A    ^noteThys is the heuye burthen of Niniue, which Nahum of Elchos dyd wryte as he sawe it. The Lorde is a gelous God, ∧ a taker of vengeaunce: yee a taker of vengeaunce is þe; Lorde, and wrathfull. The Lord taketh vengeaunce of hys enemyes, and reserueth dyspleasure for his aduersaries. ^noteThe Lorde suffreth longe, he is of greate power, ∧ so innocent that he leaueth no man fautlesse before hym. The Lorde goeth forth in tempest and stormy wether, the cloudes are the dust of his fete. When he reproueth the sea, he drieth it vp, and turneth all the floudes to drye lande. B   Basan is desolate, Charmel ∧ the pleasure of Lybanus wasteth awaye. The mountaynes tremble for him, the hylles consume. At the syght of hym, þe; earth quaketh: yee the whole world, and all that dwell therin. ^noteWho maye endure before his wrath? Or who is able to abyde hys gryme displeasure? His anger taketh on lyke fyre, and the harde rockes burst in sunder before hym.

Full gracious is the Lorde, and a stronge holde in the tyme of trouble, he knoweth th&ebar; that put their truste in hym: when the floude renneth ouer, and destroyeth the place, and when the darcknesse foloweth styll vpon his enemyes. C   What do ye Imagin then agaynst the Lord on this maner? (Tush, wh&ebar; he hath ones made an ende, there shall come nomore trouble.) For lyke as the thornes that sticke together, and as the drye strawe, so shall the dronckardes be c&obar;sumed together, euen wh&ebar; they be full. There come oute of the soche as Imagin meschefe, ∧ geue vngracious councell agaynst the Lorde.

D   Therfore thus sayeth the Lorde: Let them be as well prepared, yee and as many as they can, yet shall they be hewen downe, ∧ passe awaye. And as for the, I wyll vexe þe;, but not vtterly destroye the. And now wyll I breake hys rodde from thy backe, ∧ burst thy b&obar;des in sonder. But the Lorde hath geuen a commaundement concernynge the, þt; there shall come nomore sede of thy name. ^noteThe carued ∧ casten Images wyll I rote out of the house of thy God. Thy graue shall I prepare for the, and thou shalt be coufounded. The .ij. Chapter. He describeth the vyctorye of the Chaldees agynst the Niniuites.

A    ^noteBeholde, vpon the mountaynes come the fete of hym, that bryngeth good tydynges, and preacheth peace. O Iuda, kepe thy holy dayes, perfourme thy promyses: for Beliall shall come nomore in the, he is vtterly roted out.

The scaterer shall come vp agaynst the, ∧ laye sege to the castell. Loke thou well to the stretes, make thy loynes stronge, arme thy self with all thy myght: for the Lorde shal restore agayne the glorye of Iacob, lyke as the glory of Israell. The destroyers haue brok&ebar; them downe, ∧ marred the wyne braunches. The shylde of hys gyauntes glystereth, hys men of warre are clothed in purple. Hys charettes are as fyre, when he maketh hym forward, his archers are well decke ∧ trimmed. B   The charettes rolle vp&obar; the stretes, ∧ welter in the hye wayes. They are to loke vpon lyke cressettes of fyre, ∧ go swyftly, as the lyghtenynge. Wh&ebar; he doth but warne his gia&ubar;tes, they fal in their araye, ∧ hastely they clymme vp the walles: yee the engins of the warre are prepared all ready. The water portes shalbe opened, and the kynges palace shal fall. The quene her selfe shalbe led awaye captyue, and her gentil wemen shall mourne as the doues and grone wyth in their hertes. C   Niniue is lyke a pole full of water, but then shall they be fayne to fle. ^noteStand, stande (shal they crye) and there shall not one turne backe. Awaye with the syluer, awaye wyth the golde: for here is no ende of treasure. There shalbe a multytude of all maner costlye ornamentes. Thus muste she be spoyled, emptied and clene striped out: that their hertes maye be melted awaye, their knees tremble, all their loynes be weake, and their faces blacke as a pot.

