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

CAP. VIII.

[verse 10] Kyng Artaxerses to Esdre, the prest, and redere of the lawe of the Lord, sendith gretyng. [verse 11] More benygne I demynge also to benefetis, comaundide to hem that de|siren of the folke of Jewis their owne thingis wilfully, and of the prestis, and of dekens, that ben in my rewme, to felaw|schipe with thee in to Jerusalem. [verse 12] Thanne if ony coueiten to gon with thee, come thei togidre, and go thei forth, as it plesith to me, and to my seuene frendis coun|seilers; [verse 13] that thei visite tho thingis, that ben don aftir Jude and Jerusalem, kepinge the lawe, as thou hast in the lawe of the [verse 14] Lord; and bere thei ȝiftis to the Lord of Israel, whom I knew, and the frendis of Jerusalem, and al the gold and the siluer,

that weren founde in the rewme of Babi|loyne, be it born to the Lord in Jerusalem, [verse 15] with that that is ȝouen of thilke folk in the temple of the Lord, of hem that is in Jerusalem; that this gold be gederid and siluer, to bolis, and wetheris, and to lambis, and kides, and that to these ben couenable; [verse 16] that thei offren oostes to the Lord, upon the auter of the Lord of hem, that is in Jerusalem. [verse 17] And alle thingis what euer thou wilt do with thi bretheren, perfourme it with gold and siluer, for thi will, aftir the heest of the Lord thi God. [verse 18] And the sacrid hooly vessels, the whiche weren ȝouen to thee, to the werkis of the Lordis [verse 19] hous, thi God, that is in Jerusalem, and othere thingis, what euere woln helpe to the werkis of the temple of thi God, thou schalt ȝiuen it of the kyngis tresorie, [verse 20] whanne thou wilt maken the werk with thi bretheren, with gold and siluer; and parfourme thou al thing aftir the will of thi Lord. [verse 21] And I, kyng Artaxerses, haue comaundid to kepers of the tresours of Cirye and of Fenyce, that what euer thingis Esdras, the preest, and redere of the lawe of the Lord, wrijte fore, bisily be it ȝouen to him, vn to an hundrid ta|lentis [verse 22] of siluer, also and of gold; and vnto an hundrid busshelis of whete, and an hundrid vessels of wyn, and othere thingis, what euer abounden, withoute taxynge. [verse 23] Alle thingis be don to the hiest God, aftir the lawe of God, lest perauenture wraththe arijse up in the rewme of the kyng, and of his sone, and of the sones of him. [verse 24] To ȝou forsothe it was seid, that to alle the prestis, and dekens, and to holy syngers, and seruauntis of the temple, and to scribis [verse 25] of this temple, no tribute, no ony oother forfendyng be born to hem, ne haue ther ony man power to aȝen caste ony thing to hem. [verse 26] Thou forsothe, Esdras, aftir the wisdom of God ordeyne domesmen and arbitrours, in al Cirye and Fenyce, and teche alle that knowen the lawe of thi [verse 27] God; that hou fele euere passen the lawe, thei be besely punyshid, or bi deth, or bi

tourment, or also bi multyng, or punysch|ing, of money, or bi departyng awey. [verse 28] And Esdras, the scribe, seide, Blessid be the Lord God of oure fadris, that ȝaaf this will in to the herte of the kyng, to clarifie [verse 29] his hous, that is in Jerusalem; and hath wirschipid me in siȝt of the kyng, and of hise counselours, and of hise frendis, and of hise purpred men. [verse 30] And I am maad stidefast in inwitt, aftir the helpyng of the Lord oure God; and I gadride of Is|rael men, that thei schulden stie up to|gidre with me. [verse 31] And these ben the pro|uostis, aftir their cuntrees, and porcionel princehedis of hem, that with me stieden up fro Babiloyne, in the rewme of Artax|erses. [verse 32] Of the sones of Phares was Jer|somus; of the sones of Cyemarith, Ame|nus; of the sones of Dauid, Accus, the [verse 33] sone of Cecelie; of the sones of Phares, Zacharie, and with him ben turned aȝen [verse 34] an hundrid men and fifty; of the sonus of Ductor, Moabilonys, Zaraey, and with him [verse 35] two hundrid men and fifty; of the sonus of Sacues, Jechonye, Thetheely, and with [verse 36] him two hundrid men and fifty; of the sones of Salomosias, Gotholie, and with [verse 37] him seuenty men; of the sones of Sapha|cye, Zarias, Mychely, and with him foure [verse 38] score men; of the sones of Jobab, Dias, Jesely, and with him two hundrid men [verse 39] and twelue; of the sones of Banye, Saly|moth, the sone of Josaphie, and with him [verse 40] an hundrid men and sixty; of the sones of Beer, Zacharie, Bebey, and with him [verse 41] two hundrid men and eiȝte; of the sones of Azachie, Channes, Acharie, and with [verse 42] him an hundrid men and ten; of the sones of Adonycam, that ben the laste, and thes ben the names of hem, Elyphalam, the sone of Jebel, and Semeas, and with him seuenty men. [verse 43] And I gedride hem to the flood, that is seid Thia and Methaty; there we weren thre daies, and I knewe hem. [verse 44] And of the sones of prestis and of Leuytis I fonde not there. [verse 45] And I sente to Eleazar, and to Eccelom, and Masman, and Malolan, and Enaathan, and Samea, and Joribum, Nathan, Ennagan, Zacharie,

