|
EZRA
CHAPTER
1
1
Nowe in the first yere of Cyrus King of Persia (that the worde of the Lord,
spoken by the mouth of Ieremiah, might be accomplished) the Lorde stirred vp the
spirite of Cyrus King of Persia, and hee made a Proclamation thorowe all his
Kingdome, and also by writing, saying,
2 Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The Lorde God of heauen hath giuen me all the
kingdomes of the earth, and he hath commanded me to builde him an house in
Ierusalem, which is in Iudah.
3 Who is he among you of all his people with whome his God is? let him goe vp to
Ierusalem which is in Iudah, and buylde the house of the Lorde God of
Israel
: he is the God, which is in Ierusalem.
4 And euery one that remayneth in any place (where he soiourneth) let the men of
his place relieue him with siluer and with golde, and with substance, and with
cattel, and with a willing offring, for the house of God that is in Ierusalem.
5 Then the chiefe fathers of Iudah & Beniamin, & the Priests &
Leuites rose vp, with al them whose spirit God had raysed to goe vp, to builde
the house of the Lord which is in Ierusalem.
6 And all they that were about them, strengthened their handes with vessels of
siluer, with golde, with substance and with cattell, and with precious thinges,
besides all that was willingly offred.
7 Also the King Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which
Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of Ierusalem, and had put them in the house of his
god.
8 Euen them did Cyrus King of
Persia
bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, & counted them vnto
Sheshbazzar the Prince of Iudah.
9 And this is the nomber of them, thirtie basins of golde, a thousand basins of
siluer, nine and twentie kniues,
10 Thirtie boules of gold, and of siluer boules of the second sort, foure
hundreth and tenne, and of other vessels, a thousand.
11 All the vessels of golde and siluer were fiue thousand & foure hundreth.
Sheshbazzar brought vp all with them of the captiuitie that came vp from
Babel
to Ierusalem.
CHAPTER
2
1 These also are the sonnes of the prouince, that went vp out of the captiuitie
(whome Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel had caried away vnto Babel) and returned to
Ierusalem, and to Iudah, euery one vnto his citie,
2 Which came with Zerubbabel, to wit, Ieshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah,
Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Biguai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the
people of Israel was,
3 The sonnes of Parosh, two thousand, an hudreth seuentie and two:
4 The sonnes of Shephatiah, three hundreth, seuentie and two:
5 The sonnes of Arah, seuen hundreth, and seuentie and fiue:
6 The sonnes of Pahath Moab, of the sonnes of Ieshua and Ioab, two thousand,
eight hundreth and twelue:
7 The sonnes of Elam, a thousande, two hundreth and foure and fiftie:
8 The sonnes of Zattu, nine hundreth and fiue and fourtie:
9 The sonnes of Zaccai, seuen hundreth and threescore:
10 The sonnes of Bani, sixe hundreth and two and fourtie:
11 The sonnes of Bebai, sixe hundreth, and three and twentie:
12 The sonnes of Azgad a thousand, two hundreth and two and twentie:
13 The sonnes of Adonikam, sixe hundreth, three score and sixe:
14 The sonnes of Biguai, two thousand, & sixe and fiftie:
15 The sonnes of Adin, foure hundreth and foure and fiftie:
16 The sonnes of Ater of Hizkiah, ninetie & eight:
17 The sonnes of Bezai, three hundreth and three and twentie:
18 The sonnes of Iorah, an hudreth & twelue:
19 The sonnes of Hasshum, two hundreth and three and twentie:
20 The sonnes of Gibbar, ninetie and fiue:
21 The sonnes of Beth-lehem, an hundreth and three and twentie:
22 The men of Netophah, sixe and fiftie:
23 The men of Anothoth, an hundreth and eight and twentie:
24 The sonnes of Azmaueth, two & fourtie:
25 The sonnes of Kiriath-arim, of Chephirah, and Beeroth, seuen hundreth &
three & fourtie:
26 The sonnes of Haramah and Gaba, six hundreth, and one and twentie:
27 The men of Michmas, an hundreth & two and twentie:
28 The sonnes of Beth-el & Ai, two hundreth, and three and twentie:
29 The sonnes of Nebo, two and fiftie:
30 The sonnes of Magbish, an hundreth and sixe and fiftie:
31 The sonnes of the other Elam, a thousand, and two hundreth, and foure and
fiftie:
32 The sonnes of Harim, three hundreth and twentie:
33 The sonnes of Lod-hadid, and Ono, seuen hundreth, and fiue and twentie:
34 The sonnes of Iericho, three hundreth and fiue and fourtie:
35 The sonnes of Senaah, three thousand, sixe hundreth and thirtie.
36 The Priests: of the sonnes of Iedaiah of the house of Ieshua, nine hundreth
seuentie and three:
37 The sonnes of Immer, a thousand and two and fiftie:
38 The sonnes of Pashur, a thousand, two hundreth and seuen and fourtie:
39 The sonnes of Harim, a thousande and seuenteene.
40 The Leuites: the sonnes of Ieshua, and Kadmiel of the sonnes of Hodauiah,
seuentie and foure.
