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

CAP. VII.

[verse 1] Thanne Cisennes, vnder litil king of Choelem Cirie and Fenicem, and Satra|busanes, and the felawis, obesheden to these thingus, that of king Darye weren [verse 2] demed, stoden in to the holi werkis most diligentli, togidere werkende with the eldere men of Jewis, princis of Cirie. [verse 3] And the sacrid holi werkis ben made welsum, profeciende Agge and Sacarie, profetus. [verse 4] And alle thingus thei fulfilden, bi the heste of the Lord God of Irael, and of the counseil of Ciri, and of Darie,

and of Artaxerse, king of Persis. [verse 5] And oure hous is endyd, vnto the thre and twentithe dai of the moneth of March, the sixte ȝer of king Darie. [verse 6] And the sonus of Irael diden, and the prestis, and Leuitus, and othere that weren of the caitifte, that ben set to, after thoo thingus that ben writen in the boc of Moises. [verse 7] And thei offriden in to the dedicacioun of the temple of the Lord, bolis, an hun|drid; wetheris, two hundrid; lambis, [verse 8] foure hundrid; kidis for the synnes of al Irael, twelue, after the noumbre of the linagis of Irael. [verse 9] And the prestus stoden, and Leuitus, clad [clothede AEFH.] the stolis, bi the linagis, vpon the werc of the Lord God of Irael, after the boc of Moises; and vssheris bi alle the ȝatis. [verse 10] And the sonus of Irael diden, with hem that weren of the cai|tifte, that pasch, the mone of the firste moneth, fourtene, whan ben halewid the prestis and the Leuitus. [verse 11] And alle the sonus of caitifte ben not togidere halewid, for alle the Leuitus ben togidere halewid. [verse 12] And thei offriden pasch to alle the sonus of caitifte, and to ther brethern, prestis, and to hemself. [verse 13] And the sonus of Irael eeten, that weren in [of E pr. m.] the caitifte, alle that hadden laft fro alle the cursidnessis of the Jentilis of the erthe, sechende the [verse 14] Lord; and thei haleweden the feste dai of therue loues, seuene daȝes etende in [verse 15] the siȝte of the Lord; for he conuertide the counseil of the king of Assiris in hem, to coumforte the hondus of hem to the werkis of the Lord God of Irael. [verse 1] And after this, regnende Artaxerse, king of Persis, wente to Esdras, the sone of Azarie, sone of Elchie, sone of Salome, [verse 2] sone of Sadduch, sone of Achitob, sone of Ameri, sone of Azaei, sone of Bocce, sone of Abisae, sone of Finees, sone of Eleasar, sone of Aron, firste preest. [verse 3] This Esdras steȝede vp fro Babiloine, whan he was scribe, and witti in the lawe of Moises, that is ȝiuen of the Lord of Irael, to sein and to do. [verse 4] And the king ȝaf to hym glorie, that he hadde

founde grace in alle dignete, and desijr, in the siȝte of hym [hem C pr. m.] . [verse 5] And ther steȝeden vp togidere with hym of the sonus of Irael, and prestis, and Leuitus, and holi singeres of the temple, and vssheris, and seruauns of the temple, in to Jerusalem. [verse 6] The seuenthe ȝer regnende Artaxerse, in the fifte monyth, this is the seuenthe ȝer of the regne, goende out forsothe fro Babiloine in the newe mone of the fifte [verse 7] moneth, thei camen to Jerusalem, after the [Om. A.] hestus of hym, after the ȝiuen pros|perite of the weie to hem of that Lord. [verse 8] In these thingys forsothe Esdras weldede gret discipline, lest he passide biside any thing of thoo thingis that weren of the lawe of the Lord, and hestus, and in techende al Irael alle riȝtwesnesse and dom. [verse 9] Comende forsothe neeȝ thei that writen the writen thingus of king Arta|xerses, token writen that, that cam fro king Artaxerses to Esdras, prest, and redere of the lawe of the Lord, of whiche thinge the exsaumple is leid vnder.