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

Apt vnto battail those that were
from twentie yeeres and more,
Are pointed out of all the tribes,
saue Leuy kept in store.
Whiche tribe the Lord did take & chuse,
to minister his wil:
Suche holy things as he had wild,
they must them all fulfil.

The ii. chapiter.

Build vp ye tentes how that they should
was tolde vnto them tho:
The tabernacle round about,
eche tribe his tent to knowe.
The heads and rulers of the hostes,
are named in their kinde:
The Leuites serued in the mids,
as God had them assignde

The iii. chapiter.

Chuse out to battail might they not,
the Leuites in their tribe:
For the first born the Lord them took,
and so set them on side.
To minister his holy things,
within the holy place:

And next therto to build their shrouds,
they must in any cace.

The iiii. chapiter.

Decree did God what they should doo
their offices he tolde:
And further then he pointed them,
they not to be so bolde.
Eche one after his stock and kinde,
ful decently was set:
And euery one to keep his course,
with outen stay or let.

The v. chapiter.

Eche issue, and the Lazar man,
might not among them dwel:
For wrongs then doon, fiue folde restord
the law did them compel.
From company that was suspect,
to keep mens wiues in awe:
There was set out of ielousie,
a good decree and law.

The vi. chapiter.

For suche as then did vow the vow,
of perfet abstinence:
The Lord almight their fare did point
to keep them from offence.

And also shewd to Moyses then,
the maner how Aaron:
Should blesse the flock, saying the Lord,
blesse and keep you eche one.

The vii. chapiter.

Giftes were giuen then of the Lords,
and heads of Israel:
Among them all there one was hight,
by name Nathaniel.
Great were the giftes that they did giue
they spared for no cost:
In setting foorth Gods seruice right,
they might with all men boste.

The viii. chapiter.

How that the Lord would haue the lamps
to Moyses he did showe:
The candlesticks in order fit,
where they were hie or lowe.
For clensing offring must be had,
the Leuites they must vse:
Whiche when they came to fiftie yeeres
offring they might not vse:

The ix. chapiter.

Iustly ye time to keep their paske,
to Moyses it was tolde:

And how the filde or foren man,
to offer might be bolde.
He that denied to offer tho,
he must be made to die:
Bothe night and day a guide they had
a cloud and light from hie.

The x. chapiter.

Knowledge suche had the people the,
by trumpets that were blowne:
Were it in warres or time of peace
the sound to them was knowne.
From Sinai they did depart,
their captaines numbred all:
And Iethro would not flit with them,
betide what might befall.

The xi. chapiter.

Like fooles the people did complain,
and plagde they were with fire
With Manna cloyd, to Egipt back
for fleshe was their desire.
Moyses then did greeue the Lord,
whose burthen he did ease:
On Quailes they fed and kild they were
for God they did displease.

The xii. chapiter.

Miriam then did grudge and swel,
at Moyses God his iudge:
And Aaron did consent therto,
And so they bothe did grudge.
With leprosie was Miriam stroke,
to teache her to rebel:
At Moyses prayer she was restorde,
and liued, and did ful wel.

The xiii. chapiter.

Notes to take of Canaan,
twelue men were thither sent:
To see the fatnes of the land,
therfore afore they went.
Whiche came & tolde how riche it was,
with grapes a cluster great:
They tolde of Cities great and strong
whiche made them chase and freat.

The xiiii. chapiter.

Opinion had the people then,
that land not to obtain:
And grudge they did against the Lord
whiche would straight them haue slain
Not one of all the Israelites,
the hest land did possesse:
Saue Iosue and Caleb bothe,
whiche two the Lord did blesse.

The xv. chapiter.

Prescribe did God a sacrifice,
for sinnes of ignorance:
But die they should that wilfully,
did sin by arogance.
Stonde he was that gathered sticks,
vpon the Sabbothe day:
Their garmentes garded round about,
Gods hestes for to obay.

The xvi. chapiter.

Quarels picked certain that time,
and Chorath was the one:
Also Dathan and Abiron,
the fourth made vp of On.
These did rebel against their heads,
And mooued God to ire:
He causd the earth to swallowe them,
and burnt the rest with fire.

The xvii. chapiter.

Receiue a token of their euil,
immediatly they did:
Twelue rods were brought from all the heads
as God him self did bid.
Among them all then Aarons rod,
did floorishe foorth with buddes:

To teache them way the prechers then
for loosing of their bloods.

The xviii. chapiter.

Suche things as Leuites then did vse,
did God almightie point:
They were his preestes to serue his wil,
whom Aaron did anoint.
To whom the tithes & frutes were paid,
to maintain their degree:
And Aaron had an heritage,
as ye may read and see.

Eyghteen Chapters now heere are past,
of Numeri by name:
And eyghteen more ye shall haue next,
I trust in right good frame.

