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

A Harlot he is wild to wed,
of whom he sonnes begat:
The whorishe life of Israel,
is signified by that.
The Gentiles should be called in,
Gods people for to be:
And all the tribes should ioyne in one,
and louingly agree.

The ii. Chapiter.

Because with Ball they did commit
moste filthy whordome, so,
The Prophet them dooth threat for it,
God foorth their filth to shew.
Except that they repent and mend:
whiche if they doo, that then
As spoused wife moste husband like,
he would them looue as when,

The iii. Chapiter.

Cast of (he saith) the Iewes should be
as drunk with Gods ful vain:
To take a harlot he is wild,
to shew the thing again.
That King or preest they should not haue
and that for many dayes:
And yet at lēgth Christ should them saue
to whom they should giue praise.

The iiii. Chapiter.

Declare he dooth how sin did reign,
and none mislikte the same:
Bothe Princes, people, and the preestes
in sinning had no shame.
Wherfore he threates that God wil strike
and punishe them therfore.

So that to Idols sacrifice,
they should doo so no more.

The v. Chapiter.

Eftsoones the sinnes he dooth tel out,
of Israel by name:
From moste to least they mended not,
to God their liues to frame.
God should they seek, then would he not
of them again be found:
Of other power for ayd they should,
and so themselues confound.

The vi. Chapiter.

Ful fast to God they did then hie,
repenting of their il:
So knowledge they should haue to do,
that God to them did wil.
The Prophets spared not to cut,
their sin with words so sharp:
The preestes to steale by one consent,
no other thing they carp.

The vii. Chapiter.

Gone all astray the people were
their King they did disceiue:
As Bakers ouen so burned they,
in unto whiche they cleaue.

Their trust they had in Egipt help,
shall not them help in deed:
They turned them but not aright
when that they were in need.

The viii. Chapiter.

How they a King and rulers eke,
did chuse but not by God:
And Idols vain did cleaue vnto,
whiche he had them forbod.
For whiche their sin he wil them pay
to teache them to offend:
With fier their Cittie shalbe burnt,
to Egipt shall they wend.

The ix. Chapiter.

In leading of an whorishe life,
an hunger shall they haue:
They said the Prophet was a fool,
the spirituall men did raue.
Their wombs and brestes should dried be,
their children long not liue:
And for a pray vnto their foes,
he would them also giue.

The x. chapiter.

King ouer them they should haue none
their Idols should be stroyd

Bothe Iuda and Samaria
they should be sore anoyd.
To plough and reap in righteousnes
and mercy they are wild:
If not betime in the morning,
their King he should be kild.

The xi. Chapiter.

Louingly from Egipt land,
he saith that he them led:
And cherisht them with food therto,
and gaue them heauenly bread.
Ful lothe he is to punishe them,
though it they doo deserue:
Thou Ephraim misvsde it self,
yet Iuda did not swarue.

The xii. Chapiter.

Muche crookednes did Ephraim vse,
with Iuda dooth he talke.
As Iacob liu'de and pleased God,
so would he haue them walke.
In tabernacles they should dwel,
as in their solemne feastes:
Because they serued not their God,
nor did regard his heastes.

The xiii. Chapiter.

No end they made of woorshipping
their Idols and their calues:
Yet God their God remayneth God,
none els for sin hath salues.
Yet Lion like he wil them vse,
but so as for a time,
The death of death he saith to be,
and bring them down that clime.

The xiiii. Chapiter.

Of Israels return he telth,
how forren power they leaue:
They doo confesse they did transgresse,
now vnto God they cleaue.
Who wil thē blesse & make them growe,
whose braunches shall so shed:
That others shall return by them,
and lack the life they led.

FINIS.

Hoseas heer hath tolde his minde,
a Prophet ful of zeale:
And Ioel now beginth to speak,
Gods counsel to reueale.

University of Virginia Library

The Prophecy of Hosea.

The first Chapiter.