An Abridgeme[n]t of all the Canonical books of the olde Testament ::

Ahead to haue they did desire,
in Iosuas roum to be:
And Iuda to them pointed was,
who fought ful manfully.
Ierusalem they took and wan,
great Giants did they slay:
The Gentiles with them stil did dwel
but tribute did they pay.

The ii. chapiter.

Because they did not kil them all
an Angel did them chide:
And Iosua dead they buried him,
down by his fathers side.
When that stock all was dead & gone,
ful wicked were the next:
And serued Gods that were forbod,
whose names are in the text.

The iii. chapiter.

Certain nations then are named,
that with them then did dwel:
But one them kild and bet them down
named Othoniel:

Yet after that they were opprest,
but Ahud them did saue:
For in a parlour with the King,
his deaths wound he him gaue.

The iiii. chapiter.

Depart did yet the flock and went,
and serued Idols vain:
Of Iabin King of Canaan,
yeeres twentie were they slain.
And Debora then did them iudge,
whom Barack shee did call:
They sought and wan, but Sisara
In Iaels hands did fall.

The v. chapiter.

Euen as the battaile ended was
and Israel had the best:
They sang a song of melody.
wherin the Lord was blest.
But curst were some that cam not foorth
to help them for to fight:
And blest was shee that with a naile
slue Sisara outright.

The vi. chapiter.

Fare foule did then the Madianites,
with Israel for their sin:

An Angel stird vp Gedeon,
their freedome for to win.
The Idol Ball he did destroy,
and burst his aulter down:
His Father did his cause defend,
against the Cittie or town.

The vii. Chapiter.

Gedeon foorth to battail went,
the Madianites to kil:
To mickle was his hoste (said God),
for him to haue his wil.
So many as feard were sent home back
and those that stoupt to drink:
Three hundred slue the Madianites,
and made their kinges to shrink.

The viii. chapiter.

Halfe angry were the Ephraites,
but Gedeon did them stil:
Phanuel men and Sucoth bothe,
did Gedeon take and kil.
Two kings he slue and then they would,
haue him and his their heds:
He it denide, but gaue them cause,
to doo ful wicked dedes.

The ix. Chapiter.

Ieroboas had three score sonnes,
and ten in number true:
Abimeleck he kild them all,
saue Ioathan the Iew.
Who them rebukte, they did him chuse,
and Gaal rose in vain:
So Sichem burnt and Thebez stroyd
Abimeleck there was slain.

The x. chapiter.

Knowe wel ye may what guide they had,
as Gods that were forbod:
They were opprest and did repent,
and called vnto God.
Who bad them call vnto their Gods
in trouble them to saue:
They did suppresse their Idols quite,
to God their mindes they gaue.

The xi. chapiter.

Look out did then the Galadites,
a captain and a guide:
Who willed Ammon not to fight
but he his tale denide.
Then Iephthath vowd a foolishe vow
the victory to obtain:
He had the feeld and home returnd,
then was his daughter slain.

The xii. chapiter.

Murmour so did the Ephraites,
at Iepthah had they spight
Fortie thousand of them he slue,
and put the rest to flight.
A woord betrayd them many times,
when Iordane they would take:
Three Iudges there, are then exprest,
and when their liues did slake.

The xiii. chapiter.

No longer did they fear the Lord,
then Iudges good did liue:
The vpper hand against them all
the Lord their foes did giue.
A man that was hight Manoah,
had Samson to him plight:
His wife him bare as God had said,
with him dwelt God his sprite.

The xiiij. chapiter.

Of Samsons mariage ye may hear
he would needs haue his wil:
As he went down his spouse to woo,
a Lion did he kil.
A ridle axt and thirtie men,
he slue to pay the hest:

His calfe had tilde the thirties land,
and went to his fellowes nest.

The xv. chapiter.

Pastime to make then Samson went
to banket with his wife:
Shee went not in so sprang a cause,
of hatred and great strife.
With Foxes fiery he brent their corn,
Philistians did he slay:
The iaw bone of an Asse he took,
and thousands kild one day.

The xvi. chapiter.

Quarel they pickt to Samson stil,
and him they watche to slay:
But he that night burst vp their gates,
and caried them away.
He kept a whoore who beeing feed,
his strength of him shee wan:
Whē he was blinde they causd him play
but he destroyd them than.

The xvii. chapiter.

Reherst is then of mony lost,
a woman did it misse:
Micha her sonne did it confesse
and said lo heer it is.

Uowed shee had and would it keep,
an Image did she make:
A Leuite came and lodged there,
whom Micha his preest did make.

The xviii. chapiter.

Spies were sent to serche the land,
the tribe of Dan it wrought:
At Michas house they lodgd all night
where councel good they sought.
Return they did with ioyful newes,
and foorth they went to fight:
The preest and Image they did take,
and wan the land out right.

The xix. chapiter.

To mary against the law of God
see what dooth them betide:
A Leuites wife did play the whore,
and flipped from her guide.
He fetcht her home and as he went,
at Gabaah was shee slain:
Then sent he her in peeces twelue
the deed for to complain.

The xx. chapiter.

Up then rose Israel for to fight,
against the Beniamites:

For whoredome fact, yet Israel was
put vnto two great flightes.
Then did they pray and God thē plight,
to haue the higher hand:
The Beniamites were killd on morn
twentie and fiue thousand.

The xxi. chapiter.

And thē they sware that none of them,
the Beniamites should wed:
The men that went not vp to fight
they vowed them but dead.
They took their daughters and thē gaue
the Beniamites to make:
Yet not suffisde the dauncing dames
to wiues they did them take.

The book of Iudges is expirde,
an end therof is made:
The story of Ruthe ye shall haue next,
so following scriptures trade.

University of Virginia Library

Sophtim: Iudicum: Iudges.

The first Chapiter: