The true copye of a prolog wrytten about two C. yeres paste by Iohn Wycklife (as maye iustly be gatherid bi that, that Iohn Bale hath writte[n] of him in his boke entitlid the Summarie of famouse writers of the Ile of great Brita[n]) the originall whereof is founde written in an olde English Bible bitwixt the olde Testament and the Newe. Whych Bible remaynith now in ye Kyng hys maiesties chamber.

¶ The. vii. chapiter.

EZethie Kyng of Iuda reig∣nid. xxix. yere, and did good byfore God, by all thyngis whyche hys father Dauid had do. He dystroyede hygh placis and alto brake I magis, and hewed down wodis, and brake the serpent of bras. For the chyldren of Israell brenten incence to it. And he hopid in God. Therefore of all the kyngis of Iuda was none like hym after hym but neither among thes kingis that weren byfore hym. And in the. xiiii. yere of Ezechie: Senacherib kynge of Assiriens, stied to al wallyd cities of Iuda, and toke tho. Thā Ezechie yaf to him al the siluer that was foū den in goddis house and in the trea∣souris of the k•…•…ng: for he should go awey, & distrinot Ierusalē, neither Iudee. And for y^• Senacherib kept not couenāt: Ezechie rebelled ayens him, in trist of gods helpe. Thā Se∣nacherib sent Rapsaces with strong

ofte to Ierusalē to blaspheme God, & make y^t puple yeld hem to him for dred. Thā Ezechie torēt his tlothes for sorow & was hilid with a sacke & entrid into gods house, & sent y^• high priest & other elde inē clothyd wyth sackes, to y^e prophet Esai y^t he shuld prey to God ayens the blaspemie of Assiriēs, & Esaie seid in Gods name y^t thei shuldē not dred of thes words of Assiriēs. For God shal sēde a sprit to Senacherib & he shal hear a me∣senger, & he shal turne ayene into his londe: and God shal cast him downe by sworde in hys londe. And whan Senacherib wente home to defende his lond ayens the king of Ethiope: he sent blasphemous letters to Eze∣chie, and seide. That his God might not deliuer him fro his hond. Ther∣fore God cōfortid Ezechie by y^• pro∣phet Esaie y^• he shuld not dread Se∣nacherib. For Senacherib shall not enter into Ierusalē, neither finde ar∣rowe

into it, neyther occupie it, nei∣ther bisege it. But God shal deiende and saue Ierusalem, for hyme selfe and for Dauid his seruaunt. And in that nyght the angell of God kylled in the tentes of Assirie•…•…s: an hūdred thousand, &. lxxxv. thousande, And in the morowtide Senacherib yede into his londe and hys owne sonnys kyllyden hym in y^e tēple of hys God Nestarath, while he worshipyd hys God Nestarath. After thys whan Ezechie was sicke to the death: Esai seide to hym in Gods name, dispose thine hous, for thou shalt dye & not liue. And for Ezechie wepte greatli: God curid him and made him go in∣to the temple on the yde daie and encreasyd. xv. yere to his life. And in signe herof: God made the sunne go bakward vi. x. degrees. After thys doing, y^e kyng of Babilō sent letters by messengeris & yeftes to Ezechie And by pride he she wed al his trea∣sours

and Ieuels to the messengers. Therfore God seid bi Esaie to him That daies shulē come & al thingys in thyne house shulen be take away into Babilon. And Ezechie seid.

The worde of God is good: onely peace and trueth be in my daies. Af∣tir Ezechie, Manasses his sōne reig∣ned. lv. yere in Ierusaiē, & did greate euil in goddis syght, and mich Ido∣latrie. And the puple of Iuda was disceiued in Manasses, y^• thei diden more euill then heathen men, whych God destried fro the face of sonis of Israel. And for Manasses dyd thes worst abominacions ouer al things which the men of Amorreys didden and he shedde ful miche innocēt blud tyll Ierusalem was fyllyd tylto the mouthe: God seyde that he woulde brynge in euilys vpon Ierusalem & Iuda, that who euer heareth, boeth his eares tingle. And he shal do awai Ierusalem: as tablys on borde ben