41 The Singers: the sonnes of Asaph, an hundreth and eight and twentie.
42 The sonnes of the porters: the sonnes of Shallum, the sonnes of Ater, the
sonnes of Talmon, the sonnes of Akkub, the sonnes of Hatita, the sonnes of
Shobai: all were an hundreth and nine and thirtie.
43 The Nethinims: the sonnes of Ziha, the sonnes of Hasupha, the sonnes of
Tabbaoth,
44 The sonnes of Keros, the sonnes of Siaha, the sonnes of Padon,
45 The sonnes of Lebanah, the sonnes of Hagabah, the sonnes of Akkub,
46 The sonnes of Hagab, the sonnes of Shamlai, the sonnes of Hanan,
47 The sonnes of Giddel, the sonnes of Gahar, the sonnes of Reaiah,
48 The sonnes of Rezin, the sonnes of Nekoda, the sonnes of Gazzam,
49 The sonnes of Vzza, the sonnes of Paseah, the sonnes of Besai,
50 The sonnes of Asnah, the sonnes of Meunim, the sonnes of Nephusim,
51 The sonnes of Bakbuk, the sonnes of Hakupa, the sonnes of Harhur,
52 The sonnes of Bazluth, the sonnes of Mehida, the sonnes of Harsha,
53 The sonnes of Barcos, the sonnes of Sisara, the sonnes of Thamah,
54 The sonnes of Neziah, the sonnes of Hatipha,
55 The sonnes of Salomons seruantes: the sonnes of Sotai, the sonnes of
Sophereth, the sonnes of Peruda,
56 The sonnes of Iaalah, the sonnes of Darkon, the sonnes of Giddel,
57 The sonnes of Shephatiah, the sonnes of Hattil, the sonnes of Pochereth
Hazzebaim, the sonnes of Ami.
58 All the Nethinims, and the sonnes of Salomons seruants were three hundreth
ninetie & two.
59 And these went vp from Telmelah, and from Telharsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer,
but they could not discerne their fathers house and their seede, whether they
were of
Israel
.
60 The sonnes of Delaiah, the sonnes of Tobiah, the sonnes of Nekoda, six
hundreth and two and fiftie.
61 And of the sonnes of the Priestes, the sonnes of Habaiah, the sonnes of Coz,
the sonnes of Barzillai: which tooke of the daughters of Barzillai the Giliadite
to wife, and was called after their name.
62 These sought their writing of the genealogies, but they were not founde:
therefore were they put from the Priesthood.
63 And Tirshatha saide vnto them, that they should not eate of the most holy
thing, tell there rose vp a Priest with Vrim and Thummim.
64 The whole Congregation together was two and fourtie thousande, three hundreth
and threescore,
65 Beside their seruants and their maydes: of whome were seuen thousande, three
hundreth & seuen and thirtie: and among them were two hundreth singing men
and singing women.
66 Their horses were seuen hundreth, & sixe and thirtie: their mules, two
hundreth and fiue and fourtie:
67 Their camels foure hundreth, and fiue and thirtie: their asses, sixe
thousand, seuen hundreth and twentie.
68 And certeine of the chiefe fathers, when they came to the house of the Lord,
which was in Ierusalem, they offred willingly for the house of God, to set it vp
vpon his fundation.
69 They gaue after their abilitie vnto the treasure of the worke, euen one and
threescore thousand drammes of golde, and fiue thousand pieces of siluer, and an
hundreth Priests garments.
70 So the Priests and the Leuites, and a certeine of the people, and the
singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims dwelt in their cities, and all
Israel
in their cities.
CHAPTER
3
1 And when the seuenth moneth was come, and the children of
Israel
were in their cities, the people assembled themselues as one man vnto Ierusalem.
2 Then stoode vp Ieshua rhe sonne of Iozadak, and his brethren the Priests, and
Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of
the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in ye Lawe
of Moses the man of God,
3 And they set the altar vpon his bases (for feare was among them, because of
the people of those countreis) therefore they offered burnt offrings thereon
vnto the Lorde, euen burnt offrings in the morning, and at euen.
4 They kept also the feast of the Tabernacles, as it is written, and the burnt
offring dayly, by nomber according to the custome day by day,
5 And afterwarde the continuall bnrnt offring, both in the newe moneths and in
all the feast dayes that were consecrate vnto the Lorde, and in all the
oblations willingly offered vnto the Lorde.
6 From the first day of the seuenth moneth began they to offer burnt offrings
vnto the Lord: but the foundation of the
Temple
of the Lorde was not layed.
7 They gaue money also vnto the masons, and to the workemen, and meat and drinke,
& oyle vnto them of Zidon and of Tyrus, to bring them cedar wood from
Lebanon to the sea vnto Iapho, according to the graunt that they had of Cyrus
King of Persia.
