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Apocryphà.

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II. Efdras.

earth, (and that thy felf alone) and commandedst the people,

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5 And gavest a body unto Adam without foul, which was the workmanship of thine hands, and didft breathe into him the breath of life, and he was made living before thee. 6 And thou leddeft him into paradife, which thy right hand had planted, before ever the earth came forward.

7 And unto him thou gavest commandment to love thy way: which he tranfgreffed, and immediately thou appointedst death in him, and in his generations, of whom came nations, tribes, people, and kindreds out of number.

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8 And every people walked after their own will, and did wonderful things before thee, and despised thy commandments.

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9 And again in procefs of time thou broughteft the flood upon those that dwelt in the world, and destroyedft them.

10 And it came to pafs in every of them, that as death was to Adam, fo was the flood to these.

II Neverthelefs, one of them thou lefteft, namely, Noah with his houfhold, of whom came all righteous men.

12 And it happened, that when they that dwelt upon the earth began to multiply, and had gotten them many children, and were a great people, they began again to be more ungodly than the firft.

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13 Now when they lived fo wickedly before thee, thou didst choose thee a man from among them, whose name was Abraham.

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14 Him thou lovedft, and unto him only thou fhewedft thy will:

15 And madeft an everlasting covenant with him, promifing him that thou wouldst never forfake his feed.

i Gen. 21. 2, 3. 16 8 And unto him thou gavest Isaac, and Gen, 25. 25, hunto Ifaac alfo thou gavest Jacob and Efau. As for Jacob, thou didst choose him to thee, and put by Efau and fo Jacob became a great multitude.

Mal. 1. 2, 3. Rom. 9. 13.

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17 And it came to pafs, that when thou *tod. 19. 1. leddeft his feed out of Egypt, k thou broughtest them up to the mount Sina.

Deut. 4. 10.

18 And bowing the heavens, thou didst fet faft the earth, and movedit the whole world, and madeft the depths to tremble, and troubledst the men of that age.

19 And thy glory went through four gates, of fire, and of earthquake, and of wind, and of cold; that thou mightft give the * Or, and to all law unto the feed of Jacob, and diligence #rail, that they unto the generation of Ifrael.

the generation of

fhould keep it with diligences

Jom 7.8,&c.

20 And yet tookeft thou not away from them a wicked heart, that thy law might bring forth fruit in them.

21 For the firft Adam bearing a wicked heart, tranfgreffed, and was overcome; and fo be all they that are born of him.

22 Thus infirmity was made permanent; and the law (alfo) in the heart of the people with the malignity of the root; fo that the good departed away, and the evil abode ftill.

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23 So the times paffed away, and the years 1 Sam. 16. 13. Were brought to an end: then didft thou raise thee up a fervant, called David :

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24" Whom thoù commandedft to build 2 Sam. 5. 2. a city unto thy name, and to offer incenfe and oblations unto thee therein.

25 When this was done many years, then they that inhabited the city forfook thee,

26 And in all things did even as Adam and all his generations had done for they alfo had a wicked heart.

27 And fo thou gavest thy city over into the hands of thine enemies.

28 Are their deeds then any better that inhabit Babylon, that they fhould therefore have the dominion over Sion?

29 For when I came thither, and had feen impieties without number, then my foul faw many evil-doers in this thirtieth year, fo that my heart failed me.

30 For I have seen how thou fuffereft them finning, and haft fpared wicked doers: and haft destroyed thy people, and haft preserved thine enemies, and haft not fignified it.

31 I do not remember how this way to, may be left Are they then of Babylon better than they of Sion?

32 Or is there any other people that knoweth thee befides Ifrael? or what generation hath fo believed thy covenants as Jacob?

33 And yet their reward appeareth not, and their labour hath no fruit: for I have gone here and there through the heathen, and I fee that they flow in wealth, and Or, abesnú think not upon thy commandments.

34 Weigh thou therefore our wickedness now in the balance, and theirs also that dwell in the world; and fo fhall thy name no where be found, but in Ifrael.

