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408 The commission of Artaxeries. ÉŹRA. Those who returned with Ezid.

18 And whatsoever shall feem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the reft of the filver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.

19 The veffels alfo that are given thee for the fervice of the houfe of thy God, thofe deliver thou before the God of Jerufalem. 20 And whatfoever more fhall be need ful for the houfe of thy God, which thou fhalt have occafion to bestow, beltow it out of the king's treasure houfe.

8 Of the fons of Shechaniah, of the fons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty.

4 Of the fons of Pahathmoab; Elis hoenai the fon of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males.

5 Of the fons of Shechaniah; the for of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males

6 Of the fons alfo of Adin; Ebed the for 21 And 1, ever I Artaxerxes the king, of Jonathan, and with him fifty males. do make a decree to all the treasurers 7 And of the fons of Elam; Jeshaial which are beyond the river, that what-the fon of Athaliah, and with him fevfoever Ezra the priest, the fcribe of the enty males. Law of the God of heaven, fhall require of you, it be done fpeedily.

22 Unto an hundred talents of filver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and falt without prefcribing how much.

23 Whatfoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for, Why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his fons?

8 And of the fons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the fon of Michael, and with him fourfcore males

9 Of the fans of Joab; Obadiah_the fon of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

10 And of the fons of Shelomith; the fon of Jofiphiah, and with him an hundred and threefcore males.

11 And of the fons of Bebai; Zechariah the fon of Behai, and with him twenty and eight males.

12 And of the fons of Azgad; Johanan the fon of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred and ten males.

15 And of the laft fons of Adonikam,

24 Alfo we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, fingers, porters, Nethinims, or minifters of this houfe of God, it fhall not be lawful to impofe toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.whofe names are thefe, Eliphelet, Jeiel, 25 And thou, Ezra,after the wisdom of and Shemaiah, and with them threefcoré thy God, that is in thine hand, fet magif males. trates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all fuch as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.

26 And whofoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed fpeedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confifcation of goods, or to imprisonment.

14 Ofthe fons alfo of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and with them feventy males. 15 And i gathered them together to the river that rauneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the fons of Levi.

16 Then fent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; alfo for Joiarib, and for Elna than, men of understanding.

27 Bleffed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put fuch a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the houfe of the LORD which is in Jerufalem: 17 And I fent them with command29 And hath extended mercy unto me ment unto Iddo the chief at the place before the king, and his counfellors, and Cafaphia, and I told them what they before all the king's mighty princes.fhould fay unto Iddo, and to his brethren And I was ftrengthened as the hand of the Nethinims, at the place Caliphia,that the LORD my God was upon me, and they thould bring unto us minifters for gathered together out of Ifrael chief men the houfe of our God. to go up with me.

CHAP VIII.

18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of 1 Ezra's companions from Babylon. 15 understanding, of the fons of Mahli, the He fendeth is Iddo for miniffers of the son of Levi, the fon of Ifrael; and She temple. 21 He keepeth a fast. rebiah with his fons and his brethren, THESE are now the chief of their fa-eighteen ; thers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king.

2 Of the fons of Phinehas; Gerfhom: of the fons of Ithamar; Daniel r of the fons of David; Hattuh.

19 And Hafhabiah, and with him Jefhaiah of the fons of Merrai, his brethren and their fons, twenty;

20 Alfo of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the fervice of the Levites, two hendred and

twenty

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venty Nethinims: all of them were expreffed by name.

214 Then I proclaimed a faft there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourfelves before our God, to feek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our fubitance.

22 For I was afhamed to require of the king a band of foldiers and horfe men to help us against the enemy in the way becaufe we had fpoken unto the king, faying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that feek him; but his power and his wrath is against all

them that forfake him.

23 So we fasted and befought our God for this and he was entreated of us.

24 Then I feparated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hafhabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,

His prayer. 409

of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Ifrael, twelve bullocks. for all Ifrael,ninety and fix rams, feventy and leven lambs, twelve he goats for a fin offering: all this was a burnt offer ing unto the LORD.

36 And they delivered the king's commiflions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this fide the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God. CHAP. IX.

