1   And after these things, when Artaxerxes King of the Persians reigned, Esdras the sonne of ^note Saraias, the sonne of Ezerias, the sonne of Helcias, the sonne of Salum,

2   The sonne of Sadoc, the sonne of Achitob, the sonne of Amarias, the sonne of ^note Ezias, the sonne of ^note Memeroth, the sonne of ^note Zaraias, the sonne of ^note Sauias, the sonne of Boccas, the sonne of Abisum, the sonne of Phinees, the sonne of Eleasar, the sonne of Aaron was the high Priest.

3   This Esdras went out of Babylon, and was a scribe well taught in the lawe of Moyses, giuen by the Lorde God of Israel.

4   Also the King gaue him great honour, and he founde grace in his sight in all his requestes.

5   With him also there departed some of the children of Israel, and of the Priestes and Leuites, and of the holy singers, and of the porters, and of the ministers of the Temple vnto Ierusalem,

6   In the seuenth yeere of the reigne of Artaxerxes, and in the fifth moneth: this was the seuenth yeere of the King (for they went out of Babylon in the first day of the first moneth,

7   And came to Ierusalem according as the Lorde gaue them speede in their iourney)

8   For Esdras had gotten great knowledge, so that he would let nothing passe that was in the law of the Lorde, and in the commaundements, and he taught all Israel al the ordinances and iudgements.

9   So the commission written by King Artaxerxes was giuen Esdras the Priest and reader of the Lawe of the Lorde: the copie thereof foloweth.

10   King Artaxerxes to Esdras the Priest, & reader of the Lawe of the Lorde, Salutation.

11   Forasmuch as I consider things with pitie, I haue commanded that they that will and desire of the nation of the Iewes, and of the Priests and Leuites, which are in our kingdome, shoulde go with thee vnto Israel.

12   Therefore as many as be willing, let them depart together, as it hath seemed good to me and my seuen friendes the counsellers,

13   That they may visite the things that are in Iudea and Ierusalem diligently, as it is conteined in the Lawe of the Lorde,

14   And carie the giftes to the Lorde of Israel in Ierusalem, which I and my friendes haue vowed: also all the golde and siluer, which shall bee founde in the countrey of Babylon appertaining to the Lorde in Ierusalem,

15   With that which is giuen of the people to the Temple of the Lorde their God, that it might be brought to Ierusalem, as well siluer as golde, for bulles, and rammes, and lambes, and thinges thereunto pertaining,

16   That they may offer sacrifices to the Lorde vpon the altar of the Lorde their God, which is in Ierusalem.

17   And whatsoeuer thou and thy brethren will doe with the golde or siluer, accomplish it according to the will of thy God.

18   And the holy vessels of the Lorde, which are giuen thee for the vse of the Temple of thy God, which is in Ierusalem, thou shalt set before thy God in Ierusalem.

19   And what other things so euer thou shalt remember for the vse of the Temple of thy God, thou shalt giue it out of the Kinges treasure.

20   And I also King Artaxerxes haue commanded the treasurers of Syria and Phenice, that whatsoeuer Esdras, the Priest and Reader of the Lawe of the highest God, shall sende for, they shoulde giue it him with all speed, euen to the summe of an hundreth talents of siluer,

21   And likewise vnto an hundreth cores of corne, and an hundreth pieces of wine and other things in abundance.

22   Let all things be done to the hyest God according to the Lawe of God with diligence, that wrath come not vpon the kingdome of the King and of his sonnes.

23   Also to you it is commanded, that of none of the Priests or Leuites, or holy singers, or porters of ministers of the Temple, or of the workemen of this Temple, no tribute nor taxe be taken, nor that any haue power to taxe them in any thing.

24   Thou also, Esdras, according to the wisedom of God, ordeine iudges and gouernours, that they may iudge in all Syria and Phenice all those which are well instructed in the Lawe of thy God, and teach those, which are not instructed.

25   And let all those which shall transgresse the Law of God and the King, be diligently punished, either with death, or other punishment, either with penaltie of money, or banishment.

26   ¶2; Then Esdras the scribe said, Blessed be the onely Lorde God of my fathers, which hath put this in the heart of the King to glorifie his House which is in Ierusalem,

27   And hath honoured me before the King & the counsellers, and all his friends, and gouernours.

28   ¶2; ^note Therefore I was encouraged by the helpe of the Lorde my God, and gathered men of Israel to goe vp with me.

29   These are the guydes after their families and order of dignities, which came vp with me out of Babylon in the reigne of Artaxerxes the King.

