The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

The .viij. Chapter.

1 Esdras commeth from Babylon to Hierusalem. 10 The copie of the commission geuen by kyng Artaxerxes. 29 Esdras geueth thankes to the Lorde. 32 The num∣ber of the heades of the people that came with hym. 76 His prayer and confession.

[unspec A] 1 ANd after these, * 1.1 when Artaxerxes the kyng of the Persians raig∣ned, there went vnto hym Esdras the sonne of Saraias, the sonne of Ezerias, the sonne of Helchiach, the sonne of Salum,

2 The sonne of Sadoch, the sonne of Achitob, the sonne of Amarias, the sonne of Ezias, the sonne of Menuerath the sonne of Saraias, the sonne of Sa∣uias, the sonne of Boccas, the sonne of Abisun, the sonne of Phinees, the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the first priest:

3 This Esdras went vp from Babylon beyng a scribe of good vnderstandyng in the lawe of Moyses that was geuen by the Lorde God of Israel.

4 And the kyng fauoured hym, and dyd hym great [worshyp and] honour “ 1.2 after all his desires.

5 There went vp with hym also cer∣tayne of the children of Israel, of the priestes, of the Leuites, of the singers, porters and ministers of the temple, vnto Hierusalem.

6 In the seuenth yere of the raigne of kyng Artaxerxes in the fifth moneth, which was the seuenth yere (for they went from Babylon in the first day of the first moneth,

7 And came to Hierusalem, accordyng as God gaue thē speede in their iourney,)

8 For Esdras had gotten great know∣ledge to omit nothyng of that was in the lawe and the commaundementes of the Lorde, and to teache all Israel all the “ 1.3 ordinaunces and iudgementes.

9 The copie of the commission whiche Artaxerxes the kyng wrote, and that was geuen to Esdras the priest and reader of the lawe of the Lorde, this is it that foloweth.

[unspec B] 10 Kyng Artaxerxes sendeth his greeting vnto Esdras the priest and reader of the lawe of the Lorde.

11 I hauyng wayed thynges with pitie, haue [ordeyned and] charged, yf there be any of the Iewes, of the priestes & Le∣uites in my “ 1.4 realme, which desireth and is content to go with thee vnto Is∣rael, that he may do it.

12 Therfore, so many as long therafter, let them depart together, and go with thee like as I am content and my seuen friendes my counsaylers,

13 To see what they do at Hierusalem and in Iurie, conueniently, accordyng as thou hast in the lawe of the Lorde:

14 And to bryng the gyftes vnto [God] the Lorde of Israel, that I & my friendes haue “ 1.5 promised to Hierusalem, and all the siluer and golde that in the countrey of Babylon may be founde [parteynyng] to the Lorde in Hierusalem,

15 With the thyng that is geuen of the people to the Lorde their Gods temple at Hierusalem: that the same siluer and golde maye be gathered, for oxen, rammes, sheepe, and goates, and other that belong to these thynges,

16 That they may offer sacrifices vnto the Lorde, vpon the aulter of the Lorde their God which is at Hierusalem.

17 And whatsoeuer thou and thy bre∣thren [unspec C] wyll do with the siluer and golde, that do accordyng to the wyll of thy God:

18 And the holy vessels of the Lorde, which are geuen thee for the seruice of the temple of thy God which is in Hie∣rusalem, thou shalt set [them] before thy God in Hierusalem.

19 And whatsoeuer thyng els thou shalt remember for the vse of the temple of thy God, thou shalt geue it out of the kynges treasure.

20 And I king Artaxerxes haue also com¦maunded the kepers of the treasures in Syria and Phenice, that whatsoeuer Esdras the priest and the reader of the lawe of the hyghest God shall sende for, they shoulde geue it hym with speede:

21 Euen to the summe of an hundred ta∣lentes of siluer: of corne also an hundred “ 1.6 measures, and till an hundred * 1.7 vessels of wine, & other thinges aboundauntly.

22 Let all thinges be done after the lawe of God diligently, vnto the highest God, that wrath come not vpon the kyng∣dome of the kyng and of his sonnes.

