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1 Esdras - Judith


1 ESDRAS
THE FIRST BOOK OF ESDRAS.

1 ESDRAS 1
CHAPTER I.

Cyrus, king of Persia, releaseth God's people from their captivity, with licence to return and build the temple in Jerusalem: and restoreth the holy vessels which Nabuchodonosor had taken from thence.

1 In the first year *of Cyrus, king of the Persians, that the word of the Lord, by the mouth of Jeremias, might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of the Persians: and he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and in writing also, saying:
2 Thus saith Cyrus, king of the Persians: The Lord, the God of heaven, hath given to me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea.
3 Who is there among you of all his people?  His God be with him.  Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; he is the God that is in Jerusalem.
4 And let all the rest, in all places, wheresoever they dwell, help him every man from his place, with silver and gold, and goods, and cattle, besides that which they offer freely to the temple of God, which is in Jerusalem.
5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Juda and Benjamin, and the priests, and Levites, and every one whose spirit God had raised up, to go up to build the temple of the Lord, which was in Jerusalem.
6 And all they that were round about, helped their hands with vessels of silver, and gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with furniture, besides what they had offered on their own accord.
7 And king Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the temple of the Lord, which Nabuchodonosor had taken from Jerusalem, and had put them in the temple of his god.
8 Now Cyrus, king of Persia, brought them forth by the hand of Mithridates, the son of Gazabar, and numbered them to Sassabasar, the prince of Juda.
9 And this is the number of them: thirty bowls of gold, a thousand bowls of silver, nine and twenty knives, thirty cups of gold,
10 Silver cups of a second sort, four hundred and ten: other vessels, a thousand.
11 All the vessels of gold and silver, five thousand four hundred.  All these, Sassabasar brought with them that came up from the captivity of Babylon to Jerusalem.
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*
1:  A.M. 3468, A.C. 536.; 2 Par. xxxvi. 22.; Jerem. xxv. 12. and xxix. 10.; Isai. xliv. 28. and xlv. 1.
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1 ESDRAS 2
CHAPTER II.

The number of them that returned to Judea: their oblations.

1  Now *these are the children of the province, that went out of the captivity, which Nabuchodonosor, king of Babylon, had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Juda, every man to his city:
2  Who came with Zorobabel, Josue, Nehemia, Saraia, Rahelaia, Mardochai, Belsan, Mesphar, Beguai, Rehum, Baana.  The number of the men of the people of Israel:
3  The children of Pharos, two thousand one hundred seventy-two.
4  The children of Sephatia, three hundred seventy-two.
5  The children of Area, seven hundred seventy-five.
6  The children of Phahath Moab, of the children of Josue: Joab, two thousand eight hundred twelve.
7  The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty-four.
8  The children of Zethua, nine hundred forty-five.
9  The children of Zachai, seven hundred sixty.
10  The children of Bani, six hundred forty-two.
11  The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty-three.
12  The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty-two.
13  The children of Adonicam, six hundred sixty-six.
14  The children of Beguai, two thousand fifty-six.
15  The children of Adin, four hundred fifty-four.
16  The children of Ather, who were of Ezechias, ninety-eight.
17  The children of Besai, three hundred and twenty-three.
18  The children of Jora, a hundred and twelve.
19  The children of Hasum, two hundred twenty-three.
20  The children of Gebbar, ninety-five.
21  The children of Bethlehem, a hundred twenty-three.
22  The men of Netupha, fifty-six.
23  The men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty-eight.
24  The children of Azmaveth, forty-two.
25  The children of Cariathiarim, Cephira, and Beroth, seven hundred forty-three.
26  The children of Rama and Gabaa, six hundred twenty-one.
27  The men of Machmas, a hundred twenty-two.
28  The men of Bethel and Hai, two hundred twenty-three.
29  The children of Nebo, fifty-two.
30  The children of Megbis, a hundred fifty-six.
31  The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty-four.
32  The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
33  The children of Lod, Hadid and Ono, seven hundred twenty-five.
34  The children of Jericho, three hundred forty-five.
35  The children of Senaa, three thousand six hundred thirty.
36  The priests: the children of Jadaia, of the house of Josue, nine hundred seventy-three.
37  The children of Emmer, a thousand fifty-two.
38  The children of Pheshur, a thousand two hundred forty-seven.
39  The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.
40  The Levites: The children of Josue, and of Cedmihel, the children of Odovia, seventy-four.
41  The singing men: The children of Asaph, a hundred twenty-eight.
42  The children of the porters: the children of Sellum, the children of Ater, the children of Telmon, the children of Accub, the children of Hatita, the children of Sobai: in all a hundred thirty-nine.
43  The Nathinites: The children of Siha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
44  The children of Ceros, the children of Sia, the children of Phadon,
45  The children of Lebana, the children of Hegaba, the children of Accub,
46  The children of Hagab, the children of Semlai, the children of Hanan,
47  The children of Gaddel, the children of Gaher, the children of Raaia,
48  The children of Rasin, the children of Necoda, the children of Gazam,
49  The children of Aza, the children of Phasea, the children of Besee,
50  The children of Asena, the children of Munim, the children of Nephusim,
51  The children of Bacbuc, the children of Hacupha, the children of Harhur.
52  The children of Besluth, the children of Mahida, the children of Harsa,
53  The children of Bercos, the children of Sisara, the children of Thema,
54  The children of Nasia, the children of Hatipha.
55  The children of the servants of Solomon, the children of Sotai, the children of Sopheret, the children of Pharuda,
56  The children of Jala, the children of Dercon, the children of Geddel.
57  The children of Saphatia, the children of Hatil, the children of Phochereth, which were of Asebaim, the children of Ami,
58  All the Nathinites, and the children of the servants of Solomon, three hundred ninety-two.
59  And these are they that came up from Thelmela, Thelharsa, Cherub, and Adon, and Emer.  And they could not shew the house of their fathers and their seed, whether they were of Israel.
60  The children of Dalaia, the children of Tobia, the children of Necoda, six hundred fifty-two.
61  And of the children of the priests: The children of Hobia, the children of Accos, the children of Berzellai, who took a wife of the daughters of Berzellai, the Galaadite, and was called by their name:
62  These sought the writing of their genealogy, and found it not; and they were cast out of the priesthood.
63  *And Athersatha said to them, that they should not eat of the holy of holies, till there arose a priest, learned and perfect.
64  All the multitudes as one man, were forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,
65  Besides their men-servants, and women-servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven: and among them singing men and singing women, two hundred.
66  Their horses, seven hundred thirty-six, their mules, two hundred forty-five,
67  Their camels, four hundred thirty-five, their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
68  And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the temple of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem, offered freely to the house of the Lord to build it in its place.
69  According to their ability, they gave towards the expenses of the work, sixty-one thousand solids of gold, five thousand pounds of silver, and a hundred garments for the priests.
70  So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singing men, and the porters, and the Nathinites, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.
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*
1:  2 Esdr. vii. 6.
63:  2 Esdras vii. 65.
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1 ESDRAS 3
CHAPTER III.

