A   Thys is the heuy burthen of Niniue, whych Nahum of Elchos dyd write as he sawe it. ^noteThe Lorde is a gelous God, ∧ a taker of vengeaunce is the Lorde, and wrothfull. ^noteThe Lorde taketh vengeaunce of his enemyes, and reserueth displeasure for his aduersaries. ^noteThe Lord suffreth longe, he is of great power, ∧ so innoc&ebar;t ^note that he leaueth no man fautlesse before him. The Lord goeth forth in t&ebar;pest ∧ stormy wether, the cloudes are the dust of his fete. Wh&ebar; he reproueth the see, he dryeth it vp, ∧ turneth all the floudes to drie lande Basan is desolate, Charmel ∧ the pleasure of Lybanus wasteth awaye. B   The mo&ubar;taynes tremble for him, the hylles consume. At the sight of him, the earth quaketh: yee, the whole world, and all þt; dwell therin. ^noteWho maye endure before hys wrath? Or who is able to abide his gryme displeasure? His anger taketh on lyke fyre, and the harde rockes are clouen in sunder before him.

Full gracious is the Lord, and a stronge holde in the time of trouble, he knoweth th&ebar; that put their trust in hym: when the floude renneth ouer, and destroyeth the place, and wh&ebar; the darcknesse foloweth styll vpon his enemyes. C   What do ye Imagin th&ebar; agaynst þe; Lord on this maner? (Tush, wh&ebar; he hath once made an ende, there shall come nomore trouble.) For like as the thornes that stike together, and as the drie strawe, so shall the dr&obar;ckardes be consumed together, eu&ebar; when they be full. There come oute of the soch as Imagin myschefe, ∧ geue vngracious councell agaynst the Lorde.

D   Therfore thus sayeth the Lord: Let th&ebar; be as well prepared: yee, ∧ as many as they can, yet shall they be hew&ebar; downe, and passe awaye. And as for þe;, I will vexe þe;, but not vtterly destroye the. And now wil I breake his 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 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. ¶ He describeth the victorye of the Caldees agaynst the Niniuites.

A   Beholde, ^note vpon the mountaynes come þe; fete of him, that bringeth good tydinges: ∧ preacheth peace. O Iuda, kepe thy holy dayes, perfourme thy promyses: for Belial 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 þe; stretes, make thy loynes stronge, arme thy self with all thy myght: for the Lord shal restore againe the glory of Iacob, lyke as the glory of Israel. The destroyers haue brok&ebar; them downe, ∧ marred þe; wyne braunches. The shilde of his gyauntes glystereth, hys men of warre are clothed in purple. His charettes are as fyre, when he maketh him forward, ∧ his spere shaftes are soked in venim The charettes rolle vp&obar; þe; stretes, ∧ welter in þe; hye wayes. B   They are to loke vpon lyke cressettes of fyre, ∧ go swyftly, as þe; lyghteninge. Wh&ebar; he doth but warne his gia&ubar;tes, they fall in their araye, ∧ hastely they clymme vp the walles: yee, the engins of þe; warre are prepared all ready. The water portes shall be opened, and the kynges palace shall fall. The quene her selfe shall be led awaye captiue, and her gentyl wemen shal mourne as the doues, ∧ grone within their hertes. ^noteNiniue is like a pole full of water, but th&ebar; shal they be fayne to fle. Stand, st&abar;de, (shal they crie) ∧ there shall not one turne backe. Awaye &wt; the syluer, awaye with the golde for here is no &ebar;de of treasure. There shalbe a multitude of all maner of costly ornam&ebar;tes Thus must she be spoyled, emptied ∧ clene striped out: that their hertes may be melted awaye, their knees tremble, all their loynes be weake, ∧ their faces blacke as a pot.

