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. ix. chapiter

AMasie did good in partie: but not in a perfecte herte. And he killid hem that had den slayne the kynge his fa∣ther

but he killid not there sonnes, as God bade in t•…•…e lawe. This A∣masie found in al Iuda & Beniamin fro. xx. yere & aboue: xxx. M. of yong men that yeden oute to batteyl, and helden speare and sheeld. And he hi∣•…•…ide of Israel an hundryd thousand of full stronge men, for an hundride talentis of syluer: to fight ayens the sonnes of Edom. And a mā of God seyde to Amase. A thou Kynge, the ooste of Israel go not out wyth the. For the lorde is not wyth Issraell: and with al the sonnes of Effraim. That if thou gessest y^• bateylis ston∣den in the strēgh of oost: the lord shal make the to be ouercomen of thyne enimies. For it is propre to God for to helpe, and for to turne into •…•…ygh. Therfore Amasie departyd awaye the ooste of Israel: and trystyly ledde forth his puple to batteil, and he had the victorie: and kylled. xl. thousande of hys enimies in this bateyl. And

after this victori Amasie worshipid y^e gods of Edō: & brent inces to hē. Wherfore God was wroth ayens Amasie: and sente to hym a prophet that shoulde seye to hym. Whye hast thou worshipid goddis y^• deliueridē not here puple fro thine hond? Whā the prophet spake these thyngys to hym: he answeryd to the prophet▪ Where y^u art a coūsellour of y^e king? Ceasse thou: lest peraduēture I slea the. Therfore y^e prophet yede awaye and seyde. I wot y^t the lord thought to slea the, for thou hast do this euil: and ferthermore, thou assentist not to my councell. And so it byfelde in dede. For by prid he terrid the kyng of Israel to warre: and nolde ceasse for helthfull counsel of the Kynge of Israel. Therfore the King of Israel ouercame the puple of Iuda, & toke Amasie and distryed the wal of Ie∣rusalem by. iiii. hundrid cubites, and toke away al the treasoure & vesselis

whych he founde in goddis house & in the kyngis house. After thys do∣ynge Amasie fled oute of Ierusalem into Lachis: for treason done to him of hys men. And they senten and kyl∣liddē hym in Lachis. And Olias his sonne reygnid for him. lii. yere in Ie∣rusalē, and sought God in the dayes of Zacharie, vnderstondynge and se∣ynge God. And whan he soughte God: he louide hyme in al thyngis, & God helpyd hym ayens philisteys and Arabeis, & ayens Amonitis.

And Amonites paidē yiftis to O∣sias: and his name was publyshede tylto the entre of Egipt, for ofte vic∣tories. He byldyde many tourys in Ierusalē, & also in wildernes, for he had mamy beastes & vines, & vyne∣tiliers. For he was a man yeuen to earthtilth. He had in hys oost. ii. M. &. vi. C. princis of strōg men, &. iii. C thousande and. v. hundryd that we∣ren able to batell, & foughten for the

King ayens aduersaris, & his name yede out fer: for God helpid him and made him strong. But whā he was made strong: his hert was reisid in∣to hys death. And he dyspysyd hys Lord God. For he yede into the tem∣ple of God: and wolde brene incens on the auter of incēs ayeng the law. And whā the Bishope & maninoble Priestis ayenstodē hym, and told•…•…n the lawe y^t was ayens him: he was wrath, and helde the censer & mana∣cide hem. And anon lepre rose in his forhead byfore the priestis in gods house. Than the prieste puttid hym oute. And he hastyd to go oute for dread: and for he felid anon the ven∣geaunce of God Therfore the Kyng Iosias was leprouse tylto the daye of his death, and dwellid in an house departid. And Ioathan his sōne go∣uernid the kyngs house: and demid the puple of the londe. And Ioathan reignid. xvi. yere in Ierusalē, & dyd

rightfulnes bifore god: bial things which Osias his father had do, out∣taken thys, that he entryde not into the temple of God: and yet the puple trespassed. He bylded many thyngis & faught ayens y^e King of the sonnis of Amon▪ & ouircame him. And the sonnes of Amon yauen to hyme an hundryd talentis of siluer. &. x thou∣sande chorus of barly, and as mani of whete. And Corus conteynethe xxx. bushels. And Ioathan was made stronge for he had dressid hys wayes byfore hys Lorde God, and he was deade. And Achaz his sonne reigned for him. xvi. yere in Ierusa∣lē. This Achaz dyd not ryghtfulnes in goddis sight: but yed in the weies of the Kyngis of Israell, and made Imagis to Baal, & dyd manyfolde Idolatrie, and God bitoke him into the hond of y^e Kynge of Sirie. which Kyng smore Achaz, and toke a great preye of his rewme into Damaske.

