The commission of EZRA, VIII. 2 The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 8 The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest: 6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. 7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethiním, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. Artaxerxes to Ezra. 18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God." 19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house. 21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily, 22 Unto a hundred talents of sil ver, and to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 9 For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Baby- 23 Whatsoever is commanded by the lon, and on the first day of the fifth God of heaven, let it be diligently month came he to Jerusalem, accord-done for the house of the God of ing to the good hand of his God upon heaven: for why should there be him. wrath against the realm of the king and his sons! 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. 24 Also we certify, you, that, touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinim, or min11 Now this is the copy of the let-isters of this house of God, it shall ter that the king Artaxerxes gave not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even or custom, upon them. a scribe of the words of the command- 25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom ments of the LORD, and of his stat-of thy God, that is in thine hand, set utes to Israel. magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. 13 I make a decree, that all they 26 And whosoever will not do the of the people of Israel, and of his law of thy God, and the law of the priests and Levites, in my realm, king, let judgment be executed which are minded of their own free-speedily upon him, whether it be will to go up to Jerusalem, go with unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to impris onment. thee. 14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand; 27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem: 15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors 28 And hath extended mercy unto have freely offered unto the God of me before the king, and his counselIsrael, whose habitation is in Jerusalers, and before all the king's mighty lem, 17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them apon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me. THESE are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king 2 Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom of the sons of Ithamar; Danfel: of the sons of David; Hattush. 8 Of the sons of Shechanial, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males a hundred and fifty. 4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males. 5 Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males. 6 Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males. He keepeth a fast. Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty, 20 Also of the Nethiním, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethiním: all of them were expressed by name. 21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. 22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way. because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake 7 And of the son of Elam; Jesha-him. lah the son of Athaliah, and with 23 So we fasted and besought our him seventy males. God for this: and he was entreated 8 And of the sons of Shephatiah; of us. Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males. 9 Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males. 24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, 25 And weighed unto them the sil10 And of the sons of Shelomith; ver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the son of Josiphiah, and with him a the offering of the house of our God, hundred and threescore males. which the king, and his counsellors, 11 And of the sons of Bebai; Zecha-and his lords, and all Israel there riah the son of Bebai, and with him present, had offered: twenty and eight males. 12 And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him a hundred and ten males. 13 And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jefel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males. 14 Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them seventy males. 15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi. 16 Then sent 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; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of under standing. 26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels a hund: ed talents, and of gold a hundred talents; 27 Also twenty basins of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold. 28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers. 29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of rael, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD. 30 So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God. 31 Then we departed from the 17 And I sent them with command-river of Ahava on the twelfth day of ment unto Iddo the chief at the place the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: Casiphia, and I told them what they and the hand of our God was upon should say unto Iddo, and to his us, and he delivered us from the hand brethren the Nethinim, at the place of the enemy, and of such as lay in Casiphia, that they should bring unto wait by the way. us ministers for the house of our God. 82 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. 18 And by the good hand of our God 33 Now on the fourth day was the upon us they brought us a man of silver and the gold and the vessels understanding, of the sons of Mahli, weighed in the house of our God by the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and the hand of Meremoth the son of UriSherebiah, with his sons and his breth-ah the priest; and with him was ren, eighteen ; Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with 19 And Hashabiah, and with him them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, Ezra's prayer with EZRA, IX. confession of sins. and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Le-and give us a little reviving in our vites; bondage. 34 By number and by weight of 9 For we were bondmen; yet our every one and all the weight was God hath not forsaken us in our written at that time. bondage, but hath extended mercy 35 Also the children of those that unto us in the sight of the kings of had been carried away, which were Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up come out of the captivity, offered the house of our God, and to repair burnt offerings unto the God of Is- the desolations thereof, and to give rael, twelve bullocks for all Israel, us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. ninety and six rams, seventy and 10 And now, O our God, what shall seven lambs, twelve he goats for a we say after this? for we have forsin offering: all this was a burnt offer-saken thy commandments, ing unto the LORD. 36 And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river and they furthered the people, and the house of God. CHAPTER IX. 1 Ezra mourneth for the affinity of the people with strangers. 5 He prayeth unto God with confession of sins. NOW when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. 11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. 12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, 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 trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; 14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations! wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor es 8 And when I heard this thing, Icaping! rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. my Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied un-1 til the evening sacrific 5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, 6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed 15 O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous; for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses; for we cannot stand before thee because of this. CHAPTER X. Shechaniah encourageth Esra to reform the strange marriages. 6 Ezra mourning assem bleth the people. 9 The people, at the exhortation of Eara, repent, and promise amendment. 15 The care to perform it. 18 The names of them which had married strange wives. TOW Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and blush to lift up my face to thee, and casting himself down before the my God: for our iniquities are in-house of God, there assembled unto creased over our head, and our tres-him out of Israel a very great congrepass is grown up unto the heavens. 7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. 8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, gation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore. 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. 8 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the com Reformation of the EZRA, X. mandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. 4 Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it. 5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware. 6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away. 7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; 8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away. 9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain. 10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. 11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives. 12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do. 13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed In this thing. 14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the flerce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us. 15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. strange marriages. of the tenth month to examine the matter. 17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month. 18 And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Elie zer, 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 trespass. 20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah. 21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. 22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 23 Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24 Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. 25 Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah. 26 And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah. 27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. 28 Of the sons also of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 29 And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. 30 And of the sons of Pahath-mo ab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh. 31 And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishíjah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 84 Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel, 85 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 87 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, 88 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, 39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah. 16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all 44 All these had taken strange of them by their names, were sepa- wives: and some of them had wives rated, and sat down in the first day by whom they had children. THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. CHAPTER I. ace, 2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 8 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. 4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, 5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: CHAPTER IL 1 Artaxerxes understanding the cause of Nehe miah's sadness sendeth him with letters and cOM. mission to Jerusalem. 9 Nehemiah, to the grief of the enemies, cometh to Jerusalem. 12 He view eth secretly the ruins of the walls. 17 He inesteth the Jews to build in despite of the enemies. AND it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now had not been beforetime sad in his presence. 2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick! this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, 8 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with firet 4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request! So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, 6 Let thine ear now be attentive, unto the city of my fathers' sepul and thine eyes open, that thou may-chres, that I may build it. est hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. 8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: 9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. 10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. 11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer. 6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be and when wilt thou return! So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. 7 Moreover I said 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 Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, 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 house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. 9 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceed ingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. 11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: |