The first Chapter.

And Baruch dyd rede the wordes of this boke, that Iechonias the sonne of Ioachim kynge of Iuda might heare: and in the presence of all the people, that were come to heare the boke: yee and before all the noble kinges sonnes, before þe; lordes of the councell and elders: and before the whole people, from þe; lowest vnto the hyest: before all them that dwelt at Babilon, by þe; water of Sodi. Which when they herde it, wepte, fasted, and prayed before the LORDE.

B   They made a colleccion also of money, acordinge to euery mans power, and sent it to Ierusalem vnto Ioachim the sonne of Helchia the sonne of Salon prest, with þe; other prestes: and to all the people which were &wt; him at Ierusal&ebar;, what tyme as they had gotten the ornamentes of the temple of þe; LORDE (that were taken awaye out of the temple) that they might brynge them agayne in to the londe of Iuda, the x. daye of the moneth Siban: namely, syluer vessel, (which Sedechias the sonne of Iosias kinge of Iuda had made.) After that Nabuchodonosor kinge of Babilon had tak&ebar; Iechonias, with all his prynces, lordes, and all the people, and led them captyue from Ierusalem vnto Babilon.

C    ^noteAnd they sayde: Beholde, we haue sent you money, to bye you burntofferynges and incense withall: make you vnleuended bred, ∧ offre for synne vpon the aulter of the LORDE oure God. ^noteAnd praye for the prosperite of Nabuchodonosor kinge of Babilon, and of Balthasar his sonne: þt; their dayes maye be vpon earth, as the dayes of heauen: that God also maye geue vs strength, and lighten oure eyes: that we maye lyue vnder the defence of Nabuchodonosor kinge of Babilon, and vnder the proteccion of Balthasar his sonne: that we maye longe do them seruyce, and fynde fauoure in their sight. Praye for vs also vnto the LORDE oure God, for we haue synned agaynst the LORDE oure God, and vnto this daye is not his wrath turned yet a waye from vs. And se that ye rede this boke (which we haue sent vnto you to be rehearced in the temple of the LORDE) vpon the hye dayes, and at tyme conuenient.

D    ^noteThus shal ye saye: The LORDE o&highr; God is rightuous, but we are worthy of c&obar;fucion ∧ shame: like as it is come to passe this daye, vnto all Iuda, ∧ to euery one þt; dwelleth at Ierusalem: to o&highr; kinges, prynces, prestes, prophetes ∧ to oure fathers. We haue synned before the LORDE oure God, we haue not put oure trust in him, ner geuen him credence: we haue not obeyed him, we haue not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE oure God, to walke in the commaundementes that he gaue vs. Sens the daye that he brought oure forefathers out of the londe of Egipte vnto this present daye, we haue bene euer a mysbeleuynge and an vnfaithful people vnto þe; LORDE oure God: destroyenge oure selues vtterly, and shrenckinge backe, that we shulde not heare his voyce.

E    ^noteWherfore there are come vpon vs greate plages ∧ dyuerse curses, like as the LORDE deuysed by Moses his serua&ubar;t: which brought oure fore fathers out of the l&obar;de of Egipte, to geue vs a l&obar;de, that floweth with mylcke and hony, like as it is to se this daye. Neuertheles, we haue not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE oure God, acordinge to all the wordes of the prophetes, whom he sent vnto vs and to oure rulers: but euery man folowed his owne mynde and wicked ymaginacion: to offre vnto stra&ubar;ge goddes, and to do euel in the sight of the LORDE oure God. The II. Chapter.

A    ^noteFor the which cause the LORDE oure God hath perfourmed his deuyce, wherof he certified vs, and oure heades that ruled in Ierusal&ebar;: yee and oure kynges, oure princes, with all Israel and Iuda. And soch plages hath þe; lorde brought vp&obar; vs, as neuer came to passe vnder the heau&ebar;: like as it is fulfilled in Hierusalem acordinge as it is written in the lawe of Moses: ^note that a man shulde eate þe; flesh of his owne sonne, ∧ the flesh of his owne doughter. Morouer, he hath delyuered them in to the hondes of all the kinges, þt; are rounde aboute vs (to be confounded and desolate) ∧ scatred th&ebar; abrode in all londes ∧ naci&obar;s. B   Thus are we brought beneth ∧ not aboue, for we haue synned against the LORDE o&highr; God, ∧ not bene obedient vnto his voyce. Therfore þe; LORDE o&highr; God is rightuous, ^note ∧ we with o&highr; fathers (as reason is) are brought to op&ebar; shame, as it is to se this daye And as for these plages þt; are come vpon vs allready, þe; LORDE had deuyced th&ebar; for vs: yet wolde we not praye vnto þe; LORDE oure God, þt; we might euery m&abar; turne fr&obar; his vngodly wayes. So þe; LORDE hath caused soch plages to come vpon vs, for he is rightuous in all his workes, which he hath c&obar;maunded vs: which we also haue not done, ner harkened vnto his voyce, for to walke in þe; c&obar;maundem&ebar;tes of þe; LORDE, þt; he had geu&ebar; vnto vs.

