The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

CAPI. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

IAM the man / that (thorowe the rodde [unspec A] of his wrath) haue experience of mysery.

He droue me forth / and led me: yee / in∣to darkenesse / but not in to lyght.

Agaynst me onely he turneth his hande and layeth it euer vpon me.

My slesshe and my skynne hath he made olde / & my bones hath he brused. He hath buylded rounde about me, and closed me in with gall and trauayle. He hath set me in darckenes, as they that be deade for euer.

He hathe so hedged me in / that I can not get out, and hath layed heuy lynckes vpon me. Thoughe I crye and call pyteously / yet heareth he not my prayer. He hathe stopped vp my wayes with foure squared stones, and made my pathes croked.

He layeth wayte for me lyke a Beare, and [unspec B] as a lyon in a hole. He hathe marred my waies, and broken me in peces, he hath laied me wast all together. He hath bente hys bowe, & made me as it were a marke to shut at. The arowes of his quyuer hath he shot, euen into my reynes. I am laughed to scorne of all my people, they make songes vpon me all the daye longe. He hath fyl∣led me with bitternes, and geuen me worm∣wod [unspec C] to drynke. He hath smitten my teeth in peces, & rolled me in the dust. He hathe put my soule out of reste / I forget all good thynges. I thought in my selfe: I am vn done, there is no hope for me in the Lorde.

O Remēbre yet my mysery and my trou∣ble, the wormwod and the gall. Yee / thou shalte remembre them, for my soule melteth awaye in me. Whyle I cōsidre these thin∣ges in my herte, I get a hope agayne.

Namely / that the mercyes of the Lorde are not cleane gone, and that his louynge kyndnesse ceasseth not. Hys faythfulnes is greate, and renueth it selfe as the mor∣nynge. The Lorde is my porcyon, sayeth my soule, therfore wyl I hope in hym.

O howe good is the Lord vnto thē / that put theyr trust in him, and to the soule that

seketh after hym? O howe good is it with stylnes to wayte and tary / for the health of the Lorde? O howe good is it for a man / to take the yoke vpon hym from his youth vp He sytteth alone / he holdeth hym styll, and dwelleth quyetly by hym selfe. [unspec D]

He layeth his face vpon the earth, yf (per∣case) there happen to be any hope. He offe∣reth his cheke to the smyter / he wyll be con∣tent with reproues. For the Lorde wyll not forsake for euer. But thoughe he do cast of yet accordynge to the multytude of his mer∣cyes / he receaueth to grace agayne.

For he doth not plage / and caste out the chyldren of men from his herte.

To treade all the prysoners of the earthe vnder his fete. To moue the iudgement of man before the most highest. To condempne a man in his cause. The Lorde hath not pleasure in suche thynges. What is he then that sayth / there shulde somthynge be done [unspec E] without the Lordes commaundement.

Out of the mouth of the mooste hyghest goeth not euell and good? Wherfore then murmureth the lyuinge man? let hym mur∣mure at his owne synne. Let vs loke well vpon our owne wayes / and remember our selues / and turne agayne to the Lorde.

Let vs lyfte vp our hertes with our han∣des vnto the Lorde that is in heuen.

We haue bene dissemblers / and haue of∣fended / wylt thou therfore not be intreated?

Thou haste couered vs in thy wrath / and persecuted vs / thou hast slayne vs without any fauoure. Thou hast hyd thy selfe in a cloud, that our prayer shulde not go thorow

Thou hast made vs outcastes / and to be despysed amonge the people. All our ene∣myes gape vpon vs. Feare and snare is come vpon vs, yee, despite and destruccyon: [unspec F]

* Whole ryuers of water gusshe out of myne eyes, for the great hurte of my people.

Myne eyes runne, and can not ceasse, for there is no rest. O Lorde, when wylt thou loke downe from heauen, and cousydre?

Myne eye breaketh my herte: because of all the daughters of my cytie. Myne ene∣myes hunted me out sharpely, lyke a byrde / yee, and that without a cause. They haue put downe my lyfe into a pytte, and layed a stone vpon me. They poured water vpon my heade, then thought I: nowe am I vn∣done. I called vpon thy name / O Lorde, out of the depe pyt. Thou hast herde my voyce: and hast not turned awaye thyne ea∣res fro my syghynge and cryenge. Thou hast enclyned thy selfe vnto me, when I cal∣led vpon the / and hast sayd: feare not.

Thou (O Lorde) hast mayntyened y^• cause of my soule, and hast redemed my lyfe.

O Lorde, thou hast sene my blasphemers [unspec G] take thou my cause vpon the. Thou hast well consydred howe they go aboute to do me harme / and that all theyre councels are agaynst me. Thou hast herde theyr despy¦teful wordes (O Lorde) yee / and all theyr y∣maginacyons agaynst me. The lyppes of myne enemies / and theyr deuyces that they take agaynst me, all the day longe.

Thou seyst also theyr syttyng downe and theyr rysyng vp / they make theyr songes of nothynge but of me. Rewarde them (O Lorde) accordyng to the workes of theyr hā∣des. Geue them the thynge / that theyr owne herte is afrayed of: euen thy curse.

Persecute them (O Lorde) with thyne in∣dignacion, and rote them out frome vnder the heauen.

Notes

• Iere xx. b
• Psal. xvi. a
• 3. Reg. ••. d
• Iob. xxxi. b Psal. 14. u
• Eccle. 35. d