And Achaz was bitake into y^e hōdis of the Kynge of Israel, & was smitē wyth a greate wound. And Phacee the sonne of Romelie kyllid of Iuda vi. score thousande in oo daye, all the warriours: for they hadden forsake the Lord God of her fathirs. And y^e sōnes of Israel tokē of her brithern of Iuda. ii. C. thousand of women & of chyldren and of damsellis & preye wythouten ende: and baren it into Samari. And Obed the prophet of God, seide to the mē of Israel, that they hadden do greate crueltie, and synnyd ayens God▪ And bade hem leade ayene the prisoneris of Iuda. Forwhie, greate vengeaūce of God neighith to you. Therfore, the prin∣cis of Israell maden the warriours to forsake the praye, and al thyngis whych they haddē take. And y^e prin∣cis clothiden hem that weren naked and refreshiden hem with meate and drynke and annoyntynge wyth oyle

for traueil, and sentē hem home be∣nignely. Than Kyng Achaz sente to the Kyng of Assiriēs: and axid helpe. And Idumeis camē & kylliden mo∣ni men of Iuda: & token great praie. And Philisties token many Cytyes of Iuda: and dwelliden in tho. And God made lowe the puple of Iuda: for Achaz the Kyng of Israel, for he had made hym naked of helpe: & for he hadde dyspy•…•…id God. And God brought ayens hym Teglathfalasar the Kynge of Assiriens, y^t tormētyd him and distried, for none ayenstod.

Therfore Achaz spoyllede goddis house, and the house of Kyngis and princis, and yafe yeftis to the Kynge of Assiriēs: and netheles it profityd nothynge to hym. And Achaz in the tyme of hys anguyshe, encreasyde despysynge ayens God, and offryde sacrifyce to goddis of damaske, and he sayd. The goddis of Sirie helpē hem, whyche Goddis I shal please

with sacrifices, & thei shulē helpe me whan ayenwarde they weren into falling to him & to all Israell Ther∣fore Achaz rauishid and brake all the vessellis of goddis house: and closed the yatis of goddis temple, & made to hym auteris in all the corneris of Ierusalē, and in al the cities of Iu∣da, to brenne incence: & terride God to wrath. And he died. And Ezechie his sonne reygned for hym. xxix. yere in Ierusalem. He dyd that, y^t was pleasāt in goddis sight: bi al things which Dauid his father had do. And he openid the yates of goddis house in the fyrste yere of hys rewme, and made priestis and deakenis to clense and hale we the temple, & the auter of God, with al the vesseles & purte∣nauncis of the temple. And he gade∣rid togidyr al y^e pryncys of the citie, & styed into goddis house. And they offriden. vii. bullis. vii. rames. vii. lā∣bren, &. vii buckis of gete: for sinnes

for the rewme, for the sentuary, and for Iuda. And he seyd to the priests the sonnes of Aarō: that they shuldē offer on the auter of God, and theye didden so. And he ordeynyd dekinys in the house of God wyth symbalis and psalteries, and harpis by the or∣dinaunce of Dauid and of Gadde y^e prophet of the Kyng, and of Nathā the prophet. For it was y^e cōmaūde mēt of god: bi y^e hōd of his prophits And dekēs stodē & heldē the organis of Dauid, and preistis helden trum∣pettis, and Ezechie cōmaūdid, that they sholden offer brent sacrificis on the auter. And whan brent sacrificis weren offirid: they. begunen to singe heriyngis to God, & to sowne wyth trumpetts & dyuers orgains, which Dauid the Kynge of Israell hadde made redie forto sowne. And Ezechi and the princis cōmaundiden to the dekeines: that they shuldē herie God wyth the wordis of Dauid and of

