Content

CAP 8
1 And Esdras risynge up fro the fore porche of the temple, wente in to the celle of Jonathe, the sone of Nazaby.
2 And he herbowrewid there, tastide no bred, ne dronke watir, for the wickidnessis of the multitude.
3 And ther was maad a prechyng in al Judee and in Jerusalem, to alle that weren of the caitiftee gederid in Jerusalem,
4 Who so euer ayen comith not to the secounde or the thrid day, aftir the doom of the eldre men sittynge, his facultees schul be taken awey, and he be demed alien fro the multitude of the caitiftee.
5 And alle, that weren of the lynage of Judee and of Beniamyn, weren gedrid togidre, thre daies in Jerusalem; this is the nynthe monthe, the twentithe day of the monthe.
6 And al the multitude saat in the floor of the temple, tremblynge for wyntir thanne beynge.
7 And Esdras risynge up, seide to Israel, Ye han do wickidly, settynge to you in to matrimonye hethen wyues, that ye adde to the synnes of Israel.
8 And now yiue ye to the Lord God of oure fadris confessioun, and gret worthynesse;
9 and perfourme ye his will, and goth awey fro the hethene folc of the lond, and fro hethene wyues.
10 And al the multitude criede, and thei seiden with a gret voice, We schul do, as thou hast seid.
11 But for the multitude is gret, and the tyme is wyntir, and we mowen not stonde vnholpen, and this werk is not to us of oo day, ne of two; myche we haue synned in thes thingis;
12 therfor stonde the prouostis of the multitude, and alle that dwellen with us, and hou many euere han anentis hem hethen wijues;
13 and stonde thei nyy in the tyme that is take, prestis, and domesmen, til that thei lousen the wraththe of the Lord, of this nede.
14 Jonathas forsothe, the sone of Ezely, and Ozias, Thethan, token aftir thes thingis, and Bosoramus, and Leuys, and Satheus wrouyten togidre with hem.
15 And alle that weren of the caitiftee stoden there, aftir alle thes thingis.
16 And Esdras, prest, chees to him men, grete princis, of the fadris of hem, aftir the names; and thei seten togidre, in the newe moone of the tenthe monthe, to examyne this nede.
17 And it is determyned of the men, that hadden hethen wyues, vnto the newe mones of the firste monthe.
18 And ther ben founden mengid among of the prestis, that hadden hethen wiues;
19 of the sones of Jesu, the sone of Josedech, and of his bretheren, Maseas, and Eleeserus, and Joribus, and Joadeus.
20 And thei leiden her hoondis, that thei schuldn putte awey their wyues, and for to sacrifie a ram, in to preier for their ignoraunce.
21 And of the sones of Semmery, Masseas, and Esses, and Geley, Azarias;
22 and of the sonus of Phosore, Leomasias, Hismaenis, and Nathanae, Jussio, Jeddus, and Talsas.
23 And of the dekens, Josabdus, and Semeis, and Cholitus, and Calitas, and Phacceas, and Coluas, and Elionas.
24 And of the halewid syngers, Eliazub, Zacturus.
25 And of the vsschers, Salumus, and Thosbanes.
26 And of Israel, of the sones of Phorcosy, and Remyas, and Jeddias, and Melchias, and Mychelus, and Eleazarus, and Jemebias, and Bannas.
27 And of the sones of Jolamani, Anias, and Zacharias, Jerselus, and Jobdius, and Erymath, and Elias.
28 And of the sonus of Sachon, Eleadas, and Eleasumus, and Othias, and Jarymoth, and Zabdis, and Thebedias.
29 And of the sones of Bedo, Johannes, and Amanyas, and Zabdias, and Emetis.
30 And of the sonus of Banny, Olamus, and Mallucus, and Jeddeus, and Jazub, and Azabus, and Jerymoth.
31 And of the sones of Addyn, Naathus, and Moosias, and Calemus, and Raanas, and Baseas, Mathatias, and Bethsel, and Bonnus, and Manasses.
