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1 ESDRAS - THIRD BOOK OF ESDRAS
By: patrick jane Date: May 24, 2020, 3:10 am
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THE THIRD BOOKE OF ESDRAS.
For helpe of the readers, especially such as haue not leysure to
read al, we haue gathered the contentes of the chapters; but
made no Annotations: because the text it self is but as a
ommentarie to the Canonical bookes; and therfore we haue only
added the concordance of other Scriptures in the margin.
CHAP. I.
Iosias king of Iuda maketh a great Pasch, 7. geuing manie hostes
to such as wanted for sacrifice: 14. the Priestes and Leuites
performing their functions therin: 22. in the eightenth yeare f
his reigne, 25. He is slayne in battel by the king of AEgypt,
32. and much lamented by the Iewes. 34. His sonne Ieconias
succedeth. 37. After him Ioacim, 40. who is deposed by the king
of abylon. 43. Ioachim reigneth three monethes, and is caried
into Babylon. 46. Sedecias reigneth eleuen yeares wickedly.
52. and he with his people is caried captiue into Babylon, the
citie and emple are destroyed. 57. so remayned til the
Monarchie of the Persians.
1 AND Iosias made a Pasch in Ierusalem to our Lord & immolated
the Phase the fourtenth moone of the moneth: (4 Kings 23:21 / 2
Par 35:1)
2 appointing the Priestes by courses of dayes lothed with stoles
in the temple of our Lord.
3 And he spake to the Leuites the sacred seruantes of Isreal,
that they should sanctifie them selues to our Lord in the
placing of the holie arke of ur Lord in the house, which king
Salomon sonne of Dauid built.
4 It shal not be for you to take it vpon your shoulders. And
now serue your Lord, and take the care of that nation Israel, in
part ccording to your villages and tribes,
5 according to the writing of Dauid king of Israel, and
according to the magnificence of Salomon his sonne, al in the
temple, and according to your fathers ortion of principalitie,
among them that stand in the sight of your brethren the children
of Isreal.
6 Immolate the Pasch, and prepare the sacrifices for your
bretheren, and doe according to the recept of our Lord which was
geuen to Moyses. (Ex 12 / Lev 23 / Num 28)
7 And Iosias gaue vnto the people that was found of sheepe,
lambes, and kiddes, and goates thirtie thousand, calues here
thousand.
8 These thinges were geuen to the people of the kinges goodes
according to promisse: and to the priestes for the Phase,
sheepe in number two thousand, and calues an hundred.
9 And Iechonias, and Semeias, and Nathanael bretheren, and
Hasabias, and Oziel, and Coraba for the Phase sheepe fiue
thousand, calues fiue hundred.
10 And when these thinges were done in ood order, the Priestes
an the Leuites stood hauing azymes by tribes.
11 And according to the portions of their fathers principalitie,
in the sight of the people they did offer, to our Lord ccording
to those thinges, which were written in the booke of Moyses:
12 and rosted the Phase with fire as it ought: and the hostes
they boyled in cauldrons, and in pottes with beneuolence:
13 and they brought to al that were of the people: and
afterward they prepared for them selues and the priestes.
14 For the Priestes offered the fatte, vntil the houre was
ended: and the Leuites repared for them selues, and their
brethren, the children of Aaron.
15 And the sacred singing men, the children of Asaph were by
order according to the precept of Dauid and Asaph, and acharias,
and Ieddimus, which was from the king.
16 And the porters at euerie gate, so that none transgressed his
owne: for their brethren prepared for them.
17 And the thinges were onsummate that perteyned to the
sacrifice of our Lord.
18 In that day they celebrated the Phase, and offered hostes
vpon the sacrifice of our Lord, according to the precept of king
Iosias.
19 nd the children of Israel, that were found at that time,
celebrated the Phase: and the festiual day of Azymes for seuen
dayes:
20 and there was not celebrated such a Phase in Isreal, from the
imes of Samuel the prophet:
21 and al the kinges of Israel did not celebrate such a Phase as
Iosias did, and the Priestes, and the Leuites, and the Iewes,
and al Israel, that were found in their bode at Ierusalem.
22 In the eightenth yeare, Iosias reigning was the Phase
celebrated.
23 And the workes of Iosias were directed in the sight of his
Lord in a hart ful of feare:
24 and the hinges concerning him are writen in the ancient
times, touching them that sinned, and were irreligous against
our Lord aboue al nations, and that sought not the wordes of our
Lord vpon Israel.
25 And after al this fact of Iosias, came vp Pharao the king of
AEgypt comming in Charcamis from the way vpon Euphrates, and
Iosias went forth to meete him. (4 Kings 23:29 / 2 Par 35:20)
26 And the king of AEgypt sent to Iosias saying: What is there
betwen me & thee king of Iuda?
27 I was not sent of the Lord to fight against thee: for my
battel is vpon Euphrates, goe downe n hast.
28 And Iosias did not returne vpon his chariote: but endeuoured
to ouerthrow him, not attending the word of the prophet from the
mouth of our Lord:
29 but he made battel against im in the field of Mageddo. And
princes went downe to king Iosias.
30 And the king said to his seruantes: Remoue me from the
battel, for I am weakned excedingly. And forthwith his eruantes
remoued him out of the battel.
31 And he went vp into his second chariote: & comming to
Ierusalem, dyed, and was buried in his fathers sepulchre.
32 And in al Iurie they mourned or Iosias, & the rulers with
their wiues lamented him vntil this day. And this was geuen out
to be done alwayes vnto al the stocke of Israel.
33 But these thinges were writen before in the booke f the
histories of the kinges of Iuda: and al the actes of the doing
of Iosias, and his glorie and his vnderstanding in the law of
our Lord: and the thinges that were done by him, and that are
not riten in the booke of the kinges of Israel and Iuda.
34 And they that were of the nation, taking Iechonias the sonne
of Iosias, made him king for Iosias his father, when he was
three and wentie yeares old. (4 Kings 23:30 / 2 Par 36:1)
35 And he reigned ouer Israel three monethes. And the king of
AEgypt remoued him, that he should not reigne in Ierusalem:
36 and he put a axe vpon the nation of siluer an hundred
talentes, and of gold one talent.
37 And the king of AEgypt made Ioacim his brother king of Iuda
and Ierusalem:
38 and he bound the magistrates of oacim, and Zaracel his
brother, and taking them brought them backe into AEgypt.
39 Ioacim was fiue and twentie yeares old when he began to
reigne in the land of Iuda and Ierusalem: and he id euil in the
sight of our Lord.
40 And after this man came vp Nabuchodonosor the king of
Babylon, and binding him with a bande of brasse, brought him
into Babylon.
41 And abuchodonosor tooke the sacred vessels of our Lord, and
carried away, and consecrated them in his temple in Babylon.
42 For his vncleanes, and lacke of religion is written in the
booke of the imes of the kinges.
43 And Ioachin his sonne reigned for him. And when he was made
king, he was eightene yeares old.
44 And reigned three monethes and ten dayes in Ierusalem, and
did uil in the sight of our Lord:
45 and after a yeare Nabuchodonosor sending, transported him
into Babylon together with the sacred vessels of our Lord. (4
Kings 24:13)
46 And he made edecias king of Iuda and Ierusalem, when he was
one and twentie yeares old: (4 Kings 24:17) and he reigned
eleuen yeares.
47 And he did euil in the sight of our Lord, and was not afraid
of he wordes which were spoken by Ieremie the prophet from the
mouth of our Lord: (Jer 37:2)
48 and being sworne of king Nabuchodonosor, forsworne he did
reuolt: and his necke being ardened, & his hart, he
transgressed the ordinances of our Lord the God of Israel.
49 And the princes of the people of our Lord did manie thinges
wickedly, and they did impiously aboue al he vncleannes of the
nations: and they polluted the temple of our Lord that was
holie of Ierusalem.
50 And the God of their fathers sent by his messenger to reclame
them, for that he would pare them, and his tabernacle.
51 But they scorned at his messengers: and in the day that our
Lord spake to them, they were mocking his prophetes.
52 Who was moued euen vnto wrath vpon is nation for their
impietie, and commanded the kinges of the Chaldees to come vp.
53 These slewe their yong men with the sword, round about their
holie temple, and spared not yong man, nd old man, and virgin,
and youth:
54 but al were deliuered into their handes: & taking al the
sacred vessels of our Lord, and the kinges treasures, they
caried them into Babylon,
55 and burnt he house of our Lord, and threwe downe the walles
of Ierusalem: and the towres therof they burnt with fire,
56 and consumed al their honorable thinges, and brought them to
naught, and those hat were left of the sword, they led into
Babylon.
57 And they were his seruants vntil the Persians reigned in the
fulfilling of the word of our Lord by the mouth of Ieremie:
(Jer 25:12 / Jer 29:10 / Dan 9:2)
58 as long as the land quietly kept her sabbathes, al the time
of her desolation she sabbathized in the application of seuentie
yeares.
CHAP. II.
1 Cyrus king of Persia permitteth the Iewes to returne into
their countrie: and deliuereth to them the holie vessels, which
Nabuchodonosor had taken from the temple. Certaine duersaries
writing to king Artaxerxes, hinder those that would repayre the
ruines of Ierusalem. CYRVS king of the Persians reigning for
the accomplishment of the word of our Lord by the mouth of
Ieremie, (2 Par 36:22 / 1 Esd 1:1 / 1 Esd 6:3 / Jer 25:12 / Jer
29:10 / Dan 9:2)
2 our ord raysed vp the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians,
and he proclaymed in al his kingdomes, and that by writing,
3 saying: Thus sayth Cyrus king of the Persians: The Lord of
Israel, the high ord, hath made me king ouer the whole earth.
4 and hath signified to me to build him a house in Ierusalem,
which is in Iurie.
5 If there be any of your kinred, his Lord goe vp with him into
erusalem.
6 Whosoeuer therefore dwel about the places, let them helpe them
that are in the same place, in gold and siluer,
7 in giftes, with horses, and beastes, and with other thinges
which by owes are added into the temple of our Lord, which is in
Ierusalem.
8 And the princes of the tribes, of the villages and of Iurie,
of the tribe of Beniamin, & the Priestes, and the Leuites
standing p, whom our Lord moued to goe vp, and to build the
house of our Lord which is in Ierusalem, and they that were
round about them,
9 did helpe them with al their gold and siluer, and beastes, nd
manie whose minde was stirred vp, with many vowes.
10 And Cyrus the king brought forth the sacred vessel of our
Lord, which Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon transported out
of erusalem, and consecrated them to his Idol.
11 And Cyrus the king of Persians bringing them forth, deliuered
them to Mithridatus, who was ouer his treasures.
12 And by him they were eliuered to Salmanasar president of
Iurie.
13 And of these this was the number: Cuppes for libamentes of
siluer two thousand foure hundred, basens of siluer thirtie:
phials of gold thirtie, also f siluer two thousand foure
hundred: and other vessels a thousand.
14 and al the vessels of gold and siluer, were fiue thousand
eight hundred sixtie.
15 And they were numbered to almanasar together with them, that
came out of the captiuite of Babylon into Ierusalem.
16 But in the times of Artaxerxes king of the Persians, there
wrote to him of them that dwelt in Iurie and erusalem, Balsamus,
and Mithridatus, and Sabellius, and Rathimus, Balthemus,
Sabellius scribe, and the rest dweling in Samaria, and other
places the epistle folowing to king Artaxerxes. (1 Esd 4:7)
17 SIR, thy seruantes Rathimus ouer occurrentes, and Sabellius
the scribe, and the other iudges of thy court in Caelesyria, and
Phenice.
18 And now be it knowen to our Lord the king, that ewes came vp
from you to vs, coming into Ierusalem a rebellious, & very
naughty citie, do build the fornaces thereof, and set vp the
walles, and rayse the temple.
19 And if this citie, and the alles shal be finished, they wil
not onlie not abyde to pay tributes, but also wil resist the
kinges.
20 And because that is in doing about the temple, we thought it
should doe wel not to neglect his same thing:
21 but to make it knowen to our Lord the king, that if it shal
seme good, o king it may be sought in the bookes of thy fathers,
22 and thou shalt find in the recordes, thinges writen of these,
and thou shalt know that this citie hath bene rebellious, and
trubling kinges, and cities,
23 and the Iewes rebelles, & making battels in it from time out
of mind, for the which ause this citie was made desolate.
24 Now therfore we doe thee to vnderstand, Lord king, that if
this citie shal be built, and the walles therof shal be erected,
there wil be no comming downe or thee into Caelesyria, &
Phenice.
25 Then wrote the king to Rathimus, the writer of the
occurrentes, and to Balthemus, and to Sabellius the scribe, and
to the rest ioyned with them, and to the wellers in Syria, and
Phenice, as foloweth:
26 I haue read the epistle that you sent me. I commanded
therfore search to be made, & it was found that the same citie
is from the beginning ebellious to kinges,
27 and the men rebelles, and making battels in it, & there were
most valient kinges ruling in Ierusalem, and exacting tributes
in Caelesyria, & Phenice.
28 Now therfore I aue geuen commandment to forbid those men to
build the citie, and to stay them that nothing be done more then
is:
29 and that they proceeded not farder, wherof are euils, so that
there may e truble brougt vpon the kinges.
30 Then these things being read which were writen of king
Artaxerxes, Rathimus, and Sabellius the scribe, and they that
were apointed with them ioyning ogether in hast came to
Ierusalem with a troupe of horsemen, and multitude, & companie:
31 and they begane to forbid the builders, and they ceased from
building of the temple in Ierusalem, il in the second yeare of
the reigne of Darius king of the Persians.
CHAP. III.
