15 And for the house of the Lord there | wisdom of God is in thy hand, appoint have been sent silver and gold, which scribes and judges, that they may the king and the councillors have freely judge for all the people beyond the given to the God of Israel, who dwells river, all that know the law of the in Jerusalem. 16 And all the silver Lord thy God; and ye shall make it and gold, whatsoever thou shalt find known to him that knows not. 26 And in all the land of Babylon, with the whosoever shall not do the law of God, freewill-offering of the people, and the and the law of the king readily, judgpriests that offer freely for the house of ment shall be taken upon him, whether God which is in Jerusalem. 17 And as for death or for chastisement, or for a for every one that arrives there, speed- fine of his property, or casting into ily order him by this letter to bring prison. 27 Blessed be the Lord God of calves, rams, lambs, and their meat- our fathers, who has put it thus into offerings, and their drink-offerings; the heart of the king, to glorify the and thou shalt offer them on the altar house of the Lord which is in Jerusaof the house of your God which is in lem; 28 and has given me favour in the Jerusalem. 18 And whatever it shall eyes of the king, and of his counseem good to thee and to thy brethren cillors, and all the rulers of the king, to do with the rest of the silver and the exalted ones. And I was strengththe gold, do as it is pleasing to your ened according to the good hand of God. 19 And deliver the vessels that God upon me, and I gathered chief are given thee for the service of the men of Israel to go up with me. house of God, before God in Jerusalem. 20 And as to the rest of the need of the house of thy God, thou shalt give from the king's treasure-houses, and from me whatever it shall seem good to thee to give. 21 I king Arthasastha have made a decree for all the treasuries that are in the country beyond the river, that whatever Esdras the priest and scribe of the God of heaven may ask you, it should be done* speedily, + Gr. readily. 22 to the amount of a hundred talents of silver, and a hundred measures of wheat, and a hundred baths of wine, and a hundred baths of oil, and salt without reckoning. 23 Let whatever is in the decree of the God of heaven, be done: take heed lest any one make an attack on the house of the God of heaven, lest at any time there should be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons. 24 Also this has been declared to you, with respect to all the priests, and Levites, the singers, porters, Nathinim and ministers of the house of God, let no tribute be paid to thee; thou shalt not have power to oppress them. 25 And thou, Esdras, as the 8. And these are the heads of their families, the leaders that went up with me in the reign of Arthasastha the king of Babylon. Of the sons of Phinees; Gerson: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Attus. 3 Of the sons of Sachania, and of the sons of Phoros; Zacharias: and with him a company of a hundred and fifty. Of the sons of PhaathMoab; Eliana the son of Saraia, and with him two hundred that were males. 5 And of the sons of Zathoes; Sechenias the son of Aziel, and with him three hundred males. And of the sons of Adin; Obeth the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males. And of the sons of Elam; Isæas the son of Athelia, and with him seventy males. And of the sons of Saphatia; Zabadias the son of Michael, and with him eighty males. And of the sons of Joab; Abadia the son of Jeiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males. 10 And of the sons of Baani; Selimuth the son of Josephia, and with him a hundred and sixty males. "And of the sons of Babi; Zacharias the son 8 9 derstanding in. proper name translated as if it were a common name. + + + Gr. in gold. Qy. mistaken of Babi, and with him twenty-eight | God is upon all that seek him, for males. 12 And of the sons of Asgad; good; but his power and his wrath are Joanan the son of Accatan, and with upon all that forsake him. 23 So we him a hundred and ten males. 13 And fasted, and asked of our God concernof the sons of Adonicam were the last, ing this; and he hearkened to us. and these were their names, Eliphalat, 24 And I gave charge to twelve of the Jeel, and Samæa, and with them sixty chiefs of the priests, to Saraia, to Asamales. 14 And of the sons of Bagua, bia, and ten of their brethren with Uthai, and Zabud, and with him seventy them. 25 And I weighed to them the males. 15 And I gathered them to the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of river that comes to Evi, and we en- the first-fruits of the house of our God, camped there three days: and I re- which the king, and his councillors, Gr. had un- viewed the people and the and his princes, and all Israel that were priests, and found none of found, had dedicated. 26 +Gr. lifted up. the sons of Levi there. 16 And I sent even weighed into their See Heb. men of understanding to Eleazar, to hands six hundred and fifty talents of Ariel, to Semeias, and to Alonam, and silver, and a hundred silver vessels, to Jarib, and to Elnatham, and to and a hundred talents of gold; 27 and Nathan, and to Zacharias, and to Me-twenty golden bowls, weighing about a sollam, and to Joarim, and to Elna- thousand drachms, and su- + Gr. eis Thy than. 17 And I forwarded them to the perior vessels of fine shining oòr, see Heb. + Probably for rulers with the money of brass, precious as gold. 28 And I Casiphia. Heb. the place, and I put words said to them, Ye are holy in their mouth to speak to to the Lord; and the vessels for 1 their brethren the Athinim are holy; and the silver and the gold with the money of the are freewill-offerings to the Lord God place, that they should bring us singers of our fathers. 