ner set vp eny markstone in youre londe to bowe youre selues therto For I am the LORDE youre God Kepe my Sabbathes and stonde in awe of my Sanctuary I am the LORDE The XXVI Chapter YF ye wyll walke now in my statutes and kepe my commaundementes and do them thē wyl I geue you rayne in due season and y e londe shal geue hir increase and the trees of y e felde shal brynge forth their frute And the threszshinge tyme shall reache vnto the wyne haruest and the wyne haruest shal reache vnto the sowynge tyme And ye shall eate yo r bred in plenteousnes and shal dwell safe in youre londe I wil geue peace in youre londe so that ye shall slepe and no man shall make you afrayed I wyl ryd euell beestes out of youre londe and there shall no swerde go thorow youre londe Ye shal chace youre enemies they shal fall into y e swerde before you Fyue of you shal chace an hundreth and an hundreth of you shal chace ten thousande For youre enemies shall fall in to the swerde before you And I wyl turne me vnto you and wyl cause you to growe and increase and wyl set vp my couenaunt with you And ye shal eate of the olde stoare and shall let go the olde for plenteousnesse of the new I will haue my dwellynge amonge you and my soule shall not refuse you And I wyll walke amonge you and wyl be youre God and ye shal be my people For I am the LORDE youre God which brought you out of the londe of Egipte that ye shulde not be their bondmen And I haue brokē the cepter of youre yocke and caused you to go vp right But yf ye wil not harken vnto me ner do all these commaundementes and wyl despyse my statutes and yf youre soules refuse my lawes y t ye wyll not do all my commaundementes shal let my couenaunt stonde then wyll I do this agayne vnto you I wyl vyset you shortly with swellynges and feuers which shal destroye y e eyes consume awaie y e hert Ye shal sowe youre sede in vayne and youre enemies shal eate it vp And I wyl set my face agaynst you and ye shal be slayne before youre enemies And they that hate you shal haue dominion ouer And ye shall flye whā no man chaseth you But yf ye wyll not herken vnto me for all this then wyl I make it yet seuen tymes more to punysh you for youre synnes that I maye breake y e pryde of youre strength and wyl make youre heauen lyke yron and youre earth as brasse and youre trauaile and labo r shal be but lost so that youre londe shall not geue hir increase and the trees in the londe shal not brynge forth their frute Yf ye walke yet agaynst me and wyll not harken vnto me then wyl I make it yet seuen tymes more to punysh you because of youre synnes wyl sende wylde beestes amō mōge you which shal robbe you and destroie youre catell and make you fewer and youre hye waye shal become waist But yf ye wyl not yet be refourmed here withall and wyll walke contrary vnto me then wyl I walke contrary vnto you also wyll punysh you yet seuen tymes for youre synnes And I wyl brynge vpon you a swerde of vengeaunce which shall auenge my Testament And though ye gather you together in to youre cities yet wyll I sende the pestilence amonge you and wyll delyuer you in to the handes of youre enemies For I wil destroye youre prouysion of bred so y t ten wemen shall bake youre bred in one ouen and youre bred shal be delyuered out by weight And whan ye eate ye shall not haue ynough Yf ye wyl not yet for all this harken vnto me wyl walke contrary vnto me then wyll I also walke cōtrary vnto you in wrath
and Makeda And whan they fled before Israel the waye downe to Bethoron the LORDE caused a greate hayle from heauen to fall vpon them vnto Aseka so that they dyed many mo of them dyed of the hayle then the children of Israel slewe with the swerde Then spake Iosua vnto the LORDE the same daye that the LORDE gaue ouer the Amorites before the children of Israel and sayde in the presence of Israel Sonne holde styll at Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon Then the Sonne helde styll and y e Moone stode vntyll the people had auenged theÌ„selues on their enemies Is not this wrytten in the boke of the righteous Thus the Sonne stode styll in the myddes of heauen and dyfferred to go downe for the space of a whole daye after And there was no daye like vnto this nether before ner after whan the LORDE herkened vnto the voyce of one man for the LORDE fought for Israel And Iosua wente agayne to Gilgall in to the teÌ„tes and all Israel with him As for the fyue kynges they were fled and had hyd theÌ„ selues in the caue at Makeda Then was it tolde Iosua We haue fouÌ„de the fyue kynges hyd in the caue at Makeda Iosua sayde Rolle greate stones then before the hole of the caue and set men there to kepe them As for you stonde not ye styll but folowe after youre enemies and smyte them behynde and let them not come in their cities for the LORDE youre God hath delyuered theÌ„ in to youre hande And whan Iosua and y e children of Israel had ended the sore greate slaughter vpoÌ„ them so y t they were brought to naught the remnaunt of them came in to the stronge cities So all the people came agayne to the hoost vnto Iosua to Makeda in peace and no man durst moue his tunge agaynst the children of Israel Iosua sayde Open the mouth of the caue and brynge the fyue kynge forth vnto me They dyd so and broughte the kynges vnto him out of the caue the kinge of Ierusalem the kynge of HebroÌ„ the kynge of Iarmuth the kynge of Lachis the kinge of Eglon. Whan these fyue kynges were broughte forth vnto him Iosua called euery man of Israel and sayde vnto the rulers of the men of warre that wente with him Come forth and treade vpon the neckes of these kynges with youre fete And they came forth and trode vpon their neckes with their fete And Iosua saide vnto them Be not afrayed and feare not be stronge and bolde for thus shal the LORDE do vnto all yo r enemies agaynst whom ye fighte And Iosua smote them afterwarde and put them to death and hanged them vpon fyue trees And they hanged styll vpon the trees vntyll the euenynge But whan the Sonne was gone downe he commaunded to take them of from the trees and they cast them in the caue wherin they had hyd them selues before the hole of the caue they layed greate stones which are there yet vnto this daye The same daye wanne Iosua Makeda also and smote it with the edge of the swerde and the kynge therof and damned it and all the soules that were therin and let none remayne escaped and dyd vnto the kynge of Makeda as he dyd vnto the kynge of Iericho Then Iosua and all Israel with him departed fro Makeda vnto Lybna foughte agaynst it And the LORDE gaue it with y e kynge therof into the hande of Israel and smote it and all the soules that were therin with the edge of the swerde and let not one remayne in it and dyd vnto the kinge therof as he had done vnto the kynge of Iericho Afterwarde wente Iosua and all Israel with him from Lybna vnto Lachis and layed sege vnto it and fought agaynst it And the LORDE delyuered Lachis also in to the hande of Israel so that they wanne it vpon the seconde daye and smote it with y e edge of the swerde and all the soules that were therin acordinge to all as he had done vnto Lybna At the same tyme Horam y e kynge of Gazer wente vp to helpe Lachis But Iosua smote him with all his people tyll there remayned not one And Iosua wente with all Israel from Lachis vnto Eglon and layed sege vnto it and fought agaynst it and wanne it the same daye and smote it with the edge of the swerde and damned all the soules that were therin the same daye acordynge vnto all as he had done vnto Lachis After that wente Iosua with all Israel from Eglon vnto Hebron and foughte agaynst it and wanne it and smote it with y e edge of the swerde and the kynge of it 〈◊〉 all the cities therof and all the soules 〈◊〉 were therin and let not one remayne acoâ—â—dynge vnto all as he had done vnto Egâ—â—â— and damned it and all the soules that 〈◊〉 therin Then turned Iosua agayne with all Iâ—â—rael towarde Debir and fought agaynst 〈◊〉 and wanne it with the kinge of it and all y e cities therof and smote them with the edgâ— of the swerde and damned all y e soules that were therin and let not one remayne ouer â–ª Euen as he had done vnto HebroÌ„ and Lâ—â—â—na with their kynges so dyd he also vnto Dâ—â—bir and the kynge therof Thus Iosua smote all the londe vpon the mountaynes and towarde the south and in the lowe countrees and by the ryuers with all their kynges and let not one remaine ouer and damned all that had breth * as the LORDE God of Israel had commaunded And Iosua smote them from Cades Bernea vnto Gaza and all the londe of Gosen vnto Gibeon and toke all these kynges with their loÌ„de at one tyme for the LORDE God of Israel foughte for Israel And Iosua wente agayne withall Israel to the tentes vnto Gilgal The XI Chapter WHan Iabin the kynge of Asor herde this he sent vnto Iabob the kynge of Madon and to the kynge of Samron and to the kynge of Achsaph and to the kynges that dwelt towarde the north vpon the mountaynes and in the playne on the southsyde of Cineroth and in the loâ—â— countrees and in the lordshippes of Dor by the see syde and to the Cananites towarde y e east and west to y e Amorites Hethites Pheresites and Iebusites vpon the mountaynes and to the Heuites vnder mount Hermon in the londe of Mispa These weÌ„te out with all their armies a greate people as many as y e sonde of the see and exceadinge many horses and charettes All these kinges gathered theÌ„ selues and came and pitched together by y e water of Meram to fighte with Israel And the LORDE sayde vnto Iosua Feare them not for tomorow aboute this tyme wil I delyuer them all slayne before the children of Israel thou shalt lame their horses and burne their charettes with fire And Iosâ—â— came sodenly vpon them and all the men of warre with him by the water of Meroâ—â— fell vpon them And the LORDE delyuered
bloude without a cause and auenged thy selfe then shal y e LORDE do good vnto my lorde and thou shalt thynke vpon thy hand mayden Then saide Dauid vnto Abigail Blessed be the LORDE God of Israel which hath sent the to mete me this daye and blessed be thy speach and blessed be thou which hast kepte me backe this daye that I am not come agaynst bloude to auenge me with myne awne hande Verely as truly as the LORDE the God of Israel lyueth which hath hyndred me that I shulde do the no euell Yf thou haddest not met me in all the haist Nabal shulde not haue had lefte him vntyll y e lighte mornynge so moch as one that maketh water agaynst the wall So Dauid toke of hir hāde what she had broughte him and sayde vnto her Go vp in peace vnto y e house beholde I haue herkened vnto y e voyce and accepted thy personne But whan Abigail came to Nabal beholde he had prepared a feast in his house like a kynges feast and his hert was mery for he was very dronken And she tolde him nothinge nether small ner greate vntyll y e cleare mornynge But whan it was daye the wyne was come from Nabal his wife tolde him these thinges Then was his hert deed in his body so that he became euen as a stone and ouer ten dayes the LORDE smote him so y t he dyed Whan Dauid herde that Nabal was deed he sayde Blessed be y e LORDE which hath auenged my rebuke on Nabal and preserued his seruaunt from euell And the LORDE hath rewarded Nabal that euell vpon his heade And Dauid sent and caused to talke with Abigail y t he mighte take her to wife And whan Dauids seruauntes came to Abigail vnto Carmel they spake vnto her and saide Dauid hath sent vs vnto the that he maye take y e to wife She rose vp and worshipped vpon hir face vnto the earth and sayde beholde here is thy handmayde that she maie do seruyce vnto the seruauntes of my lorde and to waszshe their fete And Abigail made haist and gat her vp and rode vpō an asse and fyue maydens that were vnder her and wente after Dauids messaungers and became his wife Dauid toke Ahinoam of Iesrael also and they both became his wyues But Saul gaue Michol his doughter the wife of Dauid vnto Phalti y e sonne of Lais of Gallim The XXVI Chapter THey of Siph came to Saul vnto Gibeath sayde Is not Dauid hyd vpō the hill of Hachila which lyeth ouer agaynst the wyldernesse Then Saul gat him vp and wente downe to the wildernes of Siph and thre thousande chosen men of Israel with him to seke Dauid in the wildernes of Siph and pitched vpon the hill of Hachila which lyeth by the waye before the wildernes But Dauid remayned in the wyldernes and whan he sawe that Saul came after him in to the wildernes he sent out spyes and knewe of a suertie that he was come in dede And Dauid gat him vp and came to the place where Saul had pitched his tēt and sawe the place where Saul laye with his chefe captayne Abner y e sonne of Ner for Saul laye in the tent and the hoost aboute him Then answered Dauid and sayde vnto Ahimelech the Hethite and to Abisai the sonne of Ieru Ia y e brother of Ioab Who wil go downe w t me to Saul in to the hoost Abisai sayde I wil go downe with the. So Dauid and Abisai came to the people in the night season beholde Saul laye and slepte in the tent and his speare stacke in y e grounde at his heade But Abner and the people laye rounde aboute him Thē sayde Abisai vnto Dauid God hath closed thine enemye in thyne hande this daye Therfore will I now thrust him thorow once with the speare euen in to the grounde y t he shall haue ynough of it Neuertheles Dauid sayde vnto Abisai Destroye him not for who wil laye hande vpon the anoynted of y e LORDE remayne vngiltye Dauid sayde morouer As truly as the LORDE lyueth yf y e LORDE him selfe smyte him not or excepte his tyme come that he dye or that he go in to the battayll and perishe the LORDE let it be farre fro me that I shulde laye my hande on the LORDES anoynted Take y e speare now therfore at his heade the cuppe of water let vs go So Dauid toke y e speare the cuppe of water at Sauls heade they wente their waye And there was no man y t sawe it ner perceaued it nether awaked but they slepte euery one for there was a depe slepe fallen vpon them from the LORDE Now whan Dauid was come ouer on y e other syde he stode vpon the toppe of the mount a farre of so that there was a wyde space betwene them and cried vpon y e people and vpō Abner the sonne of Ner sayde Hearest thou not Abner And Abner answered and sayde Who art thou that cryest so and diseasest the kynge And Dauid sayde vnto Abner Art thou not a man And where is there soch one as thou in Israel Why hast thou not then kepte thy lorde y e kynge for there is one of y e people come in to destroye thy lorde y e kynge It is not well that thou hast done As truly as the LORDE lyueth ye are the children of death because ye haue not kepte youre lorde the LORDES anoynted Beholde now where is y e kynges speare and the cuppe of water that was at his heade Then knewe Saul the voyce of Dauid and saide Is not that thy voyce my sonne Dauid Dauid sayde It is my voyce my lorde the kynge And he sayde morouer Why doth my lorde so persecute his seruaunt What haue I done and what euell is there in my hande Yet let my lorde the kynge heare but the wordes of his seruaunt Yf y e LORDE prouoke the against me let there be smelled a meat offerynge but yf the childrē of men do it cursed be they before the LORDE because they haue thrust me out this daye that I shulde not dwell in the LORDES inheritaunce and saye Go y t waye and serue other goddes So fall not now my bloude vpon the earth from the face of the LORDE For the kynge of Israel is gone forth to seke a flee as a partriche is folowed on vpō the mountaynes And Saul sayde I haue synned Come agayne Dauid my sonne I wil do the nomore hurte because my soule hath bene deare in y e sighte this daye Beholde I haue done foolishly and very vnwysely Dauid answered and sayde Beholde here is the kynges speare let one of the yonge men come ouer here and fetch it But the LORDE shal rewarde euery one acordinge to his righteousnes and faith for y e LORDE delyuered y t this daye into my hande neuertheles I wolde not laie my hande vpō the LORDES anoynted And as y e soule hath bene greatly