After a solemne supper made to al the court, and chief princes,
king Darius sleeping: three esquires of the bodie keeping
watch, proposed the question: Whether wine, or a King, or emen,
or the truth doth excel? The first prayseth wine.
1 KING Darius made a great supper to al his domestical
seruantes, and to al the magistrates of Media and Persia,
2 and to al that were purple, and to the praetors, and counsuls,
and iuetenantes vnder him from India vnto AEthiopia, an hundred
twentie seuen prouinces.
3 And when they had eaten and drunken, and returned ful, then
Darius went vp into his chamber, and lept, and awaked.
4 Then those three youngmen kepers of his bodie, which garded
the kings bodie, sayd one to an other;
5 Let euerie one of vs say a word that may excel: & whose word
oeuer shal appeare wiser then the others, to him wil king Darius
geue great giftes,
6 to be couered with purple, & to drinke in gold, and to sleepe
vpon gold, & a chariote with a bridle of gold, & bonet of
silke, and a cheyne about his necke:
7 and he shal sit in the second place next Darius for his
wisdome. And he shal be called the cosin of Darius.
8 Then euerie one writing his word igned it, and they put it
vnder the pillow of Darius the king,
9 and they sayd. When the king shal rise, we wil geue him our
writinges: and which soeuer of the three the king shal iudge,
and the agistrates of Persia, that his word is the wiser, to him
shal the victorie be geuen as is writen.
10 One wrote: Wine is strong.
11 An other wrote, a King is stronger.
12 The third wrote, Wemen re more strong: but aboue al thinges
truth ouercometh.
13 And when the king was risen, they tooke their writinges, and
gaue him, and he read.
14 And sending he called al the Magistrates of ersians, and the
Medes, and them that weare purple, and the pretors, and the
ouerseers;
15 and they sate in the councel: and the writinges were read
before them.
16 And he sayd: Cal the oungmen, and they shal declare their
owne wordes. And they were called, and went in.
17 And he sayd to them: Declare vnto vs concerning these
thinges which are writen. And the first egan, he that had
spoken of the strength of wine,
18 and sayd: O ye men, how doth wine preuaile ouer al men that
drinke! it seduceth the minde.
19 And also the mind of king and orphane it aketh vaine. Also
of the bondman and the free, of the rich man and the poore,
20 and euerie mind it turneth into securitie and pleasantnes,
and it remembreth not any sorow and dewtie,
21 and l hartes it maketh honest, and it remembreth not king,
nor magistrate, and it maketh a man speake al thinges by
talentes.
22 And when they haue drunke, they remember not frendship, nor
rotherhood: yea and not long after they take swordes.
23 And when they are recouered and risen from the wine, they
remember not what they haue done.
24 O ye men, doth not wine excel? ho thinketh to doe so? And
hauing sayd this, he held his peace.
CHAP. IIII.
The second prayseth the excellencie of a king: The third (which
is Zorobabel) commendeth wemen: but preferreth truth aboue al.
Which is so approued, and he is rewarded.
1 The king moreouer at his request restoreth the holie vessels
of the temple, and granteth meanes to build the citie of
Ierusalem, and the temple. AND the next began to speake, he
that spake of the strength of a king.
2 O ye men doe not the men excel, which obteyne land and sea,
and al thinges that are in them?
3 But a king xcelleth aboue al thinges, and hath dominion ouer
them: and euerie thing whatsoeuer he shal say to them, they
doe.
4 And if he send them to warryers, they goe, and throw downe
mountaines, nd the walles, and towers.
5 They kil, and are killed: and the kinges word they
transgresse not. For if they shal ouercome, they bring to the
king al thinges whatsoeuer they haue taken for a raye.
6 In like maner also al others, for so many as are not
souldiars, nor fight, but til the ground: when they shal reape,
againe they bring tributes to the king.
7 And he being one onlie if he ay: Kil ye, they kil: say he:
forgeue, the forgeue.
8 say he: strike: they strike: say he, destroy, they destroy:
say he build, they build.
9 say he, cut downe, they cut downe, say he plant, they lant:
10 and al the people, & potestates here him, and beside this he
sitteth downe, and drinketh, and sleepeth.
11 And others gard him round about, and can not goe euerie one,
and doe their wne workes, but at a word are obedient to him.
12 O ye men, how doth not a king excel that is so renowmed? And
he held his peace.
13 The third that spake of wemen and truth, this is orobabel,
began to speake.
14 O ye men, not the great king, & many men, neither is it wine
that dothe excel. Who is it then that hath the dominion of
them?
15 Haue not wemen brought forth he king, and al the people, that
ruleth ouer land & sea:
16 and were they not borne of them, and did not they bring vp
them which planted the vineyardes, whereof wine is made?
17 And they ake the garmentes of al men, & they doe honor to al
men, and men can not be separed from wemen.
18 If they haue gathered gold and siluer, and euerie beutiful
thing, & see a woman comelie nd fayre,
19 leauing al these thinges they fixe their looke vpon her, &
with open mouth beholde her, and allure her more then gold and
siluer, and euerie precious thing.
20 Man forsaketh his ather that brought him vp, and his
countrie, and ioyneth himself to a woman.
21 And with a woman he refresheth his soul: and neither doth he
remember father, nor mother, nor countrie.
22 nd hereby you must know that wemen rule ouer you. Are you
not sorie?
23 And a man taketh his sword, & goeth into the way to commit
theftes and murders, & to sayle seas & riuers,
24 and eeth a lyon, and goeth in darkenes: and when he hath
committed theft, and fraude, and spoyles, he bringeth it to his
beloued.
25 And againe, man loueth his wife more then father or mother.
26 And many haue become madde for their wiues: and haue been
made bondmen for them:
27 and many haue perished and bene slayne, and haue sinned for
wemen.
28 And now beleue me, hat the king is great in his powre:
because al countries are afrayd to touch him.
29 Neuertheles I saw Apemes the daughter of Bezaces the
concubine of a meruelous king, sitting by the king at is right
hand,
30 and taking of the crowne from his head, and putting it vpon
her self, and with the palme of her left hand she stroke the
king.
31 And beside these thinges he with open mouth eheld her: and
if she smiled he laugheth, and if she be angrie with him, he
flattereth, til he be reconciled to her fauour.
32 O ye men, why are not wemen stronger? Great is the earth, and
high is he heauen: who doeth these thinges?
33 And then the king and they that weare purple looked one vpon
an other. And he began to speake of truth.
34 O ye men, are not wemen strong? The arth is great and heauen
is high: & the swift course of the sunne turneth the heauen
round into his place in one day.
35 Is not he magnifical that doth these thinges, and the truth
great, and tronger aboue al thinges?
36 Al the earth calleth vpon the truth, heauen also blesseth it,
and al workes are moued, and tremble at it, and there is not any
thing with it vniust.
37 Wine is vniust, he king is vniust, wemen are vniust, al the
sonnes of men are vniust, and al their workes are vniust, and in
them is not truth, and they shal perish in their iniquitie:
38 and truth abydeth, and roweth strong for euer, and liueth,
and preuayleth for euer and euer.
39 Neither is there with it acception of persons, nor
differences: but the thinges that are iust it doth to al men,
to the vniust nd malignant, and al men are wel pleased in the
workes thereof.
40 And there is no vniust thing in the iudgement therof, but
strength, and reigne, and power, and maiestie of worldes.
Blessed e the God of truth.
41 And he left speaking. And al the people cryed, and sayd:
Great is truth and it preuaileth.
42 Then the king sayd to him: Aske, if thou wilt any more, then
the thinges hat are writen, and I wil geue it thee, according as
thou art found wiser then thy neighbours, & thou shalt sitte
next to me, and shalt be called my cosin.
43 Then sayd he to the king: Be midful f thy vow, which thou
hast vowed, to build Ierusalem in the day that thou didst
receiue the kingdom:
44 and to send backe al the vessels that were taken out of
Ierusalem, which Cyrus eparated, when he sacked Babylon, and
would haue sent them backe thither.
45 And thou hast vowed to build the temple, which the Idumeians
burnt, when Iurie was destroyed of the haldees.
46 And now this is that which I aske Lord, & which I desire,
this is the maiestie which I desire of thee, that thou performe
the vowe which thou hast vowed to the king of heauen by hy
mouth.
47 Then Darius the king rising vp, kissed him: and wrote
letters to al the officers, and ouerseers, and them that weare
purple, that they should conduct him, and them that were with
im, al going vp to build Ierusalem.
48 And to al the ouerseers that were in Syria, and Phoenice, and
Libanus he wrote letters, that they should draw Ceder trees from
Libanus into Ierusalem, to uild the citie with them.
49 And he wrote to al the Iewes which went vp from the kingdome
into Iurie for libertie, euerie mightie man, & magistrate, &
ouerseer not to come vpon them to their ates,
50 and al the countrie which they had obtayned to be free vnto
them, & that the Idumeians leaue the castels which they possesse
of the Iewes,
51 and to the building of the temple to geue uerie yeare twentie
talentes vntil it were throughly built:
52 & vpon the altars to burne holocausts dayly, as they haue
commandment: to offer other ten talentes euery yeare,
53 & to al that go orth from Babylon to build the citie, that
there should be libertie as wel to them as to their children,
and to al the priestes that goe before.
54 And he wrote a quantitie also, and commanded the acred stole
to be geuen, wherein they should serue;
55 and to the Leuites he wrote to geue preceptes, vntil the day
wherein the house shal be finished, and Ierusalem builded.
56 And to al that epe the citie, he wrote portions and wages to
be geuen to them.
57 And he sent away al the vessels whatsoeuer Cyrus had
separated from Babylon, and al thinges whatsoeuer Cyrus sayd, he
lso commanded to be donne, and to be sent to Ierusalem.
58 And when that yong man was gone forth, lyfting vp his face
toward Ierusalem, he blessed the king of heauen,
59 & sayd: Of thee s victorie, and of thee is wisdome, and
glorie. And I am thy seruant.
60 Blessed art thou which hast geuen me wisedom, and I wil
confesse to thee Lord God of our fathers.
61 And he toke the etters, and went into Babylon. And he came,
and told al his brethren that were in Babylon:
62 and they blessed the God of their fathers, because he gaue
them remission and refreshing, 63 that hey should goe vp and
build Ierusalem, and the temple wherein his name was renowmed,
and they reioyced with musike and ioy seuen dayes.
CHAP. V.
Those that returned from captiuitie of Bablyon into Ierusalem,
and Iurie, are recited. They restore Gods seruice: but are
hindered from building.
1 AFTER these thinges there were chosen, to goe vp the princes
of townes by their houses, and tribes, and their wiues, and
their sonnes and daughters, and their men seruantes and wemen
eruantes, and their cattel. (1 Esd 2:1)
2 And Darius the king sent together with them a thousand
horsmen, til they conducted them to Ierusalem with peace, & with
musicke & with tymbrels, nd shaulmes:
3 and al the brethren were playing, and he made them goe vp
together with them.
4 And these are the names of the men that went vp by their
townes according to tribes, and ccording to the portion of their
principalitie.
5 Priestes: The children of Phinees, the sonne of Aaron, Iesus
the sonne of Iosedec, Ioacim the sonne of Zorobabel, the sonne
of Salatheil of the ouse of Dauid, of the progenie of Phares, of
the tribe of Iuda.
6 Who spake vnder Darius king of the Persians the meruelous
wordes in the second yeare of his reigne the first moneth Nisan.
7 nd they are these, that of Iurie came vp from the captiuitie
of the transmigration, whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon
transported into Babylon, and returned into Ierusalem. (1 Esd
2:2 / 2 Esd 7:6)
8 And euerie one sought a part of Iurie according to his owne
citie, they that came with Zorobabel, and Iesus, Nehemias,
Areores, Elimeo, Emmanio, Mardocheo, Beelsuro, echpsatochor,
Olioro, Emonia one of their princes.
9 And the number of them of the same nation, of their rulers the
children of Phares, two thousand an hundred seuentie two:
10 The children f Ares, three thousand an hundred fiftie seuen:
11 The children of Phoemo, an hundred fourtie two: in the
children of Iesus and Ioabes, a thousand three hundred two:
12 the children of emu, two thousand foure hundred seuentie:
the children of Choraba, two hundred fiue: the children of
Banica, an hundred sixtie eight,
13 the children of Bebech, foure hundred three: the hildren of
Archad, foure hundred twentie seuen:
14 the children of Cham, thirtie seuen: the children of Zoroar,
two thousand sixtie seuen: the children of Adin, foure hundred
sixtie one:
15 he children of Aderectes, an hundred eight: the children of
Ciaso and Zelas an hundred seuen: the children of Azoroc, foure
hundred thirtie nine:
16 the children of Iedarbone, an hundred hirtie two: the
children of Ananias, an hundred thirtie: the children of Asoni,
ninetie:
17 the children of Marsar, foure hundred twentie two: the
children of Zabarus, nintie fiue: the children f Sepolemon, an
hundred twentie three:
18 the children of Nepopas, fiftie fiue: the children of
Hechanatus, an hundred fiftie eight: the children of
Cebethamus, an hundred thirite two:
19 the hildren of Crearpatros, which are of Enocadie and Modia,
foure hundred twentie three: they of Gramas and Babea, an
hundred twentie one.
20 They of Besselon, and Ceagge, sixtie fiue: they f Bastraro,
an hundred twentie two:
21 they of Bechenobes, fiftie fiue: the children of Liptis, an
hundred fiftie fiue: the children of Labonni, three hundred
fiftie seuen:
22 the children of ichem, three hundred seuentie: the children
of Suadon, & Cliomus, three hundred seuentie eight:
23 the children of Ericus, two thousand an hundred fourtie fiue:
the children of Anaas, three undred seuentie. The priestes:
24 the children of Ieddus, the sonne of Euther, the sonne of
Eliasib, three hundred seuenty two: the children of Emerus, two
hundred fiftie two:
25 the children f Phasurius, three hundred fiftie seuen the
children of Caree, two hundred twentie seuen.