^noteAnd now o LORDE God of Israel, thou that hast brought thy people out of the londe of Egipte with a mightie honde, with tokens and w&obar;dres, with thy greate power &abar;d outstretched arme: and hast gotten thy selff a name, as it is come to passe this daye: C    ^noteO LORDE oure God, we haue synned, we haue done wickedly, we haue behaued oure selues vngodly in all thy rightuousnesses. Turne thy wrath fr&obar; vs (we beseke the) for we are but a few left amonge the Heithen, where thou hast scatred vs. Heare o&highr; prayers (o LORDE) ∧ oure petici&obar;s, bringe vs out of captiuyte, for thine owne sake: get vs fauoure in the sight of th&ebar;, which haue led vs awaye: ^note þt; all l&obar;des maye knowe, that thou art the LORDE oure God, and that Israel and his generacion calleth vpon thy name.

^noteO LORDE, loke downe fr&obar; thy holy house vpon vs: enclyne thine eare, ∧ heare vs. For the deed, þt; be gone downe to their graues, ∧ whose soules are out of their bodies, ^note ascribe vnto the LORDE nether prayse ner rigtuousmakynge: but the soule that is vexed for the multitude of hir synnes, which goeth on heuely and weakely, whose eyes begynne to fayle: yee soch a soule ascrybeth prayse and rightuousnesse vnto the LORDE. D   O LORDE, we poure out oure prayers before the, and requyre mercy in thy sight, O LORDE oure God: not for eny godlynesse off oure forefathers, but because thou hast sent out thy wrath ∧ indignacion vpon vs: acordinge as thou dydest threaten vs, by thy serua&ubar;tes the prophetes, sayenge:

^noteThus sayeth the LORDE: Bowe downe youre shulders and neckes, and serue the kynge of Babilon, so shal ye remayne still in the londe, that I gaue vnto youre fathers. Yff ye will not do this, ner heare the voyce of þe; LORDE youre God, to serue the kynge of Babilon: I shall destroye you in the cities of Iuda, within Ierusalem and without. I will also take from you the voyce off myrth and the voyce of ioye, the voyce of the brydegrome and the voyce of the bryde, &abar;d there shal no man dwell more in the londe. But they wolde not herken vnto thy voyce, to do the kynge of Babilon seruyce: E   and therfore hast thou perfourmed the wordes, that thou spakest by thy seruauntes the prophetes: namely, that the bones of oure kynges and the bones of oure fathers shulde be tr&abar;slated out of their place.

And lo, now are they layde out in the heate of þe; Sonne, ∧ in the colde of þe; night, &abar;d deed in greate mysery: &wt; hunger, &wt; swearde, &wt; pestilence ∧ are clene cast forth. As for the t&ebar;ple wherin thy name was called vpon thou hast layde it waist, as it is to se this daye: ∧ þt; for the wickednes of the house of Israel ∧ the house of Iuda. O LORDE o&highr; God, thou hast intreated vs after all thy goodnes ∧ acordinge to all þt; greate louinge mercy of thyne, like as thou spakest by thy seruaunte Moses, in the daye when thou didest c&obar;ma&ubar;de him, to wryte thy lawe before the children of Israel, sayenge: ^note Yf ye will not herk&ebar; vnto my voyce, th&ebar; shal this greate multitude be turned into a very smal people, for I wil scatre th&ebar; abrode. F   Not withst&obar;dinge I am sure, that this folke will not heare me: for it is an hardnecked people. But in þe; l&obar;de of their captiuyte, they shall remembre them selues, ∧ lerne to knowe, þt; I am the LORDE their God: when I geue th&ebar; an herte to vnderst&obar;de, ∧ eares to heare. Then shal they prayse me in the l&obar;de of their captiuyte, ∧ thynke vpon my name. Then shall they turne them fr&obar; their harde backes, ∧ from their vngodlynes: Then shal they remembre the thynges, þt; happened vnto their forefathers, which synned agaynst me. So will I bringe them agayne in to the londe, which I promised &wt; an ooth vnto their fathers: Abrah&abar;, Isaac ∧ Iacob: ∧ they shal be lordes of it, yee I wil increace th&ebar;, and not minysh th&ebar;. And I wil make another couena&ubar;t with them: ^note soch one as shal endure for euer: namely, þt; I will be their God, and they shalbe my people: and I wil nomore dryue my people the children off Israel, out of the londe þt; I haue geu&ebar; th&ebar;. The III. Chapter.

