The most sacred Bible, whiche is the Holy Scripture conteyning the Old and New Testament / translated into English, and newly recognised with great diligence after most faythful exemplars, by Rychard Taverner.

¶ Esdras gathereth the people and readeth to them the lawe. They kepe the feast of tabernacles.

CAPI. VIII.

[ A] WHen the seuen moneth drewe nye, and the chyldren of Israel were in theyr cy∣tyes,* 1.1 all the people gathered togyther, as one man, vpon the strete before the water gate, and sayde vnto Esdras the scrybe, that he sholde fetche the boke of the lawe of Mo∣ses, whiche the Lorde commaunded to Israel.* 1.2 And Esdras the Preeste broughte the lawe before the congregation, bothe of men and women, and of all that coulde vnderstande it, vpon the fyrste daye of the seuenth moneth,* 1.3 and redde therin in the streate that is before water gate (frome the mornynge vntyll the noone daye) before men and women, and suche as coulde vnderstande it: and the eares of all the people were inclyned vnto the boke of the lawe. And Esdras the scrybe stode vpon an hyghe pulpyt of wodde, whiche they hadde made for the preachynge, and besyde him stode Mathathiah, Sema, Anamah, Vriah, Helki∣ah, and Maaseiah on his ryghte hande: and on his lefte hande stode Phadatah, Misael, Meschiah, Hasum, Hasebadanah, Zacharye and Mosolam.

[ B] And Esdras opened the boke before all 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 handes vp, and bowed them sel∣ues, and worshipped the Lorde with their fa∣ces to the grounde. And Iesua, Baani, Serabi∣ah, Iamin, Acuba, Sebathai, Hodaiah, Maasi∣ah, Celita, Azariah, Iosabed, Hanan, Phalai∣ah, and the Leuites caused the people to giue hede vnto the law, and the people stode in their place. And they red in the boke of the lawe of God distinctly and playnely, so that men vn∣derstode the thynge that was redde. And Ne∣hemias (whiche is Hathirsatha) and Esdras the preest and the scrybe, and the Leuites that caused the people to take hede, sayde vnto all the people: this daye is holye vnto the Lorde your God: be not ye sorye therfore, and wepe not. For al the people wepte when they herde the wordes of the lawe.

[ C] Therfore sayde he vnto them: goo youre waye, and eate the fat, and drynke the swete / and sende parte vnto them also that haue not prepared them selues, for this daye is holy vn∣to oure Lorde, be not you sorye therfore: for the ioye of the Lorde is youre strengthe. And the Leuites stylled the people, and sayd: hold youre peace, for the daye is holye / vexe not ye your selues. And al the people went their way to eate and drynke, and sende part vnto other, and to make greate myrthe, bicause they hadde vnderstande the wordes that were declared vn¦to them.

And on the nexte daye assembled the chiefe fathers amonge all the people and the Pree∣stes and Leuites, vnto Esdras the scrybe, that he shoulde teache theym the wordes of the lawe. And they founde wrytten in the lawe* 1.4 how the Lorde hadde commaunded by Mo∣ses, that the chyldren of Israel shoulde dwell in boothes in the feast of the seuenth moneth. And so they caused it be declared and pro∣claymed, in all their cityes, and at Ierusa∣lem, sayinge: goo vp vnto the mounte and fetche Olyue braunches, Pyne braunches, Myrt braunches, Palme braunches, and braū¦ches [ D] of thycke trees, to make boothes, as it is wrytten.

And the people went vp and fet, and made them boothes, euerye one vpon the rofe of his house, and in their courtes, and in the courtes of the house of God. and in the strete by wa∣ter gate, and in the strete by the gate Ephra∣im. And all the congregacion of theym that were come agayne oute of the captiuitie, made boothes, and dwelte therin: for sythens the tyme of Iosua the sonne of Nun vnto this daye, had not the chyldren of Israell doone so, and there was verye greate gladnesse. And e∣uerye daye frome the fyrst daye vnto the laste, redde he in the boke of the lawe of God. And seuen dayes helde they the feaste, and on the eyghte daye they made a gatherynge, accor∣dynge to the maner.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ii. Esdr .iii a iii. Esdr. ••x. e
• * 1.2

  Deute .xxxi .c iiii. Re .xxiii. a
• * 1.3

  The boke of the lawe is red to the peo¦ple.
• * 1.4

  Leuitis .xxii. f