The xix. chapiter.

A red cow then was bid to kil,
by Eliazer the preest:
To sparge her blood and burn her quite
as he ful wel it wist.
A law to keep the people clean,
from filthines or spot.
No man to touche the holy place,
but he that was his lot.

The xx. chapiter.

Begin did Israel for to grudge,
they lacked drink to drink
Out of a rock there gusht a stream,
that fild them to the brink.
The Edomites would not let passe,
the people through their land:
Then Aaron dide, and in his roum,
Eleazar did stand.

The xxi. chapiter.

Captain Arad then came to fight,
and lost his Cittie and life:
Immediatly when they were come,
euen from the waters strife.
Then stung they were by serpentes great
and heald by one on hie:
They kild two kings Schon and Og,
as Israel passed by.

The xxii. chapiter.

Deuise did Balack for to curse,
the Israelites to hel:
And sent for Balam in his fume,
his cursing for to tel.
He once denide and yet he went,
his minde was set on gain:

He smote his Asse and shee denide,
his labour was in vain.

The xxiii. chapiter.

Euen as Balack had then decreed,
so went he vp on hie:
And Balam talkt with God a while,
and spake thus by and by.
How shall I curse or els defie.
whom God dooth nothing so?
And them he blest and blest again,
or euer he did go.

The xxiiij. chapiter.

Foorthe went Balam in parables,
declaring Israels hap:
And Balack angry with the thing,
his hands in one did clap.
When he had said then Balam tolde.
of Christes kingdome plain:
A Star and scepter vp shall rise,
in Iacob for to raign.

The xxv. chapiter.

Gods people then did slip away,
and whordome did commit
The Moabits in their seruice,
hadtiste them vnto it.

Then God cōmaunded Moyses straight.
to hang the rulers all:
As two were dooing of the deed,
Phinehes on them did fall.

The xxvi. chapiter.

How many were the Israelites,
that Canaan should possesse:
The whole xij. tribes are numbred all,
whom God did chuse and blesse.
He wild the land for to be delt,
by partes in forme equal:
The mo the more, the few the lesse
so that no one haue all.

The xxvii. chapiter.

In presence then came certain maids
inheritance to craue:
Euen so they had as next of blood,
successiuely must haue.
The land behest to Moyses shewd,
and tolde he is to die:
His prayer is heard and Iesue set,
his roum for to supply.

The xxviii. chapiter

Knowledge is giuen for euery day,
what offring they must vse:

A Lamb at morn and eke at euen,
vnspotted they must chuse.
The paske how that it should be kept,
the day is pointed out:
With all the order of the feast,
to put them out of dout.

The xxix. chapiter.

Like sacrifice as God did point,
this chapter dooth expresse:
And telles how all their meates & drinks
in order they must dresse.
Eight dayes at once they must not ceace
to offer sacrifice:
And woork no kinde of woork in them
as God did them deuise.

The xxx. chapiter.

Men that vowed or sware an othe,
with promise to the Lord:
Must stand to it and not go back,
the scripture dooth accord.
But maid or wife that did the same,
without their heds consent:
They must go back if he denide,
for all their good intent.

The xxxi. chapiter.

Next then to that went Israel foorth,
the Madianites to kil:
And slue the males & burnt their townes
and led the rest at wil.
The spoile was delt foorth equally,
the captaines were so good:
Saue certain things were giuen to God
for sauing of their blood.

The xxxii. chapiter.

Ouer Iordane towards the East,
possession out was set:
For two whole tribes and halfe a one
so that they would not let.
To go before their brethern all,
in harnes freshe and bright:
Against the land of Canaan,
to put them all to flight.

The xxxiii. chapiter.

Perfourm did Moyses Gods precept
Their iourneis he did write:
From place to place in wildernes,
and telles where they did light
Then God did bid that they should kil,
the Cananites out right:
And ding their chappels all adown
and burst their Idols quite.

The xxxiiii. chapiter.

Quietly how they should possesse,
the land is tolde them plain:
The east, the west, the north, the south,
where they should rule and reign.
Who should point out the land by lots,
the Lord did Moyses tel:
The heds should set out eche mans part
where he should bide and dwel.

The xxxv. chapiter.

Resight did God the Leuits lots
the suburbs and their townes:
For refuge certain Citties set,
to keep them in their boundes:
He that with wil a man did kil,
he must of right be slain:
One witnes may in no wise stand,
vnles that they be twain.

The xxxvi. chapiter.

Supplication then was made,
for maids that were vnwed:
Within their tribe then must they take,
their husband and their hed.
Euery tribe within his tribe,
must wed and take his wife.

Not one to mixe in others part,
for fear of bate and strife.

Now Numeri hath thus his end,
the fourth book it is set:
The fift in order ye shall haue,
If God giue vs no let.

University of Virginia Library

Numeri.

The first Chapiter: