Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible

Contents

The First Book of Esdras

1:1 And Josias held the feast of the passover in Jerusalem unto his Lord, andoffered the passover the fourteenth day of the first month;

1:2 Having set the priests according to their daily courses, being arrayed inlong garments, in the temple of the Lord.

1:3 And he spake unto the Levites, the holy ministers of Israel, that theyshould hallow themselves unto the Lord, to set the holy ark of the Lord in thehouse that king Solomon the son of David had built:

1:4 And said, Ye shall no more bear the ark upon your shoulders: now thereforeserve the Lord your God, and minister unto his people Israel, and prepare youafter your families and kindreds,

1:5 According as David the king of Israel prescribed, and according to themagnificence of Solomon his son: and standing in the temple according to theseveral dignity of the families of you the Levites, who minister in thepresence of your brethren the children of Israel,

1:6 Offer the passover in order, and make ready the sacrifices for yourbrethren, and keep the passover according to the commandment of the Lord, whichwas given unto Moses.

1:7 And unto the people that was found there Josias gave thirty thousand lambsand kids, and three thousand calves: these things were given of theking’s allowance, according as he promised, to the people, to thepriests, and to the Levites.

1:8 And Helkias, Zacharias, and Syelus, the governors of the temple, gave tothe priests for the passover two thousand and six hundred sheep, and threehundred calves.

1:9 And Jeconias, and Samaias, and Nathanael his brother, and Assabias, andOchiel, and Joram, captains over thousands, gave to the Levites for thepassover five thousand sheep, and seven hundred calves.

1:10 And when these things were done, the priests and Levites, having theunleavened bread, stood in very comely order according to the kindreds,

1:11 And according to the several dignities of the fathers, before the people,to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses: and thus did theyin the morning.

1:12 And they roasted the passover with fire, as appertaineth: as for thesacrifices, they sod them in brass pots and pans with a good savour,

1:13 And set them before all the people: and afterward they prepared forthemselves, and for the priests their brethren, the sons of Aaron.

1:14 For the priests offered the fat until night: and the Levites prepared forthemselves, and the priests their brethren, the sons of Aaron.

1:15 The holy singers also, the sons of Asaph, were in their order, accordingto the appointment of David, to wit, Asaph, Zacharias, and Jeduthun, who was ofthe king’s retinue.

1:16 Moreover the porters were at every gate; it was not lawful for any to gofrom his ordinary service: for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

1:17 Thus were the things that belonged to the sacrifices of the Lordaccomplished in that day, that they might hold the passover,

1:18 And offer sacrifices upon the altar of the Lord, according to thecommandment of king Josias.

1:19 So the children of Israel which were present held the passover at thattime, and the feast of sweet bread seven days.

1:20 And such a passover was not kept in Israel since the time of the prophetSamuel.

1:21 Yea, all the kings of Israel held not such a passover as Josias, and thepriests, and the Levites, and the Jews, held with all Israel that were founddwelling at Jerusalem.

1:22 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josias was this passover kept.

1:23 And the works or Josias were upright before his Lord with an heart full ofgodliness.

1:24 As for the things that came to pass in his time, they were written informer times, concerning those that sinned, and did wickedly against the Lordabove all people and kingdoms, and how they grieved him exceedingly, so thatthe words of the Lord rose up against Israel.

1:25 Now after all these acts of Josias it came to pass, that Pharaoh the kingof Egypt came to raise war at Carchamis upon Euphrates: and Josias went outagainst him.

1:26 But the king of Egypt sent to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, Oking of Judea?

1:27 I am not sent out from the Lord God against thee; for my war is uponEuphrates: and now the Lord is with me, yea, the Lord is with me hasting meforward: depart from me, and be not against the Lord.

1:28 Howbeit Josias did not turn back his chariot from him, but undertook tofight with him, not regarding the words of the prophet Jeremy spoken by themouth of the Lord:

1:29 But joined battle with him in the plain of Magiddo, and the princes cameagainst king Josias.

1:30 Then said the king unto his servants, Carry me away out of the battle; forI am very weak. And immediately his servants took him away out of the battle.

1:31 Then gat he up upon his second chariot; and being brought back toJerusalem died, and was buried in his father’s sepulchre.

1:32 And in all Jewry they mourned for Josias, yea, Jeremy the prophet lamentedfor Josias, and the chief men with the women made lamentation for him unto thisday: and this was given out for an ordinance to be done continually in all thenation of Israel.

1:33 These things are written in the book of the stories of the kings of Judah,and every one of the acts that Josias did, and his glory, and his understandingin the law of the Lord, and the things that he had done before, and the thingsnow recited, are reported in the book of the kings of Israel and Judea.

1:34 And the people took Joachaz the son of Josias, and made him king insteadof Josias his father, when he was twenty and three years old.

1:35 And he reigned in Judea and in Jerusalem three months: and then the kingof Egypt deposed him from reigning in Jerusalem.

1:36 And he set a tax upon the land of an hundred talents of silver and onetalent of gold.

1:37 The king of Egypt also made king Joacim his brother king of Judea andJerusalem.

1:38 And he bound Joacim and the nobles: but Zaraces his brother heapprehended, and brought him out of Egypt.

1:39 Five and twenty years old was Joacim when he was made king in the land ofJudea and Jerusalem; and he did evil before the Lord.

1:40 Wherefore against him Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon came up, andbound him with a chain of brass, and carried him into Babylon.

1:41 Nabuchodonosor also took of the holy vessels of the Lord, and carried themaway, and set them in his own temple at Babylon.

1:42 But those things that are recorded of him, and of his uncleaness andimpiety, are written in the chronicles of the kings.

1:43 And Joacim his son reigned in his stead: he was made king being eighteenyears old;

1:44 And reigned but three months and ten days in Jerusalem; and did evilbefore the Lord.

1:45 So after a year Nabuchodonosor sent and caused him to be brought intoBabylon with the holy vessels of the Lord;

1:46 And made Zedechias king of Judea and Jerusalem, when he was one and twentyyears old; and he reigned eleven years:

1:47 And he did evil also in the sight of the Lord, and cared not for the wordsthat were spoken unto him by the prophet Jeremy from the mouth of the Lord.

1:48 And after that king Nabuchodonosor had made him to swear by the name ofthe Lord, he forswore himself, and rebelled; and hardening his neck, his heart,he transgressed the laws of the Lord God of Israel.

1:49 The governors also of the people and of the priests did many thingsagainst the laws, and passed all the pollutions of all nations, and defiled thetemple of the Lord, which was sanctified in Jerusalem.

1:50 Nevertheless the God of their fathers sent by his messenger to call themback, because he spared them and his tabernacle also.

1:51 But they had his messengers in derision; and, look, when the Lord spakeunto them, they made a sport of his prophets:

1:52 So far forth, that he, being wroth with his people for their greatungodliness, commanded the kings of the Chaldees to come up against them;

1:53 Who slew their young men with the sword, yea, even within the compass oftheir holy temple, and spared neither young man nor maid, old man nor child,among them; for he delivered all into their hands.

1:54 And they took all the holy vessels of the Lord, both great and small, withthe vessels of the ark of God, and the king’s treasures, and carried themaway into Babylon.

1:55 As for the house of the Lord, they burnt it, and brake down the walls ofJerusalem, and set fire upon her towers:

1:56 And as for her glorious things, they never ceased till they had consumedand brought them all to nought: and the people that were not slain with thesword he carried unto Babylon:

1:57 Who became servants to him and his children, till the Persians reigned, tofulfil the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremy:

1:58 Until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths, the whole time of her desolationshall she rest, until the full term of seventy years.

2:1 In the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, that the word of the Lordmight be accomplished, that he had promised by the mouth of Jeremy;

2:2 The Lord raised up the spirit of Cyrus the king of the Persians, and hemade proclamation through all his kingdom, and also by writing,

2:3 Saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of the Persians; The Lord of Israel, the mosthigh Lord, hath made me king of the whole world,

2:4 And commanded me to build him an house at Jerusalem in Jewry.

2:5 If therefore there be any of you that are of his people, let the Lord, evenhis Lord, be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, andbuild the house of the Lord of Israel: for he is the Lord that dwelleth inJerusalem.

2:6 Whosoever then dwell in the places about, let them help him, those, I say,that are his neighbours, with gold, and with silver,

2:7 With gifts, with horses, and with cattle, and other things, which have beenset forth by vow, for the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem.

2:8 Then the chief of the families of Judea and of the tribe of Benjamin stoodup; the priests also, and the Levites, and all they whose mind the Lord hadmoved to go up, and to build an house for the Lord at Jerusalem,

2:9 And they that dwelt round about them, and helped them in all things withsilver and gold, with horses and cattle, and with very many free gifts of agreat number whose minds were stirred up thereto.

2:10 King Cyrus also brought forth the holy vessels, which Nabuchodonosor hadcarried away from Jerusalem, and had set up in his temple of idols.

2:11 Now when Cyrus king of the Persians had brought them forth, he deliveredthem to Mithridates his treasurer:

2:12 And by him they were delivered to Sanabassar the governor of Judea.

2:13 And this was the number of them; A thousand golden cups, and a thousand ofsilver, censers of silver twenty nine, vials of gold thirty, and of silver twothousand four hundred and ten, and a thousand other vessels.

2:14 So all the vessels of gold and of silver, which were carried away, werefive thousand four hundred threescore and nine.

2:15 These were brought back by Sanabassar, together with them of thecaptivity, from Babylon to Jerusalem.

2:16 But in the time of Artexerxes king of the Persians Belemus, andMithridates, and Tabellius, and Rathumus, and Beeltethmus, and Semellius thesecretary, with others that were in commission with them, dwelling in Samariaand other places, wrote unto him against them that dwelt in Judea and Jerusalemthese letters following;

2:17 To king Artexerxes our lord, Thy servants, Rathumus the storywriter, andSemellius the scribe, and the rest of their council, and the judges that are inCelosyria and Phenice.

2:18 Be it now known to the lord king, that the Jews that are up from you tous, being come into Jerusalem, that rebellious and wicked city, do build themarketplaces, and repair the walls of it and do lay the foundation of thetemple.

2:19 Now if this city and the walls thereof be made up again, they will notonly refuse to give tribute, but also rebel against kings.

2:20 And forasmuch as the things pertaining to the temple are now in hand, wethink it meet not to neglect such a matter,

2:21 But to speak unto our lord the king, to the intent that, if it be thypleasure it may be sought out in the books of thy fathers:

2:22 And thou shalt find in the chronicles what is written concerning thesethings, and shalt understand that that city was rebellious, troubling bothkings and cities:

2:23 And that the Jews were rebellious, and raised always wars therein; for thewhich cause even this city was made desolate.

2:24 Wherefore now we do declare unto thee, O lord the king, that if this citybe built again, and the walls thereof set up anew, thou shalt from henceforthhave no passage into Celosyria and Phenice.

2:25 Then the king wrote back again to Rathumus the storywriter, toBeeltethmus, to Semellius the scribe, and to the rest that were in commission,and dwellers in Samaria and Syria and Phenice, after this manner;

2:26 I have read the epistle which ye have sent unto me: therefore I commandedto make diligent search, and it hath been found that that city was from thebeginning practising against kings;

2:27 And the men therein were given to rebellion and war: and that mighty kingsand fierce were in Jerusalem, who reigned and exacted tributes in Celosyria andPhenice.

2:28 Now therefore I have commanded to hinder those men from building the city,and heed to be taken that there be no more done in it;

2:29 And that those wicked workers proceed no further to the annoyance ofkings,

2:30 Then king Artexerxes his letters being read, Rathumus, and Semellius thescribe, and the rest that were in commission with them, removing in hastetoward Jerusalem with a troop of horsemen and a multitude of people in battlearray, began to hinder the builders; and the building of the temple inJerusalem ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of thePersians.

3:1 Now when Darius reigned, he made a great feast unto all his subjects, andunto all his household, and unto all the princes of Media and Persia,

3:2 And to all the governors and captains and lieutenants that were under him,from India unto Ethiopia, of an hundred twenty and seven provinces.

3:3 And when they had eaten and drunken, and being satisfied were gone home,then Darius the king went into his bedchamber, and slept, and soon afterawaked.

3:4 Then three young men, that were of the guard that kept the king’sbody, spake one to another;

3:5 Let every one of us speak a sentence: he that shall overcome, and whosesentence shall seem wiser than the others, unto him shall the king Darius givegreat gifts, and great things in token of victory:

3:6 As, to be clothed in purple, to drink in gold, and to sleep upon gold, anda chariot with bridles of gold, and an headtire of fine linen, and a chainabout his neck:

3:7 And he shall sit next to Darius because of his wisdom, and shall be calledDarius his cousin.

3:8 And then every one wrote his sentence, sealed it, and laid it under kingDarius his pillow;

3:9 And said that, when the king is risen, some will give him the writings; andof whose side the king and the three princes of Persia shall judge that hissentence is the wisest, to him shall the victory be given, as was appointed.

3:10 The first wrote, Wine is the strongest.

3:11 The second wrote, The king is strongest.

3:12 The third wrote, Women are strongest: but above all things Truth bearethaway the victory.

3:13 Now when the king was risen up, they took their writings, and deliveredthem unto him, and so he read them:

3:14 And sending forth he called all the princes of Persia and Media, and thegovernors, and the captains, and the lieutenants, and the chief officers;

3:15 And sat him down in the royal seat of judgment; and the writings were readbefore them.

3:16 And he said, Call the young men, and they shall declare their ownsentences. So they were called, and came in.

3:17 And he said unto them, Declare unto us your mind concerning the writings.Then began the first, who had spoken of the strength of wine;

3:18 And he said thus, O ye men, how exceeding strong is wine! it causeth allmen to err that drink it:

3:19 It maketh the mind of the king and of the fatherless child to be all one;of the bondman and of the freeman, of the poor man and of the rich:

3:20 It turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth, so that a manremembereth neither sorrow nor debt:

3:21 And it maketh every heart rich, so that a man remembereth neither king norgovernor; and it maketh to speak all things by talents:

3:22 And when they are in their cups, they forget their love both to friendsand brethren, and a little after draw out swords:

3:23 But when they are from the wine, they remember not what they have done.

3:24 O ye men, is not wine the strongest, that enforceth to do thus? And whenhe had so spoken, he held his peace.

4:1 Then the second, that had spoken of the strength of the king, began to say,

4:2 O ye men, do not men excel in strength that bear rule over sea and land andall things in them?

4:3 But yet the king is more mighty: for he is lord of all these things, andhath dominion over them; and whatsoever he commandeth them they do.

4:4 If he bid them make war the one against the other, they do it: if he sendthem out against the enemies, they go, and break down mountains walls andtowers.

4:5 They slay and are slain, and transgress not the king’s commandment:if they get the victory, they bring all to the king, as well the spoil, as allthings else.

4:6 Likewise for those that are no soldiers, and have not to do with wars, butuse husbundry, when they have reaped again that which they had sown, they bringit to the king, and compel one another to pay tribute unto the king.

4:7 And yet he is but one man: if he command to kill, they kill; if he commandto spare, they spare;

4:8 If he command to smite, they smite; if he command to make desolate, theymake desolate; if he command to build, they build;

4:9 If he command to cut down, they cut down; if he command to plant, theyplant.

4:10 So all his people and his armies obey him: furthermore he lieth down, heeateth and drinketh, and taketh his rest:

4:11 And these keep watch round about him, neither may any one depart, and dohis own business, neither disobey they him in any thing.

4:12 O ye men, how should not the king be mightiest, when in such sort he isobeyed? And he held his tongue.

4:13 Then the third, who had spoken of women, and of the truth, (this wasZorobabel) began to speak.

4:14 O ye men, it is not the great king, nor the multitude of men, neither isit wine, that excelleth; who is it then that ruleth them, or hath the lordshipover them? are they not women?

4:15 Women have borne the king and all the people that bear rule by sea andland.

4:16 Even of them came they: and they nourished them up that planted thevineyards, from whence the wine cometh.

4:17 These also make garments for men; these bring glory unto men; and withoutwomen cannot men be.

4:18 Yea, and if men have gathered together gold and silver, or any othergoodly thing, do they not love a woman which is comely in favour and beauty?

4:19 And letting all those things go, do they not gape, and even with openmouth fix their eyes fast on her; and have not all men more desire unto herthan unto silver or gold, or any goodly thing whatsoever?

4:20 A man leaveth his own father that brought him up, and his own country, andcleaveth unto his wife.

4:21 He sticketh not to spend his life with his wife, and remembereth neitherfather, nor mother, nor country.

4:22 By this also ye must know that women have dominion over you: do ye notlabour and toil, and give and bring all to the woman?

4:23 Yea, a man taketh his sword, and goeth his way to rob and to steal, tosail upon the sea and upon rivers;

4:24 And looketh upon a lion, and goeth in the darkness; and when he hathstolen, spoiled, and robbed, he bringeth it to his love.

4:25 Wherefore a man loveth his wife better than father or mother.

4:26 Yea, many there be that have run out of their wits for women, and becomeservants for their sakes.

4:27 Many also have perished, have erred, and sinned, for women.

4:28 And now do ye not believe me? is not the king great in his power? do notall regions fear to touch him?

4:29 Yet did I see him and Apame the king’s concubine, the daughter ofthe admirable Bartacus, sitting at the right hand of the king,

4:30 And taking the crown from the king’s head, and setting it upon herown head; she also struck the king with her left hand.

4:31 And yet for all this the king gaped and gazed upon her with open mouth: ifshe laughed upon him, he laughed also: but if she took any displeasure at him,the king was fain to flatter, that she might be reconciled to him again.

4:32 O ye men, how can it be but women should be strong, seeing they do thus?

4:33 Then the king and the princes looked one upon another: so he began tospeak of the truth.

4:34 O ye men, are not women strong? great is the earth, high is the heaven,swift is the sun in his course, for he compasseth the heavens round about, andfetcheth his course again to his own place in one day.

4:35 Is he not great that maketh these things? therefore great is the truth,and stronger than all things.

4:36 All the earth crieth upon the truth, and the heaven blesseth it: all worksshake and tremble at it, and with it is no unrighteous thing.

4:37 Wine is wicked, the king is wicked, women are wicked, all the children ofmen are wicked, and such are all their wicked works; and there is no truth inthem; in their unrighteousness also they shall perish.

4:38 As for the truth, it endureth, and is always strong; it liveth andconquereth for evermore.

4:39 With her there is no accepting of persons or rewards; but she doeth thethings that are just, and refraineth from all unjust and wicked things; and allmen do well like of her works.

4:40 Neither in her judgment is any unrighteousness; and she is the strength,kingdom, power, and majesty, of all ages. Blessed be the God of truth.

4:41 And with that he held his peace. And all the people then shouted, andsaid, Great is Truth, and mighty above all things.

4:42 Then said the king unto him, Ask what thou wilt more than is appointed inthe writing, and we will give it thee, because thou art found wisest; and thoushalt sit next me, and shalt be called my cousin.

4:43 Then said he unto the king, Remember thy vow, which thou hast vowed tobuild Jerusalem, in the day when thou camest to thy kingdom,

4:44 And to send away all the vessels that were taken away out of Jerusalem,which Cyrus set apart, when he vowed to destroy Babylon, and to send them againthither.

4:45 Thou also hast vowed to build up the temple, which the Edomites burnedwhen Judea was made desolate by the Chaldees.

4:46 And now, O lord the king, this is that which I require, and which I desireof thee, and this is the princely liberality proceeding from thyself: I desiretherefore that thou make good the vow, the performance whereof with thine ownmouth thou hast vowed to the King of heaven.

4:47 Then Darius the king stood up, and kissed him, and wrote letters for himunto all the treasurers and lieutenants and captains and governors, that theyshould safely convey on their way both him, and all those that go up with himto build Jerusalem.

4:48 He wrote letters also unto the lieutenants that were in Celosyria andPhenice, and unto them in Libanus, that they should bring cedar wood fromLibanus unto Jerusalem, and that they should build the city with him.

4:49 Moreover he wrote for all the Jews that went out of his realm up intoJewry, concerning their freedom, that no officer, no ruler, no lieutenant, nortreasurer, should forcibly enter into their doors;

4:50 And that all the country which they hold should be free without tribute;and that the Edomites should give over the villages of the Jews which then theyheld:

4:51 Yea, that there should be yearly given twenty talents to the building ofthe temple, until the time that it were built;

4:52 And other ten talents yearly, to maintain the burnt offerings upon thealtar every day, as they had a commandment to offer seventeen:

4:53 And that all they that went from Babylon to build the city should havefree liberty, as well they as their posterity, and all the priests that wentaway.

4:54 He wrote also concerning the charges, and the priests’ vestmentswherein they minister;

4:55 And likewise for the charges of the Levites, to be given them until theday that the house were finished, and Jerusalem builded up.

4:56 And he commanded to give to all that kept the city pensions and wages.

4:57 He sent away also all the vessels from Babylon, that Cyrus had set apart;and all that Cyrus had given in commandment, the same charged he also to bedone, and sent unto Jerusalem.

4:58 Now when this young man was gone forth, he lifted up his face to heaventoward Jerusalem, and praised the King of heaven,

4:59 And said, From thee cometh victory, from thee cometh wisdom, and thine isthe glory, and I am thy servant.

4:60 Blessed art thou, who hast given me wisdom: for to thee I give thanks, OLord of our fathers.

4:61 And so he took the letters, and went out, and came unto Babylon, and toldit all his brethren.

4:62 And they praised the God of their fathers, because he had given themfreedom and liberty

4:63 To go up, and to build Jerusalem, and the temple which is called by hisname: and they feasted with instruments of musick and gladness seven days.

5:1 After this were the principal men of the families chosen according to theirtribes, to go up with their wives and sons and daughters, with theirmenservants and maidservants, and their cattle.

5:2 And Darius sent with them a thousand horsemen, till they had brought themback to Jerusalem safely, and with musical [instruments] tabrets and flutes.

5:3 And all their brethren played, and he made them go up together with them.

5:4 And these are the names of the men which went up, according to theirfamilies among their tribes, after their several heads.

5:5 The priests, the sons of Phinees the son of Aaron: Jesus the son ofJosedec, the son of Saraias, and Joacim the son of Zorobabel, the son ofSalathiel, of the house of David, out of the kindred of Phares, of the tribe ofJudah;

5:6 Who spake wise sentences before Darius the king of Persia in the secondyear of his reign, in the month Nisan, which is the first month.

5:7 And these are they of Jewry that came up from the captivity, where theydwelt as strangers, whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon had carried awayunto Babylon.

5:8 And they returned unto Jerusalem, and to the other parts of Jewry, everyman to his own city, who came with Zorobabel, with Jesus, Nehemias, andZacharias, and Reesaias, Enenius, Mardocheus, Beelsarus, Aspharasus, Reelius,Roimus, and Baana, their guides.

5:9 The number of them of the nation, and their governors, sons of Phoros, twothousand an hundred seventy and two; the sons of Saphat, four hundred seventyand two:

5:10 The sons of Ares, seven hundred fifty and six:

5:11 The sons of Phaath Moab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve:

5:12 The sons of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four: the sons ofZathul, nine hundred forty and five: the sons of Corbe, seven hundred and five:the sons of Bani, six hundred forty and eight:

5:13 The sons of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three: the sons of Sadas, threethousand two hundred twenty and two:

5:14 The sons of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and seven: the sons of Bagoi, twothousand sixty and six: the sons of Adin, four hundred fifty and four:

5:15 The sons of Aterezias, ninety and two: the sons of Ceilan and Azetasthreescore and seven: the sons of Azuran, four hundred thirty and two:

5:16 The sons of Ananias, an hundred and one: the sons of Arom, thirty two: andthe sons of Bassa, three hundred twenty and three: the sons of Azephurith, anhundred and two:

5:17 The sons of Meterus, three thousand and five: the sons of Bethlomon, anhundred twenty and three:

5:18 They of Netophah, fifty and five: they of Anathoth, an hundred fifty andeight: they of Bethsamos, forty and two:

5:19 They of Kiriathiarius, twenty and five: they of Caphira and Beroth, sevenhundred forty and three: they of Pira, seven hundred:

5:20 They of Chadias and Ammidoi, four hundred twenty and two: they of Ciramaand Gabdes, six hundred twenty and one:

5:21 They of Macalon, an hundred twenty and two: they of Betolius, fifty andtwo: the sons of Nephis, an hundred fifty and six:

5:22 The sons of Calamolalus and Onus, seven hundred twenty and five: the sonsof Jerechus, two hundred forty and five:

5:23 The sons of Annas, three thousand three hundred and thirty.

5:24 The priests: the sons of Jeddu, the son of Jesus among the sons ofSanasib, nine hundred seventy and two: the sons of Meruth, a thousand fifty andtwo:

5:25 The sons of Phassaron, a thousand forty and seven: the sons of Carme, athousand and seventeen.

5:26 The Levites: the sons of Jessue, and Cadmiel, and Banuas, and Sudias,seventy and four.

5:27 The holy singers: the sons of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight.

5:28 The porters: the sons of Salum, the sons of Jatal, the sons of Talmon, thesons of Dacobi, the sons of Teta, the sons of Sami, in all an hundred thirtyand nine.

5:29 The servants of the temple: the sons of Esau, the sons of Asipha, the sonsof Tabaoth, the sons of Ceras, the sons of Sud, the sons of Phaleas, the sonsof Labana, the sons of Graba,

5:30 The sons of Acua, the sons of Uta, the sons of Cetab, the sons of Agaba,the sons of Subai, the sons of Anan, the sons of Cathua, the sons of Geddur,

5:31 The sons of Airus, the sons of Daisan, the sons of Noeba, the sons ofChaseba, the sons of Gazera, the sons of Azia, the sons of Phinees, the sons ofAzare, the sons of Bastai, the sons of Asana, the sons of Meani, the sons ofNaphisi, the sons of Acub, the sons of Acipha, the sons of Assur, the sons ofPharacim, the sons of Basaloth,

5:32 The sons of Meeda, the sons of Coutha, the sons of Charea, the sons ofCharcus, the sons of Aserer, the sons of Thomoi, the sons of Nasith, the sonsof Atipha.

5:33 The sons of the servants of Solomon: the sons of Azaphion, the sons ofPharira, the sons of Jeeli, the sons of Lozon, the sons of Israel, the sons ofSapheth,

5:34 The sons of Hagia, the sons of Pharacareth, the sons of Sabi, the sons ofSarothie, the sons of Masias, the sons of Gar, the sons of Addus, the sons ofSuba, the sons of Apherra, the sons of Barodis, the sons of Sabat, the sons ofAllom.

5:35 All the ministers of the temple, and the sons of the servants of Solomon,were three hundred seventy and two.

5:36 These came up from Thermeleth and Thelersas, Charaathalar leading them,and Aalar;

5:37 Neither could they shew their families, nor their stock, how they were ofIsrael: the sons of Ladan, the son of Ban, the sons of Necodan, six hundredfifty and two.

5:38 And of the priests that usurped the office of the priesthood, and were notfound: the sons of Obdia, the sons of Accoz, the sons of Addus, who marriedAugia one of the daughters of Barzelus, and was named after his name.

5:39 And when the description of the kindred of these men was sought in theregister, and was not found, they were removed from executing the office of thepriesthood:

5:40 For unto them said Nehemias and Atharias, that they should not bepartakers of the holy things, till there arose up an high priest clothed withdoctrine and truth.

5:41 So of Israel, from them of twelve years old and upward, they were all innumber forty thousand, beside menservants and womenservants two thousand threehundred and sixty.

5:42 Their menservants and handmaids were seven thousand three hundred fortyand seven: the singing men and singing women, two hundred forty and five:

5:43 Four hundred thirty and five camels, seven thousand thirty and six horses,two hundred forty and five mules, five thousand five hundred twenty and fivebeasts used to the yoke.

5:44 And certain of the chief of their families, when they came to the templeof God that is in Jerusalem, vowed to set up the house again in his own placeaccording to their ability,

5:45 And to give into the holy treasury of the works a thousand pounds of gold,five thousand of silver, and an hundred priestly vestments.

5:46 And so dwelt the priests and the Levites and the people in Jerusalem, andin the country, the singers also and the porters; and all Israel in theirvillages.

5:47 But when the seventh month was at hand, and when the children of Israelwere every man in his own place, they came all together with one consent intothe open place of the first gate which is toward the east.

5:48 Then stood up Jesus the son of Josedec, and his brethren the priests andZorobabel the son of Salathiel, and his brethren, and made ready the altar ofthe God of Israel,

5:49 To offer burnt sacrifices upon it, according as it is expressly commandedin the book of Moses the man of God.

5:50 And there were gathered unto them out of the other nations of the land,and they erected the altar upon his own place, because all the nations of theland were at enmity with them, and oppressed them; and they offered sacrificesaccording to the time, and burnt offerings to the Lord both morning andevening.

5:51 Also they held the feast of tabernacles, as it is commanded in the law,and offered sacrifices daily, as was meet:

5:52 And after that, the continual oblations, and the sacrifice of thesabbaths, and of the new moons, and of all holy feasts.

5:53 And all they that had made any vow to God began to offer sacrifices to Godfrom the first day of the seventh month, although the temple of the Lord wasnot yet built.

5:54 And they gave unto the masons and carpenters money, meat, and drink, withcheerfulness.

5:55 Unto them of Zidon also and Tyre they gave carrs, that they should bringcedar trees from Libanus, which should be brought by floats to the haven ofJoppa, according as it was commanded them by Cyrus king of the Persians.

5:56 And in the second year and second month after his coming to the temple ofGod at Jerusalem began Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Jesus the son ofJosedec, and their brethren, and the priests, and the Levites, and all theythat were come unto Jerusalem out of the captivity:

5:57 And they laid the foundation of the house of God in the first day of thesecond month, in the second year after they were come to Jewry and Jerusalem.

5:58 And they appointed the Levites from twenty years old over the works of theLord. Then stood up Jesus, and his sons and brethren, and Cadmiel his brother,and the sons of Madiabun, with the sons of Joda the son of Eliadun, with theirsons and brethren, all Levites, with one accord setters forward of thebusiness, labouring to advance the works in the house of God. So the workmenbuilt the temple of the Lord.

5:59 And the priests stood arrayed in their vestments with musical instrumentsand trumpets; and the Levites the sons of Asaph had cymbals,

5:60 Singing songs of thanksgiving, and praising the Lord, according as Davidthe king of Israel had ordained.

5:61 And they sung with loud voices songs to the praise of the Lord, becausehis mercy and glory is for ever in all Israel.

5:62 And all the people sounded trumpets, and shouted with a loud voice,singing songs of thanksgiving unto the Lord for the rearing up of the house ofthe Lord.

5:63 Also of the priests and Levites, and of the chief of their families, theancients who had seen the former house came to the building of this withweeping and great crying.

5:64 But many with trumpets and joy shouted with loud voice,

5:65 Insomuch that the trumpets might not be heard for the weeping of thepeople: yet the multitude sounded marvellously, so that it was heard afar off.

5:66 Wherefore when the enemies of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin heard it,they came to know what that noise of trumpets should mean.

5:67 And they perceived that they that were of the captivity did build thetemple unto the Lord God of Israel.

5:68 So they went to Zorobabel and Jesus, and to the chief of the families, andsaid unto them, We will build together with you.