Asaph y^e prophete. And Ezechie sent to al Israell and Iuda: and wroote epistlis to Effcaim and Manasses: y^t they shuldē come to goddis house in Ierusalem, and make paske to the Lord God of Israel. And it plesyd the •…•…ynge and all the multytude, And they demidē to send mesengers into all Israell, fro Bersa bee tylto •…•…an: that they shuldē come & make pa•…•…ke to the Lord God of Ierusalē And currours yedē out wyth Epi∣•…•…s by the cōmaūdemēt of the kyng and of his princis into al Israel and Iuda, as the Kynge had cōmaūdyd and preachid. Sonnes of Israell, turne ayene to y^e lorde God of Abra ham, of Isaac, & of Israel: & he shal turne ayene to the remnauntis that ascapiden the hondis of the Kyng of Assirians. Serue ye to y^e Lord God of your fathers: & the wrathe of hys stronge vengeaunce shal be turnede ayene fro you. For if ye turnē ayene

to the lorde: youre britherne & your sonnes shulē haue mercie bifore her lordis, that leade hē prisoneris. And thei shulenturne ayene to thys lond. Therfore, currouris yeden swyftly fro citie to citie, bi the lond of Effra∣im, and of Manasses and of Zabu∣lon: and they scordiden and bimowi den y^e messengers. Nethelesse, some of Aser & Manasses and of Zabulō assentiden to the councel: and camen into Ierusalē. Goddis honde was made in Iuda: y^• he yafe to hem one herte, and they dydden the worde of God by cōmaūdement of y^e king and of pryncys. And many puple, weren gatherid in Ierusalē: to make solēnite of paske in y^e second monthe. And they distrieden y^e auters y^• werē in Ierusalem. And theye dystryeden al thingis in which incens, was off∣rid to Idolis, and castiden forth in∣to the stronde of Cedrō. Whan these thyngis weren halewyd ryghtly, all

Israel yede out y^• was founden in y^• cities of Iuda. And they braken se∣mulacris either Imagis, & he wedē downe wodis, & destrieden high pla∣ces & auteres. And not only of Iuda & Beniamin: but also of Effraim & Manasses, til thei destridē tho vtter∣ly. And Ezechie ordeyned cōpanies of Priestis & of Dekenis by her de∣partings ech mā in his owne office as wel of prists as of dekēs, to brēt sacrificis & to pesible sacrificis, that they shuldē mynister & knowledge & synge in y^e yates of y^e castelles either oostes of y^• lorde. And Ezechie com∣maūded to y^e puple to yeue to prestis & dekenis here partis, y^t is the fyrste fruitis & tithis y^• they myghten yeue tent to y^e lawe of God. And there is told mych of y^• payinge & dealing of tythis & other holy thingis. Than it sueth, howe Senacherib blasphe∣med god of Israel, & howe Ezechie cōforted y^• puple ayens his blasphe∣mie

and pride. Ezechie and Esaie the Prophet preiden ayens the blasphe∣mie: and crieden til into heauen. And God sent hys Angell, and he kyllyd eche strong man and warryour and Prince of the ooste of the Kyng of Assiriens. And he turnid ayene wyth shenshyppe into hys londe: and hys owne Sonnys kyllyden hym wyth swerd. And God sauid Ezechie and the dwellars of Ierusalem, fro the honde of Senacheryh Kynge of A∣ssitiens: and fro the hond of all men, and yafe to hem reste by cumpas. After these thyngys, Ezechie was sicke to the death: and he prayed to God, and God hearde hym. And the herte of Ezechie was reisid to pride: and Wrath was made ayens hym and ayens Iuda, and ayens Ieru∣salem. And after he was mekyd (for hys herte was reysede) both he and the dwellaris of Ierusalem weren mekyd: and therfore the vengeaunce

of God came not in the dayes of E∣zechie. And Ezechie was full ryche & noble: & in al hys werkis he did wel∣sumlie what euer thynge he would. Nethelesse in the message of princis of Babilon, that weren sente to hym to axe of the greate wondre y^t byfell on earth: God forsoke hyme that he was tempyd, and althyngis weren knowne that weren in hys her•…•…e. Than died Ezechie: and Manasses hys sonne reigned in Ierusalem. lv. yere. And Manasses dyd euil byfore God: bi abhominaciō of heathē men whych Goddy▪ tried byfore the son∣nis of Israel. And he byldyde hygh placis and made auteris to Baalym and dyde manyfolde Idolatrie, and seruyd to wythcraftis, and se•…•…tyd I∣doles in the temple of God. And he disceiued the puple of Iuda and the dwellars of Ierusalē: that they did∣den euil more thē heathen mē, which the Lord had distried from y^e face of