26 The Leuites: The children of Iesus in Caduhel, and Bamis,
and Serebias, and Edias, seuentie foure, he whole number from
the twelfth yeare, thiritie thousand foure hundred sixtie two.
27 The sonnes, and daughters, and wiues, the whole number,
fourtie thousand two hundred fourtie two.
28 he children of the Priestes, that sang in the temple: the
children of Asaph, an hundred twentie eight.
29 And the porters: the children of Esmeni, the children of
Azer, the children of Amon, he children of Accuba, of Topa, the
children of Tobi, al an hundred thirtie nine.
30 Priestes that serued in the temple: the children of Sel, the
children of Gaspha, the children of Tobloch, the hildren of
Caria, the children of Su, the children of Hellu, the children
of Lobana, the children of Armacha, the children of Accub, the
children of Vtha, the children of Cetha, the children of ggab,
the children of Obai, the children of Anani, the children of
Canna, the children of Geddu,
31 the children or An, the children of Radin, the children of
Desanon, the children of Nachoba, he children of Caseba, the
children of Gaze, the children of Ozui, the children of Sinone,
the children of Attre, the children of Hasten, the children of
Asiana, the children of Manei, the children f Nasissim, the
children of Acusu, the children of Agista, the children of Azui,
the children of Fauon, the children of Phasalon,
32 the children of Meedda, the children of Phusa, the children
of aree, the children of Burcus, the children of Saree, the
children of Coesi, the children of Nasith, the children of
Agisti, the children of Pedon.
33 Salomon his children, the children of Asophot, he children of
Phasida, the children of Celi, the children of Dedon, the
children of Gaddehel, the children of Sephegi,
34 the children of Aggia, the children of Sachareth, the
children of abathen, the children of Caroneth, the children of
Malsith, the children of Ama, the children of Sasus, the
children of Addus, the children of Suba, the children of Eura,
the children of Rahotis, he children of Phasphat, the children
of Malmon.
35 Al that serued the sanctuarie, and the seruantes of Salomon,
foure hundred eightie two.
36 These are the children that came vp from helmela, Thelharsa:
the princes of them, Carmellam, and Careth:
37 and they could not declare their cities, and their progenies,
how they are of Israel. The children of Dalari, the children of
ubal, the children of Nechodaici,
38 of the Priestes, that did the function of priesthood: and
there were not found the children of Obia, the children of
Achisos, the children of Addin, who ooke a wife of the daughters
of Pargeleu:
39 and they were called by his name, and the writing of the
kinred of these was sought in the register, and it was not
found, and they were forbid to oe the function of priesthood.
40 And Nehemias and Astharus sayd to them: Let not the holie
thinges be participated, til there arise a hiegh priest lerned
for declaration and truth.
41 And al srael was beside men seruantes, and wemen seruantes,
fourtie two thousand three hundred fourtie.
42 Their men seruantes and wemen seruantes, seuen thousand three
hundred thirtie seuen. inging men and singing wemen, two
hundred three score fiue.
43 Camels, foure hundred thiritie fiue. Horses, seuen thousand
thirtie six. Mules, two hundred thousand fourtie fiue. Beastes
nder yoke, fiue thousand twentie fiue.
44 And of the rulers themselues by their villages, when they
came into the temple of God, which was in Ierusalem, to renew
and raise vp the temple in his lace, according to their power:
45 and to be geuen into the temple to the sacred treasure of the
workes, of gold twelue thousand mnas, and fiue thousand mnas of
siluer, and stoles for Priestes n hundred.
46 And the Priestes and Leuites, and they that came out of the
people, dwelt in Ierusalem, and in the countrie, and the sacred
singingmen, and porters, and al Israel in their ountries.
47 And the seuenth moneth being at hand, and when the children
of Israel were euerie man in his owne affayres, they came
together with one minde into the court, that was before the ast
gate. (1 Esd 3:1)
48 And Iesus the sonne of Iosedec, and his brethren the
priestes: Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel, and his brethren
standing vp, prepared an altar,
49 that they might offer pon it holocaustes, according to the
thinges that are writen in the booke of Moyses the man of God.
50 And there assembled there of other nations of the land, and
al the nations of the land rected the altar in his place, and
they offered hostes, and morning holocaustes to our Lord.
51 And they celebrated the feast of Tabernacles, and the solemne
day, as it is commanded in the awe: and sacrifices dayly, as it
behoued:
52 and after these the appointed oblations, and the hostes of
the sabbathes, and of the newmoones, and of al the solemne
sanctified dayes.
53 And as anie as vowed to our Lord from the new moone of the
seuenth moneth, began to offer the hostes to God, and the temple
of our Lord was not yet built.
54 And they gaue monie to the masones nd workemen, and drinke
and victuals with ioy.
55 And they gaue cartes to the Sidonians, and Tyrianes, that
with them they should carie ceder beames from Lybanus, and
should make boates n the hauen Ioppe, according to the decre
that was writen for them by Cyrus king of the Persians.
56 And in the second yeare coming into the temple of God in
Ierusalem, in the second moneth egan Zorobel the sonne of
Salathiel, and Iosue the sonne of Iosedec, and their bretheren,
and the Priestes and Leuites, and al that were come from the
captiuitie into Ierusalem.
57 and they ounded the temple of God in the newmoone of the
second moneth of the second yeare, after that they came into
Iurie and Ierusalem.
58 And they appoynted the Leuites from twentie yeares, uer the
workes of our Lord: and Iesus stood and his sonne, and the
bretheren, al Leuites ioyning together, & executors of the lawe,
doing the workes in the house of our Lord.
59 And al the riestes stood, hauing stoles with trumpettes:
60 and Leuites the children of Asaph, hauing cymbals together
praysing our Lord, and blessing him according to Dauid king of
Israel.
61 And they ong a song to our Lord, because his sweetenes, and
honour is for euer vpon Israel.
62 And al the people sounded with trumpet, and cried out with a
loud voice, praysing our Lord in the raysing p of the house of
our Lord.
63 And there came of the Priestes and Leuites, and presidentes
by their villages the more ancientes, which had sene the old
house:
64 and to the building of this ith crie and great lamentation,
and manie with trumpettes and great ioy:
65 in so much that the people heard not the trumpettes for the
lamentatinon of the people. For the multitude was ounding with
trumpettes magnifically, so that it was heard far of.
66 And the enimes of the tribe of Iuda, and Beniamin heard it,
and they came to knowe what the voyce of the trumpettes was:
67 And they knew that they which were of the captiuitie doe
build a temple to our Lord the God of Israel.
68 And coming to Zorobabel & Iesus, the ouerseers of the
villages, they sayd to them: e will build together with you:
(1 Esd 4:2)
69 For we haue in like maner heard your Lord, & we walke like
from the dayes of Asbazareth king of the Assyrians, who
transported vs hither.
70 nd Zorobabel, and Iesus, & the princes of the villages of
Israel, sayd to them:
71 It is not for vs and you to build the house of our God. For
we alone wil build to our Lord of Israel according s Cyrus the
king of the Persians hath commanded.
72 And the nations of the land lying vpon them that are in
Iurie, and lifting vp the worke of the building, and bringing
ambushmentes, and eoples, prohibited them to build.
73 and practising assaultes hindred them, that the building
might not be finished al the time of the life of king Cyrus, and
they differred the building for two eares vntil the reigne of
Darius.
CHAP. VI.
The Iewes by assistance of king Darius build vp the Temple in
Ierusalem.
1 AND in the second yeare of the reigne of Darius prophecied
Aggeus, and Zacharias the sonne of Addo the prophet to Iurie and
Ierusalem in the name of God of Israel vpon them. (1 Esd
5:1)
2 Then Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel standing vp, and Iesus
the sonne of Iosedec begane to build the house of our Lord,
which is in Ierusalem.
3 When the prophetes of our Lord were resent with them, and did
helpe them. At the same time came Sisennes to them, the deputie
of Syria, and of Phenice, and Satrabuzanes, and his felowes:
4 and they sayd to them: By whose ommandment, build ye this
house, and this roofe, and perfite al other thinges? And who
are the workmen that build these thinges?
5 And the ancientes of the Iewes, which were left of the
aptiuitie by our Lord, had fauoure when the visitation was made
vpon them.
6 And they were not hindered from building, til it was signified
to Darius of al these thinges, and answer was eceiued.
7 A copie of the letter, which they sent to Darius. SISENNES
deputie of Syria and Phenice, and Satrabuzanes, and his felowes
in Syria and Phenice presidents, to king Darius reetings:
8 Be al thinges knowen to our Lord the king, that when we came
into the countrie of Iurie, and had entered into Ierusalem, we
found them building the great house of God.
9 And he temple of polished stones, and of great and precious
matter in the walles.
10 And the workes to be a doing earnestly, and to succede, and
prosper in their handes, and in al glorie to be erfited most
diligently.
11 Then we asked the ancients saying, by whose permission build
ye this house, & found these workes?
12 And therfore we asked them, that we might doe thee to now the
men & the ouerseers, and we required of them a rolle of the
names of the ouerseers.
13 But they answered vs saying: We are the seruantes of the
Lord, which made heauen and earth.
14 And this house was built these manie yeares past by a king of
Israel, that was great and most valiant, and was finished.
15 And because our fathers were prouoking to wrath, and sinned
gaynst God of Israel, he deliuered them into the handes of
Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon, king of the Chaldees.
16 And throwing downe this house they burnt it, and they led the
eople captiue into Babylon.
17 In the first yeare when Cyrus reigned the king of Babylon,
Cyrus the king wrote to build this house.
18 And these sacred vessels of gold and siluer which
abuchodonosor had taken out of the house which is in Ierusalem,
and had consecrated them in his owne temple, Cyrus brought them
forth agayne out of the temple which was in Babylon, and hey
were deliuered to Zorobabel, & to Salmanasar the deputie.
19 And it was commanded them that they should offer these
vessels, & lay them vp in the temple, which was in Ierusalem,
and uild the temple of God itself in his place.
20 Then did Salmanasar lay the fundations of the house of our
Lord, which is in Ierusalem: and from that time vntil now it is
a building, and is not ccomplished.
21 Now therfore if thou thincke it good o king, let it be sought
in the kings liberaries of Cyrus the king, which are in Babylon:
22 and if it shal be found, that the building of the ouse of the
Lord, which is in Ierusalem, begane by the counsel of Cyrus the
king, and it be thought good of our Lord the king, let him write
to vs of these thinges.
23 Then Darius the king ommanded search to be made in the
libraries: and there was found in Ecbatana a towne that is in
the countrie of Media, one place wherin were writen these
wordes: (1 Esd 6:1)
24 IN THE IRST YEARE of the reigne of Cyrus, king Cyrus
commanded to build the house of the Lord which is in Ierusalem,
where they did burne incense with dayly fire,
25 the height wherof shal be f ten cubits, & the bredth three
score cubites, foure square with three stones polished, and with
a loft galerie of wood of the same countrie, & one new galerie,
and the expenses to be geuen out f the house of Cyrus the king.
26 And the sacred vesseles of the house of the Lord, as wel of
gold as of siluer, which Nabuchodonosor tooke from the house of
our Lord, which is in Ierusalem here they were layed, that they
be put there:
27 And he commanded Sisennes the deputie of Syria & Phoenice,
and Satrabuzanes, and his felowes & them that were ordayned
presidentes in yria & Phoenice, that they should refraine
themselues from that place.
28 And I also haue geuen commandment to build it wholly: and
haue prouided, that they helpe them, which are of the aptiuitie
of the Iewes, til the temple of the house of the Lord be
accomplished.
29 And from the vexation of the tributes of Coelesyria &
Phoenice, a quantitie to be geuen diligently to these en for the
sacrifice of the Lord, to Zorobabel the gouernour, for oxen, and
rammes, and lambes.
30 And in like maner corne also, and salt, and wine, and oyle
continually yeare by yeare, ccording as the priestes which are
in Ierusalem, haue prescribed to be spent dayly:
31 that libamentes may be offered to the most high God for the
king & his children, & that they may pray for heir life.
32 And that it be denounced, that whosoeuer shal transgresse
anie thing of these which are writen, or shal despise it, a
beame be taken of theyr owne, & they be hanged, & their goodes e
confiscate to the king.
33 Therfore the Lord also, whose name is inuocated there,
destroy euery king & nation, that shal extend their hand to
hinder or to handle il the house of the Lord which s in
Ierusalem.
34 I Darius the king haue decreed that it be most diligently
done according to these thinges.
CHAP. VII.
The house of God is finished, 7. and dedicated, 10. the feast of
Pasch is also celebrated seuen dayes with Azimes.
1 THEN Sisennes the deputie of Coelesyria, and Phaenice, and
Satrabuzames, and their felowes, obeying those thinges which
were decreed of Darius the king, (1 Esd 6:13)
2 applied the acred workes most diligently, working together
with the ancientes of the Iewes, the princes of Syria.
3 And the sacred workes prospered, Aggeus & Zacharias the
prophetes prophecying.
4 nd they accomplished al thinges by the precept of our Lord the
God of Israel, and by the counsel of Cyrus, & Darius, and
Artaxerxes the king of the Persians.
5 And our house was a finishing ntil the three and twentith day
of the moneth of Adar, the sixth yeare of Darius the king.
6 And the children of Israel, and the Priestes and Leuites, and
the rest that were of the captiuitie, hich were added did
according to those thinges that are written in the booke of
Moyses.
