I Esdras 2

¹Regnynge Cyro, kyng of Peersis, in the fulfillyng of the word of the Lord, in the mouth of Jeremye,

²the Lord reiside up the spirit of Ciry, kyng of Persis; and he prechide in al his rewme togidre bi scripture, seiynge,

³Thes thingis seith Cirus, kyng of Persis, The Lord of Israel, the hiye Lord, hath ordeyned me kyng to the world of erthis;

⁴and he signyfiede to me to bilde to him an hous in Jerusalem, that is in Juda.

⁵If ther is ony man of youre kynrede, his Lord stie up with him in to Jerusalem.

⁶Therfor hou many euer dwellen in places aboute, helpe thei hem that dwellen in that place, in gold and siluer,

⁷in yiftis, with hors, and bestis, and with othere thingis, the whiche aftir vowes ben leid up in to the hous of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem.

⁸And the stondynge princis of lynages of townes of Jude, of the lynage of Beniamyn, and prestis and dekens, whom the Lord stiride to wende up, and to bilde up the hous of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem; and thei, that weren in the enuyroun, or in cumpas, of hem, schulden helpe in al siluer and gold of it,

⁹and in bestis, and in many vowis; and many othere, of whom the witt is stirid, helpe thei also.

¹⁰And kyng Cirus brouyte forth the sacrid vessels of the Lord, the whiche Nabugodonosor translatide fro Jerusalem, and sacride hem in his mawmett.

¹¹And Cirus, king of Persis, bryngynge hem forth, toke tho to Mitridate, that was upon the tresours of him.

¹²Forsothe bi him thei ben taken to Salmanasar, gouernour of Jude.

¹³Of thes thinges forsothe this is the noumbre; silueren halewid vessels of licours, two thousynd and foure hundrid; thritti silueren drinkynge vessels; thritty goldene violes; and two thousynd and foure hundrid silueren violes; and a thousynd othere vessels.

¹⁴Forsothe alle the golden and silueren vessels weren foure thousynd and foure hundrid and eiyt and sixty.

¹⁵And thei ben delyuered out to Salmanasar, togidere with hem, that weren comen in to Jerusalem of the caytiftee or thraldom of Babiloyne.

¹⁶Forsothe in the tyme of Artaxerses, kyng of Persis, ther wreten to him, of thes that dwelliden in Judee and in Jerusalem, Balsamus, and Mitridatus, and Sabelius, and Ratymus, Baltheneus, and Samelius, the scribe, and othere dwellinge in Samarie, and in othere placis, thei writen this subiect lettre to the kyng Artaxersy.

¹⁷Lord, thi children, Ratymus, and Sabelius, the scribe, and othere domes men of thi court, of thingis that fallen in Coelem Siriem, and Fenycen.

¹⁸And now be it knowen to the lord the kyng, that Jewis, the whiche stieden up fro you to us, comynge in to Jerusalem, a citee of fleers awei, and a ful yuel citee, thei bilden up the ouenes of it, and thei setten the wallis, and reren the temple.

¹⁹That if this citee and wallis weren maad up, thei shul not suffre to yelde tributis, but also thei shul ayenstonde to kyngis.

²⁰And for cause that that thing is done aboute the temple, to haue it riytly we haue demed to not despise that same thing,

²¹but to make knowen to the lord kyng, that if it schal be seen plesyng to the king, be it souyt in the bookis of thi fadris;

²²and thou schalt fynde in remembrauncis writen of hem, and thou schalt knowe, that thilke citee was ayen flowun, and kyngis and citees smytinge togidre,

²³and Jewis fleynge ayen, and makinge bateilis in it alwey; for the whiche cause this citee was forsake.

²⁴Now therfor we maken knowen to the lord king, that if this citee were bild up, and the wallis of it weren arerid, ther schal be no comyng doun to thee in to Choelem Cyriem and Fenycen.

²⁵Thanne the kyng wroot ayen to Ratimym, that wroot tho thingis that bifellen, and to Bellumym, and to Sabellio, the scribe, and to othere ordeyned souereyns, and dwellinge in Cirye and in Fenyce, he wrot to hem thes thingis that ben sett vndir.

²⁶I haue rad the lettre, that thou sentist to me. Therfor I comaundide it to be souyt; and it was founden, that thilke citee was alwey withstondynge to kyngis,

²⁷and men ayen fugitijf, and makynge bateilis in it; and moost stronge kingis han ben lordschipinge in Jerusalem, and askinge tributis of Chole Cirie and Fenycem.

²⁸Now therfore I comaunde to forfende tho men to bilde up the citee, and to loke, that ony thing be not maad her aftir;

²⁹but that thei passe not in to ful myche, sith thei ben of malice, so that greuauncis be not brouyt ther to kinges.