An altar is built for sacrifice, the feast of tabernacles is solemnly celebrated, and the foundations of the temple are laid.

1  And *now the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in their cities: and the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
2  And Josue, the son of Josedec, rose up, and his brethren, the priests, and Zorobabel, the son of Salathiel, and his brethren, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, that they might offer holocausts upon it: as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God.
3  And they set the altar of God upon its bases, while the people of the lands, round about, put them in fear, and they offered upon it a holocaust to the Lord, morning and evening:
4  And they kept the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the holocaust every day orderly, according to the commandment, the duty of the day in its day.
5  And afterwards the continual holocaust, both on the new moons, and on all the solemnities of the Lord, that were consecrated, and on all in which a free-will offering was made to the Lord.
6  From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer holocausts to the Lord: but the temple of God was not yet founded.
7  And they gave money to hewers of stones and to masons: and meat and drink, and oil to the Sidonians and Tyrians, to bring cedar-trees from Libanus to the sea of Joppe, according to the orders which Cyrus, king of the Persians, had given them.
8  And in the second year *of their coming to the temple of God in Jerusalem, the second month, Zorobabel, the son of Salathiel, and Josue, the son of Josedec, and the rest of their brethren, the priests and Levites, and all that were come from the captivity to Jerusalem began, and they appointed Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to hasten forward the work of the Lord.
9  Then Josue, and his sons, and his brethren, Cedmihel, and his sons, and the children of Juda, as one man, stood to hasten them that did the work in the temple of God: the sons of Henadad, and their sons, and their brethren, the Levites.
10  And when the masons laid the foundations of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their ornaments with trumpets: and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise God by the hands of David, king of Israel.
11  And they sung together hymns, and praise to the Lord: because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever towards Israel.  And all the people shouted with a great shout, praising the Lord, because the foundations of the temple of the Lord were laid.
12  But many of the priests and the Levites, and the chief of the fathers and the ancients, that had seen the former temple; when they had the foundation of this temple before their eyes, wept with a loud voice: and many shouting for joy, lifted up their voice.
13  So that one could not distinguish the voice of the shout of joy, from the noise of the weeping of the people: for one with another the people shouted with a loud shout, and the voice was heard afar off.
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*
1:  A.M. 3469, A.C. 535.
8:  A.M. 3469.
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1 ESDRAS 4
CHAPTER IV.

The Samaritans, by their letter to the king, hinder the building.

1 Now *the enemies of Juda and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel.
2 And they came to Zorobabel, and the chief of the fathers, and said to them: Let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do: behold we have sacrificed to him, since the days of Asor Haddan, king of Assyria, who brought us hither.
3 But Zorobabel, and Josue, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said to them: You have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God, but we ourselves, alone, will build to the Lord, our God, as Cyrus, king of the Persians, hath commanded us.
4 Then the people of the land hindered the hands of the people of Juda, and troubled them in building.
5 And they hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their design all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius, king of the Persians.
6 And in the reign of Assuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem.
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes, Beselam, Mithridates, and Thabeel, and the rest that were in the council, wrote to Artaxerxes, king of the Persians: and the letter of accusation was written in Syriac, and was read in the Syrian tongue.
8 Reum Beelteem, and Samsai, the scribe, wrote a letter from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, in this manner:
9 Reum Beelteem, and Samsai, the scribe, and the rest of their counsellors, the Dinites, and the Apharsathacites, the Therphalites, the Apharsites, the Erchuites, the Babylonians, the Susanechites, the Dievites, and the Elamites,
10 And the rest of the nations, whom the great and glorious Asenaphar brought over, and made to dwell in the cities of Samaria, and in the rest of the countries of this side of the river, in peace.
11 (This is the copy of the letter, which they sent to him) To Artaxerxes, the king, thy servants, the men that are on this side of the river, send greeting;
12 Be it known to the king, that the Jews, who came up from thee to us, are come to Jerusalem, a rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, setting up the ramparts thereof, and repairing the walls.
13 And now be it known to the king, that if this city be built up, and the walls thereof repaired, they will not pay tribute nor toll, nor yearly revenues, and this loss will fail upon the kings.
14 But we, remembering the salt that we have eaten in the palace, and because we count it a crime to see the king wronged, have, therefore, sent and certified the king,
15 That search may be made in the books of the histories of thy fathers, and thou shalt find written in the records: and shalt know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to the kings and provinces, and that wars were raised therein of old times: for which cause also, the city was destroyed.
16 We certify the king, that if this city be built, and the walls thereof repaired, thou shalt have no possession on this side of the river.
17 The king sent word to Reum Beelteem, and Samsai, the scribe, and to the rest that were in their council, inhabitants of Samaria, and to the rest beyond the river, sending greeting and peace.
18 The accusation, which you have sent to us, hath been plainly read before me;
19 And I commanded: and search hath been made, and it is found, that this city of old times hath rebelled against kings, and seditions and wars have been raised therein.
20 For there have been powerful kings in Jerusalem, who have had dominion over all the country that is beyond the river: and have received tribute, and toll, and revenues.
21 Now, therefore, hear the sentence: Hinder those men, that this city be not built, till further orders be given by me.
22 See that you be not negligent in executing this, lest by little and little the evil grow to the hurt of the kings.
23 Now the copy of the edict of king Artaxerxes was read before Reum Beelteem, and Samsai, the scribe, and their counsellors: and they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and hindered them with arm and power.
24 Then the work of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was interrupted, and ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius, king of the Persians.
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*
1:  A.M. 3469.
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1 ESDRAS 5
CHAPTER V.

By the exhortation of Aggeus, and Zacharias, the people proceed in building the temple: which their enemies strive in vain to hinder.

1 Now *Aggeus, the prophet, and Zacharias, the son of Addo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judea and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel.
2 Then rose up Zorobabel, the son of Salathiel, and Josue, the son of Josedec, and began to build the temple of God in Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God helping them.
3 And at the same time came to them, Thathanai, who was governor beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and their counsellors: and said thus to them: Who hath given you counsel to build this house, and to repair the walls thereof?
4 In answer to which we gave them the names of the men who were the promoters of that building.
5 But the eye of their God was upon the ancients of the Jews, and they could not hinder them.  And it was agreed, that the matter should be referred to Darius, and then they should give satisfaction concerning that accusation.
6 The copy of the letter that Thathanai, governor of the country beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and his counsellors, the Arphasachites, who dwelt beyond the river, sent to Darius, the king.
7 The letter which they sent him, was written thus: To Darius, the king, all peace.
8 Be it known to the king, that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which they are building with unpolished stones; and timber is laid in the walls: and this work is carried on diligently, and advanceth in their hands.
9 And we asked those ancients, and said to them thus: Who hath given you authority to build this house, and to repair these walls?
10 We asked also of them their names, that we might give thee notice: and we have written the names of the men that are the chief among them.
11 And they answered us in these words, saying: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building a temple that was built these many years ago, and which a great king of Israel built and set up.
12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he delivered them into the hands of Nabuchodonosor, the king of Babylon, the Chaldean: and he destroyed this house, and carried away the people to Babylon.
13 But in the first year of Cyrus, the king of Babylon, king Cyrus set forth a decree, that this house of God should be built.
14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the temple of God, which Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, and had brought them to the temple of Babylon, king Cyrus brought out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sassabasar, whom also he appointed governor,
15 And said to him: Take these vessels, and go, and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.
16 Then came this same Sassabasar, and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem, and from that time, until now, it is in building, and is not yet finished.
17 Now, therefore, if it seem good to the king, let him search in the king's library, which is in Babylon, whether it hath been decreed by Cyrus, the king, that the house of God, in Jerusalem, should be built, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
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*
1:  A.M. 3485.
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1 ESDRAS 6
CHAPTER VI.

