Esdras going from Babylon to Ierusalem, 9. carieth king Artaxerxes
fauourable letters, 14. with licence to take gold, siluer, and al thinges
necessarie at their pleasure. 31. The chief men that goe with him are
recited. 51. He voweth a fast praying for good success in their iorney.
56. weigheth the gold and siluer, which he deliuereth to the Priestes,
and Leuites. 69. And seuerely admonisheth the people to repentance, for
their mariages made with infideles.
AND after him when Artaxerxes king of the Persians reigned, came Esdras
the sonne of Azarias, the sonne of Helcias the sonne of Salome,
(1 Esd 7:1) 2 the sonne of Sadoc, the sonne of Achitob, the sonne of
Ameri, the sonne of Azahel, the sonne of Bocci, the sonne of Abisue, the
sonne of Phinees the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the first
priest. 3 This Esdras came vp from Babylon being scribe & wise in the
law of Moyses, which was geuen of our Lord the God of Israel to teach and
to doe. 4 And the king gaue him glorie, because he had found grace in al
dignitie and desire in his sight. 5 And there went vp with him of the
children of Israel, and the Priestes, and the Leuites, and the sacred
singers of the temple, and the porters, and the seuantes of the temple
into Ierusalem. 6 In the seuenth yeare when Artaxerxes reigned in the
fifth moneth, this is the seuenth yeare of his reigne, going forth of
Babylon in the newmoone of the fifth moneth, 7 they came to Ierusalem
according to his commandment, according to the prosperitie of their
iourney, which their Lord gaue them. 8 For in these Esdras had great
knowlege, that he would not pretermitte anie of those thinges, which were
according to the law, and the preceptes of our Lord, and in teaching al
Israel al iusticie and iudgement. 9 And they that wrote the writinges of
Araxerxes the king, coming deliuered the writing which was granted of
Artaxerxes the king to Esdras the Priest, & the reader of the law of our
Lord, the copie wherof here foloweth. 10 KING Artaxerxes to Esdras the
Priest, and reader of the law of the Lord, greeting. 11 I of curtesie
esteming it among benifites, haue commanded them that of their owne
accord are desirous of the nation of the Iewes, and of the Priestes and
Leuites, which are in my kingdom, to goe with thee into Ierusalem. 12 If
anie therfore desire to goe with thee, let them come together, and set
forward as it hath pleased me, and my seuen freindes my counselers:
13 that they may visite those thinges which are done touching Iurie and
Ierusalem, obseruing as thou hast in the law of the Lord. 14 And let
them carie the giftes to the Lord the God of Israel, which I haue vowed
and my freindes to Ierusalem, and al the gold and siluer, that shal be
found in the countrie of Babylon to the Lord in Ierusalem, with that,
15 which is geuen for the nation it self vnto the temple of their Lord
which is in Ierusalem: that this gold and siluer be gathered for oxen,
and rammes, and lambes, and kiddes, and for the thinges that are agreable
to these, 16 that they may offer hostes to the Lord vpon the altar of
their Lord, which is in Ierusalem. 17 And al thinges whatsoeuer thou
with thy brethren wilt doe with gold and siluer, doe it at thy pleasure
according to the precept of the Lord thy God. 18 And the sacred vessels,
which are geuen thee to the workes of the house of the Lord thy God,
which is in Ierusalem. 19 And other thinges whatsoeuer shal helpe thee
to the workes of the temple of thy God, thou shalt geue it out of the
kings treasure. 20 When thou with thy brethren wilt doe ought with gold
and siluer, doe according to the wil of the Lord. 21 And I king
Artaxerxes haue geuen commandment to the keepers of the treasure of Syria
and Phaenice, that what thinges soeuer Esdras the Priest and reader of
the law of the Lord, shal write for, they geue him vnto an hundred
talentes of siluer, likewise also of gold. 22 And vnto an hundred
measures of corne, & an hundred vessels of wine, and other thinges
whatsoeuer abound without taxing. 23 Let al thinges be done to the most
high God according to the law of God, lest perhaps there arise wrath in
the reigne of the king, and of his sonne, and his sonnes. 24 And to you
it is sayd, that vpon al the Priestes, and Leuites, and sacred singers,
and seruantes of the temple, & scribes of this temple 25 no tribute, nor
any other taxe be sette, and that no man haue auctoritie to obiect any
thing to them. 26 But thou Esdras according to the wisedom of God
appoynt iudges, and arbitrers in al Syria and Phaenice: and teach al
them that know no the law of thy God: 27 that whosoeuer shal transgresse
the law, they be diligently punished either with death, or with torment,
or els with a forfeite of money, or with banishment. 28 And Esdras the
scribe sayd: Blessed be the God of our fathers, which hath geuen this
wil into the kings hart, to glorifie his house, which is in Ierusalem.