³⁰Thanne aftir thes thingis weren rehersid, that weren writen of Artaxerses, the kyng, Rathinus, and Sabellius, the scribe, and thei that weren with hem ordeyned, ioynynge, hyingly camen in to Jerusalem, with horse men, and peple, and with cumpanye;

³¹and thei bigunnen to forfende the buylders. And thei voididen thanne fro the bildyng of the temple, vnto the secounde yeer of the rewme of Darij, kyng of Persis.

I Esdras 2

¹In the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, that the word of the Lord might be accomplished, that he had promised by the mouth of Jeremy;

²The Lord raised up the spirit of Cyrus the king of the Persians, and he made proclamation through all his kingdom, and also by writing,

³Saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of the Persians; The Lord of Israel, the most high Lord, hath made me king of the whole world,

⁴And commanded me to build him an house at Jerusalem in Jewry.

⁵If therefore there be any of you that are of his people, let the Lord, even his Lord, be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord of Israel: for he is the Lord that dwelleth in Jerusalem.

⁶Whosoever then dwell in the places about, let them help him, those, I say, that are his neighbours, with gold, and with silver,

⁷With gifts, with horses, and with cattle, and other things, which have been set forth by vow, for the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem.

⁸Then the chief of the families of Judea and of the tribe of Benjamin stood up; the priests also, and the Levites, and all they whose mind the Lord had moved to go up, and to build an house for the Lord at Jerusalem,

⁹And they that dwelt round about them, and helped them in all things with silver and gold, with horses and cattle, and with very many free gifts of a great number whose minds were stirred up thereto.

¹⁰King Cyrus also brought forth the holy vessels, which Nabuchodonosor had carried away from Jerusalem, and had set up in his temple of idols.

¹¹Now when Cyrus king of the Persians had brought them forth, he delivered them to Mithridates his treasurer:

¹²And by him they were delivered to Sanabassar the governor of Judea.

¹³And this was the number of them; A thousand golden cups, and a thousand of silver, censers of silver twenty nine, vials of gold thirty, and of silver two thousand four hundred and ten, and a thousand other vessels.

¹⁴So all the vessels of gold and of silver, which were carried away, were five thousand four hundred threescore and nine.

¹⁵These were brought back by Sanabassar, together with them of the captivity, from Babylon to Jerusalem.

¹⁶But in the time of Artexerxes king of the Persians Belemus, and Mithridates, and Tabellius, and Rathumus, and Beeltethmus, and Semellius the secretary, with others that were in commission with them, dwelling in Samaria and other places, wrote unto him against them that dwelt in Judea and Jerusalem these letters following;

¹⁷To king Artexerxes our lord, Thy servants, Rathumus the storywriter, and Semellius the scribe, and the rest of their council, and the judges that are in Celosyria and Phenice.

¹⁸Be it now known to the lord king, that the Jews that are up from you to us, being come into Jerusalem, that rebellious and wicked city, do build the marketplaces, and repair the walls of it and do lay the foundation of the temple.

¹⁹Now if this city and the walls thereof be made up again, they will not only refuse to give tribute, but also rebel against kings.

²⁰And forasmuch as the things pertaining to the temple are now in hand, we think it meet not to neglect such a matter,

²¹But to speak unto our lord the king, to the intent that, if it be thy pleasure it may be sought out in the books of thy fathers:

²²And thou shalt find in the chronicles what is written concerning these things, and shalt understand that that city was rebellious, troubling both kings and cities:

²³And that the Jews were rebellious, and raised always wars therein; for the which cause even this city was made desolate.

²⁴Wherefore now we do declare unto thee, O lord the king, that if this city be built again, and the walls thereof set up anew, thou shalt from henceforth have no passage into Celosyria and Phenice.

²⁵Then the king wrote back again to Rathumus the storywriter, to Beeltethmus, to Semellius the scribe, and to the rest that were in commission, and dwellers in Samaria and Syria and Phenice, after this manner;

²⁶I have read the epistle which ye have sent unto me: therefore I commanded to make diligent search, and it hath been found that that city was from the beginning practising against kings;

²⁷And the men therein were given to rebellion and war: and that mighty kings and fierce were in Jerusalem, who reigned and exacted tributes in Celosyria and Phenice.

²⁸Now therefore I have commanded to hinder those men from building the city, and heed to be taken that there be no more done in it;

²⁹And that those wicked workers proceed no further to the annoyance of kings,

³⁰Then king Artexerxes his letters being read, Rathumus, and Semellius the scribe, and the rest that were in commission with them, removing in haste toward Jerusalem with a troop of horsemen and a multitude of people in battle array, began to hinder the builders; and the building of the temple in Jerusalem ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.