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

CAP. VII.

[verse 1] Aftir these woordis forsothe, in the regne of Artaxerses, king of Persis, Es|dras, the sone of Saraie, sone of Azarie, [verse 2] sone of Elchie, sone of Sellum, sone of [verse 3] Sadoch, sone of Achitob, sone of Amarie, [verse 4] sone of Azarie, sone of Maraioth, sone [verse 5] of Saraie, sone of Osi, sone of Bocci, sone of Abisue, sone of Finees, sone of Elea|sar, sone of Aron, prest fro the begyn|nyng; [verse 6] this Esdras steȝede vp fro Babi|loine, and he a swift scribe in the lawe

of Moises, the whiche the Lord God of Irael ȝaf; and the king ȝaf to hym, after the goode hond of the Lord his God vpon hym, al his asking. [verse 7] And ther steȝeden vp of the sonus of Irael, and of the sonus of prestus, and of the sonus of Leuitus, and of the singeres, and of the porteris, and of the sodeknys, in Jerusa|lem the seuenthe ȝer of Artaxerses, king. [verse 8] And thei camen in to Jerusalem the fifte monyth; this is the seuenthe ȝer of the king. [verse 9] For in the firste dai of the firste monyth thei begunnen to steȝen vp fro Babiloine, and in the firste dai of the fifte monyth he cam in to Jerusalem, after the goode hond of his God vpon hym. [verse 10] Esdras forsothe greithede his herte, that he enserche the lawe of the Lord, and do, and teche in Irael maun|dement and dom. [verse 11] This is forsothe the saumpler of the epistil of the maunde|ment, that king Artaxerses ȝaf to Esdre, preest, wis scribe in woordis and in maundemens of the Lord, and his ceri|moines in Irael. [verse 12] Artaxerses, king of kingus, to Esdre, the prest, most wis scribe of the lawe of God of heuene, greting. [verse 13] Of me is a decre, that to whom|soeuer it plese in my rewme of the puple of Irael, and of his prestus, and of the Leuitus, to gon in to Jerusalem, go he with thee. [verse 14] Forsothe fro the face of the king and of the seuene counseileris of hym thou art sent, that thou visite Jude and Jerusalem in the lawe of thi God, [verse 15] that is in thi hond; and that thou bere siluer and gold, that the king and his counseileris wilfulli offriden to the God of Irael, whos tabernacle is in Jerusalem. [verse 16] And al the siluer and gold, what euere thou findist in al the prouince of Babi|loine, and the puple wile offren, and of the prestus that wilfulli offriden to the

hous of ther God, that is in Jerusalem, [verse 17] freli to taken; and bisili bie of that monei calues, wetheris, lombis, and sacri|fises, and the offring of likouris of hem; and offre them vpon the auter of the temple of ȝour God, that is in Jerusalem. [verse 18] But and if any thing to thee, and to thi brethern plese, of the remnaunt of siluer and of gold that ȝee do, after the wil of [verse 19] ȝoure God doth; also the vesselis that ben ȝiue in the seruise of the hous of thi God, tac in the siȝte of God in to Jerusalem. [verse 20] But and othere thingus the whiche nede were in the hous of thi God, hou miche euere is nede, that thou spende, thou shalt ȝiue of the tresor of the king and of the comun bagge, and of me. [verse 21] I, Artaxerses, king, haue ordeined, and demed to alle the keperis of the comun cofre, that ben beȝonde the flod, that what euer aske of ȝou Esdras, prest, scribe [and scribe C.] of the lawe of God of heuene, withoute tariyng ȝiue [verse 22] ȝee, vnto an hundrid talentus of siluir, and vnto an hundrid batus of win, and vnto an hundrid choris of whete, and vnto an hundrid batus of oile, salt for|sothe withoute mesure. [verse 23] Al that to the rit of God of heuene perteneth, be it ȝiue bisili in the hous of God of heuene, lest perauenture he be wroth aȝen the reume of the king and of his sonus. [verse 24] To ȝou also we maken knowen of alle the prestus, and Leuitus, singeres, porteris, sodeknys, and mynystris of the hous of this God, and [Om. A.] pedage and tribute and ȝeris frutus haue ȝee no power of putting `vpon [on C.] hem. [verse 25] Thou forsothe, Esdra, after the wisdam of thi God, that is in thin hond, ordeine thou domysmen and gouernoures, that thei deme to al the puple, that is

beȝonde the flod, to hem, that is, that knewen the lawe of thi God, and the lawe of the king; but and vnwise men techeth freely. [verse 26] And eche that doth not the lawe of thi God, and the lawe of the king bisili, dom shal ben of hym, or [outher AEFH.] in to deth, or [outher AEFH.] in to outlawe, or in to con|dempnacioun of his substaunce, or certis in to prisoun. And Esdras, scribe, seide, [verse 27] Blessid the Lord God of oure fadris, that ȝaf this in the herte of the king, that he shulde glorifie the hous of the Lord, that [verse 28] is in Jerusalem, and in me hath in bowid his merci befor the king, and his coun|seileris, and alle the myȝti princis of the king And I, coumfortid bi the hond of the Lord, of my God, that was in me, I gaderede of the sonus of Irael princis, that steȝeden vp with me.