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

Adam his ligne is heer exprest,
to Iacob and Esau:
Then haue you tolde what kings did rule
the Edomites by law:
Eight kings they had before the time,
that Israel had a King:
What Dukes they had ye may haue there
if you inquire the thing.

The ii. Chapiter.

Begin the second Chapter dooth,
with Iacob and his sonnes:
And then of Iudahs progeny
it next in order comes.
Seauen were the sonnes that Isay had,
whose father was Obed:
And Dauid yungest was of them,
yet was he made their hed.

The iii. chapiter.

Concubines diuers Dauid had,
of sonnes he had nineteen:
In Hebron sixe, Hierusalem
there had he iust thirteen.

These by his wiues, to him were born
in whiche was Salomon:
The Kings that ruled after him,
the chapter telleth on.

The iiii. chapiter.

Drawn out is then the ligne and stock
of Iudah and his kin:
In wanting food to feed their sheep
good pasture they did win.
Of Simions sonnes somewhat is said
how valiantly they went:
They beeing few yet sped they wel,
and had their whole intent.

The v. chapiter.

Euil fauoured lust to fathers wife
lost Ruben his birthright:
And Iosephs stock came in his roum,
a people ful of might.
Yet is his stock heer tolde, and what
a noble fight they fought:
A land they wan, but after fel,
from God, who draue them out.

The vi. Chapiter.

Folowing on of Leuies ligne
expressed is at large:

Of whom came Aaron and his sonnes
that had the preestly charge.
Citties they had of other tribes,
for refuge, and besides
For them, and their posterities,
as lots to them were guides.

The vii. Chapiter.

Going on foorth by Israel,
to tel who came of him:
Of Izacar and Beniamin,
Manasses and Ephraim.
Then Ephraims stock by men of Gath,
were slain whiche made him sad:
His freends did comfort him right wel,
and then a sonne he had.

The viii. chapiter.

Hear more is tolde of Beniamin,
his sonnes by right discent
How they begat from childe to childe
and lineally foorth went.
Out of which tribe came foorth king Saul
and of his sonnes by rowe:
Is tolde and eke of valiant men,
that shot wel in a bowe.

The ix. chapiter.

Israel is now numbred,
in certain tribes by name:
The Leuites and the cheefest preestes
that were of greatest fame.
The ouerseears of the woorks,
the porters in their charge:
The oyntment makers & vessel keepers,
are heer tolde out at large.

The x. chapiter.

King Saule is slain by Philistins,
and Ionathas his sonne:
His body stript his hed cut of,
after the feeld was wun.
The cause is tolde why he was slain:
by councelling with the Deuil:
And Dauid brought into his raign,
who rooted out muche euil.

The xi. chapiter.

Like as the Lord had promised
by Samuel his man:
So Dauid now is chosen King,
Hierusalem he wan.
His noble men are tolde by name
and eke their mightie actes
He that wil read the chapter out,
shall hear of woorthy factes.

The xii. chapiter.

Men that of might were meruailous,
to Dauid now did flock:
And suche as knew the feates of warres
came out of euery stock.
Out of eche tribe good souldiers,
their captains with their number,
Are heer so tolde and with suche hart?
as might make Dauid wunder.

The xiii. chapiter.

Now Dauid heer dooth councel take
the Ark first home to bring:
Whiche Saule did nothing care to doo
as long as he was king.
And one was slain for touching it
when as the Ark did shake:
So came it short to Sion hil,
it made the king to quake.

The xiiii. chapiter.

Of woork men and of Ceder trees,
sent to him heer is tolde:
Wherby his kingdome stablished,
to say he durst be bolde.
His sonnes and wiues are then exprest,
the Philistines inuade:

With God he talkte, whose wil obayd,
he flue them in a slade.

The xv. chapiter.

Prepare did he a multitude,
for to fetche home the Ark:
The Leuites bare it on their backs,
plesantly sang eche clark.
With shouting noise and instruments
and Dauid daunst his part:
The daintie damsel Michol then,
despisde him in her hart.

The xvi. chapiter.

