The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. VI.

[verse 1] Thanne [Whanne A.] kyng Darius comaundide, and thei rekenyden [rekenyden or souȝten INS.] in the biblet of bokis, that [whiche bokis INS.] weren kept in Babiloyne. [verse 2] And o [that INS.] book was foundun in Egbatanys, which is a castel in the prouynce of Medena, and sich a sentence of the kyng was writun therynne. [verse 3] In the first ȝeer of kyng Cirus, Cirus the kyng demyde [demede or ordeyned S.] , that, `Goddis hows [the hous of God INS.] , which [that INS.] is in Jerusalem, schulde be bildid in the place where thei offren sacrifices, and that thei sette foun|dementis [foundement EL.] supportynge [beringe up I. up beringe NS.] the heiȝthe [heiȝthe of the werk I. heiȝthe of werk NS.] of sixti cubitis, and the lengthe of sixti cu|bitis, [verse 4] thre [and sette thei thre INS.] ordris of stonys vnpolischid, and so ordris [the ordris INS.] of newe trees. Sotheli [And INS.] costis [costis herto IS.] schulen be ȝouun of the kyngis hows. [verse 5] But also the goldun and siluerne vessels of Goddis temple, whiche Nabugo|donosor took fro the temple of Jerusalem, and brouȝte tho [hem INS.] in [Om. IS.] to Babiloyne, be [be thei INS.] ȝoldun, and borun aȝen in to the temple of Jerusalem, and in to her place, whiche [the whiche I.] also [vessels also INS.] be [be thei IN.] set in the temple of God. [verse 6] Now therfor Tathannai, duyk of the cuntrei which [that INS.] is biȝende the flood, and [of S.] Starbu|sannai, and ȝoure counseleris, Arphasacei, that [whiche NS.] ben byȝende the flood, departe ȝe [verse 7] fer fro hem [the Jewis INS.] ; and suffre ȝe, that thilke temple of God be maad of the duyk of Jewis, and of the eldre men of hem; and that thei bilde that hows of God in his place. [verse 8] But also it is comaundid of me, that that bihoueth to be maad of tho

preestis of Jewys, that the hows of God be bildid, that is, that costis be ȝouun bisili to tho men of the arke of the kyng, that is, of tributis [the tributis IS.] , that ben ȝouun of the contrei biȝende the flood, lest the werk be lettid. [verse 9] That if it be nede, ȝyue thei bothe calues, and lambren, and kidis in to brent sacrifice to God [God; this king hadde the feith of a veri God, and he was not holdun to the lawe of Moises, sithen he was an he|then man; for it suffiside to hethen men to helthe, for to bileue o veri God puruei|ynge to helthe of men bi maner couen|able to him; and in the article of pur|uyaunce is comprehendid priuely al the mysterie of Crist. Lire here. C.] of heuene; wheete [also wheete INS.] , salt, and wyn, and oile, bi the custom of preestis that ben in Jerusalem, be ȝouun to hem bi ech dai, that no pleynt be in ony thing. [verse 10] And offre thei offryngis to God of heuene; and preye thei for the [Om. INS.] lijf of the kyng and of hise sones. [verse 11] Ther|for the [this C.] sentence is set [boden INS.] of me, that if ony man chaungith [chaunge INS.] this comaundement [heest INS.] , a tre be takun of his hows, and be reisid [it reisid up INS.] , and be he [Om. IS.] hangid therynne [ther upon IS. theron N.] ; sotheli [and be INS.] his hows be [Om. INS.] forfetid. [verse 12] Forsothe [And INS.] God, that makith his name to dwelle there, distrie alle rewmes [the rewmes S.] and puple, that holdith [holden Xç.] forth her hond to impugne and destrie thilke hows of God, which [that INS.] is in Jerusalem. I Darius [Darius the kyng I. Darius king NS.] haue demyd the sentence [forseid sentence NS.] , which Y wole be fillid [fulfillid INS.] diligentli. [verse 13] Therfor Ta|thannai, duyk of the `cuntrei biȝende the flood, and [flood biȝonde the S.] Starbusannai, and hise coun|seleris, diden execucioun, `ether filliden [ether fulfilliden C. Om. INS.] , so [Om. INS.] diligentli, bi that that [heest that S.] kyng Darius hadde comaundid. [verse 14] Sotheli [And INS.] the eldre men of Jewis bildiden [bildiden Goddis temple INS.] , and hadden [thei hadden INS.] prosperite, bi the profesie of Aggey, the profete, and of Zacarie, the sone of Ado; and thei bildiden, and maden [maden the temple INS.] , for God of Israel comaundide [comaundide so INS.] , and for [also INS.] Cirus, and Darius, and Artaxerses, kyngis of Persis, co|maundiden [verse 15] [comaundiden this thing INS.] ; and thei performyden this hows of God `til to [vnto INS.] the thridde dai of the monethe Adar [Adar or Marche INS.] [Adar; this is the xii. mo|nethe anentis Jewis, and an|swerith in parti to oure March, and in party to Februarie. Lire here. C.] , which [that INS.] is the sixte ȝeer of the rewme of king Darius. [verse 16] For|sothe [And INS.] the sones of Israel, the [Om. INS.] preestis and dekenes, and the [Om. INS.] othere of the sones

of transmygracioun, `that is, that [of hem that S.] camen fro transmigracioun [the transmygracioun S.] , `ether caitifte [Om. S. `Gloss omitted in IN.] , maden the halewyng of Goddis hows in [verse 17] ioie; and offriden [thei offriden NS.] , `in the halewyng of Goddis hows [Om. S.] , an hundrid caluys, twei [two I. and two NS.] hundryd wetheris, foure [and foure S.] hundrid lam|bren, twelue [and twelue NS.] buckis of geet for the synne of al Israel, bi the [Om. NS.] noumbre of lynagis [the lynagis BCENPV pr. m. the lynage L.] of Israel. [verse 18] And thei ordeyneden preestis in her ordris, and dekenes in her whilis, on [vpon S.] the werkis of God in Jerusa|lem, as it is writun in the book of Moises. [verse 19] Forsothe [And INS.] the sones of transmygracioun maden pask, in the fourtenthe dai of the firste monethe. [verse 20] For [Forsothe INS.] the [Om. I.] preestis and dekenes [dekenes of the first S.] as o man weren clensid, alle [alle thei INS.] weren clene for [Om. INS.] to offre pask to alle the sones of transmygracioun, and to her bri|theren preestis, and to hem silf. [verse 21] And the sones of Israel eeten, that turneden aȝen fro transmygracioun [the transmygracioun S.] , and ech man eet, that hadde departid hym silf fro al [Om. S.] the [Om. X.] defoulyng of hethene men of the [that INS.] lond, for to seke the Lord God of Israel. [verse 22] And thei maden solempnyte [the solempnyte INS.] of therf looues seuene daies in gladnesse; for the Lord hadde maad hem glad, and hadde [he hadde INS.] turned the herte of the kyng of Assur to hem, that he wolde helpe `her hondis [the hondis of hem INS.] in the werk of the hows of the Lord God of Israel.