35 Or when was it that they which dwell upon the earth have not finned in thy fight? or what people hath fo kept thy commandments ?

36 Thou shalt find that Ifrael by name hath kept thy precepts; but not the heathen. CHAP. IV.

I The angel declareth the ignorance of Ef dras in Gods judgments, 13 and adviseth him not to meddle with things above his reach. 23 Nevertheless Efdras asketh divers questions, and receiveth answers to them.

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Nd the angel that was fent unto me,whofe name was Uriel, gave me an answer, 2 And faid, Thy heart hath gone too far in this world, and thinkeft thou to comprehend the way of the most High?

3 Then faid I, Yea, my lord: and he anfwered me, and faid, I am fent to fhew thee three ways, and to fet forth three fimilitudes before thee :

4 Whereof if thou canst declare me one, I will fhew thee alfo the way that thou defireft to fee, and I fhall fhew thee from whence the wicked heart cometh.

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Apocrypha.

Chap. iv.

7 And he said unto me, If I fhould ask thee how great dwellings are in the midst of the fea, or how many iprings are in the beginning of the deep, or how many springs are above the firmament, or which are the out-goings of paradise :

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8 Peradventure thou wouldst fay unto me, I never went down into the deep, nor as yet into hell, neither did I ever climb up into heaven.

9 Nevertheless, now have I asked thee but only of the fire, and wind, and of the day wherethrough thou haft paffed, and.of things from which thou canst not be separated, and yet canft thou give me no anfwer of them. 10 He faid moreover unto me, Thine own things, and fuch as are grown up with thee canft thou not know ;

11 How fhould thy veffe! then be able to comprehend the way of the Higheft, and the world being now outwardly corrupted, t, incorrupto understand the corruption that is evident in my fight?

dg. 9. 8.

I. 25. 18.

12 Then faid I unto him, It were better that we were not at all, than that we fhould live still in wickednefs, and to fuffer, and not to know wherefore.

13 He answered me, and faid, I went into a forest into a plain, and the • trees took counsel,

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14 And faid, Come, let us go and make war against the fea, that it may depart away before us, and that we may make us more woods.

15 The floods of the fea alfo in like manner took counfel, and faid, Come, let us go up and fubdue the woods of the plain, that there also we may make us another country.

16 The thought of the wood was in vain, for the fire came and confumed it.

17 The thought of the floods of the fea came likewife to nought, for the fand flood up and stopped them.

18 If thou wert judge now betwixt these two, whom wouldst thou begin to justifie? or whom wouldıt thou condemn ?

19 I answered and faid, Verily it is a foolish he land. thought that they have both devised, for the ground is given unto the wood, and the sea alfo hath his place to bear his ‡ floods.

waves.

he Land.

1. 31. 2.14.

20 Then anfwered he me, and faid, Thou haft given a right judgment, but why judgest thou not thy felf alfo?

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21 For like as* the ground is given unto the 5. 8, 9. wood, and the fea to his floods: even fo they that dwell upon the earth may understand nothing, but that which is upon the earth: and he that dwelleth above the heavens, may only understand the things that are above the height of the heavens.

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22 Then answered I, and faid, I befeech thee, O Lord, let me have understanding.

23 For it was not my mind to be curious of the high things, but of fuch as pafs by us daily, namely, wherefore Ifrael is given up as a reproach to the heathen, and for what caufe the people whom thou haft loved, is given over unto ungodly nations, and why the law of our forefathers is brought to nought, and the where written covenants come † to none effect,

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Apocrypha..

24 And we pass away out of the world as grafhoppers, and our life is astonishment and fear, and we are not worthy to obtain mercy.

25 What will he then do unto his name, whereby we are called? of these things have I asked.

26 Then answered he me, and faid, The more thou fearcheft, the more thou fhalt marvel, for the world hafteth fast to pass

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28 But as concerning the things whereof thou askeft me, I will tell thee; for the evil is fown, but the deftruction thereof is not yet come.