A   And now o LORDE allmightie, thou God of Israel: o&highr; soule þt; is in trouble, ∧ o&highr; sprete þt; is vexed, crieth vnto the: heare vs (o LORDE) ∧ haue pite vpon vs, for thou art a mercifull God: be gracious vnto vs, for we haue synned before þe;. Thou endurest for euer, shulde we th&ebar; vtterly perishe? O LORDE almightie, thou God of Israel: ^note Heare now þe; prayer of þe; deed Israelites ∧ of their childr&ebar;, which haue synned before þe;, ^note ∧ not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE their God, for the which cause these plages hange now vp&obar; vs. O LORDE, rem&ebar;bre not þe; wickednes of o&highr; forefathers, but thinke vp&obar; thy power ∧ name now at this tyme: for thou art þe; LORDE o&highr; God, ∧ þe; (o LORDE) wil we prayse. For thou hast put þi; feare &ibar; o&highr; hartes, to þe; int&ebar;t þt; we shulde call vpon þi; name, ∧ prayse þe; in oure captiuyte: and þt; we might turne from the wickednesse of oure forefathers, þt; synned before the. ^note

B    ^noteBeholde, we are yet this daye in oure captiuyte, where as thou hast scatred vs, 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 l&obar;de? thou art waxen olde in a stra&ubar;ge countre, and defyled with the deed. Why art thou become like them, that go downe to their graues? Eu&ebar; 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 &ibar; thine owne londe. ^note

^noteO lerne then where discrecion is, where vertu is, where vnderst&obar;dinge is: that thou mayest knowe also fr&obar; whence c&obar;meth longe life, a necessary lyuynge, the light of the eyes ∧ quyetnes. Who euer fo&ubar;de out hir place? or who came euer in to hir treasures? ^note

C   Where are þe; 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 fr&obar; th&ebar;. It hath not bene herde of in the l&obar;de of Canaan, nether hath it bene sene at Theman.

D   The Agarenes sought after wisdome, but that which is earthly, like as the marchauntes of the l&obar;de do. They of Theman are connynge also, ∧ they laboure for wisdome ∧ vnderstondinge: but þe; 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? ^noteGreate 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.

E   Who hath gone vp in to heauen, to take wisdome there, ∧ brought her downe fr&obar; 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 þt; can seke out hir pathes. But he that woteth all thynges, knoweth her, ∧ he hath founde her out with his foreknowlege. ^noteThis 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: ∧ wh&ebar; he calleth it agayne, it obeyeth h&ibar; &wt; feare. The starres kepe their watch, ∧ geue their light, yee and þt; gladly. When he calleth them, they saye: here we be. And so with chearfulnes they shewe light vnto him þt; made th&ebar;. This is oure God, &abar;d there shall none other be c&obar;pared vnto him: ^note It is he, þt; 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. ^note The IIII. Chapter.

A   This is the boke off the commaundem&ebar;tes of God, and the lawe þe; endureth for euer. All they þt; 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. ^noteO Israel, how happie are we, se&ibar;ge that God hath shewed vs soch thynges as are pleasa&ubar;t vnto him? Be of good cheare, thou people of God, o thou awnci&ebar;t 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 forgott&ebar; him that brought you vp, &abar;d youre nurse haue ye greued, o. Ierusalem.

B   When she sawe that the wrath off God was commynge vpon you: she sayde: Herk&ebar; o ye that dwell aboute Sion, for God hath brought me in to greate heuynesse: &abar;d 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 &abar;d 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 c&obar;maundementes: and as for the pathes off the treuth and godlynesse, they had no lust to go in them.

