Ezra · Chapter 2

[ edit] It is do forſoþe in þe moniþ of Aprill, þe twentiþe ȝer of Artaxerſes, þe king, and win was befor hym, and I heuede vp þe win, and ȝaf to þe king, and I was aſtoneid beforn his face. And þe king ſeide to me, Whi is þi chere dreri, ſiþen I ſee þee not ſijk? Þat is not in vein; but I wot not þe euel þat is in þin herte. And I dradde ful myche; and I ſeide to þe king, King, wiþ outen ende liue; whi ſhulde not my chere ſorewin priueli? for þe cite of þe hous of þe ſepulcris of my fader is deſert, and his ȝatus ben brent wiþ fir. And þe king ſeiþ to me, For what þing aſkiſt þou?

And I preȝede þe God of heuene, and ſeide to þe king, If it is ſeen good to þe king, and if it pleſe to þi ſeruauns befor þi face, þat þou ſende me in to Jude, I beſeche, to þe cite of þe ſepulcre of my fader, and I ſhal bilden it. And þe king ſeide to me, and þe quen þat ſat biſide hym, Vnto what time ſhal be þi wei, and whanne ſhalt þou come aȝeen?

And I pleſide befor þe chere of þe king, and he ſente me, and I ſette hym a time; and ſeide to þe king, If to þe king it is ſeen good, lettris ȝiue he to me to þe dukis of þe regioun beȝonde þe flod, þat þei lede me ouer, to þe time I come in to Jude; and a lettre to Aſaf, kepere of þe wilde wode of þe king, þat he ȝiue to me trees, þat I mowe couere þe ȝatis of þe tour of þe hous, and of þe wal of þe cite, and þe hous þat I ſhal come in. And þe king ȝaf to me, after þe goode hond of my God wiþ me. And I cam to þe dukis of þe regioun beȝunde þe flod, and I ȝaf to hym þe epiſtolis of þe king. Forſoþe þe king hadde ſent wiþ me prinſis of kniȝtus, and horſemen.

And Sanaballaþ Oronyte, and Tobie, ſeruaunt Amonyte, herden, and ben euele paȝid bi gret ſorewe, þat a man was come, þat ſhulde ſeche þe proſperite of þe ſonus of Irael. And I cam in to Jeruſalem, and I was þere þre daȝes. And I ros þe nyȝt, and fewe men wiþ me, and I ſhewide to no man, what God hadde ȝiuen in myn herte, þat I ſhulde do in Jeruſalem; and þere was noon helpely beeſte to me, but þe beeſte þat I ſat on. And I wente out bi þe ȝate of þe valei þe nyȝt, and beforn þe welle of þe dragoun, and at þe drit ȝate; and I beheeld þe wal of Jeruſalem ſcaterid, and his ȝatis waſtid wiþ fijr.

And I paſſide ouer to þe ȝate of þe welle, and to þe watir cundict of þe king, and þer was no place to þe beeſte, þat I ſat on þat he myȝte paſſen ouer; and I ſteȝide vp bi þe ſtrem þe nyȝt, and I beheeld þe wal, and turned aȝeen I cam to þe ȝate of þe valei, and am comen aȝeen. Þe maiſter iuges forſoþe wiſten not, whider I was go, or what I wolde do; but and to þe Jewis, and to þe preſtus, and to þe moſt worſhipeful men, and to þe maiſter iuges, and to þe toþere þat maden þe werc, vnto þat of þe placis no þing I hadde ſhewid.

And I ſeide to hem, Ȝee han knowen þe affliccioun, in whiche we ben, for Jeruſalem is deſert, and his ȝatis ben waſtid wiþ fijr; comeþ, and bilde we vp þe wallis of Jeruſalem, and be we no more repref. And I ſhewide to hem þe hond of my God, þat it was good wiþ me, and þe woordis of þe king, þat he ſpac to me; and I ſey, Riſe we, and bilde we; and þe hondis of hem ben coumfortid in goode. Forſoþe Sanballaþ Oronyte, and Tobias, ſeruaunt Amonyte, and Goſem Arabs, herden, and ſcorneden vs, and deſpiſeden; and ſeiden, What is þis þing þat ȝee don? wheþer aȝen þe king ȝee rebellen?

And I ȝeld to þem a woord, and ſeide to þem, God of heuene, he helpiþ vs, and wee his ſeruauns ben; riſe wee, and bilde wee; to ȝou forſoþe is no part and riȝtwiſneſſe and mynde in Jeruſalem.