1   Therfor while Esdras preiede so, and bisou&yogh;te God, and wepte, and lai bifor the temple of God, a ful greet cumpenye of Israel, of men, and of wymmen, and of children, was gaderid to him; and the puple wepte bi myche weping. 2   And Sechenye ^note, the sone of Jehiel, of the sones of Helam, answeride, and seide to Esdras, We han trespasside a&yogh;ens oure God, and han weddid wyues, alien wymmen, of `the puplis of the lond. And now, for penaunce is in Israel on this thing, 3   smyte we boond of pees with `oure Lord God, and caste we awei alle `wyues aliens, and hem that ben borun of tho wyues, bi the wille of the Lord; and of hem that dreden the comaundement of oure God, `be it don bi the lawe. 4   Rise thou, it `is thin office to deme, and we schulen be with thee; be thou coumfortid, and do. 5   Therfor Esdras roos, and chargide greetli the princes of prestis, and of dekenes, and of al Israel, to do after this word; and thei sworen. 6   And Esdras roos bifor the hows of God, and he &yogh;ede to the bed of Johannan, sone of Eliasiph, and entride thidur; he eet not breed, and drank not watir; for he biweilide the trespassing of hem, that weren comun fro the caitifte. 7   And a vois of hem was sent in to Juda and Jerusalem, to alle the sones of transmygracioun,

that thei schulden be gaderid in to Jerusalem; 8   and ech man that cometh not in thre daies, bi the counsel of the princes and of eldre men, al his catel schal be takun awey fro him, and he schal be cast awei fro the cumpeny of transmygracioun. 9   Therfor alle the men of Juda and of Beniamyn camen togidere in to Jerusalem in thre daies; thilke is the nynthe monethe, in the twentithe dai of the monethe; and al the puple sat in `the street of Goddis hows, and trembliden for synne and reyn. 10   And Esdras, the preest, roos, and seide to hem, &YOGH;e han trespassid, and han weddid wyues, alien wymmen, that &yogh;e schulden `leie to on the trespas of Israel. 11   And now &yogh;yue &yogh;e knowlechyng to the Lord God of oure fadris, and do &yogh;e his pleasaunce, and be &yogh;e departid fro the puplis of the lond, and fro `wyues aliens. 12   And al the multitude answeride, and seide with greet vois, Bi thi word to vs, so be it doon. 13   Netheles for the puple is myche, and the tyme of reyn is, and we suffren not to stonde withoutforth, and it is not werk of o dai, nether of tweyne; for we han synned greetli in this word; 14   `princes be ordeyned in al the multitude, and alle men in oure citees, that han weddid `wyues aliens, come in tymes ordeyned, and with hem come the eldere men, bi citee and citee, and the iugis therof, til the ire of oure God be turned awei fro vs on this synne. 15   Therfor Jonathan, the sone of Asahel, and Jaazie, the sone of Thecue, stoden on this thing; and Mosollam, and Sebethai, dekenes, helpiden hem. 16   And the sones of transmygracioun diden so. And Esdras, the prest, and men, princes of meynees, &yogh;eden into the

howsis of her fadris, and alle men bi her names; and thei saten in the firste dai of the tenthe monethe, for to seke the thing. 17   And alle men weren endid, that hadden weddid `wyues aliens, `til to the firste dai of the firste monethe. 18   And there weren foundun of the sones of preestis, that weddiden `wyues aliens; of the sones of Josue, the sone of Josedech, and hise britheren, Maasie, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Godolie. 19   And thei &yogh;auen her hondis ^note, that thei schulden caste out her wyues, and offre for her trespas a ram of the scheep. 20   And of the sones of Semmer; Anam, and Zebedie. 21   And of the sones of Serym; Maasie, and Helie, and Semeie, and Jehiel, and Ozie. 22   And of the sones of Phessur; Helioneai, Maasie, Hismael, Nathanael, and Jozabet, and Elasa. 23   And of the sones of dekenes; Josabeth, and Semey, and Elaie; he is Calithaphataie; Juda, and Elezer. 24   And of syngeris, Eliazub; and of porteris, Sellum, and Thellem, and Vry. 25   And of Israel, of the sones of Pharos; Remea, and Ezia, and Melchia, and Vnanym, and Eliezer, and Melchia, and Banea. 26   And of the sones of Elam; Mathanye, and Zacharie, and Jehil, and Abdi, and Rymoth, and Helia. 27   And of the sones of Zechua; Helioneay, Heliasib, Mathanye, and Jerymuth, and Zaeth, and Aziza. 28   And of the sones of Bebai; Johannan, Ananye, Zabbai, Athalia. 29   And of the sones of Beny; Mosallam, and Melue, and Azaie, Jasub, and Saal, and Ramoth. 30   And of the sones of Phaeth; Moab, Edua, and Calal, Banaie, and Massie, Mathanye, Beseleel, and Bennun, and Manasse. 31   And of the sones of Erem; Elieer, Jesue, Melchie, Semeye, Symeon, Beniamyn, Maloth, Samarie. 32    33   And of the sones of Asom; Mathanai, Mathetha, Zabeth, Eliphelech, Jermai, Manasse, Semei. 34   Of the sones of Bany; Maddi,

Amram, 35   and Huel, Baneas, and Badaie, Cheilian, 36   Biamna, Marymuth, and Eliasiph, Mathanye, 37    38   and Jasy, and Bany, and Bennan, 39   and Semei, and Salymas, and Nathan, and Daias, 40   Metuedabai, Sisai, Sarai, Ezrel, 41    42   and Seloman, Semerie, Sellum, Amarie, Joseph. 43   Of the sones of Nebny; Aiel, Mathatie, Zabed, Zabina, Jebdu, and Johel, Banai. 44   Alle these hadden take `wyues aliens, and of hem weren wymmen, that hadden bore children. Here eendith the firste book of Esdras, and here bigynneth the secound book.

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