8 And in the seconde yeere of their comming vnto the house of God in Ierusalem
in the second moneth began Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel, and Ieshua the
sonne of Iozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the Priests and the Leuites,
and all they that were come out of the captiuitie vnto Ierusalem, and appointed
the Leuites from twentie yeere olde and aboue, to set forwarde the worke of the
house of the Lorde.
9 And Ieshua stood with his sonnes, and his brethren, and Kadmiel with his
sonnes, and the sonnes of Iudah together to set forward ye workemen in the house
of God, and the sonnes of Henadad with their sonnes, and their brethren the
Leuites.
10 And when the builders layed the foundation of the
Temple
of the Lorde, they appoynted the Priestes in their apparel with trumpets, and
the Leuites the sonnes of Asaph with cymbales, to prayse the Lord, after the
ordinance of Dauid King of
Israel
.
11 Thus they sang when they gaue prayse, and when they gaue thankes vnto the
Lorde, For he is good, for his mercie endureth for euer toward
Israel
; all the people shouted with a great shoute, when they praysed the Lorde,
because the foundation of the house of the Lorde was layed.
12 Many also of the Priests & the Leuites and the chiefe of the fathers,
ancient men which had seene the first house, (when the foundation of this house
was layed before their eyes) wept with a loud voyce, and many shouted aloud for
ioy,
13 So that the people coulde not discerne the sound of the shoute for ioy, from
the noyse of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loude crie,
& the noyse was heard farre off.
CHAPTER
4
1 Bvt the aduersaries of Iudah and Beniamin heard, that the children of the
captiuitie builded the
Temple
vnto the Lord God of
Israel
.
2 And they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chiefe fathers, and sayd vnto them, We
wil builde with you: for we seeke the Lord your God as ye do, and we haue
sacrificed vnto him since the time of Esar Haddon king of Asshur, which brought
vs vp hither.
3 Then Zerubbabel, and Ieshua, and the rest of the chiefe fathers of Israel,
sayde vnto them, It is not for you, but for vs to buyld the house vnto our God:
for we our selues together wil buylde it vnto the Lord God of Israel, as king
Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded vs.
4 Wherefore the people of the land discouraged the people of Iudah, and troubled
them in buylding,
5 And they hired counsellers against them, to hinder their deuise, all the dayes
of Cyrus King of Persia, euen vntill the reigne of Darius King of Persia.
6 And in the reigne of Ahashuerosh (in the beginning of his reigne) wrote they
an accusation against the inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem.
7 And in the daies of Artahshashte, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their
companions wrote when it was peace, vnto Artahshashte king of Persia, and the
writing of the letter was the Aramites writing, and the thing declared was in
the language of the Aramites.
8 Rehum the chancelour, and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Ierusalem
to Artahshashte the King, in this sort.
9 Then wrote Rehum the chauncelour, and Shimshai the scribe, and their
companions Dinaie, and Apharsathcaie, Tarpelaie, Apharsaie, Archeuaie, Bablaie,
Shushanchaie, Dehaue, Elmaie,
10 And the rest of the people whom the great and noble Asnappar brought ouer,
and set in the cities of Samaria, and other that are beyonde the Riuer and
Cheeneth.
11 This is the copie of the letter that they sent vnto King Artahshashte, Thy
servants the men beyond the Riuer & Cheeneth, salute thee.
12 Be it knowen vnto the King that ye Iewes, which came vp from thee to vs, are
come vnto Ierusalem (a citie rebellious and wicked) and buylde, and lay the
foundations of the walles, and haue ioyned the foundations.
13 Be it knowen nowe vnto the King, that if this citie be built, & the
foundations of the walles layed, they will not giue tolle, tribute, nor custome:
so shalt thou hinder the Kings tribute.
14 Nowe therefore because wee haue bene brought vp in the Kings palace, it was
not meete for vs to see the Kings dishonour: for this cause haue we sent and
certified the King,
15 That one may searche in the booke of the Chronicles of thy fathers, and thou
shalt finde in the booke of the Chronicles, & perceiue that this citie is
rebellious & noysome vnto Kings & prouinces, & that they haue moued
sedition of olde time, for the which cause this citie was destroyed.
16 Wee certifie the King therefore, that if this citie be buylded, and the
foundation of the walles layd, by this meanes the portion beyonde the Riuer shal
not be thine.
17 The King sent an answere vnto Rehum the Chauncelour, and Shimshai the Scribe,
and so the rest of their companions that dwelt in
Samaria
, & vnto the other beyond the Riuer, Shelam and Cheeth.
18 The letter which yee sent vnto vs, hath bene openly read before me,
19 And I haue commanded & they haue searched, and founde, that this citie of
olde time hath made insurrection against kings, & hath rebelled, and
rebellion hath bene committed therein.
20 There haue bene mightie kings also ouer Ierusalem, which haue ruled ouer all
beyonde the Riuer, and tolle, tribute, and custome was giuen vnto them.
21 Make ye now a decree, that those men may cease, and that the citie be not
buylt, till I haue giuen another commandement.
