Ezra · Chapter 9

[ edit] In þe foure and twentiþe dai forſoþe of þis moniþ, þe ſonus of Irael camen togidere in faſting, and in ſackis, and erþe vpon hem. And þe ſed of þe ſonus of Irael is ſeuered fro eche alien ſone. And þei ſtoden befor þe Lord, and þei knoulecheden þer ſynnes, and þe wickedneſſes of þer fadris. And þei riſen togidere to ſtonden, and þei radden in þe volum of þe lawe of þe Lord þer God foure ſiþes in þe dai, and foure ſiþes in þe nyȝt; þei knoulecheden, and preiſeden þe Lord þer God. Forſoþe þer riſen vp on þe gree, of Leuitus Jeſue, and Baani, and Cediniel, Remni, Abany, Sarabias, Baani. And þe Leuitus crieden wiþ a gret vois to þe Lord þer God.

And Jeſue and Sedeniel, Bonni, Aſſebia, Serebia, Arabia, Odaia, Sebua, Fachaia, ſeiden, Riſeþ, and bleſſeþ to þe Lord oure God fro wiþouten ende and vn to wiþ oute ende; and bleſſe þei to þe heȝe name of þi glorie in alle bleſſing and preiſing. And Eſdras ſeide, Þou þi ſelf, Lord, alone; þou madiſt heuene of heuenus, and al þe oſt of hem, þe erþe and alle þingus þat in it ben, ſes and alle þingus þat in hem ben, and þou quikeneſt alle þeſe þingis; and þe oſt of heuene honoureþ þee.

Þou þi ſelf Lord God, þat cheſedeſt Abraham, and laddeſt hym out fro þe fijr of Caldeis, and ſettiſt his name Abraham; and foundiſt his herte trewe befor þee, and ſmite wiþ hym pes couuenaunt, þat þou ȝeue to hym þe lond of Cananee, Eþei, and Euei, and Amorrei, and Fereſei, and Jebuſei, and Jergeſei, þat þou ȝeue to his ſed; and þou haſt fulfild þi woordis, for þou art riȝtwis. And þou haſt ſeen þe affliccioun of oure fadris in Egipt, and þe cri of hem þou haſt herd vpon þe rede ſe. And þou ȝeue tocnes and wndris in Farao, and in alle his ſeruauns, and in al þe puple of þat lond; forſoþe þou haſt knowen, for proudli þei diden aȝen hem; and þou madeſt to þee a name as in þis dai.

And þe ſee þou deuidedeſt beforn hem, and þei paſſeden ouer þurȝ þe middel of þe ſe in drie; þe purſueris forſoþe of hem þou þrewe aferr in to þe depneſſe, as a ſton in ſtronge watris. And in a pileer of a cloude ledere of hem þou were bi dai, and in a piler of fijr bi nyȝt, þat þe weie aperede to þem, bi whiche þei wenten in. Alſo to þe hil of Sinai þou came doun, and ſpeke to hem fro heuene, and ȝeue to þem riȝte domus, and þe lawe of treuþe, cerimoines, and gode heſtus. And halewid ſabot þou ſhewedeſt to þem; and maundemens, and cerimoines, and lawe, þou comaundediſt to þem, in þe hond of Moiſes, þi ſeruaunt.

Bred alſo fro heuene þou ȝeue to þem in þer hunger; and water of a ſton þou broȝtiſt out to hem þreſtende; and þou ſeideſt to þem, þat þei ſhulden gon in, and welde þe lond, vp on þe whiche þou rerediſt þin hond, þat þou take it to hem. Þei forſoþe and þer fadris proudli diden, and inwardli hardeden þer nollis, and þei herden not þi maundemens.

And þei wolden not heren; and þei recordeden not of þi merueilis, þat þou haddeſt do to þem; and þei inwardli hardeden þer nollis; and þei ȝeuen hed, þat þei were turned togidere to þer þraldam; þou forſoþe God merciful, and noble, and benigne, longe abidende, and of myche mercy, and þou forſoke not hem; and forſoþe whan þei hadden maad to þem a calf, as bi ſtrif ȝoten, and ſeiden, Þis is þi God þat ladde þee out fro Egipt, and þei diden grete blasfemys. Þou forſoþe in þi manie mercies lafttiſt þem not in deſert; a piler of a cloude wente not awei fro hem bi dai, þat it lede hem in to þe weie; and a piler of fijr bi nyȝt, þat he ſhewe to þem þe weie, bi whiche þei ſhulden gon in.