5:69 For we likewise, as ye, do obey your Lord, and do sacrifice unto him fromthe days of Azbazareth the king of the Assyrians, who brought us hither.

5:70 Then Zorobabel and Jesus and the chief of the families of Israel said untothem, It is not for us and you to build together an house unto the Lord ourGod.

5:71 We ourselves alone will build unto the Lord of Israel, according as Cyrusthe king of the Persians hath commanded us.

5:72 But the heathen of the land lying heavy upon the inhabitants of Judea, andholding them strait, hindered their building;

5:73 And by their secret plots, and popular persuasions and commotions, theyhindered the finishing of the building all the time that king Cyrus lived: sothey were hindered from building for the space of two years, until the reign ofDarius.

6:1 Now in the second year of the reign of Darius Aggeus and Zacharias the sonof Addo, the prophets, prophesied unto the Jews in Jewry and Jerusalem in thename of the Lord God of Israel, which was upon them.

6:2 Then stood up Zorobabel the son of Salatiel, and Jesus the son of Josedec,and began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, the prophets of the Lordbeing with them, and helping them.

6:3 At the same time came unto them Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phenice,with Sathrabuzanes and his companions, and said unto them,

6:4 By whose appointment do ye build this house and this roof, and perform allthe other things? and who are the workmen that perform these things?

6:5 Nevertheless the elders of the Jews obtained favour, because the Lord hadvisited the captivity;

6:6 And they were not hindered from building, until such time as significationwas given unto Darius concerning them, and an answer received.

6:7 The copy of the letters which Sisinnes, governor of Syria and Phenice, andSathrabuzanes, with their companions, rulers in Syria and Phenice, wrote andsent unto Darius; To king Darius, greeting:

6:8 Let all things be known unto our lord the king, that being come into thecountry of Judea, and entered into the city of Jerusalem we found in the cityof Jerusalem the ancients of the Jews that were of the captivity

6:9 Building an house unto the Lord, great and new, of hewn and costly stones,and the timber already laid upon the walls.

6:10 And those works are done with great speed, and the work goeth onprosperously in their hands, and with all glory and diligence is it made.

6:11 Then asked we these elders, saying, By whose commandment build ye thishouse, and lay the foundations of these works?

6:12 Therefore to the intent that we might give knowledge unto thee by writing,we demanded of them who were the chief doers, and we required of them the namesin writing of their principal men.

6:13 So they gave us this answer, We are the servants of the Lord which madeheaven and earth.

6:14 And as for this house, it was builded many years ago by a king of Israelgreat and strong, and was finished.

6:15 But when our fathers provoked God unto wrath, and sinned against the Lordof Israel which is in heaven, he gave them over into the power ofNabuchodonosor king of Babylon, of the Chaldees;

6:16 Who pulled down the house, and burned it, and carried away the peoplecaptives unto Babylon.

6:17 But in the first year that king Cyrus reigned over the country of BabylonCyrus the king wrote to build up this house.

6:18 And the holy vessels of gold and of silver, that Nabuchodonosor hadcarried away out of the house at Jerusalem, and had set them in his own templethose Cyrus the king brought forth again out of the temple at Babylon, and theywere delivered to Zorobabel and to Sanabassarus the ruler,

6:19 With commandment that he should carry away the same vessels, and put themin the temple at Jerusalem; and that the temple of the Lord should be built inhis place.

6:20 Then the same Sanabassarus, being come hither, laid the foundations of thehouse of the Lord at Jerusalem; and from that time to this being still abuilding, it is not yet fully ended.

6:21 Now therefore, if it seem good unto the king, let search be made among therecords of king Cyrus:

6:22 And if it be found that the building of the house of the Lord at Jerusalemhath been done with the consent of king Cyrus, and if our lord the king be sominded, let him signify unto us thereof.

6:23 Then commanded king Darius to seek among the records at Babylon: and so atEcbatane the palace, which is in the country of Media, there was found a rollwherein these things were recorded.

6:24 In the first year of the reign of Cyrus king Cyrus commanded that thehouse of the Lord at Jerusalem should be built again, where they do sacrificewith continual fire:

6:25 Whose height shall be sixty cubits and the breadth sixty cubits, withthree rows of hewn stones, and one row of new wood of that country; and theexpences thereof to be given out of the house of king Cyrus:

6:26 And that the holy vessels of the house of the Lord, both of gold andsilver, that Nabuchodonosor took out of the house at Jerusalem, and brought toBabylon, should be restored to the house at Jerusalem, and be set in the placewhere they were before.

6:27 And also he commanded that Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phenice, andSathrabuzanes, and their companions, and those which were appointed rulers inSyria and Phenice, should be careful not to meddle with the place, but sufferZorobabel, the servant of the Lord, and governor of Judea, and the elders ofthe Jews, to build the house of the Lord in that place.

6:28 I have commanded also to have it built up whole again; and that they lookdiligently to help those that be of the captivity of the Jews, till the houseof the Lord be finished:

6:29 And out of the tribute of Celosyria and Phenice a portion carefully to begiven these men for the sacrifices of the Lord, that is, to Zorobabel thegovernor, for bullocks, and rams, and lambs;

6:30 And also corn, salt, wine, and oil, and that continually every yearwithout further question, according as the priests that be in Jerusalem shallsignify to be daily spent:

6:31 That offerings may be made to the most high God for the king and for hischildren, and that they may pray for their lives.

6:32 And he commanded that whosoever should transgress, yea, or make light ofany thing afore spoken or written, out of his own house should a tree be taken,and he thereon be hanged, and all his goods seized for the king.

6:33 The Lord therefore, whose name is there called upon, utterly destroy everyking and nation, that stretcheth out his hand to hinder or endamage that houseof the Lord in Jerusalem.

6:34 I Darius the king have ordained that according unto these things it bedone with diligence.

7:1 Then Sisinnes the governor of Celosyria and Phenice, and Sathrabuzanes,with their companions following the commandments of king Darius,

7:2 Did very carefully oversee the holy works, assisting the ancients of theJews and governors of the temple.

7:3 And so the holy works prospered, when Aggeus and Zacharias the prophetsprophesied.

7:4 And they finished these things by the commandment of the Lord God ofIsrael, and with the consent of Cyrus, Darius, and Artexerxes, kings of Persia.

7:5 And thus was the holy house finished in the three and twentieth day of themonth Adar, in the sixth year of Darius king of the Persians

7:6 And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and others thatwere of the captivity, that were added unto them, did according to the thingswritten in the book of Moses.

7:7 And to the dedication of the temple of the Lord they offered an hundredbullocks two hundred rams, four hundred lambs;

7:8 And twelve goats for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of thechief of the tribes of Israel.

7:9 The priests also and the Levites stood arrayed in their vestments,according to their kindreds, in the service of the Lord God of Israel,according to the book of Moses: and the porters at every gate.

7:10 And the children of Israel that were of the captivity held the passoverthe fourteenth day of the first month, after that the priests and the Leviteswere sanctified.

7:11 They that were of the captivity were not all sanctified together: but theLevites were all sanctified together.

7:12 And so they offered the passover for all them of the captivity, and fortheir brethren the priests, and for themselves.

7:13 And the children of Israel that came out of the captivity did eat, evenall they that had separated themselves from the abominations of the people ofthe land, and sought the Lord.

7:14 And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days, making merrybefore the Lord,

7:15 For that he had turned the counsel of the king of Assyria toward them, tostrengthen their hands in the works of the Lord God of Israel.

8:1 And after these things, when Artexerxes the king of the Persians reignedcame Esdras the son of Saraias, the son of Ezerias, the son of Helchiah, theson of Salum,

8:2 The son of Sadduc, the son of Achitob, the son of Amarias, the son ofEzias, the son of Meremoth, the son of Zaraias, the son of Savias, the son ofBoccas, the son of Abisum, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son ofAaron the chief priest.

8:3 This Esdras went up from Babylon, as a scribe, being very ready in the lawof Moses, that was given by the God of Israel.

8:4 And the king did him honour: for he found grace in his sight in all hisrequests.

8:5 There went up with him also certain of the children of Israel, of thepriest of the Levites, of the holy singers, porters, and ministers of thetemple, unto Jerusalem,

8:6 In the seventh year of the reign of Artexerxes, in the fifth month, thiswas the king’s seventh year; for they went from Babylon in the first dayof the first month, and came to Jerusalem, according to the prosperous journeywhich the Lord gave them.

8:7 For Esdras had very great skill, so that he omitted nothing of the law andcommandments of the Lord, but taught all Israel the ordinances and judgments.

8:8 Now the copy of the commission, which was written from Artexerxes the king,and came to Esdras the priest and reader of the law of the Lord, is this thatfolloweth;

8:9 King Artexerxes unto Esdras the priest and reader of the law of the Lordsendeth greeting:

8:10 Having determined to deal graciously, I have given order, that such of thenation of the Jews, and of the priests and Levites being within our realm, asare willing and desirous should go with thee unto Jerusalem.

8:11 As many therefore as have a mind thereunto, let them depart with thee, asit hath seemed good both to me and my seven friends the counsellors;

8:12 That they may look unto the affairs of Judea and Jerusalem, agreeably tothat which is in the law of the Lord;

8:13 And carry the gifts unto the Lord of Israel to Jerusalem, which I and myfriends have vowed, and all the gold and silver that in the country of Babyloncan be found, to the Lord in Jerusalem,

8:14 With that also which is given of the people for the temple of the Lordtheir God at Jerusalem: and that silver and gold may be collected for bullocks,rams, and lambs, and things thereunto appertaining;

8:15 To the end that they may offer sacrifices unto the Lord upon the altar ofthe Lord their God, which is in Jerusalem.

8:16 And whatsoever thou and thy brethren will do with the silver and gold,that do, according to the will of thy God.

8:17 And the holy vessels of the Lord, which are given thee for the use of thetemple of thy God, which is in Jerusalem, thou shalt set before thy God inJerusalem.

8:18 And whatsoever thing else thou shalt remember for the use of the temple ofthy God, thou shalt give it out of the king’s treasury.

8:19 And I king Artexerxes have also commanded the keepers of the treasures inSyria and Phenice, that whatsoever Esdras the priest and the reader of the lawof the most high God shall send for, they should give it him with speed,

8:20 To the sum of an hundred talents of silver, likewise also of wheat even toan hundred cors, and an hundred pieces of wine, and other things in abundance.

8:21 Let all things be performed after the law of God diligently unto the mosthigh God, that wrath come not upon the kingdom of the king and his sons.

8:22 I command you also, that ye require no tax, nor any other imposition, ofany of the priests, or Levites, or holy singers, or porters, or ministers ofthe temple, or of any that have doings in this temple, and that no man haveauthority to impose any thing upon them.

8:23 And thou, Esdras, according to the wisdom of God ordain judges andjustices, that they may judge in all Syria and Phenice all those that know thelaw of thy God; and those that know it not thou shalt teach.

8:24 And whosoever shall transgress the law of thy God, and of the king, shallbe punished diligently, whether it be by death, or other punishment, by penaltyof money, or by imprisonment.

8:25 Then said Esdras the scribe, Blessed be the only Lord God of my fathers,who hath put these things into the heart of the king, to glorify his house thatis in Jerusalem:

8:26 And hath honoured me in the sight of the king, and his counsellors, andall his friends and nobles.

8:27 Therefore was I encouraged by the help of the Lord my God, and gatheredtogether men of Israel to go up with me.

8:28 And these are the chief according to their families and several dignities,that went up with me from Babylon in the reign of king Artexerxes:

8:29 Of the sons of Phinees, Gerson: of the sons of Ithamar, Gamael: of thesons of David, Lettus the son of Sechenias:

8:30 Of the sons of Pharez, Zacharias; and with him were counted an hundred andfifty men:

8:31 Of the sons of Pahath Moab, Eliaonias, the son of Zaraias, and with himtwo hundred men:

8:32 Of the sons of Zathoe, Sechenias the son of Jezelus, and with him threehundred men: of the sons of Adin, Obeth the son of Jonathan, and with him twohundred and fifty men:

8:33 Of the sons of Elam, Josias son of Gotholias, and with him seventy men:

8:34 Of the sons of Saphatias, Zaraias son of Michael, and with him threescoreand ten men:

8:35 Of the sons of Joab, Abadias son of Jezelus, and with him two hundred andtwelve men:

8:36 Of the sons of Banid, Assalimoth son of Josaphias, and with him an hundredand threescore men:

8:37 Of the sons of Babi, Zacharias son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eightmen:

8:38 Of the sons of Astath, Johannes son of Acatan, and with him an hundred andten men:

8:39 Of the sons of Adonikam the last, and these are the names of them,Eliphalet, Jewel, and Samaias, and with them seventy men:

8:40 Of the sons of Bago, Uthi the son of Istalcurus, and with him seventy men.

8:41 And these I gathered together to the river called Theras, where we pitchedour tents three days: and then I surveyed them.

8:42 But when I had found there none of the priests and Levites,

8:43 Then sent I unto Eleazar, and Iduel, and Masman,

8:44 And Alnathan, and Mamaias, and Joribas, and Nathan, Eunatan, Zacharias,and Mosollamon, principal men and learned.

8:45 And I bade them that they should go unto Saddeus the captain, who was inthe place of the treasury:

8:46 And commanded them that they should speak unto Daddeus, and to hisbrethren, and to the treasurers in that place, to send us such men as mightexecute the priests’ office in the house of the Lord.

8:47 And by the mighty hand of our Lord they brought unto us skilful men of thesons of Moli the son of Levi, the son of Israel, Asebebia, and his sons, andhis brethren, who were eighteen.

8:48 And Asebia, and Annus, and Osaias his brother, of the sons of Channuneus,and their sons, were twenty men.

8:49 And of the servants of the temple whom David had ordained, and theprincipal men for the service of the Levites to wit, the servants of the templetwo hundred and twenty, the catalogue of whose names were shewed.

8:50 And there I vowed a fast unto the young men before our Lord, to desire ofhim a prosperous journey both for us and them that were with us, for ourchildren, and for the cattle:

8:51 For I was ashamed to ask the king footmen, and horsemen, and conduct forsafeguard against our adversaries.

8:52 For we had said unto the king, that the power of the Lord our God shouldbe with them that seek him, to support them in all ways.

8:53 And again we besought our Lord as touching these things, and found himfavourable unto us.

8:54 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Esebrias, andAssanias, and ten men of their brethren with them:

8:55 And I weighed them the gold, and the silver, and the holy vessels of thehouse of our Lord, which the king, and his council, and the princes, and allIsrael, had given.

8:56 And when I had weighed it, I delivered unto them six hundred and fiftytalents of silver, and silver vessels of an hundred talents, and an hundredtalents of gold,

8:57 And twenty golden vessels, and twelve vessels of brass, even of finebrass, glittering like gold.

8:58 And I said unto them, Both ye are holy unto the Lord, and the vessels areholy, and the gold and the silver is a vow unto the Lord, the Lord of ourfathers.

8:59 Watch ye, and keep them till ye deliver them to the chief of the priestsand Levites, and to the principal men of the families of Israel, in Jerusalem,into the chambers of the house of our God.

8:60 So the priests and the Levites, who had received the silver and the goldand the vessels, brought them unto Jerusalem, into the temple of the Lord.

8:61 And from the river Theras we departed the twelfth day of the first month,and came to Jerusalem by the mighty hand of our Lord, which was with us: andfrom the beginning of our journey the Lord delivered us from every enemy, andso we came to Jerusalem.

8:62 And when we had been there three days, the gold and silver that wasweighed was delivered in the house of our Lord on the fourth day unto Marmoththe priest the son of Iri.

8:63 And with him was Eleazar the son of Phinees, and with them were Josabadthe son of Jesu and Moeth the son of Sabban, Levites: all was delivered them bynumber and weight.

8:64 And all the weight of them was written up the same hour.

8:65 Moreover they that were come out of the captivity offered sacrifice untothe Lord God of Israel, even twelve bullocks for all Israel, fourscore andsixteen rams,

8:66 Threescore and twelve lambs, goats for a peace offering, twelve; all ofthem a sacrifice to the Lord.

8:67 And they delivered the king’s commandments unto the king’sstewards’ and to the governors of Celosyria and Phenice; and theyhonoured the people and the temple of God.

8:68 Now when these things were done, the rulers came unto me, and said,

8:69 The nation of Israel, the princes, the priests and Levites, have not putaway from them the strange people of the land, nor the pollutions of theGentiles to wit, of the Canaanites, Hittites, Pheresites, Jebusites, and theMoabites, Egyptians, and Edomites.

8:70 For both they and their sons have married with their daughters, and theholy seed is mixed with the strange people of the land; and from the beginningof this matter the rulers and the great men have been partakers of thisiniquity.

8:71 And as soon as I had heard these things, I rent my clothes, and the holygarment, and pulled off the hair from off my head and beard, and sat me downsad and very heavy.

8:72 So all they that were then moved at the word of the Lord God of Israelassembled unto me, whilst I mourned for the iniquity: but I sat still full ofheaviness until the evening sacrifice.

8:73 Then rising up from the fast with my clothes and the holy garment rent,and bowing my knees, and stretching forth my hands unto the Lord,

8:74 I said, O Lord, I am confounded and ashamed before thy face;

8:75 For our sins are multiplied above our heads, and our ignorances havereached up unto heaven.

8:76 For ever since the time of our fathers we have been and are in great sin,even unto this day.

8:77 And for our sins and our fathers’ we with our brethren and our kingsand our priests were given up unto the kings of the earth, to the sword, and tocaptivity, and for a prey with shame, unto this day.

8:78 And now in some measure hath mercy been shewed unto us from thee, O Lord,that there should be left us a root and a name in the place of thy sanctuary;

8:79 And to discover unto us a light in the house of the Lord our God, and togive us food in the time of our servitude.

8:80 Yea, when we were in bondage, we were not forsaken of our Lord; but hemade us gracious before the kings of Persia, so that they gave us food;

8:81 Yea, and honoured the temple of our Lord, and raised up the desolate Sion,that they have given us a sure abiding in Jewry and Jerusalem.

8:82 And now, O Lord, what shall we say, having these things? for we havetransgressed thy commandments, which thou gavest by the hand of thy servantsthe prophets, saying,

8:83 That the land, which ye enter into to possess as an heritage, is a landpolluted with the pollutions of the strangers of the land, and they have filledit with their uncleanness.

8:84 Therefore now shall ye not join your daughters unto their sons, neithershall ye take their daughters unto your sons.

8:85 Moreover ye shall never seek to have peace with them, that ye may bestrong, and eat the good things of the land, and that ye may leave theinheritance of the land unto your children for evermore.

8:86 And all that is befallen is done unto us for our wicked works and greatsins; for thou, O Lord, didst make our sins light,

8:87 And didst give unto us such a root: but we have turned back again totransgress thy law, and to mingle ourselves with the uncleanness of the nationsof the land.

8:88 Mightest not thou be angry with us to destroy us, till thou hadst left usneither root, seed, nor name?

8:89 O Lord of Israel, thou art true: for we are left a root this day.

8:90 Behold, now are we before thee in our iniquities, for we cannot stand anylonger by reason of these things before thee.

8:91 And as Esdras in his prayer made his confession, weeping, and lying flatupon the ground before the temple, there gathered unto him from Jerusalem avery great multitude of men and women and children: for there was great weepingamong the multitude.

8:92 Then Jechonias the son of Jeelus, one of the sons of Israel, called out,and said, O Esdras, we have sinned against the Lord God, we have marriedstrange women of the nations of the land, and now is all Israel aloft.

8:93 Let us make an oath to the Lord, that we will put away all our wives,which we have taken of the heathen, with their children,

8:94 Like as thou hast decreed, and as many as do obey the law of the Lord.

8:95 Arise and put in execution: for to thee doth this matter appertain, and wewill be with thee: do valiantly.

8:96 So Esdras arose, and took an oath of the chief of the priests and Levitesof all Israel to do after these things; and so they sware.

9:1 Then Esdras rising from the court of the temple went to the chamber ofJoanan the son of Eliasib,

9:2 And remained there, and did eat no meat nor drink water, mourning for thegreat iniquities of the multitude.

9:3 And there was a proclamation in all Jewry and Jerusalem to all them thatwere of the captivity, that they should be gathered together at Jerusalem:

9:4 And that whosoever met not there within two or three days according as theelders that bare rule appointed, their cattle should be seized to the use ofthe temple, and himself cast out from them that were of the captivity.

9:5 And in three days were all they of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin gatheredtogether at Jerusalem the twentieth day of the ninth month.

9:6 And all the multitude sat trembling in the broad court of the templebecause of the present foul weather.

9:7 So Esdras arose up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed the law inmarrying strange wives, thereby to increase the sins of Israel.

9:8 And now by confessing give glory unto the Lord God of our fathers,

9:9 And do his will, and separate yourselves from the heathen of the land, andfrom the strange women.

9:10 Then cried the whole multitude, and said with a loud voice, Like as thouhast spoken, so will we do.

9:11 But forasmuch as the people are many, and it is foul weather, so that wecannot stand without, and this is not a work of a day or two, seeing our sin inthese things is spread far:

9:12 Therefore let the rulers of the multitude stay, and let all them of ourhabitations that have strange wives come at the time appointed,

9:13 And with them the rulers and judges of every place, till we turn away thewrath of the Lord from us for this matter.

9:14 Then Jonathan the son of Azael and Ezechias the son of Theocanusaccordingly took this matter upon them: and Mosollam and Levis and Sabbatheushelped them.

9:15 And they that were of the captivity did according to all these things.

9:16 And Esdras the priest chose unto him the principal men of their families,all by name: and in the first day of the tenth month they sat together toexamine the matter.

9:17 So their cause that held strange wives was brought to an end in the firstday of the first month.

9:18 And of the priests that were come together, and had strange wives, therewere found:

9:19 Of the sons of Jesus the son of Josedec, and his brethren; Matthelas andEleazar, and Joribus and Joadanus.

9:20 And they gave their hands to put away their wives and to offer rams tomake reconcilement for their errors.

9:21 And of the sons of Emmer; Ananias, and Zabdeus, and Eanes, and Sameius,and Hiereel, and Azarias.

9:22 And of the sons of Phaisur; Elionas, Massias Israel, and Nathanael, andOcidelus and Talsas.

9:23 And of the Levites; Jozabad, and Semis, and Colius, who was calledCalitas, and Patheus, and Judas, and Jonas.

9:24 Of the holy singers; Eleazurus, Bacchurus.

9:25 Of the porters; Sallumus, and Tolbanes.

9:26 Of them of Israel, of the sons of Phoros; Hiermas, and Eddias, andMelchias, and Maelus, and Eleazar, and Asibias, and Baanias.

9:27 Of the sons of Ela; Matthanias, Zacharias, and Hierielus, and Hieremoth,and Aedias.

9:28 And of the sons of Zamoth; Eliadas, Elisimus, Othonias, Jarimoth, andSabatus, and Sardeus.

9:29 Of the sons of Babai; Johannes, and Ananias and Josabad, and Amatheis.

9:30 Of the sons of Mani; Olamus, Mamuchus, Jedeus, Jasubus, Jasael, andHieremoth.

9:31 And of the sons of Addi; Naathus, and Moosias, Lacunus, and Naidus, andMathanias, and Sesthel, Balnuus, and Manasseas.

9:32 And of the sons of Annas; Elionas and Aseas, and Melchias, and Sabbeus,and Simon Chosameus.

9:33 And of the sons of Asom; Altaneus, and Matthias, and Baanaia, Eliphalet,and Manasses, and Semei.

9:34 And of the sons of Maani; Jeremias, Momdis, Omaerus, Juel, Mabdai, andPelias, and Anos, Carabasion, and Enasibus, and Mamnitanaimus, Eliasis, Bannus,Eliali, Samis, Selemias, Nathanias: and of the sons of Ozora; Sesis, Esril,Azaelus, Samatus, Zambis, Josephus.

9:35 And of the sons of Ethma; Mazitias, Zabadaias, Edes, Juel, Banaias.

9:36 All these had taken strange wives, and they put them away with theirchildren.

9:37 And the priests and Levites, and they that were of Israel, dwelt inJerusalem, and in the country, in the first day of the seventh month: so thechildren of Israel were in their habitations.

9:38 And the whole multitude came together with one accord into the broad placeof the holy porch toward the east:

9:39 And they spake unto Esdras the priest and reader, that he would bring thelaw of Moses, that was given of the Lord God of Israel.

9:40 So Esdras the chief priest brought the law unto the whole multitude fromman to woman, and to all the priests, to hear law in the first day of theseventh month.

9:41 And he read in the broad court before the holy porch from morning untomidday, before both men and women; and the multitude gave heed unto the law.

9:42 And Esdras the priest and reader of the law stood up upon a pulpit ofwood, which was made for that purpose.

9:43 And there stood up by him Mattathias, Sammus, Ananias, Azarias, Urias,Ezecias, Balasamus, upon the right hand:

9:44 And upon his left hand stood Phaldaius, Misael, Melchias, Lothasubus, andNabarias.

9:45 Then took Esdras the book of the law before the multitude: for he sathonourably in the first place in the sight of them all.

9:46 And when he opened the law, they stood all straight up. So Esdras blessedthe Lord God most High, the God of hosts, Almighty.

9:47 And all the people answered, Amen; and lifting up their hands they fell tothe ground, and worshipped the Lord.

9:48 Also Jesus, Anus, Sarabias, Adinus, Jacubus, Sabateas, Auteas, Maianeas,and Calitas, Asrias, and Joazabdus, and Ananias, Biatas, the Levites, taughtthe law of the Lord, making them withal to understand it.

9:49 Then spake Attharates unto Esdras the chief priest and reader, and to theLevites that taught the multitude, even to all, saying,

9:50 This day is holy unto the Lord; (for they all wept when they heard thelaw:)

9:51 Go then, and eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send part to them thathave nothing;

9:52 For this day is holy unto the Lord: and be not sorrowful; for the Lordwill bring you to honour.

9:53 So the Levites published all things to the people, saying, This day isholy to the Lord; be not sorrowful.

9:54 Then went they their way, every one to eat and drink, and make merry, andto give part to them that had nothing, and to make great cheer;

9:55 Because they understood the words wherein they were instructed, and forthe which they had been assembled.

The Second Book of Esdras

1:1 The second book of the prophet Esdras, the son of Saraias, the son ofAzarias, the son of Helchias, the son of Sadamias, the sou of Sadoc, the son ofAchitob,

1:2 The son of Achias, the son of Phinees, the son of Heli, the son of Amarias,the son of Aziei, the son of Marimoth, the son of And he spake unto the ofBorith, the son of Abisei, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar,

1:3 The son of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi; which was captive in the land ofthe Medes, in the reign of Artexerxes king of the Persians.

1:4 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

1:5 Go thy way, and shew my people their sinful deeds, and their children theirwickedness which they have done against me; that they may tell theirchildren’s children:

1:6 Because the sins of their fathers are increased in them: for they haveforgotten me, and have offered unto strange gods.

1:7 Am not I even he that brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the houseof bondage? but they have provoked me unto wrath, and despised my counsels.

1:8 Pull thou off then the hair of thy head, and cast all evil upon them, forthey have not been obedient unto my law, but it is a rebellious people.

1:9 How long shall I forbear them, into whom I have done so much good?

1:10 Many kings have I destroyed for their sakes; Pharaoh with his servants andall his power have I smitten down.

1:11 All the nations have I destroyed before them, and in the east I havescattered the people of two provinces, even of Tyrus and Sidon, and have slainall their enemies.

1:12 Speak thou therefore unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord,

1:13 I led you through the sea and in the beginning gave you a large and safepassage; I gave you Moses for a leader, and Aaron for a priest.

1:14 I gave you light in a pillar of fire, and great wonders have I done amongyou; yet have ye forgotten me, saith the Lord.

1:15 Thus saith the Almighty Lord, The quails were as a token to you; I gaveyou tents for your safeguard: nevertheless ye murmured there,

1:16 And triumphed not in my name for the destruction of your enemies, but everto this day do ye yet murmur.

1:17 Where are the benefits that I have done for you? when ye were hungry andthirsty in the wilderness, did ye not cry unto me,

1:18 Saying, Why hast thou brought us into this wilderness to kill us? it hadbeen better for us to have served the Egyptians, than to die in thiswilderness.

1:19 Then had I pity upon your mournings, and gave you manna to eat; so ye dideat angels’ bread.

1:20 When ye were thirsty, did I not cleave the rock, and waters flowed out toyour fill? for the heat I covered you with the leaves of the trees.

1:21 I divided among you a fruitful land, I cast out the Canaanites, thePherezites, and the Philistines, before you: what shall I yet do more for you?saith the Lord.

1:22 Thus saith the Almighty Lord, When ye were in the wilderness, in the riverof the Amorites, being athirst, and blaspheming my name,

1:23 I gave you not fire for your blasphemies, but cast a tree in the water,and made the river sweet.

1:24 What shall I do unto thee, O Jacob? thou, Juda, wouldest not obey me: Iwill turn me to other nations, and unto those will I give my name, that theymay keep my statutes.

1:25 Seeing ye have forsaken me, I will forsake you also; when ye desire me tobe gracious unto you, I shall have no mercy upon you.

1:26 Whensoever ye shall call upon me, I will not hear you: for ye have defiledyour hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit manslaughter.

1:27 Ye have not as it were forsaken me, but your own selves, saith the Lord.

1:28 Thus saith the Almighty Lord, Have I not prayed you as a father his sons,as a mother her daughters, and a nurse her young babes,

1:29 That ye would be my people, and I should be your God; that ye would be mychildren, and I should be your father?

1:30 I gathered you together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings:but now, what shall I do unto you? I will cast you out from my face.

1:31 When ye offer unto me, I will turn my face from you: for your solemnfeastdays, your new moons, and your circumcisions, have I forsaken.

1:32 I sent unto you my servants the prophets, whom ye have taken and slain,and torn their bodies in pieces, whose blood I will require of your hands,saith the Lord.

1:33 Thus saith the Almighty Lord, Your house is desolate, I will cast you outas the wind doth stubble.

1:34 And your children shall not be fruitful; for they have despised mycommandment, and done the thing that is an evil before me.

1:35 Your houses will I give to a people that shall come; which not havingheard of me yet shall believe me; to whom I have shewed no signs, yet theyshall do that I have commanded them.

1:36 They have seen no prophets, yet they shall call their sins to remembrance,and acknowledge them.

1:37 I take to witness the grace of the people to come, whose little onesrejoice in gladness: and though they have not seen me with bodily eyes, yet inspirit they believe the thing that I say.

1:38 And now, brother, behold what glory; and see the people that come from theeast:

1:39 Unto whom I will give for leaders, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Oseas, Amos,and Micheas, Joel, Abdias, and Jonas,

1:40 Nahum, and Abacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zachary, and Malachy, which iscalled also an angel of the Lord.

2:1 Thus saith the Lord, I brought this people out of bondage, and I gave themmy commandments by menservants the prophets; whom they would not hear, butdespised my counsels.

2:2 The mother that bare them saith unto them, Go your way, ye children; for Iam a widow and forsaken.

2:3 I brought you up with gladness; but with sorrow and heaviness have I lostyou: for ye have sinned before the Lord your God, and done that thing that isevil before him.

2:4 But what shall I now do unto you? I am a widow and forsaken: go your way, Omy children, and ask mercy of the Lord.

