1 Esd 6 | Wycl | STEP | Forsothe in the secounde yeer of the rewme of Darij, Agge propheciede, and Zacharias, the sone of Addyn, a prophete, anentis Judee and in Jerusalem, in the name of the Lord God of Israel, upon hem.

‏ 1 Esdras 6

1 Forsothe in the secounde yeer of the rewme of Darij, Agge propheciede, and Zacharias, the sone of Addyn, a prophete, anentis Judee and in Jerusalem, in the name of the Lord God of Israel, upon hem. 2 Thanne stondynge Sorobabel, the sone of Salathiel, and Jesus, the sone of Josedech, thei bigunnen to bilde up the hous of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem; 3 whanne ther weren niy to hem prophetis of the Lord, and helpiden hem. In that tyme came to hem Cysennes, the vndir litil kyng of Cirye and of Fenycis, and Satrabozanes, and her felawis. 4 And thei seiden to hem, Who comaundide to you, that ye bilden this hows, and this roof, and many othere thingis ye perfourmen? and who ben tho bilders, that bilden up thes thingis? 5 And the eldre men of Israel hadden grace of the Lord, whanne the visitacioun of hem was maad upon hem that weren of the caitifte; 6 and thei weren not lettid to bilden up, to the tyme that it were signified to Darij of alle thes thingis, and an answere were taken ayen. 7 This is the ensaumple of the lettre, that Cysennes, the vndir kyng of Cyrie and of Fenyces, and Satrobosanes, and her felawis, rewlers in Sirye and in Fenyce, senden to the king. To kyng Darye, gretyng. 8 Alle thingis be thei knowen to the lord the kyng; forsothe whanne we camen in to the regioun of Judee, and wenten in to Jerusalem, we founden men bildynge a greet hous of God, 9 and a temple of gret polishid stones, and of precious maters in the wallis; 10 and tho werkis besily in makynge, and to help, and to make welsum in the hondis of hem, and in al glorie, ful diligently to be perfourmyd. 11 Thanne we askiden the eldre men, seiynge, Who suffride you to bilde this hous, and to bilde thes werkis? 12 Therfor forsothe we askiden hem, that we myyten make knowen to thee the men, and the prouostis, or reuys; and we askiden hem the writyng of the names of the maistris of the werk. 13 And thei answeriden to vs, seiynge, We ben seruauntis of the Lord, that made bothe heuen and erthe; 14 and this hous was bild bifore thes many yeris of the kyng of Israel, that was greet, and a ful strong kyng, and it was destried ayen. 15 And for oure fadris terriden and synneden ayen God of Israel, he bitook hem in to the hondis of Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, kyng of Caldeis; 16 and thei destrieden and brenden up this hous, and thei brouyten the peple maad thral in to Babiloyne. 17 In the first yeer regnynge Cyro, kyng of Babiloyne, kyng Cyrus wroot to bilden up this hous; 18 and tho hooly golden vessels and silueren, that Nabugodonosor had born awey fro the hous of God, that is in Jerusalem, and had sacrid hem in his temple, efte kyng Cyrus brouyte hem forth fro the temple that was in Babiloyn, and thei weren bitake to Sorobabel, and to Salmanasar, the vndir litil kyng. 19 And it was comaundid to hem, that thei offre thes vessels, and thei schulde ley hem up in the temple, that was in Jerusalem, and to bilde up that temple of God in that place. 20 Thanne Salmanasar vndirleide the foundementis of the hous of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem; and fro thennes vn to now is a bildynge, and hath take no ful endyng. 21 Now thanne, O kyng! if it is demed of thee, that it be perfitly souyt in the kyngis libraries of kyng Cyry, that ben in Babiloyne; 22 and if it were founden in the counseil of kyng Ciry, the makyng of the hous of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem, to be bigunnen, and if it schal be schewid of the lord oure kyng, write he to vs of thes thingis. 23 Thanne kyng Darie comaundid to ben ynwardly souyt in the libraries; and ther was founden in Egbathanys, a borouy town, that is in the myddil regioun, a place, in the whiche weren wreten thes thingis. 24 The firste yer regnynge Cyro kyng, Cyrus comaundide to bilden up the hous of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem, where thei brenden with contynuel fijr; whos heiyt was maad of lx. cubitis, 25 and the brede of sixty cubitis, squarid with thre polischid stones, and with soler tree of the same regioun, and with o newe soler; and costis to be youen of the hous of king Cyrus; 26 and the holy vessels of the hous of the Lord, bothe golden and silueren, that Nabugodonosor bare awey, that tho be putt thidere in to the hous, that is in Jerusalem, where thei weren put. 27 And he comaundide Cysennem, the vndir litil kyng of Cyrie and Fenyce, and Satrabusanam, and his felawis, to do her bisynesse, and thei that weren in Sirie and Fenyce ordeyneden rewlers, that thei schulden absteyne them fro the same place. 28 And I also comaundide to make it up al, and I lokide forth, that thei help them that ben of the caitiftee of Jewis, vnto the tyme that the temple of the hous of the Lord be full endid; 29 and a quantitee to be youen diligently to these men of the traueile of the tributis of Sirye Choles and Fenyces, to the sacrifice of the Lord, to Sorobabel, the prefect, to bolis, and wetheris, and to lombis; 30 also forsothe bothe whete, and salt, wyn, and oile, bisily bi alle yeris, as the prestis, that ben in Jerusalem, ordeyneden to be fulfillid eche day, withoute ony delay; 31 also that ther be offrid offryngis of licours to the hiyest God, for the kyng, and for his children, and preie thei for the lijf of hem. 32 And be it denounsid, that who so euer ouer passen ony thing of these thingis that ben wreten, outher despisen, be ther taken a tree of her owne, and be thei hangid theron, and her goodes be ethchetid to the kyng. 33 Therfor also the Lord, whos name is ynwardly clepid there, outlawe he eche kyng and folk, that strecchen out her hoond to offende, or to yuele trete that hous of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem. 34 I, kyng Darie, haue maad a decree, to be don as moost diligently after thes thingis.