A   And worde came to Holofernes the prynce of the warres of the Assyri&abar;s, þt; the childr&ebar; of Israel prepared them selues to make resistaunce, ∧ how they had stopped the wayes betwixte the mountaynes. Then was he exceadinge wroth, ∧ called all the prynces of Moab, ∧ the captaines of Ammon, ∧ sayde vnto them: Tell me, what

people is this, þt; kepeth in the mo&ubar;taynes? Or what maner of cities are they? What is their power? Or what maner of hoost haue they? Who is their captayne? And why do they despyse vs ^note (more then all those that dwell in the east) and come not forth to mete vs, þt; they might receaue vs with peace?

^noteThen Achior the captayne of all the Ammonites answered, and sayde: Syr, yf it please the to heare me, I wil tell the trueth before the concernynge this people that dwell in the mountaynes, and there shal no lye go out of my mouth.

B    ^noteThis people is of the generacion of the Caldees, they dwelt first in Mesopotamia, for they wolde not folowe þe; goddes of their fathers that were in the londe of the Caldees, ∧ so forsoke they the customes of their fore fathers (which had many goddes) and worshipped one God, that made heau&ebar; and earth: which also commaunded them that they shulde go from thence, and dwell at Haran. ^noteNow whan there came a derth in to þe; whole londe, they wente downe to Egipte, ∧ there they dwelt foure hundreth yeares, in þe; which they multiplied so greatly, that their hoost might not be nombred. ^noteAnd whan the kynge of Egipte oppressed them, and subdued th&ebar; in buyldinge of his cities with makynge of claye ∧ brick, they cried vnto God their LORDE, which punyshed the whole londe of Egipte with dyuerse plages.

C    ^noteNow whan the kynge of Egipte let th&ebar; go their waye, ∧ the plage ceassed, ∧ then folowed after th&ebar;, to take th&ebar;, ∧ to brynge th&ebar; agayne in to his seruyce, whyle they were flyenge awaye, the God of heau&ebar; opened þe; see, so þt; the waters stode fast vpon both the sydes as a wall, ∧ these wente thorow the botome of the see drye shod, In the which place wh&abar; an innumerable people of the Egipcians folowed vpon them, they were so ouerwhelmed with the waters, that there remayned not one, to tell th&ebar; that came after, how it happened.

D   So whan this people was passed thorow the reed see, they came in to the wildernes of the mount Synai, where neuer man might dwell afore, ∧ where the sonne of m&abar; had neuer rested. ^noteThere were þe; bytter waters made swete for th&ebar;, that they might drynke, ∧ xl. yeares had they meate from heau&ebar;. Where so euer they wente (without bowe ∧ arowe, without bukler or swerde) their God fought for th&ebar;, ∧ caused th&ebar; to haue the victory. Yee no man was able to hurte this people, excepte it were so, þt; they departed vnfaithfully from þe; worshippinge of the LORDE their God. ^noteBut as oft as they worshipped eny other besyde their God, he gaue them ouer to be spoyled, to be slayne, ∧ to be put to confucion. Neuertheles as oft as they were sory for departynge from the worshipe of their God, the same God of heauen gaue them power ∧ str&ebar;gth to withst&obar;de their enemies.

E    ^noteMorouer they slew the kynge of the Cananites, Iebusites, Pherezites, Ethites, Euites ∧ Amorites, ∧ all þe; mightie in Hesebon, ∧ toke their l&obar;des ∧ cities in possession: and so longe as they synned not in þe; sight of their God, it w&ebar;te well with them, for their God hateth vnrighteousnesse. For in tymes past whan they wente out of þe; waye, ^note which God had geuen them, þt; they shulde walke in it, they were destroyed in dyuerse battayles of many nacions, ∧ many of them were caried awaye presoners into a stra&ubar;ge co&ubar;tre. But now lately they haue turned th&ebar; selues agayne vnto the LORDE their God, ^note ∧ are come together agayne out of the countrees where they were scatred abrode: and thus haue they c&obar;quered these mountaynes ∧ dwell therin: ∧ as for Ierusalem where their Sanctuary is, they haue it againe in possession.

F   And therfore my lorde, make dilig&ebar;t inquisicion, yf this people haue done wickednesse in the sight of their God, then let vs go vp agaynst them, for doutles their God shal delyuer them into thy handes, ∧ subdue them vnto þi; power. But yf this people haue not displeased their God, we shal not be able to withstande them, ^note for their God shal defende th&ebar;, ∧ so shall we be a shame to all þe; worlde.

Now whan Achior had spoken out these wordes, all the prynces of Holofernes were wroth, ∧ thought to slaye him, ∧ sayde one to another: what is he this, which darre saie, þt; þe; childr&ebar; of Israel are able to withst&obar;de Nabuchodonosor the kynge ∧ his hoost? where as they are an vnwapened people, without str&ebar;gth or vnderst&obar;dinge of þe; fettes of warre? That Achior therfore maye knowe, þt; he hath disceaued vs, we wil go vp in to þe; mo&ubar;taynes: ∧ whan the mightie men of th&ebar; are taken, he also shalbe stickte with the swerde, þt; all people maye knowe, that Nabuchodonosor is the God of the earth, and that there is none other without him.

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