Ezra mourneth for the affinity of the people with frangers. 5 He prayeth to God.

NOW when these things were done, the princes came to me, faying, The peo ple of Ifrael, and the priests, and the Levites have not feparated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according 25 And weighed unto them the filver, to their abominations, even of the Ca and the gold, and the veffels, even the of-naanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the fering of the house of our God, which the Jebulites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, king, and his counfellors, and his lords, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. and all Ifrael there prefent, had offered: 2 For they have taken of their daugh26 I even weighed unto their hand fix ters for themfelves, and for their fons : hundred and fifty talents of filver, and fil-fo that the holy feed have mingled themver vellels an hundred talents, and of gold felves with the people of thofe lands: yea, an hundred talents; the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trefpafs.

a

27 Alfo twenty bafons of gold, of thousand drams; and two veffels of fine copper, precious as gold.

3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked 28 And I faid unto them, Ye are holy un-off the hair of my head and of my beard, to the LORD; the veffels are holy allo; and and fat down aftonied. the filver and the gold are a freewill offer ing unto the LORD God of your fathers. 29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh bem before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Ifrael,at Jerufalem, in the chambers of the houfe of the LORD.

30 So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the filver, and the gold, and the veffels, to bring them to Jerufalem unto the house of our God.

4 Then were affembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Ifrael, because of the tranfgreffion of thofe that had been carried away; and I fat aitonied until the evening facrifice.

5¶And at the evening facrifice larofe up from my heavinefs; and having rent. my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and fpread out my hands unto the LORD my God,

6 And faid, O my God, I am ashamed $1 Then we departed from the river and bluth to lift up my face to thee, my of Ahava on the twelfth day of the firft God for our iniquities are increased month to go unto Jerufalem: and the over our head, and our trefpafs is grown hand of our God was upon us, and he de-up unto the heavens. livered us from the hand of the enemy, *7 Since the days of our fathers have we and of fuch as lay in wait by the way. been in a great trefpafs unto this day; and 32 And we came to Jerufalem, and a- for our iniquities have we, our kings, bode there three days. and our priests, been delivered into the 33 Now on the fourth day was the fil-hand of the kings of the lands, to the ver and the gold and the veffels weighed Tword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to in the houfe of our God, by the hand of confufion of face, as it is this day. Meremoth the fon of Uriah the priest; 8 And now for a little space grace hath and with him was Eleazar the fon of been bewed from the LORD our God,to Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the fon of Jethua, and Noadiah the fon of Binnui, Levites;

34 By number and by weight of every one and all the weight was written at that time.

35 Ajo the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out

leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forfaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the fight of the kings of Perfia, to give us a reviv

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ing, to fet up the house of our God, and to
repair the defolations thereof, and to give
us a wall in Judal, and in Jerufalem.
10 And now, O our God, What shall
we fay after this? For we have forfaken
thy commandments,

The people repent.

Then arofe Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Ifrael, to fwear that they fhould do according to this word. And they fware.

6 Then Ezra rofe up from before the houfe of God, and went into the chamber 11 Which thou haft commanded by thy of Johanan the fon of Eliafhib: and when fervants, the prophets, faying, The land, he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor unto which ye go to poffefs it, is an un-drink water: for he mourned because of elean land with the filthiness of the peo- the tranfgreffion of them that had been ple of the lands, with their abominations, carried away. which have filled it from one end to an- 7 And they made proclamation through other with their uncleannefs. out Judah and Jerufalem unto all the 12 Now therefore, give not your daugh-children of the captivity, that they ters unto their fons, neither take their fhould gather themselves together unto daughters unto your fons, nor feek their Jerufalem; peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be ftrong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.

13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trefpafs,feeing that thou our God haft punished us lefs than our iniquities deferve, and haft given us fuch deliverance as this;

14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of thefe abominations? Wouldeft not thou be angry with us till thou hadst confumed us, fo that there should be no remnant nor efcaping?

15 O LORD God of Ifrael, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day behold,we are before thee in our trefpaffes: for we cannot ftand before thee because of this.

СНАР X.

& And that whofoever would not come within three days, according to the counfel of the princes and the elders, all his fubftance fhould be forfeited, and himself feparated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.