7 And they offered for the dedication of the temple of our Lord,
oxen an hundred, rammes two undred, lambes foure hundred.
8 And kiddes for the sinnes of al Israel, twelue, according to
the number of the tribes of Israel.
9 And the Priestes and Leuites stood clothed with stoles by
ribes, ouer al the workes of our Lord the God of Israel,
according to the booke of Moyses, and the porters at euerie
gate.
10 And the children of Israel, wih them that were of the
captiuitie elebrated the phase of the fourtenth moone of the
first moneth, when the Priestes and Leuites were sanctified.
11 Al the children of the captiuitie were not sanctified
together, because al the euites were sanctified together.
12 And al the children of the captuitie immolated the phase,
both for their brethren the Priestes, and for them selues.
13 And the children of Israel did eate, they hat were of the
captiuitie al that remayned apart from al the abominations of
the nations of the land seeking our Lord.
14 And they celebrated the festiual day of Azymes seuen dayes
feasting in he sight of our Lord.
15 Because he turned the counsel of the king of the Assirians
toward them, to strengthen their handes to the workes of our
Lord the God of Israel.
CHAP. VIII.
Esdras going from Babylon to Ierusalem, carieth king Artaxerxes
fauourable letters, with licence to take gold, siluer, and al
thinges necessarie at their pleasure. The chief men hat goe
with him are recited. He voweth a fast praying for good success
in their iorney. weigheth the gold and siluer, which he
deliuereth to the Priestes, and Leuites. And seuerely
dmonisheth the people to repentance, for their mariages made
with infideles.
1 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 chitob, 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 rom 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
ignitie 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 he 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 oneth,
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 ould 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 ritinges 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 f 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 orward 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
ord.
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 o 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 ambes, 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 hou 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 ouse 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 hou 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 haenice, 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 undred 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, est 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 emple, &
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 ppoynt
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 eath, 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
lorifie 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 inde 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
eueral 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 hildren 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 im 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 en:
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, alimoth, 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 ccetan, 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
kilful.
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 n 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
ord 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 hildren 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 he 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 hem 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 ur 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
hinges: 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, nd
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 ounselers, 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 essels 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 euites, 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 o 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 he 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: nd 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 hey 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
ealth 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 he 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 nd 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
dumeians.
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
artakers 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
eard, 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 uening 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 shamed 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 ay.
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
onfusion 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 anctification,
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:
ut 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 urie, 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: hat 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 ilthines.
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, hat
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 orkes, 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 and.
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 e 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 emple, 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
ations 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 hee 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 rinces of the Priestes and
Leuites, and al Israel to doe according to these thinges and
they sware.
CHAP. IX.
Esdras fasting for the sinnes of the people, commandeth that
they separate al strange wemen from them. The Priestes and
Leuites, which had offended herein, are recited. He eadeth the
law before the people: certaine doe expound to the multitudes
in seueral places. And so they are dismissed with ioy.
1 AND Esdras rysing vp from before the court of the temple, went
into the chamber of Ionathas the sonne of Nasabi. (1 Esd 10:6)
2 And lodging there he tasted no bread, nor dranke ater for the
iniquitie of the multitude.
3 And there was proclamation made in al Iurie, & in Ierusalem to
al that were of the captiuitie gathered in Ierusalem,
4 that whosoeuer shal not appeare ith in two or three dayes,
according to the iudgement of the ancients sitting vpon it,
their goods should be taken away, and himselfe should be iudged
an alien from the multitude of the aptiuitie.
5 And al were gathered that were of the tribe of Iuda, and of
Beniamin within three dayes in Ierusalem: this is the ninth
moneth, the twentith day of the moneth.
6 And al the ultitude sate in the court of the temple trembling,
for the present winter.
7 And Esdras rysing vp sayd to them: You haue done vnlawfully
taking to you in mariage strang wiues, that you ight adde to the
sinnes of Israel.
8 And now geue confession, & magnificence to our Lord the God of
our fathers:
9 and accomplish his wil, and depart from the nations of the
land, and from our wiues the strangers.
10 And al the multitude cried, and they sayd with a lowde voice:
As thou hast sayd, we wil doe.
11 But because the multitude is great, and winter time, and we
can ot stand in the ayre without succour: and this is a worke
for vs not of one day, nor of two, for we haue sinned much in
these thinges:
12 Let the rulers of the multitude stand, and that dwel ith vs,
and as manie as haue with them forreine wiues,
13 and at a time appointed let the priestes out of euerie place,
and the iudges assist, vntil they appeaze the wrath of our Lord
concerning his busines.
14 And Ionathas the sonne of Ezeli, and Ozias of Thecam tooke
vpon them according to these wordes: and Bosoramus, and Leuis,
and Sabbathaeus, wrought together with them.
15 And al that were of the captiuitie stood according to al
these thinges.
16 And Esdras the priest chose vnto him men the great princes of
their fathers according to their names: & they sate ogether in
the newmoone of the tenth moneth to examine this busines.
17 And they determined of the men that had outlandish wiues,
vntil the newmoone of the first moneth.
18 And there ere found of the priestes entermingled that had
outlandish wiues.
19 Of the sonnes of Iesus the sonne of Iosedec, and his
brethren: Maseas, and Eleazarus, and Ioribus, and Ioadeus,
20 and hey put to their handes to expel their wiues: and to
offer a ramme to obtayne pardon for their ignorance.
21 And the sonnes of Semmeri: Maseas and Esses, Ieelech, and
Azarias.
22 And of the hildren of Fofere: Limosias, Hismaenis, and
Nathanee, Iussio, Reddus, and Thalsas.
23 And of the Leuites: Iorabdus, and Semeis, and Colnis, and
Calitas, and Facteas, and Coluas, and liomas,
24 and of the sacred singing men, Eliasib, Zaccarus.
25 And of the porters, Salumus, and Tolbanes.
26 And of Israel: of the sonnes of Foro, Ozi, and Remias, and
Geddias, & elchias, and Michelus, Eleazarus, and Iammebias, and
Bannas.
27 And of the sonnes of Iolaman: Chamas, and Zacharias, and
Iezuelus, and Ioddius, and Erimoth, and Helias.
28 And of the onnes of Zathoim: Eliadas, and Liasumus, Zochias,
and Larimoth, & Zabdis, and Thebedias.
29 And of the sonnes of Zebes: Ioannes, and Amanias, and
Zabdias, and Emeus.
30 And of the onnes of Banni: Olamus, & Maluchus, and Ieddeus,
and Iasub, and Azabus, & Ierimoth.
31 And of the sonnes of Addin: Nathus, and Moosias, & Caleus,
and Raanas, Maaseas, Mathathias, nd Beseel, and Bonnus, and
Manasses.
32 And of the sonnes of Nuae: Noneas, and Aseas, and Melchias,
and Sameas, and Simon, Beniamin, and Malchus, and Marras.
33 And of the sonnes f Asom: Carianeus, Mathathias, & Bannus, &
Eliphalach, and Manasses, and Semei.
34 And of the sonnes of Banni: Ieremias, and Moadias, and
Abramus, & Iohel, and Baneas, & Pelias, and onas, and Marimoth,
& Eliasib, and Matheneus, and Eliasis, and Orizas, and Dielus,
and Semedius, & Zambris, and Iosephus.
35 And of the sonnes of Nobei: Idelus, and Mathathias, and
abadus, and Zecheda, Zedmi, and Iessei, Baneas.
36 Al these maried outlandish wiues, and did put them away with
their children.
37 And the Priestes and the Leuites, and they that were of
srael, dwelt in Ierusalem, and in the whole countrie in the
newmoone of the seuenth moneth. And the children of Israel were
in their habitations.
38 And al the multitude was gathered together nto the court,
which is on the east of the sacred gate:
39 and they sayd to Esdras the high priest, and reader, that he
should bring the law of Moyses, which was deliuered of our Lord
the God f Israel.
40 And Esdras the high priest brought the law to al the
multitude of them from man vnto woman, and to al the priestes to
heare the law in the newmoone of the seuenth moneth.
41 nd he read in the court, which is before the sacred gate of
the temple, from breake of day vntil euening before men and
wemen. And they al gaue their minde to the law.
42 And Esdras the riest, and reader of the law stoode vpon a
tribunal of wood, which was made.
43 And by him stood Mathathias, and Samus, and Ananias, Azarias,
Vrias, Ezechias, and Balsamus on the right and,
44 and on the left Faldeus, Misael, Malachias, Ambusthas, Sabus,
Nabadias, and Zacharias.
45 And Esdras tooke the booke before al the multitude: for he
was chiefe in glorie in the sight f al.
46 And when he had ended the law, they stood al vpright: and
Esdras blessed our Lord the most high God, the God of Sabaoth
omnipotent.
47 And al the people answered: Amen. nd lifting vp their
handes falling on the ground, they adored our Lord.
48 Iesus and Banaeus, and Sarebias, and Iaddimus, and Accubus,
and Sabbathaeus, and Calithes, & Azarias, and oradus, and
Ananias, and Philias Leuites,
49 who taught the law of our Lord, and read the same in the
multitude, & euerie one preferred them that vnderstood the
lesson.
50 And Atharathes ayd to Esdras the high priest and the reader,
and to the Leuites, that taught the multitude,
51 saying: This day is sancitified to our Lord. And they al
wept, when they had heard the law.
52 nd Esdras sayd, departing therfore eate ye al the fattest
thinges, & drinke al most swete things, and send giftes to them
that haue not.
53 For this is the holy day of our Lord, & be not sad. For ur
Lord wil glorifie you.
54 And the Leuites denounced openly to al, saying: This day is
holie, be not sad.
55 And they went al to eate, and drinke, and make merie, and to
geue giftes to them hat had not, that they might make merie, for
they were excedingly exalted with the wordes that they were
taught.
56 And they were al gathered in Ierusalem to celebrate the ioy,
according to he testament of our Lord the God of Israel.
#Post#: 13337--------------------------------------------------
Re: 1 ESDRAS - THIRD BOOK OF ESDRAS
By: patrick jane Date: May 24, 2020, 5:35 am
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1 Esdras 1 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
(b) The books from 1 Esdras through 3 Maccabees are recognized
as Deuterocanonical Scripture by the Greek and the Russian
Orthodox Churches. They are not so recognized by the Roman
Catholic Church, but 1 Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh
(together with 2 Esdras) are placed in an appendix to the Latin
Vulgate Bible.
Josiah Celebrates the Passover
1 Josiah kept the passover to his Lord in Jerusalem; he killed
the passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month, 2
having placed the priests according to their divisions, arrayed
in their vestments, in the temple of the Lord. 3 He told the
Levites, the temple servants of Israel, that they should
sanctify themselves to the Lord and put the holy ark of the Lord
in the house that King Solomon, son of David, had built; 4 and
he said, “You need no longer carry it on your shoulders. Now
worship the Lord your God and serve his people Israel; prepare
yourselves by your families and kindred, 5 in accordance with
the directions of King David of Israel and the magnificence of
his son Solomon. Stand in order in the temple according to the
groupings of the ancestral houses of you Levites, who minister
before your kindred the people of Israel, 6 and kill the
passover lamb and prepare the sacrifices for your kindred, and
keep the passover according to the commandment of the Lord that
was given to Moses.”
7 To the people who were present Josiah gave thirty thousand
lambs and kids, and three thousand calves; these were given from
the king’s possessions, as he promised, to the people and the
priests and Levites. 8 Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel,[a] the
chief officers of the temple, gave to the priests for the
passover two thousand six hundred sheep and three hundred
calves. 9 And Jeconiah and Shemaiah and his brother Nethanel,
and Hashabiah and Ochiel and Joram, captains over thousands,
gave the Levites for the passover five thousand sheep and seven
hundred calves.
10 This is what took place. The priests and the Levites, having
the unleavened bread, stood in proper order according to kindred
11 and the grouping of the ancestral houses, before the people,
to make the offering to the Lord as it is written in the book of
Moses; this they did in the morning. 12 They roasted the
passover lamb with fire, as required; and they boiled the
sacrifices in bronze pots and caldrons, with a pleasing odor, 13
and carried them to all the people. Afterward they prepared the
passover for themselves and for their kindred the priests, the
sons of Aaron, 14 because the priests were offering the fat
until nightfall; so the Levites prepared it for themselves and
for their kindred the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The temple
singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place according to the
arrangement made by David, and also Asaph, Zechariah, and
Eddinus, who represented the king. 16 The gatekeepers were at
each gate; no one needed to interrupt his daily duties, for
their kindred the Levites prepared the passover for them.
17 So the things that had to do with the sacrifices to the Lord
were accomplished that day: the passover was kept 18 and the
sacrifices were offered on the altar of the Lord, according to
the command of King Josiah. 19 And the people of Israel who were
present at that time kept the passover and the festival of
unleavened bread seven days. 20 No passover like it had been
kept in Israel since the times of the prophet Samuel; 21 none of
the kings of Israel had kept such a passover as was kept by
Josiah and the priests and Levites and the people of Judah and
all of Israel who were living in Jerusalem. 22 In the eighteenth
year of the reign of Josiah this passover was kept.
The End of Josiah’s Reign
23 And the deeds of Josiah were upright in the sight of the
Lord, for his heart was full of godliness. 24 In ancient times
the events of his reign have been recorded—concerning those who
sinned and acted wickedly toward the Lord beyond any other
people or kingdom, and how they grieved the Lord[b] deeply, so
that the words of the Lord fell upon Israel.
25 After all these acts of Josiah, it happened that Pharaoh,
king of Egypt, went to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates,
and Josiah went out against him. 26 And the king of Egypt sent
word to him saying, “What have we to do with each other, O king
of Judea? 27 I was not sent against you by the Lord God, for my
war is at the Euphrates. And now the Lord is with me! The Lord
is with me, urging me on! Stand aside, and do not oppose the
Lord.”