2:5 As for me, O father, I call upon thee for a witness over the mother ofthese children, which would not keep my covenant,

2:6 That thou bring them to confusion, and their mother to a spoil, that theremay be no offspring of them.

2:7 Let them be scattered abroad among the heathen, let their names be put outof the earth: for they have despised my covenant.

2:8 Woe be unto thee, Assur, thou that hidest the unrighteous in thee! O thouwicked people, remember what I did unto Sodom and Gomorrha;

2:9 Whose land lieth in clods of pitch and heaps of ashes: even so also will Ido unto them that hear me not, saith the Almighty Lord.

2:10 Thus saith the Lord unto Esdras, Tell my people that I will give them thekingdom of Jerusalem, which I would have given unto Israel.

2:11 Their glory also will I take unto me, and give these the everlastingtabernacles, which I had prepared for them.

2:12 They shall have the tree of life for an ointment of sweet savour; theyshall neither labour, nor be weary.

2:13 Go, and ye shall receive: pray for few days unto you, that they may beshortened: the kingdom is already prepared for you: watch.

2:14 Take heaven and earth to witness; for I have broken the evil in pieces,and created the good: for I live, saith the Lord.

2:15 Mother, embrace thy children, and bring them up with gladness, make theirfeet as fast as a pillar: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord.

2:16 And those that be dead will I raise up again from their places, and bringthem out of the graves: for I have known my name in Israel.

2:17 Fear not, thou mother of the children: for I have chosen thee, saith theLord.

2:18 For thy help will I send my servants Esau and Jeremy, after whose counselI have sanctified and prepared for thee twelve trees laden with divers fruits,

2:19 And as many fountains flowing with milk and honey, and seven mightymountains, whereupon there grow roses and lilies, whereby I will fill thychildren with joy.

2:20 Do right to the widow, judge for the fatherless, give to the poor, defendthe orphan, clothe the naked,

2:21 Heal the broken and the weak, laugh not a lame man to scorn, defend themaimed, and let the blind man come into the sight of my clearness.

2:22 Keep the old and young within thy walls.

2:23 Wheresoever thou findest the dead, take them and bury them, and I willgive thee the first place in my resurrection.

2:24 Abide still, O my people, and take thy rest, for thy quietness still come.

2:25 Nourish thy children, O thou good nurse; stablish their feet.

2:26 As for the servants whom I have given thee, there shall not one of themperish; for I will require them from among thy number.

2:27 Be not weary: for when the day of trouble and heaviness cometh, othersshall weep and be sorrowful, but thou shalt be merry and have abundance.

2:28 The heathen shall envy thee, but they shall be able to do nothing againstthee, saith the Lord.

2:29 My hands shall cover thee, so that thy children shall not see hell.

2:30 Be joyful, O thou mother, with thy children; for I will deliver thee,saith the Lord.

2:31 Remember thy children that sleep, for I shall bring them out of the sidesof the earth, and shew mercy unto them: for I am merciful, saith the LordAlmighty.

2:32 Embrace thy children until I come and shew mercy unto them: for my wellsrun over, and my grace shall not fail.

2:33 I Esdras received a charge of the Lord upon the mount Oreb, that I shouldgo unto Israel; but when I came unto them, they set me at nought, and despisedthe commandment of the Lord.

2:34 And therefore I say unto you, O ye heathen, that hear and understand, lookfor your Shepherd, he shall give you everlasting rest; for he is nigh at hand,that shall come in the end of the world.

2:35 Be ready to the reward of the kingdom, for the everlasting light shallshine upon you for evermore.

2:36 Flee the shadow of this world, receive the joyfulness of your glory: Itestify my Saviour openly.

2:37 O receive the gift that is given you, and be glad, giving thanks unto himthat hath led you to the heavenly kingdom.

2:38 Arise up and stand, behold the number of those that be sealed in the feastof the Lord;

2:39 Which are departed from the shadow of the world, and have receivedglorious garments of the Lord.

2:40 Take thy number, O Sion, and shut up those of thine that are clothed inwhite, which have fulfilled the law of the Lord.

2:41 The number of thy children, whom thou longedst for, is fulfilled: beseechthe power of the Lord, that thy people, which have been called from thebeginning, may be hallowed.

2:42 I Esdras saw upon the mount Sion a great people, whom I could not number,and they all praised the Lord with songs.

2:43 And in the midst of them there was a young man of a high stature, tallerthan all the rest, and upon every one of their heads he set crowns, and wasmore exalted; which I marvelled at greatly.

2:44 So I asked the angel, and said, Sir, what are these?

2:45 He answered and said unto me, These be they that have put off the mortalclothing, and put on the immortal, and have confessed the name of God: now arethey crowned, and receive palms.

2:46 Then said I unto the angel, What young person is it that crowneth them,and giveth them palms in their hands?

2:47 So he answered and said unto me, It is the Son of God, whom they haveconfessed in the world. Then began I greatly to commend them that stood sostiffly for the name of the Lord.

2:48 Then the angel said unto me, Go thy way, and tell my people what manner ofthings, and how great wonders of the Lord thy God, thou hast seen.

3:1 In the thirtieth year after the ruin of the city I was in Babylon, and laytroubled upon my bed, and my thoughts came up over my heart:

3:2 For I saw the desolation of Sion, and the wealth of them that dwelt atBabylon.

3:3 And my spirit was sore moved, so that I began to speak words full of fearto the most High, and said,

3:4 O Lord, who bearest rule, thou spakest at the beginning, when thou didstplant the earth, and that thyself alone, and commandedst the people,

3:5 And gavest a body unto Adam without soul, which was the workmanship ofthine hands, and didst breathe into him the breath of life, and he was madeliving before thee.

3:6 And thou leadest him into paradise, which thy right hand had planted,before ever the earth came forward.

3:7 And unto him thou gavest commandment to love thy way: which hetransgressed, and immediately thou appointedst death in him and in hisgenerations, of whom came nations, tribes, people, and kindreds, out of number.

3:8 And every people walked after their own will, and did wonderful thingsbefore thee, and despised thy commandments.

3:9 And again in process of time thou broughtest the flood upon those thatdwelt in the world, and destroyedst them.

3:10 And it came to pass in every of them, that as death was to Adam, so wasthe flood to these.

3:11 Nevertheless one of them thou leftest, namely, Noah with his household, ofwhom came all righteous men.

3:12 And it happened, that when they that dwelt upon the earth began tomultiply, and had gotten them many children, and were a great people, theybegan again to be more ungodly than the first.

3:13 Now when they lived so wickedly before thee, thou didst choose thee a manfrom among them, whose name was Abraham.

3:14 Him thou lovedst, and unto him only thou shewedst thy will:

3:15 And madest an everlasting covenant with him, promising him that thouwouldest never forsake his seed.

3:16 And unto him thou gavest Isaac, and unto Isaac also thou gavest Jacob andEsau. As for Jacob, thou didst choose him to thee, and put by Esau: and soJacob became a great multitude.

3:17 And it came to pass, that when thou leadest his seed out of Egypt, thoubroughtest them up to the mount Sinai.

3:18 And bowing the heavens, thou didst set fast the earth, movedst the wholeworld, and madest the depths to tremble, and troubledst the men of that age.

3:19 And thy glory went through four gates, of fire, and of earthquake, and ofwind, and of cold; that thou mightest give the law unto the seed of Jacob, anddiligence unto the generation of Israel.

3:20 And yet tookest thou not away from them a wicked heart, that thy law mightbring forth fruit in them.

3:21 For the first Adam bearing a wicked heart transgressed, and was overcome;and so be all they that are born of him.

3:22 Thus infirmity was made permanent; and the law (also) in the heart of thepeople with the malignity of the root; so that the good departed away, and theevil abode still.

3:23 So the times passed away, and the years were brought to an end: then didstthou raise thee up a servant, called David:

3:24 Whom thou commandedst to build a city unto thy name, and to offer incenseand oblations unto thee therein.

3:25 When this was done many years, then they that inhabited the city forsookthee,

3:26 And in all things did even as Adam and all his generations had done: forthey also had a wicked heart:

3:27 And so thou gavest thy city over into the hands of thine enemies.

3:28 Are their deeds then any better that inhabit Babylon, that they shouldtherefore have the dominion over Sion?

3:29 For when I came thither, and had seen impieties without number, then mysoul saw many evildoers in this thirtieth year, so that my heart failed me.

3:30 For I have seen how thou sufferest them sinning, and hast spared wickeddoers: and hast destroyed thy people, and hast preserved thine enemies, andhast not signified it.

3:31 I do not remember how this way may be left: Are they then of Babylonbetter than they of Sion?

3:32 Or is there any other people that knoweth thee beside Israel? or whatgeneration hath so believed thy covenants as Jacob?

3:33 And yet their reward appeareth not, and their labour hath no fruit: for Ihave gone here and there through the heathen, and I see that they flow inwealth, and think not upon thy commandments.

3:34 Weigh thou therefore our wickedness now in the balance, and theirs alsothat dwell the world; and so shall thy name no where be found but in Israel.

3:35 Or when was it that they which dwell upon the earth have not sinned in thysight? or what people have so kept thy commandments?

3:36 Thou shalt find that Israel by name hath kept thy precepts; but not theheathen.

4:1 And the angel that was sent unto me, whose name was Uriel, gave me ananswer,

4:2 And said, Thy heart hath gone to far in this world, and thinkest thou tocomprehend the way of the most High?

4:3 Then said I, Yea, my lord. And he answered me, and said, I am sent to shewthee three ways, and to set forth three similitudes before thee:

4:4 Whereof if thou canst declare me one, I will shew thee also the way thatthou desirest to see, and I shall shew thee from whence the wicked heartcometh.

4:5 And I said, Tell on, my lord. Then said he unto me, Go thy way, weigh methe weight of the fire, or measure me the blast of the wind, or call me againthe day that is past.

4:6 Then answered I and said, What man is able to do that, that thou shouldestask such things of me?

4:7 And he said unto me, If I should ask thee how great dwellings are in themidst of the sea, or how many springs are in the beginning of the deep, or howmany springs are above the firmament, or which are the outgoings of paradise:

4:8 Peradventure thou wouldest say unto me, I never went down into the deep,nor as yet into hell, neither did I ever climb up into heaven.

4:9 Nevertheless now have I asked thee but only of the fire and wind, and ofthe day wherethrough thou hast passed, and of things from which thou canst notbe separated, and yet canst thou give me no answer of them.

4:10 He said moreover unto me, Thine own things, and such as are grown up withthee, canst thou not know;

4:11 How should thy vessel then be able to comprehend the way of the Highest,and, the world being now outwardly corrupted to understand the corruption thatis evident in my sight?

4:12 Then said I unto him, It were better that we were not at all, than that weshould live still in wickedness, and to suffer, and not to know wherefore.

4:13 He answered me, and said, I went into a forest into a plain, and the treestook counsel,

4:14 And said, Come, let us go and make war against the sea that it may departaway before us, and that we may make us more woods.

4:15 The floods of the sea also in like manner took counsel, and said, Come,let us go up and subdue the woods of the plain, that there also we may make usanother country.

4:16 The thought of the wood was in vain, for the fire came and consumed it.

4:17 The thought of the floods of the sea came likewise to nought, for the sandstood up and stopped them.

4:18 If thou wert judge now betwixt these two, whom wouldest thou begin tojustify? or whom wouldest thou condemn?

4:19 I answered and said, Verily it is a foolish thought that they both havedevised, for the ground is given unto the wood, and the sea also hath his placeto bear his floods.

4:20 Then answered he me, and said, Thou hast given a right judgment, but whyjudgest thou not thyself also?

4:21 For like as the ground is given unto the wood, and the sea to his floods:even so they that dwell upon the earth may understand nothing but that which isupon the earth: and he that dwelleth above the heavens may only understand thethings that are above the height of the heavens.

4:22 Then answered I and said, I beseech thee, O Lord, let me haveunderstanding:

4:23 For it was not my mind to be curious of the high things, but of such aspass by us daily, namely, wherefore Israel is given up as a reproach to theheathen, and for what cause the people whom thou hast loved is given over untoungodly nations, and why the law of our forefathers is brought to nought, andthe written covenants come to none effect,

4:24 And we pass away out of the world as grasshoppers, and our life isastonishment and fear, and we are not worthy to obtain mercy.

4:25 What will he then do unto his name whereby we are called? of these thingshave I asked.

4:26 Then answered he me, and said, The more thou searchest, the more thoushalt marvel; for the world hasteth fast to pass away,

4:27 And cannot comprehend the things that are promised to the righteous intime to come: for this world is full of unrighteousness and infirmities.

4:28 But as concerning the things whereof thou askest me, I will tell thee; forthe evil is sown, but the destruction thereof is not yet come.

4:29 If therefore that which is sown be not turned upside down, and if theplace where the evil is sown pass not away, then cannot it come that is sownwith good.

4:30 For the grain of evil seed hath been sown in the heart of Adam from thebeginning, and how much ungodliness hath it brought up unto this time? and howmuch shall it yet bring forth until the time of threshing come?

4:31 Ponder now by thyself, how great fruit of wickedness the grain of evilseed hath brought forth.

4:32 And when the ears shall be cut down, which are without number, how great afloor shall they fill?

4:33 Then I answered and said, How, and when shall these things come to pass?wherefore are our years few and evil?

4:34 And he answered me, saying, Do not thou hasten above the most Highest: forthy haste is in vain to be above him, for thou hast much exceeded.

4:35 Did not the souls also of the righteous ask question of these things intheir chambers, saying, How long shall I hope on this fashion? when cometh thefruit of the floor of our reward?

4:36 And unto these things Uriel the archangel gave them answer, and said, Evenwhen the number of seeds is filled in you: for he hath weighed the world in thebalance.

4:37 By measure hath he measured the times; and by number hath he numbered thetimes; and he doth not move nor stir them, until the said measure be fulfilled.

4:38 Then answered I and said, O Lord that bearest rule, even we all are fullof impiety.

4:39 And for our sakes peradventure it is that the floors of the righteous arenot filled, because of the sins of them that dwell upon the earth.

4:40 So he answered me, and said, Go thy way to a woman with child, and ask ofher when she hath fulfilled her nine months, if her womb may keep the birth anylonger within her.

4:41 Then said I, No, Lord, that can she not. And he said unto me, In the gravethe chambers of souls are like the womb of a woman:

4:42 For like as a woman that travaileth maketh haste to escape the necessityof the travail: even so do these places haste to deliver those things that arecommitted unto them.

4:43 From the beginning, look, what thou desirest to see, it shall be shewedthee.

4:44 Then answered I and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, and if itbe possible, and if I be meet therefore,

4:45 Shew me then whether there be more to come than is past, or more past thanis to come.

4:46 What is past I know, but what is for to come I know not.

4:47 And he said unto me, Stand up upon the right side, and I shall expound thesimilitude unto thee.

4:48 So I stood, and saw, and, behold, an hot burning oven passed by before me:and it happened that when the flame was gone by I looked, and, behold, thesmoke remained still.

4:49 After this there passed by before me a watery cloud, and sent down muchrain with a storm; and when the stormy rain was past, the drops remained still.

4:50 Then said he unto me, Consider with thyself; as the rain is more than thedrops, and as the fire is greater than the smoke; but the drops and the smokeremain behind: so the quantity which is past did more exceed.

4:51 Then I prayed, and said, May I live, thinkest thou, until that time? orwhat shall happen in those days?

4:52 He answered me, and said, As for the tokens whereof thou askest me, I maytell thee of them in part: but as touching thy life, I am not sent to shewthee; for I do not know it.

5:1 Nevertheless as coming the tokens, behold, the days shall come, that theywhich dwell upon earth shall be taken in a great number, and the way of truthshall be hidden, and the land shall be barren of faith.

5:2 But iniquity shall be increased above that which now thou seest, or thatthou hast heard long ago.

5:3 And the land, that thou seest now to have root, shalt thou see wastedsuddenly.

5:4 But if the most High grant thee to live, thou shalt see after the thirdtrumpet that the sun shall suddenly shine again in the night, and the moonthrice in the day:

5:5 And blood shall drop out of wood, and the stone shall give his voice, andthe people shall be troubled:

5:6 And even he shall rule, whom they look not for that dwell upon the earth,and the fowls shall take their flight away together:

5:7 And the Sodomitish sea shall cast out fish, and make a noise in the night,which many have not known: but they shall all hear the voice thereof.

5:8 There shall be a confusion also in many places, and the fire shall be oftsent out again, and the wild beasts shall change their places, and menstruouswomen shall bring forth monsters:

5:9 And salt waters shall be found in the sweet, and all friends shall destroyone another; then shall wit hide itself, and understanding withdraw itself intohis secret chamber,

5:10 And shall be sought of many, and yet not be found: then shallunrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied upon earth.

5:11 One land also shall ask another, and say, Is righteousness that maketh aman righteous gone through thee? And it shall say, No.

5:12 At the same time shall men hope, but nothing obtain: they shall labour,but their ways shall not prosper.

5:13 To shew thee such tokens I have leave; and if thou wilt pray again, andweep as now, and fast even days, thou shalt hear yet greater things.

5:14 Then I awaked, and an extreme fearfulness went through all my body, and mymind was troubled, so that it fainted.

5:15 So the angel that was come to talk with me held me, comforted me, and setme up upon my feet.

5:16 And in the second night it came to pass, that Salathiel the captain of thepeople came unto me, saying, Where hast thou been? and why is thy countenanceso heavy?

5:17 Knowest thou not that Israel is committed unto thee in the land of theircaptivity?

5:18 Up then, and eat bread, and forsake us not, as the shepherd that leavethhis flock in the hands of cruel wolves.

5:19 Then said I unto him, Go thy ways from me, and come not nigh me. And heheard what I said, and went from me.

5:20 And so I fasted seven days, mourning and weeping, like as Uriel the angelcommanded me.

5:21 And after seven days so it was, that the thoughts of my heart were verygrievous unto me again,

5:22 And my soul recovered the spirit of understanding, and I began to talkwith the most High again,

5:23 And said, O Lord that bearest rule, of every wood of the earth, and of allthe trees thereof, thou hast chosen thee one only vine:

5:24 And of all lands of the whole world thou hast chosen thee one pit: and ofall the flowers thereof one lily:

5:25 And of all the depths of the sea thou hast filled thee one river: and ofall builded cities thou hast hallowed Sion unto thyself:

5:26 And of all the fowls that are created thou hast named thee one dove: andof all the cattle that are made thou hast provided thee one sheep:

5:27 And among all the multitudes of people thou hast gotten thee one people:and unto this people, whom thou lovedst, thou gavest a law that is approved ofall.

5:28 And now, O Lord, why hast thou given this one people over unto many? andupon the one root hast thou prepared others, and why hast thou scattered thyonly one people among many?

5:29 And they which did gainsay thy promises, and believed not thy covenants,have trodden them down.

5:30 If thou didst so much hate thy people, yet shouldest thou punish them withthine own hands.

5:31 Now when I had spoken these words, the angel that came to me the nightafore was sent unto me,

5:32 And said unto me, Hear me, and I will instruct thee; hearken to the thingthat I say, and I shall tell thee more.

5:33 And I said, Speak on, my Lord. Then said he unto me, Thou art soretroubled in mind for Israel’s sake: lovest thou that people better thanhe that made them?

5:34 And I said, No, Lord: but of very grief have I spoken: for my reins painme every hour, while I labour to comprehend the way of the most High, and toseek out part of his judgment.

5:35 And he said unto me, Thou canst not. And I said, Wherefore, Lord?whereunto was I born then? or why was not my mother’s womb then my grave,that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, and the wearisome toil of thestock of Israel?

5:36 And he said unto me, Number me the things that are not yet come, gather metogether the dross that are scattered abroad, make me the flowers green againthat are withered,

5:37 Open me the places that are closed, and bring me forth the winds that inthem are shut up, shew me the image of a voice: and then I will declare to theethe thing that thou labourest to know.

5:38 And I said, O Lord that bearest rule, who may know these things, but hethat hath not his dwelling with men?

5:39 As for me, I am unwise: how may I then speak of these things whereof thouaskest me?

5:40 Then said he unto me, Like as thou canst do none of these things that Ihave spoken of, even so canst thou not find out my judgment, or in the end thelove that I have promised unto my people.

5:41 And I said, Behold, O Lord, yet art thou nigh unto them that be reservedtill the end: and what shall they do that have been before me, or we that benow, or they that shall come after us?

5:42 And he said unto me, I will liken my judgment unto a ring: like as thereis no slackness of the last, even so there is no swiftness of the first.

5:43 So I answered and said, Couldest thou not make those that have been made,and be now, and that are for to come, at once; that thou mightest shew thyjudgment the sooner?

5:44 Then answered he me, and said, The creature may not haste above the maker;neither may the world hold them at once that shall be created therein.

5:45 And I said, As thou hast said unto thy servant, that thou, which givestlife to all, hast given life at once to the creature that thou hast created,and the creature bare it: even so it might now also bear them that now bepresent at once.

5:46 And he said unto me, Ask the womb of a woman, and say unto her, If thoubringest forth children, why dost thou it not together, but one after another?pray her therefore to bring forth ten children at once.

5:47 And I said, She cannot: but must do it by distance of time.

5:48 Then said he unto me, Even so have I given the womb of the earth to thosethat be sown in it in their times.

5:49 For like as a young child may not bring forth the things that belong tothe aged, even so have I disposed the world which I created.

5:50 And I asked, and said, Seeing thou hast now given me the way, I willproceed to speak before thee: for our mother, of whom thou hast told me thatshe is young, draweth now nigh unto age.

5:51 He answered me, and said, Ask a woman that beareth children, and she shalltell thee.

5:52 Say unto her, Wherefore are unto they whom thou hast now brought forthlike those that were before, but less of stature?

5:53 And she shall answer thee, They that be born in the strength of youth areof one fashion, and they that are born in the time of age, when the wombfaileth, are otherwise.

5:54 Consider thou therefore also, how that ye are less of stature than thosethat were before you.

5:55 And so are they that come after you less than ye, as the creatures whichnow begin to be old, and have passed over the strength of youth.

5:56 Then said I, Lord, I beseech thee, if I have found favour in thy sight,shew thy servant by whom thou visitest thy creature.

6:1 And he said unto me, In the beginning, when the earth was made, before theborders of the world stood, or ever the winds blew,

6:2 Before it thundered and lightened, or ever the foundations of paradise werelaid,

6:3 Before the fair flowers were seen, or ever the moveable powers wereestablished, before the innumerable multitude of angels were gathered together,

6:4 Or ever the heights of the air were lifted up, before the measures of thefirmament were named, or ever the chimneys in Sion were hot,

6:5 And ere the present years were sought out, and or ever the inventions ofthem that now sin were turned, before they were sealed that have gathered faithfor a treasure:

6:6 Then did I consider these things, and they all were made through me alone,and through none other: by me also they shall be ended, and by none other.

6:7 Then answered I and said, What shall be the parting asunder of the times?or when shall be the end of the first, and the beginning of it that followeth?

6:8 And he said unto me, From Abraham unto Isaac, when Jacob and Esau were bornof him, Jacob’s hand held first the heel of Esau.

6:9 For Esau is the end of the world, and Jacob is the beginning of it thatfolloweth.

6:10 The hand of man is betwixt the heel and the hand: other question, Esdras,ask thou not.

6:11 I answered then and said, O Lord that bearest rule, if I have found favourin thy sight,

6:12 I beseech thee, shew thy servant the end of thy tokens, whereof thoushewedst me part the last night.

6:13 So he answered and said unto me, Stand up upon thy feet, and hear a mightysounding voice.

6:14 And it shall be as it were a great motion; but the place where thoustandest shall not be moved.

6:15 And therefore when it speaketh be not afraid: for the word is of the end,and the foundation of the earth is understood.

6:16 And why? because the speech of these things trembleth and is moved: for itknoweth that the end of these things must be changed.

6:17 And it happened, that when I had heard it I stood up upon my feet, andhearkened, and, behold, there was a voice that spake, and the sound of it waslike the sound of many waters.

6:18 And it said, Behold, the days come, that I will begin to draw nigh, and tovisit them that dwell upon the earth,

6:19 And will begin to make inquisition of them, what they be that have hurtunjustly with their unrighteousness, and when the affliction of Sion shall befulfilled;

6:20 And when the world, that shall begin to vanish away, shall be finished,then will I shew these tokens: the books shall be opened before the firmament,and they shall see all together:

6:21 And the children of a year old shall speak with their voices, the womenwith child shall bring forth untimely children of three or four months old, andthey shall live, and be raised up.

6:22 And suddenly shall the sown places appear unsown, the full storehousesshall suddenly be found empty:

6:23 And tha trumpet shall give a sound, which when every man heareth, theyshall be suddenly afraid.

6:24 At that time shall friends fight one against another like enemies, and theearth shall stand in fear with those that dwell therein, the springs of thefountains shall stand still, and in three hours they shall not run.

6:25 Whosoever remaineth from all these that I have told thee shall escape, andsee my salvation, and the end of your world.

6:26 And the men that are received shall see it, who have not tasted death fromtheir birth: and the heart of the inhabitants shall be changed, and turned intoanother meaning.

6:27 For evil shall be put out, and deceit shall be quenched.

6:28 As for faith, it shall flourish, corruption shall be overcome, and thetruth, which hath been so long without fruit, shall be declared.

6:29 And when he talked with me, behold, I looked by little and little upon himbefore whom I stood.

6:30 And these words said he unto me; I am come to shew thee the time of thenight to come.

6:31 If thou wilt pray yet more, and fast seven days again, I shall tell theegreater things by day than I have heard.

6:32 For thy voice is heard before the most High: for the Mighty hath seen thyrighteous dealing, he hath seen also thy chastity, which thou hast had eversince thy youth.

6:33 And therefore hath he sent me to shew thee all these things, and to sayunto thee, Be of good comfort and fear not

6:34 And hasten not with the times that are past, to think vain things, thatthou mayest not hasten from the latter times.

6:35 And it came to pass after this, that I wept again, and fasted seven daysin like manner, that I might fulfil the three weeks which he told me.

6:36 And in the eighth night was my heart vexed within me again, and I began tospeak before the most High.

6:37 For my spirit was greatly set on fire, and my soul was in distress.

6:38 And I said, O Lord, thou spakest from the beginning of the creation, eventhe first day, and saidst thus; Let heaven and earth be made; and thy word wasa perfect work.

6:39 And then was the spirit, and darkness and silence were on every side; thesound of man’s voice was not yet formed.

6:40 Then commandedst thou a fair light to come forth of thy treasures, thatthy work might appear.

6:41 Upon the second day thou madest the spirit of the firmament, andcommandedst it to part asunder, and to make a division betwixt the waters, thatthe one part might go up, and the other remain beneath.

6:42 Upon the third day thou didst command that the waters should be gatheredin the seventh part of the earth: six pats hast thou dried up, and kept them,to the intent that of these some being planted of God and tilled might servethee.

6:43 For as soon as thy word went forth the work was made.

6:44 For immediately there was great and innumerable fruit, and many and diverspleasures for the taste, and flowers of unchangeable colour, and odours ofwonderful smell: and this was done the third day.

6:45 Upon the fourth day thou commandedst that the sun should shine, and themoon give her light, and the stars should be in order:

6:46 And gavest them a charge to do service unto man, that was to be made.

6:47 Upon the fifth day thou saidst unto the seventh part, where the waterswere gathered that it should bring forth living creatures, fowls and fishes:and so it came to pass.

6:48 For the dumb water and without life brought forth living things at thecommandment of God, that all people might praise thy wondrous works.

6:49 Then didst thou ordain two living creatures, the one thou calledst Enoch,and the other Leviathan;

6:50 And didst separate the one from the other: for the seventh part, namely,where the water was gathered together, might not hold them both.

6:51 Unto Enoch thou gavest one part, which was dried up the third day, that heshould dwell in the same part, wherein are a thousand hills:

6:52 But unto Leviathan thou gavest the seventh part, namely, the moist; andhast kept him to be devoured of whom thou wilt, and when.

6:53 Upon the sixth day thou gavest commandment unto the earth, that beforethee it should bring forth beasts, cattle, and creeping things:

6:54 And after these, Adam also, whom thou madest lord of all thy creatures: ofhim come we all, and the people also whom thou hast chosen.

6:55 All this have I spoken before thee, O Lord, because thou madest the worldfor our sakes

6:56 As for the other people, which also come of Adam, thou hast said that theyare nothing, but be like unto spittle: and hast likened the abundance of themunto a drop that falleth from a vessel.

6:57 And now, O Lord, behold, these heathen, which have ever been reputed asnothing, have begun to be lords over us, and to devour us.

6:58 But we thy people, whom thou hast called thy firstborn, thy only begotten,and thy fervent lover, are given into their hands.

6:59 If the world now be made for our sakes, why do we not possess aninheritance with the world? how long shall this endure?

7:1 And when I had made an end of speaking these words, there was sent unto methe angel which had been sent unto me the nights afore:

7:2 And he said unto me, Up, Esdras, and hear the words that I am come to tellthee.

7:3 And I said, Speak on, my God. Then said he unto me, The sea is set in awide place, that it might be deep and great.

7:4 But put the case the entrance were narrow, and like a river;

7:5 Who then could go into the sea to look upon it, and to rule it? if he wentnot through the narrow, how could he come into the broad?

7:6 There is also another thing; A city is builded, and set upon a broad field,and is full of all good things:

7:7 The entrance thereof is narrow, and is set in a dangerous place to fall,like as if there were a fire on the right hand, and on the left a deep water:

7:8 And one only path between them both, even between the fire and the water,so small that there could but one man go there at once.

7:9 If this city now were given unto a man for an inheritance, if he nevershall pass the danger set before it, how shall he receive this inheritance?

7:10 And I said, It is so, Lord. Then said he unto me, Even so also isIsrael’s portion.

7:11 Because for their sakes I made the world: and when Adam transgressed mystatutes, then was decreed that now is done.

7:12 Then were the entrances of this world made narrow, full of sorrow andtravail: they are but few and evil, full of perils,: and very painful.

7:13 For the entrances of the elder world were wide and sure, and broughtimmortal fruit.

7:14 If then they that live labour not to enter these strait and vain things,they can never receive those that are laid up for them.

7:15 Now therefore why disquietest thou thyself, seeing thou art but acorruptible man? and why art thou moved, whereas thou art but mortal?

7:16 Why hast thou not considered in thy mind this thing that is to come,rather than that which is present?

7:17 Then answered I and said, O Lord that bearest rule, thou hast ordained inthy law, that the righteous should inherit these things, but that the ungodlyshould perish.

7:18 Nevertheless the righteous shall suffer strait things, and hope for wide:for they that have done wickedly have suffered the strait things, and yet shallnot see the wide.

7:19 And he said unto me. There is no judge above God, and none that hathunderstanding above the Highest.

7:20 For there be many that perish in this life, because they despise the lawof God that is set before them.

7:21 For God hath given strait commandment to such as came, what they should doto live, even as they came, and what they should observe to avoid punishment.

7:22 Nevertheless they were not obedient unto him; but spake against him, andimagined vain things;

7:23 And deceived themselves by their wicked deeds; and said of the most High,that he is not; and knew not his ways:

7:24 But his law have they despised, and denied his covenants; in his statuteshave they not been faithful, and have not performed his works.