The III. Chapter ANd there was a longe battayll betwene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid But Dauid wente and increased and the house of Saul wente and mynished And vnto Dauid were children borne at Hebron His firstborne sonne Ammon of Ahinoam the Iesraelitisse the seconde Chileab of Abigail the wyfe of Nabal of Carmel the thirde Absalon the sonne of Maacha the doughter of Thalmai kynge of Gessur the fourth Adonia the sonne of Hagith the fyfth Saphatia the sonne of Abital y e sixte Iethream of Egla Dauids wife These were borne vnto Dauid at Hebron Now whan it was warre betwene the house of Saul the house of Dauid Abner strengthed Sauls house And Saul had had a concubyne whose name was Rispa the doughter of Aia. And Iszboseth sayde vnto Abner Wherfore liest thou with my fathers concubyne Then was Abner very wroth at these wordes of Iszboseth and sayde Am I a dogges heade then that I agaynst Iuda do mercy vnto the house of Saul thy father and vnto his brethren and kynsfolkes and haue not delyuered the into y e hande of Dauid and thou layest a trespace to my charge this daye for a womans sake God do Abner this and that yf I do not as the LORDE hath sworne vnto Dauid that the kyngdome maye be taken froÌ„ the house of Saul and y e seate of Dauid set vp ouer Israel and Iuda from Dan vnto Berseba Then coulde he not answere him one worde agayne he feared him so And Abner sent messaungers vnto Dauid sayenge Whose is the londe And sayde Make thy couenaunt with me Beholde my hande shall be with the to turne all Israel vnto the. He sayde Wel I wyll make a couenaunt with the but one thynge I desyre of the that thou se not my face excepte thou brynge me first Michol Sauls doughter whan thou commest to se my face Dauid sent messaungers also vnto Iszboseth the sonne of Saul sayenge Geue me my wyfe Michol whom I maried with an hundreth foreszkinnes of the Philistynes Iszboseth sent and caused for to take her from the man Palthiel the sonne of Lais. And hir huszbande wente with her and wepte behynde her vnto Bahurim Then sayde Abner vnto him Turne backe agayne and go thy waye And he turned backe agayne And Abner talked with the Elders in Israel and sayde Youre myndes haue bene set afore tyme and longe a goo vpon Dauid that he mighte be kynge ouer you do it now therfore for y e LORDE hath sayde of Dauid I wil delyuer my people of Israel by the haÌ„de of Dauid my seruaunt from the hande of the Philistynes and from the hande of all their enemies Abner spake also before the eares of Ben Iamin and wente to speake before the eares of Dauid at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Ben Iamin was contente withall Now whan Abner came to Hebron vnto Dauid and tweÌ„ty men with him Dauid made them a feast And Abner sayde vnto Dauid I wyll get me vp and go gather all Israel together to my lorde the kynge and that they maye make a couenaunt with the that thou mayest be kynge at thy soules desyre So Dauid let Abner go from him in peace And beholde Dauid seruauÌ„tes and 〈◊〉 came from the men of warre and broughtâ— a greate spoyle with them And Abner waâ— not now with Dauid at Hebron for he had sent him from him so that he was gone his waye in peace But whan Ioab and all the hoost with him was come it was tolde him that Abner the sonne of Ner came to the kynge and how he had sent him froÌ„ him so that he was gone his waye in peace Then wente Ioab in to the kynge and sayde What hast thou done Beholde Abner came to the why hast thou sent him from the that he is gone his waye Knowest thou not Abner the sonne of Ner For he came to the to disceaue thâ— that he mighte knowe thy outgoynge and ingoynge and to spie out all that thou doest And whan Ioab wente out from Dauid he sent messauÌ„gers after Abner to fetch him agayne from Boharsira and Dauid knewâ— not therof Now whan Abner came agayne vnto Hebron Ioab brought him in to y e middes vnder y e gate to talke w t him secretly and thrust him there in to y e bely that he dyed because of his brother Asahels bloude Whan Dauid knewe of it therafter he sayde I am vngiltye and so is my kyngdodome for euer before the LORDE concernynge the bloude of Abner y e sonne of Ner but vpon the heade of Ioab fall it and vpon all his fathers house and in the house of Ioab there ceasse not one to haue a renninge yssue and a leprosy and to go vpon a staffe and fall thorow the swerde and to haue scarnesse of bred Thus Ioab and his brother Abiâ—aâ— slewe Abner because he had slayne their brother Asahel in the battaill at Gibeon Dauid sayde vnto Ioab and to all y e people y t was with him Rente youre clothes and gyrde sack cloth aboute you and make lamentacion for Abner And the kynge wente after the Bere And whan they buryed Abner at Hebron the kynge lifte vp his voyce and wepte besyde Abners graue and all the people wepte also And the kynge mourned for Abner and sayde Abner is not deed as a foole dyeth Thy handes were not bounde thy fete were not vexed with fetters thou art fallen as a man falleth before wicked vnthriftes Theâ— all the people bewayled him yet more Now whan all the people came in to eate with Dauid whyle it was yet hye daye Dauid sware and sayde God do this and that vnto me yf I taist ether bred or oughte els afore the SoÌ„ne go downe And all y e people knewe it and it pleased them well all that y e kynge dyd in the sighte of all the people And all the people and all Israel perceaued the same daye that it came not of the kynge that Abner the sonne of Ner was slayne And the kynge sayde vnto his seruauntes Knowe ye not that this daye a prynce and a greate man is fallen in Israel As for me I am yet but tender and anoynted kynge But the men the children of Zeru Ia are to harde for me The LORDE recompence him that doth euell acordinge to his wickednes The IIII. Chapter WHan Sauls sonne herde y t Abner was deed at Hebron his haÌ„des were feble all Israell was sory But there were two men captaynes ouer the soudyers vnder the sonne of Saul the one was called Baena the other Rehob sonnes of Rimon y e Berothite of the childreÌ„ of Ben Iamin for Beroth was couÌ„ted also in Ben Iamin And the Berothites were fled vnto Gethaim were strauÌ„gers there vnto this daye Ionathas also the sonne of Saul had a sonne which was lame on his fete was fyue yeare olde whan the rumoure of Saul and Ionathas came from Iesrael And his norse toke him
me and he himselfe hath taughte thy handmayden all these wordes that I shulde turne this matter of this faszshioÌ„ this hath Ioab thy seruaunt done But my lorde is wyse as the wyszdome of an angell of God so that he knoweth all thynges vpon earth Then sayde the kynge vnto Ioab Beholde I haue done this go thy waye therfore and brynge the childe Absalom agayne Then fell Ioab vpon his face vnto the grounde and worshipped and thanked the kynge and sayde This daye doth thy seruaunt perceaue that I haue founde grace in thy syghte my lorde the kynge in that the kynge doth as his seruaunt hath sayde So Ioab gat him vp and wente vnto Gesur and broughte Absalom to Ierusalem But the kinge sayde Let him go againe in to his house and not se my face Thus Absalom came agayne to his house and sawe not y e kynges face But in all Israel there was not so fayre and so maruelous goodly a man as Absalom From the sole of his fote vnto the toppe of his heade there was not one blemysh in him And whan his heade was rounded that was comonly euery yeare for it was to heuy for him so that it must nedes haue bene rounded the heer of his heade weyed two huÌ„dreth Sicles after y e kynges weight And vnto Absalom there were borne thre sonnes and one doughter whose name was Thamar and she was a woman of a fayre bewtye So Absalom abode two yeare at Ierusalem and sawe not the kynges face And Absalom sent for Ioab that he mighte sende him to the kynge And he wolde not come to him But he sent the seconde tyme yet wolde he not come Then sayde he vnto his seruauntes Ye knowe Ioabs pece of londe that lyeth by myne and he hath barlye theron go youre waye therfore and set fyre vpon it So Absaloms seruauntes sett fyre vpon Ioabs pece of londe Then Ioab gat him vp and came to Absalom in to the house and sayde vnto him Wherfore haue thy seruauntes set fire vpon my pece of londe AbsaloÌ„ sayde vnto Ioab Beholde I sent for the and caused to saye vnto the Come hither that I maye sende the to the kynge and to saye Wherfore came I from Gesur It were better for me that I were there yet Let me therfore se the kynges face But yf there be eny trespace in me then put me to death And Ioab wente in to the kynge and tolde him And he called Absalom to come in to the kynge and he worshipped vpon his face to the grounge before the kynge And the kynge kyssed Absalom The XV. Chapter ANd after this it fortuned that Absalom caused to prepare himselfe chearettes and horses and fyftye men which were his fote meÌ„ And AbsaloÌ„ gat him vp allwaye early in the mornynge and stâ—de in the waye by the porte and whan eny man had a matter which shulde come to the kynge for iudgment Absalom called vnto him and sayde â–ª Of what cite art thou Yf he sayde theâ—â— thy seruaunt is of one of the trybes of Israel then sayde Absalom vnto him Beholde thy matter is righte and plaine but there is noman appoynted y t of the kynge to heare the. And Absalom sayde O who setteth me to be iudge in y e londe that euery man which hath a plee or matter to do in y e lawe might come to me that I might helpe him to right And whan eny man came to him to do worshippe to do him obeisaunce he put forth his haÌ„de and helde him kyssed him After this maner dyd Absalom vnto all Israel whan they came to the lawe vnto the kynge and so dyd he steale awaye the hert of y e men of Israel After fortye yeares sayde Absalom vnto the kynge I wil go and perfourme my vowe at Hebron which I made vnto the LORDE For thy seruaunt made a vowe whan I dwelt at Gesur in Siria and saide Whan y e LORDE bryngeth me agayne to Ierusalem I shal do a Gods seruyce vnto the LORDE The kynge sayde vnto him Go thy waye in peace And he gat him vp and wente vnto Hebron But Absalom had sent out spyes in all the trybes of Israel sayenge Whan ye heare the noyse of the trompe saye Absalom is made kynge at Hebron There wente with Absalom two hundreth men called from Ierusalem but they wente on symply and knewe not of the matter Absalom sent also for Achitophel the Gilonyte Dauids counceler out of his cite Gilo Now whan he did the sacrifice the conspiracion was mightie and the people ranne together and multyplied with Absalom Then came one which tolde Dauid and sayde that the hert of euery man in Israel folowed Absalom Dauid sayde vnto all his seruauntes that were with him at Ierusasem Vp let vs fle for here shall be no escapynge for vs before Absalom Make haist that we maye be goynge lest he ouertake vs and catch vs and dryue some mysfortune vpon vs and smyte the cyte with the edge of the swerde Then sayde the kynges seruauntes vnto him Loke what my LORDE y e kinge choseth beholde here are thy seruauntes And the kynge wente forth on fote w t all his housholde But ten concubynes lefte he to kepe the house And whan the kynge and all the people came forth on fote they weÌ„te farre from home and all his seruauntes wente by him and all the Chrethians and Plethians and all the Gethites euen sixe hundreth men which were come on fote from Gath wente before the kynge And the kynge sayde vnto Ithai y e Gethite Why goest thou also with vs Turne backe and byde with the kynge for thou art a straunger get the hence agayne vnto thy place Thou camest yesterdaye and to daye thou iuperdest to go with vs As for me I wyl go whither I can turne thou backe agayne and mercy and faithfulnes happen vnto thy brethren with the Ithai answered and sayde As truly as the LORDE lyueth and as truly as my lorde the kynge lyueth loke in what place my lorde the kynge shal be whether it chaunce to life or death there shal thy seruaunt be also Dauid sayde vnto Ithai Then come and go with vs. So wente Ithai the Gethite and all his men and the whole multitude of the children that were with him And all the lande wepte with loude voyce and all the people with them And the kynge weÌ„te ouer the broke Cedron and all the people wente ouer by the waye that goeth to the wyldernes And beholde Sadoc was there also and all the Leuites that were with them they bare y e Arke of the couenuÌ„at of God and set it there And Abiathar wente vp tyll all the people came out of the cite But the kynge sayde vnto Sadoc Brynge the Arke of God in to the cite agayne Yf I shal fynde grace before the LORDE he shall fetch me agayne and shall let me se it and the house of it But yf he saye thus I haue no pleasure to y
e beholde here am I let him do with me as it pleaseth him And the kynge saide vnto Sadoc y e prest O thou Seer turne agayne to y e cite with peace and Ahimaas thy sonne with the and Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar beholde I wyl tary in the playne of the wyldernes tyll the message come from you and tell me So Sadoc and Abiathar broughte the Arke of God agayne to Ierusalem and remayned there But Dauid wente vp to mount Olyuete and wepte his heade was couered And all the people that was with him had euery man his heade couered and wente on and wepte And whan it was tolde Dauid that Achitophel was in the coÌ„federacy with Absalom he sayde LORDE turne thou Achitophels councell to foolishnes And whan Dauid came vp to the toppe of the mount where the vse was to worshippe God Chusai the Arachite met him with his cote rent and earth vpon his heade And Dauid sayde vnto him Yf thou go with me thou shalt be chargeable vnto me but yf thou goest agayne in to the cite and sayest vnto Absalom I am thy seruaunt O kynge euen as I was thy fathers seruaunt so wyll I now be thy seruaunt Then shalt thou brynge Achitophels councell to naughte So is Sadoc and Abiathar y e prestes with the and all that thou hearest out of the kynges house tell it vnto Sadoc and Abiathar the prestes Beholde their two sonnes are with theÌ„ Ahâ—maas the sonne of Sadoc and Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar by them mayest thou sende me worde what thou hearest So Chusai Dauids frende came in to the cite And Absalom came to Ierusalem The XVI Chapter ANd whan Dauid was gone a lytle by from the toppe of the mount beholde Siba the seruauÌ„t of Mephiboseth met him with a couple of asses sadled wheron were two hundreth loaues of bred and an hundreth quantities of rasyns and an huÌ„dreth quantities of fygges and a bottell of wyne Then sayde the kynge vnto Siba What wilt thou do herewith Siba sayde The asses shal be for the kynges housholde to ryde vpon and the loaues and fygges for the yonge men to eate and the wyne shall be for them to drynke whan they are weery in the wyldernes The kynge sayde Where is thy lordes sonne Siba sayde vnto the kynge Beholde he abyde that IerusaleÌ„ for he saide To daye shal y e house of Israel restore my fathers kiÌ„gdome vnto me The kynge saide vnto Siba Beholde all that Mephiboseth hath shal be thine Siba sayde with reuerence Let me finde grace in thy sight my lorde O kynge But whan kynge Dauid came to Bahurim beholde there wente out a man of the kynred of the house of Saul whose name was Semei the sonne of Gera which wente forth and cursed and caststones at Dauid and at all kynge Dauids seruauntes and all the people and all the mightie men men were at his righte hande and at his lefte Thus sayde Semei whan he cursed Get the forth get the forth thou bloudy hounde thou man of Belial The LORDE hath rewarded the for all the bloude of the house of Saul y t thou becamest kynge in his steade Now hath the LORDE geuen the kyngdome in to y e hande of Absalom thy sonne and beholde now stickest thou in thine owne myschefe for thou art a bloudy hounde But Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia sayde vnto the kynge Shall this deed dogg curse my lorde the kynge I wyl go and take the heade awaye from him The kynge saide Ye children of Zeru Ia what haue I to do w t you Let him curse on for the LORDE hath commaunded him Curse Dauid Who can saye now Why doest thou so And Dauid sayde vnto Abisai and to all his seruauntes Beholde my sonne which came of my body seketh after my lyfe how moch more now the sonne of Iemini Let him curse on for the LORDE hath