29 Be watchful and for the house of our God. 18 And they keep them, until ye weigh them before + lit. hand of came to us, as the good the chief priests and the Levites, and hand of our God was upon the chiefs of families in Jerusalem, at us, even a man of understanding of the chambers of the house of the Lord. the sons of Mooli, the son 30 So the priests and the Levites took of Levi, the son of Israel, the weight of the silver, and the gold, and at the commencement came his and the vessels, to bring to Jerusalem sons and his brethren, eighteen. 19 And into the house of our God. 31 And we Asebia, and Isaia of the sons of Merari, departed from the river of Aue on the his brethren and his sons, twenty. twelfth day of the first month, to come 20 And of the Nathinim, whom David to Jerusalem: and the hand of our and the princes had appointed for the God was upon us, and delivered us service of the Levites there were two from the hand of the enemy and adverhundred and twenty Nathinim; all sary in the way. 32 And we came to were gathered by their names. 21 And Jerusalem, and abode there three days. I proclaimed there a fast, at the river 33 And it came to pass on the fourth Alie, that we should humble ourselves day that we weighed the silver, and before our God, to seek of him a the gold, and the vessels, in the house straight way for us, and for our children, of our God, into the hand of Merimoth and for all our property. 22 For I was the son of Uria the priest; and with ashamed to ask of the king a guard him was Eleazar the son of Phinees, and horsemen to save us from the and with them Jozabad the son of enemy in the way: for we had spoken Jesus, and Noadia the son of Banaia, to the king, saying, The hand of our the Levites. 34 All things were reckoned our God was good, &c. + See Heb. compare Gr. + by number and weight, and the whole | this day: and because of our iniquiweight was written down. 35 At that ties we, and our kings, and Gr. in. time the children of the banishment that our children, have been delivered into came from the captivity offered whole- the hand of the kings of the Gentiles burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, by the sword, and by captivity, and by twelve calves for all Israel, ninety-six spoil, and with shame of our face as at rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve goats this day. 8 And now our God has for a sin-offering: all whole-burntofferings to the Lord. 36 And they gave the king's mandate to the king's +Gr. Sonrais lieutenants, and the governin a civil sense. ors beyond the river: and they honoured the people and the house of God. q. d. diocesans 9 dealt mercifully with us, so as to leave us to escape, and to give us an establishment in the place of his sanctuary, to enlighten our eyes, and to give a little quickening in our servitude. For we are slaves, yet in our servitude the Lord our God has not deserted us; and he has extended favour to us in the sight of the kings of the Persians, to give us a quickening, that they should raise up the house of our God, and restore the desolate places of it, and to give us a fence in Juda and Jerusalem. 10 What shall we say, our God, after this? for we mouth, He 9. And when these things were finished, the princes drew near to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands in their abominations, even the Chananite, the Ethite, the Pherezite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, have forsaken thy commandments, the Moabite, and the Moserite and the "which thou hast given us by the Amorite. 2 For they have taken of hand of thy servants the prophets, their daughters for themselves and saying, The land, into which ye go to their sons; and the holy seed has inherit it, is a land subject to dispassed among the nations of the lands, turbance by the removal of the people and the hand of the rulers has been of the nations for their abominations, first in this transgression. And when wherewith they have filled it from I heard this thing, I rent my garments, one end to the other by Gr. from and trembled, and plucked some of the their uncleannesses. 12And mouth to hairs of my head and of my beard, and now give not your daugh- braism. sat down mourning. Then there ters to their sons, and take not of their assembled to me all that followed the daughters for your sons, neither shall word of the God of Israel, on account ye seek their peace or their good for of the transgression of the captivity; ever: that ye may be strong, and eat and I remained mourning until the the good of the land, and transmit it evening sacrifice. And at the evening as an inheritance to your children for sacrifice I rose up from 13 And after all that is 'come humilia- ever. my tion; and when I had rent my gar- upon us because of our evil + Or, and. ments, then I trembled, deeds, and our great trespass, it is clear and I bow myself on my knees, and that there is none such as our God, spread out my hands to the Lord God, for thou hast lightly visited our iniand I said, O Lord, I am ashamed quities, and given us deliverance; and confounded, O my God, to lift up my face to thee: for our transgressions have abounded over our head, and our trespasses have increased even to heaven. From the days of our fathers we have been in a great trespass until 7 + 14 + Gr. coming. whereas we have repeatedly broken thy commandments, and intermarried. with the people of the lands: be not very angry with us to our utter destruction, so that there should be no remnant or escaping one. 15 O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous; for we remain yet escaped, as at this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee on this account. or, caused to was the ninth month: on the twentieth day of the month all the people sat down in the street of the house of the Lord, because of their alarm concerning the word, and because of the storm. 