30   Of the sonnes of Phinees, Gersom, of the sonnes of Ithamar, Gamael, of the sonnes of Dauid, ^note Lettus.

31   Of the sonnes of Sechenias, of the sonnes of Phares, Zacharias, and with him were counted an hundreth and fiftie men.

32   Of the sonnes of ^note Salomon, Abeliacnias the sonne of Zacharias, and with him two hundreth men.

33   Of the sonnes of Zathoe, Sechenias the sonne of ^note Iezolus, and with him three hundreth men: of the sonnes of Adin, ^note Obeth sonne of Ionathas, and with him two hundreth and fiftie men.

34   Of the sonnes of Elam, ^note Iesias sonne of Gotholias, and with him seuentie men.

35   Of the sonnes of Saphatias, Zarias sonne of ^note Machael, and with him seuentie men.

36   Of the sonnes of Ioab, ^note Badias sonne of Iezelus, and with him two hundreth and twelue men.

37   Of the sonnes of ^note Banid, Assalimoth sonne of Iosaphias, and with him an hundreth, and three score men.

38   Of the sonnes of Babi, Zacharias sonne of Bebai, and with him twentie and eight men.

39   Of the sonnes of ^note Astath, Iohannes sonne of Acatan, and with him an hundreth and ten.

40   Of the sonnes of Adonicam the last: and these are the names of them, Eliphalat, ^note Ieouel & ^note Maias, and with them seuentie men: of the sonnes of ^note Bagouthi sonne of Iscacourus, and with him seuentie men.

41   ¶2; And I gathered them together to the flood called ^note Theras, and pitched our tents there three dayes, and nombred them.

42   But when I had founde there none of the Priestes nor Leuites,

43   I sent to Eleazar, and beholde, there came ^note Maasman, and Alnathan, and Samaian, and ^note Ioribon, and Nathan, Ennatan, Zacharian, and Mosollamon the chiefe, and best learned.

44   And I bade them to go to Daddeus the captaine, which was in the place of the treasurie,

45   With charge to bid Daddeus and his brethren, and the treasurers that were there, to send to vs them, which shoulde offer sacrifice in the house of our Lorde.

46   And they brought vnto vs by the mightie h&abar;d of our Lord, learned men of þe; sonnes of Moli, the sonne of Leui, the sonne of Israel, to wit, ^note Cisebebran & his sonnes, & his brethren being eighteene.

47   And Asebia, and ^note Annon, and Osaian his brethren of the sonnes of ^note Canaineus with their sonnes, twentie persons.

48   And of the ministers of the Temple, which Dauid gaue, and those which were rulers ouer the worke of the Leuites, to wit, ministers of the Temple, two hundreth and twentie, of whome all the names were registred.

49   ¶2; And ^note there I proclaimed a faste for the yong men before the Lorde to aske of him a good iourney both for vs, and for them that were with vs, for our children, and for our cattell.

50   For I was ashamed to aske the King footemen, or horsemen, or conduct for safegarde against our enemies,

51   Because we had saide to the King, that the power of our Lorde shoulde be with them that sought him, to direct them in all things.

52   Wherefore we prayed our Lorde againe, according to these things, wh&obar; we found fauourable.

53   Then I chose from among the chiefe of the tribes, & of the Priests, twelue m&ebar;, to wit, ^note Esebrias and Assanias, and with them ten of their brethren.

54   And I weighed them the siluer and the gold, and the holy vessels of þe; house of our Lord, which the King and his counsellers, and his princes, and al Israel had giuen.

55   And I weighed them, sixe hundred and fifty talents of siluer, and siluer vessels of an hundreth talents, and an hundreth talents of golde,

56   And twentie golden basins, and twelue vessels of brasse, of fine brasse shining like golde.

57   And I said to them, You are also holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the gold, and the siluer is a vowe to the Lorde of our fathers.

58   Watch and keepe them, til that you giue th&ebar; to the heades of the families of the Priestes & Leuites, and captaines of the families of Israel in Ierusalem in the chambers of the house of our God.

59   So the Priestes and Leuites tooke the siluer and the golde, and the vessels, and caryed them to Ierusalem to the Temple of the Lorde.

60   And we departed from the flood Thera, in the twelfth day of the first moneth, and came to Ierusalem, according to the mightie power of our Lorde with vs: and the Lorde deliuered vs from the beginning of our iourney from all enemies. So we came to Ierusalem.

61   And three dayes being past there, in the fourth day the siluer that was weighed, and the golde was deliuered in the House of our Lorde to ^note Marmoth the Priest, the sonne of Iouri,

62   And with him to Eleazar the sonne of Phinees: and there were with them, Iosabad the sonne of Iesus, and ^note Moeth sonne of Sabbanus, Leuites: all was deliuered them by number and weight.