commaunded him peraduenture the LORDE shall consydre my aduersyte and recompence me good for his cursynge this daye So Dauid wente on his waye with his men But Semei wente on by the mount besyde him and cursed and caststones at him threwe clottes of earth And the kynge came in and all the people that was with him weery and refreshed him selfe there But Absalom and all the people of the men of Israel came to Ierusalem and Achitophel with him Whan Chusai the Arachite Dauids frende came in to Absalom he sayde vnto Absalom God saue the kynge God saue the kynge Absalom sayde vnto Chusai Is this thy mercy vnto thy frende Why art thou not gone with thy frende Chusai sayde vnto Absalom Not so but loke whom the LORDE choseth and this people and all the men in Israel his wyl I be and byde with him Secondly whom shulde I serue Shulde I not do seruyce before his sonne Like as I haue serued in the presence of thy father so wyll I do seruyce before the also And Absalom sayde vnto Achitophel Geue vs youre councell what we shal do Achitophel sayde vnto Absalom Go lye with thy fathers concubynes whom he hath lefte to kepe the house so shall all Israel heare that thou hast made thy father to stynke and the hande of all them that are with y e shal be the bolder Then made they a tente vnto Absalom vpon the house toppe And Absalom laye with his fathers concubâ—â—â— in the sighte of all Israel At that tyme whan Achitophel 〈◊〉 councell that was euen as yf a man 〈◊〉 councell at God So were all the councels of Achitophel both with Dauid and 〈◊〉 Absalom The XVII Chapter ANd Achitophel sayde vnto Absalom I wil chose out twolue thousande 〈◊〉 and wyl get me vp and persue 〈◊〉 by nighte and fall vpoÌ„ him whan he is feble and weery When I vexe him theÌ„ so that all the people which is by him flieth I wil 〈◊〉 the kynge onely and brynge all the people vnto the agayne So whan euery man is brought vnto the as thou desyrest then shal all the people be in peace Absalom thoughâ— that good and so dyd all the Elders in Isâ—rael But Absalom sayde I praye you call Chusai the Arachite also and let vs heaâ—â— what he sayeth therto And whaÌ„ Chusai came in to Absalom Absalom saide vnto him Thus hath Achitophel spoken Saye thou now shal we do it or not Then sayde Chusai vnto Absalom It is no good councell y t Achitophel hath geuen at this tyme. And Chusai sayde morouer Thou knowest thy father well and his men that they are stronge and of a wrothfull stomack euen as a Beer that is robbed of hir yonge ones in the felde Thy father also is a man of warre and wyl not be necligeÌ„t with the people Beholde he hath now peraduenture hyd hymselfe in some caue or in some place Yf it came to passe then that it chaunced euell at the first there shulde come a rumo r and saye There is a slaughter done in the people
with you and set my sonne Salomon vpon my Mule and cary him downe to Gihon and let Sadoc y e prest and the prophet Nathan anoynte him there to be kynge ouer Israel and blowe the trompe and saye God saue kynge Salomon and go ye vp after him and whan he commeth he shal syt vpoÌ„ my seate and be kynge in my steade for I haue ordeyned him to be prynce ouer Israel and Iuda Then answered Benaia the sonne of Ioiada vnto the kynge sayde Amen The LORDE God of my lorde the kynge saye thus also As the LORDE hath bene with my lorde the kynge so be he with Salomon also that his seate maye be greater then the seate of my lorde kynge Dauid Then wente they downe the prest Sadoc and the prophet Nathan and Benaia the sonne of Ioiada and the Chrethians Plethians set Salomon vpon kynge Dauids Mule broughte him to Gihon And Sadoc the prest toke the oyle horne out of the Tabernacle and anoynted Salomon And they blewe the trompe And all y e people sayde God saue kynge Salomon And all the people wente vp after him and the people pyped with pypes and was very ioyfull so that the earth range at the noyse of them And Adonias herde it and all they whom he had called which were w t him and they had new eaten And whan Ioab herde the noyse of the trompe he sayde What meaneth this noyse of the cite and this busynes But whyle he yet spake beholde Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar y e prest came And Adonias sayde Come in for thou art a valeaunt man and bryngest good tydinges Ionathas answered and sayde vnto Adonias Alas o r lorde kynge Dauid hath made Salomon kynge and hath sent with him Sadoc the prest and the propheth Nathan and Benaia the sonne of Ioiada and the Chrethians and Plethians and they haue set him vpon the kynges Mule and Sadoc y e prest with the prophet Nathan hath anoynted him kynge at Gihon and from theÌ„ce are they gone vp with ioye that the cite range with all that is the noyse that ye haue herde Salomon also sytteth vpoÌ„ the kynges seate and the kynges seruauntes are gone in to wysh good lucke vnto ouer lorde kynge Dauid and haue sayde Thy God make Salomon a better name then thy name is and make his seate greater then thy seate And they haue wyszshed the kynge good lucke vpon the bed Morouer y e kynge hath sayde thus Praysed be y e LORDE God of Israel which this daye hath made one to syt vpon my seate that myne eyes haue sene it Then were they afrayed and gatt them vp all that were called by Adonias and so they departed euery man his waye But Adonias was afrayed of Salomon and gat him vp and weÌ„te his waye toke holde of y e hornes of y e altare And it was tolde Salomon beholde Adonias feareth kynge SalomoÌ„ beholde he taketh holde of the hornes of y e altare sayeth Let kiÌ„ge SalomoÌ„ sweare vnto me this daye that he shall not slaye his seruaunt with the swerde Salomon sayde Yf he wil be an honest man there shall not one heer fall from him vpon the earth but yf there be euell founde in him he shall dye And kinge SalomoÌ„ sent and caused him to be fetched from the altare And whan he came he fell downe before kynge Salomon But Salomon sayde vnto him Go y e waye in to thy house The II. Chapter NOw whan the tyme came that Dauid shulde dye he commaunded Salomon his sonne and sayde I go the waye of all the worlde Be thou stroÌ„ge therfore and shewe thyselfe a man and kepe the watch of the LORDE thy God that thou walke in his wayes and holde his ordinaunces his commaundementes his lawes and his testimonies as it is written in the lawe of Moses that thou mayest be wyse in all that thou doest and whither so euer thou turnest the that the LORDE maye rayse vp his worde which he hath spokeÌ„ ouer me and saide Yf thy children kepe their waye and walke before me faithfully and truly and with all their hert and withall their soule theÌ„ shal there neuer fayle the a man vpon the seate of Israel Thou knowest well also what Ioab the sonne of Zeru Ia hath done vnto me what he dyd vnto the two chefe captaynes of Israel Abner the sonne of Ner and Amasa the sonne of Iether whom he slewe and shed the bloude of warre whaÌ„ it was peace put the bloude of warre vpon his girdel y t was aboute his loynes and in his shues that were vpon his fete Do thou acordynge to thy wyszdome that thou brynge not his graye heer downe to the graue in peace And to the children of Barsyllai the Gileadite thou shalt shewe mercy that they maye eate at thy table For so ioined they theÌ„ selues vnto me whan I fled before thy brother Absalom And beholde thou hast with the Semei the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini of Bahurim which cursed me with very bytter and shamefull cursynges what tyme as I wente to Mahanaim Yet came he downe to mete me at Iordan where I sware vnto him by the LORDE and sayde I wyll not slaye the with the swerde But suffre not thou him to be vngiltye for thou art a wyse man and shalt wel knowe what thou oughtest to do vnto him that thou mayest brynge his graye heer downe to the graue with bloude So Dauid slepte with his fathers and was buried in the cite of Dauid The tyme that Dauid was kynge ouer Israel is fortie yeare Seuen yeares was he kynge at HebroÌ„ and thre and thirtie yeare at Ierusalem And Salomon sat vpon the seate of Dauid his father and his kyngdome was made very sure But Adonias the sonne of Hagith came in to Bethseba Salomons mother And she sayde Is thy commynge peaceable He spake Yee and sayde I haue somwhat to â—aye to the. She sayde Saye on He sayde Thou knowest that the kyngdome was myne and that all Israel had sett them selues vpon me that I shulde be kynge but now is the kyngdome turned and become my brothers for he hath it of the LORDE Now desyre I one peticion of the Make not my face ashamed She sayde vnto him Saye on He sayde Speake vnto kynge Salomon for he shall not shame thy face that he maye geue me Abisag to wyfe Bethseba sayde Wel I wil speake to the kynge for the. And Bethseba came in to kynge Salomon to speake with him And the kynge stode vp and wente to mete her and worshipped her and sat him downe vpon his seate And there was a chayre set for the kynges mother so that she sat at his righte hande And she sayde One peticion desyre I of the make not my face ashamed The kynge saydt Axe O my mother I wyl not shame thy face She saide Let Abisag of Sunem be geuen thy brother Adonias to wyfe Then
Iuniper tre And beholde y e angell touched him sayde vnto him Stonde vp and eate And he loked aboute him beholde at his heade there was a bred baken on the coles a cruse w t water And whan he had eaten and dronkē he layed him downe agayne to slepe And y e angell of the LORDE came agayne the seconde tyme touched him sayde Stonde vp and eate for thou hast a greate waye to go And he arose and ate and drāke and wente on thorow the strength of that meate fortye dayes and fortye nightes euē vnto Horeb y e mount of God and there he came to a caue and abode there all nighte And beholde the worde of the LORDE came to him and sayde vnto him What doest thou here Elias He sayde I haue bene zelous for the LORDE God Zebaoth for the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenaunt and broken downe thine altares and slayne thy prophetes with the swerde and I am lefte onely they seke to take awaye my life He sayde Go forth and stonde vpon the mount before the LORDE And beholde the LORDE wēte ouer and a greate mightie wynde which roue the mountaynes and brake the harde stones came before the LORDE but the LORDE was not in the wynde After the wynde came there an earthquake but the LORDE was not in the earthquake And after the earth quake there came a fyre but the LORDE was not in the fyre And after the fyre came there a styll softe hyssinge Whan Elias herde that he couered his face with his cloke and wente forth and stode in the dore of the caue And beholde there came a voyce vnto him and sayde What hast thou here to do Elias He sayde I haue bene zelous for the LORDE God Zebaoth for the children of Israel haue forsakē thy couenaunt broken downe thine altares slayne y e prophetes w t theswerde I onely am lefte and they seke to take awaye my life But the LORDE sayde vnto him Go y e waye agayne thorow the wyldernes vnto Damascon go in anoynte Hasael kynge ouer Siria Iehu the sonne of Nimsi kynge ouer Israel Eliseus y e sonne of Saphat of Abel Mehola to be prophet in y e steade And it shal come to passe y t who so escapeth the swerde of Hasael Iehu shall slaye him who so escapeth y e swerde of Iehu Eliseus shal slaye him And I wil reserue vnto me vij M. men in Israel namely all y e knees which haue not bowed thē selues vnto Baal and euery mouth y t hath not kyssed him And he departed thence founde Elizeus y e sonne of Saphat plowinge w t twolue yocke of oxen before him he himselfe was amōge the twolue And Elias wēte vnto him cast his cloke vpon him And he lefte the oxen ranne after Elias sayde Let me kysse my father my mother and so wil I folowe the. And he sayde vnto him Go thy waye come agayne for I haue some what to do with the. And he ranne agayne from him and toke a yock of oxen and offred it and sod y e flesh with the wod of the oxen plowes and gaue it vnto the people to eate and gat him vp folowed Elias and mynistred vnto him The XX. Chapter ANd Benadab y e kynge of Siria gathered all his power there were two thirtie kynges w t him horses charettes and he wente vp and layed sege vnto Samaria foughte agaynst it And he sent messaungers vnto Achab y e kynge of Israel in to y e cite caused to saye vnto him Thus sayeth Benadab Thy syluer thy golde is myne and thy wyues thy best children are myne also The kynge of Israel answered sayde My lorde O kynge euen as thou hast sayde I am thine and all that I haue And the messaungers came agayne sayde Thus sayeth Benadab For so moch as I haue sent vnto the sayenge Thy syluer thy golde thy wyues thy childrē shalt thou geue me tomorow aboute this tyme wil I sende my seruaūtes vnto the y t they maye serch thyne house and the houses of thy subiectes loke what pleasaunt thinge thou hast y t shal they take in their handes and cary it awaye So the kynge of Israel called all y e Elders of the lōde sayde Mark well se what myschefe this mā seketh He sent vnto me for my wyues children for syluer golde I haue not sayde him naye Then sayde all the Elders and all the people vnto him Thou shalt not cōsente ner agree vnto him And he spake vnto Benadabs messaūgers Saye vnto my lorde y e kynge All y e thynges wherfore thou dyddest sende vnto me y e seruaunt at y e first wil I do but this can I not do And y e messaungers wēte and tolde this againe Thē sent Benadab vnto him sayēge The goddes do this and y t vnto me yf the dust of Samaria shal be ynough for euery one of my people to brynge me an handfull therof But y e kynge of Israel answered sayde Tell him Let not him y t putteth on y e harnes make his boast like him y t hath put it of Whā Benadab herde y t euē as he was drynkinge w t the kynges in y e pauylion he sayde vnto his seruaūtes Set yo r selues in araye And they set thē selues in araie against y e cite And beholde there came a prophet vnto Achab y e kynge of Israel saide Thus sayeth the LORDE Hast thou sene all this greate multitude Beholde this daie wil I delyuer thē in to y e hande so y t thou shalt knowe how y t I am y e LORDE Achab sayde By whom He sayde Thus sayeth the LORDE Euen by the yonge men of the rulers of the londe He sayde Who shal order the battayl He sayde Thou Then mustered he the yonge men of the rulers of the londe there were two hūdreth and two and thirtie of them after thē mustured he of the whole people of all the childrē of Israel seuē thousande men and they wente out in the noone daye As for Benadab he dranke and was dronken in the pauylion with the two thirtie kynges which were come to helpe him And the yonge men of the rulers of the londe wente forth first Benadab sent forth they brought him worde sayde There come men out of Samaria He sayde Take them alyue whether they be come forth for peace or for warre But whan the londe rulers yonge men were gone forth and the hoost behynde them euery one smote him y t came in his waye And the Sirians fled and Israel folowed after them And Benadab the kynge of Syria escaped with horses and horsmē And the kynge of Israel wente forth and smote horses and charettes and dyd a greate slaughter on the Syrians Then came there a prophet vnto the
