Content

CAP 7
1 Thanne Cysennes, the litil vndir kyng of Choelem Cyrie and Fenycen, and Satrabusanes, and her felawis, obeisheden to these thingis, that weren demyd of kyng Darie,
2 and stoden ful diligently in to the hooly werkis, wirchinge togidre with the eldre men of Jewis, princis of Cirie.
3 And the hooly werkis ben maad welsum, as the prophetes Agge and Zacharie prophecieden.
4 And thei fulfilliden alle thingis, aftir the heest of the Lord God of Israel, and aftir the counseil of Cyri, and of Darij, and of Artaxersis, kyng of Persis.
5 And oure hous is endid, in the three and twentithe dai of the monthe of Marche, in the sixte yeer of kyng Darij.
6 And the sones of Israel, and the prestis, and dekens, and othere that weren of the caitiftee, the whiche ben sett to, diden aftir thoo thingis that ben writen in the book of Moyses.
7 And thei offreden in to the dedicatioun of the temple of the Lord, an hundrid bolis, two hundrid wetheris, foure hundrid lambren,
8 twelue kides, for the synnes of al Israel, after the noumbre of the xij. lynages of Israel.
9 And the prestis and dekens stoden, clothid with the stolis, bi her lynagis, upon the werkis of the Lord God of Israel, aftir the book of Moyses; and ther weren porters bi alle the yatis.
10 And the sones of Israel diden that pask, with hem that weren of the caitiftee, in the moone of the first monthe, the fourtenthe day, whanne the prestis and dekens ben halewid.
11 And alle the sones of caitiftee thei ben not halewid togidre, for alle the Leuytis ben halewid togidere.
12 And thei offreden pask to alle the sones of caitiftee, and to her bretheren, prestis, and to them selff.
13 And the sonus of Israel, the whiche weren of the caitiftee, alle thei that hadden left fro alle the cursidnessis of Gentiles, or hethen folk, of the eerthe, eeten, and souyten the Lord;
14 and thei halewiden the feest day of therff looues, seuene daies etynge in siyt of the Lord;
15 for he conuertide the counseil of the kyng of Assirijs in hem, to coumforte the hondis of hem to the werkis of the Lord God of Israel.
1 And aftir this, while Artaxerse, kyng of Persis, regnyde, ther wente to Esdras, a man that was the sone of Azarie, sone of Elchie, sone of Salome, sone of Sadduch,
2 sone of Achitob, sone of Amarie, sone of Aza, sone of Bocce, sone of Abisae, sone of Phynees, sone of Eleazar, sone of Aaron, the first preest.
3 This Esdras stiede up fro Babiloyne, whanne he was scribe, and witty in the lawe of Moyses, the whiche was youen of the Lord of Israel, to sey it and do it.
4 And the kyng yaaf to him glorie, that he hadde founden grace in al dignytee, and in desijr, in the siyt of him.
5 And ther stiede up with him in to Jerusalem of the sones of Israel, bothe prestis, and dekens, and holy syngers of the temple, and vsshers, and seruauntis of the temple.
6 In the seuenthe yeer regnynge Artaxerse, in the fifthe monthe, this is the seuenthe yeer of the rewme, goynge out forsothe fro Babiloyne in the newe moone of the fifte monthe,
7 thei camen to Jerusalem, aftir the heestis of him, whanne the prosperitee of the wey was grauntid to hem of that Lord.
8 In these thingis forsothe Esdras weldide greet discipline, lest he passide ony thing of tho thingis that weren of the lawe of the Lord, and of the heestis, and in techynge al Israel al riytwisnesse and doom.
9 Thei forsothe that writen the writyngis of kyng Artaxerses, comynge niy, token writen that, that came from kyng Artaxerses to Esdras, the prest, and redere of the lawe of the Lord, the ensaumple of the whiche thing writen is sett next aftir.
10 Kyng Artaxerses to Esdre, the prest, and redere of the lawe of the Lord, sendith gretyng.
11 More benygne I demynge also to benefetis, comaundide to hem that desiren of the folke of Jewis their owne thingis wilfully, and of the prestis, and of dekens, that ben in my rewme, to felawschipe with thee in to Jerusalem.