the sonnis of Israel. And God spake to hym and to hys puple: & they nol∣den take hede. Therfore he brought on hē the prince of the oost of y^e kyng of assiryens: & they token Manasses and boundē hym wyth chayns and gyues, and lede hym into Babilon And after that he was anguishid: he preyede his Lord God, and he dyde penaunce greatlie before the God of his fatheys. And he preide hertely and besought God: & God herd hys preyer, and brought him ayene into Ierusalē into his rewme. And Ma∣nasses knewe that the Lord hymsilfe is God. And he dyd awaye Alien goddes, and simulacres either I∣dolls fro goddis house, and destried auteris whiche he had made in the hyll of goddis in Ierusalem, and ca∣stid al out of the Citie. And he resto∣red the aulter of god: and offered on it Sacrifycis and heriynge. And cō∣maundid the puple of Iuda, to feare

the Lord God of Israel. And nethe∣lesse the puple offerid in hygh places to here lord God. Manasses died, & Amon his sonne reigned for him. ii. yere in Ierusalē. And he dyd euel in goddes sight, as Manasses his fa∣ther had do, & offered & serued to all Idolis which Manasses had made And he reuerēced not y^• face of God as Manasses reuerēced, and he dyd manye greater trespasses. And whā his seruāts hadden conspirid ayens him, they kylleden him. And y^• puple kylled hem y^e hadden slayne Amon: & maden Iosie his sōne king for him, & he reigned. xxxi. yere in Ierusalē. Iosie did that that was rightfull in goddes sight, and yede in the weys of Dauid his father, & bowed ne∣ther to y^• rightside, nether to y^e lefte∣syde. In the. viii. yere of his rewme whā he was yet a childe, he beganne to seke y^e god of Dauid his father. And in y^e. xii. yere after y^• he began: he

clensed Iuda and Ierusalē fro hight places & Imagis & Idoles. They distriedē before him the Aulteris of Baalim, & the simulac•…•…is that werē put aboue, he kytted downe and alto brake wodis & grauē Images, and scaterid the rēlifis on y^• biriellis of hem y^e werē wunt to offer. Further more, he br•…•…nt the bonis of priestes, in the aulteris of Idolis And he clensed Iuda & Ierusalē & distried all Idolis in the cities of Manasses and Effraim and of Simeon tylto Neptalim. In the eightenth yere of hys rewme, whan the Londe and the Temple of God was clensydde: he sent worthye menne to repareyle Goddis house, and so they didden in dede. And Elchie the greate pryeste yafe to Saphā the scriueyne and so∣lemne messager, the boke of goddis lawe: and he bare it to the Kynge. And whan the Kynge hadde heard the wordis of the Lawe: he torent

his clothes. And he cōmaūdid El∣chie & other greate men to go & prie the lorde for the kynge, and •…•…or y^• re∣sidews of Israel and Iuda on all the wordes of the boke of goddes lawe, for why, greate vengeaunce of God hath dr•…•…ppid on vs: •…•…or oure fathers kep•…•…ē not y^e words of God, that they dyddē al thinges that bene wrytten in this boke. Therfore El∣chie and they that weren sente togi∣der of the Kynge: ye•…•…n to Olda, a Prophetesse, the wyfe of Sellū: and God seyd by her that he shall bryng in on this place and dwellers therof euilles and all curssi•…•…ges that bene wryttē in this boke of goddes lawe. For they forsokē God, and sacrifye∣d•…•…n to alien goddes, to terre him to wrathfulnes in al the werkes of her hondes. But for thou kinge of Iuda •…•…eardiste the wordes of the boke, & were meked in goddes sight, & wep∣tiste and rentist thy clothis: I haue

hearde the, saith God, and thou shalt be borne into thy Sepulchre in pece and thyne e•…•…ne shullen not se all the e∣uyll whiche I shall brynge in on this place, and on the dwellars therof.

And when Iosie had hearde these wordes: he clepide togither al the el∣der men of Iuda, and Ierusalem. And he stied vp into goddes house: and all men of Iuda, and the dwel∣lars of Ierusalem, stieden togider, Priestis and Dekenis and all puple fro the leaste tilto the moste. And in audience of hem, the kynge reade in goddes house, all the wordis of the boke. And he stod in his trone either seate of dome, and sinote bonde of peace before God, that he shulde go after God, and kepe his hestis and wytnessynges, and iustifyingis in al his herte, and in all his soule, and do tho thinges that ben written in this boke, whyche he had reade. And he chargid greatly on this thing, al mē

that weren founden in Ierusalem, & Beniamyn, and the dwellars of Ie∣rusalem dyden by couenaunt of her Lorde God of here fathers. There∣fore Iosie dyd auoide all abomina∣tions, fro all the contreis of the son∣nis▪ of Israel, and made al men that werē residue in Israel: to serue here lorde God. In al y^e dayes of hys life they yeden not awey fro the Lorde God of her fathers. Afterward Io∣sie made paske in Ierusalem and or∣deined priestis in her officis, & bade hem ministre in Goddis house. And bade dekenies serue God & hys pu∣ple Israel: & make hem redie bi here houses and kynreddis, in the depar. tinge of eche as Dauid kyng of Is∣rael commaūdid, and bade hē serue in the sentuari, by the meines, cōpa∣nies and deakenis: and that they be ha•…•…owide and offer paske, and make redie here bretherne therto. And Io∣sie made suche a paske: y^t none was

lyke in Israell, fro the dayes of Sa∣muel the prophet. Neither ani of the kyngis of Israel: made paske as Io sie dyd, to priests and dekenis, and to al Iuda and Israel, and to the dwel∣lars of Ierusalem. For he yafe to al the puple that was foūden in Ieru∣salem in the solemnitie of paske: xxx. thousande Lambrens & kyddis and other shepe, & three thousand of oxē. After that Iosie had repareilide the temple: Necao Kynge of Egipt, sti∣ed to fight in Cartamis, & Iosi yede forth ayens hym. And the Kynge of Egypt seide to Iosie, I come not to day ayens the: but I fyght ayens an other house to which God bade, and made me go in haste. Therfore cease thou Kynge of Iuda to daye ayens God which is wyth me: leste he s•…•…ea the. Iosi nold turne ayen: but made hym selfe redye to batteile ayens the Kynge of Egypt, and assentid not to the words of y^e King of Egipt: spo∣ken

bi goddis mouth. Therfore, Io sie was slayne of y^e Kinge of Egipte And the puple of the lond made Io∣acas his sonne King in Ierusalē He reygned thre monethes in Ierusalē. And the Kynge of Egipt puttid him downe, and condemned the londe of Iuda in an hūdred talentis of syluer and in oo talente of golde, and made Eliachim hys brother King for him on Iuda and Ierusalem, and turnid hys name Ioachim. He reigned. xi. yere in Ierusalē, and dyd euil bifore God. Therfore Nabugodonosor toke hym and led him bounden with chaines into Babilō: & bare thyther the vesselles of Goddis temple. And Ioachim hys sonne reignyd for hym thre monethis and. x. dayes in Ieru∣salē: and dyd euil in Goddis syght.

Than Nabugodonosor sente men that ledden hym into Babilon, and bare oute the preciouseeste vessel∣lis of goddis howse. And Nabugo∣donoso•…•…

made Sedechye Kynge on Iuda and Ierusalem: he reignid. xi. yere in Ierusalem, and dyd euyll in Goddis sight, neyther was ashamid of the face of Ieremie the prophete that spoke to him of goddis mouth. He brake the oothe made to Nabu∣godonosor. Therfor Nabugodono∣sor came and toke him: and lede him and al the vessellis and the treasuris of goddis house & of the Kynge and princis into Babilon, and kyllyd the puple, and destried & brent Ierusa∣lem. And the puple y^t was lefte aliue was lede into Babilon and seruyde the Kynge & hys sonnes, tyl the King of Persis reignid, and til. l. yere werē fyllyd, by goddis worde, seyd bi the mouth of Ieremy. And Cirus King of Persis cōmaundid to be prea∣chyd (yea by writing in all his rewme) y^e Iewis shouldē turne ayene in∣to Iude.