soch wordes it displeased me sore and I aduysed so in my mynde y t I rebuked the councelers and the rulers and sayde vnto them Wyl ye requyre vsury one of another And I broughte a greate congregacion agaynst them and sayde vnto them We after oure abilyte haue boughte oure brethren the Iewes which were solde vnto the Heythen And wyl ye sell youre brethren whom we haue boughte vnto vs Then helde they their peace coulde fynde nothinge to answere And I sayde It is not good that ye do Oughte ye not to walke in the feare of God because of the rebuke of the Heythen oure enemies I and my brethrē and my seruauntes haue lent them money and corne but as for vsury let vs leaue it Therfore this same daye se that ye restore thē their londes agayne their vynyardes oyle gardens and houses and the hundreth parte of the money of the corne wyne and oyle that ye haue wonne of them Then sayde they We wyl restore them agayne and wyl requyre nothinge of them and wyl do as thou hast spoken And I called the prestes and toke an ooth of thē that they shulde do so And I shoke my lappe and sayde God shake out euery man after the same maner frō his house and laboure that maynteyneth not this worde euen thus be he shaken out and voyde And all y e congregacion sayde Amen and praysed the LORDE And the people dyd so And from the tyme forth that it was commytted vnto me to be a Debyte in the londe of Iuda namely from the twentieth yeare vnto the two and thirtieth yeare off kynge Artaxerses that is twolue yeare I and my brethrē lyued not of soch sustenaunbe as was geuen to a Debyte For the olde Debytes that were before me had bene chargeable vnto the people and had takē of thē bred and wyne and fortye Sycles of syluer Yee and their seruauntes had oppressed the people But so dyd not I and that because of the feare of God I laboured also in the worke vpon the wall and boughte no lōde And all my seruaūtes came thither together vnto y e worke Morouer there were at my table an hundreth and fiftie of the Iewes and rulers which came vnto me from amonge the Heythen that are aboute vs. And there was prepared me daylie an oxe and sixe chosen shepe and byrdes and euer once in ten dayes a greate summe of wyne Yet requyred not I the lyuynge of a Debyte for y e bondage was greuous vnto y e people Thynke vpō me my God vnto y e best acordīge to all that I haue done for this people The VI. Chapter ANd whan Saneballat Tobias and Gosem the Arabian and the other of oure enemyes herde that I had buylded the wall and that there were no mo gappes ther in howbeit at the same tyme had I not hanged the dores vpon the gates Saneballat and Gosem sent vnto me sayenge Come and let us mete together in the vyllages vpon the playne of the cite On◠Neuertheles they thoughte to do me euell Notwithstondynge I sent messaungers vnto them sayenge I haue a greate busynes to do I can not come downe The worke shulde stonde still yf I were necligent and came downe to you Howbeit they sent vnto me as good as foure tymes after the same maner And I gaue the same answere Then sent Saneballat his seruaunt vnto me the fifth tyme with an open letter in his hande wherin was wrytten It is tolde the Heythen Gosem hath sayde it that thou and the Iewes thynke to rebell for y e which cause thou buyldest the wall and wylt be their kynge in these matters and hast ordeyned the prophetes to preach of the at Ierusalem and to saye He is kynge of Iuda Now shal this come to the kynges eares come now therfore and let us take oure councell together Neuertheles I sent vnto him sayenge There is no soch thinge done as thou sayest thou hast fayned it out of thine owne hert For they were all mynded to make us afrayed and thoughte They shal withdrawe their handes from the worke y t they shal not laboure Howbeit I strēgthed my hande the more And I came vnto y e house of Semaia y e sonne of Delaia the sonne of Mechetabeel he had shut him selfe within sayde Let us come together in to y e house of God euē vnto y e myddes of y e tēple sparre y e dores of y e tēple for they wyl come to slaye y e yee euē in the night wyl they come to put the to death But I sayde Shulde soch a mā flye Shulde soch a mā as I am go in to y e tēple to saue his life I wyl not go in For I perceaued that God had not sent him Yet spake he prophecye vpon me neuerthelesse Tobias and Saneballat had hired him for money Therfore toke he the money that I shulde be afrayed and so to do and synne that they might haue an euell reporte of me to blaspheme me My God thynke thou vpon Tobias and Saneballat acordynge vnto these their workes and of y e prophet Noadia and of the other prophetes y t wolde haue put me in feare And the wall was fynished on the fyue twentyeth daye of the moneth Elul in two and fyftye dayes And whan all o r enemies herde therof all the Heithen y t were aboute vs were afraied and their corage failed thē for they perceaued that this worke came of God And at y e same tyme were there many of y e chefe of Iuda whose letters wēte vnto Tobias from Tobias vnto them for there were many in Iuda that were sworne vnto him for he was the sonne in lawe of Sachania the sonne of Arah and his sonne Iohanan had the doughter of Mesullam the sonne of Barachia and they spake good of him before me and tolde him my wordes And Tobias sent letters to put me in feare The VII Chapter NOw whan we had buylded the wall I hanged on the dores and the porters syngers and Leuites were appoynted And I cōmaunded my brother Hanani and Hanania the ruler of the palace at Ierusalem for he was a faithfull man and feared God more then dyd many other and I sayde vnto them Let not the gates of Ierusalē be opened vntyll the Sonne be whote And whyle they are yet stondinge in the watch the dores shall be shut and barred And there were certayne citesyns of Ierusalem appoynted to be watchmen euery one in his watch and aboute his house As for y e cite it was large of rowme and greate but y e people were fewe therin and the houses were not buylded And my God gaue me in my hert that I gatherd together the pryncipall men and y e people to nombre them and I founde a register of their nombre which came vp afore out of the captiuyte whom Nabuchodonosor y e kynge of Babilō had caryed awaie and dwelt at Ierusalem and in Iuda
are cast downe are not able to stoÌ„de The XXXVI A psalme of Dauid FRett not thy self at the vngodly be not thou envious agaynst the euell doers For they shall soone be cut downe like y e grasse be wythered euen as y e grene herbe Put thou thy trust in y e LORDE be doinge good so shalt thou dwell in the londe verely it shal fede the. Delyte thou in the LORDE he shal geue the thy hertes desyre CoÌ„mitte thy waye vnto y e LORDE set thy hope in him and he shal brynge it to passe Yee he shall make thy rightuousnesse as cleare as the light thy iust dealinge as the noone daye Holde the still in y e LORDE and abyde pacieÌ„tly vpon him but greue not thy self at one that hath prosperite and lyueth in abhominacion Leaue of from wrath let go displeasure let not thy gelousy moue the also to do euell For wâ—â—ed doers shal be roted out but they that pacieÌ„tly abyde the LORDE shal enheret the londe Suffre yet a litle whyle y e vngodly shal be clene gone thou shalt loke after his place he shal be awaye But the meke spreted shal possesse the earth haue pleasure in moch rest The vngodly layeth wayte for the iust gnaszsheth vpon him w t his tethe But y e LORDE laugheth him to scorne for he seith y t his daye is coÌ„minge The vngodly drawe out the swerde bende their bowe to cast downe y e symple poore and to slaye soch as go y e rightwaye Neuertheles their swerde shal go thorow their owne hert and their bowe shal be brokeÌ„ A small thinge y t the rightuous hath is better then greate riches of the vngodly For the armes of y e vngodly shal be broken but the LORDE vpholdeth the rightuous The LORDE knoweth the dayes of the godly their enheritauÌ„ce shal endure for euer They shal not be coÌ„founded in y e perlous tyme in y e dayes of derth they shall haue ynough As for y e vngodly they shall perishe wheÌ„ y e enemies of y e LORDE are in their floures they shal coÌ„sume yee euen as the smoke shal they coÌ„sume awaye The vngodly * boroweth and paieth not agayne but the rightuous is mercifull liberall Soch as be blessed of him shal possesse the londe they whom he curseth shal be roted out The LORDE ordreth a good mans goinge hath pleasure in his waye Though he fall he shal not be hurte for the LORDE vpholdeth him w t his haÌ„de I haue bene yonge now am olde yet sawe I neuer the rightuous forsakeÌ„ ner his sede to seke their bred The rightuous is euer mercifull leÌ„deth geÌ„tly therfore shal his sede be blessed Fle froÌ„ euell do y e thinge that is good so shalt thou dwell for euer For y e LORDE loueth y e thinge y t is right he forsaketh not his sayntes but they shal be preserued for euermore as for the sede of the vn godly it shal be roted out Yee the rightuous shal possesse y e loÌ„de dwell therin for euer The mouth of the rightuous is exercised in wyszdome his toÌ„ge talketh of iudgment The lawe of his God is in his hert therfore shal not his fotesteppes slyde The vn godly seyth the rightuous goeth aboute to slaye him But the LORDE wil not leaue him in his hoÌ„des ner coÌ„demnâ— him when he is iudged Hope thou in the LORDE kepe his waye he shal so prâ—mote the that thou shalt haue the loÌ„de by enheritauÌ„ce se when the vngodly shall perishe I myself haue sene the vn godly in greate power florishinge like a grene baye tre but when I wente by lo he was gone I sought him but he coude no where be founde Kepe innocency and take hede vnto the thinge that is right for that shall brynge a man peace at the last As for the traÌ„sgressours they shal perishe together and the vn godly shal be roted out at y e last The helpe of the rightuous commeth of the LORDE he is their strength in the tyme of trouble The LORDE shal stoÌ„de by them and saue them he shal delyuer them from the vn godly and helpe theÌ„ because they put their trust in him The XXXVII A psalme of Dauid PVt â—e not to rebuke Oh LORDE in thine anger Oh chasteÌ„ me not in thy heuy displeasure For thy arowes stick fast in me and thy honde presseth me sore There is no whole parte in my body be cause of thy displeasure there is no rest in my bones by reason of my synnes For my wickednesses are gone ouer my heade and are like a sore burthen to heuy forme to beare My woundes styncke are corrupte thorow my folishnesse I am brought in to so greate trouble and misery that I go mournynge all the daye longe For my loynes are clene dried vp and there is no whole parte in my body I am feble and sore smytteÌ„ I roare for the very disquietnes of my hert LORDE thou knowest all my desyre my gronynge is not hyd from the. My hert paunteth my strength hath fayled me the light of myne eyes is gone fro me My louers frendes stonde lokynge vpon my trouble and my kynsmen are gone a farre of They that sought after my life and to do me euell spake of lyes and ymagined disceate all the daye longe As for me I was like a deaf maÌ„ and herde not and as one that were domme not openynge his mouth I am become as a man that heareth not and that can make no resistaunce w t his mouth For in the O LORDE is my trust thou shalt heare me O LORDE my God My desyre is y t myne enemies triumphe not ouer me for yf my fote slippe they reioyse greatly against me I am redy to suffre trouble and my heuynesse is euer in my sight For I coÌ„fesse my wickednesse my synne greueth me But myne enemies lyue and are mightie and they that hate me without a cause are many in nombre They that rewarde me euell for good speake euell of me because I folowe the thinge that good is Forsake me not O LORDE my God O go not farre fro me Haist the to helpe me O LORDE my succoure The XXXVIII A psalme of Dauid I Sayde I wil kepe my waies that I offended not in my tonge And so I shut my mouth whyle the vngodly layed wayte for me I helde my tonge I was domme I kepte sylence yee eueÌ„ from good wordes but it was payne and grefe to me My hert was hote within me whyle I was thus musynge the fyre kyndled so that I spake with my tonge LORDE let me knowe myne ende and the nombre of my dayes that I maye be certified what I wante Beholde thou hast made my dayes a spanne longe and my life is as it were nothinge before the. O how vayne are
shal I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked that synners maye be conuerted vnto the. Delyuer me from bloudegyltynesse o God thou that art the God of my health that my tonge maye prayse thy rightuousnesse Open my lippes O LORDE that my mouth maye shewe thy prayse For yf thou haddest pleasure in sacrifice I wolde geue it the but thou delytest not in burnt offerynges The sacrifice of God is a troubled sprete a broken and a coÌ„trite here o God shalt thou not despise O be fauorable and gracious vnto Sion that the walles of Ierusalem maye be buylded For then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of rightuousnesse with the burnt offerynges and oblacions then shal they laye bullockes vpon thine aulter The LI. A psalme of Dauid WHy boastest thou thy self thou Tyraunt that thou canst do myschefe Where as the goodnesse of God endureth yet daylie Thy tonge ymagineth wickednesse and with lyes it cutteth like a sharpe rasoure Thou louest vngraciousnesse more theÌ„ good to talke of lyes more then rightuousnesse Sela. Thou louest to speake all wordes y t maye do hurte O thou false toÌ„ge Therfore shal God cleane destroye the smyte the in peces plucke the out of thy dwellinge and rote the out of the londe of the lyuinge Sela. The rightuous shal se this feare and laugh him to scorne Lo this is the maÌ„ y t toke not God for his streÌ„gth but trusted vnto the multitude of his riches was mightie in his wickednesse As for me I am like a grene olyue tre in y e house of God my trust is in the tender mercy of God for euer euer I wil allwaye geue thankes vnto the for that thou hast done and wil hope in thy name for thy sayntes like it well The LII A psalme of Dauid THe foolish bodies saye in their hertes â–ª Tush there is no God Corrupte are they and become abhominable in their wickednesses there is not one that doth good God loked downe from heauen vpoÌ„ the children of men to se yf there were eny that wolde vnderstonde or seke after God But they are all gone out of y e waye they are all become vnprofitable there is none y t doth good no not one How caÌ„ they haue vnderstondinge that are the workers of wickednes eatinge vp my people as it were bred call not vpon God They are afrayed where no feare is for God breaketh the bones of them that besege the thou puttest them to confucion for God despiseth them Oh y t the sauynge health were geuen vnto Israel out of Sion Oh that the LORDE wolde delyuer his people out of captiuyte Then shulde Iacob reioyse Israel shulde be right glad The LIII A psalme of Dauid HElpe me o God for thy names sake and delyuer me in thy streÌ„gth Heare my prayer o God considre the wordes of my mouth For straungers are rysen vp agaynst me and the mightie which haue not God before their eyes seke after my soule Sela. But lo God is my helper it is he that vpholdeth my soule He shall rewarde euell vnto myne enemies and in thy treuth shalt thou destroye them A frewil offeringe wil I geue the and prayse thy name o LORDE because it is so comfortable For thou hast delyuered me out of all my trouble so that myne eye seyth his desyre vpoÌ„ myne enemies The LIIII A psalme of Dauid HEare my prayer o God and hyde not thy self fro my peticion Take hede vnto me and heare me how piteously I mourne coÌ„playne The enemie crieth so the vngodly commeth on so fast for they are mynded to do me some myschefe so maliciously are they set agaynst me My herte is heuy within me and the feare of death is fallen vpon me Fearfullnesse and tremblinge are come vpon me and an horrible drede hath ouerwhelmed me And I sayde O that I had wynges like a doue that I might fle somwhere and be at rest Lo then wolde I get me awaye farre of and remayne in the wildernesse Sela. I wolde make haist to escape from the stormy wynde and tempest Destroie their tonges o LORDE and deuyde them for I se vnrightuousnes strife in y e cite This goeth daye and night aboute the walles myschefe and vyce are in the myddest of it Wickednesse is therin disceate and gyle go not out of hir stretes Yf it were myne enemie that reuyled me I coude beare it or yf one that ought me euell will dyd threaten me I wolde hyde myself from him But it is thou my companyon my gyde and myne owne familier freÌ„de We had swete 〈◊〉 secrete communicacion together and louyngly walked we together in y e house of God Let death come hastely vpon them and let them go downe quick in to hell for wickednes is amonge them in their dwellinges As for me I will call vnto God and the LORDE shall helpe me In the eueninge mornynge and at noone daye wil I mourne and complayne and he shal heare my voyce It is he that delyuereth my soule in peace from them that laye waite for me for they are many agaynst me Yee euen God that endureth for euer shal heare me and brynge them downe Sela. For they wil not turne and why they feare not God Yee they laye hondes vpon soch as be at peace with him and so thei breake his couenaunt Their mouthes are softer then butter yet haue they batell in their mynde their wordes are smoother then oyle and yet be they very swerdes O cast thy burthen or care vpon the LORDE he shal norish the and not leaue the rightuous in vnquietnesse But as for them thou o God shalt cast them downe in to the pitte of destruccion The bloudthurstie and disceatfull shal not lyue out half their daies Neuerthelesse my trust is in the. The LV. A psalme of Dauid BE mercifull vnto me o God for 〈…〉 wil treade me downe they are 〈…〉 fightinge troublinge me 〈…〉 enemies treade me daylie vnder their fete for they be many y t proudly fight agaynst me Neuerthelesse wheÌ„ I am afrayed I put my trust in the. I wil comforte my self in Gods worde yee I wil hope in God and not feare What can flesh then do vnto me They vexe me daylie in my wordes all y t they ymagin is to do me euell They holdâ—â—lltogether kepe them selues close they marck my steppes how they maye catch my soule But in vayne for it shal escape theÌ„ and why thou o God in thy displeasure shalt cast downe soch people Thou tellest my flittinges thou puttest my teares in thy botell and nombrest them When so euer I call vpon the myne enemies are put to flight wherby I knowe that thou art my God In Gods worde wil I reioyse in the LORDES worde wil I comforte me Yee in God do I â—rust am not afraied what caÌ„ man theÌ„ do vnto me Vnto the o God wil I paye my vowes vnto y e wil I geue thaÌ„kes