wonte to be done awaye. But God shal leaue remnaūts of his heritage and bitake hem in the honde of here enimies. Manasses dyede and was biried in the orchard of his house, & Amon his sonne reigned for him. ii. yere, and dyd euil as his father dide and forsoke God and seruyd vnclea∣nes and Idolis as his father dyd, & worshipid tho. And his seruauntes settiden treason to hym: and killiden hym in his house. And the puple of y^• londe kylliden al men y^t hadden con∣spirede ayens the kynge Amon: and for hym they ordeynyden Iosie hys sonne kynge to hem. Iosie bygan to reigne whan he was. viii. yere elde: & reignid. xxxi. yere in Ierusalem. And he dyd that, that was plesant bifore God, & yede by all the weys of Da∣uid his fathir. In y^•. xviii. yere of Io sie, he hadde visines, that the temple of God were repareilid. And whan the boke of the lawe was reade bi∣fore

the kyng: he torente his clothis, and sent solemne messangers to take councel at God for hymsilfe and his rewine. For he seide, that great ven∣geaunce of God is kinled ayens vs: for our fathers herdē not the words of this boke, to do al that is written to vs. And God seid by the prophe∣tesse Olda, y^e wife of Selum. I shall bryng euiles on thys place and on y^e dwellers therof al y^• wordis of the lawe whych Iosie readde: for theye forsoken me and maden sacrifice to alien gods. And for thou Iosie hear∣dist the words of the boke, and thine herte was aferde, & thou were me∣kid afore me & torenteste thy clothes and weptest before me, therfor thou shalt dye in peace, that thyne eyen se not all these euylys, whyche I shall bring in on this place. Thā Iosi ga∣drid to him al y^e olde men of Iuda & Ierusalē, & y^e Kyng stied into y^• tēple of God, & all men of Iuda, & al men

that dwellidē in Ierusalē prophets & prists & al y^e puple flied with him. And he red to al men herynge, al the wordis of the boke of couenaūte of the lord: y^t was foūdun in the house of the lorde. And the kyng stoode on the grees & smote couenaunt bifore the lorde, that they shulden go after the lorde and kepe al hys hestys and wytnessingis and ceremonies in all the herte, and in al the soule: and the puple assentyd to the couenant. And the Kynge bad y^e bishop and priests and porteris caste out of Goddis tē∣ple: all vessellis that weren made to Baall and to other Idolis. And he brente tho oute of Ierusalem in the valei of Cedrō: and bare the dust of tho into Bethell. Aud he distried I∣dolatours & the houses of lechours that weren in the house of God And he destryed auteris and hygh places of Idoles and Imagis: & toke oute bonis of sepulchris, and brēt tho on

the auter in Bethell, that seruiden to Idolatrie. Also Iosie dyde awey all temples of hie placis that weren in the cite of Samarie, which y^e kingis of Israel hadden made to terrie the Lorde to wrath: & he dyd •…•…o tho as he had do in Bethel. And he killyd y^• priestis of high placis: which prests weren ther ouer the auteris. And he brente mens bonis of tho on the au∣ters. And Iosie made the puple to make a solempne paske. And suche paske was not made fro y^e dayes of iudgys and al kyngis of Israell and Iuda: as was this pask made in the xviii. yere of Iosie. And he did away spirites spekinge in menis wombis: and false diuinou•…•…is and figuris of Idolis, and vncleanessis & abomi∣naciouns that weren in the londe, of Iuda and of Ierusalem. No Kynge bifore hym neyther after hym was lyke hym: that turned ayene to God in al his hert & in al his soule and in

al hys vertue, by al the law of Mo∣ses. Nethelesse, for the orrible sinnis of Iuda: God turned not aweye fro his strong vengeaūce▪ but seide that he would take aweye Iuda fro hys face, as he dyde aweye Israel, & that he would caste aweye y^e citie of Ie∣rusalem whych he chees. Therfore Pharao Necao king of Egipt, kilid Iosia in Magedo, & Ioathas hys sonne was made King for his father and he reygned thre monthis in Ie∣rusalem and dyd euyll byfore God, by al thingis the whych his fathers hadē do. And this Pharao prisonid him in Reblatha: and toke tribut of the londe, an hundrede Talentys of syluer, and oo talente of golde. And this Pharao made kyng, Eliachym y^• sonne of Iosie, & turnede hys name Ioachim. And this Pharao led Io∣achas into Egipt: And Ioachim did euil bifore God, by al things which his fadirs hadden do. And this Io∣achym