29 If therefore that which is fown be not turned upside down, and if the place where the evil is fown pafs not away, then cannot it come that is fown with good.

30 For the grain of evil feed hath been fown in the heart of Adam from the beginning, and how much ungodlinefs hath it brought up unto this time? and how much fhall it yet bring forth until the time of flier, キ threshing come?

31 Ponder now by thy felf, how great fruit of wickednefs the grain of evil feed hath brought forth.

32 And when the ears fhall be cut down, which are without number, how great a. floor fhall they fill?

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33 Then I anfwered and faid, How, and when shall these things come to pafs? wherefore are our years few and evil?

34 And he answered me, faying, Do not thou haften above the most Highest for thy hafte is in vain to be aboye him, for thou haft much exceeded.

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35 Did not the fouls alfo of the righteous ask queftion of thef things in their chambers, faying, How long fhall I hope on this fashion? when cometh the fruit of the floor of our reward?

36 And unto these things Uriel the arch- or, Jeremiel, angel gave them anfwer, and faid, Even when the number of feeds is filled in you: for he hath weighed the world in the balance.

37 By measure hath he measured the times, and by number hath he numbred the times; and he doth not move nor ftir them, until the faid measure be fulfilled.

38 Then anfwered I, and faid, O Lord that bearest rule, even we all are full of impiety.

39 And for our fakes peradventure it is that the floors of the righteous are not filled, because of the fins of them that dwell upon the earth.

40 So he answered me, and faid, Go thy way to a woman with child, and ask of her when the hath fulfilled her nine months, if her womb may keep the birth any longer within her.

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46 What is paft I know, but what is for to come I know not.

47 And he faid unto me, Stand up upon the right fide, and I fhall expound the fimilitude unto thee.

48 So I ftood and faw, and behold, an hot burning oven paffed by before me: and it hap pened that when the flame was gone by, I looked, and behold, the fmoke remained ftill.

49 After this there paffed by before me a watry cloud, and fent down much rain with a ftorm, and when the stormy rain was past, the drops remained still.

50 Then faid he unto me, Confider with thy felf; as the rain is more than the drops, and as the fire is greater than the smoke: but the drops and the fmoke remain be+ Or, measure hind: fo the quantity which is past did more exceed.

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51 Then I prayed, and faid, May I live, thinkeft thou, until that time? or what fhall happen in those days?

52 He anfwered me, and faid, As for the tokens whereof thou askeft me, I may tell thee of them in part: but as touching thy life, I am not fent to fhew thee, for I do not know it. CHAP. V.

1 The figns of the times to come. 23 He asketb why God choosing but one people, did caft them off. 30 He is taught that Gods judgments are unfearchable, 46 and that God doth not all at once.

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Evertheless, as concerning the tokens, behold, the days fhall come, that they which dwell upon earth * fhall be taken in a great number, and the way of truth fhall be hidden, and the land fhall be barren of faith. 2 But iniquity fhall be increafed above that which now thou feeft, or that thou hast heard long ago.

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3 And the land † that thou feeft now to have root, fhalt thou fee wafted fuddenly. But if the most High grant thee to live, thou fhalt fee after the third trumpet, that the fun fhall fuddenly fhine again in the night, and the moon thrice in the day.

5 And blood fhall drop out of the wood, and the stone fhall give his voice, and the people fhall be troubled.

6 And even he shall rule whom they look not for that dwell upon the earth, and the fowls fhall take their flight away together.

7 And the Sodomitifh fea fhall caft out fith, and make a noife in the night, which many have not known but they fhall all hear the voice thereof.

8 There fhall be a confufion alfo in many places, and the fire fhall be oft fent out again, and the wild beafts fhall change their

Apocrypha.

places, and menftruous women fhall bring forth monfters.

9 And falt waters fhall be found in the fweet, and all friends fhall deftroy one another; then fhall wit hide it felf, and understanding withdraw it felf into his fecret chamber,

10 And shall be sought of many, and yet not be found then fhall unrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied upon earth.