For they persecute him whom thou hast smytten besyde thy woundes they haue geuen him moo Let them fall froÌ„ one wickednesse to another not come into thy rightuousnesse Let theÌ„ be wyped out of y e boke of the lyuinge not be written amonge the rightuous As for me I am poore in heuynesse let thy helpe defende me o God That I maye prayse y e name of God with a songe magnifie it with thankesgeuynge This shal please the LORDE better then a bullocke that hath hornes hoffes O considre this be glad ye that be in aduersite seke after God yo r soule shal lyue For the LORDE heareth the poore despyâ—â— not his presoners Let heauen earth praise him the see all that moueth therin For God wil saue Sion buylde the cities of Iuda that men maye dwell there haue theÌ„ in possession The sede of his seruauntes shal iÌ„heret it they that loue his name shal dwell therin The LXIX A psalme of Dauid HAist the o God to delyuer me to helpe me o LORDE Let theÌ„ be shamed confounded that seke after my soule let them be turned backwarde put to confucioÌ„ that wysh me euell Let them soone be brought to shame y t crie ouer me there there But let all those that seke the be ioyfull glad in the and let all soch as delyte in thy sauynge health saye alwaye y e LORDE be pray 〈…〉 As for me I am poore in misery 〈…〉 to helpe me Thou art my helpe my redemer my God oh make no 〈◊〉 tarienge The LXX psalme IN the o LORDE is my trust let me neuer be put to coÌ„fucioÌ„ but rydde me delyuer me thorow thy rightuousnesse â–ª encline thine eare vnto me helpe me Be thou my stronge holde where vnto I maye allwaye fle thou that hast promised to helpe me for thou art my house of defence my castell Delyuer me o my God out of y e haÌ„de of the vngodly out of the hande of theâ— rightuous cruell man For thou o LORDE God art the thinge that I loÌ„ge for thou art my hope euen fro my youth I haue â—eaned vpoÌ„ y e euer sens I was borne thou art he that toke me out of my mothers wombe therfore is my prayse allwaye of the. I am become a wonder vnto the multitude but my sure trust is in the. Oh let my mouth be fylled with thy prayse honoure all the daye loÌ„ge Cast me not awaye in myne olde age forsake me not when my strength fayleth me For myne enemies speake agaynst me they that laye wayte for my soule take their coâ—â—cell together sayenge God hath forsakeÌ„ him pÌ„ersecute him take him for there is none to helpe him Go not farre fro me o God my God haist the to helpe me Let them be coÌ„founded perish that are agaynst my soule let theÌ„ be couered with shame dishonoure that seke to do me euell As for me I wil pacieÌ„tly abyde allwaye wil euer encrease thy prayse My mouth shal speake of thy rightuousnesse sauynge health all the daye loÌ„ge for I knowe no ende therof Let me go in o LORDE God I wil make mencion of thy power and rightuousnesse only Thou o God hast lerned me fro my youth vp vntill now therfore wil I tell of y e wonderous workes Forsake me not o God in myne olde age when I am gray headed vntill I haue shewed thyne arme vnto childers children thy power to all them that are yet for to come Thy rightuousnes o God is very hie thou that doest greate thinges o God who is like vnto the O what greate troubles aduersite hast thou shewed me yet didest thou turne refresh me yee broughtest me from the depe of the earth agayne Thou hast brought me to greate honoure comforted me on euery syde Therfore wil I prayse the thy faith fulnesse o God playeÌ„ge vpon the lute vnto the wil I synge vpon the harpe o thou holy one of Israel My lippes wolde fayne synge prayses vnto the so wolde my soule whom thou hast delyuered My tonge talketh of thy rightuousnesse all the daye longe for they are confounded brought vnto shame y t sought to do me euel The LXXI A psalme of Salomon GEue the kinge thy iudgmeÌ„t o God and thy rightuousnesse vnto the kynges sonne That he maye gouerne thy people acordinge vnto right and defende thy poore That the mountaynes maye brynge peace and the litle hilles rightuousnes vnto the people He shal kepe the symple folke by their right defende the childreÌ„ of the poore and punysh the wrongeous doer Thou shalt be feared as longe as y e Sonne and the Moone endureth from one generacion to another He shal come downe like the rayne in to a flese of woll and like the droppes that water y e earth In his tyme shal rightuousnesse florish yee and abundauÌ„ce of peace so longe as the Moone endureth His dominion shal be from the one see to the other and from the floude vnto the worldes ende They that dwell in the wildernes shal knele before him his enemies shal licke the dust The kynges of the see and of the Iles shal brynge presentes y e kinges of Araby Saba shall offre giftes All kynges shal worshipe him all HeitheÌ„ shal do him seruyce For he shal deliuer the poore wheÌ„ he crieth the nedy y t hath no helpe He shall be fauorable to the symple poore he shal preserue the soules of soch as be in aduersite He shal deliuer their soules from extorcion wronge deare shal their bloude be in his sight He shal lyue vnto him shal be geueÌ„ of y e golde of Arabia Prayer shal be made euer vnto him daylie shal he be praysed There shal be an heape of corne in the earth hye vpon the hilles his frute shal shake like Libanus shal be grene in the cite like grasse vpoÌ„ the earth His name shal endure for euer his name shal remayne vnder the sonne amonge the posterites which shal be blessed thorow him all the Heithen shal prayse him Blessed be the LORDE God euen the God of Israel which only doth woÌ„derous thinges And blessed be the name of his maiesty for euer and all londes be fulfilled with his glory Amen Amen Here ende the prayers of Dauid the sonne of Iesse The LXXII A psalme of Asaph O How louynge is God vnto Israel to soch as are of a clene hert Neâ—erthelesse my fete were allmost gone my treadinges had wel nye slipte And why I was greued at y e wicked to se the vngodly in soch prosperite For they are in no parell of death but stonde fast like a palace They come in no misfortune like other folke nether are they plaged like other men And this is the cause that they be so puft vp in pryde ouerwhelmed with cruelte
fooles despyse wysdome and nurtoure The first Chapter MY sonne heare thy fathers doctryne and forsake not the lawe of y e mother for that shal brynge grace vnto thy heade shal be â— cheyne aboute thy necke My sonne coÌ„sente not vnto synners yf they entyse the and saye come wyth us let us laye wayte for bloude lurke preuely for the innoceÌ„t wyth out a cause let us swalowe theÌ„ vp like y e hell let us deuoure theÌ„ quycke and whole as those that go downe in to the pytt So shal we fynde all maner of costly riches and fyll oure houses wyth spoyles Cast in thy lott amonge us we shal haue all one purse My sonne walke not thou w t them refrayne y e fote froÌ„ their wayes For their fete ruÌ„ne to euell are haistie to shed bloude But in vayne is y e net layed forth before the byrdes eyes Yee they theÌ„ selues laye wayte one for anothers bloude and one of theÌ„ wolde slaye another These are the wayes of all soch as be couetous that one wolde rauysh anothers life Wyszdome crieth without putteth forth hir voyce in the stretes She calleth before y e congregacion in y e open gates and sheweth hir wordes thorow y e cite sayenge O ye childreÌ„ how loÌ„ge wil ye loue childyshnesse how longe wil y e scorners delyte in scornynge y e vnwyse be enemies vnto knowlege O turne you vnto my correccion lo I wil expresse my mynde vnto you and make you vnderstoÌ„de my wordes Seinge then that I haue called and ye refused it I haue stretched out my honde and no maÌ„ regarded it but all my couÌ„cels haue ye despysed and set my correccioÌ„s at naught Therfore shal I also laugh in yo r destruccion and mocke you when y e thinge that ye feare coÌ„meth vpon you euen wheÌ„ y e thinge that ye be afrayed of falleth in sodenly like a storme and yo r misery like a tempest yee whaÌ„ trouble and heuynesse coÌ„meth vpon you Then shal they call vpoÌ„ me but I wil not heare they shal seke me early but they shal not fynde me And y t because they hated knowlege and receaued not y e feare of y e LORDE but abhorred my councell and despysed my correccion Therfore shal they eate y e frutes of their owne waye and be fylled w t their owne councels for y e turnynge awaye of y e vnwyse shal slaye theÌ„ y e prosperi of fooles shal be their owne destruccioÌ„ But who so harkeneth vnto me shal dwell safely and haue ynough without eny feare of euell The II. Chapter MY sonne yf thou wilt receaue my wordes and kepe my coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes by the that thine eare maye herken vnto wysdome applie thine herte then to vnderstoÌ„dinge For yf thou criest after wyszdome callest for knowlege yf thou sekest after her as after money and dyggest for her as for treasure TheÌ„ shalt thou vnderstonde y e feare of the LORDE and fynde y e knowlege of God For it is the LORDE that geueth wyszdome out of his mouth commeth knowlege and vnderstondinge He preserueth y e welfare of the rightuous and defendeth them y t walke innocently he kepeth them in y e right path and preserueth y e waye of his sayntes Then shalt thou vnderstonde rightuousnesse iudgment and equite yee and euery good path Yf wyszdome entre in to thine herte and y e soule delyte in knowlege then shal councell preserue the and vnderstondinge shal kepe the. That thou mayest be delyuered froÌ„ y e euell waye and from the man y t speaketh fâ—owarde thinges From soch as leaue the hye strete and walke iÌ„ y e wayes of darcknesse which reioyse in doynge euell and delyte iÌ„ wicked thinges whose wayes are croked and their pathes slaunderous That thou mayest be delyuered also from the straunge woman and from her that is not thine owne which geueth swete wordes forsaketh the huszbande of hir youth and forgetteth the couenaunt of hir God For hir house is enclyned vnto death and hir pathes vnto hell All they that go in vnto her come not agayne nether take they holde of the waye of life That thou mayest walke in y e good waye and kepe the pathes of the rightuous For the iust shal dwell in the londe and the innocentes shal remayne in it but the vngodly shal be roted out of y e londe and the wicked doers shal be taken out of it The III. Chapter MY sonne forget not my lawe but se y t thine hert kepe my coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes For they shal proloÌ„ge y e dayes yeares of y e lyfe brynge y e peace Let mercy faithfulnes neuer go from y e bynde theÌ„ about y e necke wryte them in the tables of thine herte So shalt thou fynde fauo r and good vnderstondinge in y e sight of God and men Put thy trust in y e LORDE with all thine herte and leane not vnto thine owne vnderstondinge In all thy wayes haue respecte vnto him and he shal ordre thy goinges Be not wyse in thine owne conceate but feare y e LORDE and departe from euell so shal thy nauel be whole and thy bones stronge Honoure the LORDE w t y e substaunce w t y e firstlinges of all thine encrease so shal thy barnes be fylled with plenteousnesse and thy presses shal flowe ouer with swete wyne My sonne despyse not the chastenynge of y e LORDE nether faynte when thou art rebuked of him For whoÌ„ the LORDE loueth him he chasteneth and yet delyteth in him euen as a father in his owne sonne Well is him that fyndeth wyszdome opteyneth vnderstondinge for the gettinge of it is better then eny marchaundise of syluer the profit of it is better then golde Wyszdome is more worth theÌ„ precious stones all y e thinges y t thou canst desyre are not to be compared vnto her Vpon hir right hande is longe life vpon hir left hande is riches honor. Hir wayes are pleasaunt wayes and all hir pathes are peaceable She is a tre of life to them that laye holde vpon her and blessed are they that kepe her fast With wyszdome hath y e LORDE layed the fouÌ„dacion of y e earth thorow vnderstondinge hath he stablished y e heaueÌ„s Thorow his wiszdome y e depthes breake vp y e cloudes droppe downe the dew My sonne let not these thinges departe from thyne eyes but kepe my lawe and my councell so shal it be life vnto thy soule grace vnto y e mouth Then shalt thou walke safely in y e waye thy fote shal not stomble Yf thou slepest thou shalt not be afrayed but shalt take thy rest slepe swetely Thou neddest not to be afrayed of eny sodane feare nether for the violent russhinge in of the vngodly when it commeth For the LORDE shal be besyde the kepe thy fote y t thou be not taken Refuse not to do good vnto
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