And þi goode Spirit þou ȝeue to hem, þat ſhulde teche þem; and þi aungelis mete þou forfendedeſt not fro þe mouþ of hem, and watir þou ȝeue to hem in þriſt. Fourti ȝer þou feddiſt hem in deſert, and no þing to hem failede; þe cloþis of hem eeldeden not, and þe feet of hem ben not ouertroden. And þou ȝeue to hem reumys, and puplis; and partidiſt to þem lotis, and þei weldiden þe lond of Seon, and þe lond of þe king of Eſebon, and þe lond of Og, king of Baſan. And þe ſonus of hem þou multepliedeſt, as þe ſterris of heuene; and broȝtiſt hem to þe lond, of þe whiche þou haddeſt ſeid to þer fadris, þat þei ſhulden gon in, and welden it.

And þe ſonus of Irael camen, and weldeden þe lond; and þou mekedeſt beforn hem þe Cananees, dwelleris of þe lond; and þou ȝeue hem in to þer hondis, and þe kingus of hem, and þe puplis of þe lond, þat þei do to hem as it pleſide to þem. And þei token ſtrengþid cites, and fat erþe; and weldeden houſis ful of alle goodis, ciſternes of oþer men forgid, vines, and oliues, and manie appil trees. And þei eeten, and ben fulfild, and ben maad fatte; and þei aboundeden in richeſſis in þi grete goodneſſe.

Þei terreden forſoþe þee to wraþe, and wenten awei fro þee, and þrewen awei þi lawe bihinde þer backes; and þi profetus ſlowen, þat witneſſeden to þem, þat þei ſhulden turne aȝeen to þee; and þei diden grete blasfemys. And þou ȝeue þem into þe hond of þer enemis; and þei tormenteden hem; and in time of þer tribulacioun þei crieden to þee; and þou fro heuene herdeſt hem, and aftir þi manie deedis of mercy þou ȝeue to hem ſaueoures, þat ſhulden ſauen hem fro þe hond of þer enemis.

And whan þei hadden reſtid, þei ben turned aȝen þat þei do euel in þi ſiȝte; and þou forſoke hem in þe hond of þer enemys, and þei weldeden hem; and þei ben conuertyd, and þei crieden to þee; þou forſoþe fro heuene herdiſt, and deliueredeſt hem in þi mercies manie times. And þou witneſſedeſt to þem, þat þei ſhulden turnen aȝeen to þi lawe; þei forſoþe proudli diden, and þei herden not þi maundementus, and in þi domys þei ſynneden, þe whiche what man doþ ſhal liuen in hem; and þei ȝeuen a going awey ſhulder, and þer nol þei inwardli hardeden.

And þou drowe afer vpon hem manie ȝeris, and þou witneſſediſt hem in þi Spirit bi þe hond of þi profetus; and þei herden not; and þou toke þem in to þe hond of þe puplis of londis. Forſoþe in þi manie mercies þou madiſt not hem in to waſting, ne forſoke þem; for God of myſeraciouns, and benigne þou art. And ſo now, Lord oure God, grete God, ſtrong, and ferful, kepende couenaunt and merci, ne turne þou awei þi face in al þe trauaile þat haþ founden vs, oure kingis, and oure princis, and oure fadris, and oure preſtis, and oure profetis, and al þi puple, fro þe daȝis of king Aſſur vnto þis dai.

And þou art riȝtwis in alle þingus, þat camen vpon vs; for treuþe þou didiſt to vs; wee forſoþe vnpitouſli diden. Oure kingus, and oure princis, oure preſtis, and oure fadris, diden not þi lawe, and tentiden not to þin heſtis, and þy witneſſis þat þou witneſſediſt in hem. And þei in þeir goode reumis, and in þi miche goodneſſe þat þou haddeſt ȝiue to hem, and in þe moſt large lond and fat, þat þou haddeſt taken in þe ſiȝte of hem, þei ſerueden not to þee, ne ben turned aȝeen fro þer werſte ſtudies. Lo! wee vſſelf to dai ben þrallis; and þe lond þat þou ȝeue to oure fadris, þat þei ſhulden ete þe bred of it, and þo þingus þat ben goode of it; and we vſſelf ben þrallis in it.

And þe frutus of hem ben multiplied to kingis, þat þou haſt put vp on vs for oure ſynnes; and þei lordſhipen to oure bodies, and to oure beſtis, aftir þer wil, and in gret tribulacioun we ben. Þanne vp on alle þeſe þingus wee vſſelf ſmijten pes couenaunt, and wrijten, and oure princis, oure Leuitis, oure preſtis ſette marke.