A   Heare my lawe, O my people, enclyne youre eares vnto the wordes of my mouth. ^noteI wyll open my mouth in a parable, I wyll declare hard sentences of olde. Whych we haue herde and knowne, and ^note soche as oure fathers haue tolde vs. That we shulde not hyde them from the chyldren of the generacyons to come: but to shewe the honour of the Lorde, hys might, and wonderfull workes that he hath done. He made a couena&ubar;t with Iacob, and gaue Israel a lawe ^note which he comma&ubar;ded oure forefathers to teache their children. That their posterite myght knowe it, and the children which were yet vnborne.

To thintent that wh&ebar; they came vp, they myght shewe their chyldren the same.

That they myght put their trust in God, and not to forget the workes of God, but to kepe his c&obar;maundementes. And not to be ^note as their forefathers ^note a faythlesse ∧ stubburne generacyon, a generacyon that set not their herte a ryght, and whose sprete cleued not stedfastly vnto God. B   Lyke as &rhand; the chyldren of Ephraim, which beyng harnessed and caryeng bowes, turned them selues backe in the daye of batayll. They kepte

not the couenaunt of God, and wolde not walke in hys lawe. But forgat what he had done, and the wonderfull worckes that he had shewed for th&ebar;. Maruelous thynges dyd he in the syght of oure fathers in the lande of Egypte, euen in the felde of Zoan.

^noteHe deuyded the see, and let th&ebar; go thorow: he made þe; waters to st&abar;de on a heape.

^noteIn the daye tyme also he led them wyth a cloude, and all the nyght thorow &wt; a light of fyre. He cloaue the ^note hard rockes in the wyldernesse, and gaue them drincke therof, as it had bene out of the greate deapth.

He brought waters out of the ^note stony rocke, so that it gusshed out lyke the ryuers.

Yet for all this they synned more agaynst hym, and prouoked the moost hyest in the wyldernes. C   They tempted God in theyr hertes, and requyred meate for theyr lust.

They spake agaynst God also sayenge: Shall God prepare a ^note table in the wildernesse? He smote the stony rocke in dede, that the water gushed out, and the streames flowed withall: but can he geue bred also, or prouyde flesh for his people? When þe; Lord hearde thys, he was wroth: so the fyre was kyndled in Iacob, ∧ ther came vp heuy dyspleasure agaynst Israel. Because they beleued not in God, and put not their truste in his helpe. So he commaunded the cloudes aboue, and opened the dores of heauen.

He rayned downe Manna also vpon th&ebar;, for to eate, and gaue them ^note foode fr&obar; heau&ebar;.

So man dyd eate &rhand; angels fode, for he sent them meate ynough. He caused the East wynd to blowe vnder the heauen, and thorow his power he brought in þe; south west wynde. ^noteHe rayned flesh vp&obar; them as thicke as dust, and fethered foules lyke as the sande of the see. He let it fall amonge their tentes euen rounde aboute their habytacyon. So they dyd eate, and were well fylled, for he gaue them their awne desyre.

They were not disapoynted of their lust.

D    ^noteBut whyle the meate was yet in theyr mouthes: the heuy wrath of God came vpon them, ∧ slewe the welthiest of them, yee, and smote downe, the chosen men that were in Israel. ^noteBut for all this they synned yet more, &abar;d beleued not hys wonderous worckes. Therfore, their dayes dyd he consume in vanyte, and their yeares in trouble.

^noteWhen he slewe them, they sought hym, and turned them early and enquered after God. And they rem&ebar;bred that God was their strength, and that the hye God was their redemer. Neuerthelesse, they dyd but flatter hym wyth their mouth, and dyssembled with him in their t&obar;ge. For their herte was not whole wyth hym, nether contynued they stedfast in hys couenaunt.

But he was so mercyfull, that he forgaue theyr mysdedes, and destroyed them not.

Yee, many a tyme turned he hys wrath awaye, and wolde not suffre is whole dyspleasure to aryse. ^noteFor he c&obar;sydered that they were but flesh: and that they were, euen a wynde that passeth awaye, and commeth not agayne. E   Many a tyme dyd they prouoke him in the wyldernesse, and greued him in the deserte. They turned backe, ∧ tempted God, ∧ moued the holy one in Israel.

They thought not of hys hand, and of the daye when he delyuered them from the h&abar;de of the enemye. How he had wrought hys myracles in Egypte, and his wondres in the felde of Zoan. ^noteHe turned their waters into bloude, so that they myght not dryncke of the ryuers. ^noteHe sent lyce amonge th&ebar;, and deuoured them vp ^note and frogges to destroye them. He gaue their frutes vnto the ^note catyr pyller, and their laboure vnto the greshopper. ^noteHe destroyed their vynes &wt; hayle stones, and their mulbery trees wyth the frost. ^noteHe smote their catel also with haylestones, ∧ their flockes with hote thonder boltes. He cast vpon th&ebar; the furyousnesse of hys wrath, anger, displeasure and trouble, and sent euell angels among them.

^noteHe made awaye to his indignacion, and spared not their soule from death, but gaue their lyfe ouer to the pestylence. ^noteAnd smote all the fyrst borne in Egypt, the moost principall and myghtyest &rhand; in þe; dwellynges of Ham. But as for hys awne people, he lead them forth lyke shepe, F   and caryed th&ebar; in the wyldernesse lyke a flockeHe brought th&ebar; out safely, that they shulde not feare, ∧ ouer whelmed their enemyes with þe; see. And brought th&ebar; within the borders of hys Sanctuary: &rhand; euen to this mountayne, whych he purchased with hys ryght hande. ^noteHe cast out þe; Heathen also before th&ebar;, caused their lande to be denyded amonge th&ebar; for an heritage, and made the trybes of Israell to dwell in their tentes. So they t&ebar;pted and displeased the most hye God, &abar;d kepte not hys testimonyes. But turned their backes, and fell awaye lyke their forfathers, startynge asyde lyke a brok&ebar; bowe.

For they greued hym with their hyll alters, and prouoked him to displeasure wyth their ymages. When God hearde this, he was wroth, and toke sore dyspleasure at Israel. So that he forsoke the Tabernacle in Silo, euen the tent that he had pitched among men. He delyuered their power into captiuyte, and their bewtye into þe; enemyes hande. He gaue his people ouer also into the swerde, and was wroth wyth hys inherytaunce. The fyre c&obar;sumed their yong men, and their maydens were not geuen to mariage. Their Preastes were slayne &wt; the swerde, and there were no wyddowes

to make lam&ebar;tacion. So the Lorde awaked as one out of slepe, and lyke a gyaunte refreshed wyth wyne. ^noteHe smote his enemyes in the hynder partes, and put them to a perpetuall shame. &rhand; He refused the tabernacle of Ioseph, and chose not the trybe of Ephraim. ^noteBut chose the trybe of Iuda, euen the hyll of Sion which he loued.

And there he buylded hys temple on hye, and layed the fo&ubar;dacion of it lyke þe; gro&ubar;de, whych he hath made continually. ^noteHe chose Dauid also his seruaunt, and toke him awaye from the shepe foldes. As he was folowinge the ewes greate with y&obar;ge ones, he toke hym, that he myght fede Iacob hys people, and Israel his enheritaunce. So he fed them with a faythfull and true hert, ∧ ruled them prudently withall his power.

Previous section

Next section