22 Take heede nowe that ye fayle not to doe this: why should domage grow to hurt
the King?
23 When the copie of king Artahshashtes letter was read before Rehum and
Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went vp in all the haste to
Ierusalem vnto the Iewes, & caused them to cease by force and power.
24 Then ceased the worke of the house of God, which was in Ierusalem, & did
stay vnto the second yeere of Darius King of
Persia
.
CHAPTER
5
1 Then Haggai a Prophet & Zechariah the sonne of Iddo a Prophet prophecied
vnto the Iewes that were in Iudah, and Ierusalem, in the name of the God of
Israel, euen vnto them.
2 Then Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel, and Ieshua the sonne of Iozadak arose,
and began to builde the house of God at Ierusalem, and with them were the
Prophetes of God, which helped them.
3 At the same time came to them Tatnai, which was captaine beyonde the Riuer,
and Shether-boznai and their companions, and sayd thus vnto them, Who hath giuen
you commaundement to buylde this house, and to lay the foundations of these
walles?
4 Then sayde we vnto them after this maner, What are the names of the men that
buylde this buylding?
5 But the eye of their God was vpon the Elders of the Iewes, that they coulde
not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they answered
by letters thereunto.
6 The copie of the letter, that Tatnai captaine beyond the Riuer, and
Shether-boznai and his companions, Apharsechaie, (which were beyond the Riuer)
sent vnto King Darius.
7 They sent a letter vnto him, wherein it was written thus, Vnto Darivs the
King, all peace.
8 Be it knowen vnto the King, that we went into the prouince of Iudea, to the
house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, & beames are
layde in the walles, and this worke is wrought speedily, and prospereth in their
hands.
9 Then asked we those Elders, and sayd vnto them thus, Who hath giuen you
commandement to buylde this house, and to lay the foundation of these walles?
10 We asked their names also, that we might certifie thee, & that we might
write the names of the men that were their rulers.
11 But they answered vs thus, & sayd, We are the seruants of the God of
heauen and earth, and buylde the house that was buylt of olde & many yeeres
ago, which a great King of Israel builded, and founded it.
12 But after that our fathers had prouoked the God of heauen vnto wrath, he gaue
them ouer into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar King of
Babel
the Caldean, & he destroyed this house, & caryed the people away
captiue vnto
Babel
.
13 But in the first yere of Cyrus King of
Babel
, King Cyrus made a decree to buylde this house of God.
14 And the vessels of golde and siluer of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar
tooke out of the Temple, that was in Ierusalem, & brought them into the
Temple of Babel, those did Cyrus the king take out of the Temple of Babel, &
they gaue them vnto one Sheshbazzar by his name, whome he had made captaine.
15 And he sayde vnto him, Take these vessels and goe thy way, and put them in
the
Temple
that is in Ierusalem, and let the house of God be buylt in his place.
16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar & layde the foundation of the house of
God, which is in Ierusalem, and since that time euen vntill nowe, hath it bene
in buylding, yet is it not finished.
17 Nowe therefore if it please the King, let there be searche made in the house
of the Kings treasures, which is there in Babel, whether a decree hath bene made
by King Cyrus, to build this house of God in Ierusalem, and let the King send
his minde concerning this.
CHAPTER
6
1 Then King Darius gaue commandement, & they made search in the librarie of
the treasures, which were there layd vp in
Babel
.
2 And there was founde in a coffer (in the palace that was in the prouince of
the Medes) a volume, and therein was it thus written, as a memoriall,
3 In the first yeere of King Cyrus, King Cyrus made a decree for the house of
God in Ierusalem, Let the house be buylt, euen the place where they offred
sacrifices, and let the walles thereof be ioyned together: let the height
thereof be three score cubites, and the breadth thereof three score cubites,
4 Three orders of great stones, & one order of timber, and let the expenses
be giuen of the Kings house.
5 And also let them render the vessels of the house of God (of golde and siluer,
which Nebuchadnezzar tooke out of the
Temple
, which was in Ierusalem, & brought vnto
Babel
) & let him goe vnto the
Temple
that is in Ierusalem to his place, and put them in the house of God.
6 Therefore Tatnai captaine beyond the Riuer, and Shethar Boznai, (and their
companions Apharsecaie, which are beyonde the Riuer) be ye farre from thence.
7 Suffer ye the worke of this house of God, that the captaine of the Iewes and
the Elders of the Iewes may buylde this house of God in his place.
8 For I haue giuen a commandement what ye shall doe to the Elders of these Iewes,
for the buylding of this house of God, that of the reuenues of the King, which
is of the tribute beyonde the Riuer, there be incontinently expenses giuen vnto
these men that they cease not.
9 And that which they shall haue neede of, let it be giuen vnto them day by day,
whether it be yong bullockes, or rammes, or lambes for the burnt offrings of the
God of heauen, wheate, salt, wine, and oyle, according to the appoyntment of the
Priestes that are in Ierusalem, that there bee no fault,
10 That they may haue to offer sweete odours vnto the God of heauen, and praye
for the Kings life, and for his sonnes.