King Darius favoureth the building and contributeth to it.

1 Then *king Darius gave orders, and they searched in the library of the books that were laid up in Babylon.
2 And there was found in Ecbatana, which is a castle in the province of Media, a book in which this record was written.
3 In the first year of Cyrus, the king: Cyrus, the king, decreed, that the house of God should be built, which is in Jerusalem, in the place where they may offer sacrifices, and that they lay the foundations that may support the height of threescore cubits, and the breadth of threescore cubits,
4 Three rows of unpolished stones, and so rows of new timber: and the charges shall be given out of the king's house.
5 And, also, let the golden and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nabuchodonosor took out of the temple of Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, be restored, and carried back to the temple of Jerusalem, to their place, which also were placed in the temple of God.
6 Now, therefore, Thathanai, governor of the country beyond the river, Stharbuzanai, and your counsellors, the Apharsachites, who are beyond the river, depart far from them.
7 And let that temple of God be built by the governor of the Jews, and by their ancients, that they may build that house of God in its place.
8 I also have commanded what must be done by those ancients of the Jews, that the house of God may be built, to wit, that of the king's chest, that is, of the tribute that is paid out of the country beyond the river, the charges be diligently given to those men, lest the work be hindered.
9 And if it shall be necessary, let calves, also, and lambs, and kids, for holocausts to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the custom of the priests that are in Jerusalem, be given them day by day, that there be no complaint in any thing.
10 And let them offer oblations to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his children.
11 And I have made a decree: That ii any, whosoever, shall alter this commandment, a beam be taken from his house, and set up, and he be nailed upon it, and his house be confiscated.
12 And may the God, that hath caused his name to dwell there, destroy all kingdoms, and the people that shall put out their hand to resist, and to destroy the house of God, that is in Jerusalem.  I, Darius, have made the decree, which I will have diligently complied with.
13 So then Thathanai, governor of the country beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and his counsellors, diligently executed what Darius, the king, had commanded.
14 And the ancients of the Jews built, and prospered, according to the prophecy of Aggeus, the prophet, and of Zacharias, the son of Addo: and they built and finished, by the commandment of the God of Israel, and by the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of the Persians.
15 And they were finishing this house of God, until the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.
16 And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of the house of God with joy.
17 And they offered at the dedication of the house of God, a hundred calves, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and for a sin-offering, for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites, in their courses, over the works of God, in Jerusalem, *as it is written in the book of Moses.
19 And the children of Israel, of the captivity, kept the Phase, *on the fourteenth day of the first month.
20 For all the priests and the Levites were purified as one man: all were clear to kill the Phase for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren, the priests, and themselves.
21 And the children of Israel that were returned from captivity, and all that had separated themselves from the filthiness of the nations of the earth to them, to seek the Lord, the God of Israel, did eat.
22 And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days, with joy; for the Lord had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, that he should help their hands in the work of the house of the Lord, the God of Israel.
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*
1:  A.M. 3485, A.C. 519.
18:  Num. iii. 6, and viii. 9.
19:  A.M. 3489, A.C. 515.
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1 ESDRAS 7
CHAPTER VII.

Esdras goeth up to Jerusalem, to teach and assist the people, with a gracious decree of Artaxerxes.

1 Now *after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of the Persians, Esdras, the son of Saraias, the son of Azarias, the son of Helcias,
2 The son of Sellum, the son of Sadoc, the son of Achitob,
3 The son of Amarias, the son of Azarias, the son of Maraioth,
4 The son of Zarahias, the son of Ozi, the son of Bocci,
5 The son of Abisue, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, from the beginning.
6 This Esdras went up from Babylon, and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God had given to Israel: 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 children of the priests, and of the children of the Levites, and of the singing men, and of the porters, and of the Nathinites, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year* of Artaxerxes, the king.
8 And they came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the seventh year of the king.
9 For upon the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
10 For Esdras had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do and to teach, in Israel, the commandments and judgment.
11 And this is the copy of the letter of the edict, which king Artaxerxes gave to Esdras, the priest, the scribe, instructed in the words and commandments of the Lord, and his ceremonies in Israel.
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Esdras, the priest, the most learned scribe of the law of the God of heaven, greeting.
13 It is decreed by me, that all they of the people of Israel, and of the priests, and of the Levites, in my realm, that are minded to go into Jerusalem, should go with thee.
14 For thou art sent from before the king, and his seven counsellors, to visit Judea and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God, which is in thy hand.
15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem.
16 And all the silver and gold that thou shalt find in all the province of Babylon, and that the people is willing to offer, and that the priests shall offer of their own accord to the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem,
17 Take freely, and buy diligently with this money, calves, rams, lambs, with the sacrifices and libations of them, and offer them upon the altar of the temple of your God, that is in Jerusalem.
18 And if it seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do any thing with the rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of your God.
19 The vessels, also, that are given thee for the sacrifice of the house of thy God, deliver thou in the sight of God in Jerusalem.
20 And whatsoever more there shall be need of for the house of thy God, how much soever thou shalt have occasion to spend, it shall be given out of the treasury, and the king's exchequer, and by me.
21 I, Artaxerxes, the king, have ordered and decreed to all the keepers of the public chest, that are beyond the river, that whatsoever Esdras, the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, you give it without delay,
22 Unto a hundred talents of silver, and unto a hundred cores of wheat, and unto a hundred bates of wine, and unto a hundred bates of oil, and salt without measure.
23 All that belongeth to the rites of the God of heaven, let it be given diligently in the house of the God of heaven: lest his wrath should be enkindled against the realm of the king, and of his sons.
24 We give you also to understand, concerning all the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nathinites, and ministers of the house of this God, that you have no authority to impose toll, or tribute, or custom, upon them.
25 And thou, Esdras, according to the wisdom of thy God, which is in thy hand, appoint judges and magistrates, that may judge all the people, that is beyond the river, that is, for them who know the law of thy God, yea, and the ignorant teach ye freely.
26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king diligently, judgment shall be executed upon him, either unto death, or unto banishment, or to the confiscation of goods, or at least to prison.
27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who hath put this in the king's heart, to glorify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem,
28 And hath inclined his mercy toward me before the king and his counsellors, and all the mighty princes of the king: and I being strengthened by the hand of the Lord, my God, which was upon me, gathered together out of Israel, chief men, to go up with me.
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*
1:  A.M. 3531.
7:  A.M. 3537.
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1 ESDRAS 8
CHAPTER VIII.