7:25 And therefore, Esdras, for the empty are empty things, and for the fullare the full things.

7:26 Behold, the time shall come, that these tokens which I have told theeshall come to pass, and the bride shall appear, and she coming forth shall beseen, that now is withdrawn from the earth.

7:27 And whosoever is delivered from the foresaid evils shall see my wonders.

7:28 For my son Jesus shall be revealed with those that be with him, and theythat remain shall rejoice within four hundred years.

7:29 After these years shall my son Christ die, and all men that have life.

7:30 And the world shall be turned into the old silence seven days, like as inthe former judgments: so that no man shall remain.

7:31 And after seven days the world, that yet awaketh not, shall be raised up,and that shall die that is corrupt

7:32 And the earth shall restore those that are asleep in her, and so shall thedust those that dwell in silence, and the secret places shall deliver thosesouls that were committed unto them.

7:33 And the most High shall appear upon the seat of judgment, and misery shallpass away, and the long suffering shall have an end:

7:34 But judgment only shall remain, truth shall stand, and faith shall waxstrong:

7:35 And the work shall follow, and the reward shall be shewed, and the gooddeeds shall be of force, and wicked deeds shall bear no rule.

7:36 Then said I, Abraham prayed first for the Sodomites, and Moses for thefathers that sinned in the wilderness:

7:37 And Jesus after him for Israel in the time of Achan:

7:38 And Samuel and David for the destruction: and Solomon for them that shouldcome to the sanctuary:

7:39 And Helias for those that received rain; and for the dead, that he mightlive:

7:40 And Ezechias for the people in the time of Sennacherib: and many for many.

7:41 Even so now, seeing corruption is grown up, and wickedness increased, andthe righteous have prayed for the ungodly: wherefore shall it not be so nowalso?

7:42 He answered me, and said, This present life is not the end where muchglory doth abide; therefore have they prayed for the weak.

7:43 But the day of doom shall be the end of this time, and the beginning ofthe immortality for to come, wherein corruption is past,

7:44 Intemperance is at an end, infidelity is cut off, righteousness is grown,and truth is sprung up.

7:45 Then shall no man be able to save him that is destroyed, nor to oppresshim that hath gotten the victory.

7:46 I answered then and said, This is my first and last saying, that it hadbeen better not to have given the earth unto Adam: or else, when it was givenhim, to have restrained him from sinning.

7:47 For what profit is it for men now in this present time to live inheaviness, and after death to look for punishment?

7:48 O thou Adam, what hast thou done? for though it was thou that sinned, thouart not fallen alone, but we all that come of thee.

7:49 For what profit is it unto us, if there be promised us an immortal time,whereas we have done the works that bring death?

7:50 And that there is promised us an everlasting hope, whereas ourselves beingmost wicked are made vain?

7:51 And that there are laid up for us dwellings of health and safety, whereaswe have lived wickedly?

7:52 And that the glory of the most High is kept to defend them which have leda wary life, whereas we have walked in the most wicked ways of all?

7:53 And that there should be shewed a paradise, whose fruit endureth for ever,wherein is security and medicine, since we shall not enter into it?

7:54 (For we have walked in unpleasant places.)

7:55 And that the faces of them which have used abstinence shall shine abovethe stars, whereas our faces shall be blacker than darkness?

7:56 For while we lived and committed iniquity, we considered not that weshould begin to suffer for it after death.

7:57 Then answered he me, and said, This is the condition of the battle, whichman that is born upon the earth shall fight;

7:58 That, if he be overcome, he shall suffer as thou hast said: but if he getthe victory, he shall receive the thing that I say.

7:59 For this is the life whereof Moses spake unto the people while he lived,saying, Choose thee life, that thou mayest live.

7:60 Nevertheless they believed not him, nor yet the prophets after him, no norme which have spoken unto them,

7:61 That there should not be such heaviness in their destruction, as shall bejoy over them that are persuaded to salvation.

7:62 I answered then, and said, I know, Lord, that the most High is calledmerciful, in that he hath mercy upon them which are not yet come into theworld,

7:63 And upon those also that turn to his law;

7:64 And that he is patient, and long suffereth those that have sinned, as hiscreatures;

7:65 And that he is bountiful, for he is ready to give where it needeth;

7:66 And that he is of great mercy, for he multiplieth more and more mercies tothem that are present, and that are past, and also to them which are to come.

7:67 For if he shall not multiply his mercies, the world would not continuewith them that inherit therein.

7:68 And he pardoneth; for if he did not so of his goodness, that they whichhave committed iniquities might be eased of them, the ten thousandth part ofmen should not remain living.

7:69 And being judge, if he should not forgive them that are cured with hisword, and put out the multitude of contentions,

7:70 There should be very few left peradventure in an innumerable multitude.

8:1 And he answered me, saying, The most High hath made this world for many,but the world to come for few.

8:2 I will tell thee a similitude, Esdras; As when thou askest the earth, itshall say unto thee, that it giveth much mould whereof earthen vessels aremade, but little dust that gold cometh of: even so is the course of thispresent world.

8:3 There be many created, but few shall be saved.

8:4 So answered I and said, Swallow then down, O my soul, understanding, anddevour wisdom.

8:5 For thou hast agreed to give ear, and art willing to prophesy: for thouhast no longer space than only to live.

8:6 O Lord, if thou suffer not thy servant, that we may pray before thee, andthou give us seed unto our heart, and culture to our understanding, that theremay come fruit of it; how shall each man live that is corrupt, who beareth theplace of a man?

8:7 For thou art alone, and we all one workmanship of thine hands, like as thouhast said.

8:8 For when the body is fashioned now in the mother’s womb, and thougivest it members, thy creature is preserved in fire and water, and nine monthsdoth thy workmanship endure thy creature which is created in her.

8:9 But that which keepeth and is kept shall both be preserved: and when thetime cometh, the womb preserved delivereth up the things that grew in it.

8:10 For thou hast commanded out of the parts of the body, that is to say, outof the breasts, milk to be given, which is the fruit of the breasts,

8:11 That the thing which is fashioned may be nourished for a time, till thoudisposest it to thy mercy.

8:12 Thou broughtest it up with thy righteousness, and nurturedst it in thylaw, and reformedst it with thy judgment.

8:13 And thou shalt mortify it as thy creature, and quicken it as thy work.

8:14 If therefore thou shalt destroy him which with so great labour wasfashioned, it is an easy thing to be ordained by thy commandment, that thething which was made might be preserved.

8:15 Now therefore, Lord, I will speak; touching man in general, thou knowestbest; but touching thy people, for whose sake I am sorry;

8:16 And for thine inheritance, for whose cause I mourn; and for Israel, forwhom I am heavy; and for Jacob, for whose sake I am troubled;

8:17 Therefore will I begin to pray before thee for myself and for them: for Isee the falls of us that dwell in the land.

8:18 But I have heard the swiftness of the judge which is to come.

8:19 Therefore hear my voice, and understand my words, and I shall speak beforethee. This is the beginning of the words of Esdras, before he was taken up: andI said,

8:20 O Lord, thou that dwellest in everlastingness which beholdest from abovethings in the heaven and in the air;

8:21 Whose throne is inestimable; whose glory may not be comprehended; beforewhom the hosts of angels stand with trembling,

8:22 Whose service is conversant in wind and fire; whose word is true, andsayings constant; whose commandment is strong, and ordinance fearful;

8:23 Whose look drieth up the depths, and indignation maketh the mountains tomelt away; which the truth witnesseth:

8:24 O hear the prayer of thy servant, and give ear to the petition of thycreature.

8:25 For while I live I will speak, and so long as I have understanding I willanswer.

8:26 O look not upon the sins of thy people; but on them which serve thee intruth.

8:27 Regard not the wicked inventions of the heathen, but the desire of thosethat keep thy testimonies in afflictions.

8:28 Think not upon those that have walked feignedly before thee: but rememberthem, which according to thy will have known thy fear.

8:29 Let it not be thy will to destroy them which have lived like beasts; butto look upon them that have clearly taught thy law.

8:30 Take thou no indignation at them which are deemed worse than beasts; butlove them that always put their trust in thy righteousness and glory.

8:31 For we and our fathers do languish of such diseases: but because of ussinners thou shalt be called merciful.

8:32 For if thou hast a desire to have mercy upon us, thou shalt be calledmerciful, to us namely, that have no works of righteousness.

8:33 For the just, which have many good works laid up with thee, shall out oftheir own deeds receive reward.

8:34 For what is man, that thou shouldest take displeasure at him? or what is acorruptible generation, that thou shouldest be so bitter toward it?

8:35 For in truth them is no man among them that be born, but he hath dealtwickedly; and among the faithful there is none which hath not done amiss.

8:36 For in this, O Lord, thy righteousness and thy goodness shall be declared,if thou be merciful unto them which have not the confidence of good works.

8:37 Then answered he me, and said, Some things hast thou spoken aright, andaccording unto thy words it shall be.

8:38 For indeed I will not think on the disposition of them which have sinnedbefore death, before judgment, before destruction:

8:39 But I will rejoice over the disposition of the righteous, and I willremember also their pilgrimage, and the salvation, and the reward, that theyshall have.

8:40 Like as I have spoken now, so shall it come to pass.

8:41 For as the husbandman soweth much seed upon the ground, and planteth manytrees, and yet the thing that is sown good in his season cometh not up, neitherdoth all that is planted take root: even so is it of them that are sown in theworld; they shall not all be saved.

8:42 I answered then and said, If I have found grace, let me speak.

8:43 Like as the husbandman’s seed perisheth, if it come not up, andreceive not thy rain in due season; or if there come too much rain, and corruptit:

8:44 Even so perisheth man also, which is formed with thy hands, and is calledthine own image, because thou art like unto him, for whose sake thou hast madeall things, and likened him unto the husbandman’s seed.

8:45 Be not wroth with us but spare thy people, and have mercy upon thine owninheritance: for thou art merciful unto thy creature.

8:46 Then answered he me, and said, Things present are for the present, andthings to cometh for such as be to come.

8:47 For thou comest far short that thou shouldest be able to love my creaturemore than I: but I have ofttimes drawn nigh unto thee, and unto it, but neverto the unrighteous.

8:48 In this also thou art marvellous before the most High:

8:49 In that thou hast humbled thyself, as it becometh thee, and hast notjudged thyself worthy to be much glorified among the righteous.

8:50 For many great miseries shall be done to them that in the latter timeshall dwell in the world, because they have walked in great pride.

8:51 But understand thou for thyself, and seek out the glory for such as belike thee.

8:52 For unto you is paradise opened, the tree of life is planted, the time tocome is prepared, plenteousness is made ready, a city is builded, and rest isallowed, yea, perfect goodness and wisdom.

8:53 The root of evil is sealed up from you, weakness and the moth is hid fromyou, and corruption is fled into hell to be forgotten:

8:54 Sorrows are passed, and in the end is shewed the treasure of immortality.

8:55 And therefore ask thou no more questions concerning the multitude of themthat perish.

8:56 For when they had taken liberty, they despised the most High, thoughtscorn of his law, and forsook his ways.

8:57 Moreover they have trodden down his righteous,

8:58 And said in their heart, that there is no God; yea, and that knowing theymust die.

8:59 For as the things aforesaid shalt receive you, so thirst and pain areprepared for them: for it was not his will that men should come to nought:

8:60 But they which be created have defiled the name of him that made them, andwere unthankful unto him which prepared life for them.

8:61 And therefore is my judgment now at hand.

8:62 These things have I not shewed unto all men, but unto thee, and a few likethee. Then answered I and said,

8:63 Behold, O Lord, now hast thou shewed me the multitude of the wonders,which thou wilt begin to do in the last times: but at what time, thou hast notshewed me.

9:1 He answered me then, and said, Measure thou the time diligently in itself:and when thou seest part of the signs past, which I have told thee before,

9:2 Then shalt thou understand, that it is the very same time, wherein theHighest will begin to visit the world which he made.

9:3 Therefore when there shall be seen earthquakes and uproars of the people inthe world:

9:4 Then shalt thou well understand, that the most High spake of those thingsfrom the days that were before thee, even from the beginning.

9:5 For like as all that is made in the world hath a beginning and an end, andthe end is manifest:

9:6 Even so the times also of the Highest have plain beginnings in wonder andpowerful works, and endings in effects and signs.

9:7 And every one that shall be saved, and shall be able to escape by hisworks, and by faith, whereby ye have believed,

9:8 Shall be preserved from the said perils, and shall see my salvation in myland, and within my borders: for I have sanctified them for me from thebeginning.

9:9 Then shall they be in pitiful case, which now have abused my ways: and theythat have cast them away despitefully shall dwell in torments.

9:10 For such as in their life have received benefits, and have not known me;

9:11 And they that have loathed my law, while they had yet liberty, and, whenas yet place of repentance was open unto them, understood not, but despised it;

9:12 The same must know it after death by pain.

9:13 And therefore be thou not curious how the ungodly shall be punished, andwhen: but enquire how the righteous shall be saved, whose the world is, and forwhom the world is created.

9:14 Then answered I and said,

9:15 I have said before, and now do speak, and will speak it also hereafter,that there be many more of them which perish, than of them which shall besaved:

9:16 Like as a wave is greater than a drop.

9:17 And he answered me, saying, Like as the field is, so is also the seed; asthe flowers be, such are the colours also; such as the workman is, such also isthe work; and as the husbandman is himself, so is his husbandry also: for itwas the time of the world.

9:18 And now when I prepared the world, which was not yet made, even for themto dwell in that now live, no man spake against me.

9:19 For then every one obeyed: but now the manners of them which are createdin this world that is made are corrupted by a perpetual seed, and by a lawwhich is unsearchable rid themselves.

9:20 So I considered the world, and, behold, there was peril because of thedevices that were come into it.

9:21 And I saw, and spared it greatly, and have kept me a grape of the cluster,and a plant of a great people.

9:22 Let the multitude perish then, which was born in vain; and let my grape bekept, and my plant; for with great labour have I made it perfect.

9:23 Nevertheless, if thou wilt cease yet seven days more, (but thou shalt notfast in them,

9:24 But go into a field of flowers, where no house is builded, and eat onlythe flowers of the field; taste no flesh, drink no wine, but eat flowers only;)

9:25 And pray unto the Highest continually, then will I come and talk withthee.

9:26 So I went my way into the field which is called Ardath, like as hecommanded me; and there I sat among the flowers, and did eat of the herbs ofthe field, and the meat of the same satisfied me.

9:27 After seven days I sat upon the grass, and my heart was vexed within me,like as before:

9:28 And I opened my mouth, and began to talk before the most High, and said,

9:29 O Lord, thou that shewest thyself unto us, thou wast shewed unto ourfathers in the wilderness, in a place where no man treadeth, in a barren place,when they came out of Egypt.

9:30 And thou spakest saying, Hear me, O Israel; and mark my words, thou seedof Jacob.

9:31 For, behold, I sow my law in you, and it shall bring fruit in you, and yeshall be honoured in it for ever.

9:32 But our fathers, which received the law, kept it not, and observed not thyordinances: and though the fruit of thy law did not perish, neither could it,for it was thine;

9:33 Yet they that received it perished, because they kept not the thing thatwas sown in them.

9:34 And, lo, it is a custom, when the ground hath received seed, or the sea aship, or any vessel meat or drink, that, that being perished wherein it wassown or cast into,

9:35 That thing also which was sown, or cast therein, or received, doth perish,and remaineth not with us: but with us it hath not happened so.

9:36 For we that have received the law perish by sin, and our heart also whichreceived it

9:37 Notwithstanding the law perisheth not, but remaineth in his force.

9:38 And when I spake these things in my heart, I looked back with mine eyes,and upon the right side I saw a woman, and, behold, she mourned and wept with aloud voice, and was much grieved in heart, and her clothes were rent, and shehad ashes upon her head.

9:39 Then let I my thoughts go that I was in, and turned me unto her,

9:40 And said unto her, Wherefore weepest thou? why art thou so grieved in thymind?

9:41 And she said unto me, Sir, let me alone, that I may bewail myself, and addunto my sorrow, for I am sore vexed in my mind, and brought very low.

9:42 And I said unto her, What aileth thee? tell me.

9:43 She said unto me, I thy servant have been barren, and had no child, thoughI had an husband thirty years,

9:44 And those thirty years I did nothing else day and night, and every hour,but make my, prayer to the Highest.

9:45 After thirty years God heard me thine handmaid, looked upon my misery,considered my trouble, and gave me a son: and I was very glad of him, so was myhusband also, and all my neighbours: and we gave great honour unto theAlmighty.

9:46 And I nourished him with great travail.

9:47 So when he grew up, and came to the time that he should have a wife, Imade a feast.

10:1 And it so came to pass, that when my son was entered into his weddingchamber, he fell down, and died.

10:2 Then we all overthrew the lights, and all my neighbours rose up to comfortme: so I took my rest unto the second day at night.

10:3 And it came to pass, when they had all left off to comfort me, to the endI might be quiet; then rose I up by night and fled, and came hither into thisfield, as thou seest.

10:4 And I do now purpose not to return into the city, but here to stay, andneither to eat nor drink, but continually to mourn and to fast until I die.

10:5 Then left I the meditations wherein I was, and spake to her in anger,saying,

10:6 Thou foolish woman above all other, seest thou not our mourning, and whathappeneth unto us?

10:7 How that Sion our mother is full of all heaviness, and much humbled,mourning very sore?

10:8 And now, seeing we all mourn and are sad, for we are all in heaviness, artthou grieved for one son?

10:9 For ask the earth, and she shall tell thee, that it is she which ought tomourn for the fall of so many that grow upon her.

10:10 For out of her came all at the first, and out of her shall all otherscome, and, behold, they walk almost all into destruction, and a multitude ofthem is utterly rooted out.

10:11 Who then should make more mourning than she, that hath lost so great amultitude; and not thou, which art sorry but for one?

10:12 But if thou sayest unto me, My lamentation is not like the earth’s,because I have lost the fruit of my womb, which I brought forth with pains, andbare with sorrows;

10:13 But the earth not so: for the multitude present in it according to thecourse of the earth is gone, as it came:

10:14 Then say I unto thee, Like as thou hast brought forth with labour; evenso the earth also hath given her fruit, namely, man, ever since the beginningunto him that made her.

10:15 Now therefore keep thy sorrow to thyself, and bear with a good couragethat which hath befallen thee.

10:16 For if thou shalt acknowledge the determination of God to be just, thoushalt both receive thy son in time, and shalt be commended among women.

10:17 Go thy way then into the city to thine husband.

10:18 And she said unto me, That will I not do: I will not go into the city,but here will I die.

10:19 So I proceeded to speak further unto her, and said,

10:20 Do not so, but be counselled by me: for how many are the adversities ofSion? be comforted in regard of the sorrow of Jerusalem.

10:21 For thou seest that our sanctuary is laid waste, our altar broken down,our temple destroyed;

10:22 Our psaltery is laid on the ground, our song is put to silence, ourrejoicing is at an end, the light of our candlestick is put out, the ark of ourcovenant is spoiled, our holy things are defiled, and the name that is calledupon us is almost profaned: our children are put to shame, our priests areburnt, our Levites are gone into captivity, our virgins are defiled, and ourwives ravished; our righteous men carried away, our little ones destroyed, ouryoung men are brought in bondage, and our strong men are become weak;

10:23 And, which is the greatest of all, the seal of Sion hath now lost herhonour; for she is delivered into the hands of them that hate us.

10:24 And therefore shake off thy great heaviness, and put away the multitudeof sorrows, that the Mighty may be merciful unto thee again, and the Highestshall give thee rest and ease from thy labour.

10:25 And it came to pass while I was talking with her, behold, her face upon asudden shined exceedingly, and her countenance glistered, so that I was afraidof her, and mused what it might be.

10:26 And, behold, suddenly she made a great cry very fearful: so that theearth shook at the noise of the woman.

10:27 And I looked, and, behold, the woman appeared unto me no more, but therewas a city builded, and a large place shewed itself from the foundations: thenwas I afraid, and cried with a loud voice, and said,

10:28 Where is Uriel the angel, who came unto me at the first? for he hathcaused me to fall into many trances, and mine end is turned into corruption,and my prayer to rebuke.

10:29 And as I was speaking these words behold, he came unto me, and lookedupon me.

10:30 And, lo, I lay as one that had been dead, and mine understanding wastaken from me: and he took me by the right hand, and comforted me, and set meupon my feet, and said unto me,

10:31 What aileth thee? and why art thou so disquieted? and why is thineunderstanding troubled, and the thoughts of thine heart?

10:32 And I said, Because thou hast forsaken me, and yet I did according to thywords, and I went into the field, and, lo, I have seen, and yet see, that I amnot able to express.

10:33 And he said unto me, Stand up manfully, and I will advise thee.

10:34 Then said I, Speak on, my lord, in me; only forsake me not, lest I diefrustrate of my hope.

10:35 For I have seen that I knew not, and hear that I do not know.

10:36 Or is my sense deceived, or my soul in a dream?

10:37 Now therefore I beseech thee that thou wilt shew thy servant of thisvision.

10:38 He answered me then, and said, Hear me, and I shall inform thee, and tellthee wherefore thou art afraid: for the Highest will reveal many secret thingsunto thee.

10:39 He hath seen that thy way is right: for that thou sorrowest continuallyfor thy people, and makest great lamentation for Sion.

10:40 This therefore is the meaning of the vision which thou lately sawest:

10:41 Thou sawest a woman mourning, and thou begannest to comfort her:

10:42 But now seest thou the likeness of the woman no more, but there appearedunto thee a city builded.

10:43 And whereas she told thee of the death of her son, this is the solution:

10:44 This woman, whom thou sawest is Sion: and whereas she said unto thee,even she whom thou seest as a city builded,

10:45 Whereas, I say, she said unto thee, that she hath been thirty yearsbarren: those are the thirty years wherein there was no offering made in her.

10:46 But after thirty years Solomon builded the city and offered offerings:and then bare the barren a son.

10:47 And whereas she told thee that she nourished him with labour: that wasthe dwelling in Jerusalem.

10:48 But whereas she said unto thee, That my son coming into his marriagechamber happened to have a fail, and died: this was the destruction that cameto Jerusalem.

10:49 And, behold, thou sawest her likeness, and because she mourned for herson, thou begannest to comfort her: and of these things which have chanced,these are to be opened unto thee.

10:50 For now the most High seeth that thou art grieved unfeignedly, andsufferest from thy whole heart for her, so hath he shewed thee the brightnessof her glory, and the comeliness of her beauty:

10:51 And therefore I bade thee remain in the field where no house was builded:

10:52 For I knew that the Highest would shew this unto thee.

10:53 Therefore I commanded thee to go into the field, where no foundation ofany building was.

10:54 For in the place wherein the Highest beginneth to shew his city, therecan no man’s building be able to stand.

10:55 And therefore fear not, let not thine heart be affrighted, but go thy wayin, and see the beauty and greatness of the building, as much as thine eyes beable to see:

10:56 And then shalt thou hear as much as thine ears may comprehend.

10:57 For thou art blessed above many other, and art called with the Highest;and so are but few.

10:58 But to morrow at night thou shalt remain here;

10:59 And so shall the Highest shew thee visions of the high things, which themost High will do unto them that dwell upon the earth in the last days. So Islept that night and another, like as he commanded me.

11:1 Then saw I a dream, and, behold, there came up from the sea an eagle,which had twelve feathered wings, and three heads.

11:2 And I saw, and, behold, she spread her wings over all the earth, and allthe winds of the air blew on her, and were gathered together.

11:3 And I beheld, and out of her feathers there grew other contrary feathers;and they became little feathers and small.

11:4 But her heads were at rest: the head in the midst was greater than theother, yet rested it with the residue.

11:5 Moreover I beheld, and, lo, the eagle flew with her feathers, and reignedupon earth, and over them that dwelt therein.

11:6 And I saw that all things under heaven were subject unto her, and no manspake against her, no, not one creature upon earth.

11:7 And I beheld, and, lo, the eagle rose upon her talons, and spake to herfeathers, saying,

11:8 Watch not all at once: sleep every one in his own place, and watch bycourse:

11:9 But let the heads be preserved for the last.

11:10 And I beheld, and, lo, the voice went not out of her heads, but from themidst of her body.

11:11 And I numbered her contrary feathers, and, behold, there were eight ofthem.

11:12 And I looked, and, behold, on the right side there arose one feather, andreigned over all the earth;

11:13 And so it was, that when it reigned, the end of it came, and the placethereof appeared no more: so the next following stood up, and reigned, and hada great time;

11:14 And it happened, that when it reigned, the end of it came also, like asthe first, so that it appeared no more.

11:15 Then came there a voice unto it, and said,

11:16 Hear thou that hast borne rule over the earth so long: this I say untothee, before thou beginnest to appear no more,

11:17 There shall none after thee attain unto thy time, neither unto the halfthereof.

11:18 Then arose the third, and reigned as the other before, and appeared nomore also.

11:19 So went it with all the residue one after another, as that every onereigned, and then appeared no more.

11:20 Then I beheld, and, lo, in process of time the feathers that followedstood up upon the right side, that they might rule also; and some of themruled, but within a while they appeared no more:

11:21 For some of them were set up, but ruled not.

11:22 After this I looked, and, behold, the twelve feathers appeared no more,nor the two little feathers:

11:23 And there was no more upon the eagle’s body, but three heads thatrested, and six little wings.

11:24 Then saw I also that two little feathers divided themselves from the six,and remained under the head that was upon the right side: for the fourcontinued in their place.

11:25 And I beheld, and, lo, the feathers that were under the wing thought toset up themselves and to have the rule.

11:26 And I beheld, and, lo, there was one set up, but shortly it appeared nomore.

11:27 And the second was sooner away than the first.

11:28 And I beheld, and, lo, the two that remained thought also in themselvesto reign:

11:29 And when they so thought, behold, there awaked one of the heads that wereat rest, namely, it that was in the midst; for that was greater than the twoother heads.

11:30 And then I saw that the two other heads were joined with it.

11:31 And, behold, the head was turned with them that were with it, and did eatup the two feathers under the wing that would have reigned.

11:32 But this head put the whole earth in fear, and bare rule in it over allthose that dwelt upon the earth with much oppression; and it had the governanceof the world more than all the wings that had been.

11:33 And after this I beheld, and, lo, the head that was in the midst suddenlyappeared no more, like as the wings.

11:34 But there remained the two heads, which also in like sort ruled upon theearth, and over those that dwelt therein.

11:35 And I beheld, and, lo, the head upon the right side devoured it that wasupon the left side.

11:36 Then I head a voice, which said unto me, Look before thee, and considerthe thing that thou seest.

11:37 And I beheld, and lo, as it were a roaring lion chased out of the wood:and I saw that he sent out a man’s voice unto the eagle, and said,

11:38 Hear thou, I will talk with thee, and the Highest shall say unto thee,

11:39 Art not thou it that remainest of the four beasts, whom I made to reignin my world, that the end of their times might come through them?

11:40 And the fourth came, and overcame all the beasts that were past, and hadpower over the world with great fearfulness, and over the whole compass of theearth with much wicked oppression; and so long time dwelt he upon the earthwith deceit.

11:41 For the earth hast thou not judged with truth.

11:42 For thou hast afflicted the meek, thou hast hurt the peaceable, thou hastloved liars, and destroyed the dwellings of them that brought forth fruit, andhast cast down the walls of such as did thee no harm.

11:43 Therefore is thy wrongful dealing come up unto the Highest, and thy prideunto the Mighty.

11:44 The Highest also hath looked upon the proud times, and, behold, they areended, and his abominations are fulfilled.

11:45 And therefore appear no more, thou eagle, nor thy horrible wings, nor thywicked feathers nor thy malicious heads, nor thy hurtful claws, nor all thyvain body:

11:46 That all the earth may be refreshed, and may return, being delivered fromthy violence, and that she may hope for the judgment and mercy of him that madeher.

12:1 And it came to pass, whiles the lion spake these words unto the eagle, Isaw,

12:2 And, behold, the head that remained and the four wings appeared no more,and the two went unto it and set themselves up to reign, and their kingdom wassmall, and fill of uproar.

12:3 And I saw, and, behold, they appeared no more, and the whole body of theeagle was burnt so that the earth was in great fear: then awaked I out of thetrouble and trance of my mind, and from great fear, and said unto my spirit,

12:4 Lo, this hast thou done unto me, in that thou searchest out the ways ofthe Highest.

12:5 Lo, yet am I weary in my mind, and very weak in my spirit; and littlestrength is there in me, for the great fear wherewith I was afflicted thisnight.

12:6 Therefore will I now beseech the Highest, that he will comfort me unto theend.

12:7 And I said, Lord that bearest rule, if I have found grace before thysight, and if I am justified with thee before many others, and if my prayerindeed be come up before thy face;

12:8 Comfort me then, and shew me thy servant the interpretation and plaindifference of this fearful vision, that thou mayest perfectly comfort my soul.

12:9 For thou hast judged me worthy to shew me the last times.

12:10 And he said unto me, This is the interpretation of the vision:

12:11 The eagle, whom thou sawest come up from the sea, is the kingdom whichwas seen in the vision of thy brother Daniel.

12:12 But it was not expounded unto him, therefore now I declare it unto thee.

12:13 Behold, the days will come, that there shall rise up a kingdom uponearth, and it shall be feared above all the kingdoms that were before it.

12:14 In the same shall twelve kings reign, one after another:

12:15 Whereof the second shall begin to reign, and shall have more time thanany of the twelve.

12:16 And this do the twelve wings signify, which thou sawest.

12:17 As for the voice which thou heardest speak, and that thou sawest not togo out from the heads but from the midst of the body thereof, this is theinterpretation:

12:18 That after the time of that kingdom there shall arise great strivings,and it shall stand in peril of failing: nevertheless it shall not then fall,but shall be restored again to his beginning.

12:19 And whereas thou sawest the eight small under feathers sticking to herwings, this is the interpretation:

12:20 That in him there shall arise eight kings, whose times shall be butsmall, and their years swift.

12:21 And two of them shall perish, the middle time approaching: four shall bekept until their end begin to approach: but two shall be kept unto the end.

12:22 And whereas thou sawest three heads resting, this is the interpretation:

12:23 In his last days shall the most High raise up three kingdoms, and renewmany things therein, and they shall have the dominion of the earth,

12:24 And of those that dwell therein, with much oppression, above all thosethat were before them: therefore are they called the heads of the eagle.

12:25 For these are they that shall accomplish his wickedness, and that shallfinish his last end.

12:26 And whereas thou sawest that the great head appeared no more, itsignifieth that one of them shall die upon his bed, and yet with pain.

12:27 For the two that remain shall be slain with the sword.

12:28 For the sword of the one shall devour the other: but at the last shall hefall through the sword himself.

12:29 And whereas thou sawest two feathers under the wings passing over thehead that is on the right side;

12:30 It signifieth that these are they, whom the Highest hath kept unto theirend: this is the small kingdom and full of trouble, as thou sawest.

12:31 And the lion, whom thou sawest rising up out of the wood, and roaring,and speaking to the eagle, and rebuking her for her unrighteousness with allthe words which thou hast heard;

12:32 This is the anointed, which the Highest hath kept for them and for theirwickedness unto the end: he shall reprove them, and shall upbraid them withtheir cruelty.