D   Where is now the dwellyng of the lyons, ∧ the pasture of þe; lyons whelpes? where the lyon ∧ the lyonesse went &wt; the whelpes, ∧ no man frayed th&ebar; awaye? But the lyon spoyled ynough for hys yonge ones, ∧ deuoured for

Israel. his lionesse: he filled his d&ebar;nes with his pray, ∧ his dwellynge place with that he had rauyshed. Beholde, I wyll vpon the, sayeth þe; lord of hostes, ∧ wyll set fyre vpon thy charettes, that they shall smoke with all, ∧ the swerde shal deuoure the yong lyons. I wyll make an ende of thy spoylyng fr&obar; out of the earth, and the voyce of thy messaungers shal no more be hearde. The .iij. Chapter. The fall of Niniue.

A    ^noteWo to the bloudthurstye cytye, which is full of lyes ∧ robbery ∧ wyl not leaue of from rauyshyng. There a m&abar; may heare scourgynge, russhyng, þe; noyse of the weeles, the cryenge of the horses, ∧ the rollynge of the charettes. There the horsmen get vp with naked swerdes, ∧ glystering speares. There lyeth a multytude slayn, ∧ a great heape of deade bodyes. There is no ende of dead coarses, yea, men fall vpon theyr bodyes: And that for the greate and manyfolde whordome, of the fayre and beutyfull harlot, which is a maistresse of witchcrafte, yea, and selleth the people thorowe her whordom, and the nacyons thorowe her witchcraft.

B    ^noteBeholde, I wyll vpon the, sayeth þe; Lord of hostes) and will pull thy clothes ouer thy heade: that I maye shew thy nakednes am&obar;g the Heathen, and thy shame amonge the kingdomes. I wyll caste dyrte vpon the, to make þe; be abhorred, and a gasyng stocke: Yea al they that loke vpon the, shall starte backe, and say: Niniue is destroyed.

Who wyll haue pyte vp&obar; the: where shall I seke one to conforte the? Art thou better th&ebar; the greate cytie of Alexandria? that lay in the waters, and had the waters rounde about it: whiche was strongly fensed and walled with the sea? Ethiopia and Egypt were her str&ebar;gth and that excedynge greate aboue measure. C   Aphrica and Lybia were her helpers, yet was she dryuen away, and brought into captiuite: her yonge chyldren were smiten doune at the heade of euerye strete, the lottes were cast for the most auncient men in her, and al her mightye men were bo&ubar;de in chaynes. Euen so shalt thou also be droncken, and hyde thy self, and seke some helpe agaynst thyne enemy. Al thy strong cities shalbe lyke figgetrees with ripe figges: which when a man shaketh, they shal fall into the mouthe of the eater.

Behold, thy people within the are but wemen: the portes of thy laude shalbe opened vnto thyne enemyes, and the fyre shall deuoure thy barres. Drawe water nowe agaynst thou be beseged, make vp thy strong holdes, go into the claye, tempre the morter, make stronge bricke, D   yet the fyre shall consume the, þe; swerde shall destroye the, yea, as the locuste doeth, ^note so shal it eate the vp. It shal fal heuely vpon the as the locustes, yea, right heuely shal it fal vp&obar; þe;, eu&ebar; as þe; greshoppers. Thy marcha&ubar;tes haue ben n&obar;bred with þe; starres of heau&ebar;: but nowe shal they sprede abroad as the locustes, and fle theyr waye. Thy Lordes are as þe; greshoppers, ∧ thy captaynes as the multytude of greshoppers: which when they be colde, remayne in the hedges: but when the Sunne is vp, they fle awaye, and no man can tel where they are become: Thy shepherdes are a slepe (O kynge of Assur) thy worthyes are layed doune: thy people is scatred abroad vpon the mountaynes, and no man gathereth them together agayne. Thy wounde can not be hyd, thy plage is so sore. All they that heare this of the, shal clappe theyr handes ouer the. For what is he to whom thou hast not alway ben doyng hurte. &rhand; The ende of the prophecye of Nahum.

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