Ezra · Chapter 4

[ edit] It is do forſoþe, whan Sanaballaþ hadde herd, þat we ſchulden bilde þe wal, he wraþide gretli, and, moued ful myche, ſcornede þe Jewis. And he ſeide beforn his breþern, and þe court of Samaritanys, What do þe Jewis ful feble? Wheþer ſhuln leuen hem þe Jentilis? Wheþer ſhul þei ſacrifien and fulfillen in o dai? Wheþer þei ſhuln moun bilden vp ſtonis of þe hillokis of pouder, þat ben brent? But and Tobias Amonite ſeiþ to his neȝhebores, Bilde þei; if þer ſteȝe vp a fox, he ſhal lepe ouer þer ſton wal.

And Neemie ſeide, Here þou, oure God, for we ben maad deſpit; turne þe repref vp on þe hed of hem, and ȝif hem in to deſpiſing in þe lond of caitifte; ne couere þou þe wickeneſſe of hem, and þe ſynnus of hem befor þi face be not don awei; for þei ſcorneden þe bilders. And ſo we bilden þe wal, and al we ioyneden togidere vnto þe half part, and þe herte of þe puple is ſtirid to werken. It is do forſoþe, whan Sanaballaþ hadde herd, and Tobias, and Arabes, and Amanytes, and Azozie, þat þe gap of þe wal of Jeruſalem was maad al hol, and þat þe chinys or crauaſis begunnen to be cloſid, þei ben ful myche wroþ.

And alle þei ben gedered togidere, þat þei comen and fiȝte aȝen Jeruſalem, and caſten buſſhemens. And we preȝeden þe Lord oure God, and we ſetten keperis vp on þe wal dai and nyȝt aȝen hem. Forſoþe Judas ſeide, Þe ſtrengþe of þe berere is feblid, and þere is to miche erþe, and we ſhul not moun bilden vp þe wal. And oure enemis ſeiden, Wite þei not, and vnknowe þei, to þe time þat we comen in to þe middel of hem, and ſlen hem, and make þe werc to ceſen. It is do forſoþe, þe Jewis comende, þat dwelten biſides hem, and ſeiende to vs ten ſiþis, of alle þe placis fro whiche þei weren come to vs, I ſette in a place behinde þe wal bi enuyroun a puple in order, wiþ þer ſwerdis, and ſperis, and bowis.

I beheeld, and ros, and ſeide to þe more wrſhipeful men, and maiſter iugis, and to þe toþer part of þe comun, Wiliþ not dreden fro þe face of hem; of þe grete Lord and ferful haþ mynde, and fiȝteþ for ȝour breþern, and ȝour ſonus, and ȝour doȝtris, ȝour wiues, and houſis. It is do forſoþe, whan oure enemys hadden herd to be told to vs, God ſcaterede þe conſeil of hem; and alle wee ben turned aȝeen to þe wallis, eche to his werk.

And it is do fro þat dai, þe half part of þe ȝunge men maden þe werk, and þe half part was redi to bataile; and ſperis, and ſheeldis, and bowis, and haberiones, and princis bihinde þem, in al þe hous of Juda, of bilders in þe wal, and of bereris berþenus, and of leieris on; wiþ þer oon hond þei maden þe werc, and wiþ þe toþer þei heelden ſwerd. Forſoþe of þe bilders eche was gird aboute þe hipis wiþ a ſwerd; and þei bilden, and crieden wiþ trumpe biſyde me.

And I ſeide to þe moſt wrſhipeful men, and to þe maiſter iugis, and to þe toþer part of þe comun, A gret werc it is, and brod, and we ben ſeuered in þe wal aferr, an oþer fro an oþer; in what euere place ȝee ſhul here þe criyng of þe trumpe, þider renneþ togidere to vs; forſoþe oure God ſhal fiȝte for vs. And we vſſelf ſhul make þe werk, and þe half part of vs holde ſperis, fro þe ſteȝing vp of þe morutid to þe time þat þe ſterris gon out. Alſo þat time I ſeide to þe puple, Eche wiþ his child dwelle in þe middel of Jeruſalem, and be þer to ȝou whilis by nyȝt and dai to werken.

I forſoþe, and my breþern, and þe keperis, and my childer, þat weren bihinde me, diden not of oure cloþis; eche onli was nakid to baptem.