9¶ Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerufalem within three days. It was the ninth month, and the twentieth day of the month; and all the people fat in the street of the houfe of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.

10 And Ezra the priest ftood up, and faid unto them, Ye have tranfgreffed, and have taken ftrange wives, to increase the trespass of Ifrael

11 Now therefore, make confeffion un to the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleafure: and feparate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the trange wives.

12 Then all the congregation anfwered and faid with a loud voice, As thou haft faid, fo must we do.

1 Shechaniab encourageth Ezra to reform the frange marriages. 6 Ezra mourning, affembleth the people. 9 The people, at the exhortation of Ezra, repent, and promife amendmeni. 18 The names of 13 But the people are many, and it is, them which bad married ftrangewives. time of much rain, and we are not able to NOW when Ezra had prayed, and stand without, neither is this a work of when he had confeffed, weeping and caft- one day or two for we are many that ing himfelf down before the house of have tranfgreffed in this thing. God, there affembled unto him out of 14 Let now our rulers of all the congre Ifrael a very great congregation of men and women and children; for the people wept very fore.

And Shecaniah the fon of Jehiel, one of the fons of Elam, anfwered and said unto Ezra, We have trefpaffed against our God, and have taken (trange wives of the people of the land yet now there is hope in Ifrael concerning this thing

gation ftand, and let all them which have taken ftrange wives in our cities conte at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

them.

15 Only Jonathan the fon of Afahel and Jahaziah the fon of Tikvah were employed about this master: and Mefbul3 Now therefore, let us make a cove-lam and Shabbethai the Levite helped nant with our God to put away all the wives, and fuch as are born of them, ac- 16 And the children of the captivity cording to the counfel of my lord, and of did fo. And Ezra the priest, wirb certain thote that tremble at the commandment chief of the fathers, after the houfe of of our God; and let it be done according their fathers, and all of them by their to the law. names, were feparated, and fat down in the firit day of the tenth month to exam

4 Arife; for this matter belongethunto thee: we allo will be with thee: be ofine the matter. good courage, and do it.

17 And they made an end with all the

men

The names of them which

Chap. i. bad married firange wives, iti
Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and
Zabad, and Aziza.

men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

18 And among the fons of the priests there were found that had taken ftrange wives: namely, of the fons of Jeshua the fon of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaleiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trefpafs.

20 And of the fons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadjah.

21 And of the fons of Harim; Maafeiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

22 And of the fons of Pathur; Elioenai, Maafeiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elafah.

23 Alfo of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (the same is Kelita) Pethaiah, Judah, and Eliezer

24 Of the Gingers alfo ; Eliashib: and of] the porters; Shallum, and Telem,and Uri. 25 Moreover, of Ifrael; of the fons of Parofh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

28 Of the fons alfo of Bebai: Jehoha nan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

29 And of the fons of Ban; Mehullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

30 And the fons of Pahathmoab; Adna,and Chelai, Benaiah, Maafeiah,Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui,and Manaffeh. 31 And of the fons of Harim; Bliezer, 1hijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, S2 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 Of the fons of Hafhum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manaffeh, and Shimei.

84 Of the fons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chellub, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 87 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaafau, 88 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, 39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

40 Machnadebai, Shafhai, Sharai, 41 Azreel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Jofeph. 48 Of the fons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel,

26 And of the fons of Elam; Matta-Bendíah. niah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, 44 All these had taken frange wives: and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

and fome of them had wives by whom

27 And of the sons of Zattu : Elioenai, 'they had children.

THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. CHAP. I.

1 Nebemiah understanding by Hanani the mifery of Jerufalem,mournetb, jafeth, and prayeth. 5 His prayer.

THE words of Nehemiah the fon of Hachaliah. And it came to pafs in the month Chifleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shuthan the palace,

thine eyes open, that thou mayeft hear the prayer of thy fervant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Ifrael thy fervants, and confefs the fins of the children of Ifrael, which we have finned against thee: buth and my father's houfe have finned.

