A    ^noteThen Esdras stode vp frome the court of the temple withoute, and wente into the chamber of Ionathas the sonne of Nasabus,

and remayned there, ∧ ate no meate, nor dr&obar;ke drynke, for the multitude of the wickednes of the people. And there was made a proclamacion in all Iewry and at Hierusal&ebar;, for all suche as were gathered at Hierusal&ebar; out of captiuitie, that whosoeuer came not to Ierusalem within two or .iii. dayes (accordinge to the iudgement of the olde lordes of counsayl) his goddes should be taken from hym, and be excluded from the congregaci&obar; of the captiuitie. And in thre dayes were all they of the tribe of Iuda and BenIamin gathered together at Hierusalem, the .xx. daye of the .ix moneth. And þe; whole multitude sat tr&ebar;bling in the courte of the t&ebar;ple, for it was wynter. So Esdras arose vp, and sayde vnto th&ebar;: ye haue done vnrighteously, in that ye haue taken outlandyshe wyues to mariage, ∧ so too increase the sinnes of Israel. And now knowlege the same, and geue prayse vnto the Lord God of oure fathers, and perfourme his wil departing from the Heathen of the lande, B   and from the outlandish wyues. Then cryed the whole multitude with loude voyce, ∧ sayde: lyke as thou haste spoken, so will we do: but for so much as the people are many, and the wynter here, we may not stande without the house: agayne, this worcke is not a thynge, that can be finished in a daye or two, for we be many þt; haue sinned in these thinges: Ordene therfore, that the rulers of þe; multitude ∧ all they that dwell with vs, ∧ as many as haue outlandish wyues, the priestes also and iudges of euery place may stande in the time appoynted, tyll they lowse vp the wrathe of the Lorde in hys busynes.

Then Ionathas the sonne of Ezeli, ∧ Ozias and Thecam receyued the charge of thys matter, and Bozoramus, ∧ Leius, and Sabatheus helped them therto. After this, all they stode vp þt; were come out of captiuitie. And Esdras the priest chose vnto hym the principall men fr&obar; amonge the fathers accordyng to their names, C   ∧ in the new moone of þe; t&ebar;th moneth they satte together, to examen thys matter. And so the matter was a determyng (c&obar;cerning the m&ebar; that had outl&abar;dish wiues) vntil the new moone of þe; fyrst moneth. And of the priestes that had mixt them selfs with outlandish wyues, there were fo&ubar;de: Of the sonnes of Iesu the sonne of Iosedec and hys brethren, Mazeas, Eleazar, Ioribus ∧ Ioadeus, which offred them selfes to put awaye their wyues, ∧ to offre a r&abar;me for their ignora&ubar;ce. And of the sonnes of Semmeri, Masseas, ∧ Esses, ∧ Ieelech Azarias. Of þe; s&obar;nes of Fosera, Limosias, Hismaen, Nathanea, Iussio, Ieddus, ∧ Talsas. And of the Leuites Iosabdus, Semeis, ∧ Colnis, Caletas, Facteas, Colnas, ∧ Elionas. Of the syngers of the Sanctuary, Eliarib, Zackarus. Of the porters, Sallumus ∧ Tolbanes. And of Israel, of the chyldren of Foro, Osi, ∧ Remias, ∧ Geddias, ∧ Melchias, Michelus. Eleazarus, Iemmebias, and Bannas. And of the chyldren of Iolaman, Chanias, Zachari, Ieizrelus, Ioddius, Erimoth, ∧ Elias. And of the sonnes of Iathoim, D   Eliadas, Liasamus, and Zochias, Larimoth, Sabdis ∧ Tebedias. And of the sonnes of Zebes, Iohannes, Amanias, Zabdias, ∧ Emmeus. And of the sonnes of Bannus, Olammus, Maluchus, Ieddus, Iasub, Asabus and Ierimoth. And of the sonnes of Addin, Naatus, ∧ Moosias, ∧ Caleus, ∧ Raanas, Maasuas, Mathathias, Besel, Bannus and Manasses.

And of the sonnes of Naue, Noues, Afeas Melchias, Sameas, Simon, BenIamin, Malchus, and Marras. And of the sonnes of Asom, Carianeus, Mathathiae, Bannus, Eliphalach, Manasses, Semei. Of the sonnes of Bannus, Ieremy, Moodias, Abramas, Iohell, Baneas, Peliaas, Iona, Marimot, Eliasib, Mathaneus, Eliasis, Ozias, Dielus, Semedius, Zambris ∧ Ioseph. Of the sonnes of Nobeus, Idelus, Mathathias, Sabadus, Zecheda, Sedmi, Iesseus, ∧ Baneas. E   All these had taken outlandysh wom&ebar; to mariage, ∧ they put th&ebar; awaye with theyr children. The priestes ∧ Leuytes, ∧ all they þt; were of Israel, dwelt at Ierusal&ebar; ∧ thorowout all the lande, in the new moone of the .vij moneth, ∧ the chyldr&ebar; of Israell were in their dwellinges. And the whole multitude came together vp&obar; the store at the Eastsyde of the holy porte of the t&ebar;ple. And they spake vnto Esdras the hye priest ∧ reader, that he wolde bringe the law of Moyses, which was geu&ebar; of the Lorde God of Israel. So Esdras the hye priest broughte the lawe vnto the whole multitude, to m&abar; ∧ woman, ∧ to all priestes, that they might heare the lawe ^note in the newe moone of the .vij. moneth. And he read in the flore that is before the holy porte of the t&ebar;ple from the morning early vnto the euenynge, before men and women. And they applyed their mynde all vnto the lawe.

F   And Esdras the priest ∧ reader of the law stode vp vp&obar; a scaffolde of wood, which was made therfore: ∧ vpon his ryghthande there stode by hym Mathathias, Samus, Ananias, Azarias, Vrias, Ozechias, ∧ Balsamus: Vpon hys leftehand stode Faldeus, Misael Malachias, Abuschas, Sabus, Nabadias ∧ Zachary. Th&ebar; toke Esdras the boke before the whole multitude, for he was the pryncypall, ∧ had in moost honour of them all. And when he had read out the lawe, they stode all strayght vpon their fete. So Esdras praised the Lorde the moost hye God, the almighty God of Hostes. And al the people a&ubar;swered Amen: and helde vp their handes, fell doune flat vpon the earth, ∧ praysed the Lord. And Iesus, Beneas, Sarebias, Iaddimus, Accubus, Sabbatheus, Calithes, Asarias, Ioradus, Ananias, ∧ Philias the Leuites lift their handes vpwarde, ∧ bowed their faces to the ground, ∧ praysed the Lord: Those were thei which taught the law of the Lord, ∧ read the lawe of the Lord in the congregaci&obar;: ∧ euery

man set those before that vnderstode the law. Then spake Atharates vnto Esdras the hye priest ∧ reder, ∧ to the Leuites that taught the multitude saying. This day is holy vnto the Lorde, and all they that had hearde the lawe, wepte. So Esdras sayd, Departe your way then, and eat the best, and drinke the swetest, ∧ sende gyftes vnto them that haue nothing, for this daye is holy vnto the Lorde, ∧ be not ye sory. Then wente they their waye euerychone, eate and dronke, and were mery, ∧ sent rewardes vnto them that had nothinge, that they also might eate with gladnesse: for they were excedingly reioysed thorow the woordes that were read vnto theym in the lawe: And so they were all gathered together at Hierusalem to holde the feast, accordinge to the couenaunt of the Lorde God of Israel. The ende of the thyrde boke of Esdras.

Previous section