II One land alfo fhall ask another, and say, Is righteousness that maketh a man righteous gone through thee? And it fhall fay, No.

12 At the fame time fhall men hope, but nothing obtain: they fhall labour, but their ways fhall not* profper.

13 To fhew thee fuch tokens I have leave; and if thou wilt pray again, and weep as now, and fast seven days, thou shalt hear yet greater things.

14 Then I awaked, and an extreme fearfulness went through all my body, and my mind was troubled, fo that it fainted.

15 So the angel that was come to talk with me, held me, comforted me, and fet me up upon my feet.

16 And in the fecond night it came to pafs, that Salathiel the captain of the people came unto me, faying, Where haft thou been, and why is thy countenance fo heavy?

17 Knowest thou not that Ifrael is committed unto thee, in the land of their captivity?

18 Up then, and eat bread, and forsake us not, as the fhepherd that leaveth his flock in the hands of cruel wolves.

19 Then faid I unto him, Go thy ways from me, and come not nigh me: Ánd he heard what I faid, and went from me.

20 And fo I fafted feven days mourning and weeping, like as Uriel the angel commanded me.

21 And after seven days, fo it was that the thoughts of my heart were very grievous unto me again.

22 And my foul recovered the fpirit of understanding, and I began to talk with the moft High again,

23 And faid, O Lord that bearest rule, of every wood of the earth, and of all the trees thereof, thou haft chofen thee one only vine: And of all lands of the whole world thou haft chofen thee one pit: and of all the flowers thereof, one lily:

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25 And of all the depths of the fea,thou hast filled thee one river and of all builded cities thou haft hallowed Sion unto thy felf:

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26 And of all the fowls that are created, thou haft named thee one dove and of all the cattle that are made, thou haft provided thee one sheep :

27 And among all the multitude of peoples, thou haft gotten thee one people: and unto this people whom thou lovedft, thou gavest a law that is approved of all.

* Oz, be dir

28 And now, O Lord, why haft thou given this one people over unto many? and † upon to, v the one root haft thou prepared others, and why haft thou scattered thy only one people among many?

29 And

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29 And they which did gainfay thy promifes, and believed not thy covenants, have troden them down.

30 If thou didst fo much hate thy people, yet shouldst thou punish them with thine own hands.

31 Now when I had spoken these words, the angel that came to me the night afore, was fent unto me,

32 And faid unto me, Hear me, and I will inftruct thee; hearken to the thing that I fay, and I fhall tell thee more.

33 And I faid, Speak on, my Lord: then faid he unto me, Thou art fore troubled in hap. 8.47. mind for Ifraels fake loveft thou that people better than he that made them?

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34 And I faid, No, Lord, but of very grief have I fpoken: for my reins pain me every hour, while I labour to comprehend the way of the most High, and to feek out part of his judgment.

35 And he faid unto me, Thou canst not: and I faid, Wherefore, Lord? whereunto was I born then? or why was not my mothers womb then my grave, that I might not have feen the travel of Jacob, and the wearifom toil of the ftock of Ifrael?

-36 And he faid unto me, Number me the things that are not yet come, gather me together the drops that are fcattered abroad, make me the flowers green again that are withered,

37 Open me the places that are closed, and bring me forth the winds that in them are fhut up, fhew me the image of a voice: and then I will declare to thee the thing that thou laboureft to know.

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38 And I faid, O Lord that bearest rule, who may know these things, but he that hath not his dwelling with men ?

39. As for me, I am unwife: how may I then fpeak of these things whereof thou askest me? 40 Then faid he unto me, Like as thou canft do none of these things that I have fpoken of, even fo canft thou not find out my judgment, or in the end the love that I have promised unto my people.

41 And I faid, Behold, O Lord, yet art thou nigh unto them, that be referved till the end and what fhall they do, that have been before me, or we (that be now) or they that shall come after us?

