1   And Esdras rysing vp from before the court of the temple, went into the chamber of Ionathas the sonne of Nasabi.

2   And lodging there he tasted no bread, nor dranke water for the iniquitie of the multitude.

3   And there was proclamation made in al Iurie, & in Ierusalem to al that were of the captiuitie gathered in Ierusalem,

4   that whosoeuer shal not appeare with in two or three dayes, according to the iudgement of the ancients sitting vpon it, their goods should be taken away, and himselfe should be iudged an alien from the multitude of the captiuitie.

5   And al were gathered that were of the tribe of Iuda, and of Beniamin within three dayes in Ierusalem: this is the ninth moneth, the twentith day of the moneth.

6   And al the multitude sate in the court of the temple trembling, for the present winter.

7   And Esdras rysing vp sayd to them: You haue done vnlawfully taking to you in mariage strang wiues, that you might adde to the sinnes of Israel.

8   And now geue confession, & magnificence to our Lord the God of our fathers:

9   and accomplish his wil, and depart from the nations of the land, and from your wiues the strangers.

10   And al the multitude cried, and they sayd with a

lowde voice: As thou hast sayd, we wil doe.

11   But because the multitude is great, and winter time, and we can not stand in the ayre without succour: and this is a worke for vs not of one day, nor of two, for we haue sinned much in these thinges:

12   Let the rulers of the multitude stand, and that dwel with vs, and as manie as haue with them forreine wiues,

13   and at a time appointed let the priestes out of euerie place, and the iudges assist, vntil they appeaze the wrath of our Lord concerning this busines.

14   And Ionathas the sonne of Ezeli, and Ozias of Thecam tooke vpon them according to these wordes: and Bosoramus, and Leuis, and Sabbathæus, wrought together with them.

15   And al that were of the captiuitie stood according to al these thinges.

16   And Esdras the priest chose vnto him men the great princes of their fathers according to their names: & they sate together in the newmoone of the tenth moneth to examine this busines.

17   And they determined of the men that had outlandish wiues, vntil the newmoone of the first moneth.

18   And there were found of the priestes entermingled that had outlandish wiues.

19   Of the sonnes of Iesus the sonne of Iosedec, and his brethren: Maseas, and Eleazarus, and Ioribus, and Ioadeus,

20   and they put to their handes to expel their wiues: and to offer a ramme to obtayne pardon for their ignorance.

21   And the sonnes of Semmeri: Maseas and Esses, Ieelech, and Azarias.

22   And of the children of Fosere: Limosias, Hismaenis, and Nathanee, Iussio, Reddus, and Thalsas.

23   And of the Leuites: Iorabdus, and Semeis, and Colnis, and Calitas, and Facteas, and Coluas, and Eliomas,

24   and of the sacred singing men, Eliasib, Zaccarus.

25   And of the porters, Salumus, and Tolbanes.

26   And of Israel: of the sonnes of Foro, Ozi, and Remias, and Geddias, & Melchias, and Michelus, Eleazarus, and Iammebias, and Bannas.

27   And of the sonnes of Iolaman: Chamas, and Zacharias, and Iezuelus, and Ioddius, and Erimoth, and Helias.

28   And of the sonnes of Zathoim: Eliadas, and Liasumus, Zochias, and Larimoth, & Zabdis, and Thebedias.

29   And of the sonnes of Zebes: Ioannes, and Amanias, and Zabdias, and Emeus.

30   And of the sonnes of Banni: Olamus, & Maluchus, and Ieddeus, and Iasub, and Azabus, & Ierimoth.

31   And of the sonnes of Addin: Nathus, and Moosias, & Caleus, and Raanas, Maaseas, Mathathias, and Beseel, and Bonnus, and Manasses.

32   And of the sonnes of Nuae: Noneas, and Aseas, and Melchias, and Sameas, and Simon, Beniamin, and Malchus, and Marras.

33   And of the sonnes of Asom: Carianeus, Mathathias, & Bannus, & Eliphalach,

and Manasses, and Semei.

34   And of the sonnes of Banni: Ieremias, and Moadias, and Abramus, & Iohel, and Baneas, & Pelias, and Ionas, and Marimoth, & Eliasib, and Matheneus, and Eliasis, and Orizas, and Dielus, and Semedius, & Zambris, and Iosephus.

35   And of the sonnes of Nobei: Idelus, and Mathathias, and Sabadus, and Zecheda, Zedmi, and Iessei, Baneas.

36   Al these maried outlandish wiues, and did put them away with their children.

37   And the Priestes and the Leuites, and they that were of Israel, dwelt in Ierusalem, and in the whole countrie in the newmoone of the seuenth moneth. And the children of Israel were in their habitations.

38   And al the multitude was gathered together into the court, which is on the east of the sacred gate:

39   and they sayd to Esdras the high priest, and reader, that he should bring the law of Moyses, which was deliuered of our Lord the God of Israel.

40   And Esdras the high priest brought the law to al the multitude of them from man vnto woman, and to al the priestes to heare the law in the newmoone of the seuenth moneth.

41   And he read in the court, which is before the sacred gate of the temple, from breake of day vntil euening before men and wemen. And they al gaue their minde to the law.

42   And Esdras the priest, and reader of the law stoode vpon a tribunal of wood, which was made.

43   And by him stood Mathathias, and Samus, and Ananias, Azarias, Vrias, Ezechias, and Balsamus on the right hand,

44   and on the left Faldeus, Misael, Malachias, Ambusthas, Sabus, Nabadias, and Zacharias.

45   And Esdras tooke the booke before al the multitude: for he was chiefe in glorie in the sight of al.

46   And when he had ended the law, they stood al vpright: and Esdras blessed our Lord the most high God, the God of Sabaoth omnipotent.

47   And al the people answered: Amen. And lifting vp their handes falling on the ground, they adored our Lord.

48   Iesus and Banaeus, and Sarebias, and Iaddimus, and Accubus, and Sabbathæus, and Calithes, & Azarias, and Ioradus, and Ananias, and Philias Leuites,

49   who taught the law of our Lord, and read the same in the multitude, & euerie one preferred them that vnderstood the lesson.

50   And Atharathes sayd to Esdras the high priest and the reader, and to the Leuites, that taught the multitude,

51   saying: This day is sanctified to our Lord. And they al wept, when they had heard the law.

52   And Esdras sayd, departing therfore eate ye al the fattest thinges, & drinke al most swete things, and send giftes to them that haue not.

53   For this is the holy day of our Lord, & be not sad. For our Lord wil glorifie you.

54   And

the Leuites denounced openly to al, saying: This day is holie, be not sad.

55   And they went al to eate, and drinke, and make merie; and to geue giftes to them that had not, that they might make merie, for they were excedingly exalted with the wordes that they were taught.

56   And they were al gathered in Ierusalem to celebrate the ioy, according to the testament of our Lord the God of Israel.

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