The companions of Esdras.  The fast which he appointed.  They bring the holy vessels into the temple.

1 Now* these are the chiefs of families, and the genealogy of them, who came up with me, from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes, the king.
2 Of the sons of Phinees, Gersom.  Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel.  Of the sons of David, Hattus.
3 Of the sons of Sechenias, the son of Pharos, Zacharias, and with him were numbered a hundred and fifty men.
4 Of the sons of Phahath Moab, Eleoenai, the son of Zareha, and with him two hundred men.
5 Of the sons of Sechenias, the son of Ezechiel, and with him three hundred men.
6 Of the sons of Adan, Abed, the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty men.
7 Of the sons of Alam, Isaias, the son of Athalias, and with him seventy men.
8 Of the sons of Saphatia, Zebedia, the son of Michael, and with him eighty men.
9 Of the sons of Joab, Obedia, the son of Jahiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen men.
10 Of the sons of Selomith, the son of Josphia, and with him a hundred and sixty men.
11 Of the sons of Bebai, Zacharias, the son of Bebai: and with him eight and twenty men.
12 Of the sons of Azgad, Joanan, the son of Eccetan, and with him a hundred and ten men.
13 Of the sons of Adonicam, who were the last: and these are their names: Eliphelet, and Jehiel, and Samaias, and with them sixty men.
14 Of the sons of Begui, Uthai and Zachur, and with them seventy men.
15 And I gathered them together to the river, which runneth down to Ahava, and we stayed there three days: and I sought among the people, and among the priests, for the sons of Levi, and found none there.
16 So I sent Eliezer, and Ariel, and Semeias, and Elnathan, and Jarib, and another Elnathan, and Nathan, and Zacharias, and Mosollam, chief men: and Joiarib, and Elnathan,, wise men.
17 And I sent them to Eddo, who is chief in the place of Chasphia, and I put in their mouth the words that they should speak to Eddo, and his brethren, the Nathinites, in the place of Chasphia, that they should bring us ministers of the house of our God.
18 And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a most learned man of the sons of Moholi, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sarabias, and his sons, and his brethren, eighteen.
19 And Hasabias, and with him Isaias, of the sons of Merari, and his brethren, and his sons, twenty.
20 And of the Nathinites, whom David, and the princes, gave for the service of the Levites, Nathinites, two hundred and twenty: all these were called by their names.
21 And I proclaimed there a fast by the river Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before the Lord, our God, and might ask of him a right way for us, and for our children, and for all our substance.
22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for aid, and for horsemen, to defend us from the enemy in the way: because we had said to the king: The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him in goodness: and his power and strength, and wrath, upon all them that forsake him.
23 And we fasted, and besought our God for this: and it fell out prosperously unto us.
24 And I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sarabias, and Hasabias, and with them ten of their brethren,
25 And I weighed unto them the silver and gold, and the vessels consecrated for the house of our God, which the king and his counsellors, and his princes, and all Israel, that were found, had offered.
26 And I weighed to their hands six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and a hundred vessels of silver, and a hundred talents of gold,
27 And twenty cups of gold, of a thousand solids, and two vessels of the best shining brass, beautiful as gold.
28 And I said to them: You are the holy ones of the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and gold, that is freely offered to the Lord, the God of our fathers.
29 Watch ye, and keep them, till you deliver them by weight before the chief of the priests, and of the Levites, and the heads of the families of Israel, in Jerusalem, into the treasure of the house of the Lord.
30 And the priests, and the Levite,s received the weight of the silver and gold, and the vessels, to carry them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.
31 Then we set forward from the river Ahava, on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.
32 And we came to Jerusalem, and we stayed there three days.
33 And on the fourth day the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, were weighed in the house of our God, by the hand of Meremoth, the son of Urias, the priest; and with him was Eleazar, the son of Phinees, and with them Jozabad, the son of Josue, and Noadaia, the son of Bennoi, Levites.
34 According to the number and weight of every thing: and all the weight was written at that time.
35 Moreover, the children of them that had been carried away, that were come out of the captivity, offered holocausts to the God of Israel, twelve calves for all the people of Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve he-goats for sin: all for a holocaust to the Lord.
36 And they gave the king's edicts to the lords that were from the king's court, and the governors beyond the river, and they furthered the people and the house of God.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3537.
====================

1 ESDRAS 9
CHAPTER IX.

Esdras mourneth for the transgression of the people: his confession and prayer.

1 And* after these things were accomplished, the princes came to me, saying: The people of Israel, and the priests, and Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, and from their abominations, namely, of the Chanaanites, and the Hethites, and the Pherezites, and the Jebusites, and the Ammonites, and the Moabites, and the Egyptians, and the Amorrhites.
2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons, and they have mingled the holy seed with the people of the lands.  And the hand of the princes and magistrates hath been first in this transgression.
3 And when I had heard this word, I rent my mantle and my coat, and plucked off the hairs of my head and my beard, and I sat down mourning.
4 And there were assembled to me all that feared the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those, that were come from the captivity, and I sat sorrowful, until the evening sacrifice.
5 And at the evening sacrifice I rose up from my affliction, and having rent my mantle and my garment, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands to the Lord, my God,
6 And said: My God, I am confounded and ashamed to lift up my face to thee: for our iniquities are multiplied over our heads, and our sins are grown up even unto heaven,
7 From the days of our fathers: and we ourselves, also, have sinned grievously unto this day, and for our iniquities we, and our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is at this day.
8 And now as a little, and, for a moment, has our prayer been made before the Lord, our God, to leave us a remnant, and give us a pin in his holy place, and that our God would enlighten our eyes, and would give us a little life in our bondage.
9 For we are bondmen, and in our bondage our God hath not forsaken us, but hath extended mercy upon us before the king of the Persians, to give us life, and to set up the house of our God, and to rebuild the desolations thereof, and to give us a fence in Juda and Jerusalem.
10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,
11 Which thou hast commanded by the hand of thy servants, the prophets, saying: The land which you go to possess, is an unclean land, according to the uncleanness of the people, and of other lands, with their abominations, who have filled it from mouth to mouth with their filth.
12 *Now, therefore, give not your daughters to their sons, and take not their daughters for your sons, and seek not their peace, nor their prosperity forever; that you may be strengthened, and may eat the good things of the land, and may have your children your heirs for ever.
13 And after all that is come upon us, for our most wicked deeds, and our great sin, seeing that thou, our God, hast saved us from our iniquity, and hast given us a deliverance as at this day.
14 That we should not turn away, nor break thy commandments, nor join in marriage with the people of these abominations.  Art thou angry with us unto utter destruction, not to leave us a remnant to be saved?
15 O Lord God of Israel, thou art just: for we remain yet to be saved, as at this day.  Behold we are before thee in our sin, for there can be no standing before thee in this matter.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3538, A.C. 466.
12:  Deut. vii. 3.
====================

1 ESDRAS 10
CHAPTER X.

Order is taken for discharging strange women: the names of the guilty.

