Ezra 6

1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and they sought in the house of the scrolls of the treasuries placed there in Babylon,

Thanne kyng Darius comaundide, and thei rekenyden in the biblet of bokis, that weren kept in Babiloyne.

2 and there has been found at Achmetha, in a palace that [is] in the province of Media, a scroll, and a record thus written within it [is]:

And o book was foundun in Egbatanys, which is a castel in the prouynce of Medena, and sich a sentence of the kyng was writun therynne.

3 “In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king has made a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: let the house be built in the place where they are sacrificing sacrifices, and its foundations strongly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits;

In the first yeer of kyng Cirus, Cirus the kyng demyde, that, `Goddis hows, which is in Jerusalem, schulde be bildid in the place where thei offren sacrifices, and that thei sette foundementis supportynge the heiythe of sixti cubitis, and the lengthe of sixti cubitis, thre ordris of stonys vnpolischid,

4 three rows of rolled stones, and a row of new wood, and let the outlay be given out of the king’s house.

and so ordris of newe trees. Sotheli costis schulen be youun of the kyngis hows.

5 And also, the vessels of the house of God, of gold and silver, that Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, let be given back, and go to the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, [each] to its place, and put [them] down in the house of God.

But also the goldun and siluerne vessels of Goddis temple, whiche Nabugodonosor took fro the temple of Jerusalem, and brouyte tho in to Babiloyne, be yoldun, and borun ayen in to the temple of Jerusalem, and in to her place, whiche also be set in the temple of God.

6 Now Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, the Apharsachites, who [are] beyond the river, be far from here;

Now therfor Tathannai, duyk of the cuntrei which is biyende the flood, and Starbusannai, and youre counseleris, Arphasacei, that ben byyende the flood, departe ye fer fro hem;

7 let alone the work of this house of God, let the governor of the Jews, and [the] elders of the Jews, build this house of God on its place.

and suffre ye, that thilke temple of God be maad of the duyk of Jewis, and of the eldre men of hem; and that thei bilde that hows of God in his place.

8 And a decree is made by me concerning that which you do with [the] elders of these Jews to build this house of God, that of [the] riches of [the] king, that [are] of [the] tribute beyond [the] river, let the outlay be given speedily to these men, that they do not cease;

But also it is comaundid of me, that that bihoueth to be maad of tho preestis of Jewys, that the hows of God be bildid, that is, that costis be youun bisili to tho men of the arke of the kyng, that is, of tributis, that ben youun of the contrei biyende the flood, lest the werk be lettid.

9 and what they are needing—both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs for burnt-offerings to the God of the heavens, wheat, salt, wine, and oil according to the saying of the priests who [are] in Jerusalem—let be given to them day by day without fail,

That if it be nede, yyue thei bothe calues, and lambren, and kidis in to brent sacrifice to God of heuene; wheete, salt, and wyn, and oile, bi the custom of preestis that ben in Jerusalem, be youun to hem bi ech dai, that no pleynt be in ony thing.

10 that they are bringing sweet savors near to the God of the heavens, and praying for the life of the king, and of his sons.

And offre thei offryngis to God of heuene; and preye thei for the lijf of the kyng and of hise sones.

11 And a decree is made by me, that anyone who changes this thing, let wood be pulled down from his house, and being raised up, let him be struck on it, and let his house be made a dunghill for this.

Therfor the sentence is set of me, that if ony man chaungith this comaundement, a tre be takun of his hows, and be reisid, and be he hangid therynne; sotheli his hows be forfetid.

12 And God, who caused His Name to dwell there, casts down any king and people that puts forth his hand to change, to destroy this house of God that [is] in Jerusalem; I Darius have made a decree; let it be done speedily.”

Forsothe God, that makith his name to dwelle there, distrie alle rewmes and puple, that holdith forth her hond to impugne and destrie thilke hows of God, which is in Jerusalem. I Darius haue demyd the sentence, which Y wole be fillid diligentli.

13 Then Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king has sent, so they have done speedily;

Therfor Tathannai, duyk of the `cuntrei biyende the flood, and Starbusannai, and hise counseleris, diden execucioun, `ether filliden, so diligentli, bi that that kyng Darius hadde comaundid.

14 and [the] elders of [the] Jews are building and prospering through [the] prophecy of Haggai [the] prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo, and they have built and finished by [the] decree of [the] God of Israel, and by [the] decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

Sotheli the eldre men of Jewis bildiden, and hadden prosperite, bi the profesie of Aggey, the profete, and of Zacarie, the sone of Ado; and thei bildiden, and maden, for God of Israel comaundide, and for Cirus, and Darius, and Artaxerses, kyngis of Persis, comaundiden;

15 And this house has gone out until the third day of the month Adar, that is [in] the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

and thei performyden this hows of God `til to the thridde dai of the monethe Adar, which is the sixte yeer of the rewme of king Darius.

16 And the sons of Israel have made, [and] the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the sons of the captivity, a dedication of this house of God with joy,

Forsothe the sones of Israel, the preestis and dekenes, and the othere of the sones of transmygracioun, `that is, that camen fro transmigracioun, `ether caitifte, maden the halewyng of Goddis hows in ioie;

17 and have brought near for the dedication of this house of God: one hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and twelve young male goats for a sin-offering for all Israel according to the number of the tribes of Israel;

and offriden, `in the halewyng of Goddis hows, an hundrid caluys, twei hundryd wetheris, foure hundrid lambren, twelue buckis of geet for the synne of al Israel, bi the noumbre of lynagis of Israel.

18 and they have established the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God that [is] in Jerusalem, as it is written in the scroll of Moses.

And thei ordeyneden preestis in her ordris, and dekenes in her whilis, on the werkis of God in Jerusalem, as it is writun in the book of Moises.

19 And the sons of the captivity make the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month,

Forsothe the sones of transmygracioun maden pask, in the fourtenthe dai of the firste monethe.

20 for the priests and the Levites have been purified together—all of them [are] pure—and they slaughter the Passover for all the sons of the captivity, and for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.

For the preestis and dekenes as o man weren clensid, alle weren clene for to offre pask to alle the sones of transmygracioun, and to her britheren preestis, and to hem silf.

21 And the sons of Israel, those returning from the captivity, and everyone who is separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to them, to seek to YHWH, God of Israel, eat,

And the sones of Israel eeten, that turneden ayen fro transmygracioun, and ech man eet, that hadde departid hym silf fro al the defoulyng of hethene men of the lond, for to seke the Lord God of Israel.

22 and they make the Celebration of Unleavened Things seven days with joy, for YHWH made them to rejoice, and turned around the heart of the king of Asshur to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

And thei maden solempnyte of therf looues seuene daies in gladnesse; for the Lord hadde maad hem glad, and hadde turned the herte of the kyng of Assur to hem, that he wolde helpe `her hondis in the werk of the hows of the Lord God of Israel.