12:33 For he shall set them before him alive in judgment, and shall rebukethem, and correct them.

12:34 For the rest of my people shall he deliver with mercy, those that havebeen pressed upon my borders, and he shall make them joyful until the coming ofthe day of judgment, whereof I have spoken unto thee from the beginning.

12:35 This is the dream that thou sawest, and these are the interpretations.

12:36 Thou only hast been meet to know this secret of the Highest.

12:37 Therefore write all these things that thou hast seen in a book, and hidethem:

12:38 And teach them to the wise of the people, whose hearts thou knowest maycomprehend and keep these secrets.

12:39 But wait thou here thyself yet seven days more, that it may be shewedthee, whatsoever it pleaseth the Highest to declare unto thee. And with that hewent his way.

12:40 And it came to pass, when all the people saw that the seven days werepast, and I not come again into the city, they gathered them all together, fromthe least unto the greatest, and came unto me, and said,

12:41 What have we offended thee? and what evil have we done against thee, thatthou forsakest us, and sittest here in this place?

12:42 For of all the prophets thou only art left us, as a cluster of thevintage, and as a candle in a dark place, and as a haven or ship preserved fromthe tempest.

12:43 Are not the evils which are come to us sufficient?

12:44 If thou shalt forsake us, how much better had it been for us, if we alsohad been burned in the midst of Sion?

12:45 For we are not better than they that died there. And they wept with aloud voice. Then answered I them, and said,

12:46 Be of good comfort, O Israel; and be not heavy, thou house of Jacob:

12:47 For the Highest hath you in remembrance, and the Mighty hath notforgotten you in temptation.

12:48 As for me, I have not forsaken you, neither am I departed from you: butam come into this place, to pray for the desolation of Sion, and that I mightseek mercy for the low estate of your sanctuary.

12:49 And now go your way home every man, and after these days will I come untoyou.

12:50 So the people went their way into the city, like as I commanded them:

12:51 But I remained still in the field seven days, as the angel commanded me;and did eat only in those days of the flowers of the field, and had my meat ofthe herbs

13:1 And it came to pass after seven days, I dreamed a dream by night:

13:2 And, lo, there arose a wind from the sea, that it moved all the wavesthereof.

13:3 And I beheld, and, lo, that man waxed strong with the thousands of heaven:and when he turned his countenance to look, all the things trembled that wereseen under him.

13:4 And whensoever the voice went out of his mouth, all they burned that heardhis voice, like as the earth faileth when it feeleth the fire.

13:5 And after this I beheld, and, lo, there was gathered together a multitudeof men, out of number, from the four winds of the heaven, to subdue the manthat came out of the sea

13:6 But I beheld, and, lo, he had graved himself a great mountain, and flew upupon it.

13:7 But I would have seen the region or place whereout the hill was graven,and I could not.

13:8 And after this I beheld, and, lo, all they which were gathered together tosubdue him were sore afraid, and yet durst fight.

13:9 And, lo, as he saw the violence of the multitude that came, he neitherlifted up his hand, nor held sword, nor any instrument of war:

13:10 But only I saw that he sent out of his mouth as it had been a blast offire, and out of his lips a flaming breath, and out of his tongue he cast outsparks and tempests.

13:11 And they were all mixed together; the blast of fire, the flaming breath,and the great tempest; and fell with violence upon the multitude which wasprepared to fight, and burned them up every one, so that upon a sudden of aninnumerable multitude nothing was to be perceived, but only dust and smell ofsmoke: when I saw this I was afraid.

13:12 Afterward saw I the same man come down from the mountain, and call untohim another peaceable Multitude.

13:13 And there came much people unto him, whereof some were glad, some weresorry, and some of them were bound, and other some brought of them that wereoffered: then was I sick through great fear, and I awaked, and said,

13:14 Thou hast shewed thy servant these wonders from the beginning, and hastcounted me worthy that thou shouldest receive my prayer:

13:15 Shew me now yet the interpretation of this dream.

13:16 For as I conceive in mine understanding, woe unto them that shall be leftin those days and much more woe unto them that are not left behind!

13:17 For they that were not left were in heaviness.

13:18 Now understand I the things that are laid up in the latter days, whichshall happen unto them, and to those that are left behind.

13:19 Therefore are they come into great perils and many necessities, like asthese dreams declare.

13:20 Yet is it easier for him that is in danger to come into these things,than to pass away as a cloud out of the world, and not to see the things thathappen in the last days. And he answered unto me, and said,

13:21 The interpretation of the vision shall I shew thee, and I will open untothee the thing that thou hast required.

13:22 Whereas thou hast spoken of them that are left behind, this is theinterpretation:

13:23 He that shall endure the peril in that time hath kept himself: they thatbe fallen into danger are such as have works, and faith toward the Almighty.

13:24 Know this therefore, that they which be left behind are more blessed thanthey that be dead.

13:25 This is the meaning of the vision: Whereas thou sawest a man coming upfrom the midst of the sea:

13:26 The same is he whom God the Highest hath kept a great season, which byhis own self shall deliver his creature: and he shall order them that are leftbehind.

13:27 And whereas thou sawest, that out of his mouth there came as a blast ofwind, and fire, and storm;

13:28 And that he held neither sword, nor any instrument of war, but that therushing in of him destroyed the whole multitude that came to subdue him; thisis the interpretation:

13:29 Behold, the days come, when the most High will begin to deliver them thatare upon the earth.

13:30 And he shall come to the astonishment of them that dwell on the earth.

13:31 And one shall undertake to fight against another, one city againstanother, one place against another, one people against another, and one realmagainst another.

13:32 And the time shall be when these things shall come to pass, and the signsshall happen which I shewed thee before, and then shall my Son be declared,whom thou sawest as a man ascending.

13:33 And when all the people hear his voice, every man shall in their own landleave the battle they have one against another.

13:34 And an innumerable multitude shall be gathered together, as thou sawestthem, willing to come, and to overcome him by fighting.

13:35 But he shall stand upon the top of the mount Sion.

13:36 And Sion shall come, and shall be shewed to all men, being prepared andbuilded, like as thou sawest the hill graven without hands.

13:37 And this my Son shall rebuke the wicked inventions of those nations,which for their wicked life are fallen into the tempest;

13:38 And shall lay before them their evil thoughts, and the torments wherewiththey shall begin to be tormented, which are like unto a flame: and he shalldestroy them without labour by the law which is like unto me.

13:39 And whereas thou sawest that he gathered another peaceable multitude untohim;

13:40 Those are the ten tribes, which were carried away prisoners out of theirown land in the time of Osea the king, whom Salmanasar the king of Assyria ledaway captive, and he carried them over the waters, and so came they intoanother land.

13:41 But they took this counsel among themselves, that they would leave themultitude of the heathen, and go forth into a further country, where nevermankind dwelt,

13:42 That they might there keep their statutes, which they never kept in theirown land.

13:43 And they entered into Euphrates by the narrow places of the river.

13:44 For the most High then shewed signs for them, and held still the flood,till they were passed over.

13:45 For through that country there was a great way to go, namely, of a yearand a half: and the same region is called Arsareth.

13:46 Then dwelt they there until the latter time; and now when they shallbegin to come,

13:47 The Highest shall stay the springs of the stream again, that they may gothrough: therefore sawest thou the multitude with peace.

13:48 But those that be left behind of thy people are they that are foundwithin my borders.

13:49 Now when he destroyeth the multitude of the nations that are gatheredtogether, he shall defend his people that remain.

13:50 And then shall he shew them great wonders.

13:51 Then said I, O Lord that bearest rule, shew me this: Wherefore have Iseen the man coming up from the midst of the sea?

13:52 And he said unto me, Like as thou canst neither seek out nor know thethings that are in the deep of the sea: even so can no man upon earth see mySon, or those that be with him, but in the day time.

13:53 This is the interpretation of the dream which thou sawest, and wherebythou only art here lightened.

13:54 For thou hast forsaken thine own way, and applied thy diligence unto mylaw, and sought it.

13:55 Thy life hast thou ordered in wisdom, and hast called understanding thymother.

13:56 And therefore have I shewed thee the treasures of the Highest: afterother three days I will speak other things unto thee, and declare unto theemighty and wondrous things.

13:57 Then went I forth into the field, giving praise and thanks greatly untothe most High because of his wonders which he did in time;

13:58 And because he governeth the same, and such things as fall in theirseasons: and there I sat three days.

14:1 And it came to pass upon the third day, I sat under an oak, and, behold,there came a voice out of a bush over against me, and said, Esdras, Esdras.

14:2 And I said, Here am I, Lord And I stood up upon my feet.

14:3 Then said he unto me, In the bush I did manifestly reveal myself untoMoses, and talked with him, when my people served in Egypt:

14:4 And I sent him and led my people out of Egypt, and brought him up to themount of where I held him by me a long season,

14:5 And told him many wondrous things, and shewed him the secrets of thetimes, and the end; and commanded him, saying,

14:6 These words shalt thou declare, and these shalt thou hide.

14:7 And now I say unto thee,

14:8 That thou lay up in thy heart the signs that I have shewed, and the dreamsthat thou hast seen, and the interpretations which thou hast heard:

14:9 For thou shalt be taken away from all, and from henceforth thou shaltremain with my Son, and with such as be like thee, until the times be ended.

14:10 For the world hath lost his youth, and the times begin to wax old.

14:11 For the world is divided into twelve parts, and the ten parts of it aregone already, and half of a tenth part:

14:12 And there remaineth that which is after the half of the tenth part.

14:13 Now therefore set thine house in order, and reprove thy people, comfortsuch of them as be in trouble, and now renounce corruption,

14:14 Let go from thee mortal thoughts, cast away the burdens of man, put offnow the weak nature,

14:15 And set aside the thoughts that are most heavy unto thee, and haste theeto flee from these times.

14:16 For yet greater evils than those which thou hast seen happen shall bedone hereafter.

14:17 For look how much the world shall be weaker through age, so much the moreshall evils increase upon them that dwell therein.

14:18 For the time is fled far away, and leasing is hard at hand: for nowhasteth the vision to come, which thou hast seen.

14:19 Then answered I before thee, and said,

14:20 Behold, Lord, I will go, as thou hast commanded me, and reprove thepeople which are present: but they that shall be born afterward, who shalladmonish them? thus the world is set in darkness, and they that dwell thereinare without light.

14:21 For thy law is burnt, therefore no man knoweth the things that are doneof thee, or the work that shall begin.

14:22 But if I have found grace before thee, send the Holy Ghost into me, and Ishall write all that hath been done in the world since the beginning, whichwere written in thy law, that men may find thy path, and that they which willlive in the latter days may live.

14:23 And he answered me, saying, Go thy way, gather the people together, andsay unto them, that they seek thee not for forty days.

14:24 But look thou prepare thee many box trees, and take with thee Sarea,Dabria, Selemia, Ecanus, and Asiel, these five which are ready to writeswiftly;

14:25 And come hither, and I shall light a candle of understanding in thineheart, which shall not be put out, till the things be performed which thoushalt begin to write.

14:26 And when thou hast done, some things shalt thou publish, and some thingsshalt thou shew secretly to the wise: to morrow this hour shalt thou begin towrite.

14:27 Then went I forth, as he commanded, and gathered all the people together,and said,

14:28 Hear these words, O Israel.

14:29 Our fathers at the beginning were strangers in Egypt, from whence theywere delivered:

14:30 And received the law of life, which they kept not, which ye also havetransgressed after them.

14:31 Then was the land, even the land of Sion, parted among you by lot: butyour fathers, and ye yourselves, have done unrighteousness, and have not keptthe ways which the Highest commanded you.

14:32 And forasmuch as he is a righteous judge, he took from you in time thething that he had given you.

14:33 And now are ye here, and your brethren among you.

14:34 Therefore if so be that ye will subdue your own understanding, and reformyour hearts, ye shall be kept alive and after death ye shall obtain mercy.

14:35 For after death shall the judgment come, when we shall live again: andthen shall the names of the righteous be manifest, and the works of the ungodlyshall be declared.

14:36 Let no man therefore come unto me now, nor seek after me these fortydays.

14:37 So I took the five men, as he commanded me, and we went into the field,and remained there.

14:38 And the next day, behold, a voice called me, saying, Esdras, open thymouth, and drink that I give thee to drink.

14:39 Then opened I my mouth, and, behold, he reached me a full cup, which wasfull as it were with water, but the colour of it was like fire.

14:40 And I took it, and drank: and when I had drunk of it, my heart utteredunderstanding, and wisdom grew in my breast, for my spirit strengthened mymemory:

14:41 And my mouth was opened, and shut no more.

14:42 The Highest gave understanding unto the five men, and they wrote thewonderful visions of the night that were told, which they knew not: and theysat forty days, and they wrote in the day, and at night they ate bread.

14:43 As for me. I spake in the day, and I held not my tongue by night.

14:44 In forty days they wrote two hundred and four books.

14:45 And it came to pass, when the forty days were filled, that the Highestspake, saying, The first that thou hast written publish openly, that the worthyand unworthy may read it:

14:46 But keep the seventy last, that thou mayest deliver them only to such asbe wise among the people:

14:47 For in them is the spring of understanding, the fountain of wisdom, andthe stream of knowledge.

14:48 And I did so.

15:1 Behold, speak thou in the ears of my people the words of prophecy, which Iwill put in thy mouth, saith the Lord:

15:2 And cause them to be written in paper: for they are faithful and true.

15:3 Fear not the imaginations against thee, let not the incredulity of themtrouble thee, that speak against thee.

15:4 For all the unfaithful shall die in their unfaithfulness.

15:5 Behold, saith the Lord, I will bring plagues upon the world; the sword,famine, death, and destruction.

15:6 For wickedness hath exceedingly polluted the whole earth, and theirhurtful works are fulfilled.

15:7 Therefore saith the Lord,

15:8 I will hold my tongue no more as touching their wickedness, which theyprofanely commit, neither will I suffer them in those things, in which theywickedly exercise themselves: behold, the innocent and righteous blood criethunto me, and the souls of the just complain continually.

15:9 And therefore, saith the Lord, I will surely avenge them, and receive untome all the innocent blood from among them.

15:10 Behold, my people is led as a flock to the slaughter: I will not sufferthem now to dwell in the land of Egypt:

15:11 But I will bring them with a mighty hand and a stretched out arm, andsmite Egypt with plagues, as before, and will destroy all the land thereof.

15:12 Egypt shall mourn, and the foundation of it shall be smitten with theplague and punishment that God shall bring upon it.

15:13 They that till the ground shall mourn: for their seeds shall fail throughthe blasting and hail, and with a fearful constellation.

15:14 Woe to the world and them that dwell therein!

15:15 For the sword and their destruction draweth nigh, and one people shallstand up and fight against another, and swords in their hands.

15:16 For there shall be sedition among men, and invading one another; theyshall not regard their kings nor princes, and the course of their actions shallstand in their power.

15:17 A man shall desire to go into a city, and shall not be able.

15:18 For because of their pride the cities shall be troubled, the houses shallbe destroyed, and men shall be afraid.

15:19 A man shall have no pity upon his neighbour, but shall destroy theirhouses with the sword, and spoil their goods, because of the lack of bread, andfor great tribulation.

15:20 Behold, saith God, I will call together all the kings of the earth toreverence me, which are from the rising of the sun, from the south, from theeast, and Libanus; to turn themselves one against another, and repay the thingsthat they have done to them.

15:21 Like as they do yet this day unto my chosen, so will I do also, andrecompense in their bosom. Thus saith the Lord God;

15:22 My right hand shall not spare the sinners, and my sword shall not ceaseover them that shed innocent blood upon the earth.

15:23 The fire is gone forth from his wrath, and hath consumed the foundationsof the earth, and the sinners, like the straw that is kindled.

15:24 Woe to them that sin, and keep not my commandments! saith the Lord.

15:25 I will not spare them: go your way, ye children, from the power, defilenot my sanctuary.

15:26 For the Lord knoweth all them that sin against him, and thereforedelivereth he them unto death and destruction.

15:27 For now are the plagues come upon the whole earth and ye shall remain inthem: for God shall not deliver you, because ye have sinned against him.

15:28 Behold an horrible vision, and the appearance thereof from the east:

15:29 Where the nations of the dragons of Arabia shall come out with manychariots, and the multitude of them shall be carried as the wind upon earth,that all they which hear them may fear and tremble.

15:30 Also the Carmanians raging in wrath shall go forth as the wild boars ofthe wood, and with great power shall they come, and join battle with them, andshall waste a portion of the land of the Assyrians.

15:31 And then shall the dragons have the upper hand, remembering their nature;and if they shall turn themselves, conspiring together in great power topersecute them,

15:32 Then these shall be troubled bled, and keep silence through their power,and shall flee.

15:33 And from the land of the Assyrians shall the enemy besiege them, andconsume some of them, and in their host shall be fear and dread, and strifeamong their kings.

15:34 Behold clouds from the east and from the north unto the south, and theyare very horrible to look upon, full of wrath and storm.

15:35 They shall smite one upon another, and they shall smite down a greatmultitude of stars upon the earth, even their own star; and blood shall be fromthe sword unto the belly,

15:36 And dung of men unto the camel’s hough.

15:37 And there shall be great fearfulness and trembling upon earth: and theythat see the wrath shall be afraid, and trembling shall come upon them.

15:38 And then shall there come great storms from the south, and from thenorth, and another part from the west.

15:39 And strong winds shall arise from the east, and shall open it; and thecloud which he raised up in wrath, and the star stirred to cause fear towardthe east and west wind, shall be destroyed.

15:40 The great and mighty clouds shall be puffed up full of wrath, and thestar, that they may make all the earth afraid, and them that dwell therein; andthey shall pour out over every high and eminent place an horrible star,

15:41 Fire, and hail, and flying swords, and many waters, that all fields maybe full, and all rivers, with the abundance of great waters.

15:42 And they shall break down the cities and walls, mountains and hills,trees of the wood, and grass of the meadows, and their corn.

15:43 And they shall go stedfastly unto Babylon, and make her afraid.

15:44 They shall come to her, and besiege her, the star and all wrath shallthey pour out upon her: then shall the dust and smoke go up unto the heaven,and all they that be about her shall bewail her.

15:45 And they that remain under her shall do service unto them that have puther in fear.

15:46 And thou, Asia, that art partaker of the hope of Babylon, and art theglory of her person:

15:47 Woe be unto thee, thou wretch, because thou hast made thyself like untoher; and hast decked thy daughters in whoredom, that they might please andglory in thy lovers, which have always desired to commit whoredom with thee.

15:48 Thou hast followed her that is hated in all her works and inventions:therefore saith God,

15:49 I will send plagues upon thee; widowhood, poverty, famine, sword, andpestilence, to waste thy houses with destruction and death.

15:50 And the glory of thy Power shall be dried up as a flower, the heat shallarise that is sent over thee.

15:51 Thou shalt be weakened as a poor woman with stripes, and as one chastisedwith wounds, so that the mighty and lovers shall not be able to receive thee.

15:52 Would I with jealousy have so proceeded against thee, saith the Lord,

15:53 If thou hadst not always slain my chosen, exalting the stroke of thinehands, and saying over their dead, when thou wast drunken,

15:54 Set forth the beauty of thy countenance?

15:55 The reward of thy whoredom shall be in thy bosom, therefore shalt thoureceive recompence.

15:56 Like as thou hast done unto my chosen, saith the Lord, even so shall Goddo unto thee, and shall deliver thee into mischief

15:57 Thy children shall die of hunger, and thou shalt fall through the sword:thy cities shall be broken down, and all thine shall perish with the sword inthe field.

15:58 They that be in the mountains shall die of hunger, and eat their ownflesh, and drink their own blood, for very hunger of bread, and thirst ofwater.

15:59 Thou as unhappy shalt come through the sea, and receive plagues again.

15:60 And in the passage they shall rush on the idle city, and shall destroysome portion of thy land, and consume part of thy glory, and shall return toBabylon that was destroyed.

15:61 And thou shalt be cast down by them as stubble, and they shall be untothee as fire;

15:62 And shall consume thee, and thy cities, thy land, and thy mountains; allthy woods and thy fruitful trees shall they burn up with fire.

15:63 Thy children shall they carry away captive, and, look, what thou hast,they shall spoil it, and mar the beauty of thy face.

16:1 Woe be unto thee, Babylon, and Asia! woe be unto thee, Egypt and Syria!

16:2 Gird up yourselves with cloths of sack and hair, bewail your children, andbe sorry; for your destruction is at hand.

16:3 A sword is sent upon you, and who may turn it back?

16:4 A fire is sent among you, and who may quench it?

16:5 Plagues are sent unto you, and what is he that may drive them away?

16:6 May any man drive away an hungry lion in the wood? or may any one quenchthe fire in stubble, when it hath begun to burn?

16:7 May one turn again the arrow that is shot of a strong archer?

16:8 The mighty Lord sendeth the plagues and who is he that can drive themaway?

16:9 A fire shall go forth from his wrath, and who is he that may quench it?

16:10 He shall cast lightnings, and who shall not fear? he shall thunder, andwho shall not be afraid?

16:11 The Lord shall threaten, and who shall not be utterly beaten to powder athis presence?

16:12 The earth quaketh, and the foundations thereof; the sea ariseth up withwaves from the deep, and the waves of it are troubled, and the fishes thereofalso, before the Lord, and before the glory of his power:

16:13 For strong is his right hand that bendeth the bow, his arrows that heshooteth are sharp, and shall not miss, when they begin to be shot into theends of the world.

16:14 Behold, the plagues are sent, and shall not return again, until they comeupon the earth.

16:15 The fire is kindled, and shall not be put out, till it consume thefoundation of the earth.

16:16 Like as an arrow which is shot of a mighty archer returneth not backward:even so the plagues that shall be sent upon earth shall not return again.

16:17 Woe is me! woe is me! who will deliver me in those days?

16:18 The beginning of sorrows and great mournings; the beginning of famine andgreat death; the beginning of wars, and the powers shall stand in fear; thebeginning of evils! what shall I do when these evils shall come?

16:19 Behold, famine and plague, tribulation and anguish, are sent as scourgesfor amendment.

16:20 But for all these things they shall not turn from their wickedness, norbe always mindful of the scourges.

16:21 Behold, victuals shall be so good cheap upon earth, that they shall thinkthemselves to be in good case, and even then shall evils grow upon earth,sword, famine, and great confusion.

16:22 For many of them that dwell upon earth shall perish of famine; and theother, that escape the hunger, shall the sword destroy.

16:23 And the dead shall be cast out as dung, and there shall be no man tocomfort them: for the earth shall be wasted, and the cities shall be cast down.

16:24 There shall be no man left to till the earth, and to sow it

16:25 The trees shall give fruit, and who shall gather them?

16:26 The grapes shall ripen, and who shall tread them? for all places shall bedesolate of men:

16:27 So that one man shall desire to see another, and to hear his voice.

16:28 For of a city there shall be ten left, and two of the field, which shallhide themselves in the thick groves, and in the clefts of the rocks.

16:29 As in an orchard of Olives upon every tree there are left three or fourolives;

16:30 Or as when a vineyard is gathered, there are left some clusters of themthat diligently seek through the vineyard:

16:31 Even so in those days there shall be three or four left by them thatsearch their houses with the sword.

16:32 And the earth shall be laid waste, and the fields thereof shall wax old,and her ways and all her paths shall grow full of thorns, because no man shalltravel therethrough.

16:33 The virgins shall mourn, having no bridegrooms; the women shall mourn,having no husbands; their daughters shall mourn, having no helpers.

16:34 In the wars shall their bridegrooms be destroyed, and their husbandsshall perish of famine.

16:35 Hear now these things and understand them, ye servants of the Lord.

16:36 Behold, the word of the Lord, receive it: believe not the gods of whomthe Lord spake.

16:37 Behold, the plagues draw nigh, and are not slack.

16:38 As when a woman with child in the ninth month bringeth forth her son,with two or three hours of her birth great pains compass her womb, which pains,when the child cometh forth, they slack not a moment:

16:39 Even so shall not the plagues be slack to come upon the earth, and theworld shall mourn, and sorrows shall come upon it on every side.

16:40 O my people, hear my word: make you ready to thy battle, and in thoseevils be even as pilgrims upon the earth.

16:41 He that selleth, let him be as he that fleeth away: and he that buyeth,as one that will lose:

16:42 He that occupieth merchandise, as he that hath no profit by it: and hethat buildeth, as he that shall not dwell therein:

16:43 He that soweth, as if he should not reap: so also he that planteth thevineyard, as he that shall not gather the grapes:

16:44 They that marry, as they that shall get no children; and they that marrynot, as the widowers.

16:45 And therefore they that labour labour in vain:

16:46 For strangers shall reap their fruits, and spoil their goods, overthrowtheir houses, and take their children captives, for in captivity and famineshall they get children.

16:47 And they that occupy their merchandise with robbery, the more they decktheir cities, their houses, their possessions, and their own persons:

16:48 The more will I be angry with them for their sin, saith the Lord.

16:49 Like as a whore envieth a right honest and virtuous woman:

16:50 So shall righteousness hate iniquity, when she decketh herself, and shallaccuse her to her face, when he cometh that shall defend him that diligentlysearcheth out every sin upon earth.

16:51 And therefore be ye not like thereunto, nor to the works thereof.

16:52 For yet a little, and iniquity shall be taken away out of the earth, andrighteousness shall reign among you.

16:53 Let not the sinner say that he hath not sinned: for God shall burn coalsof fire upon his head, which saith before the Lord God and his glory, I havenot sinned.

16:54 Behold, the Lord knoweth all the works of men, their imaginations, theirthoughts, and their hearts:

16:55 Which spake but the word, Let the earth be made; and it was made: Let theheaven be made; and it was created.

16:56 In his word were the stars made, and he knoweth the number of them.

16:57 He searcheth the deep, and the treasures thereof; he hath measured thesea, and what it containeth.

16:58 He hath shut the sea in the midst of the waters, and with his word hathhe hanged the earth upon the waters.

16:59 He spreadeth out the heavens like a vault; upon the waters hath hefounded it.

16:60 In the desert hath he made springs of water, and pools upon the tops ofthe mountains, that the floods might pour down from the high rocks to water theearth.

16:61 He made man, and put his heart in the midst of the body, and gave himbreath, life, and understanding.

16:62 Yea and the Spirit of Almighty God, which made all things, and searchethout all hidden things in the secrets of the earth,

16:63 Surely he knoweth your inventions, and what ye think in your hearts, eventhem that sin, and would hide their sin.

16:64 Therefore hath the Lord exactly searched out all your works, and he willput you all to shame.

16:65 And when your sins are brought forth, ye shall be ashamed before men, andyour own sins shall be your accusers in that day.

16:66 What will ye do? or how will ye hide your sins before God and his angels?

16:67 Behold, God himself is the judge, fear him: leave off from your sins, andforget your iniquities, to meddle no more with them for ever: so shall God leadyou forth, and deliver you from all trouble.

16:68 For, behold, the burning wrath of a great multitude is kindled over you,and they shall take away certain of you, and feed you, being idle, with thingsoffered unto idols.

16:69 And they that consent unto them shall be had in derision and in reproach,and trodden under foot.

16:70 For there shall be in every place, and in the next cities, a greatinsurrection upon those that fear the Lord.

16:71 They shall be like mad men, sparing none, but still spoiling anddestroying those that fear the Lord.

16:72 For they shall waste and take away their goods, and cast them out oftheir houses.

16:73 Then shall they be known, who are my chosen; and they shall be tried asthe gold in the fire.

16:74 Hear, O ye my beloved, saith the Lord: behold, the days of trouble are athand, but I will deliver you from the same.

16:75 Be ye not afraid neither doubt; for God is your guide,

16:76 And the guide of them who keep my commandments and precepts, saith theLord God: let not your sins weigh you down, and let not your iniquities lift upthemselves.

16:77 Woe be unto them that are bound with their sins, and covered with theiriniquities like as a field is covered over with bushes, and the path thereofcovered with thorns, that no man may travel through!

16:78 It is left undressed, and is cast into the fire to be consumed therewith.

The Book of Tobit

1:1 The book of the words of Tobit, son of Tobiel, the son of Ananiel, the sonof Aduel, the son of Gabael, of the seed of Asael, of the tribe of Nephthali;

1:2 Who in the time of Enemessar king of the Assyrians was led captive out ofThisbe, which is at the right hand of that city, which is called properlyNephthali in Galilee above Aser.

1:3 I Tobit have walked all the days of my life in the ways of truth andjustice, and I did many almsdeeds to my brethren, and my nation, who came withme to Nineve, into the land of the Assyrians.

1:4 And when I was in mine own country, in the land of Israel being but young,all the tribe of Nephthali my father fell from the house of Jerusalem, whichwas chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, that all the tribes shouldsacrifice there, where the temple of the habitation of the most High wasconsecrated and built for all ages.

1:5 Now all the tribes which together revolted, and the house of my fatherNephthali, sacrificed unto the heifer Baal.

1:6 But I alone went often to Jerusalem at the feasts, as it was ordained untoall the people of Israel by an everlasting decree, having the firstfruits andtenths of increase, with that which was first shorn; and them gave I at thealtar to the priests the children of Aaron.

1:7 The first tenth part of all increase I gave to the sons of Aaron, whoministered at Jerusalem: another tenth part I sold away, and went, and spent itevery year at Jerusalem:

1:8 And the third I gave unto them to whom it was meet, as Debora myfather’s mother had commanded me, because I was left an orphan by myfather.

1:9 Furthermore, when I was come to the age of a man, I married Anna of mineown kindred, and of her I begat Tobias.

1:10 And when we were carried away captives to Nineve, all my brethren andthose that were of my kindred did eat of the bread of the Gentiles.

1:11 But I kept myself from eating;

1:12 Because I remembered God with all my heart.

1:13 And the most High gave me grace and favour before Enemessar, so that I washis purveyor.

1:14 And I went into Media, and left in trust with Gabael, the brother ofGabrias, at Rages a city of Media ten talents of silver.

1:15 Now when Enemessar was dead, Sennacherib his son reigned in his stead;whose estate was troubled, that I could not go into Media.

1:16 And in the time of Enemessar I gave many alms to my brethren, and gave mybread to the hungry,

1:17 And my clothes to the naked: and if I saw any of my nation dead, or castabout the walls of Nineve, I buried him.

1:18 And if the king Sennacherib had slain any, when he was come, and fled fromJudea, I buried them privily; for in his wrath he killed many; but the bodieswere not found, when they were sought for of the king.

1:19 And when one of the Ninevites went and complained of me to the king, thatI buried them, and hid myself; understanding that I was sought for to be put todeath, I withdrew myself for fear.

1:20 Then all my goods were forcibly taken away, neither was there any thingleft me, beside my wife Anna and my son Tobias.

1:21 And there passed not five and fifty days, before two of his sons killedhim, and they fled into the mountains of Ararath; and Sarchedonus his sonreigned in his stead; who appointed over his father’s accounts, and overall his affairs, Achiacharus my brother Anael’s son.

1:22 And Achiacharus intreating for me, I returned to Nineve. Now Achiacharuswas cupbearer, and keeper of the signet, and steward, and overseer of theaccounts: and Sarchedonus appointed him next unto him: and he was mybrother’s son.