Quietly now the Ark is set,
the tabernacle vnder:
The preestes appointed to giue thanks,
according to their number.
A Psalme he made in praise of God,
to laud his holy name:
In the hundred and the fift Psalme
there shall ye finde the same.

The xvii. chapiter.

Refuse did God that Dauid should
an house vnto him build:
But as before so would he stil,
dwel vnder tent in feeld.

But that a sonne of his should make
a house he was content:
Then lauded he the Lord therfore,
sitting within his tent.

The xviii. Chapiter.

Suche battailes then as Dauid fought
this chapter dooth declare:
The Philistines, the Moabites,
they all subdued are.
The Edomites with other Kings,
did Dauid ouerthrowe:
And those that were his rulers cheef,
their names heer may ye knowe.

The xix. chapiter.

Then Dauid sent of right good wil,
a new King for to greet:
The messengers were madly shauen
their cotes cut ful vnmeet.
Suche wrath their maister took therfore
that battail gan to broile:
The Moabites, the Aramites,
they fled and had the spoile.

The xx. chapiter.

When Princes vse in battaile ray
their armies to set out:

Then Ioab went and wan a town
and took a King ful stout.
Whose crown was set on Dauids head,
whiche waid a waightie waight:
Suche Giants then were ouerthrowne
as lackt no strength nor height.

The xxi. chapiter.

According as the Deuil did tempt,
Dauid did tel his flock:
Of three hard stripes the Pestilence,
he chose to be his stroke.
Three score and ten thousands of men,
the Angel did deuour:
The plague is ceast, an aulter built,
vpon a threshing floure.

The xxii. chapiter.

Being at rest now in his seat,
all things he dooth prouide:
Wherwith to build to God an house,
at the apointed tide.
Good councel to his sonne he giues,
for to erect the same:
His noble men he dooth exhorte,
to help the woork to frame.

The xxiii. Chapiter.

Chosen king was Salomon then
by Dauid for to reign:
The preesthood eke of Leuies kinde,
was numbered again.
Then Aarons stock and Moyses ligne
are pointed bothe as one:
Their names and eke their offices,
for them to wait vpon.

The xxiiij. chapiter.

Deuision of Aarons seed,
the king by lot did make:
And so eche man that had his roum,
by lot he did it take.
Yet was there left of Amrams house,
whose names by course are tolde:
And lots were cast for equalues,
betwixt the yung and olde.

The xxv. chapiter.

Eche man that should on instrument,
his melody to play:
And Prophecies to sing therto,
were pointed out that day.
Their names are tolde by lotted lot
who set to eche degree
The songs of God, onely they sung
in laudes of God perdie.

The xxvi. chapiter.

For porters men were pointed out
to keep the south and west:
For other gates besides therto,
and for the north and East.
Where spoiles were laid in battail wun,
and giftes giuen by the powers:
Fit men were chose and pointed out,
therof to keep the doores.

The xxvii. chapiter.

Gides & captains the whiche did rule,
eche month their pointed race:
Their names and number heer is tolde
from tribe to tribe in place.
Ouerseears of diuers things,
this chapter dooth you tel:
What names they had, what was their charge
and of the Kings councel.

The xxviij. chapiter.

How Dauid calld the multitude,
and then said vnto them:
God me denide, and plight my sonne
to build Hierusalem.
He gaue his sonne a goodly charge
and of the woork the plat.

And left him golde abundantly,
and men of skilful art.

The xxix. chapiter.

In Golde and eke in siluer bothe
in Iron and in Brasse:
That Dauid left, and what he gaue,
and eke how muche it was.
With what the princes all did giue
how Salomon was crownd:
His fathers death and yeeres of reign,
all this may hear be found.

The first book of the Chronicles,
is come to his last line:
The chapters are a score by tale,
and therto putting nine.
From Adam vnto Dauids reign,
thus Esdras hath you tolde:
VVho writ these books of Chronicles,
the Iewes of them so holde.
In ample maner is exprest,
how that he kept his charge:
I mean of Dauids princely life,
is heer tolde you at large.
Of Salomons ruling of them
and eke of princes mo:
Now shalbe tolde if God permit,
in order as they go.

University of Virginia Library

The first book of the Chronicles.

The i. chapiter.