Ezra 6

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

So King Darius ordered an investigation in the house of archives in Babylon.

2 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.

In the fortified city of Ecbatana in Media a scroll was found; this was its record:

3 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,

“In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus issued a decree about the house of God in Jerusalem: 'Let the house be rebuilt as a place for sacrifice, let its foundations be laid, let its height be sixty cubits, and its width sixty cubits,

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

with three rows of large stones and a row of new timber, and let the cost be paid by the king's house.

5 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.

Now bring back the gold and silver objects belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon from the temple in Jerusalem and send them back to the temple in Jerusalem. You are to put them in the house of God.'

6 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;

Now Tattenai, the governor of the Province Beyond the River, Shethar-Bozenai, and associates who are in the Province Beyond the River, keep away!

7 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.

Leave the work of this house of God alone. The governor and Jewish elders will build this house of God at that place.

8 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.

I am ordering that you must do this for these Jewish elders who build this house of God: Funds from the king's tribute beyond the River will be used to pay these men so they do not have to stop their work.

9 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.

Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, or lambs for the burnt offerings to the God of Heaven, grain, salt, wine, or oil according to the command of the priests in Jerusalem—give these things to them every day without fail.

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

Do this so they will bring the offering in to the God of Heaven and pray for me, the king, and my sons.

11 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.

I am ordering that if anyone violates this decree, a beam must be pulled from his house and he must be impaled on it. His house must then be turned into a rubbish heap because of this.

12 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.

May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree, or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, am ordering this. Let it be done with diligence!”

13 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.

Then because of the decree sent by Darius the king, Tattenai, the governor of the Province Beyond the River, and Shethar-Bozenai and his associates, did everything that King Darius had ordered.

14 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;

So the Jewish elders built and prospered under the teaching of Haggaithe prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They completed their buildings according to the decree of the God of Israel and by the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes the king of Persia.

15 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.

The house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of King Darius' reign.

16 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;

The Israelite people, priests, Levites, and the rest of the captives celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

17 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.

They offered one hundred bulls, one hundred rams, and four hundred lambs for the dedication of God's house. Twelve male goats were also offered as a sin offering for all Israel, one for each tribe in Israel.

18 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.

They also assigned the priests and Levites to work divisions for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it was written in the Book of Moses.

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

So those who had been in exile celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

20 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.

The priests and Levites all purified themselves and slaughtered the Passover sacrifices for all those who had been in exile, including themselves.

21 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.

The Israelite people who ate some of the Passover meat were those who had returned from exile and had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the people of the land and sought Yahweh, the God of Israel.

22 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.

They joyfully celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days, for Yahweh had brought them joy and turned the heart of Assyria's king to strengthen their hands in the work of his house, the house of the God of Israel.