12 Thanne if ony coueiten to gon with thee, come thei togidre, and go thei forth, as it plesith to me, and to my seuene frendis counseilers; that thei visite tho thingis,
13 that ben don aftir Jude and Jerusalem, kepinge the lawe, as thou hast in the lawe of the Lord;
14 and bere thei yiftis to the Lord of Israel, whom I knew, and the frendis of Jerusalem, and al the gold and the siluer, that weren founde in the rewme of Babiloyne, be it born to the Lord in Jerusalem,
15 with that that is youen of thilke folk in the temple of the Lord, of hem that is in Jerusalem; that this gold be gederid and siluer, to bolis, and wetheris, and to lambis, and kides, and that to these ben couenable; that thei offren oostes to the Lord,
16 upon the auter of the Lord of hem, that is in Jerusalem.
17 And alle thingis what euer thou wilt do with thi bretheren, perfourme it with gold and siluer, for thi will, aftir the heest of the Lord thi God.
18 And the sacrid hooly vessels, the whiche weren youen to thee, to the werkis of the Lordis hous,
19 thi God, that is in Jerusalem, and othere thingis, what euere woln helpe to the werkis of the temple of thi God, thou schalt yiuen it of the kyngis tresorie,
20 whanne thou wilt maken the werk with thi bretheren, with gold and siluer; and parfourme thou al thing aftir the will of thi Lord.
21 And I, kyng Artaxerses, haue comaundid to kepers of the tresours of Cirye and of Fenyce, that what euer thingis Esdras, the preest, and redere of the lawe of the Lord, wrijte fore, bisily be it youen to him, vn to an hundrid talentis of siluer, also and of gold;
22 and vnto an hundrid busshelis of whete, and an hundrid vessels of wyn, and othere thingis, what euer abounden, withoute taxynge.
23 Alle thingis be don to the hiest God, aftir the lawe of God, lest perauenture wraththe arijse up in the rewme of the kyng, and of his sone, and of the sones of him.
24 To you forsothe it was seid, that to alle the prestis, and dekens, and to holy syngers, and seruauntis of the temple, and to scribis of this temple,
25 no tribute, no ony oother forfendyng be born to hem, ne haue ther ony man power to ayen caste ony thing to hem.
26 Thou forsothe, Esdras, aftir the wisdom of God ordeyne domesmen and arbitrours, in al Cirye and Fenyce, and teche alle that knowen the lawe of thi God;
27 that hou fele euere passen the lawe, thei be besely punyshid, or bi deth, or bi tourment, or also bi multyng, or punysching, of money, or bi departyng awey.
28 And Esdras, the scribe, seide, Blessid be the Lord God of oure fadris, that yaaf this will in to the herte of the kyng, to clarifie his hous, that is in Jerusalem;
29 and hath wirschipid me in siyt of the kyng, and of hise counselours, and of hise frendis, and of hise purpred men.
30 And I am maad stidefast in inwitt, aftir the helpyng of the Lord oure God; and I gadride of Israel men, that thei schulden stie up togidre with me.
31 And these ben the prouostis, aftir their cuntrees, and porcionel princehedis of hem, that with me stieden up fro Babiloyne, in the rewme of Artaxerses.
32 Of the sones of Phares was Jersomus; of the sones of Cyemarith, Amenus; of the sones of Dauid, Accus, the sone of Cecelie;
33 of the sones of Phares, Zacharie, and with him ben turned ayen an hundrid men and fifty;
34 of the sonus of Ductor, Moabilonys, Zaraey, and with him two hundrid men and fifty;
35 of the sonus of Sacues, Jechonye, Thetheely, and with him two hundrid men and fifty;
36 of the sones of Salomosias, Gotholie, and with him seuenty men;
37 of the sones of Saphacye, Zarias, Mychely, and with him foure score men;
38 of the sones of Jobab, Dias, Jesely, and with him two hundrid men and twelue;
39 of the sones of Banye, Salymoth, the sone of Josaphie, and with him an hundrid men and sixty;
40 of the sones of Beer, Zacharie, Bebey, and with him two hundrid men and eiyte;
41 of the sones of Azachie, Channes, Acharie, and with him an hundrid men and ten;
42 of the sones of Adonycam, that ben the laste, and thes ben the names of hem, Elyphalam, the sone of Jebel, and Semeas, and with him seuenty men.