63   And all the weight of them was written that same houre.

64   Afterwardes those that were come out of the captiuitie, offred sacrifices to the Lord God of Israel, euen twelue bulles for all Israel, rams fourescore and sixteene,

65   Lambes three score and twelue, twelue goats for saluation all in sacrifice to the Lorde.

66   And they presented the commaundements of the King to the Kings stewardes, and to the gouernours of Coelosyria and Phenice who honoured the people, and the Temple of God.

67   ¶2; ^note When these things were done, the gouernours came to me, saying, The people of Israel, the Princes and the Priestes, and the Leuites haue not separated from them the strange people of the lande,

68   Nor the pollutions of the Gentiles, to wit, of the Cananites, & Chetites, & Pheresites, and Iebusites, and Moabites, and Egyptians, and Idumeans,

69   For they haue dwelt with their daughters, both they and their sonnes, and the holy seede is

mixed with the strange people of the land, and the gouernours and rulers haue bene partakers of this wickednes from the beginning of the thing.

70   And assoone as I had heard these thinges, I rent my clothes, and the holy garment, and I pulled the heare off mine head, and off my beard, and sate me downe sorowfull, and very sad.

71   Then also all they that were moued with the word of the Lord God of Israel, came to me whiles I wept for the iniquitie, but I sate very sad till the euening sacrifice.

72   Then I rose from the fast with my clothes torne, and the holy garment, and bowed my knees and stretched forth mine handes to the Lord,

73   And said, ^note O Lord, I am ashamed, and confounded before thy face.

74   For our sinnes are increased aboue our heads, and our ignorances are lifted vp to heauen.

75   Yea, euen from the time of our fathers wee are in great sinne vnto this day.

76   For our sinnes therefore, and our fathers we with our brethren, with our kings and Priests haue bene giuen vp to the kings of þe; earth, to the sword and to captiuitie, and for a pray with all shame vnto this day.

77   And now how great hath thy mercie bene, O Lord, that there shoulde bee left vs a roote, and name in the place of thine holynes!

78   And that thou shouldest reaueale to vs a light in the house of the Lord our God, and giue vs meate in the time of our seruitude!

79   For when we were in bondage, we were not left of our God, but he gaue vs fauour before the kinges of the Persians, that they shoulde giue vs meate,

80   And that they shoulde honour the Temple of our Lord, and raise vp Sion that is desolate, and giue vs assurance in Iudea and Ierusalem.

81   And now, O Lord, what shal we say, hauing these things? for we haue transgressed thy commandements, which thou hast giuen by the handes of thy seruantes the Prophets, saying,

82    ^noteBecause the land, which yee goe to inherite, is a lande polluted by the pollutions of the strangers of the lande, which haue filled it with their filthinesse,

83   Therefore nowe yee shall not ioyne their daughters &wt; your sonnes, neither giue your daughters to their sonnes,

84   Neither shall you desire to haue peace with them for euer, that yee may bee made strong, and eate the good things of the lande, and leaue it for an inheritance to your children for euer.

85   Therefore all that is come to passe, was done for our wicked workes, and for our great sinnes: yet, Lorde, thou hast forborne our sinnes,

86   And hast giuen vs such a roote: but wee againe haue turned back to transgresse thy Law, and to mixe vs with the vncleannesse of the people of the lande.

87   Mightest thou not bee angry with vs to destroy vs, so that thou shouldest neither leaue vs roote nor seede nor name?

88   But, O Lord of Israel, thou art true: for there is a roote left, euen vnto this day.

89   Beholde, wee are nowe before thee with our iniquities, neither can wee indure before thee for these things.

90   ¶2; And ^note as Esdras prayed and confessed and wept, and lay vpon the gro&ubar;d before the Temple, a very great multitude was gathered vnto him out of Ierusalem of men and women, and young children: for there was great lamentation among the multitude.

91   Then Iechonias the sonne of ^note Ieel of the sonnes of Israel, crying out sayd, O Esdras, wee haue sinned against the Lorde God: wee haue taken in mariage strange women of the nations of the land.

92   And now all Israel is doutfull: therefore let vs make an othe concerning this to the Lorde to put away all our wiues, which are strangers, with their children.

93   If it seeme good to thee, & to al them that obey þe; Law of þe; Lord, rise vp and put it in execution.

94   For to thee doth it appertaine, and wee are with thee to make thee strong.

95   Then Esdras arose, and made al the chiefe of the families of the Priestes and Leuites of all Israel to sweare, that they would doe thus: and they sware.

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