28 Josiah, however, did not turn back to his chariot, but tried
to fight with him, and did not heed the words of the prophet
Jeremiah from the mouth of the Lord. 29 He joined battle with
him in the plain of Megiddo, and the commanders came down
against King Josiah. 30 The king said to his servants, “Take me
away from the battle, for I am very weak.” And immediately his
servants took him out of the line of battle. 31 He got into his
second chariot; and after he was brought back to Jerusalem he
died, and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors.
32 In all Judea they mourned for Josiah. The prophet Jeremiah
lamented for Josiah, and the principal men, with the women,[c]
have made lamentation for him to this day; it was ordained that
this should always be done throughout the whole nation of
Israel. 33 These things are written in the book of the histories
of the kings of Judea; and every one of the acts of Josiah, and
his splendor, and his understanding of the law of the Lord, and
the things that he had done before, and these that are now told,
are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
The Last Kings of Judah
34 The men of the nation took Jeconiah[d] son of Josiah, who was
twenty-three years old, and made him king in succession to his
father Josiah. 35 He reigned three months in Judah and
Jerusalem. Then the king of Egypt deposed him from reigning in
Jerusalem, 36 and fined the nation one hundred talents of silver
and one talent of gold. 37 The king of Egypt made his brother
Jehoiakim king of Judea and Jerusalem. 38 Jehoiakim put the
nobles in prison, and seized his brother Zarius and brought him
back from Egypt.
39 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign in
Judea and Jerusalem; he did what was evil in the sight of the
Lord. 40 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up against him; he
bound him with a chain of bronze and took him away to Babylon.
41 Nebuchadnezzar also took some holy vessels of the Lord, and
carried them away, and stored them in his temple in Babylon. 42
But the things that are reported about Jehoiakim,[e] and his
uncleanness and impiety, are written in the annals of the kings.
43 His son Jehoiachin[f] became king in his place; when he was
made king he was eighteen years old, 44 and he reigned three
months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the
sight of the Lord. 45 A year later Nebuchadnezzar sent and
removed him to Babylon, with the holy vessels of the Lord, 46
and made Zedekiah king of Judea and Jerusalem.
The Fall of Jerusalem
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old, and he reigned eleven years.
47 He also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did
not heed the words that were spoken by the prophet Jeremiah from
the mouth of the Lord. 48 Although King Nebuchadnezzar had made
him swear by the name of the Lord, he broke his oath and
rebelled; he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart and
transgressed the laws of the Lord, the God of Israel. 49 Even
the leaders of the people and of the priests committed many acts
of sacrilege and lawlessness beyond all the unclean deeds of all
the nations, and polluted the temple of the Lord in
Jerusalem—the temple that God had made holy. 50 The God of their
ancestors sent his messenger to call them back, because he would
have spared them and his dwelling place. 51 But they mocked his
messengers, and whenever the Lord spoke, they scoffed at his
prophets, 52 until in his anger against his people because of
their ungodly acts he gave command to bring against them the
kings of the Chaldeans. 53 These killed their young men with the
sword around their holy temple, and did not spare young man or
young woman,[g] old man or child, for he gave them all into
their hands. 54 They took all the holy vessels of the Lord,
great and small, the treasure chests of the Lord, and the royal
stores, and carried them away to Babylon. 55 They burned the
house of the Lord, broke down the walls of Jerusalem, burned
their towers with fire, 56 and utterly destroyed all its
glorious things. The survivors he led away to Babylon with the
sword, 57 and they were servants to him and to his sons until
the Persians began to reign, in fulfillment of the word of the
Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, 58 saying, “Until the land has
enjoyed its sabbaths, it shall keep sabbath all the time of its
desolation until the completion of seventy years.”
Footnotes:
1 Esdras 1:8 Gk Esyelus
1 Esdras 1:24 Gk him
1 Esdras 1:32 Or their wives
1 Esdras 1:34 2 Kings 23.30; 2 Chr 36.1 Jehoahaz
1 Esdras 1:42 Gk him
1 Esdras 1:43 Gk Jehoiakim
1 Esdras 1:53 Gk virgin
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Re: 1 ESDRAS - THIRD BOOK OF ESDRAS
By: patrick jane Date: May 24, 2020, 5:37 am
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1 Esdras 2 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Cyrus Permits the Exiles to Return
2 In the first year of Cyrus as king of the Persians, so that
the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be
accomplished— 2 the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of
the Persians, and he made a proclamation throughout all his
kingdom and also put it in writing:
3 “Thus says Cyrus king of the Persians: The Lord of Israel, the
Lord Most High, has made me king of the world, 4 and he has
commanded me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in
Judea. 5 If any of you, therefore, are of his people, may your
Lord be with you; go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judea, and
build the house of the Lord of Israel—he is the Lord who dwells
in Jerusalem— 6 and let each of you, wherever you may live, be
helped by the people of your place with gold and silver, 7 with
gifts and with horses and cattle, besides the other things added
as votive offerings for the temple of the Lord that is in
Jerusalem.”
8 Then arose the heads of families of the tribes of Judah and
Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, and all whose spirit
the Lord had stirred to go up to build the house in Jerusalem
for the Lord; 9 their neighbors helped them with everything,
with silver and gold, with horses and cattle, and with a very
great number of votive offerings from many whose hearts were
stirred.
10 King Cyrus also brought out the holy vessels of the Lord that
Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and stored in his
temple of idols. 11 When King Cyrus of the Persians brought
these out, he gave them to Mithridates, his treasurer, 12 and by
him they were given to Sheshbazzar,[a] the governor of Judea. 13
The number of these was: one thousand gold cups, one thousand
silver cups, twenty-nine silver censers, thirty gold bowls, two
thousand four hundred ten silver bowls, and one thousand other
vessels. 14 All the vessels were handed over, gold and silver,
five thousand four hundred sixty-nine, 15 and they were carried
back by Sheshbazzar with the returning exiles from Babylon to
Jerusalem.
Opposition to Rebuilding Jerusalem
16 In the time of King Artaxerxes of the Persians, Bishlam,
Mithridates, Tabeel, Rehum, Beltethmus, the scribe Shimshai, and
the rest of their associates, living in Samaria and other
places, wrote him the following letter, against those who were
living in Judea and Jerusalem:
17 “To King Artaxerxes our lord, your servants the recorder
Rehum and the scribe Shimshai and the other members of their
council, and the judges in Coelesyria and Phoenicia: 18 Let it
now be known to our lord the king that the Jews who came up from
you to us have gone to Jerusalem and are building that
rebellious and wicked city, repairing its market places and
walls and laying the foundations for a temple. 19 Now if this
city is built and the walls finished, they will not only refuse
to pay tribute but will even resist kings. 20 Since the building
of the temple is now going on, we think it best not to neglect
such a matter, 21 but to speak to our lord the king, in order
that, if it seems good to you, search may be made in the records
of your ancestors. 22 You will find in the annals what has been
written about them, and will learn that this city was
rebellious, troubling both kings and other cities, 23 and that
the Jews were rebels and kept setting up blockades in it from of
old. That is why this city was laid waste. 24 Therefore we now
make known to you, O lord and king, that if this city is built
and its walls finished, you will no longer have access to
Coelesyria and Phoenicia.”
25 Then the king, in reply to the recorder Rehum, Beltethmus,
the scribe Shimshai, and the others associated with them and
living in Samaria and Syria and Phoenicia, wrote as follows:
26 “I have read the letter that you sent me. So I ordered search
to be made, and it has been found that this city from of old has
fought against kings, 27 that the people in it were given to
rebellion and war, and that mighty and cruel kings ruled in
Jerusalem and exacted tribute from Coelesyria and Phoenicia. 28
Therefore I have now issued orders to prevent these people from
building the city and to take care that nothing more be done 29
and that such wicked proceedings go no further to the annoyance
of kings.”
30 Then, when the letter from King Artaxerxes was read, Rehum
and the scribe Shimshai and their associates went quickly to
Jerusalem, with cavalry and a large number of armed troops, and
began to hinder the builders. And the building of the temple in
Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of King
Darius of the Persians.
Footnotes:
1 Esdras 2:12 Gk Sanabassaros
#Post#: 13339--------------------------------------------------
Re: 1 ESDRAS - THIRD BOOK OF ESDRAS
By: patrick jane Date: May 24, 2020, 5:38 am
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1 Esdras 3 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Debate of the Three Bodyguards
3 Now King Darius gave a great banquet for all that were under
him, all that were born in his house, and all the nobles of
Media and Persia, 2 and all the satraps and generals and
governors that were under him in the hundred twenty-seven
satrapies from India to Ethiopia. 3 They ate and drank, and when
they were satisfied they went away, and King Darius went to his
bedroom; he went to sleep, but woke up again.
4 Then the three young men of the bodyguard, who kept guard over
the person of the king, said to one another, 5 “Let each of us
state what one thing is strongest; and to the one whose
statement seems wisest, King Darius will give rich gifts and
great honors of victory. 6 He shall be clothed in purple, and
drink from gold cups, and sleep on a gold bed,[a] and have a
chariot with gold bridles, and a turban of fine linen, and a
necklace around his neck; 7 and because of his wisdom he shall
sit next to Darius and shall be called Kinsman of Darius.”
8 Then each wrote his own statement, and they sealed them and
put them under the pillow of King Darius, 9 and said, “When the
king wakes, they will give him the writing; and to the one whose
statement the king and the three nobles of Persia judge to be
wisest the victory shall be given according to what is written.”
10 The first wrote, “Wine is strongest.” 11 The second wrote,
“The king is strongest.” 12 The third wrote, “Women are
strongest, but above all things truth is victor.”[b]
13 When the king awoke, they took the writing and gave it to
him, and he read it. 14 Then he sent and summoned all the nobles
of Persia and Media and the satraps and generals and governors
and prefects, 15 and he took his seat in the council chamber,
and the writing was read in their presence. 16 He said, “Call
the young men, and they shall explain their statements.” So they
were summoned, and came in. 17 They said to them, “Explain to us
what you have written.”
The Speech about Wine
Then the first, who had spoken of the strength of wine, began
and said: 18 “Gentlemen, how is wine the strongest? It leads
astray the minds of all who drink it. 19 It makes equal the mind
of the king and the orphan, of the slave and the free, of the
poor and the rich. 20 It turns every thought to feasting and
mirth, and forgets all sorrow and debt. 21 It makes all hearts
feel rich, forgets kings and satraps, and makes everyone talk in
millions.[c] 22 When people drink they forget to be friendly
with friends and kindred, and before long they draw their
swords. 23 And when they recover from the wine, they do not
remember what they have done. 24 Gentlemen, is not wine the
strongest, since it forces people to do these things?” When he
had said this, he stopped speaking.
Footnotes:
1 Esdras 3:6 Gk on gold
1 Esdras 3:12 Or but truth is victor over all things
1 Esdras 3:21 Gk talents
#Post#: 13340--------------------------------------------------
Re: 1 ESDRAS - THIRD BOOK OF ESDRAS
By: patrick jane Date: May 24, 2020, 5:39 am
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1 Esdras 4 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Speech about the King
4 Then the second, who had spoken of the strength of the king,
began to speak: 2 “Gentlemen, are not men strongest, who rule
over land and sea and all that is in them? 3 But the king is
stronger; he is their lord and master, and whatever he says to
them they obey. 4 If he tells them to make war on one another,
they do it; and if he sends them out against the enemy, they go,
and conquer mountains, walls, and towers. 5 They kill and are
killed, and do not disobey the king’s command; if they win the
victory, they bring everything to the king—whatever spoil they
take and everything else. 6 Likewise those who do not serve in
the army or make war but till the soil; whenever they sow and
reap, they bring some to the king; and they compel one another
to pay taxes to the king. 7 And yet he is only one man! If he
tells them to kill, they kill; if he tells them to release, they
release; 8 if he tells them to attack, they attack; if he tells
them to lay waste, they lay waste; if he tells them to build,
they build; 9 if he tells them to cut down, they cut down; if he
tells them to plant, they plant. 10 All his people and his
armies obey him. Furthermore, he reclines, he eats and drinks
and sleeps, 11 but they keep watch around him, and no one may go
away to attend to his own affairs, nor do they disobey him. 12
Gentlemen, why is not the king the strongest, since he is to be
obeyed in this fashion?” And he stopped speaking.
The Speech about Women
13 Then the third, who had spoken of women and truth (and this
was Zerubbabel), began to speak: 14 “Gentlemen, is not the king
great, and are not men many, and is not wine strong? Who is it,
then, that rules them, or has the mastery over them? Is it not
women? 15 Women gave birth to the king and to every people that
rules over sea and land. 16 From women they came; and women
brought up the very men who plant the vineyards from which comes
wine. 17 Women make men’s clothes; they bring men glory; men
cannot exist without women. 18 If men gather gold and silver or
any other beautiful thing, and then see a woman lovely in
appearance and beauty, 19 they let all those things go, and gape
at her, and with open mouths stare at her, and all prefer her to
gold or silver or any other beautiful thing. 20 A man leaves his
own father, who brought him up, and his own country, and clings
to his wife. 21 With his wife he ends his days, with no thought
of his father or his mother or his country. 22 Therefore you
must realize that women rule over you!
“Do you not labor and toil, and bring everything and give it to
women? 23 A man takes his sword, and goes out to travel and rob
and steal and to sail the sea and rivers; 24 he faces lions, and
he walks in darkness, and when he steals and robs and plunders,
he brings it back to the woman he loves. 25 A man loves his wife
more than his father or his mother. 26 Many men have lost their
minds because of women, and have become slaves because of them.
