Ezra · Chapter 6

[ edit] It is do forſoþe, whan Sanaballaþ hadde herd, and Thobias, and Goſem Arabs, and oure oþere enemys, þat I hadde bild þe wal, and þer was not in it laft broſure among; forſoþe vnto þat time I hadde not put ȝate leues in þe ȝate; Sanaballaþ, and Thobias, and Goſem Arabs ſenten to me, ſeiende, Cum, and ſmite wee pes couenaunt togidere in litle tounus, in a feeld; þei forſoþe þoȝten, þat þei do to me euel. Þanne I ſente to hem meſſageris, ſeiende, A gret werc I do, and I mai not come doun, leſt parauenture it be laft, whan I ſhulde comen, and deſcende to ȝou. Forſoþe þei ſenten to me after þis woord bi foure ſiþes, and I anſwerde to hem after þe raþere woord.

And Sanaballaþ ſente to me after þe raþere woord þe fifte ſiþe his child; and he hadde a lettre in his hond writen in þis maner; In Gentilis it is herd, and Goſem ſeide, for þou and þe Jewis þenken to rebellen, and þerfore ȝee bilden, and þou wilt rere þee vp on hem king; for what cauſe and profetus þou haſt ſett, þat prechen of þee in Jeruſalem, ſeiende, A king in Jeruſalem is; þe king is to here þeſe woordis; þerfore cum now, þat wee go in counſeil togidere. And I ſente to hem, ſeiende, It is not don after þeſe woordis þat þou ſpekiſt; forſoþe of þin herte þou makiſt þeſe þingus.

Alle þeſe fereden vs, þenkende þat our hondis ſhulden ceſen fro werkis, and reſten aȝeen; for what cauſe more I confortid myn hond. And I wente in to þe hous of Samaie, ſone of Dalie, ſone of Meþabehel, priuyli, þe whiche ſeiþ, Trete wee wiþ vs in þe hous of God, in þe middel of þe temple, and cloſe we þe ȝatus of þe hous; for þer ben to come þat þei ſle þee, and þe nyȝt þei ben to come þat þei ſle þee. And I ſeide, Wheþir any man lic me fleeþ, and who as I ſhal go in to þe temple, and liuen? I ſhal not gon in. And I vnderſtod þat God hadde not ſent hym, but as profeciende he hadde ſpoke to me; and Thobias and Sanaballaþ bi mede hadden hirid hym.

Forſoþe he hadde take pris, þat aferd I ſhulde don, and ſynnen; and þei myȝte han euel, þat þei repreue to me. Haue mynde of me, Lord, for Tobias and Sanaballaþ, after ſuche werkus of hem; but and of Nadie, profete, and of oþere profetus, þat fereden me. Forſoþe þe wal is fulfild þe fiue and twentiþe dai of þe ſixte moneþ, in two and fifti daȝes. It is do þanne, whan alle oure enemys hadden herd, þat alle þe Jentilis þat weren in oure enuyroun dredden, and fellen togidere wiþ inne þemſelf, and knewen, þat of þe Lord was do þis werc. But and in þo daȝes manye epiſtolis of þe moſte wrþi men of Jewis weren ſent to Tobie, and fro Tobie camen to þem.

Manye forſoþe weren in Jude, hauende his oþ; for he was þe ſone in lawe of Sechenye, ſone of Jorel; and Johannan, his ſone, hadde taken þe doȝter of Moſollam, ſone of Barachie. But and þei preſeden hym befor me, and my woordis þei tolden to hym; and Thobias ſente lettris, þat he ſhulde fere me.