23 I commaunde you also, that ye re∣quire no taxe nor tribute of the priestes, Leuites, holy singers, porters, and ministers of the temple, nor of any that haue doynges in this temple, and that no man haue aucthoritie to put any inpost vpon them.

24 As for thee O Esdras, set thou iudges and arbitrers to iudge in the whole lande of Syria and Phenice after the wisdome of God, all skilfull in the lawe of God, & teache such as are ignoraunt.

25 And let all them which shall offende agaynst the lawe of God and the kyng, [unspec D] be diligently punished, whether it be by death or other payne, by punishment in money, or els by banishment.

26 Then sayd Esdras the scribe: * 1.8 Blessed be the only Lorde God of my fathers that hath geuen so good a mynde & will into the heart of the kyng, to magnifie his house that is at Hierusalem,

27 And hath “ 1.9 made me to be accepted in the syght of the kyng, of his counsayle, of his friendes, and of his nobles.

28 And so I was “ 1.10 stedfast in my mynde accordyng as the Lorde my God helped me, and I gathered vp men of Israel to go vp with me.

29

* 1.11And these are the guides after their families and orders of dignities,* 1.12 that went vp with me from Babylon, in the raigne of kyng Artaxerxes.

30

Of the sonnes of Phinees, Gersom: of the sonnes of Ithamar, Gamaliel: of the sonnes of Dauid, Hattus the sonne of Cechemah:

31

Of the sonnes of Phares, Zacharias, and with hym there returned agayne

an hundred and fiftie men.

[unspec E]

32 Of the sonnes of Pahath, Moab Elio∣am, the sonne of Zacharias, and with him two hundred men.

33 Of the sonnes of Zathoe, Shechenias the sonne of Iezolus, & with hym three hundred men: & of the sonnes of Adin, Obed the sonne of Ionathan, and with him two hundred and fiftie men.

'34 Of the sonnes of Elam, Iesias, sonne 'of Gotholias, & with him seuentie men.

'35 Of the sonnes of Saphatias, Zarias, 'sonne of Machael, & with him .lxx. men.

36 Of the sonnes of Ioab, Badias, sonne of Iezelus, and with hym two hun∣dred and twelue men.

37 Of the sonnes of Banid, Assalimoth, sonne of Iosaphias, and with hym an hundred and threscore men.

'38 Of the sonnes of Babi, Zacharias, 'sonne of Bebai, & with him .xxviii. men.

'39 Of the sonnes of Astath, Iohannes, 'sonne of Acatan, and with hym an cx.

40 Of the sonnes of Adonicam the last: and these are the names of them, Eli∣phalet, Ieouel, and Maias, and with them seuentie men.

'41 Of the sonnes of Bagouthi, sonne of 'Iscacourus, and with hym. lxx. men.

42 All these called I together by the wa∣ter Thia, where we pitched our tentes three dayes, & there I mustered them.

'43 * 1.13As for the sonnes of the priestes and 'leuites,* 1.14 I founde none there.]

44 Then sent I vnto Eleazar, & beholde there came Maasman, and Maloban,

[unspec F] 45 And Alnathan, and Samaian, and Ioribon, and Nathan, Ennatan, Za∣charian, and Mosollamon the chiefe and best learned.

46 And I bad them that they should go vnto Daddens the captayne, whiche was in the place of the treasurie:

47 And commaunded them that they shoulde speake vnto Daddeus, and to his brethren, and to those that were the treasurers, to sende vs suche men as might execute the priestes office in the house of our Lorde.

48 And with the mightie hande of our lord [God] they brought vnto vs men of good “ 1.15 experience, from among y^e sonnes of Moli, the sonne of Leui, the sonne of Israel, Seredia and his sonnes and his brethren whiche were eyghteene.

49 And Asebia and Amon, and Osaian his brethrē of the sonnes of Canaineus, their sonnes were twentie men.

50 And of them that serued in the tem∣ple whom Dauid had ordayned, and the principall men to the worke of the Leuites that were ministers in the temple, two hundred & twentie, whose names are all signed vp in writing.

51 And then commaunded I a fasting vnto the young men before the Lorde, that I might desire of him a prosperous iourney [and a good way] both for vs and them that were with vs, for our chyl∣dren, and for the cattell.