Mosollamym, the whiche weren leders and wise men. [verse 46] And I seide to hem, that thei schulden come to Luddium, that was at the place of the tresorie. [verse 47] And I sente to hem, that they schulden sey to Luddyum, and his bretheren, and to hem that weren in the tresorie, that thei schulden sende to vs hem that schulden vse presthod in the hous of the Lord oure God. [verse 48] And thei brouȝten to us, aftir the strong hoond of the Lord oure God, wise men of the sones of Mooly, sone of Leuy, sone of Israel, Sebebian, and sones, and bretheren, that [verse 49] weren eiȝtene; Asbiam, and Ammum, of the sones of Chananey; and the sonus of hem weren twenti men. [verse 50] And of hem that seruyden in the temple, the whiche Dauid and thei princis ȝauen, to the wirching to the Leuytis, to the temple, of men ser|uynge, two hundrid and twenty. The names of alle ben signyfied in scripturis. [verse 51] And I vowide there fastyng to ȝonge men, in the siȝt of the Lord, that I schulde seche of hym a good wey to us, and to hem that weren with us, of sones, and bestis, for aspies. [verse 52] Forsothe I schamyde to aske of the kyng foot men and hors men, in felauschipe of grace, of keping aȝen oure aduersaries. [verse 53] Forsothe we seiden to the kyng, For the vertue of the Lord schal be with hem, that inwardly sechen him in al effect. [verse 54] And efte we preieden the Lord oure God, aftir thes thingis, whom also we hadden benyngly; and we ben maad hool to oure God. [verse 55] And I de|partide of the prouostis of the folc, and of the prestis of the temple, xij men, and Sedebian, and Affamyan, and ten men with hem of her bretheren. [verse 56] And I weiede to hem siluer and gold, and prestis vessels, of the hous of the Lord oure God, the whiche the kyng had ȝouen, and his counseilers, and princis, and al Israel. [verse 57] And whanne I hadde peisid it, I toke an hundrid ta|lentis of siluer and fifty, and silueren vessels of an hundrid talentis, and of gold [verse 58] an hundrid talentis, and of golden vessels seuen score, and twelue brasen vessels of good schynynge metal, ȝeldinge the lik|nesse

of gold. [verse 59] And I seide to hem, Bothe ȝe ben holy to the Lord, and the vessels ben holy, and the gold and the siluer is of the avowe to the Lord God of oure fadris. [verse 60] Wake ȝe, and kepe it, til the tyme that ȝe take it of the prouostes of the peple, and of the prestis, and of the dekens, and of princis of the citees of Israel and Jeru|salem, in the priuey chaumbre of the hous of oure God. [verse 61] And thes prestis and de|kens, that token gold and siluer, and ves|sels, that weren in Jerusalem, thei broȝten thoo in to the temple of the Lord. [verse 62] And we moeueden forth fro the flood of Thya, the twelfthe day of the firste monthe, til that we ȝeden in to Jerusalem. [verse 63] And whanne the thrid day was don, the firthe day forsothe the peisid gold and siluer was bitaken in to the hous of the Lord oure God, to Marymoth, the sone of Jory, [verse 64] the prest; and with him was Eleazar, the sone of Phynees; and ther weren with him Josabdus, the sone of Jesu, and Me|dias, and Banny, the sone of a deken; alle thingis at noumbre and weiȝt. [verse 65] And the weiȝt of hem is writen in the same hour. [verse 66] Thoo forsothe, that camen fro the caitifte, offriden sacrifice of the Lord of Israel, twelue bolis for alle Israel, foure [verse 67] score wetheris and sixe, two and seuenty lambren, twelue geet for synne, and twelue kiyn for helthe; alle in to the sacrifice of the Lord. [verse 68] And eft thei redden the hestis of the kyng to the kyngis dispensatours, and to the litle vndir kyngis of Choele, and of Cirye, and of Fenyce; and thei wirschipiden the folc and the temple of the Lord. [verse 69] And aftir thes thingis weren endid [fillid endid I.] , thei camen to me, seiynge, The kynrede of Israel, and the princis, and the [verse 70] prestis, and Leuytis, and alien folkis, and naciouns of the lond, han not partid awey her vnclennessis fro the Chananeis, and Etheis, and fro Pheriseis, and Jebuseis, and fro the Moabitis, and Egipcians, and [verse 71] Ydumeis; forsothe thei weren ioyned to

