Ezra · Chapter 8

[ edit] And al þe puple is gedered as oo man, at þe ſtrete þat is befor þe ȝate of watris. And þei ſeiden to Eſdra, ſcribe, þat he ſhulde bringe forþ þe boc of þe lawe of Moiſes, þat þe Lord hadde comaundid to Irael. Þanne Eſdras, þe preſt, broȝte forþ þe lawe, befor þe multitude of men and wymmen, and to alle þat myȝten vnderſtonde, in þe firſte dai of þe ſeuenþe monyþ. And he radde in it apertli in þe ſtrete þat was befor þe ȝate of watris, fro þe morutid vnto þe middai, in þe ſiȝte of men and wymmen and of wiſe men; and þe eris of al þe puple weren riȝt to þe boc.

Forſoþe Eſdras ſcribe ſtod vpon a treene gree, þe whiche he hadde maad to ſpeken in; and þer ſtoden beſide hym, Maþaþias, and Semma, and Anania, and Vria, and Elchia, and Maaſia, at his riȝt ſide; and at his left, Fadaia, Miſael, and Melchia, Aſſum, and Aſef, Dana, and Acharia, and Moſollam. And Eſdras openede þe boc beforn al þe puple; vp on al þe puple forſoþe he ſtod ouer; and whan he hadde opened it, al þe puple ſtod. And Eſdras bleſſide to þe Lord God wiþ a gret vois; and al þe puple anſwerde, Amen, Amen, rerend vp þer hondus. And þei ben ful bowid, and bowid in to þe erþe þei honoureden God.

But Joſue, and Baani, and Serebia, Jamyn, Accub, Sefai, Odia, Maaſia, Celiþa, Azarias, Joſabeþ, Anan, Fallaia, Leuitus, maden ſilence in þe puple to þe lawe to ben herd. Þe puple forſoþe ſtod in his gree. And þei radden in þe boc of þe lawe diſtinctli and apertli to vnderſtonde; and þei vnderſtoden, whan it ſchulde be rad. Forſoþe Neemias, he is Aþerſata, ſeide, and Eſdras, preſt and ſcribe, and þe Leuitus, remenyng to al þe puple, A dai is halewid to þe Lord oure God; wileþ not weilen, and wileþ not wepen. Forſoþe al þe puple wepte, whan he herde þe woordis of þe lawe.

And he ſeide to þem, Goþ, and eteþ fatte þingis, and drinkeþ meþ, and ſendeþ for hem, þat han not maad redi to þem ſelf, for it is þe holi dai of þe Lord; wileþ not be dreri, forſoþe þe ioȝe of þe Lord is ȝoure ſtrengþe. Alſo Leuitus maden ſilence in al þe puple, ſeiende, Holdeþ ȝour pes, for it is halidai, and wileþ not ſorewen. And ſo al þe puple wente to ete, and drinken, and to ſende partis, and to make gret gladneſſe; for þei vnderſtoden þe woordis, þat he hadde taȝt hem. In þe ſecunde dai ben gedered þe princis of meynes, and al þe puple, preſtus, and Leuitus, to Eſdra, ſcribe, þat he remene to þem þe woordis of þe lawe.

And þei founde writen in þe lawe, þe Lord to han comaundid in þe hond of Moiſes, þat þe ſonus of Irael dwelle in tabernaclis in þe ſolempne dai, þe ſeuenþe moneþ; and þat þei prechen, and puppliſhen vois in alle þer cites, and in Jeruſalem; ſeiende, Goþ out in to þe hil, and bringeþ braunchis of oliues, and braunchis of þe moſt fair tree, and þe braunchis of myrt tree, and bowis of palmys, and braunchis of a wodi tree, þat þer be made tabernaclis, as it is write. And al þe puple wente out, and broȝten, and maden tabernaclis to þem, eche in his hous, and in þer porchis, and in þe porchis of þe hous of God, and in þe ſtrete of þe ȝate of Effraym.

Þanne al þe chirche of hem, þat ben turned aȝeen fro þe caitifte, made tabernaclis, and þei dwelten in tabernaclis. Forſoþe þe ſonus of Irael hadden nott maad ſuche þingis fro þe dai of Joſue, ſone of Nun, vnto þat dai; and þer was a gret gladneſſe riȝt miche. Forſoþe he radde in þe boc of þe lawe bi eche daȝes, fro þe firſte dai vn to þe laſte dai; and þei maden ſolempnete ſeuene daȝes, and in þe eiȝþe a colect, after þe cuſtum.