27 Many have perished, or stumbled, or sinned because of women.
28 And now do you not believe me?
“Is not the king great in his power? Do not all lands fear to
touch him? 29 Yet I have seen him with Apame, the king’s
concubine, the daughter of the illustrious Bartacus; she would
sit at the king’s right hand 30 and take the crown from the
king’s head and put it on her own, and slap the king with her
left hand. 31 At this the king would gaze at her with mouth
agape. If she smiles at him, he laughs; if she loses her temper
with him, he flatters her, so that she may be reconciled to him.
32 Gentlemen, why are not women strong, since they do such
things?”
The Speech about Truth
33 Then the king and the nobles looked at one another; and he
began to speak about truth: 34 “Gentlemen, are not women strong?
The earth is vast, and heaven is high, and the sun is swift in
its course, for it makes the circuit of the heavens and returns
to its place in one day. 35 Is not the one who does these things
great? But truth is great, and stronger than all things. 36 The
whole earth calls upon truth, and heaven blesses it. All God’s
works[a] quake and tremble, and with him there is nothing
unrighteous. 37 Wine is unrighteous, the king is unrighteous,
women are unrighteous, all human beings are unrighteous, all
their works are unrighteous, and all such things. There is no
truth in them and in their unrighteousness they will perish. 38
But truth endures and is strong forever, and lives and prevails
forever and ever. 39 With it there is no partiality or
preference, but it does what is righteous instead of anything
that is unrighteous or wicked. Everyone approves its deeds, 40
and there is nothing unrighteous in its judgment. To it belongs
the strength and the kingship and the power and the majesty of
all the ages. Blessed be the God of truth!” 41 When he stopped
speaking, all the people shouted and said, “Great is truth, and
strongest of all!”
Zerubbabel’s Reward
42 Then the king said to him, “Ask what you wish, even beyond
what is written, and we will give it to you, for you have been
found to be the wisest. You shall sit next to me, and be called
my Kinsman.” 43 Then he said to the king, “Remember the vow that
you made on the day when you became king, to build Jerusalem, 44
and to send back all the vessels that were taken from Jerusalem,
which Cyrus set apart when he began[b] to destroy Babylon, and
vowed to send them back there. 45 You also vowed to build the
temple, which the Edomites burned when Judea was laid waste by
the Chaldeans. 46 And now, O lord the king, this is what I ask
and request of you, and this befits your greatness. I pray
therefore that you fulfill the vow whose fulfillment you vowed
to the King of heaven with your own lips.”
47 Then King Darius got up and kissed him, and wrote letters for
him to all the treasurers and governors and generals and
satraps, that they should give safe conduct to him and to all
who were going up with him to build Jerusalem. 48 And he wrote
letters to all the governors in Coelesyria and Phoenicia and to
those in Lebanon, to bring cedar timber from Lebanon to
Jerusalem, and to help him build the city. 49 He wrote in behalf
of all the Jews who were going up from his kingdom to Judea, in
the interest of their freedom, that no officer or satrap or
governor or treasurer should forcibly enter their doors; 50 that
all the country that they would occupy should be theirs without
tribute; that the Idumeans should give up the villages of the
Jews that they held; 51 that twenty talents a year should be
given for the building of the temple until it was completed, 52
and an additional ten talents a year for burnt offerings to be
offered on the altar every day, in accordance with the
commandment to make seventeen offerings; 53 and that all who
came from Babylonia to build the city should have their freedom,
they and their children and all the priests who came. 54 He
wrote also concerning their support and the priests’ vestments
in which[c] they were to minister. 55 He wrote that the support
for the Levites should be provided until the day when the temple
would be finished and Jerusalem built. 56 He wrote that land and
wages should be provided for all who guarded the city. 57 And he
sent back from Babylon all the vessels that Cyrus had set apart;
everything that Cyrus had ordered to be done, he also commanded
to be done and to be sent to Jerusalem.
Zerubbabel’s Prayer
58 When the young man went out, he lifted up his face to heaven
toward Jerusalem, and praised the King of heaven, saying, 59
“From you comes the victory; from you comes wisdom, and yours is
the glory. I am your servant. 60 Blessed are you, who have given
me wisdom; I give you thanks, O Lord of our ancestors.”
61 So he took the letters, and went to Babylon and told this to
all his kindred. 62 And they praised the God of their ancestors,
because he had given them release and permission 63 to go up and
build Jerusalem and the temple that is called by his name; and
they feasted, with music and rejoicing, for seven days.
Footnotes:
1 Esdras 4:36 Gk All the works
1 Esdras 4:44 Cn: Gk vowed
1 Esdras 4:54 Gk in what priestly vestments
#Post#: 13341--------------------------------------------------
Re: 1 ESDRAS - THIRD BOOK OF ESDRAS
By: patrick jane Date: May 24, 2020, 5:40 am
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1 Esdras 5 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
List of the Returning Exiles
5 After this the heads of ancestral houses were chosen to go up,
according to their tribes, with their wives and sons and
daughters, and their male and female servants, and their
livestock. 2 And Darius sent with them a thousand cavalry to
take them back to Jerusalem in safety, with the music of drums
and flutes; 3 all their kindred were making merry. And he made
them go up with them.
4 These are the names of the men who went up, according to their
ancestral houses in the tribes, over their groups: 5 the
priests, the descendants of Phinehas son of Aaron; Jeshua son of
Jozadak son of Seraiah and Joakim son of Zerubbabel son of
Shealtiel, of the house of David, of the lineage of Phares, of
the tribe of Judah, 6 who spoke wise words before King Darius of
the Persians, in the second year of his reign, in the month of
Nisan, the first month.
7 These are the Judeans who came up out of their sojourn in
exile, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried away to
Babylon 8 and who returned to Jerusalem and the rest of Judea,
each to his own town. They came with Zerubbabel and Jeshua,
Nehemiah, Seraiah, Resaiah, Eneneus, Mordecai, Beelsarus,
Aspharasus, Reeliah, Rehum, and Baanah, their leaders.
9 The number of those of the nation and their leaders: the
descendants of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy-two. The
descendants of Shephatiah, four hundred seventy-two. 10 The
descendants of Arah, seven hundred fifty-six. 11 The descendants
of Pahath-moab, of the descendants of Jeshua and Joab, two
thousand eight hundred twelve. 12 The descendants of Elam, one
thousand two hundred fifty-four. The descendants of Zattu, nine
hundred forty-five. The descendants of Chorbe, seven hundred
five. The descendants of Bani, six hundred forty-eight. 13 The
descendants of Bebai, six hundred twenty-three. The descendants
of Azgad, one thousand three hundred twenty-two. 14 The
descendants of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-seven. The
descendants of Bigvai, two thousand sixty-six. The descendants
of Adin, four hundred fifty-four. 15 The descendants of Ater,
namely of Hezekiah, ninety-two. The descendants of Kilan and
Azetas, sixty-seven. The descendants of Azaru, four hundred
thirty-two. 16 The descendants of Annias, one hundred one. The
descendants of Arom. The descendants of Bezai, three hundred
twenty-three. The descendants of Arsiphurith, one hundred
twelve. 17 The descendants of Baiterus, three thousand five. The
descendants of Bethlomon, one hundred twenty-three. 18 Those
from Netophah, fifty-five. Those from Anathoth, one hundred
fifty-eight. Those from Bethasmoth, forty-two. 19 Those from
Kiriatharim, twenty-five. Those from Chephirah and Beeroth,
seven hundred forty-three. 20 The Chadiasans and Ammidians, four
hundred twenty-two. Those from Kirama and Geba, six hundred
twenty-one. 21 Those from Macalon, one hundred twenty-two. Those
from Betolio, fifty-two. The descendants of Niphish, one hundred
fifty-six. 22 The descendants of the other Calamolalus and Ono,
seven hundred twenty-five. The descendants of Jerechus, three
hundred forty-five. 23 The descendants of Senaah, three thousand
three hundred thirty.
24 The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah son of Jeshua, of the
descendants of Anasib, nine hundred seventy-two. The descendants
of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two. 25 The descendants of
Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven. The descendants
of Charme, one thousand seventeen.
26 The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel and Bannas
and Sudias, seventy-four. 27 The temple singers: the descendants
of Asaph, one hundred twenty-eight. 28 The gatekeepers: the
descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants
of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita,
the descendants of Shobai, in all one hundred thirty-nine.
29 The temple servants: the descendants of Esau, the descendants
of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth, the descendants of
Keros, the descendants of Sua, the descendants of Padon, the
descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, 30 the
descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Uthai, the descendants
of Ketab, the descendants of Hagab, the descendants of Subai,
the descendants of Hana, the descendants of Cathua, the
descendants of Geddur, 31 the descendants of Jairus, the
descendants of Daisan, the descendants of Noeba, the descendants
of Chezib, the descendants of Gazera, the descendants of Uzza,
the descendants of Phinoe, the descendants of Hasrah, the
descendants of Basthai, the descendants of Asnah, the
descendants of Maani, the descendants of Nephisim, the
descendants of Acuph,[a] the descendants of Hakupha, the
descendants of Asur, the descendants of Pharakim, the
descendants of Bazluth, 32 the descendants of Mehida, the
descendants of Cutha, the descendants of Charea, the descendants
of Barkos, the descendants of Serar, the descendants of Temah,
the descendants of Neziah, the descendants of Hatipha.
33 The descendants of Solomon’s servants: the descendants of
Assaphioth, the descendants of Peruda, the descendants of
Jaalah, the descendants of Lozon, the descendants of Isdael, the
descendants of Shephatiah, 34 the descendants of Agia, the
descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the descendants of Sarothie,
the descendants of Masiah, the descendants of Gas, the
descendants of Addus, the descendants of Subas, the descendants
of Apherra, the descendants of Barodis, the descendants of
Shaphat, the descendants of Allon.
35 All the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s
servants were three hundred seventy-two.
36 The following are those who came up from Tel-melah and
Tel-harsha, under the leadership of Cherub, Addan, and Immer, 37
though they could not prove by their ancestral houses or lineage
that they belonged to Israel: the descendants of Delaiah son of
Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, six hundred fifty-two.
38 Of the priests the following had assumed the priesthood but
were not found registered: the descendants of Habaiah, the
descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Jaddus who had
married Agia, one of the daughters of Barzillai, and was called
by his name. 39 When a search was made in the register and the
genealogy of these men was not found, they were excluded from
serving as priests. 40 And Nehemiah and Attharias[b] told them
not to share in the holy things until a high priest should
appear wearing Urim and Thummim.[c]
41 All those of Israel, twelve or more years of age, besides
male and female servants, were forty-two thousand three hundred
sixty; 42 their male and female servants were seven thousand
three hundred thirty-seven; there were two hundred forty-five
musicians and singers. 43 There were four hundred thirty-five
camels, and seven thousand thirty-six horses, two hundred
forty-five mules, and five thousand five hundred twenty-five
donkeys.
44 Some of the heads of families, when they came to the temple
of God that is in Jerusalem, vowed that, to the best of their
ability, they would erect the house on its site, 45 and that
they would give to the sacred treasury for the work a thousand
minas of gold, five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred
priests’ vestments.
46 The priests, the Levites, and some of the people[d] settled
in Jerusalem and its vicinity; and the temple singers, the
gatekeepers, and all Israel in their towns.
Worship Begins Again
47 When the seventh month came, and the Israelites were all in
their own homes, they gathered with a single purpose in the
square before the first gate toward the east. 48 Then Jeshua son
of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel son of
Shealtiel, with his kinsmen, took their places and prepared the
altar of the God of Israel, 49 to offer burnt offerings upon it,
in accordance with the directions in the book of Moses the man
of God. 50 And some joined them from the other peoples of the
land. And they erected the altar in its place, for all the
peoples of the land were hostile to them and were stronger than
they; and they offered sacrifices at the proper times and burnt
offerings to the Lord morning and evening. 51 They kept the
festival of booths, as it is commanded in the law, and offered
the proper sacrifices every day, 52 and thereafter the regular
offerings and sacrifices on sabbaths and at new moons and at all
the consecrated feasts. 53 And all who had made any vow to God
began to offer sacrifices to God, from the new moon of the
seventh month, though the temple of God was not yet built. 54
They gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food and
drink 55 and carts[e] to the Sidonians and the Tyrians, to bring
cedar logs from Lebanon and convey them in rafts to the harbor
of Joppa, according to the decree that they had in writing from
King Cyrus of the Persians.
The Foundations of the Temple Laid
56 In the second year after their coming to the temple of God in
Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and
Jeshua son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with their
kindred and the levitical priests and all who had come back to
Jerusalem from exile; 57 and they laid the foundation of the
temple of God on the new moon of the second month in the second
year after they came to Judea and Jerusalem. 58 They appointed
the Levites who were twenty or more years of age to have charge
of the work of the Lord. And Jeshua arose, and his sons and
kindred and his brother Kadmiel and the sons of Jeshua Emadabun
and the sons of Joda son of Iliadun, with their sons and
kindred, all the Levites, pressing forward the work on the house
of God with a single purpose.
So the builders built the temple of the Lord. 59 And the priests
stood arrayed in their vestments, with musical instruments and
trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, 60
praising the Lord and blessing him, according to the directions
of King David of Israel; 61 they sang hymns, giving thanks to
the Lord, “For his goodness and his glory are forever upon all
Israel.” 62 And all the people sounded trumpets and shouted with
a great shout, praising the Lord for the erection of the house
of the Lord. 63 Some of the levitical priests and heads of
ancestral houses, old men who had seen the former house, came to
the building of this one with outcries and loud weeping, 64
while many came with trumpets and a joyful noise, 65 so that the
people could not hear the trumpets because of the weeping of the
people.