43 And I gedride hem to the flood, that is seid Thia and Methaty; there we weren thre daies, and I knewe hem.
44 And of the sones of prestis and of Leuytis I fonde not there.
45 And I sente to Eleazar, and to Eccelom, and Masman, and Malolan, and Enaathan, and Samea, and Joribum, Nathan, Ennagan, Zacharie, Mosollamym, the whiche weren leders and wise men.
46 And I seide to hem, that thei schulden come to Luddium, that was at the place of the tresorie.
47 And I sente to hem, that they schulden sey to Luddyum, and his bretheren, and to hem that weren in the tresorie, that thei schulden sende to vs hem that schulden vse presthod in the hous of the Lord oure God.
48 And thei brouyten to us, aftir the strong hoond of the Lord oure God, wise men of the sones of Mooly, sone of Leuy, sone of Israel, Sebebian, and sones, and bretheren, that weren eiytene;
49 Asbiam, and Ammum, of the sones of Chananey; and the sonus of hem weren twenti men.
50 And of hem that seruyden in the temple, the whiche Dauid and thei princis yauen, to the wirching to the Leuytis, to the temple, of men seruynge, two hundrid and twenty. The names of alle ben signyfied in scripturis.
51 And I vowide there fastyng to yonge men, in the siyt of the Lord, that I schulde seche of hym a good wey to us, and to hem that weren with us, of sones, and bestis, for aspies.
52 Forsothe I schamyde to aske of the kyng foot men and hors men, in felauschipe of grace, of keping ayen oure aduersaries.
53 Forsothe we seiden to the kyng, For the vertue of the Lord schal be with hem, that inwardly sechen him in al effect.
54 And efte we preieden the Lord oure God, aftir thes thingis, whom also we hadden benyngly; and we ben maad hool to oure God.
55 And I departide of the prouostis of the folc, and of the prestis of the temple, xij men, and Sedebian, and Affamyan, and ten men with hem of her bretheren.
56 And I weiede to hem siluer and gold, and prestis vessels, of the hous of the Lord oure God, the whiche the kyng had youen, and his counseilers, and princis, and al Israel.
57 And whanne I hadde peisid it, I toke an hundrid talentis of siluer and fifty, and silueren vessels of an hundrid talentis, and of gold an hundrid talentis,
58 and of golden vessels seuen score, and twelue brasen vessels of good schynynge metal, yeldinge the liknesse of gold.
59 And I seide to hem, Bothe ye ben holy to the Lord, and the vessels ben holy, and the gold and the siluer is of the avowe to the Lord God of oure fadris.
60 Wake ye, and kepe it, til the tyme that ye take it of the prouostes of the peple, and of the prestis, and of the dekens, and of princis of the citees of Israel and Jerusalem, in the priuey chaumbre of the hous of oure God.
61 And thes prestis and dekens, that token gold and siluer, and vessels, that weren in Jerusalem, thei broyten thoo in to the temple of the Lord.
62 And we moeueden forth fro the flood of Thya, the twelfthe day of the firste monthe, til that we yeden in to Jerusalem.
63 And whanne the thrid day was don, the firthe day forsothe the peisid gold and siluer was bitaken in to the hous of the Lord oure God, to Marymoth, the sone of Jory, the prest;
64 and with him was Eleazar, the sone of Phynees; and ther weren with him Josabdus, the sone of Jesu, and Medias, and Banny, the sone of a deken; alle thingis at noumbre and weiyt.
65 And the weiyt of hem is writen in the same hour.
66 Thoo forsothe, that camen fro the caitifte, offriden sacrifice of the Lord of Israel, twelue bolis for alle Israel, foure score wetheris and sixe,
67 two and seuenty lambren, twelue geet for synne, and twelue kiyn for helthe; alle in to the sacrifice of the Lord.
68 And eft thei redden the hestis of the kyng to the kyngis dispensatours, and to the litle vndir kyngis of Choele, and of Cirye, and of Fenyce; and thei wirschipiden the folc and the temple of the Lord.
