Chapter 4

The second praiseth the excellency of a king: ℣.13. The third (which is Zorobabel) commendeth women: ℣.33. but preferreth truth above all. ℣.41. Which is so approved, and he is rewarded. ℣.42. The king moreover at his request restoreth the holy vessels of the temple, and granteth means to build the city of Jerusalem, and the temple. AND the next began to speak, he that spake of the strength of a king.

1. 1

   And the next began to speak, he that spake of the strength of a king.

2. 2

   O ye men do not the men excel, which obtain land, & sea, and all things that are in them?

3. 3

   But a king excelleth above all things, and hath dominion over them: and every thing whatsoever he shall say to them, they do.

4. 4

   And if he send them to warriors, they go, and throw down mountains, and the walls, and towers.

5. 5

   They kill, and are killed: and the king's word they transgress not. For if they shall overcome, they bring to the king all things whatsoever they have taken for a prey.

6. 6

   In like manner also all others, for so many as are not soldiers, nor fight, but till the ground: when they shall reap, again they bring tributes to the king.

7. 7

   And he being one only, if he say: Kill ye, they kill; say he: forgive, they forgive; say he: strike, they strike; say he, destroy, they destroy;

8. 8

   say he build, they build;

9. 9

   say he, cut down, they cut down; say he plant, they plant:

10. 10

    and all the people, & potestates hear him, and beside this he sitteth down, and drinketh, and sleepeth.

11. 11

    And others guard him round about, and cannot go every one, and do their own works, but at a word are obedient to him.

12. 12

    O ye men, how doth not a king excel that is so renowned? And he held his peace.

13. 13

    The third that spake of women and truth, this is Zorobabel, began to speak.

14. 14

    O ye men, not the great king, & many men, neither is it wine that doth excel. Who is it then that hath the dominion of them?

15. 15

    Have not women brought forth the king, & all the people, that ruleth over land & sea:

16. 16

    and were they not born of them, and did not they bring up them which planted the vineyards, whereof wine is made?

17. 17

    And they make the garments of all men, & they do honour to all men, and men cannot be separated from women.

18. 18

    If they have gathered gold and silver, and

19. 19

    leaving all these things they fix their look upon her, & with open mouth behold her, and allure her more than gold & silver, and every precious thing.

20. 20

    Man forsaketh his father that brought him up, and his country, and joineth himself to a woman.

21. 21

    And with a woman he refresheth his soul: and neither doth he remember father, nor mother, nor country.

22. 22

    And hereby you must know that women rule over you. Are you not sorry?

23. 23

    And a man taketh his sword, & goeth into the way to commit thefts and murders, & to sail seas & rivers,

24. 24

    and seeth a lion; and goeth in darkness: and when he hath committed theft, and fraud, and spoils, he bringeth it to his beloved.

25. 25

    And again, man loveth his wife more than father or mother.

26. 26

    And many have become mad for their wives: & have been made bondmen for them:

27. 27

    and many have perished and been slain, and have sinned for women.

28. 28

    And now believe me, that the king is great in his power: because all countries are afraid to touch him.

29. 29

    Nevertheless I saw Apemes the daughter of Bezaces the concubine of a marvelous king, sitting by the king at his right hand,

30. 30

    and taking off the crown from his head, and putting it upon herself, and with the palm of her left hand she struck the king.

31. 31

    And beside these things he with open mouth beheld her: and if she smile he laugheth, and if she be angry with him, he flattereth, till he be reconciled to her favour.

32. 32

    O ye men, why are not women stronger? Great is the earth, and high is the heaven: who doeth these things?

33. 33

    And then the king and they that wear purple looked one upon another. And he began to speak of truth.

34. 34

    O ye men, are not women strong? The earth is great and heaven is high: & the swift course of the sun turneth the heaven round into his place in one day.

35. 35

    Is not he magnifical that doth these things, and the truth great, and stronger above all things?

36. 36

    All the earth calleth upon the truth, heaven also blesseth it, and all works are moved, and tremble at it, and there is not any thing with it unjust.

37. 37

    Wine is unjust, the king is unjust, women are unjust, all the sons of men are unjust, and all their works are unjust, and in them is not truth, and they shall perish in their iniquity,

38. 38

    and truth abideth, and groweth strong for ever, and liveth, and prevaileth for ever and ever.

39. 39

    Neither is there with it acception of persons, nor differences: but the things that are just it doth to all men, to the unjust and malignant, and all men are well pleased in the works thereof.

40. 40

    And there is no unjust thing in the judgement thereof, but strength, and reign, and power, and majesty of worlds. Blessed be the God of truth.

41. 41

    And he left speaking. And all the people cried, and said: Great is truth and it prevaileth.

42. 42

    Then the king said to him: Ask, if thou wilt any more, than the things that are written, and I will give it thee, according as thou art found wiser than thy neighbours, and thou shalt sit next to me, and shalt be called my cousin.

43. 43

    Then said he to the king: Be mindful of thy vow, which thou hast vowed, to build Jerusalem in the day that thou didst receive the kingdom:

44. 44

    and to send back all the vessels that were taken out of Jerusalem, which Cyrus separated, when he sacked Babylon, and would have sent them back thither.

45. 45

    And thou hast vowed to build the temple, which the Idumeians burnt, when Jury was destroyed of the Chaldees.

46. 46

    And now this is that which I ask lord, & which I desire, this is the majesty which I desire of thee, that thou perform the vow which thou hast vowed to the king of heaven by thy mouth.

47. 47

    Then Darius the king rising up, kissed him: and wrote letters to all the officers, and overseers, and them that wear purple, that they should conduct him, and them that were with him, all going up to build Jerusalem.

48. 48

    And to all the overseers that were in Syria, and Phoenice, and Libanus he wrote letters, that they should draw Cedar trees from Libanus into Jerusalem, to build the city with them.

49. 49

    And he wrote to all the Jews which went up from the Kingdom into Jury for liberty, every mighty man, & magistrate, & overseer not to come upon them to their gates,

50. 50

    and all the country which they had obtained to be free unto them, & that the Idumeians leave the castles which they possess of the Jews,

51. 51

    and to the building of the temple to give every year twenty talents until it were throughly built:

52. 52

    & upon the altars to burn holocausts daily, as they have commandment: to offer

53. 53

    & to all that go forth from Babylon to build the city, that there should be liberty as well to them as to their children, and to all the Priests that go before.

54. 54

    And he wrote a quantity also, and commanded the sacred stole to be given, wherein they should serve;

55. 55

    and to the Levites he wrote to give precepts, until the day wherein the house shall be finished, and Jerusalem builded.

56. 56

    And to all that keep the city, he wrote portions and wages to be given to them.

57. 57

    And he sent away all the vessels whatsoever Cyrus had separated from Babylon, and all things whatsoever Cyrus said, he also commanded to be done, & to be sent to Jerusalem.

58. 58

    And when that young man was gone forth, lifting up his face toward Jerusalem, he blessed the King of heaven,

59. 59

    and said: Of thee is victory, and of thee is wisdom, and glory. And I am thy servant.

60. 60

    Blessed art thou which hast given me wisdom, and I will confess to thee Lord God of our fathers.

61. 61

    And he took the letters, and went into Babylon. And he came, and told all his brethren that were in Babylon:

62. 62

    and they blessed the God of their fathers, because he gave them remission and refreshing,

63. 63

    that they should go up and build Jerusalem, and the temple wherein his name was renowned, and they rejoiced with music & joy seven days.