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

Ahab his sonne, Ohoziah
out of a windowe fel:
If he should scape to Belsebub,
he sent, he should him tel.
Eliah sent them back straight way,
to tel him he should die:
Two fifties burnt the third him brought
but he nought did denie.

The ii. chapiter.

Before Eliah was taken vp,
he parted Iordane brook:
Elizeus had double spirite,
and vp his mantel took.
The brook with it he did deuide,
and made the waters sweet:
The boyes with beares they were destroyd
for mocking it was feet.

The iii. chapiter.

Custome then a King denide,
of paying his Lambes and sheep:
To Iehoram, who with two Kings,
against him went to fight.
Elizeus water helpt them to,
and made their iourney good:
The Edomites were far deceiued,
the water lookt like blood.

The iiii. chapiter.

Detted was a widdowe sore,
her oyl was muche increast:
A woman a childe had and it died,
the prophet her pain releast.
Colloquintida in the potage was put,
he made them sweet with meale.
He multiplyed the loues at ful,
and left an ouerdeal.

The v. chapiter.

Euilly plagued was Naaman,
with leprosy in deed:
By aduice to Iury he went,
for help as he had need.
Although the King did fear him muche
the Prophet him did heal:

The Prophets man for taking fee
the sore had euery deal.

The vj. chapiter.

Ful lightly swam the Iron aboue,
Elizeus made it so:
The Sirian king sent him to catche,
but wrongly they did go.
Samaria then was so besiegd,
that eat they did a childe:
The King was bent the prophet to kil,
but yet he was begilde.

The vii. Chapiter.

Good cheap of things the prophet tolde,
the next day for to haue:
A certain Lord denied the same,
for whiche his life he gaue.
The Sirians fled with noyes they heard,
God made them so afraid:
The cheap was had and he did die,
of whom afore was said.

The viii. chapiter.

How vij. yeeres dearth should come & fall
a woman had it tolde:
And Benhadab dead then Hazael,
to King he durst be bolde.

Iehosaphat, Iehorams sonne,
of Iuda he was king:
Ohoziah did him sucseed,
bothe these were euil raigning.

The ix. chapiter.

Iehu is then annointed King,
on Israel to reign:
The Kings of Iuda and Israel,
by him they were bothe slain
Then Iezabel in best aray,
out of windowe was throwne:
The Dogs her eat then was Gods way
ful iustly on her knowne.

The x. chapiter.

Kill did Iehue, Ahab his sonnes,
whiche were three score and ten:
And all his stock and frutes also,
were killed quite vp then.
And all Balls preestes into Balls house,
by sleight he did them get:
They were all kild and Ball destroyd
this was his holy feat.

The xj. chapiter.

Like wise the sonnes of Ohoziah,
Athalia made them slain:

But one was kept that cut her short
ouer Iuda to reign.
Then Iehoas by the bishops mean,
was set in fathers seat:
His grandame shee was killed then,
suche measure did he meat.

The xii. Chapiter.

Muche prouision then was made
the temple to repair:
For costes and charges they not stuck
so it were mended fair.
And Hazael his hoste was stayed,
for comming to giue feeld:
Iehoas men with treason great,
their king they took and kild.

The xiii. chapiter.

Now the next king of Israel,
whiche was Iehu his sonne:
The Sirian king did so him vexe,
that he was ouercome.
At Elizeus the King had hope,
while he was yet aliue:
He being dead, the dead him toucht
and straight he did reuiue.

The xiiii. chapiter.

Of diuers kings this chapter telles,
that wickedly did reign:
The king whose father two did kil,
he causd them to be slain.
Their names, their yeeres, & noble deeds
the Crownacles doo tel:
That Iuda ruled and bare the stroke
also of Israel.

The xv. chapiter.

Paid was then a certain King,
with Leprosie for sin:
And then to kil their kings apace
the traytours did begin.
Nine kings small while in Israel raignd
so spirde they to the crown:
But as they reignd with bloody hands
with blood so went they down.

The xvi. chapiter.

Quite against the law of God,
king Ahaz burnt his sonne:
The king of Israel battail great,
against him then begun.
For ayd he sent to Assiria,
and it he did obtain:
An aulter straunge he causd to make,
Vriah took the pain.

The xvij. chapiter.

Rehearst is the captiuitie,
that Israel came vntoo:
The Assirian king them led away
to teache them euil to doo.
O read the chapter I you pray,
and mark what sin dooth bring:
It is theffect of muche afore,
giue it therfore reading.

The xviii. chapiter.

So then the King Hezekiah,
in Iuda ruled wel:
The brasen Serpent he burst down,
his foes found him ful fel.
Then Rabsakeh the Sirian Lord,
the Iewes he did defie:
In their knowen tung he spake aloud,
against the Lord on hie.

The xix. chapiter.

To Ezay sent the king to knowe
if God would defend:
He had good comfort at his hand,
good tidings did he send.
The king did pray his prayer was heard
Senacheribs hoste was slain.

An Angel kild them in the night:
so was his brags in vain.

The xx. chapiter.

Unto the King he beeing sick:
woord came that he should die:
He wept and prayd and fifteen yeer,
he had to liue perdie.
For shewing of his treasures great
to straungers, God him tolde:
To Babilon his seed should go,
with thraldoms many folde.

The xxi. chapiter.

And then Manasses in his reign:
the Idols did restore:
And wrought suche euil and wickednes,
as none did him before.
Dreadful threats the Prophetes tolde
and Amon had his place:
His seruantes kild him and were kild
the people quit his cace.

The xxij. chapiter.

Begin to reign did Iosiah,
when he was eight yeer olde:
At eyghteen yeer the book was found,
whiche made his hart ful colde.

To a woman wise he sent to know,
the Lord almighties wil:
Shee sent him woord that he should se
no point of Iudahs il.

The xxiii. chapiter.

Call vp whole Iuda did the King,
and read to them the law:
The smoky preestes and Idols all,
he burnt them vp like straw.
Their graues, their aulters and their groues
not one of them he left:
When he was kild his sonne did reign,
to Idols he him feft.

The xxiiii. chapiter.

Depart Iehoakim did and dide,
his sonne did him sucseed:
Hierusalem besieged was,
ouercome it was in deed.
To Babilon then were they led,
all of them saue the poor:
And Zedechiah rose against,
the Babilonishe power.

The xxv. chapiter.

Egerly then frome Babilon,
the king came with an hoste:

A yeer and more the Cittie fought,
but yet at last they lost.
Zedechias sonnes were kild he saw,
the wicked did so rout:
The Town and Temple was destroid,
and then his eyes thrust out.

The last and fourth book of the Kings,
the second some it call:
Is gone and past with matters hard,
in meeter for to fall.
The Crownicles the douts shall mend,
God let vs liue therto:
And send vs grace to doo the thing,
that we intend to doo.

University of Virginia Library

iiii. of Kings.

The first Chapiter.