APOCRYPHA – 1 Esdras 8

1 Esdras 8

1 Esdras comes from Babylon to Jerusalem. 10 The copy of the commission given by Artaxerxes. 20 Esdras gives thanks to the Lord. 32 The number of the heads of the people that came with him. 76 His prayer and confession.

AND after these things when Artaxerxes King of the Persians reigned, Esdras the son of Saraias, the son of Ezerias, the son of Helcias, the son of Salum,

The son of Sadoc, the son of Achitob, the son of Amarias, the son of Ezias, the son of Memeroth, the son of Zaraias, the son of Sauias, the son of Boccas, the son of Abisum, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron was the high Priest.

This Esdras went out of Babylon, and was a scribe well taught in the Law of Moses, given by the Lord God of Israel.

Also the King gave him great honor, and he found grace in his sight in all his requests.

With him also there departed some of the children of Israel, and of the Priests and Levites, and of the holy singers, and of the porters, and of the ministers of the Temple unto Jerusalem,

In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and in the fifth month: this was the seventh year of the King (for they went out of Babylon in the first day of the fifth month,

And came to Jerusalem according as the Lord gave them speed in their journey)

For Esdras had gotten great knowledge, so that he would let nothing pass that was in the Law of the Lord, and in the commandments, and he taught all Israel all the ordinance and judgments.

So the commission written by King Artaxerxes was given Esdras the Priest and reader of the Law of the Lord: the copy thereof follows.

King Artaxerxes to Esdras the Priest, and reader of the Law of the Lord, Salutation.

Forasmuch as I consider things with pity, I have commanded that they that will and desire of the nation of the Jews, and of the Priests and Lvites, which are in our kingdom, should go with thee unto Israel.

Therefore as many as be willing, let them depart together, as it has seemed good to me and my seven friends the counselors,

That they may visit the things that are in Judea and Jerusalem diligently, as it is contained in the Law of the Lord,

And carry the gifts to the Lord of Israel in Jerusalem, which I and my friends have vowed: also all the gold and silver, which shall be found in the country of Babylon appertaining to the Lord in Jerusalem,

With that which is given of the people to the Temple of the Lord their God, that it might be brought to Jerusalem, as well silver as gold, for bulls, and rams, and lambs, and things thereunto pertaining,

That they may offer sacrifices to the Lord upon the altar of the Lord their God, which is in Jerusalem.

And whatsoever thou and thy brethren will do with the gold or silver, accomplish it according to the will of thy God.

And the holy vessels of the Lord, which are given there for the use of the Temple of thy God, which is in Jerusalem, thou shalt set before thy God in Jerusalem.

And what other things soever thou shalt remember for the use of the Temple of thy God, thou shalt give it out of the Kings treasure.

And I also King Artaxerxes have commanded the treasurers of Syria and Phenice, that whatsoever Esdras, the Priest and reader of the Law of the highest God, shall send for, they should give it him with all speed, even to the sum of an hundred talents of silver,

And likewise unto an hundred cores of corn, and an hundred pieces of wine and other things in abundance.

Let all things be done to the highest God according to the Law of God with diligence, that wrath come not upon the kingdom of the King and of his sons.

Also to you it is commanded, that of none of the Priests or Levites, or holy singers, or porters or ministers of the Temple, or of the workmen of this Temple, no tribute nor tax be taken, nor that any have power to tax them in any thing.

Thou also, Esdras, according to the wisdom of God, ordain judges and governors, that they may judge in all Syria and Phenice all those which are well instructed in the Law of God, and teach those, which are not instructed.

And let all those which shall transgress the Law of God and the King, be diligently punished, either with death, or other punishment, either with penalties of money, or banishment.

Then Esdras the scribe said, Blessed be the only Lord God of my fathers, which hath put this in the heart of the King to glorify his House which is in Jerusalem,

And hath honored me before the King, and the counselors, and all his friends and governors.

Therefore I was encouraged by the help of the Lord my God, and gathered men of Israel to go up with me.

These are the guides after their families and order of dignities, which came up with me out of Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes the King.

Of the sons of Phinees, Gersom, of the sons of Ithamar, Gamael, of the sons of David Lettus.

Of the sons of Sechenias, of the sons of Phares, Zacharias, and with him were counted an hundred and fifty men.

Of the sons of Salomon, Abeliacnias the son of Zacharias, and with him two hundred men.

Of the sons of Zathoe, Sechenias the son of Iezolus, and with him three hundred men: of the sons of Adin, Obeth son of Ionathas, and with him two hundred and fifty men.

Of the sons of Elam Iesias, son of Gotholias, and with him seventy men.

Of the sons of Saphatias, Zarias son of Machael, and with him sevent men.

Of the sons of Banid, Assalimoth son of Iosaphias, and with him an hundred and threescore men.

Of the sons of Babi, Zacharias son of Bebai, and with him twenty eight men.

Of the sons of Astath, Iohannes son of Acatan, and with him an hundred and ten.

Of the sons of Adonicam the last: and these are the names of them, Eliphalat, Ieouel and Maias, and with them seventy men: of the sons of Bagouthi son of Iscacourus, and with him seventy men.

And I gathered them together to the flood called Theras, and pitched our tents there three days, and numbered them.

But when I had found there none of the Priests not Levites,

I sent to Eleazar, and behold, there came Maasman, and Alnathan, and Samaian, and Ioribon, and Nathan, Ennatan, Zacharian, and Mosollamon the chief, and best learned.

And I bid them to go to Daddeus the captain, which was in the place of the treasury,

With charge to bid Daddeus and his brethren, and the treasurers that were there, to send to us them, which should offer sacrifice in the House of the Lord.

And they brought unto us by the mighty hand of our Lord learned men of the sons of Moli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, to wit, Cisebebran and his sons, and his brethren being eighteen.

