Chapter 8

Esdras going from Babylon to Jerusalem, ℣.9. carrieth king Artaxerxes' favourable letters, ℣.14. with licence to take gold, silver, and all things necessary at their pleasure. ℣.31. The chief men that go with him are recited. ℣.51. He voweth a fast praying for good success in their journey: ℣.56. weigheth the gold and silver which he delivereth to the Priests, and Levites. ℣.69. And severely admonisheth the people to repentance, for their marriages made with infidels. AND after him when Artaxerxes king of the Persians reigned, came Esdras the son of Azarias, the son of Helcias the son of Salome, ℣.1. Esd. ℣.7. .

1. 1

   And after him when Artaxerxes king of the Persians reigned, came Esdras the son of Azarias, the son of Helcias the son of Salome

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   the son of Sadoc, the son of Achitob, the son of Ameri, the son of Azahel, the son of Bocci, the son of Abisue, the son of Phinees the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the first priest.

3. 3

   This Esdras came up from Babylon being scribe & wise in the law of Moyses, which was given of our Lord the God of Israel to teach and to do.

4. 4

   And the king gave him glory, because he had found grace in all dignity and desire in his sight.

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   And there went up with him of the children of Israel, and the Priests, and the Levites, and the sacred singers of the temple, and the porters, and the servants of the temple into Jerusalem.

6. 6

   In the seventh year when Artaxerxes reigned in the fifth month, this is the seventh year of his reign, going forth of Babylon in the new moon of the fifth month,

7. 7

   they came to Jerusalem according to his commandment, according to the prosperity of their journey, which their Lord gave them.

8. 8

   For in these Esdras had great knowledge, that he would not pretermit any of those things, which were according to the law, and the precepts of our Lord, and in teaching all Israel all justice and judgement.

9. 9

   And they that wrote the writings of Artaxerxes the king, coming delivered the writing which was granted of Artaxerxes the king to Esdras the Priest, & the reader of the law of our Lord, the copy whereof here followeth.

10. 10

    King Artaxerxes to Esdras the Priest, and reader of the law of the Lord, greeting.

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    I of courtesy esteeming it among benefits, have commanded them that of their own accord are desirous of the nation of the Jews, and of the Priests & Levites, which are in my kingdom, to go with thee into Jerusalem.

12. 12

    If any therefore desire to go with thee, let them come together, and set forward as it hath pleased me, & my seven friends my counsellers:

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    that they may visit those things which are done touching Jury & Jerusalem, observing as thou hast in the law of the Lord.

14. 14

    And let them carry the gifts to the Lord the God of Israel, which I have vowed and my friends to Jerusalem, and all the gold and silver, that shall be found in the country of Babylon to the Lord in Jerusalem, with that,

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    which is given for the nation itself unto the temple of their Lord which is in Jerusalem: that this gold and silver be gathered for oxen, and rams, and lambs, & kids, & for the things that are agreeable to these,

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    that they may offer hosts to the Lord upon the altar of their Lord, which is in Jerusalem.

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    And all things whatsoever thou with thy brethren wilt do with gold, & silver, do it at thy pleasure, according to the precept of the Lord thy God.

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    And the sacred vessels, which are given thee to the works of the house of the Lord thy God, which is in Jerusalem.

19. 19

    And other things whatsoever shall help thee to the works of the temple of thy God, thou shalt give it out of the king's treasure.

20. 20

    When thou with thy brethren wilt do ought with gold and silver, do according to the will of the Lord.

21. 21

    And I king Artaxerxes have given commandment to the keepers of the treasure of Syria and Phenice, that what things soever Esdras the Priest and reader of the law of the Lord shall write for, they give him unto an hundred talents of silver, likewise also of gold.

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    And unto an hundred measures of corn, & an hundred vessels of wine, and other things whatsoever abound without taxing.

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    Let all things be done to the most high God according to the law of God, lest perhaps there arise wrath in the reign of the king, & of his son, & his sons.

