out hirself. She prayed also vnto the LOR∣DE God of Israel with these wordes:
O my LORDE, thou onely art oure kyn∣ge, helpe me desolate womā, which haue no helper but ye, for my misery and destruccion is harde at my hande. Fro my youth vp I haue herde out of the kynred of my father, that thou tokest Israel from amōge all peo∣ple (and so haue oure fathers of their fore el¦ders) that they shulde be thy perpetuall in∣heritaunce, and loke what thou didest pro∣mise thē, thou hast made it good vnto thē.
[ B] Now well LORDE, we haue synned befo¦re the, therfore hast thou geuen vs in to the hādes of oure enemies, because we worship¦ped their goddes. LORDE thou art righte∣ous. Neuertheles it satisfieth thē not, that we are in bytter and heuy captiuyte and op¦pressed amonge them, but thou hast layed their hondes vpon the hondes of their god∣des: so that they begynne to take awaye, the thinge that thou with thy mouth hast orde¦ned and appoynted: to destroye thyne inheri¦taunce, to shut and to stoppe ye mouthes of them that prayse the, to quēch the glory and worshipe of thy house and thine aulter, and to open the mouthes of the Heithen, yt they maye prayse the power & vertue of the god∣des, and to magnifie the fleshly kynge for euer.
[ C] O LORDE, geue not thy cepter vnto thē that be nothinge, lest they laugh vs to scor∣ne in oure misery and fall: but turne their de¦uyce vpō them selues, and punysh him, that hath begonne the same ouer vs, and set him to an exampls. Thinke vpon vs O LORDE, and shew thy self in ye tyme of oure distres and of oure trouble. Strength me O thou kynge of goddes, thou LORDE of all power, geue me an eloquēt and pleasaunt speach in my mouth before the Lyon. Turne his hert in to ye hate of oure enemie, to destroye him, and all soch as consent vnto him. But dely∣uer vs with thy hande, and helpe me desola∣te woman, which haue no defence ner helper but onely ye. LORDE thou knowest all thin∣ges, thou wotest that I loue not the glory and worshipe of the vnrighteous, and that I hate and abhorre the bed of the vncircū∣cyded and of all Heithen.
[ D] Thou knowest and wotest my necessite, yt I hate the token of my preemynence & wor∣shipe, which I beare vpon my heade, what tyme as I must shew my self and be sene, & that I abhorre it as an vncleane cloth, and that I weere it not whā I am quyete and alone by my self. Thou knowest also that I thy honde mayden haue not eaten at Amās table, and that I haue had no pleasure ner delyte in the kynges feast, that I haue not dronke the drynk offeringes, and that I thy honde mayden haue had not ioye sens ye daie that I was brought hither vnto this daye: but onely in the O LORDE. O thou God of Abraham, O thou mightie God aboue all, heare the voyce of them, that haue none o∣ther hope, and delyuer vs out of the hande of ye wicked, & delyuer me out of my feare.