11 And I haue made a decree, that whosoeuer shall alter this sentence, the wood
shall be pulled downe from his house, and shall be set vp, and he shalbe hanged
thereon, & his house shalbe made a dunghill for this.
12 And the God that hath caused his Name to dwell there, destroy all Kings &
people that put to their hand to alter, & to destroy this house of God,
which is in Ierusalem. I Darius haue made a decree, let it be done with speede.
13 Then Tatnai the captaine beyond the Riuer, and Shethar Boznai & their
companions, according to that which Darius had sent, so they did speedily.
14 So the Elders of the Iewes builded, & they prospered by the prophecying
of Haggai the Prophet, & Zechariah the sonne of Iddo, & they buylded
& finished it, by the appoyntment of the God of Israel, and by the
commandement of Cyrus and Darius, and Artahshashte king of Persia.
15 And this house was finished the thirde day of the moneth Adar, which was the
sixt yeere of the reigne of King Darius.
16 And the children of Israel, the Priestes, and the Leuites, and the residue of
the children of the captiuitie kept the dedication of this house of God with ioy,
17 And offred at the dedication of this house of God an hundreth bullockes, two
hundreth rams, foure hundreth lambes, and twelue goates, for the sinne of all
Israel, according to the nomber of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they set the Priests in their order, and the Leuites in their courses
ouer the seruice of God in Ierusalem, as it is written in the booke of Moses.
19 And the childre of the captiuitie kept the Passeouer on ye fourtenth day of
the first moneth.
20 (For the Priests and the Leuites were purified altogether) and they killed
the Passeouer for all the children of the captiuitie, & for their brethren
the Priests, and for themselues.
21 So the children of Israel which were come againe out of captiuitie, and all
such as had separated themselues vnto them, from the filthines of the Heathen of
the land, to seeke the Lorde God of Israel, did eate,
22 And they kept ye feast of vnleauened bread seuen dayes with ioy: for the Lord
had made them glad, & turned the heart of the King of Asshur vnto them, to
incourage them in the worke of the house of God, euen the God of Israel.
CHAPTER
7
1 Now after these things, in the reigne of Artahshashte King of Persia, was Ezra
the sonne of Seraiah, the sonne of Azariah, the sonne of Hilkiah,
2 The sonne of Shallum, the sonne of Zadok, the sonne of Ahitub,
3 The sonne of Amariah, the sonne of Azariah, the sonne of Meraioth,
4 The sonne of Zeraiah, the sonne of Vzzi, the sonne of Bukki,
5 The sonne of Abishua, the sonne of Phinehas, the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne
of Aaron, the chiefe Priest.
6 This Ezra came vp from Babel, and was a Scribe prompt in the Lawe of Moses,
which the Lord God of Israel had giuen, and the King gaue him all his request
according to the hande of the Lord his God which was vpon him.
7 And there went vp certaine of the children of
Israel
, and of the Priests, and the Leuites, and the singers, and the porters, and the
Nethinims vnto Ierusalem, in the seuenth yere of King Artahshashte.
8 And hee came to Ierusalem in the fift moneth, which was in the seuenth yeere
of the King.
9 For vpon the first day of the first moneth began he to goe vp from
Babel
, and on the first day of the fift moneth came he to Ierusalem, according to the
good hande of his God that was vpon him.
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seeke the Lawe of the Lord, and to doe it,
and to teach the precepts and iudgements in
Israel
.
11 And this is the copie of the letter that King Artahshashte gaue vnto Ezra the
Priest & scribe, euen a writer of the words of the commadements of ye Lord,
& of his statutes ouer
Israel
.
12 Artahshashte King of Kings to Ezra the Priest and perfite scribe of the Lawe
of the God of heauen, and to Cheeneth.
13 I haue giuen commaundement, that euery one, that is willing in my kingdome of
the people of
Israel
, and of the Priestes, and Leuites to goe to Ierusalem with thee, shall goe.
14 Therefore art thou sent of the King and his seuen counsellers, to enquire in
Iudah and Ierusalem, according to the lawe of thy God, which is in thine hand,
15 And to carry the siluer and the gold, which the King & his cousellers
willingly offer vnto the God of Israel (whose habitation is in Ierusalem)
16 And all the siluer and gold that thou canst finde in all the prouince of
Babel, with the free offring of the people, and that which the Priestes offer
willingly to the house of their God which is in Ierusalem,
17 That thou mayest bye speedily with this siluer, bullocks, rammes, lambes,
with their meate offrings and their drinke offrings: and thou shalt offer them
vpon the altar of the house of your God, which is in Ierusalem.
18 And whatsoeuer it pleaseth thee and thy brethren to do with the rest of the
siluer, & gold, doe ye it according to the will of your God.
19 And the vessels that are giuen thee for the seruice of the house of thy God,
those deliuer thou before God in Ierusalem.