For the multitude sounded the trumpets loudly, so that the sound
was heard far away; 66 and when the enemies of the tribe of
Judah and Benjamin heard it, they came to find out what the
sound of the trumpets meant. 67 They learned that those who had
returned from exile were building the temple for the Lord God of
Israel. 68 So they approached Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the
heads of the ancestral houses and said to them, “We will build
with you. 69 For we obey your Lord just as you do and we have
been sacrificing to him ever since the days of King
Esar-haddon[f] of the Assyrians, who brought us here.” 70 But
Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the heads of the ancestral houses in
Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building
the house for the Lord our God, 71 for we alone will build it
for the Lord of Israel, as Cyrus, the king of the Persians, has
commanded us.” 72 But the peoples of the land pressed hard[g]
upon those in Judea, cut off their supplies, and hindered their
building; 73 and by plots and demagoguery and uprisings they
prevented the completion of the building as long as King Cyrus
lived. They were kept from building for two years, until the
reign of Darius.
Footnotes:
1 Esdras 5:31 Other ancient authorities read Acub or Acum
1 Esdras 5:40 Or the governor
1 Esdras 5:40 Gk Manifestation and Truth
1 Esdras 5:46 Or those who were of the people
1 Esdras 5:55 Meaning of Gk uncertain
1 Esdras 5:69 Gk Asbasareth
1 Esdras 5:72 Meaning of Gk uncertain
#Post#: 13342--------------------------------------------------
Re: 1 ESDRAS - THIRD BOOK OF ESDRAS
By: patrick jane Date: May 24, 2020, 5:41 am
---------------------------------------------------------
1 Esdras 6 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Work on the Temple Begins Again
6 Now in the second year of the reign of Darius, the prophets
Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews who were
in Judea and Jerusalem; they prophesied to them in the name of
the Lord God of Israel. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and
Jeshua son of Jozadak began to build the house of the Lord that
is in Jerusalem, with the help of the prophets of the Lord who
were with them.
3 At the same time Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phoenicia
and Sathrabuzanes and their associates came to them and said, 4
“By whose order are you building this house and this roof and
finishing all the other things? And who are the builders that
are finishing these things?” 5 Yet the elders of the Jews were
dealt with kindly, for the providence of the Lord was over the
captives; 6 they were not prevented from building until word
could be sent to Darius concerning them and a report made.
7 A copy of the letter that Sisinnes the governor of Syria and
Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes, and their associates the local
rulers in Syria and Phoenicia, wrote and sent to Darius:
8 “To King Darius, greetings. Let it be fully known to our lord
the king that, when we went to the country of Judea and entered
the city of Jerusalem, we found the elders of the Jews, who had
been in exile, 9 building in the city of Jerusalem a great new
house for the Lord, of hewn stone, with costly timber laid in
the walls. 10 These operations are going on rapidly, and the
work is prospering in their hands and being completed with all
splendor and care. 11 Then we asked these elders, ‘At whose
command are you building this house and laying the foundations
of this structure?’ 12 In order that we might inform you in
writing who the leaders are, we questioned them and asked them
for a list of the names of those who are at their head. 13 They
answered us, ‘We are the servants of the Lord who created the
heaven and the earth. 14 The house was built many years ago by a
king of Israel who was great and strong, and it was finished. 15
But when our ancestors sinned against the Lord of Israel who is
in heaven, and provoked him, he gave them over into the hands of
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, king of the Chaldeans; 16 and
they pulled down the house, and burned it, and carried the
people away captive to Babylon. 17 But in the first year that
Cyrus reigned over the country of Babylonia, King Cyrus wrote
that this house should be rebuilt. 18 And the holy vessels of
gold and of silver, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the
house in Jerusalem and stored in his own temple, these King
Cyrus took out again from the temple in Babylon, and they were
delivered to Zerubbabel and Sheshbazzar[a] the governor 19 with
the command that he should take all these vessels back and put
them in the temple at Jerusalem, and that this temple of the
Lord should be rebuilt on its site. 20 Then this Sheshbazzar,
after coming here, laid the foundations of the house of the Lord
that is in Jerusalem. Although it has been in process of
construction from that time until now, it has not yet reached
completion.’ 21 Now therefore, O king, if it seems wise to do
so, let search be made in the royal archives of our lord[b] the
king that are in Babylon; 22 if it is found that the building of
the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was done with the consent of
King Cyrus, and if it is approved by our lord the king, let him
send us directions concerning these things.”
Official Permission Granted
23 Then Darius commanded that search be made in the royal
archives that were deposited in Babylon. And in Ecbatana, the
fortress that is in the country of Media, a scroll[c] was found
in which this was recorded: 24 “In the first year of the reign
of King Cyrus, he ordered the building of the house of the Lord
in Jerusalem, where they sacrifice with perpetual fire; 25 its
height to be sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, with three
courses of hewn stone and one course of new native timber; the
cost to be paid from the treasury of King Cyrus; 26 and that the
holy vessels of the house of the Lord, both of gold and of
silver, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the house in Jerusalem
and carried away to Babylon, should be restored to the house in
Jerusalem, to be placed where they had been.”
27 So Darius[d] commanded Sisinnes the governor of Syria and
Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes, and their associates, and those
who were appointed as local rulers in Syria and Phoenicia, to
keep away from the place, and to permit Zerubbabel, the servant
of the Lord and governor of Judea, and the elders of the Jews to
build this house of the Lord on its site. 28 “And I command that
it be built completely, and that full effort be made to help
those who have returned from the exile of Judea, until the house
of the Lord is finished; 29 and that out of the tribute of
Coelesyria and Phoenicia a portion be scrupulously given to
these men, that is, to Zerubbabel the governor, for sacrifices
to the Lord, for bulls and rams and lambs, 30 and likewise wheat
and salt and wine and oil, regularly every year, without
quibbling, for daily use as the priests in Jerusalem may
indicate, 31 in order that libations may be made to the Most
High God for the king and his children, and prayers be offered
for their lives.”
32 He commanded that if anyone should transgress or nullify any
of the things herein written,[e] a beam should be taken out of
the house of the perpetrator, who then should be impaled upon
it, and all property forfeited to the king.
33 “Therefore may the Lord, whose name is there called upon,
destroy every king and nation that shall stretch out their hands
to hinder or damage that house of the Lord in Jerusalem.
34 “I, King Darius, have decreed that it be done with all
diligence as here prescribed.”
Footnotes:
1 Esdras 6:18 Gk Sanabassarus
1 Esdras 6:21 Other ancient authorities read of Cyrus
1 Esdras 6:23 Other authorities read passage
1 Esdras 6:27 Gk he
1 Esdras 6:32 Other authorities read stated above or added in
writing
#Post#: 13343--------------------------------------------------
Re: 1 ESDRAS - THIRD BOOK OF ESDRAS
By: patrick jane Date: May 24, 2020, 5:42 am
---------------------------------------------------------
1 Esdras 7 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Temple Is Dedicated
7 Then Sisinnes the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, and
Sathrabuzanes, and their associates, following the orders of
King Darius, 2 supervised the holy work with very great care,
assisting the elders of the Jews and the chief officers of the
temple. 3 The holy work prospered, while the prophets Haggai and
Zechariah prophesied; 4 and they completed it by the command of
the Lord God of Israel. So with the consent of Cyrus and Darius
and Artaxerxes, kings of the Persians, 5 the holy house was
finished by the twenty-third day of the month of Adar, in the
sixth year of King Darius. 6 And the people of Israel, the
priests, the Levites, and the rest of those who returned from
exile who joined them, did according to what was written in the
book of Moses. 7 They offered at the dedication of the temple of
the Lord one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred
lambs, 8 and twelve male goats for the sin of all Israel,
according to the number of the twelve leaders of the tribes of
Israel; 9 and the priests and the Levites stood arrayed in their
vestments, according to kindred, for the services of the Lord
God of Israel in accordance with the book of Moses; and the
gatekeepers were at each gate.
The Passover
10 The people of Israel who came from exile kept the passover on
the fourteenth day of the first month, after the priests and the
Levites were purified together. 11 Not all of the returned
captives were purified, but the Levites were all purified
together,[a] 12 and they sacrificed the passover lamb for all
the returned captives and for their kindred the priests and for
themselves. 13 The people of Israel who had returned from exile
ate it, all those who had separated themselves from the
abominations of the peoples of the land and sought the Lord. 14
They also kept the festival of unleavened bread seven days,
rejoicing before the Lord, 15 because he had changed the will of
the king of the Assyrians concerning them, to strengthen their
hands for the service of the Lord God of Israel.
Footnotes:
1 Esdras 7:11 Meaning of Gk uncertain
#Post#: 13344--------------------------------------------------
Re: 1 ESDRAS - THIRD BOOK OF ESDRAS
By: patrick jane Date: May 24, 2020, 5:43 am
---------------------------------------------------------
1 Esdras 8 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem
8 After these things, when Artaxerxes, the king of the Persians,
was reigning, Ezra came, the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son
of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, 2 son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, son
of Amariah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, son of Abishua, son of
Phineas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high[a] priest. 3 This
Ezra came up from Babylon as a scribe skilled in the law of
Moses, which was given by the God of Israel; 4 and the king
showed him honor, for he found favor before the king[b] in all
his requests. 5 There came up with him to Jerusalem some of the
people of Israel and some of the priests and Levites and temple
singers and gatekeepers and temple servants, 6 in the seventh
year of the reign of Artaxerxes, in the fifth month (this was
the king’s seventh year); for they left Babylon on the new moon
of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the new moon of
the fifth month, by the prosperous journey that the Lord gave
them.[c] 7 For Ezra possessed great knowledge, so that he
omitted nothing from the law of the Lord or the commandments,
but taught all Israel all the ordinances and judgments.
The King’s Mandate
8 The following is a copy of the written commission from King
Artaxerxes that was delivered to Ezra the priest and reader of
the law of the Lord:
9 “King Artaxerxes to Ezra the priest and reader of the law of
the Lord, greeting. 10 In accordance with my gracious decision,
I have given orders that those of the Jewish nation and of the
priests and Levites and others in our realm, those who freely
choose to do so, may go with you to Jerusalem. 11 Let as many as
are so disposed, therefore, leave with you, just as I and the
seven Friends who are my counselors have decided, 12 in order to
look into matters in Judea and Jerusalem, in accordance with
what is in the law of the Lord, 13 and to carry to Jerusalem the
gifts for the Lord of Israel that I and my Friends have vowed,
and to collect for the Lord in Jerusalem all the gold and silver
that may be found in the country of Babylonia, 14 together with
what is given by the nation for the temple of their Lord that is
in Jerusalem, both gold and silver for bulls and rams and lambs
and what goes with them, 15 so as to offer sacrifices on the
altar of their Lord that is in Jerusalem. 16 Whatever you and
your kindred are minded to do with the gold and silver, perform
it in accordance with the will of your God; 17 deliver the holy
vessels of the Lord that are given you for the use of the temple
of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 And whatever else occurs to
you as necessary for the temple of your God, you may provide out
of the royal treasury.
19 “I, King Artaxerxes, have commanded the treasurers of Syria
and Phoenicia that whatever Ezra the priest and reader of the
law of the Most High God sends for, they shall take care to give
him, 20 up to a hundred talents of silver, and likewise up to a
hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, and salt in
abundance. 21 Let all things prescribed in the law of God be
scrupulously fulfilled for the Most High God, so that wrath may
not come upon the kingdom of the king and his sons. 22 You are
also informed that no tribute or any other tax is to be laid on
any of the priests or Levites or temple singers or gatekeepers
or temple servants or persons employed in this temple, and that
no one has authority to impose any tax on them.
23 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of God, appoint
judges and justices to judge all those who know the law of your
God, throughout all Syria and Phoenicia; and you shall teach it
to those who do not know it. 24 All who transgress the law of
your God or the law of the kingdom shall be strictly punished,
whether by death or some other punishment, either fine or
imprisonment.”
Ezra Praises God
25 Then Ezra the scribe said,[d] “Blessed be the Lord alone, who
put this into the heart of the king, to glorify his house that
is in Jerusalem, 26 and who honored me in the sight of the king
and his counselors and all his Friends and nobles. 27 I was
encouraged by the help of the Lord my God, and I gathered men
from Israel to go up with me.”
The Leaders Who Returned
28 These are the leaders, according to their ancestral houses
and their groups, who went up with me from Babylon, in the reign
of King Artaxerxes: 29 Of the descendants of Phineas, Gershom.
Of the descendants of Ithamar, Gamael. Of the descendants of
David, Hattush son of Shecaniah. 30 Of the descendants of
Parosh, Zechariah, and with him a hundred fifty men enrolled. 31
Of the descendants of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah,
and with him two hundred men. 32 Of the descendants of Zattu,
Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred men. Of
the descendants of Adin, Obed son of Jonathan, and with him two
hundred fifty men. 33 Of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son
of Gotholiah, and with him seventy men. 34 Of the descendants of
Shephatiah, Zeraiah son of Michael, and with him seventy men. 35
Of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him
two hundred twelve men. 36 Of the descendants of Bani, Shelomith
son of Josiphiah, and with him a hundred sixty men. 37 Of the
descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him
twenty-eight men. 38 Of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of
Hakkatan, and with him a hundred ten men. 39 Of the descendants
of Adonikam, the last ones, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel,
and Shemaiah, and with them seventy men. 40 Of the descendants
of Bigvai, Uthai son of Istalcurus, and with him seventy men.