52 For I feared to desire of the king men of horse and of foote, to conuey vs safely against our enemies.

53 For we had sayde vnto the kyng, that the power of the Lord our God should be with them that seeke hym, to direct them in all thinges.

54 And therfore we besought our Lorde agayne as touching these thinges, and founde him fauourable vnto vs.

55 Then I separated from among the [unspec G] chiefe of the tribes and from the priestes xij. men [to wit] Esebrias, and Assanias, & ten men of their brethren with them.

56 And I wayed them the golde and the siluer, and the holy vessels of the house of our Lorde, whiche the kyng and his counsell, and his princes, and whole Is∣rael had geuen.

57 And when I had wayed it, I deliue∣red it vnto them sixe hundred and fiftie talentes of siluer, and an hundred ta∣lentes in siluer vessels, and an hundred talentes of golde,

58 And twentie golden basens, & twelue vessels of brasse, euen fine brasse, like shi∣ning golde.

59 And I sayde vnto them: Ye are holy vnto the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the golde and the siluer is “ 1.16 promi∣sed vnto the Lord [God] of our fathers.

60 Be “ 1.17 diligent nowe and kepe it, vntyll the tyme that ye deliuer it to the chiefe of the priestes and leuites, and to the principall men of the families of Israel in Hierusalem, in the chaumbers of the house of our God.

61 * 1.18So the priestes and the leuites which receaued of me the golde, the siluer, and the vessels, brought it vnto Hierusalem vnto the temple.

62 And from the riuer Thia we brake vp the twelfth day of the first moneth, according to the mightie hande of our Lorde whiche was with vs, and from the beginning of our iourney the Lord

deliuered vs from euery enemie: so that we came vnto Hierusalem.

63 And when the thirde day was past there, the wayed golde and siluer was deliuered in the house of the Lorde on the fourth day vnto Marimoth the priest and sonne of Iori.

64 And with him was Eleazar the sonne of Phinees, and with them were Io∣sabdus the sonne of Iesu, and Moeth the sonne of Sabbanus, Leuites: all was deliuered them by number and wayght.

65 And all the wayght of them was written vp the same houre.

66 After that, they that were come out of captiuitie, offred sacrifice vnto the Lord God of Israel, euen twelue oxen for all Israel, fourescore & sixteene rammes,

67 Threescore and twelue sheepe, twelue goates for saluation, all in sacrifice to the Lorde.

68 And the kinges commission deliuered [unspec E] they vnto the kinges stewardes, and to the gouernours of Coclosyria and Phe∣nice, who honoured the people and the temple of God.

69 Now when these thinges were done, the rulers came vnto me,* 1.19 and sayde:

70 The nation of Israel, the princes, the priestes, and leuites, haue not put away from them the straunge people of the lande, nor the vncleannes of the Gen∣tiles, to wit, of the Chanaanites, He∣thites, Pheresites, Iebusites, and the Moabites, Egyptians, and Edomites.

71 For both they and theyr sonnes haue mingled them selues with the daugh∣ters of them, and the holy seede is mixt with the straunge people of the lande: and since the beginning of the affaires, the rulers and head men haue ben par∣takers of this wickednesse.

* 1.2072 And assoone as I had hearde these things, immediatly I rent my clothes, and the holy garment, and pulled out the heere of my head & my bearde, and sat me downe forowfull and heauie.

73 So all they that were moued thorow the worde of the Lorde God of Israel, came vnto me whyles I wept for the iniquitie: but I sate styll full of heaui∣nesse vntyll the euening sacrifice.

74 Then stoode I vp from fasting, ha∣uing rent clothes & the holy garment, and kneeled downe vpon my knees, & helde out my handes vnto the Lorde,

75 And sayde: O Lorde, I am confoun¦ded and ashamed before thy face.

76 For our sinnes are become many, euen [unspec F] aboue our heades, and our ignoraunces are lifted vp euen vnto heauen:

77 For since the tyme of our fathers, we are in great sinne vnto this day.

78 And for the sinnes of vs and our fa∣thers, we with our brethren, and with our kinges, and with our priestes, haue ben geuen vp vnto the kynges of the earth, into the sworde, and into captiui∣tie, and became a spoyle with confusion [and shame] vnto this day.