to be an abhominacion curse and synne like as it hath happened vnto oure fathers also because of all their wickednesse and departynge from the. O Israel heare the commaundementes of life pondre them well with thine eares that thou mayest lerne wysdome But how happeneth it Israel that thou art in thyne enemies lōde thou art waxen olde in a straūge countre and defyled with the deed Why art thou become like them that go downe to their graues Euē because thou hast forsaken the well of wysdome For yf thou haddest walked in the waye of God truly thou shuldest haue remayned still safe ī thine owne londe O lerne then where discrecion is where vertu is where vnderstōdinge is that thou mayest knowe also frō whence cōmeth longe life a necessary lyuynge the light of the eyes quyetnes Who euer foūde out hir place or who came euer in to hir treasures Where are y e prynces of the Heithen become and soch as ruled the beestes vpon the earth They that had their pastyme with the foules of the ayre they that hoorded vp syluer and golde wherin men trust so moch and made no ende of their gatheringe What is worth of them that coyned siluer and were so carefull and coude not bringe their workes to passe They be roted out and gone downe to hell and other men are come vp in their steade Yonge men haue sene light and dwelt vpon earth but the waye of reformacion haue they not knowne ner vnderstonde the pathes therof nether haue their children receaued it yee right farre is it frō thē It hath not bene herde of in the lōde of Canaan nether hath it bene sene at Theman The Agarenes sought after wisdome but that which is earthly like as the marchauntes of the lōde do They of Theman are connynge also they laboure for wisdome vnderstondinge but y e waye of true wisdome they knowe not nether do they thynke vpon the pathes therof O Israel how greate is the house of God and how large is the place of his possession Greate is he and hath none ende hye and vnmeasurable What is become of those famouse giauntes that were so greate of bodyes and so worthy men of warre Those had not the LORDE chosen nether haue they founde the waye of reformacion therfore were they destroyed and for so moch as they had no wisdome they perished because of their foolishnesse Who hath gone vp in to heauen to take wisdome there brought her downe frō the cloudes Who hath gone ouer the see to fynde her hath chosen her aboue golde and so brought her hither No man knoweth the wayes of wisdome nether is there eny y t can seke out hir pathes But he that woteth all thynges knoweth her he hath founde her out with his foreknowlege This same is he which prepared the earth at the begynnynge fylled it with all maner of foules beestes When he sendeth out the light it goeth whē he calleth it agayne it obeyeth hī w t feare The starres kepe their watch geue their light yee and y t gladly When he calleth them they saye here we be And so with chearfulnes they shewe light vnto him y t made thē This is oure God ād there shall none other be cōpared vnto him It is he y t hath founde out all wisdome and hath geuen her vnto Iacob his seruaunt to Israel his beloued Afterwarde dyd he shewe himself vpon earth and dwelt amonge men The IIII. Chapter THis is the boke off the commaundemētes of God and the lawe y e endureth for euer All they y t kepe it shall come to life but soch as forsake it shall come to death Turne the o Iacob and take holde of it walke by this waye thorow his brightnesse and shyne Geue not thyne honoure to another and thy worshipe to a straunge people O Israel how happie are we seīge that God hath shewed vs soch thynges as are pleasaūt vnto him Be of good cheare thou people of God o thou awnciēt Israel Now are ye solde amonge the Heithen howbeit not for youre vtter destruccion but because ye prouoked God the LORDE to wrath and displeasure therfore were ye delyuered vnto vnto youre enemies For ye displeased the euerlastinge God that made you offerynge vnto deuels and not God Ye haue forgottē him that brought you vp ād youre nurse haue ye greued o. Ierusalem When she sawe that the wrath off God was commynge vpon you she sayde Herkē o ye that dwell aboute Sion for God hath brought me into greate heuynesse ād why I se the captyuyte of my people of my sonnes and doughters which the euerlastynge God will brynge vpon them With ioye dyd I norish them but now must I leaue them with wepynge and sorow Let no man reioyce ouer me wyddowe ād forsaken which for the synnes off my children am desolate of euery man For why they departed from the lawe of God they wolde not knowe his rightuousnes ner walke in the waye off his cōmaundementes and as for the pathes off the treuth and godlynesse they had no lust to go in them O ye dwellers aboute Sion come and let vs call to remembraunce the captiuyte that the euerlastinge God hath brought vpon my sonnes and my doughters He hath brought a people vpon them from farre an vncurteous people and of a straunge lāguage which nether regarde the olde ner pyte the yonge These haue caried awaye the deare beloued of my wyddowes leauynge me alone both desolate and childlesse But alas what can I helpe you Now he y t hath brought these plages vpon you delyuer you also frō the hondes of youre enemies Go youre waye O my children go youre waye for I am desolate and forsaken I haue put of the clothinge of peace and put vpon me the sack cloth off prayer and for my tyme I will call vpon the most hyest Be off good cheare o my children crie vnto the LORDE and he shal delyuer you from the power of the prynces youre enemies For verely I haue euer a good hope off youre prosperous health yee a very gladnesse is come vpon me from the holy one because of the mercy that ye shall haue off oure euerlastinge Sauioure With mournynge and wepinge dyd I let you go fro me but with ioye and perpetuall gladnesse shall the LORDE brynge you agayne vnto me Like as the neghbours of Sion sawe youre captyuite from God Euē so shal they also se shortly youre health in God which shal come on you with greate honoure and euerlastinge worshipe O my children suffre paciētly the wrath that shal come vpon you For the enemie hath persecuted the but shortly thou shalt se his destruccion and shalt treade vpon his necke My derlinges haue gone rough harde wayes for they are led awaye as a flocke that is scatred abrode with the enemies But be of good cōforte o my children crie vnto the LORDE For he that
and saye Wo worth all the abhominacions and wickednesses of the house of Israel for because of thē they shal perish with the swearde with hōger and with pestilence Who so is farre of shall dye off the pestilence he that is nye at hande shall perish with the swearde and y e other that are beseged shall dye of honger Thus wil I satisfie my wrothfull displeasure vpon them And so shall ye lerne to knowe that I am the LORDE whē youre slayne men lye amōge youre goddes and aboute youre aulters vpon all hie hilles and toppes off mountaynes amōge all grene trees amonge all thicke okes euen in the places where they dyd sacrifice to all their Idols I will stretch myne honde out vpon them will make the londe waist So that it shall lye desolate and voyde from the wildernesse off Deblat forth thorow all their habitacions to lerne them for to knowe that I am the LORDE The VII Chapter THe worde off the LORDE came vnto me on this maner The I call O thou sonne off man Thus saieth the LORDE God vnto the londe off Israel The ende commeth yee verely the ende commeth vpon all the foure corners off the earth But now shall the ende come vpon the for I will sende my wrath vpō the and wil punysh the acordinge to thy wayes and rewarde the after all thy abhominaciōs Myne eye shall not ouersee the nether will I spare the but rewarde the acordinge to thy waies and declare thy abhominacions Then shall ye knowe that I am the LORDE Thus saieth the LORDE God Beholde one mysery and plage shall come after another the ende is here The ende I saye that waiteth for the is come already y e houre is come agaynst the that dwellest in the londe The tyme is at honde the daye of sediciō is hard by no glad tidinges vpō the moūtaynes Therfore I will shortly poure out my sore displeasure ouer the and fulfill my wrath vpon the. I will iudge the after thy waies and recompence the all thy abhominacions Myne eye shal not ouersee the nether wil I spare the but rewarde the after thy waies and shewe thy abhominacions to lerne you for to knowe how y t I am the LORDE y t smyteth Beholde the daye is here the daye is come the houre is runne out the rodde florisheth wylfulnesse waxeth grene malicious violēce is growne vp and the vngodly waxen to a staff Yet shall there no complaynte be made for them ner for the trouble that shall come of these thinges The tyme cōmeth the daye draweth nye Who so byeth let him not reioyce he that selleth let him not be sory for why Trouble shall come in the myddest off all rest so that the seller shall not come agayne to the byer for nether off them both shall lyue For the vision shal come so greatly ouer all y t it shal not be hyndered No mā also w t his wickednesse shall be able to saue his owne life The trompettes shall ye blowe and make you all ready but no man shall go to the batell for I am wroth with all the whole multitude The swearde shal be without pestilence and honger within so that who so is in the felde shal be slayne with the swearde and he that is in the cite shall perish with honger and pestilence And soch as escape and fle from amonge them shal be vpon the hilles like as the doues in the felde euery one shal be afrayed because off his owne wickednesse All hondes shal be letten downe and all knees shal be weake as the water they shall gyrde them selues with sack cloth feare shal fall vpon them Their faces shall be confoūded and their heades balde their syluer shall lye in the stretes and their golde shal be despised Yee their syluer and golde maye not delyuer them in the daye of the fearfull wrath of the LORDE They shall not satisfie their hongrie soules nether fyll their emptie belies therwith For it is become their owne decaye thorow their wickednesse because they made therof not only costly Ieweles for their pompe and pryde but also abhominable ymages and Idols For this cause will I make them to be abhorred Morouer I will geue it in to y e hondes off the straungers to be spoyled and to y e wicked for to be robbed and they shall destroye it My face wil I turne from thē my Treasury shall be defyled for the theues shall go in to it and suspende it I wil make clene ryddaunse for the londe is whole defyled with vnrightuous iudgment of innocent bloude the cite is full off abhominacions Wherfore I will bringe the most cruell tyrauntes from amonge the Heithen to take their houses in possession I will make the pompe off the proude to ceasse ād they shal take in their Sanctuary When this trouble cōmeth they shal seke peace but they shal haue none One myschefe and sorowe shal folowe another and one rumoure shal come after another Then shall they seke visions in vayne at their prophetes The lawe shal be gone from the prestes and wyszdome from the elders The kynge shall mourne the princes shal be clothed with heuynesse and y e hōdes off the people in the londe shall tremble for feare I will do vnto them after their owne waies acordinge to their owne iudgmentes will I iudge them to lerne them for to knowe that I am the LORDE The VIII Chapter IT happened that in the sixte yeare the fifth daye of the sixte Moneth I sat in my house and the LORDES off the councell off Iuda with me and the honde off the LORDE God fell euen there vpō me And as I loked vp I sawe as it were a licknesse off fyre from his loynes downwarde and from his loynes vpwarde it shyned maruelous cleare This symilitude stretched out an honde and toke me by the hayrie lockes off my heade and the sprete lift me vp betwitte heauen and earth and God brought me in a vision to Ierusalem in to the courte off the inwarde porte that lieth towarde the north there stode an ymage with whom he that hath all thinges in his power was very wroth And beholde the glory off the God off Israel was in the same place euē as I had sene it afore in the felde And he sayde vnto me Thou sonne off man O lift vp thine eyes and loke towarde the north Then lift I vp myne eyes towarde the north and beholde Besyde the porte northwarde there was an aulter made vnto the ymage off prouocacion in the very entrynge in And he sayde furthermore vnto me Thou sonne off man Seist thou what these do Seist thou the greate abhominacions that the house off Israel commytte in this place which ought not to be done in my sanctuary But turne the aboute and thou shalt se yet greater abhominacions And with that brought he me to the courte gate and whē I loked beholde
promysed offerynges And Iudith offred all Holofernes weapâ—ns and all the Iewels that y e people had geueÌ„ her and the canapy that she toke from his bed and hanged them vp vnto the LORDE The people was ioyfull as the vse is this ioye by reason of the victory with Iudith endured thre monethes So after these dayes euery man wente home agayne and Iudith was in greate reputacion at Bethulia and right honorably taken in all the londe of Israel Vnto hir vertue also was chastite ioyned so y t after hir huszbonde Manasses dyed she neuer knew man all the dayes of hir life Vpon the hye solempne dayes she wente out with greate worshipe She dwelt in hir huszbandes house an hundreth and fyue yeare left hir hondâ— mayden fre and dyed and was buried besyde hir huszbande in Bethulia And all the people mourned for her seuen dayes So longe as she lyued there was none that troubled Israel and many yeares also after hir death The daye wherin this victory was gotten was solemply holden and rekened of the Iewes in the nombre of the holy dayes and is yet greatly holden of the Iewes euer sence vnto this daye The ende of the boke of Iudith The chapters in the boke of Hester which are not founde in the text of the Hebrue but in the Greke and Latyn The XI Chapter after the Latyn In this chapter is descrybed the dreame of Mardocheus MArdocheus the sonne of Iair the sonne of Semei y e sonne of Cisei of y e trybe of Ben Iamin a Iew which had his dwelllynge in Susis a man of greate reputacioÌ„ excellent amonge all them that were in the kynges courte Neuerthelesse he was one of the presoners whom Nabuchodonosor the kynge of BabiloÌ„ had caried awaye from Ierusalem vnto Babilon w t Iechonias the kynge of Iuda In the seconde yeare of the raigne of greate Artaxerses in the first daye of y e moneth Nisan had this Mardocheus soch a dreame He thought he herde a greate teÌ„pest horrible thonder clappes erthquakes greate vpro r in y e londe y t he sawe two greate dragoÌ„s ready to fight one agaiÌ„st another Their crye was greate At the which roaringe and crye all Heithen were vp to fight agaynst y e righteous people And y e same daye was full of darcknes very vncleare full of trouble anguysh yee a greate fearfulnes was there in all the londe The righteous were amased for they feared y e plage euell y t was deuysed ouer theÌ„ were at a poynte w t them selues to dye So they cried vnto God and while they were cryenge the litle well grew in to a greate ryuer in to many waters And with y t it was daye the sonne rose vp agayne And y e lowly were exalted and deuoured the glorious and proude Now whan Mardocheus had sene this dreame he awoke and mused stedfastly in his hert what God wolde do and so he desyred to knowe all the matter and his mynde was there vpon vntyll the night The XII Chapter In this chapter is declared how Mardocheus vttereth the treason of the two seruauntes agaynst the kynge and therfore doth the kynge rewarde him AT the same tyme dwelt Mardocheus with Bagatha and Thares the kynges chamberlaynes and porters of the palace But whan he herde their deuyce and had diligently considered their ymaginacions he perceaued that they wente aboute to laye their cruell handes vpon the kynge Artaxerses and so he certified the kinge therof Then caused the kynge to examen y e two gelded with tormentes And whan they had graunted it they were put to death This the kynge caused to be put in y e Cronicles for an euerlastinge remembrauÌ„ce and Mardocheus wrote vp the same matter So the kynge commaunded that Mardocheus shulde do seruyce in the courte and for this faithfulnesse of his he gaue him a rewarde But Aman the sonne of Amadathu the Agagite which was holden in greate honoure and reputacion in the kynges courte vndertoke to hurte Mardocheus his people because of the two chamberlaynes that were put to death The XIII Chapter The copie of the commaundement which kiÌ„ge Artaxerses by the entisinge of AmaÌ„ sent out in to all countres for the destruccion of the Iewes The prayer of Mardocheus THe greate kynge Artaxerses which raigneth from India vnto Ethiopia ouer an hundreth and seuen and tweÌ„tye londes sendeth his frendly salutacion vnto all the prynces and debytes of the countrees which be subiecte vnto his dominion Whan I was made lorde ouer many people and had subdued the whole earth vnto my dominion my mynde was not with crueltye and wronge to exalte myself by the reason of my power but purposed w t equyte allwaye and gentylnes to gouerne those that be vnder my iuriszdiccion and wholy to set them in a peaceable life and therby to brynge my kingdome vnto tranquylite that men might safely go thorow on euery syde and to renue peace agayne which all men desyre Now whan I axed my councelers how these thines might be brought to a good ende there was one by vs excelleÌ„t in wyszdome whose good wyll trueth faithfulnes hath oft bene shewed proued which was also y e pryncipall next vnto y e kiÌ„ge AmaÌ„ by name which certified vs how y t in all loÌ„des there was crepte in a rebellious folke y t made statutes lawes agaynst all other people haue allwaye despysed the proclamed commaundementes of kynges and how that for this cause it were not to be suffred that soch rule shulde contynue by you not to be put downe Seinge now we perceaue the same that this people alone are contrary vnto euery man vsynge straunge and other maner of lawes withstonde oure statutes and doinges and go aboute to stablish shrewd matters that oure kyngdome shulde neuer come to good estate and stedfastnes Therfore haue we commauÌ„ded that all they that are appoynted in wrytinge and shewed vnto you by Aman which is ordened and set ouer all oure busynes and the most pryncipall next vnto the kynge and in maner as a father shal with their wiues children be destroyed and roted out with the swerde of their enemies and aduersaries y t there shal be no mercy shewed no man spared And this shal be done y e xiiij daye of the moneth called Adar of this yeare that they which of olde and now also haue euer bene rebellious maye in one daye with violence be thrust downe in to the hell to the inteÌ„t that after this maner oure empyre maye haue peace and tranquylite But Mardocheus thought vpon all the workes and noble actes of y e LORDE made his prayer vnto him sayenge O LORDE LORDE thou valeaunt and allmightie kynge for all thinges are in thy power and yf thou wilt helpe and delyuer Israel there is no maÌ„ that can withstoÌ„de ner lett the for thou hast made heauen earth and what