41 I assembled them at the river called Theras, and we encamped
there three days, and I inspected them. 42 When I found there
none of the descendants of the priests or of the Levites, 43 I
sent word to Eliezar, Iduel, Maasmas, 44 Elnathan, Shemaiah,
Jarib, Nathan, Elnathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were
leaders and men of understanding; 45 I told them to go to Iddo,
who was the leading man at the place of the treasury, 46 and
ordered them to tell Iddo and his kindred and the treasurers at
that place to send us men to serve as priests in the house of
our Lord. 47 And by the mighty hand of our Lord they brought us
competent men of the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, son of
Israel, namely Sherebiah[e] with his descendants and kinsmen,
eighteen; 48 also Hashabiah and Annunus and his brother
Jeshaiah, of the descendants of Hananiah, and their descendants,
twenty men; 49 and of the temple servants, whom David and the
leaders had given for the service of the Levites, two hundred
twenty temple servants; the list of all their names was
reported.
Ezra Proclaims a Fast
50 There I proclaimed a fast for the young men before our Lord,
to seek from him a prosperous journey for ourselves and for our
children and the livestock that were with us. 51 For I was
ashamed to ask the king for foot soldiers and cavalry and an
escort to keep us safe from our adversaries; 52 for we had said
to the king, “The power of our Lord will be with those who seek
him, and will support them in every way.” 53 And again we prayed
to our Lord about these things, and we found him very merciful.
The Gifts for the Temple
54 Then I set apart twelve of the leaders of the priests,
Sherebiah and Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them; 55
and I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the holy
vessels of the house of our Lord, which the king himself and his
counselors and the nobles and all Israel had given. 56 I weighed
and gave to them six hundred fifty talents of silver, and silver
vessels worth a hundred talents, and a hundred talents of gold,
57 and twenty golden bowls, and twelve bronze vessels of fine
bronze that glittered like gold. 58 And I said to them, “You are
holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and
the gold are vowed to the Lord, the Lord of our ancestors. 59 Be
watchful and on guard until you deliver them to the leaders of
the priests and the Levites, and to the heads of the ancestral
houses of Israel, in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of
our Lord.” 60 So the priests and the Levites who took the silver
and the gold and the vessels that had been in Jerusalem carried
them to the temple of the Lord.
The Return to Jerusalem
61 We left the river Theras on the twelfth day of the first
month; and we arrived in Jerusalem by the mighty hand of our
Lord, which was upon us; he delivered us from every enemy on the
way, and so we came to Jerusalem. 62 When we had been there
three days, the silver and the gold were weighed and delivered
in the house of our Lord to the priest Meremoth son of Uriah; 63
with him was Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them were Jozabad
son of Jeshua and Moeth son of Binnui,[f] the Levites. 64 The
whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was
recorded at that very time. 65 And those who had returned from
exile offered sacrifices to the Lord, the God of Israel, twelve
bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, 66 seventy-two lambs, and
as a thank offering twelve male goats—all as a sacrifice to the
Lord. 67 They delivered the king’s orders to the royal stewards
and to the governors of Coelesyria and Phoenicia; and these
officials[g] honored the people and the temple of the Lord.
Ezra’s Prayer
68 After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and
said, 69 “The people of Israel and the rulers and the priests
and the Levites have not put away from themselves the alien
peoples of the land and their pollutions, the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Moabites, the
Egyptians, and the Edomites. 70 For they and their descendants
have married the daughters of these people,[h] and the holy race
has been mixed with the alien peoples of the land; and from the
beginning of this matter the leaders and the nobles have been
sharing in this iniquity.”
71 As soon as I heard these things I tore my garments and my
holy mantle, and pulled out hair from my head and beard, and sat
down in anxiety and grief. 72 And all who were ever moved at[i]
the word of the Lord of Israel gathered around me, as I mourned
over this iniquity, and I sat grief-stricken until the evening
sacrifice. 73 Then I rose from my fast, with my garments and my
holy mantle torn, and kneeling down and stretching out my hands
to the Lord 74 I said,
“O Lord, I am ashamed and confused before your face. 75 For our
sins have risen higher than our heads, and our mistakes have
mounted up to heaven 76 from the times of our ancestors, and we
are in great sin to this day. 77 Because of our sins and the
sins of our ancestors, we with our kindred and our kings and our
priests were given over to the kings of the earth, to the sword
and exile and plundering, in shame until this day. 78 And now in
some measure mercy has come to us from you, O Lord, to leave to
us a root and a name in your holy place, 79 and to uncover a
light for us in the house of the Lord our God, and to give us
food in the time of our servitude. 80 Even in our bondage we
were not forsaken by our Lord, but he brought us into favor with
the kings of the Persians, so that they have given us food 81
and glorified the temple of our Lord, and raised Zion from
desolation, to give us a stronghold in Judea and Jerusalem.
82 “And now, O Lord, what shall we say, when we have these
things? For we have transgressed your commandments, which you
gave by your servants the prophets, saying, 83 ‘The land that
you are entering to take possession of is a land polluted with
the pollution of the aliens of the land, and they have filled it
with their uncleanness. 84 Therefore do not give your daughters
in marriage to their descendants, and do not take their
daughters for your descendants; 85 do not seek ever to have
peace with them, so that you may be strong and eat the good
things of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your
children forever.’ 86 And all that has happened to us has come
about because of our evil deeds and our great sins. For you, O
Lord, lifted the burden of our sins 87 and gave us such a root
as this; but we turned back again to transgress your law by
mixing with the uncleanness of the peoples of the land. 88 Were
you not angry enough with us to destroy us without leaving a
root or seed or name? 89 O Lord of Israel, you are faithful; for
we are left as a root to this day. 90 See, we are now before you
in our iniquities; for we can no longer stand in your presence
because of these things.”
The Plan for Ending Mixed Marriages
91 While Ezra was praying and making his confession, weeping and
lying on the ground before the temple, there gathered around him
a very great crowd of men and women and youths from Jerusalem;
for there was great weeping among the multitude. 92 Then
Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the men of Israel, called out,
and said to Ezra, “We have sinned against the Lord, and have
married foreign women from the peoples of the land; but even now
there is hope for Israel. 93 Let us take an oath to the Lord
about this, that we will put away all our foreign wives, with
their children, 94 as seems good to you and to all who obey the
law of the Lord. 95 Rise up[j] and take action, for it is your
task, and we are with you to take strong measures.” 96 Then Ezra
rose up and made the leaders of the priests and Levites of all
Israel swear that they would do this. And they swore to it.
Footnotes:
1 Esdras 8:2 Gk the first
1 Esdras 8:4 Gk him
1 Esdras 8:6 Other authorities add for him or upon him
1 Esdras 8:25 Other ancient authorities lack Then Ezra the
scribe said
1 Esdras 8:47 Gk Asbebias
1 Esdras 8:63 Gk Sabannus
1 Esdras 8:67 Gk they
1 Esdras 8:70 Gk their daughters
1 Esdras 8:72 Or zealous for
1 Esdras 8:95 Other ancient authorities read as seems good to
you.” And all who obeyed the law of the Lord rose and said to
Ezra, 95 “Rise up
#Post#: 13345--------------------------------------------------
Re: 1 ESDRAS - THIRD BOOK OF ESDRAS
By: patrick jane Date: May 24, 2020, 5:44 am
---------------------------------------------------------
1 Esdras 9 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Expulsion of Foreign Wives
9 Then Ezra set out and went from the court of the temple to the
chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, 2 and spent the night
there; and he did not eat bread or drink water, for he was
mourning over the great iniquities of the multitude. 3 And a
proclamation was made throughout Judea and Jerusalem to all who
had returned from exile that they should assemble at Jerusalem,
4 and that if any did not meet there within two or three days,
in accordance with the decision of the ruling elders, their
livestock would be seized for sacrifice and the men
themselves[a] expelled from the multitude of those who had
returned from the captivity.
5 Then the men of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin assembled at
Jerusalem within three days; this was the ninth month, on the
twentieth day of the month. 6 All the multitude sat in the open
square before the temple, shivering because of the bad weather
that prevailed. 7 Then Ezra stood up and said to them, “You have
broken the law and married foreign women, and so have increased
the sin of Israel. 8 Now then make confession and give glory to
the Lord the God of our ancestors, 9 and do his will; separate
yourselves from the peoples of the land and from your foreign
wives.”
10 Then all the multitude shouted and said with a loud voice,
“We will do as you have said. 11 But the multitude is great and
it is winter, and we are not able to stand in the open air. This
is not a work we can do in one day or two, for we have sinned
too much in these things. 12 So let the leaders of the multitude
stay, and let all those in our settlements who have foreign
wives come at the time appointed, 13 with the elders and judges
of each place, until we are freed from the wrath of the Lord
over this matter.”
14 Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah[b]
undertook the matter on these terms, and Meshullam and Levi and
Shabbethai served with them as judges. 15 And those who had
returned from exile acted in accordance with all this.
16 Ezra the priest chose for himself the leading men of their
ancestral houses, all of them by name; and on the new moon of
the tenth month they began their sessions to investigate the
matter. 17 And the cases of the men who had foreign wives were
brought to an end by the new moon of the first month.
18 Of the priests, those who were brought in and found to have
foreign wives were: 19 of the descendants of Jeshua son of
Jozadak and his kindred, Maaseiah, Eliezar, Jarib, and Jodan. 20
They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and to offer
rams in expiation of their error. 21 Of the descendants of
Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Jehiel
and Azariah. 22 Of the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai,
Maaseiah, Ishmael, and Nathanael, and Gedaliah, and Salthas.
23 And of the Levites: Jozabad and Shimei and Kelaiah, who was
Kelita, and Pethahiah and Judah and Jonah. 24 Of the temple
singers: Eliashib and Zaccur.[c] 25 Of the gatekeepers: Shallum
and Telem.[d]
26 Of Israel: of the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah,
Malchijah, Mijamin, and Eleazar, and Asibias, and Benaiah. 27 Of
the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah and Zechariah, Jezrielus and
Abdi, and Jeremoth and Elijah. 28 Of the descendants of Zamoth:
Eliadas, Eliashib, Othoniah, Jeremoth, and Zabad and Zerdaiah.
29 Of the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan and Hananiah and
Zabbai and Emathis. 30 Of the descendants of Mani: Olamus,
Mamuchus, Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal and Jeremoth. 31 Of the
descendants of Addi: Naathus and Moossias, Laccunus and Naidus,
and Bescaspasmys and Sesthel, and Belnuus and Manasseas. 32 Of
the descendants of Annan, Elionas and Asaias and Melchias and
Sabbaias and Simon Chosamaeus. 33 Of the descendants of Hashum:
Mattenai and Mattattah and Zabad and Eliphelet and Manasseh and
Shimei. 34 Of the descendants of Bani: Jeremai, Momdius, Maerus,
Joel, Mamdai and Bedeiah and Vaniah, Carabasion and Eliashib and
Mamitanemus, Eliasis, Binnui, Elialis, Shimei, Shelemiah,
Nethaniah. Of the descendants of Ezora: Shashai, Azarel, Azael,
Samatus, Zambris, Joseph. 35 Of the descendants of Nooma:
Mazitias, Zabad, Iddo, Joel, Benaiah. 36 All these had married
foreign women, and they put them away together with their
children.
Ezra Reads the Law to the People
37 The priests and the Levites and the Israelites settled in
Jerusalem and in the country. On the new moon of the seventh
month, when the people of Israel were in their settlements, 38
the whole multitude gathered with one accord in the open square
before the east gate of the temple; 39 they told Ezra the chief
priest and reader to bring the law of Moses that had been given
by the Lord God of Israel. 40 So Ezra the chief priest brought
the law, for all the multitude, men and women, and all the
priests to hear the law, on the new moon of the seventh month.
41 He read aloud in the open square before the gate of the
temple from early morning until midday, in the presence of both
men and women; and all the multitude gave attention to the law.
42 Ezra the priest and reader of the law stood on the wooden
platform that had been prepared; 43 and beside him stood
Mattathiah, Shema, Ananias, Azariah, Uriah, Hezekiah, and
Baalsamus on his right, 44 and on his left Pedaiah, Mishael,
Malchijah, Lothasubus, Nabariah, and Zechariah. 45 Then Ezra
took up the book of the law in the sight of the multitude, for
he had the place of honor in the presence of all. 46 When he
opened the law, they all stood erect. And Ezra blessed the Lord
God Most High, the God of hosts, the Almighty, 47 and the
multitude answered, “Amen.” They lifted up their hands, and fell
to the ground and worshiped the Lord. 48 Jeshua and Anniuth and
Sherebiah, Jadinus, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maiannas and
Kelita, Azariah and Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, taught
the law of the Lord,[e] at the same time explaining what was
read.
49 Then Attharates[f] said to Ezra the chief priest and reader,
and to the Levites who were teaching the multitude, and to all,
50 “This day is holy to the Lord”—now they were all weeping as
they heard the law— 51 “so go your way, eat the fat and drink
the sweet, and send portions to those who have none; 52 for the
day is holy to the Lord; and do not be sorrowful, for the Lord
will exalt you.” 53 The Levites commanded all the people,
saying, “This day is holy; do not be sorrowful.” 54 Then they
all went their way, to eat and drink and enjoy themselves, and
to give portions to those who had none, and to make great
rejoicing; 55 because they were inspired by the words which they
had been taught. And they came together.[g]
Footnotes:
1 Esdras 9:4 Gk he himself
1 Esdras 9:14 Gk Thocanos
1 Esdras 9:24 Gk Bacchurus
1 Esdras 9:25 Gk Tolbanes
1 Esdras 9:48 Other ancient authorities add and read the law of
the Lord to the multitude
1 Esdras 9:49 Or the governor
1 Esdras 9:55 The Greek text ends abruptly: compare Neh 8.13
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