C   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 l&abar;guage: which nether regarde the olde, ner pyte the yonge, ^note

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 þt; hath brought these plages vpon you, delyuer you also fr&obar; the hondes of youre enemies. ^note

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.

D   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, Eu&ebar; 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 paci&ebar;tly 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 c&obar;forte (o my children) ∧ crie vnto the LORDE: For he that led you awaye, hath you yet in remembra&ubar;ce: E   and like as ye haue bene mynded to swarue from yo&highr; God, so shal ye now endeuoure youre selues x. tymes more, to turne agayne, and to seke him. ^note For he that hath brought these plages vp&obar; you, shal brynge you euerlastinge ioye agayne with youre health. Take a good herte vnto the, o Ierusal&ebar;: for he which gaue þe; that name, exorteth the so to do.

^noteThe wicked doers that now put the to trouble, shall perish: and soch as haue reioysed at thy fall, shalbe punyshed. The cities whom thy children serue, and that haue caried awaye thy sonnes, shal be correcte. For like as they be now glad of þi; decaye, so shal they mourne in their owne destruccion. The ioye off their multitude shalbe taken awaye &abar;d their cheare shalbe turned to sorowe. For a fyre shal fall vpon them from the euerlastinge God, longe to endure: and it shalbe inhabited of deuels for a greate season. The V. Chapter.

A   O Ierusalem, loke aboute the towarde the east, and beholde the ioye, that commeth vnto the from God. For lo, thy sonnes, (whom thou hast forsak&ebar;, and that were scatred abrode) come gathered together from the east and west, reioysinge in the worde of the holy one, vnto the honoure off God.

Put of thy mournynge clothes (o Ierusalem) and thy sorow, and decke the with the worshipe and honoure, that commeth vnto the from God, with euerlastinge glory. God shal put the cloake off rightuousnesse vpon the, and set a crowne off euerlastinge worshipe vpon thine heade: for vpon the will God declare his brightnes, that is vnder the heauen: Yee an euerlastinge name shalbe geuen the of God, with peace of rightuousnesse, ∧ þe; honoure of Gods feare.

B   Arise o Ierusalem, st&obar;de vp on hye: loke aboute the towarde the east, and beholde thy children gathered from the east vnto the west: which reioyce in the holy worde, hauynge God in remembraunce. They departed from the on fote, and were led awaye of their enemies: but now shal the LORDE bringe them caried with honoure, as children off þe; kyngdome. For God is purposed to brynge downe all stoute mo&ubar;taynes, yee and all hye rockes, to fyll the valleys, ∧ so to make them eauen with the grounde: þt; Israel maye be dilig&ebar;t to lyue vnto þe; honoure of God. The woddes ∧ all pleasa&ubar;t trees shal ouershadowe Israel, at the c&obar;maundement of God. For hyther shal God brynge Israel with ioyfull myrth, and in the light of his magesty: with the mercy and rightuousnesse, that c&obar;meth of himselff.

The VI. Chapter. A copie off the epistle, that Ieremy the prophet did sende vnto the Iewes, which were led awaye presoners by the kynge of Babil&obar;. Wherin he certifieth them of the thinge, that was c&obar;maunded him of God.

A    ^noteBecause of the synnes that ye haue done agaynst God, ye shal be led awaye captyue vnto Babilon, euen off Nabuchodonosor the kynge of Babilon. So when ye be come in to Babilon, ye shall remayne there many yeares, and for a longe season: namely, vij. generacions: ∧ after that wil I bringe you awaye peaceably from th&ebar;ce. Now shal ye se in Babil&obar;, goddes of golde, of syluer, of wodd and of stone: borne vpon mens shulders, to cast out a fearfulnes before the Heithen. But loke that ye do not as the other: be not ye afrayed, and let not the feare of them ouercome you.