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42 And he faid unto me, I will liken my judgment unto a ring like as there is no flackness of the laft, even fo there is no fwiftness of the firit..

43 So I answered and faid, Couldst thou not make those that have been made, and be now, and that are for to come, at once; that thou mightst fhew thy judgment the fooner?

44 Then anfwered he me, and faid, The creature may not hafte above the maker, neither may the world hold them at once that fhall be created therein.

45 And I faid, As thou haft faid unto thy fervant, that thou which giveft life to all, haft given life at once to the creature that thou haft created, and the creature bare it: even fo it might now alfo bear them that now be present at once.

Apocrypha.

46 And he said unto me, Ask the womb of a woman, and fay unto her, If thou bringeft forth children, why doft thou it not together, but one after another? pray her therefore to bring forth ten children at once.

47 And I faid, She cannot but must do it by diftance of time.

48 Then faid he unto me, Even fo have I given the womb of the earth to those that be fown in it, in their times.

49 For like as a young child may not bring forth the things that belong to the aged, even fo have I difpofed the world which I created.

50 And I asked, and said, Seeing thou hast now given me the way, I will proceed to fpeak before thee: for our mother of whom thou haft told me that the is young, draweth now nigh unto age.

51 He answered me, and faid, Ask a woman that beareth children, and fhe fhall tell thee.

52 Say unto her, Wherefore are not they whom thou haft now brought forth, like thofe that were before, but lefs of ftature?

53 And she shall answer thee, They that be born in the ftrength of youth, are of one fashion, and they that are born in the time of age (when the womb faileth) are otherwife.

54 Confider thou therefore alfo, how that ye are lefs of ftature than those that were before you.

55 And fo are they that come after you, lefs than ye, as the creatures which now begin to be old, and have paffed over the trength of youth.

56 Then faid I, Lord, I befeech thee, if I have found favour in thy fight, fhew thy fervant by whom thou vifiteft thy creature. CHAP. VI.

1 Gods purpose is eternal. 8 The next world fhall follow this immediately. 13 What shall fall out at the laft. 31 He is promised more knowledge, 38 and reckoneth up the works of the creation, 57 and complaineth that they have no part in the world for whom it was made.

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Nd he faid unto me, In the beginning, when the earth was made, before Or, circle of the borders of the world flood, or ever the winds blew,

2 Before it thundred and lightned, or ever the foundations of paradife were laid,

3 Before the fair flowers were feen, or ever the moveable powers were established, before the innumerable multitude of angels were gathered together,

4 Or ever the heights of the air were lifted up, before the meafures of the firmament were named, or ever the chimneys in Sion were hot,

5 And ere the prefent years were fought out, and or ever the inventions of them that now fin, were turned, before they were fealed that have gathered faith for a treasure :

6 Then did I confider these things, and they all were made through me alone, and through none other: by me alfo they fhall be ended, and by none other. 7 Then

C 2

the earth.

Apocrypha.

•Gen. 25. 26. + Os, from the

beginning.

Or, carti:quake.

* Or, fealed.

b1 Cor. 15. 52.

II. Efdras.

7 Then anfwered I, and faid, What shall be the parting afunder of the times? or when fhall be the end of the firft, and the beginning of it that followeth?

8 And he faid unto me, From Abraham unto Ifaac, when Jacob and Efau were born of him, Jacobs hand held † first the heel of Efau.

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9 For Efau is the end of the world, and Jacob is the beginning of it that followeth.

10 The hand of man is betwixt the heel and the hand other question, Efdras, ask thou not.

III answered then, and faid, O Lord that beareft rule, if I have found favour in thy fight,

12 I beseech thee, fhew thy fervant the end of thy tokens, whereof thou fhewedst me part the last night.

13 So he answered, and faid unto me, Stand up upon thy feet, and hear a mighty founding voice.

14 And it fhall be as it were a great ‡ motion, but the place where thou flandeft

fhall not be moved.

15 And therefore when it fpeaketh, be not afraid for the word is of the end, and the foundation of the earth is, understood.

