BECAUSE ye haue committed sinne | |
| Against the myghtie God, | |
| Ye may be certein to possesse | |
| His scourging whip and rod: | |
| |
| Nabuchodonosor the king | 5 |
| Shall lead you captiues all | |
| Unto the Babilonians’ soyle, | |
| And there remaine ye shall | |
| |
| Long season, yea, and many dayes; | |
| For God hath so decreede, | 10 |
| That seuen generations | |
| Shall there be spent in deede. | |
| |
| But afterwarde with peace and rest | |
| From thence I will you bring, | |
| In safetie and in sauegarde sure, | 15 |
| As underneath my wing. | |
| |
| But yet whylst that in Babilon | |
| Ye do as captiues byde, | |
| There shall you see the gods of gold | |
| And silver tyme and tyde; | 20 |
| |
| And eke their gods of wood and stone, | |
| Which they on shoulders beare; | |
| Which tendeth unto nothing, but | |
| The heathen for to feare. | |
| |
| But when you see the multitude | 25 |
| Which geueth honor due | |
| Unto these flattering fained gods, | |
| Then do remember you: | |
| |
| “O Lorde, it is thy maiestie | |
| “That oughtest for to haue | 30 |
| “The adoration, whereof nowe | |
| “The heathen thee depraue.” | |
| |
| This being done, my angel shall | |
| Be with you as you are, | |
| And I myselfe will surely seeme | 35 |
| For all your soules to care. | |
| |
| As for the timber of those gods, | |
| The carpenter you see | |
| Hath polyshed, and yet besyde | |
| They gaily gilted be. | 40 |
| |
| Yet are they thinges of vanitie, | |
| And neuer seeme to speake: | |
| And therefore they that worship them | |
| Do my commandment breake. | |
| |