for vnto you this daye is borne y e Sauioure euē Christ y e LORDE in the cite of Dauid And take this for a token Ye shal fynde the babe swadled and layed in a maunger And straight waye there was by the angell a multitude of heauenly hoostes which praysed God and sayde Glory be vnto God an hye peace vpon earth and vnto men a good wyll And it fortuned whā the angels were gone from thē in to heauē the shepherdes sayde one to another let vs go now euen vnto Bethleem and se this thinge that is happened which y e LORDE hath shewed vnto vs. And they came w t haist founde both Mary and Ioseph the babe layed in y e maunger And whan they had sene it they published abrode the sayenge y t was tolde thē of this childe And all they that herde it wondred at the wordes which the shepherdes had tolde them But Mary kepte all these sayenges and pondred them in hir hert And the shepherdes returned praysinge and laudinge God for all that they had herde and sene euen as it was tolde them And whan eight dayes were ended that the childe shulde be circumcysed his name was called Iesus which was named of y e angell before he was conceaued in his mothers wombe And whā the dayes of their purificacion after the lawe of Moses were come they brought him to Ierusalē that they might present him vnto the LORDE As it is wrytten in the lawe of the LORDE Euery māchilde that first openeth the Matrix shal be called holy vnto y e LORDE and that they might geue the offerynge as it is wryttē in the lawe of the LORDE namely a payre of turtle doues or two yonge pigeons And beholde there was a man at Ierusalē whose name was Symeon and the same mā was iust and feared God and lōged for the consolacion of Israel and the holy goost was in him And an answere was geuē him of the holy goost that he shulde not se death before he had sene y e LORDES Christ. And he came by inspiracion into the tēple And whan the elders brought the childe Iesus into the temple to do for him after y e custome of the lawe then toke he him vp in his armes and praysed God and sayde LORDE now lettest thou thy seruaūt departe in peace acordinge to thy promesse For myne eyes haue sene thy Sauioure whō thou hast prepared before all people A light for the lightenynge of the Heythē for the prayse of y e people of Israel And his father and mother marueyled at the thinges that were spokē of him And Symeon blessed them and sayde vnto Mary his mother Beholde this childe shal be set to a fall and to an vprysinge agayne of many in Israel and for a token which shal be spokē agaynst And the swerde shal pearse thy soule that the thoughtes of many hertes maye be opened And there was a prophetisse one Anna the doughter of Phanuel of the trybe of Aser which was of a greate age and had lyued seuen yeares with hir huszbāde from hir virginite had now bene a wedowe aboute foure score foure yeares which came neuer frō the tēple seruynge God w t fastynge and prayenge daye and night the same came forth also the same houre and praysed the LORDE and spake of him vnto all that loked for the redempcion at Ierusalem And whan they had perfourmed all acordinge to the lawe of the LORDE thy returned īto Galile to their owne cite Nazareth And the childe grewe and wexed stronge in sprete full of wyszdome the grace of God was with him And his elders wente to Ierusalem euery yeare at the feast of Easter And whan he was twolue yeare olde they wente vp to Ierusalem after the custome of the feast And whan they had fulfilled the dayes and were gone home agayne the childe Iesus abode styll at Ierusalem And his elders knewe it not but thought he had bene in the company and they came a dayes iourney and sought hī amōge their kynszfolkes acquātaunce And whā they founde him not they wēte agayne to Ierusalē and sought him And it fortuned after thre dayes y t they founde him in the temple syttinge amonge the teachers hearynge thē and opposynge them And all they that herde him wōdred at his vnderstondynge and answeres And whan they sawe him they were astonnyed And his mother sayde vnto him My sonne why hast thou done this vnto vs Beholde thy father and I haue sought the sorowynge And he sayde vnto them What is it that ye haue sought me Wyst ye not y t I must go aboute my fathers busynes And they vnderstode not the sayenge y t he spake vnto them And he wente downe with thē and came to Nazareth and was obediēt vnto them And his mother kepte all these wordes in hir hert And Iesus increased in wyszdome age and fauoure with God and men The III. Chapter IN the fiftenth yeare of the raigne of Tiberius the Emperoure whā Pontius Pilate was leftenaūt in Iewry and Herode one of the foure princes in Galile and his brother Philippe one of the foure prynces in Iturea in the coastes of Traconites and Lysanias one of the foure princes of Abilene when Hannas and Caiphas were hye prestes thē came y e worde of God vnto Ihon the sonne of Zachary in the wyldernes And he came into all y e coastes aboute Iordan and preached the baptyme of repētaunce for the remyssion of synnes As it is wryttē in y e boke of y e sayenges of Esaye the prophet which sayeth The voyce of a cryer in the wyldernes prepare the waye of the LORDE and make his pathes straight Euery valley shal be fylled and euery mountayne hyll shal be brought lowe And what so is croked shal be made straight and what rough is shal be made smooth and all flesh shal se the Sauioure of God Then sayde he vnto the people y t wente out to be baptysed of him Ye generacion of vipers who hath certified you that ye shal escape y e wrath to come Take hede brynge forth due frutes of repētaūce begynne not to saye We haue Abrahā to o r father For I saye vnto you God is able of these stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham The axe is put vnto the tre allready so that euery tre which bryngeth not forth good frute shal be hewen downe and cast into the fyre And the people axed him and sayde What shal we do then He answered sayde vnto thē He that hath two coates let him parte w t him y t hath none and he that hath meate let him do likewyse The publicans came also to be baptysed and sayde vnto him Master what shal we do He sayde vnto them Requyre nomore then is appoynted you Then y e soudyours axed him likewyse and sayde What shal we do then And he
where no thefe commeth and no moth corruppeth for where youre treasure is there wil youre hert be also Let youre loynes be gerded aboute and youre lightes burnynge and be ye like vnto men that wayte for their lorde agaynst he returne from the mariage that whan he coÌ„meth knocketh they maye straight waye open vnto him Blessed are those seruauntes whom the LORDE whan he coÌ„meth shal fynde wakynge Verely I saye vnto you He shal gyrde vp him self and make them syt downe at the table and shal go by them and mynister vnto them And yf he come in the seconde watch and in the thirde watch and fynde them so blessed are those seruauntes But be sure of this that yf the good man of the house knewe what houre the thefe wolde come he wolde surely watch and not suffre his house to be broken vp Therfore be ye ready also for at an houre whan ye thynke not shal the sonne of man come But Peter sayde vnto him LORDE tellest thou this symilitude vnto vs or to all men also The LORDE sayde How greate a thinge is a faithfull and wyse stewarde whom his lorde setteth ouer his houszholde to geue theÌ„ their dewtye in due season Blessed is that seruaunt whom his lorde whan he coÌ„meth shal fynde so doynge Verely I saye vnto you he shal set him ouer all his goodes But yf the same seruauÌ„t shal saye in his hert Tush it wil be longe or my lorde come and shal begynne to smyte y e seruauntes and maydens yee to eate and drynke to be dronkeÌ„ the same seruauntes lorde shal come in a daye whan he loketh not for him and in an houre that he is not aware of shal hew him in peces and geue him his rewarde with the vnbeleuers The seruaunt that knewe his lordes wil and prepared not himself nether dyd acordinge to his will shal be beâ—ten with many strypes But he that knewe it not and yet dyd thinges worthy of strypes shal be beaten with few strypes For loke vnto whom moch is geuen of him shal moch be sought and loke to whom moch is commytted of him shal moch be requyred I am come to kyndle fyre vpoÌ„ earth and what wolde I rather theÌ„ that it were kyndled allready NotwithstoÌ„dinge I must first be baptised with a baptyme and how am I payned tyll it be ended Thynke ye that I am come to brynge peace vpon earth I tell you nay but rather debate For from hence forth there shal be at varyauÌ„ce in one house thre agaynst two and two agaynst thre The father shal be deuyded agaynst y e sonne and the sonne agaynst the father the mother agaynst the doughter the doughter agaynst the mother the mother in lawe agaynst hir doughter in lawe and y e doughter in lawe agaynst hir mother in lawe And he sayde vnto the people Whan ye se a cloude ryse out of y e west straight waye ye saye there coÌ„meth a shower and so it is and whan ye se the southwynde blowe ye saye It wil be hote and it commeth so to passe O ye ypocrytes ye can discerne the fashion of the skye and of the earth Why can ye not discerne this tyme also Yee and why iudge ye not of youre selues what is right Whyle thou goest with thine aduersary vnto the Prynce geue diligeÌ„ce by the waye that thou mayest be quyte of him lest he brynge the before the iudge and the iudge delyuer the to the iaylar and the iaylar cast the in to preson I tell the thou shalt not come out thence tyll thou paye the vttemost myte The XIII Chapter THere were present at the same season certayne that shewed him of y e Galileans whose bloude Pilate had meÌ„gled with their awne sacrifice And Iesus answered and sayde vnto them Suppose ye that these GalileaÌ„s were greater synners then all the other Galileans because they suffred soch punyshment I tell you naye but excepte ye ameÌ„de youre selues ye shal all perishe likewyse Or thinke ye that y e eightene vpon whom the tower in Siloe fell and slewe them were giltie aboue all men that dwell at Ierusalem I tell you naye but excepte ye amende youre selues ye shal all perishe likewyse And he tolde them this symilitude A certayne maÌ„ had a fygge tre which was planted in his vynyarde he came and sought frute theron and founde none Then sayde he vnto the wyne gardener Beholde This thre yeare longe haue I come euery yeare and sought frute vpon this fygge tre and fynde none cut it downe why hyndreth it the grounde But he answered and sayde Syr let it alone yet this yeare tyll I dygge rouÌ„de aboute it and donge it yf it wyl brynge forth frute Yf no â–ª then cut it downe afterwarde And he taught in a synagoge vpon the Sabbath and beholde there was a womaÌ„ which had a sprete of infirmyte eightene yeares and was croked and coulde not well loke vp Whan Iesus sawe her he called her to him and sayde vnto her Woman be delyuered from thy disease And he layed his handes vpoÌ„ her and immediatly she was made straight and praysed God Then answered the ruler of the synagoge and toke indignacion because Iesus healed vpoÌ„ y e Sabbath and sayde vnto the people There are sixe dayes wherin men ought to worke in them come and be healed and not on the Sabbath Then the LORDE answered him and sayde Thou ypocryte doth not euery one of you lowse his oxe or asse froÌ„ the crybbe vpoÌ„ Sabbath and leade him to the water But shulde not this which is Abrahams doughter whom Sathan hath bounde now eightene yeares be lowsed from this bonde vpoÌ„ the Sabbath And whan he thus sayde all his aduersaries were ashamed And all the people reioysed ouer all the excellent dedes that were done by him And he sayde What is the kyngdome of God like Or wher vnto shal I coÌ„pare it It is like a grayne of mustarde sede which a man toke and cast in his garden and it grewe and waxed a greate tre and the foules of the ayre dwelt amonge the braunches of it And agayne he sayde Where vnto shal I licken the kyngdome of God It is like vnto leuen which a woman toke and myxte it amoÌ„ge thre peckes of meele tyll it was all leuended And he weÌ„te thorow cities and townes and taught and toke his iourney towarde Ierusalem And one sayde vnto him LORDE are there few thinkest thou that shal be saued But he sayde vnto them Stryue ye to entre in at the strayte gate for many I saye vnto you shal seke to come in and shal not be able From that tyme forth whan the good man of the house is rysen vp and hath shut the dore then shal ye begynne to stonde without and to knocke at y e dore and saye LORDE LORDE open vnto vs. And he shal answere and saye vnto you I knowe you not
my name he shal teache you all thinges bringe all to youre remembraunce what soeuer I haue tolde you Peace I leaue vnto you my peace I geue you I geue not vnto you as the worlde geueth Let not yo hert be troubled nether let it be afrayed Ye haue herde that I sayde vnto you I go come agayne vnto you Yf ye loued me ye wolde reioyse because I saide I go to the father for y e father is greater theÌ„ I. And now haue I tolde you before it come that whan it is come to passe ye maye beleue Here after wyl not I talke moch with you For the prynce of this worlde coÌ„meth and hath nothinge in me But that the worlde maye knowe that I loue y e father And as the father hath coÌ„maunded me so do I. Aryse let vs go hence The XV. Chapter I Am a true vyne and my father is an huszbande man Euery braunch that bringeth not forth frute in me shal he cut of and euery one that bryngeth forth frute shal he pourge y t it maye bringe forth more frute Now are ye cleane because of the worde that I haue spokeÌ„ vnto you Byde ye in me and I in you Like as y e braunch can not brynge forth frute of it self excepte it byde in the vyne Euen so nether ye also excepte ye abyde in me I am the vyne ye are the braunches He that abydeth in me and I in him the same bryngeth forth moch frute for without me can ye do nothinge He that abydeth not in me is cast out as a vyne braunche and it wythereth and men gather it vp and cast it in to the fyre and it burneth Yf ye abyde in me and my wordes abyde in you ye shal axe what ye wyl it shal be done vnto you Herin is my father praysed that ye brynge forth moch frute and become my disciples Like as my father hath loued me eueÌ„ so haue I loued you CoÌ„tynue ye iÌ„ my loue Yf ye kepe my coÌ„maundementes ye shal coÌ„tynue in my loue like as I haue kepte my fathers coÌ„maundementes and coÌ„tynue in his loue These thinges haue I spoken vnto you that my ioye might remayne in you and y t youre ioye might be perfecte This is my coÌ„maundement that ye loue together as I haue loued you No man hath greater loue then to set his life for his frende Ye are my frendes yf ye do that I commaunde you Hence forth call I you not seruauntes for a seruaunt knoweth not what his lorde doeth But I haue sayde that ye are frendes For all that I haue herde of my father haue I shewed vnto you Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and ordeyned you that ye go and bringe forth frute and that youre frute contynne that what soeuer ye axe the father in my name he shulde geue it you This I