2:1 Now when I was come home again, and my wife Anna was restored unto me, withmy son Tobias, in the feast of Pentecost, which is the holy feast of the sevenweeks, there was a good dinner prepared me, in the which I sat down to eat.

2:2 And when I saw abundance of meat, I said to my son, Go and bring what poorman soever thou shalt find out of our brethren, who is mindful of the Lord;and, lo, I tarry for thee.

2:3 But he came again, and said, Father, one of our nation is strangled, and iscast out in the marketplace.

2:4 Then before I had tasted of any meat, I started up, and took him up into aroom until the going down of the sun.

2:5 Then I returned, and washed myself, and ate my meat in heaviness,

2:6 Remembering that prophecy of Amos, as he said, Your feasts shall be turnedinto mourning, and all your mirth into lamentation.

2:7 Therefore I wept: and after the going down of the sun I went and made agrave, and buried him.

2:8 But my neighbours mocked me, and said, This man is not yet afraid to be putto death for this matter: who fled away; and yet, lo, he burieth the deadagain.

2:9 The same night also I returned from the burial, and slept by the wall of mycourtyard, being polluted and my face was uncovered:

2:10 And I knew not that there were sparrows in the wall, and mine eyes beingopen, the sparrows muted warm dung into mine eyes, and a whiteness came in mineeyes: and I went to the physicians, but they helped me not: moreoverAchiacharus did nourish me, until I went into Elymais.

2:11 And my wife Anna did take women’s works to do.

2:12 And when she had sent them home to the owners, they paid her wages, andgave her also besides a kid.

2:13 And when it was in my house, and began to cry, I said unto her, Fromwhence is this kid? is it not stolen? render it to the owners; for it is notlawful to eat any thing that is stolen.

2:14 But she replied upon me, It was given for a gift more than the wages.Howbeit I did not believe her, but bade her render it to the owners: and I wasabashed at her. But she replied upon me, Where are thine alms and thy righteousdeeds? behold, thou and all thy works are known.

3:1 Then I being grieved did weep, and in my sorrow prayed, saying,

3:2 O Lord, thou art just, and all thy works and all thy ways are mercy andtruth, and thou judgest truly and justly for ever.

3:3 Remember me, and look on me, punish me not for my sins and ignorances, andthe sins of my fathers, who have sinned before thee:

3:4 For they obeyed not thy commandments: wherefore thou hast delivered us fora spoil, and unto captivity, and unto death, and for a proverb of reproach toall the nations among whom we are dispersed.

3:5 And now thy judgments are many and true: deal with me according to my sinsand my fathers’: because we have not kept thy commandments, neither havewalked in truth before thee.

3:6 Now therefore deal with me as seemeth best unto thee, and command my spiritto be taken from me, that I may be dissolved, and become earth: for it isprofitable for me to die rather than to live, because I have heard falsereproaches, and have much sorrow: command therefore that I may now be deliveredout of this distress, and go into the everlasting place: turn not thy face awayfrom me.

3:7 It came to pass the same day, that in Ecbatane a city of Media Sara thedaughter of Raguel was also reproached by her father’s maids;

3:8 Because that she had been married to seven husbands, whom Asmodeus the evilspirit had killed, before they had lain with her. Dost thou not know, saidthey, that thou hast strangled thine husbands? thou hast had already sevenhusbands, neither wast thou named after any of them.

3:9 Wherefore dost thou beat us for them? if they be dead, go thy ways afterthem, let us never see of thee either son or daughter.

3:10 Whe she heard these things, she was very sorrowful, so that she thought tohave strangled herself; and she said, I am the only daughter of my father, andif I do this, it shall be a reproach unto him, and I shall bring his old agewith sorrow unto the grave.

3:11 Then she prayed toward the window, and said, Blessed art thou, O Lord myGod, and thine holy and glorious name is blessed and honourable for ever: letall thy works praise thee for ever.

3:12 And now, O Lord, I set I mine eyes and my face toward thee,

3:13 And say, Take me out of the earth, that I may hear no more the reproach.

3:14 Thou knowest, Lord, that I am pure from all sin with man,

3:15 And that I never polluted my name, nor the name of my father, in the landof my captivity: I am the only daughter of my father, neither hath he any childto be his heir, neither any near kinsman, nor any son of his alive, to whom Imay keep myself for a wife: my seven husbands are already dead; and why shouldI live? but if it please not thee that I should die, command some regard to behad of me, and pity taken of me, that I hear no more reproach.

3:16 So the prayers of them both were heard before the majesty of the greatGod.

3:17 And Raphael was sent to heal them both, that is, to scale away thewhiteness of Tobit’s eyes, and to give Sara the daughter of Raguel for awife to Tobias the son of Tobit; and to bind Asmodeus the evil spirit; becauseshe belonged to Tobias by right of inheritance. The selfsame time came Tobithome, and entered into his house, and Sara the daughter of Raguel came downfrom her upper chamber.

4:1 In that day Tobit remembered the money which he had committed to Gabael inRages of Media,

4:2 And said with himself, I have wished for death; wherefore do I not call formy son Tobias that I may signify to him of the money before I die?

4:3 And when he had called him, he said, My son, when I am dead, bury me; anddespise not thy mother, but honour her all the days of thy life, and do thatwhich shall please her, and grieve her not.

4:4 Remember, my son, that she saw many dangers for thee, when thou wast in herwomb: and when she is dead, bury her by me in one grave.

4:5 My son, be mindful of the Lord our God all thy days, and let not thy willbe set to sin, or to transgress his commandments: do uprightly all thy lifelong, and follow not the ways of unrighteousness.

4:6 For if thou deal truly, thy doings shall prosperously succeed to thee, andto all them that live justly.

4:7 Give alms of thy substance; and when thou givest alms, let not thine eye beenvious, neither turn thy face from any poor, and the face of God shall not beturned away from thee.

4:8 If thou hast abundance give alms accordingly: if thou have but a little, benot afraid to give according to that little:

4:9 For thou layest up a good treasure for thyself against the day ofnecessity.

4:10 Because that alms do deliver from death, and suffereth not to come intodarkness.

4:11 For alms is a good gift unto all that give it in the sight of the mostHigh.

4:12 Beware of all whoredom, my son, and chiefly take a wife of the seed of thyfathers, and take not a strange woman to wife, which is not of thyfather’s tribe: for we are the children of the prophets, Noe, Abraham,Isaac, and Jacob: remember, my son, that our fathers from the beginning, eventhat they all married wives of their own kindred, and were blessed in theirchildren, and their seed shall inherit the land.

4:13 Now therefore, my son, love thy brethren, and despise not in thy heart thybrethren, the sons and daughters of thy people, in not taking a wife of them:for in pride is destruction and much trouble, and in lewdness is decay andgreat want: for lewdness is the mother of famine.

4:14 Let not the wages of any man, which hath wrought for thee, tarry withthee, but give him it out of hand: for if thou serve God, he will also repaythee: be circumspect my son, in all things thou doest, and be wise in all thyconversation.

4:15 Do that to no man which thou hatest: drink not wine to make thee drunken:neither let drunkenness go with thee in thy journey.

4:16 Give of thy bread to the hungry, and of thy garments to them that arenaked; and according to thine abundance give alms: and let not thine eye beenvious, when thou givest alms.

4:17 Pour out thy bread on the burial of the just, but give nothing to thewicked.

4:18 Ask counsel of all that are wise, and despise not any counsel that isprofitable.

4:19 Bless the Lord thy God alway, and desire of him that thy ways may bedirected, and that all thy paths and counsels may prosper: for every nationhath not counsel; but the Lord himself giveth all good things, and he humblethwhom he will, as he will; now therefore, my son, remember my commandments,neither let them be put out of thy mind.

4:20 And now I signify this to they that I committed ten talents to Gabael theson of Gabrias at Rages in Media.

4:21 And fear not, my son, that we are made poor: for thou hast much wealth, ifthou fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is pleasing in hissight.

5:1 Tobias then answered and said, Father, I will do all things which thou hastcommanded me:

5:2 But how can I receive the money, seeing I know him not?

5:3 Then he gave him the handwriting, and said unto him, Seek thee a man whichmay go with thee, whiles I yet live, and I will give him wages: and go andreceive the money.

5:4 Therefore when he went to seek a man, he found Raphael that was an angel.

5:5 But he knew not; and he said unto him, Canst thou go with me to Rages? andknowest thou those places well?

5:6 To whom the angel said, I will go with thee, and I know the way well: for Ihave lodged with our brother Gabael.

5:7 Then Tobias said unto him, Tarry for me, till I tell my father.

5:8 Then he said unto him, Go and tarry not. So he went in and said to hisfather, Behold, I have found one which will go with me. Then he said, Call himunto me, that I may know of what tribe he is, and whether he be a trusty man togo with thee.

5:9 So he called him, and he came in, and they saluted one another.

5:10 Then Tobit said unto him, Brother, shew me of what tribe and family thouart.

5:11 To whom he said, Dost thou seek for a tribe or family, or an hired man togo with thy son? Then Tobit said unto him, I would know, brother, thy kindredand name.

5:12 Then he said, I am Azarias, the son of Ananias the great, and of thybrethren.

5:13 Then Tobit said, Thou art welcome, brother; be not now angry with me,because I have enquired to know thy tribe and thy family; for thou art mybrother, of an honest and good stock: for I know Ananias and Jonathas, sons ofthat great Samaias, as we went together to Jerusalem to worship, and offeredthe firstborn, and the tenths of the fruits; and they were not seduced with theerror of our brethren: my brother, thou art of a good stock.

5:14 But tell me, what wages shall I give thee? wilt thou a drachm a day, andthings necessary, as to mine own son?

5:15 Yea, moreover, if ye return safe, I will add something to thy wages.

5:16 So they were well pleased. Then said he to Tobias, Prepare thyself for thejourney, and God send you a good journey. And when his son had prepared allthings far the journey, his father said, Go thou with this man, and God, whichdwelleth in heaven, prosper your journey, and the angel of God keep youcompany. So they went forth both, and the young man’s dog with them.

5:17 But Anna his mother wept, and said to Tobit, Why hast thou sent away ourson? is he not the staff of our hand, in going in and out before us?

5:18 Be not greedy to add money to money: but let it be as refuse in respect ofour child.

5:19 For that which the Lord hath given us to live with doth suffice us.

5:20 Then said Tobit to her, Take no care, my sister; he shall return insafety, and thine eyes shall see him.

5:21 For the good angel will keep him company, and his journey shall beprosperous, and he shall return safe.

5:22 Then she made an end of weeping.

6:1 And as they went on their journey, they came in the evening to the riverTigris, and they lodged there.

6:2 And when the young man went down to wash himself, a fish leaped out of theriver, and would have devoured him.

6:3 Then the angel said unto him, Take the fish. And the young man laid hold ofthe fish, and drew it to land.

6:4 To whom the angel said, Open the fish, and take the heart and the liver andthe gall, and put them up safely.

6:5 So the young man did as the angel commanded him; and when they had roastedthe fish, they did eat it: then they both went on their way, till they drewnear to Ecbatane.

6:6 Then the young man said to the angel, Brother Azarias, to what use is theheart and the liver and the gal of the fish?

6:7 And he said unto him, Touching the heart and the liver, if a devil or anevil spirit trouble any, we must make a smoke thereof before the man or thewoman, and the party shall be no more vexed.

6:8 As for the gall, it is good to anoint a man that hath whiteness in hiseyes, and he shall be healed.

6:9 And when they were come near to Rages,

6:10 The angel said to the young man, Brother, to day we shall lodge withRaguel, who is thy cousin; he also hath one only daughter, named Sara; I willspeak for her, that she may be given thee for a wife.

6:11 For to thee doth the right of her appertain, seeing thou only art of herkindred.

6:12 And the maid is fair and wise: now therefore hear me, and I will speak toher father; and when we return from Rages we will celebrate the marriage: for Iknow that Raguel cannot marry her to another according to the law of Moses, buthe shall be guilty of death, because the right of inheritance doth ratherappertain to thee than to any other.

6:13 Then the young man answered the angel, I have heard, brother Azarias thatthis maid hath been given to seven men, who all died in the marriage chamber.

6:14 And now I am the only son of my father, and I am afraid, lest if I go inunto her, I die, as the other before: for a wicked spirit loveth her, whichhurteth no body, but those which come unto her; wherefore I also fear lest Idie, and bring my father’s and my mother’s life because of me tothe grave with sorrow: for they have no other son to bury them.

6:15 Then the angel said unto him, Dost thou not remember the precepts whichthy father gave thee, that thou shouldest marry a wife of thine own kindred?wherefore hear me, O my brother; for she shall be given thee to wife; and makethou no reckoning of the evil spirit; for this same night shall she be giventhee in marriage.

6:16 And when thou shalt come into the marriage chamber, thou shalt take theashes of perfume, and shalt lay upon them some of the heart and liver of thefish, and shalt make a smoke with it:

6:17 And the devil shall smell it, and flee away, and never come again anymore: but when thou shalt come to her, rise up both of you, and pray to Godwhich is merciful, who will have pity on you, and save you: fear not, for sheis appointed unto thee from the beginning; and thou shalt preserve her, and sheshall go with thee. Moreover I suppose that she shall bear thee children. Nowwhen Tobias had heard these things, he loved her, and his heart was effectuallyjoined to her.

7:1 And when they were come to Ecbatane, they came to the house of Raguel, andSara met them: and after they had saluted one another, she brought them intothe house.

7:2 Then said Raguel to Edna his wife, How like is this young man to Tobit mycousin!

7:3 And Raguel asked them, From whence are ye, brethren? To whom they said, Weare of the sons of Nephthalim, which are captives in Nineve.

7:4 Then he said to them, Do ye know Tobit our kinsman? And they said, We knowhim. Then said he, Is he in good health?

7:5 And they said, He is both alive, and in good health: and Tobias said, He ismy father.

7:6 Then Raguel leaped up, and kissed him, and wept,

7:7 And blessed him, and said unto him, Thou art the son of an honest and goodman. But when he had heard that Tobit was blind, he was sorrowful, and wept.

7:8 And likewise Edna his wife and Sara his daughter wept. Moreover theyentertained them cheerfully; and after that they had killed a ram of the flock,they set store of meat on the table. Then said Tobias to Raphael, BrotherAzarias, speak of those things of which thou didst talk in the way, and letthis business be dispatched.

7:9 So he communicated the matter with Raguel: and Raguel said to Tobias, Eatand drink, and make merry:

7:10 For it is meet that thou shouldest marry my daughter: nevertheless I willdeclare unto thee the truth.

7:11 I have given my daughter in marriage to seven men, who died that nightthey came in unto her: nevertheless for the present be merry. But Tobias said,I will eat nothing here, till we agree and swear one to another.

7:12 Raguel said, Then take her from henceforth according to the manner, forthou art her cousin, and she is thine, and the merciful God give you goodsuccess in all things.

7:13 Then he called his daughter Sara, and she came to her father, and he tookher by the hand, and gave her to be wife to Tobias, saying, Behold, take herafter the law of Moses, and lead her away to thy father. And he blessed them;

7:14 And called Edna his wife, and took paper, and did write an instrument ofcovenants, and sealed it.

7:15 Then they began to eat.

7:16 After Raguel called his wife Edna, and said unto her, Sister, prepareanother chamber, and bring her in thither.

7:17 Which when she had done as he had bidden her, she brought her thither: andshe wept, and she received the tears of her daughter, and said unto her,

7:18 Be of good comfort, my daughter; the Lord of heaven and earth give theejoy for this thy sorrow: be of good comfort, my daughter.

8:1 And when they had supped, they brought Tobias in unto her.

8:2 And as he went, he remembered the words of Raphael, and took the ashes ofthe perfumes, and put the heart and the liver of the fish thereupon, and made asmoke therewith.

8:3 The which smell when the evil spirit had smelled, he fled into the utmostparts of Egypt, and the angel bound him.

8:4 And after that they were both shut in together, Tobias rose out of the bed,and said, Sister, arise, and let us pray that God would have pity on us.

8:5 Then began Tobias to say, Blessed art thou, O God of our fathers, andblessed is thy holy and glorious name for ever; let the heavens bless thee, andall thy creatures.

8:6 Thou madest Adam, and gavest him Eve his wife for an helper and stay: ofthem came mankind: thou hast said, It is not good that man should be alone; letus make unto him an aid like unto himself.

8:7 And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust, but uprightly:therefore mercifully ordain that we may become aged together.

8:8 And she said with him, Amen.

8:9 So they slept both that night. And Raguel arose, and went and made a grave,

8:10 Saying, I fear lest he also be dead.

8:11 But when Raguel was come into his house,

8:12 He said unto his wife Edna. Send one of the maids, and let her see whetherhe be alive: if he be not, that we may bury him, and no man know it.

8:13 So the maid opened the door, and went in, and found them both asleep,

8:14 And came forth, and told them that he was alive.

8:15 Then Raguel praised God, and said, O God, thou art worthy to be praisedwith all pure and holy praise; therefore let thy saints praise thee with allthy creatures; and let all thine angels and thine elect praise thee for ever.

8:16 Thou art to be praised, for thou hast made me joyful; and that is not cometo me which I suspected; but thou hast dealt with us according to thy greatmercy.

8:17 Thou art to be praised because thou hast had mercy of two that were theonly begotten children of their fathers: grant them mercy, O Lord, and finishtheir life in health with joy and mercy.

8:18 Then Raguel bade his servants to fill the grave.

8:19 And he kept the wedding feast fourteen days.

8:20 For before the days of the marriage were finished, Raguel had said untohim by an oath, that he should not depart till the fourteen days of themarriage were expired;

8:21 And then he should take the half of his goods, and go in safety to hisfather; and should have the rest when I and my wife be dead.

9:1 Then Tobias called Raphael, and said unto him,

9:2 Brother Azarias, take with thee a servant, and two camels, and go to Ragesof Media to Gabael, and bring me the money, and bring him to the wedding.

9:3 For Raguel hath sworn that I shall not depart.

9:4 But my father counteth the days; and if I tarry long, he will be verysorry.

9:5 So Raphael went out, and lodged with Gabael, and gave him the handwriting:who brought forth bags which were sealed up, and gave them to him.

9:6 And early in the morning they went forth both together, and came to thewedding: and Tobias blessed his wife.

10:1 Now Tobit his father counted every day: and when the days of the journeywere expired, and they came not,

10:2 Then Tobit said, Are they detained? or is Gabael dead, and there is no manto give him the money?

10:3 Therefore he was very sorry.

10:4 Then his wife said unto him, My son is dead, seeing he stayeth long; andshe began to bewail him, and said,

10:5 Now I care for nothing, my son, since I have let thee go, the light ofmine eyes.

10:6 To whom Tobit said, Hold thy peace, take no care, for he is safe.

10:7 But she said, Hold thy peace, and deceive me not; my son is dead. And shewent out every day into the way which they went, and did eat no meat on thedaytime, and ceased not whole nights to bewail her son Tobias, until thefourteen days of the wedding were expired, which Raguel had sworn that heshould spend there. Then Tobias said to Raguel, Let me go, for my father and mymother look no more to see me.

10:8 But his father in law said unto him, Tarry with me, and I will send to thyfather, and they shall declare unto him how things go with thee.

10:9 But Tobias said, No; but let me go to my father.

10:10 Then Raguel arose, and gave him Sara his wife, and half his goods,servants, and cattle, and money:

10:11 And he blessed them, and sent them away, saying, The God of heaven giveyou a prosperous journey, my children.

10:12 And he said to his daughter, Honour thy father and thy mother in law,which are now thy parents, that I may hear good report of thee. And he kissedher. Edna also said to Tobias, The Lord of heaven restore thee, my dearbrother, and grant that I may see thy children of my daughter Sara before Idie, that I may rejoice before the Lord: behold, I commit my daughter unto theeof special trust; where are do not entreat her evil.

11:1 After these things Tobias went his way, praising God that he had given hima prosperous journey, and blessed Raguel and Edna his wife, and went on his waytill they drew near unto Nineve.

11:2 Then Raphael said to Tobias, Thou knowest, brother, how thou didst leavethy father:

11:3 Let us haste before thy wife, and prepare the house.

11:4 And take in thine hand the gall of the fish. So they went their way, andthe dog went after them.

11:5 Now Anna sat looking about toward the way for her son.

11:6 And when she espied him coming, she said to his father, Behold, thy soncometh, and the man that went with him.

11:7 Then said Raphael, I know, Tobias, that thy father will open his eyes.

11:8 Therefore anoint thou his eyes with the gall, and being pricked therewith,he shall rub, and the whiteness shall fall away, and he shall see thee.

11:9 Then Anna ran forth, and fell upon the neck of her son, and said unto him,Seeing I have seen thee, my son, from henceforth I am content to die. And theywept both.

11:10 Tobit also went forth toward the door, and stumbled: but his son ran untohim,

11:11 And took hold of his father: and he strake of the gall on hisfathers’ eyes, saying, Be of good hope, my father.

11:12 And when his eyes began to smart, he rubbed them;

11:13 And the whiteness pilled away from the corners of his eyes: and when hesaw his son, he fell upon his neck.

11:14 And he wept, and said, Blessed art thou, O God, and blessed is thy namefor ever; and blessed are all thine holy angels:

11:15 For thou hast scourged, and hast taken pity on me: for, behold, I see myson Tobias. And his son went in rejoicing, and told his father the great thingsthat had happened to him in Media.

11:16 Then Tobit went out to meet his daughter in law at the gate of Nineve,rejoicing and praising God: and they which saw him go marvelled, because he hadreceived his sight.

11:17 But Tobias gave thanks before them, because God had mercy on him. Andwhen he came near to Sara his daughter in law, he blessed her, saying, Thou artwelcome, daughter: God be blessed, which hath brought thee unto us, and blessedbe thy father and thy mother. And there was joy among all his brethren whichwere at Nineve.

11:18 And Achiacharus, and Nasbas his brother’s son, came:

11:19 And Tobias’ wedding was kept seven days with great joy.

12:1 Then Tobit called his son Tobias, and said unto him, My son, see that theman have his wages, which went with thee, and thou must give him more.

12:2 And Tobias said unto him, O father, it is no harm to me to give him halfof those things which I have brought:

12:3 For he hath brought me again to thee in safety, and made whole my wife,and brought me the money, and likewise healed thee.

12:4 Then the old man said, It is due unto him.

12:5 So he called the angel, and he said unto him, Take half of all that yehave brought and go away in safety.

12:6 Then he took them both apart, and said unto them, Bless God, praise him,and magnify him, and praise him for the things which he hath done unto you inthe sight of all that live. It is good to praise God, and exalt his name, andhonourably to shew forth the works of God; therefore be not slack to praisehim.

12:7 It is good to keep close the secret of a king, but it is honourable toreveal the works of God. Do that which is good, and no evil shall touch you.

12:8 Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little withrighteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to givealms than to lay up gold:

12:9 For alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin. Those thatexercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life:

12:10 But they that sin are enemies to their own life.

12:11 Surely I will keep close nothing from you. For I said, It was good tokeep close the secret of a king, but that it was honourable to reveal the worksof God.

12:12 Now therefore, when thou didst pray, and Sara thy daughter in law, I didbring the remembrance of your prayers before the Holy One: and when thou didstbury the dead, I was with thee likewise.

12:13 And when thou didst not delay to rise up, and leave thy dinner, to go andcover the dead, thy good deed was not hid from me: but I was with thee.

12:14 And now God hath sent me to heal thee and Sara thy daughter in law.

12:15 I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers ofthe saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One.

12:16 Then they were both troubled, and fell upon their faces: for they feared.

12:17 But he said unto them, Fear not, for it shall go well with you; praiseGod therefore.

12:18 For not of any favour of mine, but by the will of our God I came;wherefore praise him for ever.

12:19 All these days I did appear unto you; but I did neither eat nor drink,but ye did see a vision.

12:20 Now therefore give God thanks: for I go up to him that sent me; but writeall things which are done in a book.

12:21 And when they arose, they saw him no more.

12:22 Then they confessed the great and wonderful works of God, and how theangel of the Lord had appeared unto them.

13:1 Then Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing, and said, Blessed be God thatliveth for ever, and blessed be his kingdom.

13:2 For he doth scourge, and hath mercy: he leadeth down to hell, and bringethup again: neither is there any that can avoid his hand.

13:3 Confess him before the Gentiles, ye children of Israel: for he hathscattered us among them.

13:4 There declare his greatness, and extol him before all the living: for heis our Lord, and he is the God our Father for ever.

13:5 And he will scourge us for our iniquities, and will have mercy again, andwill gather us out of all nations, among whom he hath scattered us.

13:6 If ye turn to him with your whole heart, and with your whole mind, anddeal uprightly before him, then will he turn unto you, and will not hide hisface from you. Therefore see what he will do with you, and confess him withyour whole mouth, and praise the Lord of might, and extol the everlasting King.In the land of my captivity do I praise him, and declare his might and majestyto a sinful nation. O ye sinners, turn and do justice before him: who can tellif he will accept you, and have mercy on you?

13:7 I will extol my God, and my soul shall praise the King of heaven, andshall rejoice in his greatness.

13:8 Let all men speak, and let all praise him for his righteousness.

13:9 O Jerusalem, the holy city, he will scourge thee for thy children’sworks, and will have mercy again on the sons of the righteous.

13:10 Give praise to the Lord, for he is good: and praise the everlasting King,that his tabernacle may be builded in thee again with joy, and let him makejoyful there in thee those that are captives, and love in thee for ever thosethat are miserable.

13:11 Many nations shall come from far to the name of the Lord God with giftsin their hands, even gifts to the King of heaven; all generations shall praisethee with great joy.

13:12 Cursed are all they which hate thee, and blessed shall all be which lovethee for ever.

13:13 Rejoice and be glad for the children of the just: for they shall begathered together, and shall bless the Lord of the just.

13:14 O blessed are they which love thee, for they shall rejoice in thy peace:blessed are they which have been sorrowful for all thy scourges; for they shallrejoice for thee, when they have seen all thy glory, and shall be glad forever.

13:15 Let my soul bless God the great King.

13:16 For Jerusalem shall be built up with sapphires and emeralds, and preciousstone: thy walls and towers and battlements with pure gold.

13:17 And the streets of Jerusalem shall be paved with beryl and carbuncle andstones of Ophir.

13:18 And all her streets shall say, Alleluia; and they shall praise him,saying, Blessed be God, which hath extolled it for ever.

14:1 So Tobit made an end of praising God.

14:2 And he was eight and fifty years old when he lost his sight, which wasrestored to him after eight years: and he gave alms, and he increased in thefear of the Lord God, and praised him.

14:3 And when he was very aged he called his son, and the sons of his son, andsaid to him, My son, take thy children; for, behold, I am aged, and am ready todepart out of this life.

14:4 Go into Media my son, for I surely believe those things which Jonas theprophet spake of Nineve, that it shall be overthrown; and that for a time peaceshall rather be in Media; and that our brethren shall lie scattered in theearth from that good land: and Jerusalem shall be desolate, and the house ofGod in it shall be burned, and shall be desolate for a time;

14:5 And that again God will have mercy on them, and bring them again into theland, where they shall build a temple, but not like to the first, until thetime of that age be fulfilled; and afterward they shall return from all placesof their captivity, and build up Jerusalem gloriously, and the house of Godshall be built in it for ever with a glorious building, as the prophets havespoken thereof.

14:6 And all nations shall turn, and fear the Lord God truly, and shall burytheir idols.

14:7 So shall all nations praise the Lord, and his people shall confess God,and the Lord shall exalt his people; and all those which love the Lord God intruth and justice shall rejoice, shewing mercy to our brethren.

14:8 And now, my son, depart out of Nineve, because that those things which theprophet Jonas spake shall surely come to pass.

14:9 But keep thou the law and the commandments, and shew thyself merciful andjust, that it may go well with thee.

14:10 And bury me decently, and thy mother with me; but tarry no longer atNineve. Remember, my son, how Aman handled Achiacharus that brought him up, howout of light he brought him into darkness, and how he rewarded him again: yetAchiacharus was saved, but the other had his reward: for he went down intodarkness. Manasses gave alms, and escaped the snares of death which they hadset for him: but Aman fell into the snare, and perished.

14:11 Wherefore now, my son, consider what alms doeth, and how righteousnessdoth deliver. When he had said these things, he gave up the ghost in the bed,being an hundred and eight and fifty years old; and he buried him honourably.

14:12 And when Anna his mother was dead, he buried her with his father. ButTobias departed with his wife and children to Ecbatane to Raguel his father inlaw,

14:13 Where he became old with honour, and he buried his father and mother inlaw honourably, and he inherited their substance, and his father Tobit’s.

14:14 And he died at Ecbatane in Media, being an hundred and seven and twentyyears old.

14:15 But before he died he heard of the destruction of Nineve, which was takenby Nabuchodonosor and Assuerus: and before his death he rejoiced over Nineve.

The Book of Judith

1:1 In the twelfth year of the reign of Nabuchodonosor, who reigned in Nineve,the great city; in the days of Arphaxad, which reigned over the Medes inEcbatane,

1:2 And built in Ecbatane walls round about of stones hewn three cubits broadand six cubits long, and made the height of the wall seventy cubits, and thebreadth thereof fifty cubits:

1:3 And set the towers thereof upon the gates of it an hundred cubits high, andthe breadth thereof in the foundation threescore cubits:

1:4 And he made the gates thereof, even gates that were raised to the height ofseventy cubits, and the breadth of them was forty cubits, for the going forthof his mighty armies, and for the setting in array of his footmen:

1:5 Even in those days king Nabuchodonosor made war with king Arphaxad in thegreat plain, which is the plain in the borders of Ragau.

1:6 And there came unto him all they that dwelt in the hill country, and allthat dwelt by Euphrates, and Tigris and Hydaspes, and the plain of Arioch theking of the Elymeans, and very many nations of the sons of Chelod, assembledthemselves to the battle.

1:7 Then Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians sent unto all that dwelt inPersia, and to all that dwelt westward, and to those that dwelt in Cilicia, andDamascus, and Libanus, and Antilibanus, and to all that dwelt upon the seacoast,

1:8 And to those among the nations that were of Carmel, and Galaad, and thehigher Galilee, and the great plain of Esdrelom,

1:9 And to all that were in Samaria and the cities thereof, and beyond Jordanunto Jerusalem, and Betane, and Chelus, and Kades, and the river of Egypt, andTaphnes, and Ramesse, and all the land of Gesem,

1:10 Until ye come beyond Tanis and Memphis, and to all the inhabitants ofEgypt, until ye come to the borders of Ethiopia.

1:11 But all the inhabitants of the land made light of the commandment ofNabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians, neither went they with him to the battle;for they were not afraid of him: yea, he was before them as one man, and theysent away his ambassadors from them without effect, and with disgrace.

1:12 Therefore Nabuchodonosor was very angry with all this country, and swareby his throne and kingdom, that he would surely be avenged upon all thosecoasts of Cilicia, and Damascus, and Syria, and that he would slay with thesword all the inhabitants of the land of Moab, and the children of Ammon, andall Judea, and all that were in Egypt, till ye come to the borders of the twoseas.

1:13 Then he marched in battle array with his power against king Arphaxad inthe seventeenth year, and he prevailed in his battle: for he overthrew all thepower of Arphaxad, and all his horsemen, and all his chariots,

1:14 And became lord of his cities, and came unto Ecbatane, and took thetowers, and spoiled the streets thereof, and turned the beauty thereof intoshame.