1 Now *when Esdras was thus praying, and beseeching, and weeping, and lying before the temple of God, there was gathered to him of Israel an exceeding great assembly of men and women, and children, and the people wept with much lamentation.
2 And Sechenias, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered, and said to Esdras: We have sinned against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: and now, if there be repentance in Israel concerning this,
3 Let us make a covenant with the Lord, our God, to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the will of the Lord, and of them that fear the commandment of the Lord, our God: let it be done according to the law.
4 Arise, it is thy part to give orders, and we will be with thee: take courage, and do it.
5 So Esdras arose, and made the chiefs of the priests and of the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word; and they swore.
6 And Esdras rose up from before the house of God, and went to the chamber of Johanan, the son of Eliasib, and entered in thither: he eat no bread, and drank no water: for he mourned for the transgression of them that were come out of the captivity.
7 And proclamation was made in Juda, and Jerusalem, to all the children of the captivity, that they should assemble together into Jerusalem.
8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes, and the ancients, all his substance should be taken away, and he should be cast out of the company of them that were returned from captivity.
9 Then all the men of Juda, and Benjamin, gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within three days, in the ninth month, the twentieth day of the month: and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling, because of the sin, and the rain.
10 And Esdras, the priest, stood up, and said to them: You have transgressed, and taken strange wives, to add to the sins of Israel.
11 And now make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from your strange wives.
12 And all the multitude answered, and said with a loud voice: According to thy word unto us, so be it done.
13 But as the people are many, and it is time of rain, and we are not able to stand without, and it is not a work of one day or two, (for we have exceedingly sinned in this matter)
14 Let rulers be appointed in all the multitude: and in all our cities, let them that have taken strange wives come at the times appointed, and with them the ancients, and the judges of every city, until the wrath of our God be turned away from us for this sin.
15 Then Jonathan, the son of Azahel, and Jaasia, the son of Thecua, were appointed over this, and Mesollam and Sebethai, Levites, helped them.
16 And the children of the captivity did so.  And Esdra,s the priest, and the men, heads of the families in the houses of their fathers, and all by their names, went and sat down, in the first day 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 there were found among the sons of the priests, that had taken strange wives: Of the sons of Josue, the son of Josedec, and his brethren, Maasia, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Godolia.
19 And they gave their hands to put away their wives, and to offer for their offence a ram of the flock.
20 And of the sons of Emmer, Hanani, and Zebedia.
21 And of the sons of Harim, Maasia, and Elia, and Semeia, and Jehiel, and Ozias.
22 And of the sons of Pheshur, Elioenai, Maasia, Ismael, Nathanael, Jozabed, and Elasa.
23 And of the sons of the Levites, Jozabed, and Semei, and Celaia, the same is Calita; Phataia, Juda, and Eliezer.
24 And of the singing-men, Elisiab: and of the porters, Sellum, and Telem, and Uri.
25 And of Israel, of the sons of Pharos, Remeia, and Jezia, and Melchia, and Miamin, and Eliezer, and Melchia, and Banea.
26 And of the sons of Elam, Mathania, Zacharias, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jerimoth, and Elia.
27 And of the sons of Zethua, Elioenai, Eliasib, Mathania, Jerimuth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
28 And of the sons of Babai, Johanan, Hanania, Zabbai, Athalai:
29 And of the sons of Bani, Mosollam, and Melluch, and Adaia, Jasub, and Saal, and Ramoth.
30 And of the sons of Phahath Moab, Edna, and Chalal, Banaias, and Maasias, Mathanias, Beseleel, Bennui, and Manasse.
31 And of the sons of Herem, Eliezer, Josue, Melchias, Semeias, Simeon,
32 Benjamin, Maloch, Samarias.
33 And of the sons of Hasom, Mathanai, Mathatha, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jermai, Manasse, Semei.
34 Of the sons of Bani, Maaddi, Amran, and Uel,
35 Baneas, and Badaias, Cheliau,
36 Vania, Marimuth, and Eliasib,
37 Mathanias, Mathanai, and Jasi,
38 And Bani, and Bennui, Semei,
39 And Salmias, and Nathan, and Adaias,
40 And Mechnedebai, Sisai, Sarai,
41 Ezrel, and Selemiau, Semeria,
42 Sellum, Amaria, Joseph.
43 Of the sons of Nebo, Jehiel, Mathathias, Zabad, Zabina, Jeddu, and Joel, and Banaia.
44 All these had taken strange wives, and there were among them women that had borne children.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3538, A.C. 466.
====================
====================

2 ESDRAS
THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAS;
commonly called,
THE SECOND BOOK OF ESDRAS.

2 ESDRAS 1
CHAPTER I.

Nehemias, hearing of the miserable state of his countrymen in Judea, lamenteth, fasteth, and prayeth to God for their relief.

1 The *words of Nehemias, the son of Helchias.  And it came to pass in the month of Casleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in the castle of Susa,
2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and some men of Juda; and I asked them concerning the Jews, that remained and were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said to me: They that have remained, and are left of the captivity there in the province, are in great affliction and reproach: and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire.
4 And when I had heard these words, I sat down, and wept, and mourned for many days: and I fasted, and prayed before the face of the God of heaven.
5 And I said: *I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, strong, great, and terrible, who keepest covenant and mercy with those that love thee, and keep thy commandments:
6 Let thy ears be attentive, and thy eyes open, to hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, night and day, for the children of Israel, thy servants: and I confess the sins of the children of Israel, by which they have sinned against thee: I and my father's house have sinned.
7 We have been seduced by vanity, and have not kept thy commandments, and ceremonies, and judgments, which thou hast commanded thy servant, Moses.
8 Remember the word that thou commandedst to Moses, thy servant, saying: If you shall transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
9 But if you return to me, and keep my commandments, and do them, though you should be led away to the uttermost parts of the world, I will gather you from thence, and bring you back to the place which I have chosen for my name to dwell there.
10 And these are thy servants, and thy people: whom thou hast redeemed by thy great strength, and by thy mighty hand.
11 I beseech thee, O Lord, let thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and direct thy servant this day, and give him mercy before this man.  For I was the king's cup-bearer.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3550, A.C. 454.
5:  Dan. ix. 4.
====================

2 ESDRAS 2
CHAPTER II.

Nehemias, with commission from king Artaxerxes, cometh to Jerusalem: and exhorteth the Jews to rebuild the walls.