20 And the residue that shall be needeful for the house of thy God, which shall
be meete for thee to bestowe, thou shalt bestowe it out of the Kings treasure
house,
21 And I King Artahshashte haue giuen commandemet to all the treasurers which
are beyond the Riuer, that whatsoeuer Ezra the Priest and Scribe of the Law of
the God of heauen shall require of you, that it be done incontinently,
22 Vnto an hundreth talents of siluer, vnto an hundreth measures of wheate, and
vnto an hundreth baths of wine, & vnto an hundreth baths of oyle, and salt
without writing.
23 Whatsoeuer is by the commandement of the God of heauen, let it be done
speedily for the house of the God of heauen: for why should he be wroth against
the realme of the King, and his children?
24 And we certifie you, that vpon any of the Priestes, Leuites, singers,
porters, Nethinims, or Ministers in this house of God, there shall no gouernour
laye vpon them tolle, tribute nor custome.
25 And thou Ezra (after the wisedome of thy God, that is in thine hand) set
iudges and arbiters, which may iudge all the people that is beyond the Riuer,
euen all that knowe the Lawe of thy God, and teach ye them that know it not.
26 And whosoeuer will not doe the Lawe of thy God, and the Kings lawe, let him
haue iudgement without delay, whether it be vnto death, or to banishment, or to
confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 Blessed be the Lorde God of our fathers, which so hath put in the Kings
heart, to beautifie the house of the Lord that is in Ierusalem,
28 And hath enclined mercy toward me, before the King and his counsellers, and
before all the Kings mightie Princes: and I was comforted by the hand of the
Lord my God which was vpon me, and I gathered the chiefe of Israel to goe vp
with me.
CHAPTER
8
1 These are now the chiefe fathers of them, and the genealogie of them that came
vp with mee from
Babel
, in the reigne of King Artahshashte.
2 Of the sonnes of Phinehas, Gershom: of the sonnes of Ithamar, Daniel: of the
sonnes of Dauid, Hattush:
3 Of the sonnes of Shechaniah, of the sonnes of Pharosh, Zechariah, and with him
the count of the males, an hundreth and fiftie.
4 Of the sonnes of Pahath
Moab
, Elihoenai, the sonne of Zerahiah, and with him two hundreth males.
5 Of the sonnes of Shechaniah, the sonne of Iahaziel, and with him three
hundreth males.
6 And of the sonnes of Adin, Ebed the sonne of Ionathan, and with him fiftie
males.
7 And of the sonnes of
Elam
, Ieshaiah the sonne of Athaliah, and with him seuentie males.
8 And of the sonnes of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the sonne of Michael, and with him
fourescore males.
9 Of the sonnes of Ioab, Obadiah the sonne of Iehiel, and with him two hundreth
and eighteene males.
10 And of the sonnes of Shelomith the sonne of Iosiphiah, & with him an
hundreth and threescore males.
11 And of the sonnes of Bebai, Zechariah the sonne of Bebai, and with him eight
and twentie males.
12 And of the sonnes of Azgad, Iohanan the sonne of Hakkatan, and with him an
hundreth and ten males.
13 And of the sonnes of Adonikam, that were the last, whose names are these:
Eliphelet, Iehiel and Shemaiah, and with them three score males.
14 And of the sonnes of Biguai, Vthai, and Zabbud, and with them seuentie males.
15 And I gathered them to the Riuer that goeth toward Ahaua, and there abode we
three dayes: then I viewed the people, and the Priests, and found there none of
the sonnes of Leui.
16 Therefore sent I to Eliezer, to Ariel, to Shemeiah, and to Elnathan, and to
Iarib, and to Elnathan, and to Nathan, and to Zechariah, and to Meshullam the
chiefe, and to Ioiarib and to Elnathan, men of vnderstanding,
17 And I gaue them commandement, to Iddo the chiefest at the place of Casiphia,
& I told them the words that they should speake to Iddo, and to his brethren
the Nethinims at the place of Casiphia, that they should cause the ministers of
the house of our God to come vnto vs.
18 So by the good hande of our God which was vpon vs, they brought vs a man of
vnderstanding of the sonnes of Mahali the sonne of Leui the sonne of Israel, and
Sherebiah with his sonnes and his brethren, euen eighteene.
19 Also Hashabiah, and with him Ieshaiah of the sonnes of Merari, with his
brethren, and their sonnes twentie.
20 And of the Nethinims, whom Dauid had set, and the Princes for the seruice of
the Leuites, two hundreth and twentie of the Nethinims, which all were named by
name.
21 And there at the Riuer, by Ahaua, I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble
our selues before our God, and seeke of him a right way for vs, & for our
children, and for all our substance.
22 For I was ashamed to require of the King an armie and horsemen, to helpe vs
against the enemie in the way, because we had spoken to the King, saying, The
hande of our God is vpon all them that seeke him in goodnesse, but his power
& his wrath is against all them that forsake him.