69 And aftir thes thingis weren endid, thei camen to me, seiynge, The kynrede of Israel, and the princis, and the prestis,
70 and Leuytis, and alien folkis, and naciouns of the lond, han not partid awey her vnclennessis fro the Chananeis, and Etheis, and fro Pheriseis, and Jebuseis, and fro the Moabitis, and Egipcians, and Ydumeis;
71 forsothe thei weren ioyned to the douytris of hem, bothe thei and their sones; and the hooly seed was mengid togidre with the hethene folk of the loond; and the prouostis and maistre iuges weren parceners of this wickidnesse, fro the bigynnyng of that rewme.
72 And anoon as I herde thes thingis, I kitte my clothis, and the halewid coote, and I taar the heris of myn hed, and the berd, and I sate serewynge, and drury.
73 And ther camen to me thanne as many as euer weren moued in the word of the Lord God of Israel, weilynge me upon this wickidnesse; and I saat serewful vnto the euentijd sacrifice.
74 And thanne I risynge fro fastyng, hauynge my clothis kitt, knelide myche, and strecchinge out myn hondis to the Lord,
75 I seide, Lord, I am confoundid, and I am adred bifore thi face.
76 Forsothe oure synnes ben multiplied upon oure hedis, and oure wickidnessis ben enhaunsid vnto heuen;
77 for fro the tyme of oure fadris we haue be in gret synne vnto this dai.
78 And for oure owne synnes, and for the synne of oure fadris we ben taken, with oure bretheren, and with oure prestis, and with kyngis of the loond, in to swerd, and caitiftee, and in to prey, with confusion, vnto the dai that is now.
79 And now hou myche is it, that the mercy of thee, Lord God, fallith to us; leue thou to us a roote and a name, in to the place of thin halewyng,
80 to vnkoueren oure yyuere of liyt in the hous of the Lord oure God, to yiue to us mete in the tyme of oure seruage.
81 And whanne we seruyden, we weren not forsaken of the Lord oure God; but he sette us in grace, puttynge to us kyngis of Persis to yiue us mete,
82 and to clarifie the temple of the Lord oure God, and to bilde the deseertis of Syon, and to yiue to us stablenesse in Judee and in Jerusalem.
83 And now, Lord, what sey we, hauynge thes thingis? We haue ouerpassid thin hestis, the whiche thou yiue in to the hondis of thi children,
84 prophetis, that seiden, Forsothe the lond, in whiche ye haue entrid, to welde the heritage of it, is a defoulid lond with the filthis of hethen men of the lond, and the vnclennessis of hem han fulfillid al it in his vnclennesse.
85 And now therfor ye schul not ioyne youre douytris to her sones, and her douytris ye schul not take to youre sones;
86 and ye schul not seche to haue pes with hem al tyme, that comynge aboue ye ete the beste thingis of the lond, and that ye dele the heritage to youre sones, for euere.
87 And thoo thingis that fallen to us, be thei alle don for oure schrewid werkis, and oure grete synnes.
88 And thou hast youen to us sich a roote, and eft we ben turned ayen to ouerpasse thi laweful thingis, that the vnclennessis of the hethen folc of this lond weren mengid.
89 Whether thou schalt not wraththen to us, to lese us, for til the roote be forsaken, and oure seed?
90 Lord God of Israel, thou art sothfast; forsothe the root is forsaken, vnto the day that is now.
91 Lo! now we ben in thi siyt in oure wickidnessis; forsothe it is not yitt to stonde bifore thee in thes thingis.
92 And whanne Esdras honouringe knowlechide, wepinge, he fel doun to the erthe bifore the temple, ther ben gederid bifore him a ful gret multitude of Jerusalem, men, and wymmen, and younge men, and younge wymmen; forsothe the wepynge was gret in that multitude.
93 And whanne Jechonyas, the sone of Jeely, of the sones of Israel, hadde cried, Esdras seide, We haue synned ayen the Lord, for that we haue sett with us in to matrimonye hethen wymmen, of the Gentiles of the lond.
94 And now who so euer is ouer al Israel in thes thingis, be ther to vs an ooth of the Lord, to putten awey alle oure wyues, that ben, with her sones, of the hethene folk;
95 as it is demed to thee of the grettere men, aftir the lawe of the Lord. Arijse now up, and schewe thi will;
96 forsothe to thee abijdith this nede, and we ben with thee; do manly.
97 And Esdras arisynge up, made the princis of prestes, and the dekens, and al Israel, to swere to do aftir alle thes thingis; and thei sworen.