commaunde you that ye loue one another Yf the worlde hate you then knowe that it hath hated me before you Yf ye were of the worlde the worlde wolde loue his owne Howbeit because ye are not of the worlde but I haue chosen you from the worlde therfore the worlde hateth you Remembre my worde that I sayde vnto you The seruaunt iâ— not greater then his lorde Yf they haue persecuted me they shal persecute you also Yf they haue kepte my worde they shal kepe yours also But all this shal they do vnto you for my names sake because they knowe not him y t sent me Yf I had not come spokeÌ„ vnto theÌ„ theÌ„ shulde they haue no synne But now haue they nothinge to cloake their synne â—ithall He y t hateth me hateth my father also Yf I had not done amoÌ„ge theÌ„ the workes which no other maÌ„ dyd they shulde haue no synne But now haue they sene it and yet haue they hated both me my father Neuertheles that the sayenge might be fulfilled which is wrytten in their lawe They haue hated me without a cause But whaÌ„ the comforter commeth whoÌ„ I shal sende you from the father eueÌ„ the sprete of trueth which proceadeth of the father he shal testifie of me and ye shal beare wytnesse also for ye haue bene with me from the begynnynge The XVI Chapter THese thinges haue I sayde vnto you that ye shulde not be offended They shal excomunicate you The tyme commeth that who soeuer putteth you to death shal thynke that he doth seruyce vnto God And soch thinges shal they do vnto you because they haue nether knowne y e father ner yet me But these thinges haue I sayde vnto you that whan the tyme coÌ„meth ye maye thynke theron that I tolde you But these thinges haue I not sayde vnto you from the begynnynge For I was with you But now I go vnto him that sent me none of you axeth me Whither goest thou but because I haue sayde these thinges vnto you youre hert is full of sorowe Neuertheles I tell you the trueth It is better for you y t I go awaye For yf I go not awaye that comforter commeth not vnto you but yf I departe I wil sende hiÌ„ vnto you And whan he commeth he shal rebuke the worlde of synne and of righteousnes of iudgment Of synne because they beleue not on me O frighteousnes because I go to the father and ye shal se me nomore Of iudgmeÌ„t because the prynce of this worlde is iudged allready I haue yet moch to saye vnto you but ye can not now beare it awaye howbeit whan he the sprete of trueth commeth he shal lede you in to all trueth For he shal not speake of himself but what soeuer he shal heare that shal he speake and he shall shewe you what is for to come He shal glorifye me for he shal receaue of myne and shal shewe vnto you All that the father hath is myne Therfore haue I sayde he shal receaue of myne and shewe vnto you After a litle whyle and ye shal not se me and agayne after a litle whyle and ye shal se me for I go to the father TheÌ„ saide some of his disciples amonge themselues What is this that he sayeth vnto vs After a litle whyle and ye shal not se me agayne after a litle whyle ye shal se me for I go to the father Then sayde they What is this that he sayeth After a litle whyle We can not tell what he sayeth Then perceaued Iesus that they wolde axe him and he sayde vnto them Ye enquyre of this amonge youre selues that I sayde After a litle whyle and ye shal not se me agayne after a litle whyle and ye shal se me Verely verely I saye vnto you Ye shal wepe and lamente but the worlde shal reioyse Ye shal be sory but youre sorowe shal be turned in to ioye A woman whan she trauayleth hath sorowe for hir houre is come But whan she is delyuered of the
seyth not And this coÌ„maundement haue we of him that he which loueth God shulde loue his brother also The V. Chapter WHo so euer beleueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God And who soeuer loueth him that begat loueth him also which was begotten of him By this we knowe that we loue Gods children whan we loue God and kepe his commaundementes For this is the loue of God that we kepe his commaundementes and his commaundemeÌ„tes are not greuous For all that is borne of God ouer commeth the worlde and this is the victory that ouercommeth the worlde eueÌ„ oure faith Who is it y t ouercommeth the worlde but he which beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God This is he that coÌ„meth with water and bloude euen Iesus Christ not with water onely but with water and bloude And it is the sprete that beareth wytnes for the sprete is the trueth For there are thre which beare recorde in heauen the father the worde and the holy goost these thre are one And there are thre which beare recorde in earth the sprete water and bloude and these thre are one Yf we receaue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater for this is the wytnesse of God which he testifyed of his sonne He that beleueth on y e sonne of God hath the wytnes in him selfe He that beleueth not God hath made him a lyar And this is that recorde euen y t God hath geueÌ„ vs euerlastinge life And this life is in his sonne He that hath the sonne of God hath life He that hath not the sonne of God hath not life These thinges haue I wrytteÌ„ vnto you which beleue on the name of the sonne of God that ye maye knowe how that ye haue eternall life and that ye maye beleue on y e name of the sonne of God And this is the fre boldnesse which we haue towarde him that yf we axe eny thinge acordinge to his wyll he heareth vs. And yf we knowe that he heareth vs what so euer we axe then are we sure that we haue y e peticions which we haue desyred of him Yf eny man se his brother synne a synne not vnto death let him axe and he shal geue him life for theÌ„ y t synne not vnto death There is a synne vnto death for the which saye I not that a man shulde praye All vnrighteousnes is synne and there is synne not vnto death We knowe that whosoeuer is borne off God synneth not but he that is begotteÌ„ of God kepeth himselfe y t wicked toucheth him not We knowe that we are of God the worlde is set alltogether on wickednes But we knowe that the sonne of God is come and hath geuen vs a mynde to knowe him which is true and we are in him y t is true in his sonne Iesu Christ. This is the true God and euer lastinge life Babes kepe youre selues from ymage The seconde Epistle of S. Ihon. The summe of this epistle He wryteth vnto a certayne lady reioyseth that her children walke in the trueth exhorteth theÌ„ vnto loue warneth them to bewarre of soch disceauers as denye that Iesus Christ came in the flesh prayeth them to contynue in the doctryne of Christ and to haue nothinge to do with them that bringe not this lernynge THE Elder To y e electe lady and hir childreÌ„ whom I loue in the trueth not I onely but all they also that haue knowne the trueth for the truthes sake which dwelleth in vs and shal be with vs for euer Grace mercy and peace be with you froÌ„ the LORDE Iesus Christ y e sonne of the father in the trueth and in loue I am greatly reioysed that I haue founde amonge thy children them that walke in y e trueth as we haue receaued a commaundement of the father And now lady I beseke the not as though I wrote a new commaundement vnto the but the same which we haue had from the begynnynge that we loue one another And this is the loue that we walke after his commaundementes This is the commaundement as ye haue herde froÌ„ the begynnynge that we shulde walke therin For many disceauers are come in to the worlde which confesse not y t Iesus Christ is come in the flesh this is a disceauer and an Antechrist Take hede to youre selues that we lose not that which we haue wrought but that we maye receaue a full rewarde Who so euer transgresseth and abydeth not in the doctryne of Christ hath not God he that abydeth in y e doctryne of Christ hath both the father and the sonne Yf eny man come vnto you and brynge not this doctryne receaue him not in to the house nether salute him for he that saluteth him is partaker of his euell dedes I had 〈◊〉 any thinges to wryte vnto you neuertheâ—â—â—â— I wolde not wryte w t papyre and ynke 〈…〉 to come vnto you and to 〈…〉 mouth that oure ioye 〈…〉 â—hildren of thy electe sister The thirde Epistle of S. Ihon. The summe of this epistle He is glad of Gaius that he walketh in the trueth exhorteth him to be louynge vnto the poore christen in their persecucion sheweth the vnkynde dealynge of Diotrephes and the good reporte of Demetrius THE Elder To the beloued Gaius whom I loue in the trueth My beloued I wysshe in all thinges that thou prospere and fare well euen as thy soule prospereth I reioysed greatly whan the brethren came and testified of the trueth that is in y e how thou walkest in the trueth I haue no greater ioye theÌ„ to heare that my childreÌ„ walke in the trueth My beloued thou doest faithfully what so euer thou doest to the brethren and to strauÌ„gers which haue borne witnesse of thy loue before the congregacion and thou hast done well that thou dyddest brynge them forwarde on their iourney worthely before God For because of his names sake they wente forth and toke nothinge of the Heythen We therfore oughte to receaue soch that we mighte be helpers vnto the trueth I wrote to the congregacion but Diotriphes which loueth to haue the preemynence amonge them receaued vs not Wherfore yf I come I wil declare his dedes which he doeth ieastinge vpoÌ„ vs with malicious wordes nether is he therwith coÌ„tent Not onely he himselfe receaueth not the brethreÌ„ but also he forbyddeth them that wolde and thrusteth them out of the congregacion My beloued folowe not y t which is euell but that which is good He that doeth well is of God but he that doeth euell seyth not God Demetrius hath good reporte of all men and of the trueth yee and we oure selues also beare recorde and ye knowe that oure recorde is true I had many thinges to wryte but I wolde not with ynke and pen wryte vnto the. But I trust shortly to se the and so wyl we speake together mouth to mouth Peace be with the. The louers salute the. Grete the louers
might not helpe or had I not power to delyuer lo at a worde I driÌ„ke vp the see of water floudes I make drie loÌ„de so y t for want of water the fish corruppe and die of thurst As for heauen I clooth it with darcknesse and put a sack vpon it The LORDE God hath geueÌ„ me a wel lerned tuÌ„ge so that I can conforte them which are troubled yee y t in due season He waked myne eare vp by tymes in y e mornynge as y e scolemasters do y t I might herkeÌ„ The LORDE God hath opened myne eare therfore caÌ„ I not saye naye ner wtdrawe myself but I offre my backe vnto y e smyters and my chees to the nyppers I turne not my face froÌ„ shame aÌ„d spittinge for the LORDE God helpeth me therfore shal I not be coÌ„founded I haue hardened my face like a flynt stone for I am sure that I shal not come to confucion Myne aduocate speaketh for me who wil then go with me to lawe Let vs stoÌ„de one agaynst another yf there be eny that wil reason with me let him come here forth to me Beholde the LORDE God stondeth by me what is he that can condempne me lo they shal be all like as an olde cloth which y e mothes shal eate vp Therfore who so feareth the LORDE amoÌ„ge you let him heare the voyce of his seruauÌ„t Who so walketh in darcknesse no light shyneth vpoÌ„ him let him hope in the LORDE and holde him by his God But take hede ye haue all kyndled a fyre and gyrded youre selues with the flame Ye walke in the glistriÌ„ge of youre owne fyre and in the flame that ye haue kyndled This cometh vnto you fro my honde namely y t ye shal slepe in sorowe The li. Chapter HErken vnto me ye that holde of rightuousnes ye that seke the LORDE Take hede vnto the stone wherout ye are hewen and to the graue wherout ye are digged Considre Abraham youre father Sara that bare you how that I called him alone prospered him wel encreased him how the LORDE conforted SioÌ„ and repayred all hir decaye makinge hir deserte as a Paradise and hir wildernesse as the garden of the LORDE Myrth and ioye was there thankes geuynge and y e voyce of prayse Haue respecte vnto me then o my people and laye thine eare to me for a lawe and an ordinaunce shal go forth fro me to lighten the Gentiles It is hard by that my health my rightuousnesse shal go forth and the people shal be ordred with myne arme The Ilondes that is y e Gentiles shal hope in me and put their trust in myne arme Lift vp youre eyes toward heaueÌ„ and loke vpon the earth beneth For the heauens shal vanish awaye like smoke and the earth shall teare like a clothe they that dwel therin shal perish in like maner But my health endureth for euer and my rightuousnes shall not ceasse Therfore hercken vnto me ye y t haue pleasure in rightuousnes thou people that bearest my lawe in thine herte Feare not the curse of men be not afrayde of their blasphemies reuylinges for wormes mothes shal eat theÌ„ vp like clothe woll But my rightuousnesse shal endure for euer my sauynge health from generacion to generacion Wake vp wake vp be stronge O thou arme of the LORDE wake vp lyke as in tymes past euer and sence the worlde beganne Art not thou he that hast wounded that proude lucifer and hewen the dragon in peces Art not thou euen he which hast dried vp the depe of the see which hast made playne the see grounde that the delyuered might go thorow That the redemed of the LORDE which turned agayne might come with ioye vnto SioÌ„ there to endure for euer â–ª That myrth and gladnesse might be with them that sorowe wo might fle from theÌ„ Yee I I am eueÌ„ he that in all thiÌ„ges geueth you consolacion What art thou then that fearest a mortall maÌ„ y e childe of man which goeth awaye as doeth the floure And forgettest the LORDE that made the that spâ—ed out the heauens and layde the foundacion of the earth But thou art euer afrayde for the sight of thyne oppressoure which is ready to do harme Where is the wrath of the oppressoure It cometh on fast it maketh haist to apeare It shal not perish y t it shulde not be able to destroye nether shal it fayle for faute of norishinge I am the LORDE y i God that make the see to be still and to rage whose name is the LORDE of hoostes I shal put my worde also in thy mouth and defende the with the turnynge of my hondeâ— that thou mayest plante the heauens and laye the foundacions of the earth and saye vnto Sion thou art my people Awake Awake and stonde vp o Ierusasalem thou that from the honde of the LORDE hast dronkeÌ„ out the cuppe of his wrath thou that hast supped of and sucked out the slombringe cuppe to the botome For amonge all the sonnes whom thou hast begotten there is not one that maye holde the vp and not one to lede the by the honde of all the sonnes that thou hast norished Both these thinges are happened vnto the but who is sory for it Yee destruction waistinge hunger swerde but who hath conforted the Thy sonnes lie comfortles at y e heade of euery strete like a takeÌ„ venyson are ful of y e teâ—rible wrath of y e LORDE punyshmeÌ„t of thy God And therfore thou miserable dronkeÌ„ howbeit not w t wyne Heare this Thus saieth thy LORDE thy LORDE God y e defender of his people Beholde I wil take y e sloÌ„briÌ„ge cuppe out of thy hoÌ„de eueÌ„ y e cuppe w t the dregges of my wrath y t froÌ„ hence forth thou shalt neuer drinke it more wil put it iÌ„ their hoÌ„de that trouble the which haue spoken to thy soule stoupe downe that we maye go ouer the make thy body eaueÌ„ with the grounde and as the strete to go vpon The lij Chapter VP Sion vp take thy strength vnto the put on thine honest rayment o IerusaleÌ„ thou citie of the holy one For from this tyme forth there shal no vncircumcised ner vncleane person come in the. Shake the froÌ„ the dust arise stonde vp o IerusaleÌ„ Pluck out thy neck from the boÌ„de o thou captyue doughter Sion For thus saieth the LORDE Ye are solde for naught therfore shal ye be redemed also without eny money For thus hath the LORDE sayde My people weÌ„te downe afore tyme in to Egipte there to be straungers Afterwarde dyd the kinge of the Assirians oppresse theÌ„ for naught And now what profit is it to me saieth y e LORDE y t my people is frely caried awaye brought in to heuynes by their rulers and my name euer still blasphemed saieth the LORDE But