23 So we fasted, aud besought our God for this: and he was intreated of vs.
24 Then I separated twelue of the chiefe of the Priests, Sherebiah, and
Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,
25 And weighed them the siluer and the gold, and the vessels, euen the offring
of ye house of our God, which the King and his counselers, and his Princes,
& all Israel that were present had offred.
26 And I weighed vnto their hand sixe hundreth and fiftie talents of siluer, and
in siluer vessel, an hundreth talents, and in golde, an hundreth talents:
27 And twentie basins of golde, of a thousand drammes, and two vessels of
shining brasse very good, and precious as golde.
28 And I said vnto them, Ye are consecrate vnto the Lord, and the vessels are
consecrate, and the gold and the siluer are freely offred vnto the Lord God of
your fathers.
29 Watch ye, and keepe them vntill ye weigh them before the chiefe Priestes and
the Leuites, and the chiefe fathers of
Israel
in Ierusalem in the chambers of the house of the Lord.
30 So the Priests and the Leuites receiued the weight of the siluer and of the
golde, and of the vessels to bring them to Ierusalem, vnto the house of our God.
31 Then we departed from the Riuer of Ahauah on the twelft day of the first
moneth, to go vnto Ierusalem, & the hand of our God was vpon vs, and
deliuered vs from the hand of the enemie, and of such as layde waite by the way.
32 And we came to Ierusalem, & abode there three dayes.
33 And on ye fourth day was the siluer weighed, and the golde and the vessell in
the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the sonne of Vriah the Priest, and
with him was Eleazar the sonne of Phinehas, and with them was Iozabad the sonne
of Ieshua, and Noadiah the sonne of Binnui the Leuites,
34 By number and by weight of euery one, and all the weight was written at the
same time.
35 Also the children of the captiuitie, which were come out of captiuitie,
offred burnt offrings vnto the God of Israel, twelue bullockes for all Israel,
ninetie and sixe rammes, seuentie and seuen lambes, and twelue hee goates for
sinne: all was a burnt offring of the Lord.
36 And they deliuered the Kings commission vnto the Kings officers, and to the
captaines beyond the Riuer: and they promoted the people, and the house of God.
CHAPTER
9
1 When as these things were done, the rulers came to me, saying, The people of
Israel, and the Priestes, and the Leuites are not separated from the people of
the lands (as touching their abominations) to wit, of the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Perizzites, the Iebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the
Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2 For they haue taken their daughters to theselues, and to their sonnes, and
they haue mixed the holy seede with the people of the landes, and the hande of
the princes and rulers hath bene chiefe in this trespasse.
3 But when I heard this saying, I rent my clothes and my garment, and pluckt off
the heare of mine head, and of my beard, and sate downe astonied.
4 And there assembled vnto me all that feared the words of the God of Israel,
because of the transgression of them of the captiuitie; I sate downe astonied
vntil the euening sacrifice.
5 And at the euening sacrifice I arose vp fro mine heauinesse, and when I had
rent my clothes and my garment, I fell vpon my knees, and spred out mine hands
vnto the Lord my God,
6 And said, O my God, I am confounded & ashamed, to lift vp mine eyes vnto
thee my God: for our iniquities are increased ouer our head, & our trespasse
is growen vp vnto the heauen.
7 From the dayes of our fathers haue we bin in a great trespasse vnto this day,
and for our iniquities haue we, our Kings, & our Priestes bene deliuered
into the hand of the kings of the lands, vnto the sword, into captiuitie, into a
spoyle, and into confusion of face, as appeareth this day.
8 And now for a litle space grace hath bene shewed from the Lord our God, in
causing a remnant to escape, & in giuing vs a nayle in his holy place, that
our God may light our eyes, & giue vs a litle reuiuing in our seruitude.
9 For though we were bondmen, yet our God hath not forsaken vs in our bondage,
but hath enclined mercy vnto vs in the sight of the Kings of Persia, to giue vs
life, & to erect the house of our God, & to redresse the places thereof,
and to giue vs a wall in Iudah and in Ierusalem.
10 And nowe, our God, what shal we say after this? for we haue forsaken thy
commandements,
11 Which thou hast commanded by thy seruants the Prophets, saying, The land
whereunto ye go to possesse it, is an vncleane land, because of the filthines of
the people of the lands, which by their abominations, & by their vncleannes
haue filled it from corner to corner.
12 Now therfore shal ye not giue your daughters vnto their sonnes, neither shall
ye take their daughters vnto your sonnes, nor seeke their peace nor wealth for
euer, that yee may be strong and eate the goodnes of the lande, and leaue it for
an inheritance to your sonnes for euer.
13 And after all that is come vpon vs for our euill deedes, and for our great
trespasses, (seeing that thou our God hast stayed vs from being beneath for our
iniquities, and hast giuen vs such deliuerance)
14 Should we returne to breake thy commadements, and ioyne in affinitie with the
people of such abominations? wouldest not thou be angrie towarde vs till thou
haddest consumed vs, so that there should be no remnant nor any escaping?