1:15 He took also Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragau, and smote him throughwith his darts, and destroyed him utterly that day.

1:16 So he returned afterward to Nineve, both he and all his company of sundrynations being a very great multitude of men of war, and there he took his ease,and banqueted, both he and his army, an hundred and twenty days.

2:1 And in the eighteenth year, the two and twentieth day of the first month,there was talk in the house of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians that heshould, as he said, avenge himself on all the earth.

2:2 So he called unto him all his officers, and all his nobles, andcommunicated with them his secret counsel, and concluded the afflicting of thewhole earth out of his own mouth.

2:3 Then they decreed to destroy all flesh, that did not obey the commandmentof his mouth.

2:4 And when he had ended his counsel, Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrianscalled Holofernes the chief captain of his army, which was next unto him, andsaid unto him.

2:5 Thus saith the great king, the lord of the whole earth, Behold, thou shaltgo forth from my presence, and take with thee men that trust in their ownstrength, of footmen an hundred and twenty thousand; and the number of horseswith their riders twelve thousand.

2:6 And thou shalt go against all the west country, because they disobeyed mycommandment.

2:7 And thou shalt declare unto that they prepare for me earth and water: for Iwill go forth in my wrath against them and will cover the whole face of theearth with the feet of mine army, and I will give them for a spoil unto them:

2:8 So that their slain shall fill their valleys and brooks and the river shallbe filled with their dead, till it overflow:

2:9 And I will lead them captives to the utmost parts of all the earth.

2:10 Thou therefore shalt go forth, and take beforehand for me all theircoasts: and if they will yield themselves unto thee, thou shalt reserve themfor me till the day of their punishment.

2:11 But concerning them that rebel, let not thine eye spare them; but put themto the slaughter, and spoil them wheresoever thou goest.

2:12 For as I live, and by the power of my kingdom, whatsoever I have spoken,that will I do by mine hand.

2:13 And take thou heed that thou transgress none of the commandments of thylord, but accomplish them fully, as I have commanded thee, and defer not to dothem.

2:14 Then Holofernes went forth from the presence of his lord, and called allthe governors and captains, and the officers of the army of Assur;

2:15 And he mustered the chosen men for the battle, as his lord had commandedhim, unto an hundred and twenty thousand, and twelve thousand archers onhorseback;

2:16 And he ranged them, as a great army is ordered for the war.

2:17 And he took camels and asses for their carriages, a very great number; andsheep and oxen and goats without number for their provision:

2:18 And plenty of victual for every man of the army, and very much gold andsilver out of the king’s house.

2:19 Then he went forth and all his power to go before king Nabuchodonosor inthe voyage, and to cover all the face of the earth westward with theirchariots, and horsemen, and their chosen footmen.

2:20 A great number also sundry countries came with them like locusts, and likethe sand of the earth: for the multitude was without number.

2:21 And they went forth of Nineve three days’ journey toward the plainof Bectileth, and pitched from Bectileth near the mountain which is at the lefthand of the upper Cilicia.

2:22 Then he took all his army, his footmen, and horsemen and chariots, andwent from thence into the hill country;

2:23 And destroyed Phud and Lud, and spoiled all the children of Rasses, andthe children of Ismael, which were toward the wilderness at the south of theland of the Chellians.

2:24 Then he went over Euphrates, and went through Mesopotamia, and destroyedall the high cities that were upon the river Arbonai, till ye come to the sea.

2:25 And he took the borders of Cilicia, and killed all that resisted him, andcame to the borders of Japheth, which were toward the south, over againstArabia.

2:26 He compassed also all the children of Madian, and burned up theirtabernacles, and spoiled their sheepcotes.

2:27 Then he went down into the plain of Damascus in the time of wheat harvest,and burnt up all their fields, and destroyed their flocks and herds, also hespoiled their cities, and utterly wasted their countries, and smote all theiryoung men with the edge of the sword.

2:28 Therefore the fear and dread of him fell upon all the inhabitants of thesea coasts, which were in Sidon and Tyrus, and them that dwelt in Sur andOcina, and all that dwelt in Jemnaan; and they that dwelt in Azotus and Ascalonfeared him greatly.

3:1 So they sent ambassadors unto him to treat of peace, saying,

3:2 Behold, we the servants of Nabuchodonosor the great king lie before thee;use us as shall be good in thy sight.

3:3 Behold, our houses, and all our places, and all our fields of wheat, andflocks, and herds, and all the lodges of our tents lie before thy face; usethem as it pleaseth thee.

3:4 Behold, even our cities and the inhabitants thereof are thy servants; comeand deal with them as seemeth good unto thee.

3:5 So the men came to Holofernes, and declared unto him after this manner.

3:6 Then came he down toward the sea coast, both he and his army, and setgarrisons in the high cities, and took out of them chosen men for aid.

3:7 So they and all the country round about received them with garlands, withdances, and with timbrels.

3:8 Yet he did cast down their frontiers, and cut down their groves: for he haddecreed to destroy all the gods of the land, that all nations should worshipNabuchodonosor only, and that all tongues and tribes should call upon him asgod.

3:9 Also he came over against Esdraelon near unto Judea, over against the greatstrait of Judea.

3:10 And he pitched between Geba and Scythopolis, and there he tarried a wholemonth, that he might gather together all the carriages of his army.

4:1 Now the children of Israel, that dwelt in Judea, heard all that Holofernesthe chief captain of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians had done to thenations, and after what manner he had spoiled all their temples, and broughtthem to nought.

4:2 Therefore they were exceedingly afraid of him, and were troubled forJerusalem, and for the temple of the Lord their God:

4:3 For they were newly returned from the captivity, and all the people ofJudea were lately gathered together: and the vessels, and the altar, and thehouse, were sanctified after the profanation.

4:4 Therefore they sent into all the coasts of Samaria, and the villages and toBethoron, and Belmen, and Jericho, and to Choba, and Esora, and to the valleyof Salem:

4:5 And possessed themselves beforehand of all the tops of the high mountains,and fortified the villages that were in them, and laid up victuals for theprovision of war: for their fields were of late reaped.

4:6 Also Joacim the high priest, which was in those days in Jerusalem, wrote tothem that dwelt in Bethulia, and Betomestham, which is over against Esdraelontoward the open country, near to Dothaim,

4:7 Charging them to keep the passages of the hill country: for by them therewas an entrance into Judea, and it was easy to stop them that would come up,because the passage was straight, for two men at the most.

4:8 And the children of Israel did as Joacim the high priest had commandedthem, with the ancients of all the people of Israel, which dwelt at Jerusalem.

4:9 Then every man of Israel cried to God with great fervency, and with greatvehemency did they humble their souls:

4:10 Both they, and their wives and their children, and their cattle, and everystranger and hireling, and their servants bought with money, put sackcloth upontheir loins.

4:11 Thus every man and women, and the little children, and the inhabitants ofJerusalem, fell before the temple, and cast ashes upon their heads, and spreadout their sackcloth before the face of the Lord: also they put sackcloth aboutthe altar,

4:12 And cried to the God of Israel all with one consent earnestly, that hewould not give their children for a prey, and their wives for a spoil, and thecities of their inheritance to destruction, and the sanctuary to profanationand reproach, and for the nations to rejoice at.

4:13 So God heard their prayers, and looked upon their afflictions: for thepeople fasted many days in all Judea and Jerusalem before the sanctuary of theLord Almighty.

4:14 And Joacim the high priest, and all the priests that stood before theLord, and they which ministered unto the Lord, had their loins girt withsackcloth, and offered the daily burnt offerings, with the vows and free giftsof the people,

4:15 And had ashes on their mitres, and cried unto the Lord with all theirpower, that he would look upon all the house of Israel graciously.

5:1 Then was it declared to Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur,that the children of Israel had prepared for war, and had shut up the passagesof the hill country, and had fortified all the tops of the high hills and hadlaid impediments in the champaign countries:

5:2 Wherewith he was very angry, and called all the princes of Moab, and thecaptains of Ammon, and all the governors of the sea coast,

5:3 And he said unto them, Tell me now, ye sons of Chanaan, who this people is,that dwelleth in the hill country, and what are the cities that they inhabit,and what is the multitude of their army, and wherein is their power andstrength, and what king is set over them, or captain of their army;

5:4 And why have they determined not to come and meet me, more than all theinhabitants of the west.

5:5 Then said Achior, the captain of all the sons of Ammon, Let my lord nowhear a word from the mouth of thy servant, and I will declare unto thee thetruth concerning this people, which dwelleth near thee, and inhabiteth the hillcountries: and there shall no lie come out of the mouth of thy servant.

5:6 This people are descended of the Chaldeans:

5:7 And they sojourned heretofore in Mesopotamia, because they would not followthe gods of their fathers, which were in the land of Chaldea.

5:8 For they left the way of their ancestors, and worshipped the God of heaven,the God whom they knew: so they cast them out from the face of their gods, andthey fled into Mesopotamia, and sojourned there many days.

5:9 Then their God commanded them to depart from the place where theysojourned, and to go into the land of Chanaan: where they dwelt, and wereincreased with gold and silver, and with very much cattle.

5:10 But when a famine covered all the land of Chanaan, they went down intoEgypt, and sojourned there, while they were nourished, and became there a greatmultitude, so that one could not number their nation.

5:11 Therefore the king of Egypt rose up against them, and dealt subtilly withthem, and brought them low with labouring in brick, and made them slaves.

5:12 Then they cried unto their God, and he smote all the land of Egypt withincurable plagues: so the Egyptians cast them out of their sight.

5:13 And God dried the Red sea before them,

5:14 And brought them to mount Sina, and Cades-Barne, and cast forth all thatdwelt in the wilderness.

5:15 So they dwelt in the land of the Amorites, and they destroyed by theirstrength all them of Esebon, and passing over Jordan they possessed all thehill country.

5:16 And they cast forth before them the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, theJebusite, and the Sychemite, and all the Gergesites, and they dwelt in thatcountry many days.

5:17 And whilst they sinned not before their God, they prospered, because theGod that hateth iniquity was with them.

5:18 But when they departed from the way which he appointed them, they weredestroyed in many battles very sore, and were led captives into a land that wasnot theirs, and the temple of their God was cast to the ground, and theircities were taken by the enemies.

5:19 But now are they returned to their God, and are come up from the placeswhere they were scattered, and have possessed Jerusalem, where their sanctuaryis, and are seated in the hill country; for it was desolate.

5:20 Now therefore, my lord and governor, if there be any error against thispeople, and they sin against their God, let us consider that this shall betheir ruin, and let us go up, and we shall overcome them.

5:21 But if there be no iniquity in their nation, let my lord now pass by, lesttheir Lord defend them, and their God be for them, and we become a reproachbefore all the world.

5:22 And when Achior had finished these sayings, all the people standing roundabout the tent murmured, and the chief men of Holofernes, and all that dwelt bythe sea side, and in Moab, spake that he should kill him.

5:23 For, say they, we will not be afraid of the face of the children ofIsrael: for, lo, it is a people that have no strength nor power for a strongbattle

5:24 Now therefore, lord Holofernes, we will go up, and they shall be a prey tobe devoured of all thine army.

6:1 And when the tumult of men that were about the council was ceased,Holofernes the chief captain of the army of Assur said unto Achior and all theMoabites before all the company of other nations,

6:2 And who art thou, Achior, and the hirelings of Ephraim, that thou hastprophesied against us as to day, and hast said, that we should not make warwith the people of Israel, because their God will defend them? and who is Godbut Nabuchodonosor?

6:3 He will send his power, and will destroy them from the face of the earth,and their God shall not deliver them: but we his servants will destroy them asone man; for they are not able to sustain the power of our horses.

6:4 For with them we will tread them under foot, and their mountains shall bedrunken with their blood, and their fields shall be filled with their deadbodies, and their footsteps shall not be able to stand before us, for theyshall utterly perish, saith king Nabuchodonosor, lord of all the earth: for hesaid, None of my words shall be in vain.

6:5 And thou, Achior, an hireling of Ammon, which hast spoken these words inthe day of thine iniquity, shalt see my face no more from this day, until Itake vengeance of this nation that came out of Egypt.

6:6 And then shall the sword of mine army, and the multitude of them that serveme, pass through thy sides, and thou shalt fall among their slain, when Ireturn.

6:7 Now therefore my servants shall bring thee back into the hill country, andshall set thee in one of the cities of the passages:

6:8 And thou shalt not perish, till thou be destroyed with them.

6:9 And if thou persuade thyself in thy mind that they shall be taken, let notthy countenance fall: I have spoken it, and none of my words shall be in vain.

6:10 Then Holofernes commanded his servants, that waited in his tent, to takeAchior, and bring him to Bethulia, and deliver him into the hands of thechildren of Israel.

6:11 So his servants took him, and brought him out of the camp into the plain,and they went from the midst of the plain into the hill country, and came untothe fountains that were under Bethulia.

6:12 And when the men of the city saw them, they took up their weapons, andwent out of the city to the top of the hill: and every man that used a slingkept them from coming up by casting of stones against them.

6:13 Nevertheless having gotten privily under the hill, they bound Achior, andcast him down, and left him at the foot of the hill, and returned to theirlord.

6:14 But the Israelites descended from their city, and came unto him, andloosed him, and brought him to Bethulia, and presented him to the governors ofthe city:

6:15 Which were in those days Ozias the son of Micha, of the tribe of Simeon,and Chabris the son of Gothoniel, and Charmis the son of Melchiel.

6:16 And they called together all the ancients of the city, and all their youthran together, and their women, to the assembly, and they set Achior in themidst of all their people. Then Ozias asked him of that which was done.

6:17 And he answered and declared unto them the words of the council ofHolofernes, and all the words that he had spoken in the midst of the princes ofAssur, and whatsoever Holofernes had spoken proudly against the house ofIsrael.

6:18 Then the people fell down and worshipped God, and cried unto God, saying,

6:19 O Lord God of heaven, behold their pride, and pity the low estate of ournation, and look upon the face of those that are sanctified unto thee this day.

6:20 Then they comforted Achior, and praised him greatly.

6:21 And Ozias took him out of the assembly unto his house, and made a feast tothe elders; and they called on the God of Israel all that night for help.

7:1 The next day Holofernes commanded all his army, and all his people whichwere come to take his part, that they should remove their camp againstBethulia, to take aforehand the ascents of the hill country, and to make waragainst the children of Israel.

7:2 Then their strong men removed their camps in that day, and the army of themen of war was an hundred and seventy thousand footmen, and twelve thousandhorsemen, beside the baggage, and other men that were afoot among them, a verygreat multitude.

7:3 And they camped in the valley near unto Bethulia, by the fountain, and theyspread themselves in breadth over Dothaim even to Belmaim, and in length fromBethulia unto Cynamon, which is over against Esdraelon.

7:4 Now the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, weregreatly troubled, and said every one to his neighbour, Now will these men lickup the face of the earth; for neither the high mountains, nor the valleys, northe hills, are able to bear their weight.

7:5 Then every man took up his weapons of war, and when they had kindled firesupon their towers, they remained and watched all that night.

7:6 But in the second day Holofernes brought forth all his horsemen in thesight of the children of Israel which were in Bethulia,

7:7 And viewed the passages up to the city, and came to the fountains of theirwaters, and took them, and set garrisons of men of war over them, and hehimself removed toward his people.

7:8 Then came unto him all the chief of the children of Esau, and all thegovernors of the people of Moab, and the captains of the sea coast, and said,

7:9 Let our lord now hear a word, that there be not an overthrow in thine army.

7:10 For this people of the children of Israel do not trust in their spears,but in the height of the mountains wherein they dwell, because it is not easyto come up to the tops of their mountains.

7:11 Now therefore, my lord, fight not against them in battle array, and thereshall not so much as one man of thy people perish.

7:12 Remain in thy camp, and keep all the men of thine army, and let thyservants get into their hands the fountain of water, which issueth forth of thefoot of the mountain:

7:13 For all the inhabitants of Bethulia have their water thence; so shallthirst kill them, and they shall give up their city, and we and our peopleshall go up to the tops of the mountains that are near, and will camp uponthem, to watch that none go out of the city.

7:14 So they and their wives and their children shall be consumed with famine,and before the sword come against them, they shall be overthrown in the streetswhere they dwell.

7:15 Thus shalt thou render them an evil reward; because they rebelled, and metnot thy person peaceably.

7:16 And these words pleased Holofernes and all his servants, and he appointedto do as they had spoken.

7:17 So the camp of the children of Ammon departed, and with them five thousandof the Assyrians, and they pitched in the valley, and took the waters, and thefountains of the waters of the children of Israel.

7:18 Then the children of Esau went up with the children of Ammon, and campedin the hill country over against Dothaim: and they sent some of them toward thesouth, and toward the east over against Ekrebel, which is near unto Chusi, thatis upon the brook Mochmur; and the rest of the army of the Assyrians camped inthe plain, and covered the face of the whole land; and their tents andcarriages were pitched to a very great multitude.

7:19 Then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord their God, because theirheart failed, for all their enemies had compassed them round about, and therewas no way to escape out from among them.

7:20 Thus all the company of Assur remained about them, both their footmen,chariots, and horsemen, four and thirty days, so that all their vessels ofwater failed all the inhibitants of Bethulia.

7:21 And the cisterns were emptied, and they had not water to drink their fillfor one day; for they gave them drink by measure.

7:22 Therefore their young children were out of heart, and their women andyoung men fainted for thirst, and fell down in the streets of the city, and bythe passages of the gates, and there was no longer any strength in them.

7:23 Then all the people assembled to Ozias, and to the chief of the city, bothyoung men, and women, and children, and cried with a loud voice, and saidbefore all the elders,

7:24 God be judge between us and you: for ye have done us great injury, in thatye have not required peace of the children of Assur.

7:25 For now we have no helper: but God hath sold us into their hands, that weshould be thrown down before them with thirst and great destruction.

7:26 Now therefore call them unto you, and deliver the whole city for a spoilto the people of Holofernes, and to all his army.

7:27 For it is better for us to be made a spoil unto them, than to die forthirst: for we will be his servants, that our souls may live, and not see thedeath of our infants before our eyes, nor our wives nor our children to die.

7:28 We take to witness against you the heaven and the earth, and our God andLord of our fathers, which punisheth us according to our sins and the sins ofour fathers, that he do not according as we have said this day.

7:29 Then there was great weeping with one consent in the midst of theassembly; and they cried unto the Lord God with a loud voice.

7:30 Then said Ozias to them, Brethren, be of good courage, let us yet endurefive days, in the which space the Lord our God may turn his mercy toward us;for he will not forsake us utterly.

7:31 And if these days pass, and there come no help unto us, I will doaccording to your word.

7:32 And he dispersed the people, every one to their own charge; and they wentunto the walls and towers of their city, and sent the women and children intotheir houses: and they were very low brought in the city.

8:1 Now at that time Judith heard thereof, which was the daughter of Merari,the son of Ox, the son of Joseph, the son of Ozel, the son of Elcia, the son ofAnanias, the son of Gedeon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Acitho, the son ofEliu, the son of Eliab, the son of Nathanael, the son of Samael, the son ofSalasadal, the son of Israel.

8:2 And Manasses was her husband, of her tribe and kindred, who died in thebarley harvest.

8:3 For as he stood overseeing them that bound sheaves in the field, the heatcame upon his head, and he fell on his bed, and died in the city of Bethulia:and they buried him with his fathers in the field between Dothaim and Balamo.

8:4 So Judith was a widow in her house three years and four months.

8:5 And she made her a tent upon the top of her house, and put on sackclothupon her loins and ware her widow’s apparel.

8:6 And she fasted all the days of her widowhood, save the eves of thesabbaths, and the sabbaths, and the eves of the new moons, and the new moonsand the feasts and solemn days of the house of Israel.

8:7 She was also of a goodly countenance, and very beautiful to behold: and herhusband Manasses had left her gold, and silver, and menservants andmaidservants, and cattle, and lands; and she remained upon them.

8:8 And there was none that gave her an ill word; for she feared God greatly.

8:9 Now when she heard the evil words of the people against the governor, thatthey fainted for lack of water; for Judith had heard all the words that Oziashad spoken unto them, and that he had sworn to deliver the city unto theAssyrians after five days;

8:10 Then she sent her waitingwoman, that had the government of all things thatshe had, to call Ozias and Chabris and Charmis, the ancients of the city.

8:11 And they came unto her, and she said unto them, Hear me now, O yegovernors of the inhabitants of Bethulia: for your words that ye have spokenbefore the people this day are not right, touching this oath which ye made andpronounced between God and you, and have promised to deliver the city to ourenemies, unless within these days the Lord turn to help you.

8:12 And now who are ye that have tempted God this day, and stand instead ofGod among the children of men?

8:13 And now try the Lord Almighty, but ye shall never know any thing.

8:14 For ye cannot find the depth of the heart of man, neither can ye perceivethe things that he thinketh: then how can ye search out God, that hath made allthese things, and know his mind, or comprehend his purpose? Nay, my brethren,provoke not the Lord our God to anger.

8:15 For if he will not help us within these five days, he hath power to defendus when he will, even every day, or to destroy us before our enemies.

8:16 Do not bind the counsels of the Lord our God: for God is not as man, thathe may be threatened; neither is he as the son of man, that he should bewavering.

8:17 Therefore let us wait for salvation of him, and call upon him to help us,and he will hear our voice, if it please him.

8:18 For there arose none in our age, neither is there any now in these daysneither tribe, nor family, nor people, nor city among us, which worship godsmade with hands, as hath been aforetime.

8:19 For the which cause our fathers were given to the sword, and for a spoil,and had a great fall before our enemies.

8:20 But we know none other god, therefore we trust that he will not dispiseus, nor any of our nation.

8:21 For if we be taken so, all Judea shall lie waste, and our sanctuary shallbe spoiled; and he will require the profanation thereof at our mouth.

8:22 And the slaughter of our brethren, and the captivity of the country, andthe desolation of our inheritance, will he turn upon our heads among theGentiles, wheresoever we shall be in bondage; and we shall be an offence and areproach to all them that possess us.

8:23 For our servitude shall not be directed to favour: but the Lord our Godshall turn it to dishonour.

8:24 Now therefore, O brethren, let us shew an example to our brethren, becausetheir hearts depend upon us, and the sanctuary, and the house, and the altar,rest upon us.

8:25 Moreover let us give thanks to the Lord our God, which trieth us, even ashe did our fathers.

8:26 Remember what things he did to Abraham, and how he tried Isaac, and whathappened to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria, when he kept the sheep of Laban hismother’s brother.

8:27 For he hath not tried us in the fire, as he did them, for the examinationof their hearts, neither hath he taken vengeance on us: but the Lord dothscourge them that come near unto him, to admonish them.

8:28 Then said Ozias to her, All that thou hast spoken hast thou spoken with agood heart, and there is none that may gainsay thy words.

8:29 For this is not the first day wherein thy wisdom is manifested; but fromthe beginning of thy days all the people have known thy understanding, becausethe disposition of thine heart is good.

8:30 But the people were very thirsty, and compelled us to do unto them as wehave spoken, and to bring an oath upon ourselves, which we will not break.

8:31 Therefore now pray thou for us, because thou art a godly woman, and theLord will send us rain to fill our cisterns, and we shall faint no more.

8:32 Then said Judith unto them, Hear me, and I will do a thing, which shall gothroughout all generations to the children of our nation.

8:33 Ye shall stand this night in the gate, and I will go forth with mywaitingwoman: and within the days that ye have promised to deliver the city toour enemies the Lord will visit Israel by mine hand.

8:34 But enquire not ye of mine act: for I will not declare it unto you, tillthe things be finished that I do.

8:35 Then said Ozias and the princes unto her, Go in peace, and the Lord God bebefore thee, to take vengeance on our enemies.

8:36 So they returned from the tent, and went to their wards.

9:1 Then Judith fell upon her face, and put ashes upon her head, and uncoveredthe sackcloth wherewith she was clothed; and about the time that the incense ofthat evening was offered in Jerusalem in the house of the Lord Judith criedwith a loud voice, and said,

9:2 O Lord God of my father Simeon, to whom thou gavest a sword to takevengeance of the strangers, who loosened the girdle of a maid to defile her,and discovered the thigh to her shame, and polluted her virginity to herreproach; for thou saidst, It shall not be so; and yet they did so:

9:3 Wherefore thou gavest their rulers to be slain, so that they dyed their bedin blood, being deceived, and smotest the servants with their lords, and thelords upon their thrones;

9:4 And hast given their wives for a prey, and their daughters to be captives,and all their spoils to be divided among thy dear children; which were movedwith thy zeal, and abhorred the pollution of their blood, and called upon theefor aid: O God, O my God, hear me also a widow.

9:5 For thou hast wrought not only those things, but also the things which fellout before, and which ensued after; thou hast thought upon the things which arenow, and which are to come.

9:6 Yea, what things thou didst determine were ready at hand, and said, Lo, weare here: for all thy ways are prepared, and thy judgments are in thyforeknowledge.

9:7 For, behold, the Assyrians are multiplied in their power; they are exaltedwith horse and man; they glory in the strength of their footmen; they trust inshield, and spear, and bow, and sling; and know not that thou art the Lord thatbreakest the battles: the Lord is thy name.

9:8 Throw down their strength in thy power, and bring down their force in thywrath: for they have purposed to defile thy sanctuary, and to pollute thetabernacle where thy glorious name resteth and to cast down with sword the hornof thy altar.

9:9 Behold their pride, and send thy wrath upon their heads: give into minehand, which am a widow, the power that I have conceived.

9:10 Smite by the deceit of my lips the servant with the prince, and the princewith the servant: break down their stateliness by the hand of a woman.

9:11 For thy power standeth not in multitude nor thy might in strong men: forthou art a God of the afflicted, an helper of the oppressed, an upholder of theweak, a protector of the forlorn, a saviour of them that are without hope.

9:12 I pray thee, I pray thee, O God of my father, and God of the inheritanceof Israel, Lord of the heavens and earth, Creator of the waters, king of everycreature, hear thou my prayer:

9:13 And make my speech and deceit to be their wound and stripe, who havepurposed cruel things against thy covenant, and thy hallowed house, and againstthe top of Sion, and against the house of the possession of thy children.

9:14 And make every nation and tribe to acknowledge that thou art the God ofall power and might, and that there is none other that protecteth the people ofIsrael but thou.

10:1 Now after that she had ceased to cry unto the God of Israel, and had madean end of all these words.

10:2 She rose where she had fallen down, and called her maid, and went downinto the house in the which she abode in the sabbath days, and in her feastdays,

10:3 And pulled off the sackcloth which she had on, and put off the garments ofher widowhood, and washed her body all over with water, and anointed herselfwith precious ointment, and braided the hair of her head, and put on a tireupon it, and put on her garments of gladness, wherewith she was clad during thelife of Manasses her husband.

10:4 And she took sandals upon her feet, and put about her her bracelets, andher chains, and her rings, and her earrings, and all her ornaments, and deckedherself bravely, to allure the eyes of all men that should see her.

10:5 Then she gave her maid a bottle of wine, and a cruse of oil, and filled abag with parched corn, and lumps of figs, and with fine bread; so she foldedall these things together, and laid them upon her.

10:6 Thus they went forth to the gate of the city of Bethulia, and foundstanding there Ozias and the ancients of the city, Chabris and Charmis.

10:7 And when they saw her, that her countenance was altered, and her apparelwas changed, they wondered at her beauty very greatly, and said unto her.

10:8 The God, the God of our fathers give thee favour, and accomplish thineenterprizes to the glory of the children of Israel, and to the exaltation ofJerusalem. Then they worshipped God.

10:9 And she said unto them, Command the gates of the city to be opened untome, that I may go forth to accomplish the things whereof ye have spoken withme. So they commanded the young men to open unto her, as she had spoken.

10:10 And when they had done so, Judith went out, she, and her maid with her;and the men of the city looked after her, until she was gone down the mountain,and till she had passed the valley, and could see her no more.

10:11 Thus they went straight forth in the valley: and the first watch of theAssyrians met her,

10:12 And took her, and asked her, Of what people art thou? and whence comestthou? and whither goest thou? And she said, I am a woman of the Hebrews, and amfled from them: for they shall be given you to be consumed:

10:13 And I am coming before Holofernes the chief captain of your army, todeclare words of truth; and I will shew him a way, whereby he shall go, and winall the hill country, without losing the body or life of any one of his men.

10:14 Now when the men heard her words, and beheld her countenance, theywondered greatly at her beauty, and said unto her,

10:15 Thou hast saved thy life, in that thou hast hasted to come down to thepresence of our lord: now therefore come to his tent, and some of us shallconduct thee, until they have delivered thee to his hands.

10:16 And when thou standest before him, be not afraid in thine heart, but shewunto him according to thy word; and he will entreat thee well.

10:17 Then they chose out of them an hundred men to accompany her and her maid;and they brought her to the tent of Holofernes.

10:18 Then was there a concourse throughout all the camp: for her coming wasnoised among the tents, and they came about her, as she stood without the tentof Holofernes, till they told him of her.

10:19 And they wondered at her beauty, and admired the children of Israelbecause of her, and every one said to his neighbour, Who would despise thispeople, that have among them such women? surely it is not good that one man ofthem be left who being let go might deceive the whole earth.

10:20 And they that lay near Holofernes went out, and all his servants and theybrought her into the tent.

10:21 Now Holofernes rested upon his bed under a canopy, which was woven withpurple, and gold, and emeralds, and precious stones.

10:22 So they shewed him of her; and he came out before his tent with silverlamps going before him.

10:23 And when Judith was come before him and his servants they all marvelledat the beauty of her countenance; and she fell down upon her face, and didreverence unto him: and his servants took her up.

11:1 Then said Holofernes unto her, Woman, be of good comfort, fear not inthine heart: for I never hurt any that was willing to serve Nabuchodonosor, theking of all the earth.

11:2 Now therefore, if thy people that dwelleth in the mountains had not setlight by me, I would not have lifted up my spear against them: but they havedone these things to themselves.

11:3 But now tell me wherefore thou art fled from them, and art come unto us:for thou art come for safeguard; be of good comfort, thou shalt live thisnight, and hereafter:

11:4 For none shall hurt thee, but entreat thee well, as they do the servantsof king Nabuchodonosor my lord.

11:5 Then Judith said unto him, Receive the words of thy servant, and sufferthine handmaid to speak in thy presence, and I will declare no lie to my lordthis night.

11:6 And if thou wilt follow the words of thine handmaid, God will bring thething perfectly to pass by thee; and my lord shall not fail of his purposes.

11:7 As Nabuchodonosor king of all the earth liveth, and as his power liveth,who hath sent thee for the upholding of every living thing: for not only menshall serve him by thee, but also the beasts of the field, and the cattle, andthe fowls of the air, shall live by thy power under Nabuchodonosor and all hishouse.

11:8 For we have heard of thy wisdom and thy policies, and it is reported inall the earth, that thou only art excellent in all the kingdom, and mighty inknowledge, and wonderful in feats of war.

11:9 Now as concerning the matter, which Achior did speak in thy council, wehave heard his words; for the men of Bethulia saved him, and he declared untothem all that he had spoken unto thee.

