Ezra · Chapter 13

[ edit] In þe dai forſoþe is rad in þe volum of Moiſes, herende þe puple; and þer is founde writen in it, þat Amonites and Moabitis aȝten not to gon in to þe chirche of God vnto wiþoute ende; for þi þat þei aȝen camen not to þe ſonus of Irael wiþ bred and watir, and þei hireden aȝen hem Balam to curſen to hem; and oure God turnede þe curſing in to bleſſing. It is do forſoþe, whan þei hadden herd þe lawe, þei ſeuereden alle alien fro Irael. And vpon þeſe þingus was Eliaſub, þe preſt, þat was prouoſt in þe treſorie of þe hous of oure God, and neȝhebore to Tobie.

Þanne he made to hym a gret treſorie; and þere weren beforn hym leiende vp ȝiftis, and encens, and veſſelis, and þe dime of whete, win, and of oile, partis of Leuitis, and of ſingeris, and of porteris, and þe preeſtus firſte frutis. In alle þeſe þingus forſoþe I was not in Jeruſalem; for in þe two and þrettiþe ȝer of Artaxerſes, king of Babiloine, I cam to þe king, and in þe ende of daȝis I preȝide þe king. And I cam into Jeruſalem, and I vnderſtod þe euel, þat Eliazub hadde do to Tobie, þat he make to hym a treſor in þe veſtiaries of þe hous off God; and euel it is ſeen to me gretli.

And I þrew out þe veſſelis of þe hous of Tobie fro þe treſorie; and I comaundede, and þei clenſeden þe treſories; and I bar aȝeen þider þe veſſelis of þe hous of God, ſacrifiſe, and encens. And I knewȝ for þe partis of Leuitus weren not ȝiuen, and þat eche was in to his regioun of þe Leuitus, and of þe ſingerys, and of hem þat miniſtreden; and I purſuede þe cauſe aȝen þe maſter iugis, and ſeide, Whi han wee forſake þe hous of God? And I gederede hem, and made to ſtonde in þer ſtaciouns. And al Juda broȝte to þe dime of whete, and of win, and of oile, in to bernes.

And wee ſetten vpon þe bernes, Selemiam, preſt, and Sadoch, ſcribe, and Fadaiam, of þe Leuitus, and biſide hem, Anan, þe ſone of Saccur, þe ſone of Maþanie; for feiþful þei ben preued, and to þem ben take to kepe þe partis of þer breþren. My God, haue mynde of me for þis, and do þou not awei my mercies, þat I dide in þe hous of my God, and in his cerimoines. In þoo daȝes I ſaȝ in Juda tredende preſſours in þe ſabot, hipelis berende, and chargende vpon aſſis win, and grapis, and figis, and eche charge, and berende in to Jeruſalem in þe dai of ſabot; and I witneſſede vpon hem, þat in þe dai, in whiche it was not leeful to ſellen, þei ſolden.

And Tiris dwelten in it, berende in fiſſhis and alle chaffaris, and þei ſolden in þe ſabatis to þe ſonus of Juda and of Jeruſalem. And I repreuede þe moſt wrſhipeful men of Juda, and ſeide to hem, What is þis euele þing þat ȝee don, and defoulen þe dai of ſabot? Wheþer nott þeſe þingus diden oure fadris, and oure God broȝte vp on vs al þis euel, and vpon þis cite? and ȝee adden wraþe vpon Irael, defoulende þe ſabot. It is do forſoþe, whan þe ȝatis of Jeruſalem hadden reſtid in þe ſabot dai, I ſeide, Cloſeþ þe ȝatis; and þei cloſeden þe ȝatis; and I comaundede, þat þei ſhulden not opene þem vnto after þe ſabot.

And of my childer I ordeinede noumbris vp on þe ȝatis, þat no man ſhulde bern in charge vp on þe ſabot dai. And þe marchaundis dwelten, and ſellende al þer chaffaris, wiþoute Jeruſalem ones and twies. And I witneſſede to þem, and ſeide to hem, Whi dwelle ȝee forn aȝen of þe wal? If þe ſecunde þis ȝee do, hond I ſhal lein in ȝou. And ſo fro þat time þei camen not in þe ſabot. Alſo I ſeide to þe Leuitis, þat þei ſhulden be clenſid, and comen to þe ȝatis to be kept, and to halewen þe ſabat dai. And bi þis þanne haue mynde of me, my God, and ſpare to me aftir þe multitude of þi myſeraciouns. But in þoo dayes Y ſaȝ þe Jewis weddinge wiues, Azotitis, Amonitis, and Moabitis.

And þe ſonus of hem ſpeeken of þe half part Azotitis maner, and þei couþen not ſpeken Jeuli, and þei ſpeken after þe tunge of puple and of puple. And I repreuede hem, and curſide; and I felde of hem men, and made hem ballid, and made hem ſwern in þe Lord, þat þei ſhulde not ȝiue þer doȝtris to þe ſonus of hem, and þei ſhulden not take of þe doȝtris of hem to þer ſonus and to hemſelf; ſeiende, Wheþer not in ſuch maner þing ſynnede Salamon, þe king of Irael? And certus in manie Jentilis was þer no king of Irael lic hym, and he was derworþe to his God, and hys God ſette hym king vpon al Irael, and hym þanne ladden to ſynne aliene wymmen.

Wheþer and wee vnbuxhum ſhul don al þis grete euel, þat wee treſpaſen in þe Lord oure God, and wedden ſtraunge wiues. Of þe ſonus forſoþe of Joiada, ſone of þe grete preſt, Eliazib, ſone in lawe was Sanaballaþ Oronite, whom I drof fro me. Recorde þou, Lord my God, aȝen hem, þat defoulen preſþod, and þe preſtus and Leuitus riȝt. Þanne I clenſede hem fro alle alienes, and ordeinede ordris of preſtis and of Leuitis, eche in his ſeruiſe, and in offring of trees in ordeined times, and in firſte frutis. Haue mynde of me, mi God, in to goode. Explicit liber ſecundus Eſdre.