15 O Lord God of
Israel
, thou art iust, for we haue bene reserued to escape, as appeareth this day:
beholde, we are before thee in our trespasse: therfore we canot stand before
thee because of it.
CHAPTER
10
1 Whiles Ezra prayed thus, and confessed himselfe weeping, and falling downe
before the house of God, there assembled vnto him of Israel a very great
Congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept with a great
lamentation.
2 Then Shechaniah the sonne of Iehiel one of the sonnes of Elam answered, &
sayd to Ezra, We haue trespassed against our God, & haue taken strange wiues
of the people of the land, yet nowe there is hope in Israel concerning this.
3 Now therfore let vs make a couenant with our God, to put away all the wiues
(and such as are borne of them) according to the counsell of the Lord, and of
those that feare the commandements of our God, and let it be done according to
the Lawe.
4 Arise: for the matter belogeth vnto thee: we also wil be with thee: be of
comfort and do it.
5 Then arose Ezra, and caused the chiefe Priestes, the Leuites, and all
Israel
, to sweare that they would doe according to this worde. So they sware.
6 And Ezra rose vp from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of
Iohanan the sonne of Eliashib: he went euen thither, but he did eate neither
bread, nor drunke water: for he mourned, because of the transgression of them of
the captiuitie.
7 And they caused a proclamation to goe throughout Iudah and Ierusalem, vnto all
them of the captiuitie, that they should assemble themselues vnto Ierusalem.
8 And whosoeuer woulde not come within three dayes according to the counsel of
the Princes & Elders, all his substance should be forfait, & he should
be separate from the Congregation of them of the captiuitie.
9 Then all the men of Iudah & Beniamin assembled theselues vnto Ierusalem
within three dayes, which was the twentieth day of the ninth moneth, and all the
people sate in the streete of the house of God, trembling for this matter, and
for the raine.
10 And Ezra the Priest stoode vp, & said vnto them, Ye haue transgressed,
& haue taken strange wiues, to increase the trespasse of
Israel
.
11 Now therefore giue praise vnto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will,
and separate your selues from the people of the land, and from the strange wiues.
12 And all the Congregation answered, and sayd with a loude voyce, So will we do
according to thy wordes vnto vs.
13 But the people are many, and it is a raynie weather, and we are not able to
stande without, neither is it the worke of one day or two: for we are many that
haue offended in this thing.
14 Let our rulers stand therefore before all the Congregation, & let all
them which haue taken strange wiues in our cities, come at the time appoynted,
& with them the Elders of euery citie and the Iudges thereof, til the fierce
wrath of our God for this matter turne away from vs.
15 Then were appoynted Ionathan the sonne of Asah-el, & Iahaziah the sonne
of Tikuah ouer this matter, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Leuites helped
them.
16 And they of the captiuitie did so, & departed, euen Ezra the Priest,
& the men that were chiefe fathers to the familie of their fathers by name,
and sate downe in the first day of the tenth moneth to examine the matter.
17 And vntill the first day of the first moneth they were finishing the
businesse with al the men that had taken strange wiues.
18 And of the sonnes of the Priests there were men founde, that had taken
strange wiues, to wit, of the sonnes of Ieshua, the sonne of Iozadak, & of
his brethren, Maaseiah, Aeliezer, and Iarib and Gedaliah.
19 And they gaue their hads, that they would put away their wiues, & they
that had trespassed, gaue a ramme for their trespasse.
20 And of the sonnes of Immer, Honani, and Zebadiah.
21 And of the sonnes of Harim, Maaseiah, & Eliiah, and Shemaiah, and Iehiel,
and Vzziah.
22 And of ye sonnes of Pashur, Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Iozabad,
and Elasah.
23 And of the Leuites, Iozabad and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (which is Kelitah)
Pethahiah, Iudah and Eliezer.
24 And of the singers, Eliashib; of the porters, Shallum, and Telem, and Vri.
25 And of
Israel
: of the sonnes of Parosh, Ramiah, and Iesiah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and
Eleazar, and Malchiiah, and Benaiah.
26 And of the sonnes of
Elam
, Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Iehiel, and Abdi, and Ieremoth, and Eliah.
27 And of the sonnes of Zattu, Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Ierimoth, and
Zabad, and Aziza.
28 And of the sonnes of Bebai, Iehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.
29 And of the sonnes of Bani, Meshullam, Malluch, & Adaiah, Iashub, and
Sheal, Ieramoth.
30 And of the sonnes of Pahath
Moab
, Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and
Manasseh.
31 And of the sonnes of Harim, Eliezer, Ishiiah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Beniamin, Malluch, Shamariah.
33 Of the sonnes of Hashum, Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Ieremai,
Manasseh, Shimei.
34 Of the sonnes of Bani, Maadai, Amram, and Vel,
35 Banaiah, Bediah, Chelluh,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Iaasau,
38 And Banni, and Bennui, Shimei,
39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, Ioseph.
43 Of the sonnes of Nebo, Ieiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iadau, and Ioel,
Benaiah.
44 All these had taken strange wiues: and among them were women that had
children.
|