1 And *it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, the king: that wine was before him, and I took up the wine, and gave it to the king: and I was as one languishing away before his face.
2 And the king said to me: Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou dost not appear to be sick? this is not without cause, but some evil, I know not what, is in thy heart.  And I was seized with an exceeding great fear:
3 And I said to the king: O king, live for ever: why should not my countenance be sorrowful, seeing the city of the place of the sepulchres of my fathers is desolate, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire?
4 Then the king said to me: For what dost thou make request?  And I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 And I said to the king: If it seem good to the king, and if thy servant hath found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldst send me into Judea, to the city of the sepulchre of my father, and I will build it.
6 And the king said to me, and the queen that sat by him: For how long shall thy journey be, and when wilt thou return?  And it pleased the king, and he sent me: and I fixed him a time.
7 And I said to the king: If it seem good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors of the country beyond the river, that they convey me over, till I come into Judea:
8 And a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, to give me timber that I may cover the gates of the tower of the house, and the walls of the city, and the house that I shall enter into.  And the king gave me according to the good hand of my God with me.
9 And I came to the governors of the country beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters.  And the king had sent wish me captains of soldiers, and horsemen.
10 And Sanaballat, the Horonite, and Tobias, the servant, the Ammonite, heard it, and it grieved them exceedingly, that a man was come, who sought the prosperity of the children of Israel.
11 And I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me, and I told not any man what God had put in my heart to do in Jerusalem, and there was no beast with me, but the beast that I rode upon.
13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, and before the dragon-fountain, and to the dung gate, and I viewed the wall of Jerusalem, which was broken down, and the gates thereof, which were consumed with fire.
14 And I passed to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's aqueduct, and there was no place for the beast on which I rode to pass.
15 And I went up in the night by the torrent, and viewed the wall, and going back, I came to the gate of the valley, and returned.
16 But the magistrates knew not whither I went, or what I did: neither had I as yet told any thing to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the magistrates, or to the rest that did the work.
17 Then I said to them: You know the affliction wherein we are, because Jerusalem is desolate, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire: come, and let us build up the walls of Jerusalem, and let us be no longer a reproach.
18 And I shewed them how the hand of my God was good with me, and the king's words, which he had spoken to me, and I said: Let us rise up, and build.  And their hands were strengthened in good.
19 But Sanaballat, the Horonite, and Tobias, the servant, the Ammonite, and Gossem, the Arabian, heard of it, and they scoffed at us, and despised us, and said: What is this thing that you do? are you going to rebel against the king?
20 And I answered them, and said to them: The God of heaven he helpeth us, and we are his servants: let us rise up and build: but you have no part, nor justice, nor remembrance in Jerusalem.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3550, A.C. 454.
====================

2 ESDRAS 3
CHAPTER III.

They begin to build the walls: the name and order of the builders.

1 Then *Eliasib, the high priest, arose, and his brethren, the priests, and they built the flock-gate: they sanctified it, and set up the doors thereof, even unto the tower of a hundred cubits they sanctified it unto the tower of Hananeel.
2 And next to him the men of Jericho built: and next to them built Zachur, the son of Amri.
3 But the fish-gate, the sons of Asnaa, built: they covered it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars.  And next to them built Marimuth, the son of Urias, the son of Accus.
4 And next to him built Mosollam, the son of Barachias, the son of Merezebel, and next to them built Sadoc, the son of Baana.
5 And next to them the Thecuites built: but their great men did not put their necks to the work of their Lord.
6 And Joiada, the son of Phasea, and Mosollam, the son of Besodia, built the old gate: they covered it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars.
7 And next to them built Meltias, the Gabaonite, and Jadon, the Meronathite, the men of Gabaon and Maspha, for the governor that was in the country beyond the river.
8 And next to him built Eziel, the son of Araia, the goldsmith: and next to him built Ananias, the son of the perfumer: and they left Jerusalem unto the wall of the broad street.
9 And next to him built Raphaia, the son of Hur, lord of the street of Jerusalem.
10 And next to him Jedaia, the son of Haromaph, over-against his own house: and next to him built Hattus, the son of Hasebonia.
11 Melchias, the son of Herem, and Hasub, the son of Phahath Moab, built half the street, and the tower of the furnaces.
12 And next to him built Sellum, the son of Alohes, lord of half the street of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.
13 And the gate of the valley Hanun built, and the inhabitants of Zanoe: they built it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars, and a thousand cubits in the wall unto the gate of the dunghill.
14 And the gate of the dunghill, Melchias, the son of Rechab built, lord of the street of Bethacharam: he built it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars.
15 And the gate of the fountain, Sellum, the son of Cholhoza, built, lord of the street of Maspha: he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars, and the walls of the pool of Siloe, unto the king's garden, and unto the steps that go down from the city of David.
16 After him built Nehemias, the son of Azboc, lord of half the street of Bethsur, as far as over-against the sepulchre of David, and to the pool, that was built with great labour, and to the house of the mighty.
17 After him built the Levites, Rehum, the son of Benni.  After him built Hasebias, lord of half the street of Ceila, in his own street.
18 After him built their brethren Bavai, the son of Enadad, lord of half Ceila.
19 And next to him Aser, the son of Josue, lord of Maspha, built another measure, over-against the going up of the strong corner.
20 After him in the mount, Baruch, the son of Zachai, built another measure, from the corner to the door of the house of Eliasib, the high priest.
21 After him Merimuth, the son of Urias, the son of Haccus, built another measure, from the door of the house of Eliasib, to the end of the house of Eliasib.
22 And after him built the priests, the men of the plains of the Jordan.
23 After him built Benjamin and Hasub, over-against their own house: and after him built Azarias, the son of Maasias, the son of Ananias, over-against his house.
24 After him built Bennui, the son of Hanadad, another measure, from the house of Azarias unto the bending, and unto the corner.
25 Phalel, the son of Ozi, over-against the bending and the tower, which lieth out from the king's high house, that is, in the court of the prison: after him Phadaia, the son of Pharos.
26 And the Nathinites dwelt in Ophel, as far as over-against the water-gate toward the east, and the tower that stood out.
27 After him the Thecuites built another measure over-against, from the great tower that standeth out unto the wall of the temple.
28 And upward from the horse-gate the priests built, every man over-against his house.
29 After them built Sadoc, the son of Emmer, over-against his house.  And after him built Semaia, the son of Sechenias, keeper of the east-gate.
30 After him built Hanania, the son of Selemia, and Hanun, the sixth son of Seleph, another measure: after him built Mosollam, the son of Barachias, over-against his treasury.  After him Melchias, the goldsmith's son, built unto the house of the Nathinites, and of the sellers of small wares, over-against the judgment-gate, and unto the chamber of the corner,
31 And within the chamber of the corner in the flock-gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants built.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3550, A.C. 454.
====================

2 ESDRAS 4
CHAPTER IV.

The building is carried on notwithstanding the opposition of their enemies.