79 And nowe O Lord God, howe great is the mercy that we haue gotten of thee? in that thou hast lefte vs a roote and a name in the place of thy sanc∣tuarie,

80 And that thou hast discouered to vs a light in the house of the Lord our God, and hast geuen vs meate in the tyme of our seruitude.

81 And when we were in captiuitie, we were not forsaken of the Lord our god: but he made the kynges of Persia gra∣tious and fauourable vnto vs, so that they gaue vs victuals [and meate,]

82 Yea, and honoured the temple of our Lorde, and repayred the wasted places of Sion, and gaue vs assuraunce in Iu∣rie and Hierusalem.

83 And nowe O Lorde, what shall we [unspec G] say hauing all these things [in possession?] For we haue broken thy commaunde∣mentes, whiche thou gauest vnto vs by the handes of thy seruauntes the pro∣phetes, saying:

84 Because the lande whiche ye go to possesse as an heritage, is a lande defi∣led with the vncleannes [and filthynes] of the straungers of the land, and with their abhomination they haue polluted it altogether:

85 Therfore now shall ye not ioyne their daughters vnto your sonnes, neither marry your daughters to their sonnes.

86 Moreouer, ye shall neuer seeke to make peace with them, that ye may * 1.21 increase and eate the best in the lande, and that ye may leaue the inheritaunce of the lande vnto your chyldren for euermore.

87 As for the thinges that are come to passe, they come all for our wicked workes and great sinnes: for thou O Lorde hast made our sinnes light.

88 And geuen vs suche a roote: but we haue turned backe agayne, so that we haue broken thy lawe, and mingled our selues with the vncleannes of the out landishe heathen.

89 Mightest not thou be angry with vs, to destroy vs? so that thou shouldest leaue vs neither roote, seede, nor name?

90 O Lord God of Israel, thou art true: for our roote endureth yet vnto this pre∣sent day.

91 And beholde, nowe are we before thee in our sinnes, neither can we stande be∣fore thee for them.

92 * 1.22And when Esdras with this prayer had knowledged the sinne, weping and lying flat vpon the grounde before the temple, there gathered vnto him from Hierusalem a great multitude of men and women, of young men and may∣dens: for there was a very great [weping and] mourning among the multitude.

93 Then Iechomas the sonne of Ieheh, one of the chyldren of Israel, cryed out and sayde: O Esdras, we haue sinned a∣gainst the Lord God, [because] we haue maryed straunge women of the nati∣ons of the lande.

94 And now al Israel hangeth in doubt: We wyll sweare an oth therefore vnto the Lorde, that we shall put away all our wyues which we haue taken of the “ 1.23 heathen with their chyldren:

95 Like as it may seeme good to thee, and to all those that obay the lawe of the Lorde,

96 Stande vp and put it in execution: for to thee both this matter appertayne, and we are with thee to adde thee strength.

97 So Esdras arose, and toke an oth of the chiefe of the Priestes and Leuites of all Israel, to do after these thinges: and they sware.

Notes

• * 1.1

  i Esd vii. d.
• “ 1.2

  Or, in all his suites.
• “ 1.3

  Or, rygh∣teousnesse.
• “ 1.4

  Or, king∣dome.
• “ 1.5

  Or, vowed.
• “ 1.6

  Or, 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.7

  Or, 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.8

  i. Esd. vii. c.
• “ 1.9

  Or, honou∣red me.
• “ 1.10

  Or, of a good courage
• * 1.11

  i. Esdr. vi•• ••
• * 1.12

  ☜
• * 1.13

  1. Esd. xiii b.
• * 1.14

  ☜
• “ 1.15

  Or, lear∣ning.
• “ 1.16

  Or, vowed
• “ 1.17

  Or, watch.
• * 1.18

  i. Esd. viii. a.
• * 1.19

  i. Esd. ix. a.
• * 1.20

  i. Esdr. ix. c.
• * 1.21

  Or, ware strong, and eate the good thinges of the lande.
• * 1.22

  i Esd. x. ••
• “ 1.23

  Or, straun∣gers.