The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ Esdras gathereth the people togyther, and redeth to them the Lawe. They kepe the feast of Tabernacles, or bothes.

CAPI. VIII.

ANd ✚ all * 1.1 the people gathered them [unspec A] selues togyther as one mā in the strete that was before the water gate, & they sayde vnto Esdras the scribe, that he shulde fetche * 1.2 the boke of the law of Moses, which the Lorde cōmaunded to Israel. And Esdras the Preest brought the lawe before the con∣gregacyon bothe of men and women, and all that coulde vnderstande dyd herken vnto it, vpon the fyrste daye of the seuenth moneth, and he red therin in the strete that was before the water gate (from the mornynge vntyll the noone daye) before men and women that dyd herken to it: and the eares of all the peo∣ple were enclyned vnto the boke of the lawe. And Esdras the scribe stode vpon an hyghe pulpyt of wood, which they had made for the preachynge, & besyde hym stode Mathathia Sema, Anania, Uriah, Helkia, and Maasia on his ryght hande: and on his lefte hande stode Pedaia, Misael, Malchia, Hasum, Ha¦sebadana, Zachary, and Mesulam.

And Esdras opened the boke before all [unspec B] the people, for he stode aboue all the people. And when he opened it, all the people stode vp. And Esdras praysed the Lorde the great God. And all the people answered: Amen, Amen, with theyr hand{is} vp, and bowed them¦selues, and worshypped the Lorde, fallynge downe vpon theyr faces to the grounde.

And Iesua, Baam, Serabiah, Iamin, Acub Sebathai, Hodaia, Maasia, Celita, Azaria, Iozabad, Hanan, Pelaia: & the Leuites cau∣sed the people to gyue hede vnto the lawe, & the people stode in theyr place. And they red in the boke of the lawe of god distynctly and playnly, so that men vnderstode the thynge that was red. And Nehemiah (whiche is Ha∣thirsatha) and Esdras the preest and scribe, & the Leuites that caused the people to take hede, sayd vnto al the people: this day is holy vnto the Lorde your God: be not ye sory, and wepe not. For al the people wepte, when they herde the wordes of the lawe.

And he sayd vnto them: * 1.3 go your waye, and eate the fat, and drynke the swete, & sende [unspec C] parte vnto them also that haue not prepared them selues: for this day is holy vnto the lord be not ye sory therfore: for the ioy of the lorde is your strength. ⊢ And the Leuites stylled all the people, and sayd: holde your peace, for the day is holy, vexe not ye your selues. And al the people went theyr way to eate & drynke and to sende parte vnto other, and to make great myrth, bycause they had vnderstande the wordes that was declared vnto them. And on the nexte day were gathered togyther the cheyfe fathers amonge all the people and the preestes & Leuites, vnto Esdras the scribe that they myght vnderstande the wordes of the law. And they founde wrytten in the law (* 1.4 which the Lorde had cōmaunded by Mo∣ses) that the chyldren of Israell shulde dwell in bothes in the feast of the seuenth moneth: and that they shulde cause it to be declared & proclamed in all theyr cityes, and thorowout Ierusalem, sayenge.

Go forth vnto the mount & fetche Olyue [unspec D] braunches, Pyne braunches, Myrte braun∣ches, Palme braūches, & braunches of thicke trees, to make bothes, as it is wrytten.

And so the people went forth, and fet them and made them bothes, euery one vpon the rofe of his house, and in theyr courtes, and in the courtes of the house of god, & in the strete by the water gate, and in the strete by porte Ephraim. And all the congregacion of them that were come agayne out of the captiuyte, made bothes, and sat vnder the bothes: For synce the tyme of Iosua the son of Nun vnto this day, had not the chyldren of Israel done so, and there was very great gladnesse. And euery day, from the fyrst day vnto the laste, red Esdras in the boke of the lawe of God. And seuen dayes helde they the feast, and on the eyght day, the gatheryng togyther, accor∣dynge vnto the maner.

Notes

• * 1.1

  i. Esdr. iii. •• 3. Esdr. li••. ••
• * 1.2

  Deute 〈◊〉〈◊〉. •• 4. Ro. 23. ••
• * 1.3

  ••. Esdr. ix g
• * 1.4

  〈…〉〈…〉 23. f. ••••••m. 29. b 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Mata, i. c