32 And of the sones of Myaie, Nenyas, and Apheas, and Melcheas, and Sameas, and Symon, Beniamyn, and Malchus, and Marias.
33 Of the sones of Azom, Cartaneus, Mathatias, and Bannus, and Eliphalath, and Manasses, and Semey.
34 Of the sones of Banny, Jeremias, and Moodias, and Abramus, and Johel, and Baneas, and Pelias, and Jonas, and Marymoth, and Eliazub, and Mathaneus, and Eleazis, and Ozias, and Dielus, and Samedius, and Zambris, and Josephus.
35 And of the sones of Nobey, Ydelus, and Mathatias, and Zaladus, and Setheda, Sedym, and Jessei, Baneas.
36 Alle these ioyneden to hem hethen wyues, and leften hem, with her sones.
37 And prestis, and dekens, and thei that weren of Israel, dwelliden in Jerusalem in an oo regioun, the newe moone of the seuenthe monthe; and the sones of Israel weren in their abidyngis.
38 And al the multitude gedride togidre in the floor, that is fro the eest of the halewid yate.
39 And thei seiden to Esdre, bisschop and reder, that he schulde brynge forth the lawe of Moises, that was youen of the Lord God of Israel.
40 And Esdras, the bisschop, brouyte forth the lawe to al the multitude of hem, fro man vn to womman, and to alle the prestis, to here the lawe, in the newe moone of the seuenthe monthe.
41 And he radde in the floor, that is bifore the hooly yate of the temple, fro the firste liyt of the daie vnto euyn, bifore men and wymmen; and alle thei yauen witt to the lawe.
42 And Esdras, the prest, and redere of the lawe, stood upon the treen chaier, that was maad therfore.
43 And ther stoden with him Mathatias, and Samus, and Ananyas, Azarias, Vrias, Ezechias, and Balsamus, at the riyt side;
44 and at the left side, Phaleleus, Mysael, Malachias, Abustas, Sabus, Nabadias, and Zacharias.
45 And Esdras took a book bifore al the multitude; forsothe he sate bifore in worschip, in the siyt of alle.
46 And whanne he hadde assoilid the lawe, alle thei stoden upright. And Esdras blesside the Lord God, alther hiyest God of Sabaoth, al myyti.
47 And al the peple answeride, Amen. And efte thei reisyden up her hondis, and fallynge doun vnto the erthe, thei honouriden the Lord.
48 And Esdras comaundide, that these schulden teche the lawe, Jesus, and Banaeus, and Sarabias, and Jadmus, and Accubus, and Sabatheus, and Calithes, and Azarias, and Joradus, and Ananyas, and Philas, dekens.
49 The whiche tauyten the lawe of the Lord, and in the multitude thei radden the lawe of the Lord; and eche bi him self, that vndirstoden the lesson, tolde it before hem.
50 And Atharathes seide to Esdre, the bisschop and redere, and to the Leuytis that tauyten the multitude,
51 seiynge, This day is hooly to the Lord. And alle thei wepten, whanne thei hadden herd the lawe.
52 And Esdras seide, Ye therfore, aftir ye ben gon atwynne, eteth alle moost fatte thingis, and drynketh alle mooste swete, and sende ye yiftis to hem that han not;
53 forsothe this day of the Lord is hooly; and be ye not sory, the Lord forsothe schal clarifie vs.
54 And the dekens denounciden, or schewiden, openly to alle men, seiynge, This day is hooly; wille ye not be sory.
55 And thanne alle thei wenten awey, to ete, and to drynke, and to haue plentee of mete, and to yiue yiftis to hem that han not, wheroff to ete plenteuously. Gretly forsothe thei ben enhaunsid in the wordis, with the whiche thei ben tauyt.
56 And alle thei weren gadrid in to Jerusalem, to make solempne the gladnesse, aftir the testament of the Lord God of Israel.