The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

[Here bigynneth Abacuk, the profete [Here biginnith the book of Abacuk, profete. E. The book of Abacuk, the profete. PY. Abacuk. R. No initial rubric in the other Mss.] .] CAP. I.

[verse 1] THE birthun that Abacuk, the profete, sai. [verse 2] Hou longe, Lord, schal Y crye, and thou schalt not here? Y suffrynge vio|lence schal crie an hiȝ to thee, and thou schalt not saue? [verse 3] Whi schewidist thou to me wickidnesse and trauel, for to se prey and vnriȝtwisnesse aȝens me? Whi bi|holdist thou dispiseris, and art stille, the while an [the C et ceteri.] vnpitouse man [Om. G.] defoulith a riȝt|fulere than hym silf? And thou schalt make men as fischis of the see, and as crepynge thingis not hauynge a ledere; and doom is maad, and aȝenseiyng is more miȝti. [verse 4] For this thing lawe is `to-brokun [brokun I.] , and doom cometh not til to the ende; for the vnpitouse man hath miȝt aȝens the iust, therfor weiward doom schal go out. [verse 5] Biholde ȝe in hethene men, and se ȝe, and wondre ȝe, and greetli drede ȝe; for a werk is doon in ȝoure daies, which no man schal bileue, whanne it schal be teld. For lo! [verse 6] Y schal reise Caldeis, a bittir folk and swift, goynge on the breede of erthe, that he welde tabernaclis not hise. [verse 7] It is orible, and dredeful; the dom and birthun [the birthun IS.] therof schal go out of it silf. [verse 8] His horsis ben liȝtere than pardis, and swifter than euentyd woluys, and hise horse men schu|len

be scaterid abrood; for whi `horse men [hise horsemen U sec. m.] schulen come fro fer, thei schulen fle as an egle hastynge to ete. [verse 9] Alle men schulen come to preye [the praye EP sec. m. Y.] , the faces of hem is as a brennynge wynd; and he schal [verse 10] gadere as grauel caitifte, and he schal haue victorie of kyngis, and tirauntis schulen be of his scornyng. He schal leiȝe on al strengthe, and schal bere togidere heep of erthe, and schal take it. [verse 11] Thanne the spirit schal be chaungid, and he schal passe forth, and falle doun; this is the [Om. RU.] strengthe of hym, of his god. [verse 12] Whether `thou, Lord, art not my God [thou, Lord, art not my God fro bigynnyng A sec. m. I. thou art not fro the bigynnyng, thou, Lord my God S sup. ras.] , myn hooli, and we schulen not die? Lord, in to doom thou hast set hym, and thou groundidist hym strong, that thou schuldist chastise. [verse 13] Thin iȝen ben clene, se thou not yuel, and thou schalt not mowe biholde to wickidnesse. Whi biholdist thou not on men doynge wickidli, and thou art stille, while the vnpitouse man deuourith a more iust man than hymsilf? [verse 14] And thou schalt make men as fischis of the see, and as a [Om. EPSY. al R.] crepynge thing not hauynge prince [a prince CI.] . [verse 15] He schal lifte vp al in the hook; he drawide [drowȝ PY.] it [it vp S.] in his greet net, and gaderide in to his net; on this thing he schal be glad, and make ioie with outforth. [verse 16] Therfore he schal offere to his greet net, and schal make sacrifice to his net; for in hem his part is maad fat, and his mete is chosun. [verse 17] Therfor for this thing he spredith abrood his greet net, and euere more he ceesith not for to sle folkis.