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    And to you it is said, that upon all the Priests, & Levites, & sacred singers, & servants of the temple, and scribes of this temple

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    no tribute, nor any other tax be set, & that no man have authority to object any

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    But thou Esdras according to the wisdom of God appoint judges, and arbiters in all Syria and Phenice: and teach all them that know not the law of thy God:

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    that whosoever shall transgress the law, they be diligently punished either with death, or with torment, or else with a forfeit of money, or with banishment.

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    And Esdras the scribe said: Blessed be the God of our fathers, which hath given this will into the king's heart, to glorify his house, which is in Jerusalem.

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    And hath honoured me in the sight of the king, and of his counsellers, and friends, and them that wear purple.

30. 30

    And I was made constant in mind according to the aid of our Lord my God, and gathered together of Israel men, that should go up together with me.

31. 31

    And these are the Princes according to their kindreds, and several principalities of them that came up from Babylon the Kingdom of Artaxerxes.

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    Of the children of Phares, Gersomus: and of the children of Siemarith, Amenus: of the children of David, Acchus the son of Scecilia:

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    Of the children of Phares, Zacharias, and with him returned an hundred fifty men.

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    Of the children of leader Moabilion, Zaraei, and with him two hundred fifty men.

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    Of the children of Zachues, Iechonias of Zechoel, and with him two hundred fifty men:

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    of the children of Sala, Maasias of Gotholia, & with him seventy men:

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    of the children of Saphatia, Zarias of Michel, and with him eighty men:

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    of the children of Iob, Abdias of Iehel, and with him two hundred twelve men:

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    of the children of Bania, Salimoth, the son of Iosaphia, and with him an hundred sixty men:

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    of the children of Beer, Zacharias Bebei, and with him two hundred eight men:

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    of the children of Ezead, Ioannes of Eccetan, and with him an hundred ten men:

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    of the children of Adonicam, which were last, and these are their names, Eliphalam the son of Gebel, and Semeias, and with him seventy men.

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    And I gathered them together to the river that is called Thia, and we camped there three days, and viewed them again.

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    And of the children of the Priests and Levites I found not there.

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    And I sent to Eleazarus, and Eccelon, and Masman, and Maloban, and Enaathan, and Samea, and Ioribum, Nathan, Enuagam, Zacharias, and Mosolam the leaders themselves, and that were skillful.

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    And I said to them that they should come to Loddeus, who was at the place of the treasury.

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    And I commanded them to say to Loddeus, and his brethren, and to them that were in the treasury, that they should send us them that might do the function of priesthood in the house of the Lord our God.

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    And they brought unto us according to the mighty hand of the Lord our God cunning men: of the children of Moholi, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, Sebebia, & his sons and brethren, which were eighteen:

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    Asbia, and Amin of the sons of the children of Chananeus, and their children twenty men.

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    And of them that served the temple, whom David gave, and the princes themselves to the ministry of the Levites of them that served the temple, two hundred twenty. All their names were signified in writings.

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    And I vowed there a fast to the young men in the sight of God, that I might ask of him a good journey for us, and them that were with us, and for the children, and the cattle because of ambushments.

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    For I was ashamed to ask of the king footmen and horsemen in my company, to guard us, against our adversaries.

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    For we said to the king that the power of our Lord will be with them that seek him with all affection.

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    And again we besought the Lord our God according to these things: whom also we had propitious, and we obtained of our God.

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    And I separated of the rulers of the people, and of the Priests of the temple, twelve men, and Sedebia, and Asanna, and with them of their brethren ten men.

56. 56

    And I weighed to them the gold and silver, and the vessels of the house of our God pertaining to the Priests, which the king had given, and his counsellers, and the princes, and all Israel.

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    And when I had weighed it, I delivered of silver an hundred fifty talents, and silver vessels of an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents.

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    And of vessels of gold seven score and twelve brazen vessels good of shining brass, resembling the form of gold.

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    And I said to them: You are also sanctified to our Lord, and the vessels be holy, and the gold and silver is vowed to our Lord the God of our fathers.

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    And those Priests and Levites that received the gold and silver and vessels, brought it to Jerusalem into the temple of our Lord.

61. 62

    And we went forward from the river Thia, the twelfth day of the first month, till we entered into Jerusalem.