was made seruāt. iii. yere to Nabugodouosor Kyng of Babilō. And eft he rebellid ayens▪ Nabugo∣donosor. And God sēt theuis of Cal des, & theuis of Sirie, and theuis of Moab, & theuis of y^e sōnes of Amō, into Iuda: y^t he shulo distrie it, as he spake by his Prophetis, & speciallie for y^• sinis of Manasses. This Ioa∣chim dyed & his sōne Ioakim reig∣ned. iii. monthis in Ierusalē: & dyd euil bifore God, as his fathers had∣dē do. In y^e time, y^• seruātis of Na∣bugodonosor, stidē to Ierusalē: and bisegidē it & Ioachim & his mother. Thā Nabugodonosor came to Ie∣rusalē to ouircume it, & Ioachym & his mother & hys seruātis & princis & chaūberlaines yedē out to Nabu∣godonosor▪ & he trāslatid Ioachim & hys oste ten▪ M. & manie craftie men into Babilon: & toke al the treasuris of gods house & of the kingis house, and beat to gydir al the goldē vesels

whych Kyng Solomō had made in the temple. And king Nabugodono∣sor ordeynid Mathanie y^e brother of Iosie to be king: & clepid him Sede∣chie. And he reignid. xi. yere in Ieru∣salē: & did iuil bifore God bi al thin∣gis that Ioachym had do, for God was wroth ayens Ierusalem & Iu da, tyl he casted hē awei fro his face. And Sedechi yed awei fro the king of Babilō. And in the. ix. yere of Se∣dechie: Nabugodonosor came wyth al his oste, & bisegid Ierusalem, till∣to the. xi. yere of Sedechie: & thā the citie was broken, & Sedechie & hys warriours fleddē by night, & the ost of Caldeis pursuid & token him, and brought him to Nabugodonosor in Reblatha, & Nabugodonosor spake dome with Sedechi & kilio his sōis bifore him, and puttid out his iyen, and bounde hym wyth chaynis and broughte hym into Babilon. Than Nabusardan (the prynce of the oste)

brent gods house & the kingis house and y^• houses of Ierusalē, & distryed y^• wallis of Ierusalē in cōpas. And he translatid into Babylon: the resi∣due puple of Iuda (outaken a fewe pore men, vynetillars & earthtilars) and he brake all the brasē vessellis & of metal in the temple, and bare the metall into Babilon. Than Nabu∣godonosor made Godolie to be so∣ueraine of the puple, lefte in the lond of Iuda. And than all the Dukis of Knyghtis camē to Godolie in Mas∣pha: & he made an oth to hem, that it shulde be wel to hem, if they wol∣den serue the Kynge of Babylon. And Ismael, that was of the kings bloude: kyllyd Godolie and Iewis and Caldeis that weren wyth hym, and all the puple of Iuda & the prin∣cis of Knightis: & fledē into Egypt for dred of Caldeis. At y^• last, Euil∣meradach Kynge of Babilon, reised Ioachim fro prison, and settid hys

trone abou•…•… the trone of other kings that were wyth hym in Babylon. And Ioachim eate euer bread in the Kyngis syghte of Babylon in all the dayes of his lyfe.

Thys processe of Godolie, & that suith: is tolde largelier in the •…•…nde of Ieremi: thā here in y^e ende of kings. Thys processe of the fourhe boke of kyngis: shuld stir al men, and name∣ly kyngis and lordis, forto hate syn, as Idolatrie & couetise, & breakyng of goddis heestis: for which the pu∣ple of Israell and the puple of Iuda was thus punishid and cōquerid of heathē men. And forto loue vertues and kepyng of Gods heestis, and di∣striyng of open synis, for which ma∣ny good kyngis (as Ezechie, Iosie, and many other haddē great thāke and succour of God in many greate perylis, & blysse of heauē wythout•…•… ende. God for his merci graūte this blisse to vs Amen.