I

lamented:

Successours.

of the battell. Then gate he up upon his second chariot, and being CHAPTER brought backe to Ierusalem, dyed, and was buried in his fathers sepulchre. And in all Iury they mourned for losias, yea Ieremie His death the Prophet lamented for Iosias, and the cheefe men with the is much women made lamentation for him unto this day: and this was given out for an ordinance to be done continually in all the nation of Israel. These things are written in the booke of the stories of the kings of Iudah, and every one of the acts that Iosias did, and his glory, and his understanding in the law of the Lord, and the things that he had done before, and the things now recited, are reported in the bookes of the Kings of Israel and Iudea. And the His people tooke loachaz the sonne of Iosias, and made him king in stead of losias his father, when hee was twentie and three yeeres old. And he reigned in Iudea and in Ierusalem three moneths: and then the King of Egypt deposed him from reigning in Ierusalem. And he set a taxe upon the land of an hundreth talents of silver, and one talent of gold. The king of Egypt also made king Ioacim his brother king of Iudea and Ierusalem. And hee bound Ioacim and the nobles: but Zaraces his brother he apprehended, and brought him out of Egypt. Five and twentie yeere old was Ioacim when he was made king in the land of Iudea and Ierusalem, and he did evill before the Lord. Wherefore against him Nabuchodonosor the King of Babylon came up, and bound him with a chaine of brasse, and carried him unto Babylon. Nabuchodonosor also tooke of the holy vessels of the Lord, and carried them away, and set them in his owne temple at Babylon. But those things that are recorded of him, and of his uncleannes, and impietie, are written in the Chronicles of the kings. And Ioacim his sonne reigned in his stead: he was made king being eighteene yeeres old, and reigned but three moneths and ten dayes in Ierusalem, and did evill before the Lord. So after a yere Nabuchodonosor sent, and caused him to be brought into Babylon with the holy vessels of the Lord, and made Zedechias king of Iudea and Ierusalem, when he was one and twentie yeeres old, and he reigned eleven yeeres: and he did evill also in the sight of the Lord, and cared not for the words that were spoken unto him, by the Prophet Ieremie from the mouth of the Lord. And after that king Nabuchodonosor had made him to sweare by the Name of the Lord, he forswore himselfe, and rebelled, and hardening his necke, and his heart, hee transgressed the lawes of the Lord God of Israel. The governours also of the people and of the priests did many things against the lawes, and passed al the pollutions of all nations, and defiled the Temple of the Lord which was sanctified in Ierusalem.

CHAPTER

I

The Temple, Citie, and people are destroyed.

The rest are caried unto Babylon.

Neverthelesse, the God of their fathers sent by his messenger to call them backe, because he spared them and his tabernacle also: but they had his messengers in derision, and looke when the Lorde spake unto them, they made a sport of his prophets, so farre foorth that he being wroth with his people for their great ungodlinesse, commanded the kings of the Caldees to come up against them. Who slew their yong men with the sword, yea even within the compasse of their holy Temple, and spared neither yong man nor maid, old man nor child among them, for hee delivered all into their hands. And they tooke all the holy vessels of the Lord, both great and small, with the vessels of the Ark of God, and the kings treasures, and caried them away into Babylon. As for the house of the Lord they burnt it, brake downe the walles of Ierusalem, set fire upon her towres. And as for her glorious things, they never ceased til they had consumed and brought them all to nought, and the people that were not slaine with the sword, he caried unto Babylon: who became servants to him and his children, till the Persians reigned, to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Ieremie: Untill the land had enioyed her Sabbaths, the whole time of her desolation shal she rest, untill the full terme of seventie yeeres.

Cyrus is moved by God to build the Temple,

And giveth leave to the Iewes to returne and contribute to it.