62. 63

    And when the third day was come, in the fourth day the gold being weighed, and the silver, was delivered in the house of the Lord our God, to Marimoth Priest the son of Iori.

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    And with him was Eleazar the son of Phinees: and with them were Iosadus the son of Iesus, and Medias, and Banni the son of a Levite, by number and weight all things.

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    And the weight of them was written the same hour.

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    And they that came out of the captivity, offered sacrifice to our Lord the God of Israel, oxen twelve, for all Israel, rams eighty six,

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    lambs seventy two, buck goats for sin twelve, and for health twelve kine, all for the sacrifice of our Lord.

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    And they read again the precepts of the king to the kings' officers, and to the deputies of Coelesyria, and Phoenice: and they honored the nation, and the temple of our Lord.

68. 69

    And these things being finished, the rulers came to me, saying: The stock of Israel, and the princes, and the Priests, and the Levites

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    and the strange people, and nations of the land have not separated their uncleanness from the Chananeites, and Hetheites, and Pherezeites, and Iebuseites, and Moobites, & Aegyptians, and Idumeians.

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    For they are joined to their daughters both themselves, and their sons: and the holy seed is mingled with the strange nations of the earth, and the rulers and magistrates were partakers of that iniquity from the beginning of the reign itself.

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    And forthwith as I heard these things, I rent my garments and the sacred tunic: and tearing the hairs of my head, and my beard, I sat sorrowful and heavy.

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    And there assembled to me mourning upon this iniquity, as many as were then moved by the word of our Lord the God of Israel, and I sat sad until the evening sacrifice.

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    And I rising up from fasting, having my garments rent and the sacred tunic, kneeling, and stretching forth my hands to our Lord,

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    I said: Lord I am confounded, and ashamed before thy face,

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    for our sins are multiplied over our heads, and our iniquities are exalted even to heaven.

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    Because from the times of our fathers we are in great sin unto this day.

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    And for the sins of us, and of our fathers we have been delivered with our brethren, and with our Priests to the kings of the earth, into sword and captivity, and spoil with confusion unto this present day.

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    And now what a great thing is this that mercy hath happened to us from thee, o Lord God, & leave thou unto us a root, and a name in the place of thy sanctification,

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    to discover our light in the house of the Lord our God, to give us meat in all the time of our bondage.

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    And when we served, we were not forsaken of the Lord our God: but he set us in favour, appointing the kings of the Persians to give us meat,

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    and to glorify the temple of the Lord our God, and to build the desolations of Sion, to give us stability in Jury, and Jerusalem.

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    And now what say we Lord, having these things? For we have transgressed thy precepts, which thou gavest into the hands of thy servants the prophets,

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    saying: That the land into which ye entered to possess the inheritance thereof, is a land polluted with the coinquinations of the strangers of the land, and their uncleanness hath filled it wholly with their filthiness.

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    And now your daughters you shall not match with their sons, and their daughters you shall not take for your sons.

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    And you shall not seek to have peace with them for ever, that growing strong you may eat the best things of the land, and may distribute the inheritance to your children for ever.

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    And the things that happen to us, all are done for our naughty works, and our great sins.

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    And thou gavest us such a root, and we are returned again to transgress thy ordinances, that we would be mingled with the uncleanness of the nations of this land.

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    Wilt not thou be wrath with us to destroy us, till there be no root left nor our name?

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    Lord God of Israel thou art true. For there is a root left until this present day.

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    Behold, now we are in

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    And when Esdras with adoration confessed weeping, lying flat on the ground before the temple, there were gathered before him out of Jerusalem a very great multitude, men and women, and young men and young women. For there was great weeping in the multitude itself.

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    And when he had cried, Iechonias of Ieheli of the children of Israel, said to Esdras: We have sinned against our Lord, for that we have taken unto us in marriage strange women of the nations of the land.

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    And now thou art over all Israel, in these therefore let there be an oath from our Lord to expel all our wives that are of strangers with their children.

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    As it was decreed to thee of the ancesters according to the law of our Lord, rising up declare it.

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    For to thee the business pertaineth, and we are with thee: do manfully.

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    And Esdras rising up adjured the princes of the Priests and Levites, and all Israel to do according to these things and they sware.