1 And *it came to pass, that when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry: and being moved exceedingly, he scoffed at the Jews.
2 And said before his brethren, and the multitude of the Samaritans: What are the silly Jews doing?  Will the Gentiles let them alone? will they sacrifice and make an end in a day? are they able to raise stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, which are burnt?
3 Tobias also, the Ammonite, who was by him said: Let them build: if a fox go up, he will leap over their stone wall.
4 Hear thou, our God, for we are despised: turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them to be despised in a land of captivity.
5 Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy builders.
6 So we built the wall, and joined it all together unto the half thereof: and the heart of the people was excited to work.
7 And it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Azotians, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and the breaches began to be closed, that they were exceedingly angry.
8 And they all assembled themselves together, to come, and to fight against Jerusalem, and to prepare ambushes.
9 And we prayed to our God, and set watchmen upon the wall day and night against them.
10 And Juda said: The strength of the bearer of burdens is decayed, and the rubbish is very much, and we shall not be able to build the wall.
11 And our enemies said: Let them not know, nor understand, till we come in the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.
12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews that dwelt by them, came and told us ten times, out of all the places from whence they came to us,
13 I set the people in the place behind the wall round about in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows.
14 And I looked and rose up: and I said to the chief men and the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: Be not afraid of them.  Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, and your wives, and your houses.
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that the thing had been told us, that God defeated their counsel.  And we returned all of us to the walls, every man to his work.
16 And it came to pass from that day forward, that half of their young men did the work, and half were ready for to fight, with spears, and shields, and bows, and coats of mail, and the rulers were behind them in all the house of Juda.
17 Of them that built on the wall, and that carried burdens, and that laded: with one of his hands he did the work, and with the other he held a sword.
18 For every one of the builders was girded with a sword about his reins.  And they built, and sounded with a trumpet by me.
19 And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: The work is great and wide, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another:
20 In what place soever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, run all thither unto us: our God will fight for us.
21 And let us do the work: and let one half of us hold our spears from the rising of the morning, till the stars appear.
22 At that time, also, I said to the people: Let every one with his servant stay in the midst of Jerusalem, and let us take our turns, in the night, and by day, to work.
23 Now I and my brethren, and my servants, and the watchmen, that followed me, did not put off our clothes: only every man stript himself when he was to be washed.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3550.
====================

2 ESDRAS 5
CHAPTER V.

Nehemias blameth the rich for their oppressing the poor.  His exhortation, and bounty to his countrymen.

1 Now *there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives, against their brethren, the Jews.
2 And there were some that said: Our sons and our daughters are very many: Yet us take up corn for the price of them, and let us eat and live.
3 And there were some that said: Let us mortgage our lands, and our vineyards, and our houses, and let us take corn because of the famine.
4 And others said: Let us borrow money for the king's tribute, and let us give up our fields and vineyards:
5 And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren: and our children as their children.  Behold we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters; and some of our daughters are bond-women already, neither have we wherewith to redeem them; and our fields and our vineyards other men possess.
6 And I was exceedingly angry, when I heard their cry according to these words.
7 And my heart thought with myself: and I rebuked the nobles and magistrates, and said to them: Do you every one exact usury of your brethren?  And I gathered together a great assembly against them,
8 And I said to them: We, as you know, have redeemed, according to our ability, our brethren, the Jews, that were sold to the Gentiles: and will you then sell your brethren, for us to redeem them?  And they held their peace, and found not what to answer.
9 And I said to them: The thing you do is not good: why walk you not in the fear of our God, that we be not exposed to the reproaches of the Gentiles, our enemies?
10 Both I and my brethren, and my servants, have lent money and corn to many: let us all agree not to call for it again; let us forgive the debt that is owing to us.
11 Restore ye to them this day their fields, and their vineyards, and their oliveyards, and their houses: and the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, which you were wont to exact of them, give it rather for them.
12 And they said: We will restore, and we will require nothing of them: and we will do as thou sayest.  And I called the priests, and took an oath of them, to do according to what I had said.
13 Moreover, I shook my lap, and said: So may God shake every man that shall not accomplish this word, out of his house, and out of his labours: thus may he be shaken out, and become empty.  And all the multitude said: Amen.  And they praised God.  And the people did according to what was said.
14 And from the day, in which the king commanded me to be governor in the land of Juda, from the twentieth year, even to the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, the king, for twelve years, I and my brethren, did not eat the yearly allowance that was due to the governors.
15 But the former governors that had been before me, were chargeable to the people, and took of them, in bread, and wine, and in money, every day, forty sicles: and their officers also oppressed the people.  But I did not so for the fear of God.
16 Moreover, I built in the work of the wall, and I bought no land, and all my servants were gathered together to the work.
17 The Jews also, and the magistrates, to the number of one hundred and fifty men, were at my table, besides them that came to us from among the nations that were round about us.
18 And there was prepared for me, day by day, one ox, and six choice rams, besides fowls, and once in ten days I gave store of divers wines, and many other things: yet I did not require my yearly allowance as governor: for the people were very much impoverished.
19 Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3550.
====================

2 ESDRAS 6
CHAPTER VI.

The enemies seek to terrify Nehemias.  He proceedeth and finisheth the wall.

1 And *it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and Gossem, the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates,)
2 Sanaballat and Gossem sent to me, saying: Come, and let us make a league together in the villages, in the plain of Ono.  But they thought to do me mischief.
3 And I sent messengers to them, saying: I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down, lest it be neglected whilst I come, and go down to you.
4 And they sent to me according to this word, four times: and I answered them after the same manner.
5 And Sanaballat sent his servant to me the fifth time, according to the former word, and he had a letter in his hand, written in this manner:
6 It is reported amongst the Gentiles, and Gossem hath said it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel, and therefore thou buildest the wall, and hast a mind to set thyself king over them: for which end
7 Thou hast also set up prophets, to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying: There is a king in Judea.  The king will hear of these things: therefore come now, that we may take counsel together.
8 And I sent to them, saying: There is no such thing done as thou sayest: but thou feignest these things out of thy own heart.
9 For all these men thought to frighten us, thinking that our hands would cease from the work, and that we would leave off.  Wherefore I strengthened my hands the more:
10 And I went into the house of Samaia, the son of Delaia, the son of Metabeel, privately.  And he said: Let us consult together in the house of God in the midst of the temple: and let us shut the doors of the temple, for they will come to kill thee, and in the night they will come to slay thee.
11 And I said: Should such a man as I flee? and who is there that, being as I am, would go into the temple, to save his life?  I will not go in.
12 And I understood that God had not sent him, but that he had spoken to me as if he had been prophesying, and Tobias, and Sanaballat, had hired him.
13 For he had taken money, that I, being afraid, should do this thing, and sin, and they might have some evil to upbraid me withal.
14 Remember me, O Lord, for Tobias and Sanaballat, according to their works of this kind: and Noadias, the prophet, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
15 But the wall was finished the five and twentieth day of the month of Elul, in two and fifty days.
16 And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard of it, that all nations which were round about us, were afraid, and were cast down within themselves, for they perceived that this work was the work of God.
17 Moreover, in those days many, letters were sent by the principal men of the Jews to Tobias; and from Tobias there came letters to them.
18 For there were many in Judea sworn to him, because he was the son-in-law of Sechenias, the son of Area, and Johanan, his son, had taken to wife the daughter of Mosollam, the son of Barachias.
19 And they praised him also before me, and they related my words to him: and Tobias sent letters to put me in fear.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3550.
====================

2 ESDRAS 7
CHAPTER VII.

Nehemias appointeth watchmen in Jerusalem.  The list of those who came first from Babylon.

