< Ezra 3 >

1 And thanne the seuenthe monethe was comun, and the sones of Israel weren in her citees.
By the seventh month, the Israelites had settled in their towns, and the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem.
2 Therfor the puple was gaderid as o man in to Jerusalem. And Josue, the sone of Josedech, roos, and hise britheren, prestis, and Zorobabel, the sone of Salatiel, and hise britheren, and thei bildiden the auter of God of Israel for to offre therynne brent sacrifices, as it is writun in the lawe of Moises, the man of God.
Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates, began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
3 Forsothe thei settiden the auter on his foundementis, while the puplis of londis bi cumpas maden hem aferd, and thei offriden on that auter brent sacrifice to the Lord in the morewtid and euentid.
They set up the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD—both the morning and evening burnt offerings—even though they feared the people of the land.
4 And thei maden solempnytee of tabernaclis, as it is writun, and brent sacrifice ech dai bi ordre, `bi the werk of the dai comaundid in his dai.
They also celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in accordance with what is written, and they offered burnt offerings daily based on the number prescribed for each day.
5 And after this thei offriden contynuel brent sacrifice, bothe in calendis and in alle solempnytees of the Lord, that weren halewid, and in alle solempnytees, in which yifte was offrid to the Lord bi fre wille.
After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings and those for New Moons and for all the appointed sacred feasts of the LORD, as well as all the freewill offerings brought to the LORD.
6 In the firste dai of the seuenthe monethe thei bigunnen to offre brent sacrifice to the Lord; certis the temple of God was not foundid yit.
On the first day of the seventh month, the Israelites began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, although the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid.
7 But thei yauen monei to heweris of stoon, and to liggeris of stoon, and thei yauen mete, and drynke, and oile, to men of Sidon, and `to men of Tire, that thei schulden brynge cedre trees fro the Liban to the see of Joppe, bi that that Cirus, kyng of Persis, hadde comaundid to hem.
They gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.
8 Forsothe in the secounde yeer of her comyng to the temple of God in Jerusalem, in the secounde monethe, Zorobabel, the sone of Salatiel, and Josue,
In the second month of the second year after they had arrived at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their associates including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years of age or older to supervise the construction of the house of the LORD.
9 the sone of Josedech, and othere of her britheren, preestis and dekenes, and alle that camen fro the caitifte in to Jerusalem, bigunnen; and thei ordeyneden dekenes, fro twenti yeer and aboue, for to haste the werk of the Lord; and Josue stood, and hise sones, and hise britheren, Cedynyel and hise sones, and the sones of Juda, as o man, to be bisi ouer hem that maden the werk in the temple of God; the sones of Benadab, her sones and her britheren, dekenes, `weren bisy.
So Jeshua and his sons and brothers, Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Yehudah), and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together to supervise those working on the house of God.
10 Therfor whanne the temple `of the Lord was foundid of stoon leggeris, prestis stoden in her ournement with trumpis, and dekenes, the sones of Asaph, in cymbalis, for to herie God bi the hond of Dauid, kyng of Israel.
When the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their positions to praise the LORD, as David king of Israel had prescribed.
11 And thei sungen togidere in ympnes and knoulechyng to the Lord, For he is good, for his merci is with outen ende on Israel. And al the puple criede with greet cry, in preisynge the Lord, for the temple of the Lord was foundid.
And they sang responsively with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD: “For He is good; for His loving devotion to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD had been laid.
12 Also ful manye of the preestis, and of the dekenes, and the princes of fadris, and the eldre men, that hadden seyn the formere temple, whanne it was foundid, and this temple bifor her iyen, wepten with greet vois, and many men criynge in gladnesse reisiden the vois;
But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first temple wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple. Still, many others shouted joyfully.
13 and no man myyte knowe the vois of cry of men beynge glad, and the vois of wepyng of the puple; for the puple criede togidere with greet cry, and the vois was herd afer.
The people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people were making so much noise. And the sound was heard from afar.

< Ezra 3 >