A    ^noteAfter these actes in the raigne of Arthaxerses kinge of Persia, there w&ebar;t vp from Babilon, Esdras the sonne of Saraiah, the sonne of Asariah, the sonne of Helkiah, the sonne of Selum, the sonne of Zadoc, the sonne of Ahitob, the sonne of Amariah, the sonne of Azariah, the sonne of Maraioth, the sonne of Zaruiah, the sonne of Ozi, the sonne of Boki, the sonne of Abisua, the sonne of Phinehes, the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the chefe priest. This Esdras was a quicke scribe in the lawe of Moses, ^note whiche the Lord God of Israel dyd geue. And the kinge gaue him al that he requireth accordynge to the hande of the Lord his God vpon him. And there went vp certayne of the children of Israel, ∧ of the priestes, and of the Leuites, of the syngers, of the porters, and of the Nethinims vnto Ierusalem, in the seuenth yeare of kinge Arthaxerses. And they came to Ierusalem in the fyfth moneth, that is the seuenth yeare of the kinge. For vp&obar; the first daye of the first moneth, deuised he to go vp from Babylon: and on the fyrste daye of the fyfte moneth came he to Ierusal&ebar;, accordynge to the good hande of God vpon hym. B   For Esdras prepared his hert to seke the law of the Lord, and to do it, and do teache the precept and iudgement in Israel.

And this is the copy of the letter, that kinge Arthaxerses gaue vnto Esdras the pryest, the scribe, whiche was a teacher in the wordes of the Lorde ∧ of hys statues ouer Israel. Vnto Esdras the priest and scribe in the lawe of the God of heauen, peace and salutacyon. I haue commaunded, that all they of the people of Israel, and of the priestes and Leuites in my

Arthaxerses. reaulme, whyche are mynded of their owne good wil to go vp to Ierusalem, that they go wyth the, beynge sent of the kynge and of the seuen Lordes of the counsel, to vyset Iuda ∧ Ierusalem, accordynge to the lawe of God, whiche is in thy hand. And that thou shouldest take with the, syluer and goulde, whiche the king ∧ the Lordes of hys counsel geue of their owne good will vnto the God of Israel (whose habytacyon is at Ierusalem) and all the syluer and goulde that thou canst fynd in al the countre of Babilon, with it that the people and pryestes geue of their owne good wil vnto the house of God at Ierusalem.

C   Take thou the same, and bye dylygently wyth the same moneye, calues, lambes, goates, ∧ meateofferynges ∧ drinckeofferynges, to be offered vpon the aulter of the house of youre God at Ierusalem. And loke what it liketh the and thy brethren to do with the r&ebar;naunt of the money, þt; do after þe; wyl of your God. And the vessels that are geuen the for the mynystracion in the house of thy God, those delyuer thou before God at Ierusalem.

And whatsoeuer thynge more shalbe nedeful for thy house of thy God, whych is necessary for the to spende, let the same be geuen out of the kynges ch&abar;ber. I kynge Arthaxerses haue commaunded al the treasures bey&obar;d the water, that loke whatsoeuer Esdras the pryeste and scrybe in the lawe of the God of heauen requyreth of you, that ye fulfyll the same dylygently, vntyll an hundred talentes of syluer, vntil an h&ubar;dred quarters of wheat and tyll an hundred Batthes of wyne, D   and tyll an hundred ^note Batthes of oyle, and salt wythoute measure. Whatsoeuer belongeth to the law of the God of heauen, let the same be done wyth dylygence for the house of the God of heauen, that there come no wrathe vpon the kynges reaulme and his children.

And knowen be it vnto you, that ye shal haue no auctorite to requyre taxynge and custome, ∧ yearly rentes vp&obar; any of þe; pryestes Leuites, singers, porters, Nethinims ∧ mynysters in the house of thys good. But thou Esdras (after the wysedome of the God that is in thy hand) set thou iudgers and arbiters to iudge all the people that is beyonde Iordan, euen all suche as knowe the law of thy God: and them that knowe it not, those se, þt; ye teache: ∧ whosoeuer wyll not dylyg&ebar;tly fulfyll the law of thy God, and the kynges law, shal haue his iudgem&ebar;t for þe; dead whether it be vnto death or to be banished or to be cond&ebar;ned in goodes, or to be put in preson.

^notePraysed be the Lord God of our fathers which so had inspired the kinges hert to garnysh the house of God at Ierusalem: ∧ hath inclined his mercy vnto me in the presence of the king, ∧ his councelers, ∧ before al the kinges hys estates. And I was conforted (according to the hande of the Lorde my God ouer me, ∧ so gathered I the heades of Israel together, that they might go vp with me.

Previous section

Next section