B    ^noteTherfore, when ye se the multitude of people worshippinge them behinde ∧ before, saye ye in youre hertes: O LORDE, it is thou, that oughtest only to be worshipped? Myne angel also shal be with you, and I myself wil care for youre soules. As for the tymbre of those goddes, þe; carp&ebar;ter hath polisshed them: yee gylted be they, ∧ layed ouer with syluer, yet are they but vayne thinges, ∧ can not speake. Like as a wench þt; loueth peramours is trymly deckte, euen so are these made ∧ hanged &wt; golde. Crownes of golde verely haue their goddes vpon their heades: so the prestes them selues take the golde and syluer from them, ∧ put it to their owne vses: yee they geue of the same vnto harlottes, &abar;d trymme their whores withall: Agayne, they take it from the whores, and decke their goddes therwith. Yet can not these goddes delyuer them selues from rust and mothes. ^noteWh&ebar; they haue couered them with clothynge off purple, they wype their faces for the dust of the temple, wherof their is moch am&obar;ge th&ebar;. One hath a sceptre in his honde, as though he were iudge of the countre: yet can he not slaye soch as offende him. Another hath a swearde or an axe in his honde, for all that, is he nether able to defende him selfe from batayll, ner fro murtherers.

C   By this ye maye vnderstonde, that they be no goddes: therfore se þt; ye nether worshipe them, ner feare them. For like as a vessel þt; a man vseth, is nothinge worth when it is broken, euen so is it with their goddes. When they be set vp in the temple, their eyes be full of dust, thorow the fete of those that come in. And like as þe; dores are shut in ro&ubar;de aboute vp&obar; him, þt; hath offended the kinge: Or as it were a deed body kepte besyde the graue: Euen so the prestes kepte the dores with barres and lockes, lest their goddes be spoyled with robbers. They set vp c&abar;dels before th&ebar; (yee verely and þt; many) wherof they can not se one, but euen as blockes, so stonde they in the temple. It is sayde, þt; the serpentes and wormes, which come off the earth, gnawe out their hertes, eatinge them ∧ their clothes also, and yet they fele it not. Their faces are blacke, thorow the smoke þt; is in the temple. The oules, swalowes ∧ byrdes fle vpon them, yee and the cattes runne ouer their heades.

D   By this ye maye be sure, that they are not goddes, therfore feare them not. The golde that they haue, is to make them beutifull: for all that, excepte some body dight off their rust, they wil geue no shyne: and when they were cast in to a fourme, they felt it not. They are bought for money, and haue no breth off life within them. They must be borne vpon mens shulders, as those that haue no fete: wherby they declare vnto men, that they be nothynge worth. Confounded be they then, that worshipe them. For yf they fall to the grounde, they can not ryse vp agayne of th&ebar; selues: Yee though one helpe them vp and set them right, yet are they not able to stonde alone: but must haue proppes set vnder them, like deed men. As for the thinge that is offred vnto them, their prestes sell it, &abar;d abuse it: yee the prestes wyues take therof, but vnto the sicke and poore they geue nothinge of it, the women with childe ∧ the m&ebar;struous laye hondes of their offerynges. By this ye maye be sure, that they are not goddes, therfore be not ye afrayde of them. From whence c&obar;meth it th&ebar;, that they be called goddes? The women syt before the goddes of syluer, golde and wodde, and the prestes syt in their temples, hauynge open clothes, whose heades and beerdes are shauen, and haue noth&ibar;ge vpon their heades: roaringe and cryenge vpon their goddes, as men do at the feast, when one is deed.
E   The prestes also take awaye the garmentes of the ymages, and decke their wyues ∧ children withall. Whether it be good or euell þt; eny man do vnto them, they are not able to recompence it: they can nether set vp a kynge, ner put him downe. In like maner they maye nether geue riches, ner rewarde euell. ^noteThough a man make a vowe vnto them &abar;d kepe it not, they wil not requyre it. They can

