1 Paralipomenon — Book front (modern spelling)

The Original Douay-Rheims (1582/1609), orthography normalized only: spelling regularized and apparatus names modernized, while the 1609 vocabulary, pronouns, and -eth/-est endings are kept. The argument is printed at the end of 4 Kings and covers both books of Paralipomenon, then the threefold division of the first.

The Argument of Paralipomenon

Paralipomenon, that is, A supplement of things omitted, called by the Hebrews Dibre haiamim, The words of days, or Chronicles, is an Abridgement briefly shewing, besides divers other things from the beginning of the world, the faith and religion both of the progenitors, and offspring of the Patriarch Jacob, whose progeny God chose and made his peculiar people; and in that nation more particularly the genealogy, and acts of king David, and other kings of his line, till they were led captive into Babylon. A book of such and so great importance (saith S. Jerome.) as whosoever without it arrogateth the knowledge of Scriptures, may mock himself. The author is uncertain, but probably it seemeth to be gathered by Esdras, out of other books and traditions, for the perfecting of the old Testament: and is undoubtedly canonical Scripture. In hebrew it is all one book, but being large, is with the Greeks and Latins parted into two. And the first book may be divided into three principal parts. The first nine chapters contain divers genealogies, first by the only right line from Adam to Noe, then by divers lines of Noe's progeny, but most specially of Jacob's twelve sons. In the tenth chapter the death of king Saul is repeated. The other nineteen chapters are all of king David: of his election to be king, and inunction, his virtues, his special acts, concerning God's service, government of the people; and provision made for building God's Temple.