11:10 Therefore, O lord and governor, respect not his word; but lay it up inthine heart, for it is true: for our nation shall not be punished, neither cansword prevail against them, except they sin against their God.

11:11 And now, that my lord be not defeated and frustrate of his purpose, evendeath is now fallen upon them, and their sin hath overtaken them, wherewiththey will provoke their God to anger whensoever they shall do that which is notfit to be done:

11:12 For their victuals fail them, and all their water is scant, and they havedetermined to lay hands upon their cattle, and purposed to consume all thosethings, that God hath forbidden them to eat by his laws:

11:13 And are resolved to spend the firstfruits of the corn, and the tenths ofwine and oil, which they had sanctified, and reserved for the priests thatserve in Jerusalem before the face of our God; the which things it is notlawful for any of the people so much as to touch with their hands.

11:14 For they have sent some to Jerusalem, because they also that dwell therehave done the like, to bring them a licence from the senate.

11:15 Now when they shall bring them word, they will forthwith do it, and theyshall be given to thee to be destroyed the same day.

11:16 Wherefore I thine handmaid, knowing all this, am fled from theirpresence; and God hath sent me to work things with thee, whereat all the earthshall be astonished, and whosoever shall hear it.

11:17 For thy servant is religious, and serveth the God of heaven day andnight: now therefore, my lord, I will remain with thee, and thy servant will goout by night into the valley, and I will pray unto God, and he will tell mewhen they have committed their sins:

11:18 And I will come and shew it unto thee: then thou shalt go forth with allthine army, and there shall be none of them that shall resist thee.

11:19 And I will lead thee through the midst of Judea, until thou come beforeJerusalem; and I will set thy throne in the midst thereof; and thou shalt drivethem as sheep that have no shepherd, and a dog shall not so much as open hismouth at thee: for these things were told me according to my foreknowledge, andthey were declared unto me, and I am sent to tell thee.

11:20 Then her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants; and theymarvelled at her wisdom, and said,

11:21 There is not such a woman from one end of the earth to the other, bothfor beauty of face, and wisdom of words.

11:22 Likewise Holofernes said unto her. God hath done well to send thee beforethe people, that strength might be in our hands and destruction upon them thatlightly regard my lord.

11:23 And now thou art both beautiful in thy countenance, and witty in thywords: surely if thou do as thou hast spoken thy God shall be my God, and thoushalt dwell in the house of king Nabuchodonosor, and shalt be renowned throughthe whole earth.

12:1 Then he commanded to bring her in where his plate was set; and bade thatthey should prepare for her of his own meats, and that she should drink of hisown wine.

12:2 And Judith said, I will not eat thereof, lest there be an offence: butprovision shall be made for me of the things that I have brought.

12:3 Then Holofernes said unto her, If thy provision should fail, how should wegive thee the like? for there be none with us of thy nation.

12:4 Then said Judith unto him As thy soul liveth, my lord, thine handmaidshall not spend those things that I have, before the Lord work by mine hand thethings that he hath determined.

12:5 Then the servants of Holofernes brought her into the tent, and she slepttill midnight, and she arose when it was toward the morning watch,

12:6 And sent to Holofernes, saving, Let my lord now command that thinehandmaid may go forth unto prayer.

12:7 Then Holofernes commanded his guard that they should not stay her: thusshe abode in the camp three days, and went out in the night into the valley ofBethulia, and washed herself in a fountain of water by the camp.

12:8 And when she came out, she besought the Lord God of Israel to direct herway to the raising up of the children of her people.

12:9 So she came in clean, and remained in the tent, until she did eat her meatat evening.

12:10 And in the fourth day Holofernes made a feast to his own servants only,and called none of the officers to the banquet.

12:11 Then said he to Bagoas the eunuch, who had charge over all that he had,Go now, and persuade this Hebrew woman which is with thee, that she come untous, and eat and drink with us.

12:12 For, lo, it will be a shame for our person, if we shall let such a womango, not having had her company; for if we draw her not unto us, she will laughus to scorn.

12:13 Then went Bagoas from the presence of Holofernes, and came to her, and hesaid, Let not this fair damsel fear to come to my lord, and to be honoured inhis presence, and drink wine, and be merry with us and be made this day as oneof the daughters of the Assyrians, which serve in the house of Nabuchodonosor.

12:14 Then said Judith unto him, Who am I now, that I should gainsay my lord?surely whatsoever pleaseth him I will do speedily, and it shall be my joy untothe day of my death.

12:15 So she arose, and decked herself with her apparel and all herwoman’s attire, and her maid went and laid soft skins on the ground forher over against Holofernes, which she had received of Bagoas far her dailyuse, that she might sit and eat upon them.

12:16 Now when Judith came in and sat down, Holofernes his heart was ravishedwith her, and his mind was moved, and he desired greatly her company; for hewaited a time to deceive her, from the day that he had seen her.

12:17 Then said Holofernes unto her, Drink now, and be merry with us.

12:18 So Judith said, I will drink now, my lord, because my life is magnifiedin me this day more than all the days since I was born.

12:19 Then she took and ate and drank before him what her maid had prepared.

12:20 And Holofernes took great delight in her, and drank more wine than he haddrunk at any time in one day since he was born.

13:1 Now when the evening was come, his servants made haste to depart, andBagoas shut his tent without, and dismissed the waiters from the presence ofhis lord; and they went to their beds: for they were all weary, because thefeast had been long.

13:2 And Judith was left along in the tent, and Holofernes lying along upon hisbed: for he was filled with wine.

13:3 Now Judith had commanded her maid to stand without her bedchamber, and towait for her coming forth, as she did daily: for she said she would go forth toher prayers, and she spake to Bagoas according to the same purpose.

13:4 So all went forth and none was left in the bedchamber, neither little norgreat. Then Judith, standing by his bed, said in her heart, O Lord God of allpower, look at this present upon the works of mine hands for the exaltation ofJerusalem.

13:5 For now is the time to help thine inheritance, and to execute mineenterprizes to the destruction of the enemies which are risen against us.

13:6 Then she came to the pillar of the bed, which was at Holofernes’head, and took down his fauchion from thence,

13:7 And approached to his bed, and took hold of the hair of his head, andsaid, Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, this day.

13:8 And she smote twice upon his neck with all her might, and she took awayhis head from him.

13:9 And tumbled his body down from the bed, and pulled down the canopy fromthe pillars; and anon after she went forth, and gave Holofernes his head to hermaid;

13:10 And she put it in her bag of meat: so they twain went together accordingto their custom unto prayer: and when they passed the camp, they compassed thevalley, and went up the mountain of Bethulia, and came to the gates thereof.

13:11 Then said Judith afar off, to the watchmen at the gate, Open, open nowthe gate: God, even our God, is with us, to shew his power yet in Jerusalem,and his forces against the enemy, as he hath even done this day.

13:12 Now when the men of her city heard her voice, they made haste to go downto the gate of their city, and they called the elders of the city.

13:13 And then they ran all together, both small and great, for it was strangeunto them that she was come: so they opened the gate, and received them, andmade a fire for a light, and stood round about them.

13:14 Then she said to them with a loud voice, Praise, praise God, praise God,I say, for he hath not taken away his mercy from the house of Israel, but hathdestroyed our enemies by mine hands this night.

13:15 So she took the head out of the bag, and shewed it, and said unto them,behold the head of Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, andbehold the canopy, wherein he did lie in his drunkenness; and the Lord hathsmitten him by the hand of a woman.

13:16 As the Lord liveth, who hath kept me in my way that I went, mycountenance hath deceived him to his destruction, and yet hath he not committedsin with me, to defile and shame me.

13:17 Then all the people were wonderfully astonished, and bowed themselves andworshipped God, and said with one accord, Blessed be thou, O our God, whichhast this day brought to nought the enemies of thy people.

13:18 Then said Ozias unto her, O daughter, blessed art thou of the most highGod above all the women upon the earth; and blessed be the Lord God, which hathcreated the heavens and the earth, which hath directed thee to the cutting offof the head of the chief of our enemies.

13:19 For this thy confidence shall not depart from the heart of men, whichremember the power of God for ever.

13:20 And God turn these things to thee for a perpetual praise, to visit theein good things because thou hast not spared thy life for the affliction of ournation, but hast revenged our ruin, walking a straight way before our God. Andall the people said; So be it, so be it.

14:1 Then said Judith unto them, Hear me now, my brethren, and take this head,and hang it upon the highest place of your walls.

14:2 And so soon as the morning shall appear, and the sun shall come forth uponthe earth, take ye every one his weapons, and go forth every valiant man out ofthe city, and set ye a captain over them, as though ye would go down into thefield toward the watch of the Assyrians; but go not down.

14:3 Then they shall take their armour, and shall go into their camp, and raiseup the captains of the army of Assur, and shall run to the tent of Holofernes,but shall not find him: then fear shall fall upon them, and they shall fleebefore your face.

14:4 So ye, and all that inhabit the coast of Israel, shall pursue them, andoverthrow them as they go.

14:5 But before ye do these things, call me Achior the Ammonite, that he maysee and know him that despised the house of Israel, and that sent him to us asit were to his death.

14:6 Then they called Achior out of the house of Ozias; and when he was come,and saw the head of Holofernes in a man’s hand in the assembly of thepeople, he fell down on his face, and his spirit failed.

14:7 But when they had recovered him, he fell at Judith’s feet, andreverenced her, and said, Blessed art thou in all the tabernacles of Juda, andin all nations, which hearing thy name shall be astonished.

14:8 Now therefore tell me all the things that thou hast done in these days.Then Judith declared unto him in the midst of the people all that she had done,from the day that she went forth until that hour she spake unto them.

14:9 And when she had left off speaking, the people shouted with a loud voice,and made a joyful noise in their city.

14:10 And when Achior had seen all that the God of Israel had done, he believedin God greatly, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined untothe house of Israel unto this day.

14:11 And as soon as the morning arose, they hanged the head of Holofernes uponthe wall, and every man took his weapons, and they went forth by bands unto thestraits of the mountain.

14:12 But when the Assyrians saw them, they sent to their leaders, which cameto their captains and tribunes, and to every one of their rulers.

14:13 So they came to Holofernes’ tent, and said to him that had thecharge of all his things, Waken now our lord: for the slaves have been bold tocome down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed.

14:14 Then went in Bagoas, and knocked at the door of the tent; for he thoughtthat he had slept with Judith.

14:15 But because none answered, he opened it, and went into the bedchamber,and found him cast upon the floor dead, and his head was taken from him.

14:16 Therefore he cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and sighing, and amighty cry, and rent his garments.

14:17 After he went into the tent where Judith lodged: and when he found hernot, he leaped out to the people, and cried,

14:18 These slaves have dealt treacherously; one woman of the Hebrews hathbrought shame upon the house of king Nabuchodonosor: for, behold, Holoferneslieth upon the ground without a head.

14:19 When the captains of the Assyrians’ army heard these words, theyrent their coats and their minds were wonderfully troubled, and there was a cryand a very great noise throughout the camp.

15:1 And when they that were in the tents heard, they were astonished at thething that was done.

15:2 And fear and trembling fell upon them, so that there was no man that durstabide in the sight of his neighbour, but rushing out all together, they fledinto every way of the plain, and of the hill country.

15:3 They also that had camped in the mountains round about Bethulia fled away.Then the children of Israel, every one that was a warrior among them, rushedout upon them.

15:4 Then sent Ozias to Betomasthem, and to Bebai, and Chobai, and Cola and toall the coasts of Israel, such as should tell the things that were done, andthat all should rush forth upon their enemies to destroy them.

15:5 Now when the children of Israel heard it, they all fell upon them with oneconsent, and slew them unto Chobai: likewise also they that came fromJerusalem, and from all the hill country, (for men had told them what thingswere done in the camp of their enemies) and they that were in Galaad, and inGalilee, chased them with a great slaughter, until they were past Damascus andthe borders thereof.

15:6 And the residue that dwelt at Bethulia, fell upon the camp of Assur, andspoiled them, and were greatly enriched.

15:7 And the children of Israel that returned from the slaughter had that whichremained; and the villages and the cities, that were in the mountains and inthe plain, gat many spoils: for the multitude was very great.

15:8 Then Joacim the high priest, and the ancients of the children of Israelthat dwelt in Jerusalem, came to behold the good things that God had shewed toIsrael, and to see Judith, and to salute her.

15:9 And when they came unto her, they blessed her with one accord, and saidunto her, Thou art the exaltation of Jerusalem, thou art the great glory ofIsrael, thou art the great rejoicing of our nation:

15:10 Thou hast done all these things by thine hand: thou hast done much goodto Israel, and God is pleased therewith: blessed be thou of the Almighty Lordfor evermore. And all the people said, So be it.

15:11 And the people spoiled the camp the space of thirty days: and they gaveunto Judith Holofernes his tent, and all his plate, and beds, and vessels, andall his stuff: and she took it and laid it on her mule; and made ready hercarts, and laid them thereon.

15:12 Then all the women of Israel ran together to see her, and blessed her,and made a dance among them for her: and she took branches in her hand, andgave also to the women that were with her.

15:13 And they put a garland of olive upon her and her maid that was with her,and she went before all the people in the dance, leading all the women: and allthe men of Israel followed in their armour with garlands, and with songs intheir mouths.

16:1 Then Judith began to sing this thanksgiving in all Israel, and all thepeople sang after her this song of praise.

16:2 And Judith said, Begin unto my God with timbrels, sing unto my Lord withcymbals: tune unto him a new psalm: exalt him, and call upon his name.

16:3 For God breaketh the battles: for among the camps in the midst of thepeople he hath delivered me out of the hands of them that persecuted me.

16:4 Assur came out of the mountains from the north, he came with ten thousandsof his army, the multitude whereof stopped the torrents, and their horsemenhave covered the hills.

16:5 He bragged that he would burn up my borders, and kill my young men withthe sword, and dash the sucking children against the ground, and make mineinfants as a prey, and my virgins as a spoil.

16:6 But the Almighty Lord hath disappointed them by the hand of a woman.

16:7 For the mighty one did not fall by the young men, neither did the sons ofthe Titans smite him, nor high giants set upon him: but Judith the daughter ofMerari weakened him with the beauty of her countenance.

16:8 For she put off the garment of her widowhood for the exaltation of thosethat were oppressed in Israel, and anointed her face with ointment, and boundher hair in a tire, and took a linen garment to deceive him.

16:9 Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty took his mind prisoner, and thefauchion passed through his neck.

16:10 The Persians quaked at her boldness, and the Medes were daunted at herhardiness.

16:11 Then my afflicted shouted for joy, and my weak ones cried aloud; but theywere astonished: these lifted up their voices, but they were overthrown.

16:12 The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and wounded them asfugatives’ children: they perished by the battle of the Lord.

16:13 I will sing unto the Lord a new song: O Lord, thou art great andglorious, wonderful in strength, and invincible.

16:14 Let all creatures serve thee: for thou spakest, and they were made, thoudidst send forth thy spirit, and it created them, and there is none that canresist thy voice.

16:15 For the mountains shall be moved from their foundations with the waters,the rocks shall melt as wax at thy presence: yet thou art merciful to them thatfear thee.

16:16 For all sacrifice is too little for a sweet savour unto thee, and all thefat is not sufficient for thy burnt offering: but he that feareth the Lord isgreat at all times.

16:17 Woe to the nations that rise up against my kindred! the Lord Almightywill take vengeance of them in the day of judgment, in putting fire and wormsin their flesh; and they shall feel them, and weep for ever.

16:18 Now as soon as they entered into Jerusalem, they worshipped the Lord; andas soon as the people were purified, they offered their burnt offerings, andtheir free offerings, and their gifts.

16:19 Judith also dedicated all the stuff of Holofernes, which the people hadgiven her, and gave the canopy, which she had taken out of his bedchamber, fora gift unto the Lord.

16:20 So the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary forthe space of three months and Judith remained with them.

16:21 After this time every one returned to his own inheritance, and Judithwent to Bethulia, and remained in her own possession, and was in her timehonourable in all the country.

16:22 And many desired her, but none knew her all the days of her life, afterthat Manasses her husband was dead, and was gathered to his people.

16:23 But she increased more and more in honour, and waxed old in herhusband’s house, being an hundred and five years old, and made her maidfree; so she died in Bethulia: and they buried her in the cave of her husbandManasses.

16:24 And the house of Israel lamented her seven days: and before she died, shedid distribute her goods to all them that were nearest of kindred to Manassesher husband, and to them that were the nearest of her kindred.

16:25 And there was none that made the children of Israel any more afraid inthe days of Judith, nor a long time after her death.

The Greek Additions to Esther
[The Rest of the Chapters of the Book of Esther]

10:4 Then Mardocheus said, God hath done these things.

10:5 For I remember a dream which I saw concerning these matters, and nothingthereof hath failed.

10:6 A little fountain became a river, and there was light, and the sun, andmuch water: this river is Esther, whom the king married, and made queen:

10:7 And the two dragons are I and Aman.

10:8 And the nations were those that were assembled to destroy the name of theJews:

10:9 And my nation is this Israel, which cried to God, and were saved: for theLord hath saved his people, and the Lord hath delivered us from all thoseevils, and God hath wrought signs and great wonders, which have not been doneamong the Gentiles.

10:10 Therefore hath he made two lots, one for the people of God, and anotherfor all the Gentiles.

10:11 And these two lots came at the hour, and time, and day of judgment,before God among all nations.

10:12 So God remembered his people, and justified his inheritance.

10:13 Therefore those days shall be unto them in the month Adar, the fourteenthand fifteenth day of the same month, with an assembly, and joy, and withgladness before God, according to the generations for ever among his people.

11:1 In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemeus and Cleopatra, Dositheus, whosaid he was a priest and Levite, and Ptolemeus his son, brought this epistle ofPhurim, which they said was the same, and that Lysimachus the son of Ptolemeus,that was in Jerusalem, had interpreted it.

11:2 In the second year of the reign of Artexerxes the great, in the first dayof the month Nisan, Mardocheus the son of Jairus, the son of Semei, the son ofCisai, of the tribe of Benjamin, had a dream;

11:3 Who was a Jew, and dwelt in the city of Susa, a great man, being aservitor in the king’s court.

11:4 He was also one of the captives, which Nabuchodonosor the king of Babyloncarried from Jerusalem with Jechonias king of Judea; and this was his dream:

11:5 Behold a noise of a tumult, with thunder, and earthquakes, and uproar inthe land:

11:6 And, behold, two great dragons came forth ready to fight, and their crywas great.

11:7 And at their cry all nations were prepared to battle, that they mightfight against the righteous people.

11:8 And lo a day of darkness and obscurity, tribulation and anguish,affliction and great uproar, upon earth.

11:9 And the whole righteous nation was troubled, fearing their own evils, andwere ready to perish.

11:10 Then they cried unto God, and upon their cry, as it were from a littlefountain, was made a great flood, even much water.

11:11 The light and the sun rose up, and the lowly were exalted, and devouredthe glorious.

11:12 Now when Mardocheus, who had seen this dream, and what God had determinedto do, was awake, he bare this dream in mind, and until night by all means wasdesirous to know it.

12:1 And Mardocheus took his rest in the court with Gabatha and Tharra, the twoeunuchs of the king, and keepers of the palace.

12:2 And he heard their devices, and searched out their purposes, and learnedthat they were about to lay hands upon Artexerxes the king; and so he certifiedthe king of them.

12:3 Then the king examined the two eunuchs, and after that they had confessedit, they were strangled.

12:4 And the king made a record of these things, and Mardocheus also wrotethereof.

12:5 So the king commanded Mardocheus to serve in the court, and for this herewarded him.

12:6 Howbeit Aman the son of Amadathus the Agagite, who was in great honourwith the king, sought to molest Mardocheus and his people because of the twoeunuchs of the king.

13:1 The copy of the letters was this: The great king Artexerxes writeth thesethings to the princes and governors that are under him from India unto Ethiopiain an hundred and seven and twenty provinces.

13:2 After that I became lord over many nations and had dominion over the wholeworld, not lifted up with presumption of my authority, but carrying myselfalways with equity and mildness, I purposed to settle my subjects continuallyin a quiet life, and making my kingdom peaceable, and open for passage to theutmost coasts, to renew peace, which is desired of all men.

13:3 Now when I asked my counsellors how this might be brought to pass, Aman,that excelled in wisdom among us, and was approved for his constant good willand steadfast fidelity, and had the honour of the second place in the kingdom,

13:4 Declared unto us, that in all nations throughout the world there wasscattered a certain malicious people, that had laws contrary to all nations,and continually despised the commandments of kings, so as the uniting of ourkingdoms, honourably intended by us cannot go forward.

13:5 Seeing then we understand that this people alone is continually inopposition unto all men, differing in the strange manner of their laws, andevil affected to our state, working all the mischief they can that our kingdommay not be firmly established:

13:6 Therefore have we commanded, that all they that are signified in writingunto you by Aman, who is ordained over the affairs, and is next unto us, shallall, with their wives and children, be utterly destroyed by the sword of theirenemies, without all mercy and pity, the fourteenth day of the twelfth monthAdar of this present year:

13:7 That they, who of old and now also are malicious, may in one day withviolence go into the grave, and so ever hereafter cause our affairs to be wellsettled, and without trouble.

13:8 Then Mardocheus thought upon all the works of the Lord, and made hisprayer unto him,

13:9 Saying, O Lord, Lord, the King Almighty: for the whole world is in thypower, and if thou hast appointed to save Israel, there is no man that cangainsay thee:

13:10 For thou hast made heaven and earth, and all the wondrous things underthe heaven.

13:11 Thou art Lord of all things, and there is no man that can resist thee,which art the Lord.

13:12 Thou knowest all things, and thou knowest, Lord, that it was neither incontempt nor pride, nor for any desire of glory, that I did not bow down toproud Aman.

13:13 For I could have been content with good will for the salvation of Israelto kiss the soles of his feet.

13:14 But I did this, that I might not prefer the glory of man above the gloryof God: neither will I worship any but thee, O God, neither will I do it inpride.

13:15 And now, O Lord God and King, spare thy people: for their eyes are uponus to bring us to nought; yea, they desire to destroy the inheritance, thathath been thine from the beginning.

13:16 Despise not the portion, which thou hast delivered out of Egypt for thineown self.

13:17 Hear my prayer, and be merciful unto thine inheritance: turn our sorrowinto joy, that we may live, O Lord, and praise thy name: and destroy not themouths of them that praise thee, O Lord.

13:18 All Israel in like manner cried most earnestly unto the Lord, becausetheir death was before their eyes.

14:1 Queen Esther also, being in fear of death, resorted unto the Lord:

14:2 And laid away her glorious apparel, and put on the garments of anguish andmourning: and instead of precious ointments, she covered her head with ashesand dung, and she humbled her body greatly, and all the places of her joy shefilled with her torn hair.

14:3 And she prayed unto the Lord God of Israel, saying, O my Lord, thou onlyart our King: help me, desolate woman, which have no helper but thee:

14:4 For my danger is in mine hand.

14:5 From my youth up I have heard in the tribe of my family that thou, O Lord,tookest Israel from among all people, and our fathers from all theirpredecessors, for a perpetual inheritance, and thou hast performed whatsoeverthou didst promise them.

14:6 And now we have sinned before thee: therefore hast thou given us into thehands of our enemies,

14:7 Because we worshipped their gods: O Lord, thou art righteous.

14:8 Nevertheless it satisfieth them not, that we are in bitter captivity: butthey have stricken hands with their idols,

14:9 That they will abolish the thing that thou with thy mouth hast ordained,and destroy thine inheritance, and stop the mouth of them that praise thee, andquench the glory of thy house, and of thine altar,

14:10 And open the mouths of the heathen to set forth the praises of the idols,and to magnify a fleshly king for ever.

14:11 O Lord, give not thy sceptre unto them that be nothing, and let them notlaugh at our fall; but turn their device upon themselves, and make him anexample, that hath begun this against us.

14:12 Remember, O Lord, make thyself known in time of our affliction, and giveme boldness, O King of the nations, and Lord of all power.

14:13 Give me eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion: turn his heart tohate him that fighteth against us, that there may be an end of him, and of allthat are likeminded to him:

14:14 But deliver us with thine hand, and help me that am desolate, and whichhave no other help but thee.

14:15 Thou knowest all things, O Lord; thou knowest that I hate the glory ofthe unrighteous, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised, and of all theheathen.

14:16 Thou knowest my necessity: for I abhor the sign of my high estate, whichis upon mine head in the days wherein I shew myself, and that I abhor it as amenstruous rag, and that I wear it not when I am private by myself.

14:17 And that thine handmaid hath not eaten at Aman’s table, and that Ihave not greatly esteemed the king’s feast, nor drunk the wine of thedrink offerings.

14:18 Neither had thine handmaid any joy since the day that I was broughthither to this present, but in thee, O Lord God of Abraham.

14:19 O thou mighty God above all, hear the voice of the forlorn and deliver usout of the hands of the mischievous, and deliver me out of my fear.

15:1 And upon the third day, when she had ended her prayers, she laid away hermourning garments, and put on her glorious apparel.

15:2 And being gloriously adorned, after she had called upon God, who is thebeholder and saviour of all things, she took two maids with her:

15:3 And upon the one she leaned, as carrying herself daintily;

15:4 And the other followed, bearing up her train.

15:5 And she was ruddy through the perfection of her beauty, and hercountenance was cheerful and very amiable: but her heart was in anguish forfear.

15:6 Then having passed through all the doors, she stood before the king, whosat upon his royal throne, and was clothed with all his robes of majesty, allglittering with gold and precious stones; and he was very dreadful.

15:7 Then lifting up his countenance that shone with majesty, he looked veryfiercely upon her: and the queen fell down, and was pale, and fainted, andbowed herself upon the head of the maid that went before her.

15:8 Then God changed the spirit of the king into mildness, who in a fearleaped from his throne, and took her in his arms, till she came to herselfagain, and comforted her with loving words and said unto her,

15:9 Esther, what is the matter? I am thy brother, be of good cheer:

15:10 Thou shalt not die, though our commandment be general: come near.

15:11 And so be held up his golden sceptre, and laid it upon her neck,

15:12 And embraced her, and said, Speak unto me.

15:13 Then said she unto him, I saw thee, my lord, as an angel of God, and myheart was troubled for fear of thy majesty.

15:14 For wonderful art thou, lord, and thy countenance is full of grace.

15:15 And as she was speaking, she fell down for faintness.

15:16 Then the king was troubled, and all his servants comforted her.

16:1 The great king Artexerxes unto the princes and governors of an hundred andseven and twenty provinces from India unto Ethiopia, and unto all our faithfulsubjects, greeting.

16:2 Many, the more often they are honoured with the great bounty of theirgracious princes, the more proud they are waxen,

16:3 And endeavour to hurt not our subjects only, but not being able to bearabundance, do take in hand to practise also against those that do them good:

16:4 And take not only thankfulness away from among men, but also lifted upwith the glorious words of lewd persons, that were never good, they think toescape the justice of God, that seeth all things and hateth evil.

16:5 Oftentimes also fair speech of those, that are put in trust to managetheir friends’ affairs, hath caused many that are in authority to bepartakers of innocent blood, and hath enwrapped them in remediless calamities:

16:6 Beguiling with the falsehood and deceit of their lewd disposition theinnocency and goodness of princes.

16:7 Now ye may see this, as we have declared, not so much by ancienthistories, as ye may, if ye search what hath been wickedly done of late throughthe pestilent behaviour of them that are unworthily placed in authority.

16:8 And we must take care for the time to come, that our kingdom may be quietand peaceable for all men,

16:9 Both by changing our purposes, and always judging things that are evidentwith more equal proceeding.

16:10 For Aman, a Macedonian, the son of Amadatha, being indeed a stranger fromthe Persian blood, and far distant from our goodness, and as a strangerreceived of us,

16:11 Had so far forth obtained the favour that we shew toward every nation, asthat he was called our father, and was continually honoured of all the nextperson unto the king.

16:12 But he, not bearing his great dignity, went about to deprive us of ourkingdom and life:

16:13 Having by manifold and cunning deceits sought of us the destruction, aswell of Mardocheus, who saved our life, and continually procured our good, asalso of blameless Esther, partaker of our kingdom, with their whole nation.

16:14 For by these means he thought, finding us destitute of friends to havetranslated the kingdom of the Persians to the Macedonians.

16:15 But we find that the Jews, whom this wicked wretch hath delivered toutter destruction, are no evildoers, but live by most just laws:

16:16 And that they be children of the most high and most mighty, living God,who hath ordered the kingdom both unto us and to our progenitors in the mostexcellent manner.

16:17 Wherefore ye shall do well not to put in execution the letters sent untoyou by Aman the son of Amadatha.

16:18 For he that was the worker of these things, is hanged at the gates ofSusa with all his family: God, who ruleth all things, speedily renderingvengeance to him according to his deserts.

16:19 Therefore ye shall publish the copy of this letter in all places, thatthe Jews may freely live after their own laws.

16:20 And ye shall aid them, that even the same day, being the thirteenth dayof the twelfth month Adar, they may be avenged on them, who in the time oftheir affliction shall set upon them.

16:21 For Almighty God hath turned to joy unto them the day, wherein the chosenpeople should have perished.

16:22 Ye shall therefore among your solemn feasts keep it an high day with allfeasting:

16:23 That both now and hereafter there may be safety to us and the wellaffected Persians; but to those which do conspire against us a memorial ofdestruction.

16:24 Therefore every city and country whatsoever, which shall not do accordingto these things, shall be destroyed without mercy with fire and sword, andshall be made not only unpassable for men, but also most hateful to wild beastsand fowls for ever.

The Book of Wisdom
[The Wisdom of Solomon]

1:1 Love righteousness, ye that be judges of the earth: think of the Lord witha good (heart,) and in simplicity of heart seek him.

1:2 For he will be found of them that tempt him not; and sheweth himself untosuch as do not distrust him.

1:3 For froward thoughts separate from God: and his power, when it is tried,reproveth the unwise.

1:4 For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter; nor dwell in the bodythat is subject unto sin.

1:5 For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and remove fromthoughts that are without understanding, and will not abide whenunrighteousness cometh in.

1:6 For wisdom is a loving spirit; and will not acquit a blasphemer of hiswords: for God is witness of his reins, and a true beholder of his heart, and ahearer of his tongue.

1:7 For the Spirit of the Lord filleth the world: and that which containeth allthings hath knowledge of the voice.

1:8 Therefore he that speaketh unrighteous things cannot be hid: neither shallvengeance, when it punisheth, pass by him.

1:9 For inquisition shall be made into the counsels of the ungodly: and thesound of his words shall come unto the Lord for the manifestation of his wickeddeeds.

1:10 For the ear of jealousy heareth all things: and the noise of murmurings isnot hid.

1:11 Therefore beware of murmuring, which is unprofitable; and refrain yourtongue from backbiting: for there is no word so secret, that shall go fornought: and the mouth that belieth slayeth the soul.

1:12 Seek not death in the error of your life: and pull not upon yourselvesdestruction with the works of your hands.

1:13 For God made not death: neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of theliving.

1:14 For he created all things, that they might have their being: and thegenerations of the world were healthful; and there is no poison of destructionin them, nor the kingdom of death upon the earth:

1:15 (For righteousness is immortal:)

1:16 But ungodly men with their works and words called it to them: for whenthe