not restore a blynde m&abar; to his sight, ner helpe eny m&abar; at his nede. They c&abar; shewe no mercy to the wyddowe, ner do good to þe; fatherles. Their goddes of wodd, stone, golde ∧ syluer, are but euen as other stones, þt; be hew&ebar; of þe; mountayne. They þt; worshipe th&ebar;, shal be c&obar;founded. How shulde they then be taken for goddes? yee how darre men call th&ebar; goddes? And though the caldees worshiped th&ebar; not, hearinge þt; they were but domme ∧ coude not speake: Yet they them selues offre vnto Bel, and wolde fayne haue him to speake: as who saye, they coude fele, þt; maye not moue. But when these m&ebar; come to vnderst&obar;dinge, they shall forsake them, for their goddes haue no felinge. F   A greate sorte off women gyrded with coardes, syt in the stretes, ∧ burne olyue beries. Now yf one off them be conveyed awaye, ∧ lye &wt; eny soch as come by: she casteth hir neghburesse in the teth, because she was not so worthely reputed, ner hir coorde broken. What so euer is done for them, it is but in vayne &abar;d lost: How maye it th&ebar; be thought or sayde, þt; they are goddes? Carpenters ∧ goldsmythes make th&ebar;, nether be they eny other thinge, but euen what the worke men wil make of them. Yee the goldsmithes them selues that make th&ebar;, are of no longe c&obar;tynuaunce: How shulde then the th&ibar;ges that are made of them, be goddes? Vayne therfore are the thinges (yee very shame is it) that they leaue behinde th&ebar; for their posterite. For as soone as there c&obar;meth eny warre or plage vpon th&ebar;, then the prestes ymagyn, where they maye hyde th&ebar; selues with th&ebar;. How can men thynke then, that they be goddes, which nether maye defende them selues from warre, ner delyuer th&ebar; fro mysfortune? For seynge they be but of wodd, of stone, of syluer and of golde: all people ∧ kynges shal knowe herafter, that they be but vayne thinges: yee it shalbe openly declared, that they be no goddes: but euen the very workes off m&ebar;s h&obar;des, ∧ that God hath nothinge to do with th&ebar;. They can set no kynge in the londe ner geue rayne vnto men. They can geue no sentence of a matter, nether defende the londe fr&obar; wronge: For they are not able to do so moch as a crowe, that flyeth betwixte heuen and earth

G   Wh&ebar; there happeneth a fyre in to the house of those goddes of wodde, of syluer and of golde, the prestes wil escape ∧ saue th&ebar; selues, but the goddes burne as the balkes therin They can not withst&obar;de eny kynge or batell: how maye it then be thought or graunted, that they be goddes? Morouer, these goddes of wodde, of stone, of golde ∧ syluer maye nether defende th&ebar; selues from theues ner robbers: yee þe; very wicked are stronger th&ebar; they. These strype them out off their apparell, that they be clothed withall, these take their golde ∧ syluer fr&obar; th&ebar;, and so get th&ebar; awaye: yet c&abar; they not helpe th&ebar;selues. Therfore it is moch better for a man, to be a kinge ∧ so to shewe his power: or els a profitable vessel in a house, wherin he þt; oweth it, might haue pleasure: yee or to be a dore in a house, to kepe soch thinges safe as be therin: th&ebar; to be soch a vayne god. The S&obar;ne, the Mone ∧ all the starres when they geue their shyne ∧ light, are obedient, ∧ do men good: When the lightenynge glistreth, all is cleare: The wynde bloweth in euery countre, ∧ wh&ebar; God c&obar;maundeth the cloudes to go rounde aboute the whole worlde, they do as they are bydden: when the fyre is sent downe fr&obar; aboue ∧ c&obar;maunded, it burneth vp hilles &abar;d woddes: But as for those goddes, they are not like one off these thynges, nether in beuty ner str&ebar;gth. H   Wherfore m&ebar; shulde not thynke, ner saye that they be goddes, seynge they c&abar; nether geue sentence in iudgment, ner do men good. For so moch now as ye are sure, that they be no goddes, then feare them not: For they can nether speake euell ner good of kynges. They c&abar;shewe no tokens in heau&ebar; for þe; Heithen, nether shyne as the S&obar;ne, ner geue light as the Mone: yee þe; vnreasonable beastes are better then they: for they can get th&ebar; vnder the rofe, and do them selues good: So can ye be certified by no maner off meanes, that they be goddes: therfore feare th&ebar; not. For like as a frayboggarde in a garden off Cucumbers kepeth nothinge, euen so are their goddes of wod, of syluer ∧ golde: and like as a whyte thorne in an orcharde, that euery byrde sytteth vpon: yee like as a deed body that is cast in the darcke, Euen so is it with those goddes of wodde, syluer and golde. By the purple and scarlet which they haue vpon th&ebar;, &abar;d soone faydeth awaye, ye maye vnderstonde, that they be no goddes: yee they them selues shal be c&obar;sumed at the last, which shal be a greate c&obar;fucion of the londe. Blessed is the godly man, þt; hath no ymages ∧ worshippeth none, for he shalbe farre from reprofe. The ende of the prophet Baruch which is not in the Canon of the hebrue.

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