I

7 We have dealt very corruptly against That Hanani one of my brethren, thee, and have not kept the commandcame, he and certain men of Judah; and ments, nor the fiatutes, nor the judgJafked them concerning the Jews that meats, which thou commandedst thy ferhad escaped, which were left of the cap-vant Mofes. tivity, and concerning Jerufalem.

8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word

And they faid unto me, The rem-that thou commandedft thy fervant Mofes, hant that are left of the captivity there in faying, If ye tranfgrefs, I will scatter you the province are in great affliction and abroad among the nations: reproach; the wall of Jerufalem alfo is 9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

4 And it came to pafs, when I heard thefe words, that I fat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and failed, and prayed before the God of heaven,

5 And faid, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and obferve his commandments:

6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and

commandments, and do them; though there were of you caft out unto the uttermoft part of the heaven, yer will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chofen to fet my name there.

10 Now there are thy fervant's and thy people, whom thou haft redeemed by thy great power, and by thy trong hand.

11 O LORD, I befeech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy fervant, and to the prayer of thy fer

412 Nehemiah fent to Jerufalem, NEHEMIAH.

He vieweth the ruins.

vants, who defire to fear thy name: and there any beast with me, fave the beat profper, I pray thee, thy fervant this that I rode upon.

day, and grant him mercy in the fight 18 And I went out by night by the of this man. For I was the king's cup-gate of the valley, even before the dragbearer. on well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerufalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were confumed with fire.

CHAP. II. 1 Artaxerxes fendeth Nehemiah to JeruJalem. 12 He vieweth the ruins; 17 and encireth the Jews to build. 14 Then I went on to the gate of the AND it came to pafs in the month fountain, and to the king's pool: but Nifan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerx-there was no place for the beaft that was es the king, that wine was before him under me to pass. and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime fad in his prefence.

:

2 Wherefore the king faid unto me, Why is thycountenance fad, feeing thou art not fick This is nothing elfe but forrow of heart. Then I was very fore afraid,

15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and fo returned.

16 And the rulers knew not whither 1 went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, 3 And faid unto the king, Let the king nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor live forever. Why fhould not my coun-to the reft that did the work. tenance be fad, when the city, the place 17 Then faid I unto them, Ye fee of my fathers fepulchres, lieth wafte, the diitrefs that we are in, how Jerufalem and the gates thereof are confumed with bicth wafte. and the gates thereof are fire ? burned with fire come, and let us build 4 Then the king faid unto me, For up the wall of Jerufalem, that we be no what doft thou make request Sol pray-more a reproach.

ed to the God of heaven.

5 And I faid unto the king, If it pleafe the king, and if thy fervant have found favour in thy fight, that thou wouldeft fend me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' fepulchres, that I may build it.

6 And the king faid unto me, (the queen aifo fitting by him,) For how long thall thy journey be? and. When wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to fend me; and I fet him a time.

7 Moreover, I faid unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;

8 And a letter unto Afaph the keeper of the king's foreft, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the houfe that I fall enter into. And the king granted me according to the good hand of my God upon me.

18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as alfo the king's words that he had fpoken unto me. And they faid, Let us rife up and build. So they ftrengthened their hands for this good work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the fervant, the Ammonite, and Gethem the Arabian, heard it; they laughed us to fcorn, and defpifed us, and faid, What is this thing that ye do? Will ye rebel against the king?

20 Then anfwered I them, and faid unto them, The God of heaven, he will profperus; therefore, we his fervants will arife and build but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerufalem. CHAP. III.

The names and order of them that build, ed the wall.

THEN Eliahib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they fanctified it, and fet up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they fanctified it, unto the

9 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's let-tower of Hananeel. ters. Now the king had fent captains of the army and horfemen with me.

10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the fervant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to feek the welfare of the children of Ifrael.

11 So I came to Jerufalem, and was there three days.

2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the fon of Imri.

3 But the fish gate did the fons of Haffenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and fet up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

4 And next unto them repaired Meremoth the fon of Urijah, the fon of Koz. 12 And l'arofe in the night, I and And next unto them repaired Mehul fome few men with me neither told I am the fon of Berechish, the fon of any man what my God had put in my Methezabeel. And next unto them reheart to do at Jerufalem; neither was paired Zadok the fon of Baapa.

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