IN

CHAPTER II

N the first yeere of Cyrus king of the Persians, that the worde of the Lorde might bee accomplished, that hee had promised by the mouth of Ieremie: the Lord raised up the spirit of Cyrus the king of the Persians, and he made proclamation thorow al his kingdome, and also by writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of the Persians, The Lord of Israel the most high Lord, hath made me king of the whole world, and commanded me to build him an house at Ierusalem in Iurie. If therefore there bee any of you that are of his people, let the Lord, even his Lord be with him, and let him goe up to Ierusalem that is in Iudea, and build the house of the Lord of Israel: for he is the Lord that dwelleth in Ierusalem. Whosoever then dwell in the places about, let them helpe him, those I say that are his neighbours, with gold and with silver, with gifts, with horses, and with cattell, and other things, which have bene set forth by vowe, for the Temple of the Lord at Ierusalem.

Then the chiefe of the families of Iudea, and of the tribes of Beniamin stood up: the priests also and the Levites, and all they whose minde the Lord had moved to goe up, and to build an house

CHAPTER

II

vessels which

for the Lord at Ierusalem, and they that dwelt round about them, and helped them in all things with silver and gold, with horses and cattell, and with very free gifts of a great number whose mindes were stirred up thereto. King Cyrus also brought foorth the holy vessels which Nabuchodonosor had caried away from Ierusalem, and had set up in his temple of idoles. Now when He delivereth Cyrus king of the Persians had brought them foorth, hee delivered againe the them to Mithridates his treasurer: and by him they were delivered had bin taken to Sanabassar the governour of Iudea. And this was the number of thence. them, a thousand golden cuppes, and a thousand of silver, censers of silver twentie nine, vials of gold thirtie, and of silver two thousand foure hundred and ten, and a thousand other vessels. So all the vessels of gold, and of silver which were caried away, were five thousand, foure hundred, threescore and nine. These were brought back by Sanabassar, together with them of the captivity, from Babylon to Ierusalem. But in the time of Artaxerxes king of the Persians, Belemus, and Mithridates, and Tabellius, and Rathumus, and Beeltethmus, and Semellius the Secretarie, with others that were in commission with them, dwelling in Samaria and other places, wrote unto him against them that dwelt in Iudea and Ierusalem, these letters following. To King Artaxerxes our lord, Thy servants Rathumus the story writer, and Semellius the scribe, and the rest of their counsell, and the Iudges that are in Coelosyria and Phenice. Be it now knowen to the lord the king, that the lewes that are come up from you to us, being come into Ierusalem (that rebellious and wicked citie,) doe build the market places, and repaire the walles of it, and doe lay the foundation of the Temple. Now if this citie, and the walles thereof be made up againe, they will not onely refuse to give tribute, but also rebell against kings. And forasmuch as the things pertaining to the Temple, are now in hand, we thinke it meete not to neglect such a matter, but to speake unto our lord the king, to the intent that if it be thy pleasure, it may be sought out in the bookes of thy fathers and thou shalt finde in the Chronicles, what is written concerning these things, and shalt understand that that citie was rebellious, troubling both kings and cities: and that the lewes were rebellious, and raised alwayes warres therin, for the which cause even this citie was made desolate. Wherefore now wee doe declare unto thee, (O lord the king) that if this citie bee built againe, and the walles thereof set up anew, thou shalt from hencefoorth have no passage into Coelosyria and Phenice. Then the Artaxerxes forKing wrote backe againe to Rathumus the storie-writer, to Beel- lewes to build tethmus, to Semellius the scribe, and to the rest that were in com- any more.

biddeth the

CHAPTER

II

Three strive

to excell each other in wise speaches.

mission, and dwellers in Samaria and Syria, and Phenice, after this maner. I have read the Epistle which ye have sent unto mee: therefore I commanded to make diligent search, and it hath bene found, that that city was from the beginning practising against Kings. And the men therein were given to rebellion, and warre, and that mightie Kings and fierce were in Ierusalem, who reigned and exacted tributes in Coelosyria and Phenice. Now therefore I have commanded to hinder those men from building the citie, and heed to be taken that there be no more done in it, and that those wicked workers proceed no further to the annoyance of Kings. Then king Artaxerxes his letters being read, Rathumus and Semellius the scribe, and the rest that were in commission with them, remooving in hast towards Ierusalem with a troupe of horsemen, and a multitude of people in battell aray, began to hinder the builders, and the building of the Temple in Ierusalem ceased untill the second yeere of the reigne of Darius King of the Persians.