And Asebia, and Annon, and Osaian his brethren of the sons of Canaineus with their sons, twenty persons.

And of the ministers of the Temple, which David gave, and those which were rulers over the work of the Levites, to wit, ministers of the Temple, two hundred and twenty, of whom all the names were registered.

And there I proclaimed a fast for the young men before the Lord to ask of him a good journey both for us, and for them that were with us, for our children, and for our cattle.

For I was ashamed to ask the King footmen, or horsemen, or conduct for safeguard against our enemies,

Because we had said to the King, that the power of our Lord should be with them that sought him to direct them in all things.

Wherefore we praised our Lord again, according to these things, whom we found favorable.

Then I chose from among the chief of every tribe, and of the Priests, twelve men, to wit, Esebrias and Assanias, and with them ten of their brethren.

And I weighed them the silver and the gold, and the holy vessels of the House of our Lord, which the King and his counselors, and his princes, and all Israel had given.

And I weighed them, six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels of an hundred talents, and an hundred talents of gold,

And twenty golden basins, and twelve vessels of brass, of fine brass shining like gold.

And I said to them, You are also holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the gold, and the silver is a vow to the Lord of our fathers.

Watch and keep them, til that you give them to the heads of the families of the Priests, and Levites, and captains of the families of Israel in Jerusalem in the chambers of the House of our God.

So the Priests and Levites took the silver and the gold, and the vessels, and carried them to Jerusalem to the Temple of the Lord.

And we departed from the flood Thera, in the twelveth day of the first month, and came to Jerusalem, according to the mighty power of our Lord with us: and the Lord delivered us from the beginning of our journey from all enemies. So we came to Jerusalem.

And three days being past there, in the fourth day the silver that was weighed, and the gold was delivered in the House of our Lord to Marmoth the Priest the son of Iouri,

And with him to Eleazar the son of Phinees: and there were with them, Iosabad the son of Iesus, and Moeth son of Sabbanus, Levites: all was delivered them by number and weight.

And all the weight of them was written that same hour.

Afterwards those that were come out of the captivity, offered sacrifices to the Lord God of Israel, even twelve bulls for all Israel, rams four score and sixteen,

Lambs three score and twelve, twelve goats for salvation, all in sacrifice to the Lord.

And they presented the commandments of the King to the King’s stewards, and to the governors of Coelosyria and Phenice who honored the people, and the Temple of God.

When these things were done, the governors came to me, saying, The people of Israel, the princes and the Priests, and the Levites have not separated from them the strange people of the land,

Nor the pollutions of the Gentiles, to wit, of the Cananites, and Chetites, and Pheresites, and Jebusites, and Moabites, and Egyptians, and Idumeans.

For they have dwelt with their daughters, both they and their sons, and the holy seed is mixed with the strange people of the land, and the governors and rulers have been partakers of this wickedness from the beginning of the thing.

And as soon as I heard these things, I rent my clothes, and the holy garment, and I pulled the hair of mine head, and of my beard, and sat me down sorrowful, and very sad.

Then also all they that were moved with the word of the Lord God of Israel, came to me whiles I wept for the iniquity, but I sat very sad til the evening sacrifice.

Then I rose from the fast with my clothes torn, and the holy garment, and bowed my knees and stretched forth mine hands to the Lord,

And said, O Lord, I am ashamed, and confounded before thy face.

For our sins are increased above our heads, and our ignorances are lifted up to heaven.

Yea, even from the time of our fathers we are in great sin unto this day.

For our sins therefore, and our fathers we with our brethren, with our Kings and Priests have been given up to the Kings of the earth, to the sword and to captivity, and for a prey with all shame unto this day.

And now how great hath thy mercy been, o Lord, that there should be left us a root, and name in the place of thine holiness!

And that thou should reveal to us a light in the House of the Lord our God, and give us meat in the time of our servitude!

For when we were in bondage, we were not left of our God, but he gave us favor before the Kings of the Persians, that they should give us meat,

And that they should honor the Temple of our Lord, and raise up Sion that is desolate, and give us assurance in Judea and Jerusalem.

And now, o Lord, what shall we say, having these things? for we have transgressed thy commandments, which thou hast given by the hands of thy servants the Prophets, saying,

Because the land, which ye go to inherit, is a land polluted by the pollutions of the strangers of the land, which have filled it with their filthiness,

Therefore now ye shall not join their daughters with your sons, neither give your daughters to their sons,

Neither shall you desire to have peace with them forever, that ye may be made strong, and eat the good things of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.

Therefore all that is come to pass, was done for our wicked works, and for our great sins: yet, Lord, thou hast foreborn our sins,

And hast given us such a root: but we again have turned back to transgress thy Law, and to mix us with the uncleanness of the people of the land.

Mightest thou not be angry with us to destroy us, so that thou shouldest neither leave us root nor seed nor name?

But, o Lord of Israel, thou art true: for there is a root left, even unto this day.

Behold, we are now before thee with our iniquities, neither can we endure before thee for these things.

And as Esdras prayed and confessed and wept, and lay upon the ground before the Temple, a very great multitude was gathered unto him out of Jerusalem of men and women, and young children: for there was great lamentation among the multitude.

Then Iechonias the son of Ieel of the sons of Israel, crying out said, O Esdras, we have sinned against the Lord God: we have taken in marriage strange women of the nations of the land.

And now all Israel is doubtful: therefore let us make an oath concerning this to the Lord to put away all our wives, which are strangers, with their children.

If it seem good to thee, and to all them that obey the Law of the Lord, rise up and put it in execution.

For to thee doeth it appertain, and we are with thee to make thee strong.

Then Esdras arose, and made all the chief of the families of the Priests and Levites of all Israel to swear, that they would do thus: and they sware.