C   Where is now the dwellyng of the ly&obar;s, ∧ the pasture of þe; lyons whelpes? where the lyon ∧ the lyonesse w&ebar;t &wt; the whelpes, ∧ no man frayed th&ebar; awaye? But þe; lyon spoyled ynough for hys yonge ones, ∧ deuoured for his lyonesse: he filled his d&ebar;nes &wt; his praye, ∧ his dwell&ibar;g place &wt; that he had rauished. Beholde, I will vp&obar; the, sayeth the Lord of hostes, and will set fyre vp&obar; thy charettes þt; they shall smoke with all, ∧ the swerde shal deuoure þe; yonge ly&obar;s. I will make an ende of thy spoyling fr&obar; out of þe; earth, ∧ þe; voyce of thy messaungers shall nomore be herde. ¶ The .iii. Chapter. ¶ The fall of Niniue.

A   Wo ^note to þe; bloudthursty citie, which is all full of lyes ∧ robbery, ∧ wyll not leaue of fr&obar; rauisshing. There a man maye heare scourging, russhynge, the noyse of the wheles, þe; cryenge of the horses, and þe; rollinge of the charettes. There þe; horse m&ebar; get vp &wt; naked swerdes, ∧ glysteringe speares: there lyeth a multitude slayne, ∧ a greate heape of deed bodyes: there is no ende of deed coarses: yee, m&ebar; fall vp&obar; their bodyes, And that for þe; greate and manyfolde whordome, of þe; fayre ∧ beutyfull harlot: which is a mastresse of witchcraft: yee, and selleth þe; people thorow her whordome, ∧ the nacy&obar;s thorow her witchcraft.

B    ^noteBeholde, I will vpon þe; (sayeth þe; Lord of hostes) and will pull thy clothes ouer thy head: þt; I maye shewe thy nakednes am&obar;ge the Heathen, and thy shame am&obar;ge þe; kyngdomes. I will cast dyrte vpon the, to make the be abhorred, ∧ a gasynge stocke: Yee, all they that loke vpon the, shall starte backe, and saye: Niniue is destroyed.

Who will haue pitie vpon þe;? where shal I seke one to c&obar;forte the? Art þu; better then the greate cite of ^note Alexandria? that laye in the waters, and had þe; waters ro&ubar;de aboute it: which was str&obar;gly fenced ∧ walled with þe; see? Ethiopia ∧ Egipte were her strength ∧ þt; excead&ibar;g great, aboue measure. Aphrica ∧ Lybia were her helpers, yet was she dryuen awaye, ∧ brought into captiuite, her y&obar;ge chyldren were smitt&ebar; downe at the head C    of euery strete, þe; lottes were cast for þe; most auncyent men in her, ∧ all her myghtye men were bounde in chaines. Euen so shalt thou also be droncken, ∧ hyde thy selfe, and seke some helpe agaynst thyne enemy. All thy stronge cities shalbe lyke fygetrees with ripe figges: whych when a man shaketh, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.

Beholde, thy people within the, are but wem&ebar;: the portes of thy l&abar;de shalbe opened vnto thyne enemyes, and the fyre shall deuoure thy barres. Drawe water now agaynst þu; be beseged, make vp thy str&obar;g holdes go into þe; claye, t&ebar;pre þe; morter, make strong brick: ^note yet þe; fyre shal c&obar;sume the, þe; swerde shal destroye the: yee, as the locuste doth, so shal it eate þe; vp. It shal fal heuely vp&obar; þe; as þe; locustes: yee, ryght heuely shall it fall vp&obar; the, eu&ebar; as þe; greshoppers. Thy marcha&ubar;tes haue bene n&obar;bred &wt; the starres of heau&ebar;: but now shal they sprede abrode as the locustes ∧ fle their waye: Thy lordes are as the greshoppers, ∧ thy captaynes as the multitude of greshoppers: whych when they be colde, remayne in the hedges: but wh&ebar; the Sunne is vp, they fle awaye, ∧ no m&abar; can tel where they are become. Thy shepherdes are a slepe (O kyng of Assur) thy worthyes are layed downe, thy people is scatred abrode vp&obar; the mountaynes, ∧ no man gathereth them together agayne. Thy wo&ubar;de cannot be hyd, thy plage is so sore. All they that heare this of the, shal clappe their h&abar;des ouer the. For what is he, to whom thou hast not alwaye bene doyng hurte? ¶ The ende of the prophecy of Nahum.

Previous section

Next section