10 And Esdras the priest arose, and 10. So when Esdras had prayed, and said to them, Ye have broken covewhen he had confessed, weeping and nant, and have taken +Gr. settled. praying before the house of God, a strange wives, to add to the trespass of very great assembly of Israel came Israel. 11 Now therefore give praise together to him, men and women and to the Lord God of our fathers, and do youths; for the people wept, and wept that which is pleasing in his sight: and aloud. And Sechenias the son of separate yourselves from the peoples of Jeel, of the sons of Elam, answered the land, and from the strange wives. and said to Esdras, We have broken 12 Then all the congregation answered covenant with our God, and have and said, This thy word is powerful +Gr. settled, taken strange wives of the upon us to do it. 13 But the people dwell. nations of the land: yet is numerous, and the season is stormy, now there is patience of hope to Israel and there is no power to stand withconcerning this thing. Now then let out, and the work is more than enough us make a covenant with our God to for one day or for two; for we have put away all the wives, and their off greatly sinned in this matter. 14 Let spring, as thou shalt advise: arise, now our rulers stand, and for all those and alarm them with the commands of in our cities who have taken strange + Gr. as the our God; and let it be done wives, let them come at appointed law is. *according to the law. Rise times, and with them elders from up, for the matter is upon thee; and every several city, and judges, to turn we are with thee: be strong and do. away the fierce wrath of our God from Then Esdras arose, and caused the us concerning this matter. 15 Only rulers, the priests, and Levites, and all Jonathan the son of Asael, and Jazias Israel, to swear that they would do the son of Thecoe were with me conaccording to this word: and they cerning this; and Mesollam, and Sabswore. And Esdras rose up from bathai the Levite helped them. 16 And before the house of God, and went to the children of the captivity did thus: the treasury of Joanan the son of and Esdras the priest, and heads of Elisub; he even went thither: he ate families according to their house were no bread, and drank no water; for he separated, and all by their names, for *Gr.covenant. mourned over the unfaith- they returned in the first day of the breaking. fulness of them of the cap-tenth month to search out the matter. tivity. And they made proclamation 17 And they made an end with all the throughout Juda and Jerusalem to all men who had taken strange wives by the children of the captivity, that they the first day of the first month. 18 And should assemble at Jerusalem, saying, there were found some of the sons of Every one who shall not arrive within the priests who had taken strange wives: three days, as is the counsel of the of the sons of Jesus the son of Josedec, rulers and the elders, all his substance and his brethren; Maasia, and Eliezer, *Gr. accursed. shall be forfeited, and he and Jarib, and Gadalia. 19 And they shall be separated from the congrega- pledged themselves to put tion of the captivity. So all the men away their wives, and of of Juda and Benjamin assembled at fered a ram of the flock for Jerusalem within the three days. This a trespass-offering because 5 8 + 9 + + + gave their hand. bring forth. Gr. sheep. of their 32 trespass. 20 And of the sons of Emmer; | Jasub, and Saluia, and Remoth. 30 And Anani, and Zabdia. 21 And of the of the sons of Phaath Moab; Edne, sons of Eram; Masael, and Elia, and and Chalel, and Banaia, Maasia, MatSamaia, and Jeel, and Ozia. 22 And thania, Beseleel, and Banui, and Maof the sons of Phasur; Elionai, Maasia, nasse. 31 And of the sons of Eram; and Ismael, and Nathanael, and Joza- Eliezer, Jesia, Melchia, Samaias, Sebad, and Elasa. 23 And of the Levites; meon, Benjamin, Baluch, Samaria. Jozabad, and Samu, and Colia (he is 33 And of the sons of Asem; MetColitas,) and Phetheia, and Judas, and thania, Matthatha, Zadab, Eliphalet, Eliezer. 24 And of the singers; Eli- Jerami, Manasse, Semei. 34And of the sab: and of the porters; Solmen, and sons of Bani; Moodia, Amram, Uel, Telmen, and Oduth. 25 Also of Israel: 35 Banaia, Badaia, Chelkia. 36 Ovuaof the sons of Phoros; Ramia, and nia, Marimoth, Eliasiph, 37 Matthania, Azia, and Melchia, and Meamin, and Matthanai: 38 and so did the children Eleazar, and Asabia, and Banaia. of Banui, and the children of Semei, 26 And of the sons of Helam; Mat- 39 and Selemia, and Nathan, and thania, and Zacharia, and Jæel, and Adaia, 40 Machadnabu, Sesei, Sariu, Abdia, and Jarimoth, and Elia. 27 And 41 Ezriel, and Selemia, and Samaria, of the sons of Zathua; Elionai, Elisub, 42 and Sellum, Amaria, Joseph. 43 Of Matthanai, and Armoth, and Zabad, the sons of Nabu; Jael, Matthanias, and Oziza. 28 And of the sons of Zabad, Zebennas, Jadai, and Joel, Babei; Joanan, Anania, and Zabu, and Banaia. 44 All these had taken and Thali. 29 And of the sons of strange wives, and had begotten sons Banui; Mosollam, Maluch, Adaias, of them. NEEMIA S. CHAPTER I. VERSES 1-6. pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for several days, and continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 6 And I said, Nay, I pray thee, O Lord God of heaven, the mighty, the great and terrible, keeping thy covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to those that keep his commandments: let now thine ear be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, this day both day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and make confession for the sins of the children of Israel, |