A Hyve Fvll of Hunnye :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Prophecie of Bondage great
To Isralites, that fell,
Howe they vnder Kynge Pharao,
Fowre hundred Yeares shoulde dwell,
And howe they were deliuered,
This same shall also tell.

1

And after when these thinges were done,
and Abram wel apayde,
The word of God, to Abrā came,
in Uision thus, and sayde:

2

Bee of good cheare, & not afraid,
for I am thy defence:
Exceedinge great is thy rewarde,
ere thou departest hence.

3

Agayne to God then Abram sayde,
Lorde what wilt thou mee geue,
Sith I goe Childlesse vp and downe,
the Dayes that I do liue?

4

The Childe of this thy Stewardship
that's of my House to showe,
Is hee the same Eleazer,
was borne at Damasco.

5

O Lord my God behold and see,
thou geuest mee no scede,
And loe, this Ladde borne in my House,
myne Heyre shalbe in deede.

6

The word of God yet once againe
came vnto Abrams Eare:
Which sayde, the Ladde borne in thy House
hee shall not bee thine Heyre.

7

But of thy Body one shall come,
thy Sonne, and Heyre shalbe,
And then God brought him out and sayd,
looke vp to Heauen and see.

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8

And tell the starres therein that bee,
if thou them number can:
Euen so thy Seede, on Earth shalbee,
surpassinge reach of man.

9

And what the Lorde to Abram sayde,
of Abram was beleeu'de.
Which reckned was such righteousnes,
as might not bee remeu'de.

10

To him agayne the Lord yet sayde,
I am, that brought thee free
From Vr, out of the Chaldee Lande,
to geue this Lande to thee.

11

O Lord my God, sayde Abram then,
whereby shall I this knowe,
That I this Lande shal so possesse
as thou hast sayde, or no?

12

God bade him take an Heifer yonge,
of three yeares olde to bee.
A Female Goate, a Ramme likewise,
whose Ages shoulde agree.

13

A Turtledoue, a Pigeon yonge
God also had him take:
And Abram knewe after what sorte
hee should diuision make

14

All these hee tooke, and in the midd'st
deuided them in twaine,
And then one peece, gaynst other set
in order so agayne.

15

But yet the Foules hee sundred not,
ne woulde them so display:
As Birdes vppon their Carkasse fell,
hee draue them still awaye.

16

And when the Sunne declined was,
and Darcknes did appeare:

On Abram fel a slumbring sleepe,
and eke a sodayne feare:

17

And in the same God sayd to him.
let this be knowne to thee,
Thy seede shall dwell in forrayne Lande,
and as a Straunger bee.

18

And Seruauntes theirs shall they become,
and do what they them will:
And for their paynes foure hundred Yeares,
shall they reward them ill.

19

This Nation yet whom they shall serue
shall Iudged be of mee.
And after shall thy seede departe
with richesse, and be free.

20

And thou in peace shalt passe away,
whereas thy Fathers lye,
And in an Olde and goodly age,
shalt buried lye them by.

21

And in the fourth Age after this,
they shall agayne come heere.
For why, the sinne of th' Amorites
more fuller shall appeere.

22

And after so it came to passe,
when downe the Sunne did goe:
Aboue vnder the Firmament,
a darky Cloude did showe,

23

A smokinge Furnace, and a Brande
of glowinge Fyer seene:
Which went the peeces as they laye,
oft to and fro betweene.

24

And in the Daye, when this was seene,
God did a Cou'naunt make
With Abram saying: to thy Seede,
this Lande haue I betake.

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25

From Egipt, vnto Euphrates,
by Riuers as they flowe,
The Kenits, and the Kenizites,
and Kadmonites also:

26

The Hethites, and the Pheresites,
and Giantes fierce and fell:
The Amorites, and Cananites,
with Kinreddes where they dwell:

27

The Gergesites, and Iebusites,
with all that these possesse:
Unto thy Seede haue I this geuen.
by Cou'naunt, I confesse.