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

A yung man caried Dauid woord,
that Saule in feeld was slain:
For making of a lie to him,
death had hee for his pain.
Then Dauid wept and mourned sore
for Saule and Ionathas death:
And sang a song all ful of wo,
that they had lost their breath.

The ii. chapiter.

Begin did Dauid then to reign,
in Hebron kingd he first:
And Isboseth by Abners meanes,
anoint him Israel durst.
Then twelue & twelue so plaid in sporte,
that one eche other slue:
Tween bothe the houses for that part,
the battail gan to brue.

The iii. chapiter.

Company with a Concubine,
made Abner to rebel:

From Isboseth he yeelded vp,
to Dauid Israel.
When he was gone in peace away
by Ioab he returnd:
Who did him kil ful gilefully,
for whom the king sore mournd.

The iiii. chapiter.

Dampt was Israel with their king,
when Abners death they heard:
Two of the heads slue Isboseth,
and had a right reward.
To Dauid they did bring his head
and hoped to haue thank:
As he that brought Saules death to him,
so had they for their prank.

The v. chapiter.

Eche sides were made now all in one
Iuda and Israel:
And nointed Dauid once again,
who ruled them ful wel.
Hierusalem of Iebusites,
did Dauid win and take:
And battails twain he wan by might,
and made his foes to quake.

The vi. chapiter.

From Abinadab thark was fetcht,
and Ozah God did strike:
Therfore with Obed it was left,
whiche made him wel to like.
When Dauid knew he fetcht it home
afore it he did daunce:
Michol mockt him and for her fee
no children was her chaunce.

The vii. chapiter.

God vnto Dauid did deny,
a house for him to build:
Ishrowded not in Ceder trees,
but dwelt alwaies in feeld.
Thy sonne a house shall rear for me,
and reign for euermore:
Then Dauid wholy praisd the Lord
and thanked him therfore.

The viii. chapiter.

How Dauid vsde his enemies,
and linde their liues and death:
The Assirians he did subdue,
and thousands lost their breath.
A forren King to him did yeeld,
and sent him giftes ful great:
He gaue them all to God and dooth,
his rulers names repeat.

The ix chapiter.

In memory came to Dauids minde,
his vow to Ionathas made:
Ask he did if any were left,
that promise might be paid.
Miphiboseth was found and brought
to whom the king gaue land:
And set him at his bord alway
all this he did commaund.

The x. chapiter.

Know ye may of an heathen king,
towards Dauid euil behaued:
Iust by their tailes he cut their coats
and halfe their beards he shaued.
With Dauids men this part he playd,
who did his deeds requite:
He did him foile with all his power
and put his ayd to flight.

The xi. chapiter.

Lust caused Dauid for to sin,
with Bethsabe in deed:
Shee was with childe and then he sent,
for Vrias with speed.
And when he would not lie with her,
he sent him back again:

And suche woord sent that he was set,
in place where he was slain.

The xii. chapiter.

Maruaylous angry was the Lord,
with Dauid for this part:
When he it wist he did repent,
the deed with all his hart.
God him forgaue but yet the childe,
did die for this il thing:
Then next shee bare him Salomon,
who afterward was King.

The xiii. chapiter.

Now Thamar was a fair yung maid,
and Ammon did her lust:
He faind him sick and had his wil
and from him did her thrust.
Then Absalon her brother deer,
did stil her from her cry:
And two yeer after causd him kild
and afterward did flee.

The xiiii. chapiter.

Ouer passid was Dauids fume,
and Ioab wrought a feat:
By a woman for Absalon,
that home he might him get.

The king did graunt and home he came,
but would not yet him see:
Procured, Ioab spake for him,
then kist the king and he.

The xv. chapiter.

Pick so away the peoples hartes
from Dauid did his sonne:
Rebel he did against the king,
this same was Absalon.
The King did flee for fear of him,
bare footed and did weep:
Yet had he spies that wrought for him
whose councel they did keep.

The xvi. chapiter.

Quietly passed he the hil,
and Ziva brought him giftes
Whom Semei curst and he preferd,
God in his secreat driftes.
Then Husai the rebel sarud,
but he was Dauids spie:
And Absalon in open sight,
with Dauids wiues did lie.

The xvii. chapiter.

Refused was Ahithophel,
his councel took no place:

But Husay his woords were liked wel,
and Dauid knew the cace.
Then Dauid fled but Ahithophel,
him self did hang for wo:
And diuers men brought Dauid food
their hunger mooued them so.

The xviii. chapiter.

So number Dauid did his men
and set them out in ray:
And charge gaue Dauid for his sonne,
his life in him to stay.
But contrary the feeld once wun
Ioab did thrust him thorowe:
When Dauid wist, he took on so,
That ioy was turnd to sorowe.

The xix. chapiter.

To stay his sorow, Ioab went,
and brought the king in sight:
Then did Israel ioy it muche,
and willed him his right.
Whole Iuda came as they were wilt
their king home for to bring:
And Israel was not wel content,
for dooing of that thing.

The xx. chapiter.

Up then rose a rebel again,
and Seba was his name:
He mooued Israel to rebel,
to get him self a fame.
Besiegd he was in Abel town,
they had been all as dead:
But that a woman found the meanes,
that cast out was his head.

The xxi. chapiter.

A plague then came of three deer yeeres,
Saules kindred was the cause:
When his seauen sonnes were hanged vp
the death began to pause.
Of mightie men the chapter speakes
Philistians that were slain:
Their speares as big as weauers beames,
yet serued they as vain.

The xxii. chapiter.

Begin did Dauid then to sing,
and sang a song of praise:
Extolling God for his great help
shewed to him alwaies.
He hath me kept and been my sheeld
and made my foes to fall:
Therfore thou liue and blest be thou
among the heathen all.

The xxiii. chapiter.

Christe by Dauid heer is tolde,
his kingdome and his might:
And valiant men are then exprest,
the whiche for him did fight.
Eight hundreth men are slain of one
another withstood a feeld:
Three fetched water through an hoste,
the fourth made Lions yeeld.

The xxiiii. chapiter.

Dauid did then his people tel,
and numbered then soon
And when he wist he did repent,
the deed that he had doon.
Plagde he should be and did require,
Pestilence to reign:
Threescore and ten thousands of men,
afore it seast were slain.

The second book of Kings is doon,
or Samuel as you wil:
The third shall come by God his grace,
and so foorth wil we stil.
Twentie and foure it hathe conteind,
and twentie and two the next:
In all these chapters ye shall finde,
the order of the text.

University of Virginia Library

The second book of Samuel other wise the second of the Kings.

The first Chapiter.