N°

CHAPTER III

OW when Darius reigned, hee made a great feast unto all his Subiects and unto all his houshold, and unto all the princes of Media and Persia, and to all the governours and captaines, and lieutenants that were under him, from India unto Ethiopia, of an hundreth twenty and seven provinces. And when they had eaten and drunken, and being satisfied were gone home, then Darius the king went into his bed-chamber, and slept, and soone after awaked. Then three yong men that were of the guard, that kept the kings body, spake one to another: Let every one of us speake a sentence: hee that shall overcome, and whose sentence shall seeme wiser then the others, unto him shall the king Darius give great gifts, and great things in token of victory as to be clothed in purple, to drink in golde, and to sleepe upon golde, and a chariot with bridles of golde, and an head-tyre of fine linen, and a chaine about his necke: and hee shall sit next to Darius, because of his wisedome, and shalbe called, Darius his cousin. And then every one wrote his sentence, sealed it, and laide it under king Darius his pillow, and sayd, that when the king is risen, some will the judgement give him the writings, and of whose side the king, and the three princes of Persia shall iudge, that his sentence is the wisest, to him shall the victory be given as was appointed. The first wrote: Wine is the strongest. The second wrote: The King is strongest. The third wrote; Women are strongest, but above all things trueth beareth away the victory.

They referre themselves to

of the King.

CHAPTER

III

Now when the king was risen up, they tooke their writings, and delivered them unto him, and so hee read them. And sending foorth, hee called all the Princes of Persia and Media, and the governours, and the captaines, and the lieutenants, and the chiefe officers, and sate him downe in the royall seate of Iudgement, and the writings were read before them: and he said, Call the young men, and they shall declare their owne sentences: so they were called, and came in. And hee said unto them, Declare unto us your minde, concerning the writings. Then began the first, who had spoken of the strength of wine; and he said thus: O ye The first demen, how exceeding strong is wine! it causeth all men to erre clareth the strength of that drinke it: it maketh the minde of the king, and of the Wine. fatherlesse childe to be all one; of the bondman and of the freeman, of the poore man and of the rich it turneth also every thought into iollitie and mirth, so that a man remembreth neither sorow nor debt: and it maketh every heart rich, so that a man remembreth neither king nor governour; and it maketh to speake all things by talents: and when they are in their cups, they forget their love both to friends and brethren, and a litle after draw out swords: but when they are from the wine, they remember not what they have done. O ye men, is not wine the strongest, that enforceth to doe thus? And when hee had so spoken, hee helde his peace.

TH

CHAPTER IIII

power of a

HEN the second that had spoken of the strength of the The second King, began to say; O yee men, doe not men excel in declareth the strength, that beare rule over Sea and land, and all things King. in them? But yet the King is more mighty: for hee is lord of all these things, and hath dominion over them, and whatsoever he commandeth them, they doe: if hee bid them make warre the one against the other, they doe it: if hee send them out against the enemies, they goe, and breake downe mountaines, walles and towres. They slay and are slaine, and transgresse not the Kings commandement: if they get the victory, they bring all to the King, as well the spoile as all things else. Likewise for those that are no souldiers, and have not to doe with warres, but use husbandrie; when they have reaped againe, that which they had sowen, they bring it to the King, and compell one another to pay tribute unto the King. And yet he is but one man; if hee commaund to kill, they kill, if he command to spare, they spare. If he command to smite, they smite; if he command to make desolate, they make desolate; if hee command to build, they 5: B

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