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¶ At the cōmaundemente of Darius kynge of Persia. after the temple was buylded and dedicate, the Chyl∣dren of Israell kepte the feast of vnleuended breade.
THen cōmaunded kynge Darius, & they [unspec A] made search in the librarye, euen in the place where they layde vp the treasure at Ba¦bilon.* 1.1 ❀ And there was founde in a Coffe•• (in the place that is in the land of the Med{is}••
a volume: and therein was it thus wrytten, and soche a memoryall: In the fyrst yeare of kynge Cirus, gaue the same kynge Cirus cō∣maundement concernynge the house of God at Ierusalem, that the same house shulde be buylded in the place where they offer the sa∣crifyces, ❀ and to ••oyne the walles togyther of thre score cubytes heyght, and thre score cu¦bytes bredth. Thre rowes of rough stones / and one rowe of tymber, & the expences shall be gyuen of the kynges house. And let the golde and syluer vessell of the house of God (whiche Nabuchodonozer toke oute of the temple at Ierusalem / and brought vnto Ba¦bilon) be restored, and brought agayne vnto the temple at Ierusalem to theyr place in the house of God.
Get you far••e from them therfore / thou [unspec B] Thahnai captayne beyonde the water / and Stharbuzanai, and your counsaylers, and Aphersechei / whiche are beyonde the water / get you away frō them. Let the worke of the house of this God alone, that the captayne of the Iues and theyr Elders maye buylde the house of god in his place. I haue cōmaūded what shall be done to the Elders of Iuda for the buyldyng of the house of God, that there shall be dylygent hede taken of the Kynges goodes, euen of the rentes beyond the water, & gyuen vnto the men, that they be not hyn∣dred. And yf they haue nede of calues ramm{is} and lambes, for the burnt offeryng of the god of heuen / wheate / salte, wyne and oyle / after the custome of the preestes at Ierusalem / let the same be gyuen them daylye without any delaye, that they may offer swete sauours vn¦to the god of heuen, and pray for the kynges lyfe / and for his Chyldren. And soche a com∣maundement haue I gyuen that what man soeuer he be that altereth this worde, there shall a beame be taken from his house, and set vp, and he shal be hanged theron, and his house shall be ❀ made a donghyll for the same thynge.
And the God that set his name there, de∣stroye [unspec C] all kynges, & people / that put to theyr hande to alter / & to breake downe that house of God whiche is at Ierusalem. I Darius haue cōmaūded, that this be done with spede Then Tathnai the captayne of the countrey beyonde the water, and Stharbuzanai with theyr counsaylers (to whome kynge Darius had sent) dyd theyr dilygence. And the El∣ders of the Iues buylded, and they prospe∣red thorowe the prophesyenge of Aggeus the Prophet and Zachary the son of Iddo: and they buylded, and layde v•• the foundacyon / accordynge to the cōmaundement of the god of Israell, and after the commaundement of Cyrus, and Darius & Arthaxerses kynges of Persia. And the house was finysshed the thyrde daye of the moneth Adar, euen in the syxte yere of the reygne of kynge Darius. * 1.2 And the Chyldren of Israell, the Preestes / the Leuites, & the other Chyldren of the cap∣tiuyte helde the dedicacyon of this house of God with ioye, and offered at the dedicacion of this house of God, an hundred Oxen, two hundred rammes, foure hūdred gootes: and for the reconcylynge of all Israell twelue he gootes, accordynge to the nombre of the try∣bes of Israell, and set the Preestes in theyr [unspec D] sondrye courses, and the Leuites in theyr dy∣uerse offices to minyster vnto God at Ieru∣salem, as it is wrytten in the boke of Moses.
And the Chyldren of the captyuyte helde Passeouer vpon the. x••iii. day of the fyrst mo¦neth: for the preestes and Leuites were pury¦fied, so that they were al cleane togyther, and kylled Passeouer for all the Chyldren of the captiuyte, and for theyr brethren the preestes, and for them selues. And the chyldren of Is∣raell which were come agayne out of the cap¦tiuyte, and all soche as had seperated them selues vnto them from the fylthynesse of the Heathen of the lande: to seke the Lorde God of Israell, dyd eate / and helde the feast of vn∣leuened breade seuen dayes with ioye: for the Lorde had made them glad, and turned the herte of the kynge of Assur vnto them, to strengthen theyr handes in the worke of the house of God / euen the God of Israell.
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