16 And why? because the fpeech of these things trembleth, and is moved for it knoweth that the end of these things must be changed.

17 And it happened that when I had heard it, I ftood up upon my feet, and hearkned, and behold, there was a voice that fpake, and the found of it was like the found of

many waters.

18 And it faid, Behold, the days come, that I will begin to draw nigh, and to visit them that dwell upon the earth,

19 And will begin to make inquifition of them, what they be that have hurt unjustly with their unrighteoufnefs, and when the affliction of Sion fhall be fulfilled.

20 And when the world that fhall begin to vanish away, fhall be * finished, then will I fhew these tokens: the books fhall be opened before the firmament, and they fhall fee all together.

21 And the children of a year old fhall fpeak with their voices, the women with child fhall bring forth untimely children, of three or four months old, and they shall live and be raised up.

22 And fuddenly fhall the fown places appear unfown, the full ftore-houses fhall fuddenly be found empty.

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23 And the trumpet fhall give a found, which when every man heareth, they fhall be fuddenly afraid.

24 At that time shall friends fight one against another like enemies, and the earth fhall ftand in fear with thofe that dwell therein, the fprings of the fountains shall stand ftill, and in three hours they fhall not run.

25 Whofoever remaineth from all these that I have told thee, fhall efcape, and fee my falvation, and the end of your world.

26 And the men that are received fhall fee it, who have not tafted death from their birth: and the heart of the inhabitants fhall be changed, and turned into another meaning.

Apocrypha.

27 For evil shall be put out, and deceit shall be quenched.

28 As for faith it fhall flourish, corruption fhall be overcome, and the truth which hath been fo long without fruit, fhall be declared.

29 And when he talked with me, behold, I looked by little and little upon him before whom I ftood.

30 And these words faid he unto me, I am come to fhew thee the time of the night

to come.

31 If thou wilt pray yet more, and fast seven days again, I fhall tell thee greater things by day, then I have heard.

32 For thy voice is heard before the most High: for the mighty hath seen thy righteous dealing, he hath feen also thy chastity, which thou haft had ever fince thy youth.

33 And therefore hath he fent me to fhew thee all these things, and to fay unto thee, Be of good comfort, and fear not.

34 And haften not with the times that are paft, to think vain things, that thou mayst not haften from the latter times.

35 And it came to pass after this, that I wept again, and fafted feven days in like manner, that I might fulfil the three weeks which he told me.

36 And in the eighth night was my heart vexed within me again, and I began to speak before the most High.

37 For my spirit was greatly fet on fire, and my foul was in diftrefs.

• See Chap. 13,

Ver. 52.

38 And I faid, O Lord, thou spakest from the beginning of the creation, even the first day, and faidft thus, & Let heaven and Gen. 1. 1. earth be made; and thy word was a perfect work.

39 And then was the fpirit, and darkness and filence were on every side the found of mans voice was not yet formed.

40 Then commandedst thou a fair light to come forth of thy treasures, that thy work might appear.

41 Upon the fecond day thou madest the fpirit of the firmament, and commandedst it to part asunder, and to make a division betwixt the waters, that the one part might go up and the other remain beneath.

42 Upon the third day thou didst command that the waters fhould be gathered in the seventh part of the earth: fix parts haft thou dried up and kept them, to the intent that of these fome being planted of God and tilled, might ferve thee.

43 For affoon as thy word went forth, the work was made.

44 For immediately there was great and innumerable fruit, and many and divers pleafures for the taste, and flowers of unchangeable colour, and odours of wonderful fmell: and this was done the third day.

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45 Upon the fourth day thou command- Gen. 1.14 edit that the fun fhould fhine, and the moon give her light, and the stars fhould be in order:

Deut. 4 19

46 And gaveft them a charge to do f fer- Gen. If vice unto man, that was to be made. 47 Upon the fifth day, thou faidst unto the feventh part where the waters were & Gen, г. 20, gathered,

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