29 And hath honoured me in the sight of the king, and of his counselers,
and freindes, and them that weare purple. 30 And I was made constant in
minde according to the ayde of our Lord my God, and gathered together of
Israel men, that should goe vp together with me. 31 And these are the
princes according to their kindredes, and seueral principalities of them
that came vp from Babylon the kingdom of Artaxerxes. (1 Esd 8:1) 32 Of
the children of Phares, Gerfomus: and of the children of Siemarith,
Amenus: of the children of Dauid, Acchus the sonne of Scecilia: 33 Of
the children of Phares, Zacharias, and with him returned an hundred
fiftie men. 34 Of the children of leader Moabilion, Zaraei, and with him
two hundred fiftie men: 35 Of the children of Zachues, Iechonias of
Zechoel, and with him two hundred fiftie men: 36 of the children of
Sala, Maasias of Gotholia, & with him seuentie men: 37 of the children
of Saphatia, Zarias of Michel, and with him eightie men: 38 of the
children of Iob, Abdias of Iehel, and with him two hundred twelue men:
39 of the children of Bania, Salimoth, the sonne of Iosaphia, and with
him an hundred sixtie men: 40 of the children of Beer, Zacharias Bebei,
and with him two hundred eight men: 41 of the children of Ezead, Ioannes
of Eccetan, and with him an hundred ten men: 42 of the children of
Adonicam, which were last, and these are their names, Eliphalam the sonne
of Gebel, and Semeias, and with him seuentie men. 43 And I gathered them
together to the riuer that is called Thia, and we camped there three
dayes, and vewed them againe. 44 And of the children of the Priestes and
Leuites I found not there. 45 And I sent to Eleazarus, and Eccelon, and
Masman, and Maloban, and Enaathan, and Samea, and Ioribum, Nathan,
Enuaugam, Zacharias, and Mosolam the leaders them selues, and that were
skilful. 46 And I sayd to them that they should come to Loddeus, who was
at the place of the treasurie. 47 And I commanded them to say to
Loddeus, and his brethren, and to them that were in the treasurie, that
they should send vs them that might doe the function of priesthood in the
house of the Lord our God. 48 And they brought vnto vs according to the
mightie hand of the Lord our God cunning men: of the children of Moholi,
the sonne of Leui, the sonne of Israel, Sebebia, & his sonnes and
brethren, which were eightene: 49 Asbia, and Amin of the sonnes of the
children of Chananeus, and their children twentie men. 50 And of them
that serued the temple, whom Dauid gaue, and the princes themselues to
the ministerie of the Leuites of them that serued the temple, two hundred
twentie. Al their names were signified in writings. 51 And I vowed
there a fast to the yong men in the sight of God, that I might aske of
him a good iourney for vs, and them that were with vs, and for the
children, and the cattel because of ambushementes. 52 For I was ashamed
to aske of the king footemen and horsemen in my companie, to guard vs,
against our aduersaries. 53 For we sayd to the king that the power of
our Lord wil be with them that seeke him with al affection. 54 And
agayne we besought the Lord our God according to these thinges: whom
also we had propicious, and we obteyned of our God. 55 And I separated
of the rulers of the people, and of the Priestes of the temple, twelue
men, and Sedebia, and Asanna, and with them of their brethren ten men.
56 And I weyed to them the gold and siluer, and the vessels of the house
of our God perteyning to the Priestes, which the king had geuen, and his
counselers, and the princes, and al Israel. 57 And when I had weyed it,
I deliuered of siluer an hundred fiftie talentes, and siluer vessels of
an hundred talentes, and of gold an hundred talentes. 58 And of vessels
of gold seuen score and twelue brasen vessels good of shyning brasse,
resembling the forme of gold. 59 And I sayd to them: You are also
sanctified to our Lord, and the vessels be holie, and the gold and siluer
is vowed to our Lord the God of our fathers. 60 Watch and keepe, til you
deliuer them to some of the rulers of the people, and to the Priestes,
and Leuites, and to the princes of the cities of Israel in Ierusalem, in
the treasurie of the house of our God. 61 And those Priestes and Leuites
that receiued the gold and siluer and vessels, brought it to Ierusalem
into the temple of our Lord. 62 And we went forward from the riuer Thia,
the twelfth day of the first moneth, til we entred into Ierusalem.
63 And when the third day was come, in the fourth day the gold being
weyed, and the siluer, was deliuered in the house of the Lord our God, to
Marimoth Priest the sonne of Iori. 64 And with him was Eleazar the sonne
of Phinees: and with them were Iosadus the sonne of Iesus, and Medias,
and Banni the sonne of a Leuite, by number and weight al thinges. 65 And
the weight of them was writen the same houre. 66 And they that came out
of the captiuitie, offered sacrifice to our Lord the God of Israel, oxen
twelue, for al Israel, rammes eightie six, 67 lambes seuentie two, bucke
goates for sinne twelue, and for health twelue kyne, al for the sacrifice
of our Lord. 68 And they read againe the preceptes of the king to the
kinges officers, and to the deputies of Coelesyria, and Phoenice: and
they honored the nation, and the temple of our Lord. 69 And these
thinges being finished, the rulers came to me, saying: The stocke of
Isreal, and the princes, and the Priestes, and the Leuites, (1 Esd 9:1)
70 and the strange people, and nations of the land haue not separated
their vncleannes from the Chananeites, and Hetheites, and Pherezeites,
and Iebuseites, and Moobites, & AEgyptians, and Idumeians. 71 For they
are ioyned to their daughters both themselues, and their sonnes: and the
holie sede is mingled with the strange nations of the earth, and the
rulers and magistrates were partakers of that iniquitie from the
beginning of the reigne it self. 72 And forthwith as I heard these
thinges, I rent my garmentes and sacred tunike: and tearing the heares
of my head, and my beard, I sate sorowful and heauie. 73 And there
assembled to me mourning vpon this iniquitie, as manie as were then moued
by the word of our Lord the God of Israel, and I sate sad vntil the
euening sacrifice. 74 And I rising vp from fasting, hauing my garmentes
rent and the sacred tunike, kneeling, and stretching forth my handes to
our Lord, 75 I sayd: Lord I am confounded, and ashamed before thy face,
76 for our sinnes are multiplied ouer our heades, and our iniquities are
exalted euen to heauen. 77 Because from the times of our fathers we are
in great sinne vnto this day. 78 And for the sinnes of vs, and of our
fathers we haue bene deliuered with our brethren, and with our Priestes
to the kinges of the earth, into sword and captiuitie, and spoile with
confusion vnto this present day. 79 And now what a great thing is this
that mercie hath happened to vs from thee o Lord God, & leaue thou vnto
vs a roote, and a name in the place of thy sanctification, 80 to discouer
our light in the house of the Lord our God, to geue vs meate in al the
time of our bondage. 81 And when we serued, we were not forsaken of the
Lord our God: but he sette vs in fauour, appointing the kinges of the
Persians to geue us meate, 82 and to glorifie the temple of the Lord our
God, and to build the desolations of Sion, to geue vs stabilitie in
Iurie, and Ierusalem. 83 And now what say we Lord, hauing these thinges?
For we haue transgressed thy preceptes, which thou gauest into the handes
of thy seruantes the prophetes, 84 saying: That the land into which ye
entred to possesse the inheritance therof, is a land polluted with the
coinquinations of the strangers of the land, and their vncleanes hath
filled it wholy with their filthines. 85 And now your daughters you shal
not match with their sonnes, and their daughters you shal not take for
your sonnes. 86 And you shal not seeke to haue peace with them for euer,
that growing strong you may eate the best things of the land, and may
distribute the inheritance to your children for euer. 87 And the thinges
that happen to vs, al are done for our nauhtie workes, and our great
sinnes. 88 And thou gauest vs such a roote, and we are returned againe
to transgresse thy ordinances, that we would be mingled with the
vncleannes of the nations of this land. 89 Wilt not thou be wrath with
vs to destroy vs, til there be no roote left nor our name? 90 Lord God
of Israel thou art true. For there is a roote left vntil this present
day. 91 Behold, now we are in thy sight in our iniquities. For it is
not to stand any longer before thee in these matters. 92 And when Esdras
with adoration confessed weeping, lying flat on the ground before the
temple, there were gathered before him out of Ierusalem a verie great
multitude, men and wemen, and yong men and yong wemen. For there was
great weeping in the multitude it self. (1 Esd 10:1) 93 And when he had
cried, Iechonias of Ieheli of the children of Israel, sayd to Esdras: We
haue sinned against our Lord, for that we haue taken vnto vs in mariage
strange wemen of the nations of the land. 94 And now thou art ouer al
Israel, in these therfore let there be an othe from our Lord to expel al
our wiues that are of strangers with their children. 95 As it was
decreed to thee of the ancesters according to the law of our Lord, rising
vp declare it. 96 For to thee the busines perteineth, and we are with
thee: doe manfully. 97 And Esdras rysing vp adiured the princes of the
Priestes and Leuites, and al Israel to doe according to these thinges and
they sware.