the douȝtris of hem, bothe thei and their sones; and the hooly seed was mengid togidre with the hethene folk of the loond; and the prouostis and maistre iuges weren parceners of this wickidnesse, fro the bi|gynnyng of that rewme. [verse 72] And anoon as I herde thes thingis, I kitte my clothis, and the halewid coote, and I taar the heris of myn hed, and the berd, and I sate serew|ynge, and drury. [verse 73] And ther camen to me thanne as many as euer weren moued in the word of the Lord God of Israel, weil|ynge me upon this wickidnesse; and I saat serewful vnto the euentijd sacrifice. [verse 74] And thanne I risynge fro fastyng, hau|ynge my clothis kitt, knelide myche, and [verse 75] strecchinge out myn hondis to the Lord, I seide, Lord, I am confoundid, and I am adred bifore thi face. [verse 76] Forsothe oure synnes ben multiplied upon oure hedis, and oure wickidnessis ben enhaunsid vnto [verse 77] heuen; for fro the tyme of oure fadris we haue be in gret synne vnto this dai. [verse 78] And for oure owne synnes, and for the synne of oure fadris we ben taken, with oure bretheren, and with oure prestis, and with kyngis of the loond, in to swerd, and caitiftee, and in to prey, with confusion, vnto the dai that is now. [verse 79] And now hou myche is it, that the mercy of thee, Lord God, fallith to us; leue thou to us a roote and a name, in to the place of thin halew|yng, [verse 80] to vnkoueren oure ȝyuere of liȝt in the hous of the Lord oure God, to ȝiue to us mete in the tyme of oure seruage. [verse 81] And whanne we seruyden, we weren not forsa|ken of the Lord oure God; but he sette us in grace, puttynge to us kyngis of Persis [verse 82] to ȝiue us mete, and to clarifie the temple of the Lord oure God, and to bilde the deseertis of Syon, and to ȝiue to us stable|nesse in Judee and in Jerusalem. [verse 83] And now, Lord, what sey we, hauynge thes thingis? We haue ouerpassid thin hestis, the whiche thou ȝiue in to the hondis of [verse 84] thi children, prophetis, that seiden, For|sothe

the lond, in whiche ȝe haue entrid, to welde the heritage of it, is a defoulid lond with the filthis of hethen men of the lond, and the vnclennessis of hem han fulfillid al it in his vnclennesse. [verse 85] And now therfor ȝe schul not ioyne ȝoure douȝtris to her sones, and her douȝtris ȝe schul not take [verse 86] to ȝoure sones; and ȝe schul not seche to haue pes with hem al tyme, that comynge aboue ȝe ete the beste thingis of the lond, and that ȝe dele the heritage to ȝoure sones, for euere. [verse 87] And thoo thingis that fallen to us, be thei alle don for oure schrewid werkis, and oure grete synnes. [verse 88] And thou hast ȝouen to us sich a roote, and eft we ben turned aȝen to ouerpasse thi laweful thingis, that the vnclennessis of the hethen folc of this lond weren mengid. [verse 89] Whether thou schalt not wrath|then to us, to lese us, for til the roote be forsaken, and oure seed? [verse 90] Lord God of Israel, thou art sothfast; forsothe the root is forsaken, vnto the day that is now. [verse 91] Lo! now we ben in thi siȝt in oure wickid|nessis; forsothe it is not ȝitt to stonde bifore thee in thes thingis. [verse 92] And whanne Esdras honouringe knowlechide, wepinge, he fel doun to the erthe bifore the temple, ther ben gederid bifore him a ful gret multitude of Jerusalem, men, and wym|men, and ȝounge men, and ȝounge wym|men; forsothe the wepynge was gret in that multitude. [verse 93] And whanne Jechonyas, the sone of Jeely, of the sones of Israel, hadde cried, Esdras seide, We haue synned aȝen the Lord, for that we haue sett with us in to matrimonye hethen wymmen, of the Gentiles of the lond. [verse 94] And now who so euer is ouer al Israel in thes thingis, be ther to vs an ooth of the Lord, to putten awey alle oure wyues, that ben, with her [verse 95] sones, of the hethene folk; as it is demed to thee of the grettere men, aftir the lawe of the Lord. Arijse now up, and schewe [verse 96] thi will; forsothe to thee abijdith this nede, and we ben with thee; do manly. [verse 97] And Esdras arisynge up, made the princis

of prestes, and the dekens, and al Israel, to swere to do aftir alle thes thingis; and thei sworen.