1 Now *after the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and numbered the porters and singing men, and Levites:
2 I commanded Hanani, my brother, and Hananias, ruler of the house of Jerusalem, (for he seemed as a sincere man, and one that feared God above the rest),
3 And I said to them: Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened till the sun be hot.  And while they were yet standing by, the gates were shut, and barred: and I set watchmen of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one by their courses, and every man over-against his house.
4 And the city was very wide and great, and the people few in the midst thereof, and the houses were not built.
5 But God had put in my heart, and I assembled the princes and magistrates, and common people, to number them: and I found a book of the number of them who came up at first, and therein it was found written:
6 *These are the children of the province, who came up from the captivity of them that had been carried away, whom Nabuchodonosor, the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned into Judea, every one into his own city.
7 Who came with Zorobabel, Josue, Nehemias, Azarias, Raamias, Nahamani, Mardochai, Belsam, Mespharath, Begoai, Nahum, Baana.  The number of the men of the people of Israel:
8 The children of Pharos, two thousand one hundred seventy-two.
9 The children of Sephatia, three hundred seventy-two.
10 The children of Area, six hundred fifty-two.
11 The children of Phahath Moab, of the children of Josue and Joab, two thousand eight hundred eighteen.
12 The children of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.
13 The children of Zethua, eight hundred forty-five.
14 The children of Zachai, seven hundred sixty.
15 The children of Bannui, six hundred forty-eight.
16 The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty-eight.
17 The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty-two.
18 The children of Adonicam, six hundred sixty-seven.
19 The children of Beguai, two thousand sixty-seven.
20 The children of Adin, six hundred fifty-five.
21 The children of Ater, children of Hezechias, ninety-eight.
22 The children of Hasem, three hundred twenty-eight.
23 The children of Besai, three hundred twenty-four.
24 The children of Hareph, a hundred and twelve.
25 The children of Gabaon, ninety-five.
26 The children of Bethlehem, and Netupha, a hundred eighty-eight.
27 The men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty-eight.
28 The men of Bethazmoth, forty-two.
29 The men of Cariathiarim, Cephira, and Beroth, seven hundred forty-three.
30 The men of Rama and Geba, six hundred twenty-one.
31 The men of Machmas, a hundred twenty-two.
32 The men of Bethel and Hai, a hundred twenty-three.
33 The men of the other Nebo, fifty-two.
34 The men of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.
35 The children of Harem, three hundred and twenty.
36 The children of Jericho, three hundred forty-five.
37 The children of Lod, of Hadid and Ono, seven hundred twenty-one.
38 The children of Senaa, three thousand nine hundred thirty.
39 The priests: The children of Idaia, in the house of Josue, nine hundred and seventy-three.
40 The children of Emmer, one thousand fifty-two.
41 41The children of Phashur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven.
42 The children of Arem, one thousand and seventeen.  The Levites:
43 The children of Josue and Cedmihel, the sons
44 Of Oduia, seventy-four: The singing men:
45 The children of Asaph, a hundred forty-eight.
46 The porters: The children of Sellum, the children of Ater, the children of Telmon, the children of Accub, the children of Hatita, the children of Sobai: a hundred thirty-eight.
47 The Nathinites: The children of Soha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tebbaoth,
48 The children of Ceros, the children of Siaa, the children of Phadon, the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Selmai,
49 The children of Hanan, the children of Geddel, the children of Gaher,
50 The children of Raaia, the children of Rasin, the children of Necoda,
51 The children of Gezem, the children of Asa, the children of Phasea,
52 The children of Besai, the children of Munim, the children of Nephussim,
53 The children of Bacbuc, the children of Hacupha, the children of Harhur.
54 The children of Besloth, the children of Mahida, the children of Harsa,
55 The children of Bercos, the children of Sisara, the children of Thema,
56 The children of Nasia, the children of Hatipha,
57 The children of the servants of Solomon, the children of Sothai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Pharida,
58 The children of Jahala, the children of Darcon, the children of Jeddel,
59 The children of Saphatia, the children of Hatil, the children of Phochereth, who was born of Sabaim, the son of Amon.
60 All the Nathinites, and the children of the servants of Solomon, three hundred ninety-two.
61 And these are they that came up from Thelmela, Thelharsa, Cherub, Addon, and Emmer: and could not shew the house of their fathers, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.
62 The children of Dalaia, the children of Tobia, the children of Necoda, six hundred forty-two.
63 And of the priests, the children of Habia, the children of Accos, the children of Berzellai, who took a wife of the daughters of Berzellai, the Galaadite, and he was called by their name.
64 These sought their writing in the record, and found it not: and they were cast out of the priesthood.
65 And Athersatha said to them: That they should not eat of the Holies of Holies, until there stood up a priest, learned and skilful.
66 All the multitude, as it were one man, forty-two thousand three hundred sixty,
67 Beside their men-servants and women-servants, who were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven: and among them, singing men and singing women, two hundred forty-five.
68 Their horses, seven hundred thirty-six: their mules, two hundred forty-five:
69 Their camels, four hundred thirty-five, their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.  [Hitherto is related what was written in the record.  From this place forward goeth on the history of Nehemias.]
70 And some of the heads of the families gave unto the work.  Athersatha gave into the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty bowls, and five hundred and thirty garments for priests.
71 And some of the heads of families gave to the treasure of the work, twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand two hundred pounds of silver.
72 And that which the rest of the people gave, was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pounds of silver, and sixty-seven garments for priests.
73 And the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singing men, and the rest of the common people, and the Nathinites, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3550.; Eccli. xlix. 15.
6:  1 Esd. ii. 1.
====================

2 ESDRAS 8
CHAPTER VIII.

Esdras readeth the law before the people.  Nehemias comforteth them.  They celebrate the feast of tabernacles.

1 And *the seventh month came: and the children of Israel were in their cities.  And all the people were gathered together as one man, to the street which is before the water-gate, and they spoke to Esdras, the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
2 Then Esdras, the priest, brought the law before the multitude of men and women, and all those that could understand, in the first day of the seventh month.
3 And he read it plainly in the street that was before the water-gate, from the morning until mid-day, before the men, and the women, and all those that could understand: and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book.
4 And Esdras, the scribe, stood upon a step of wood, which he had made to speak upon: and there stood by him, Mathathias, and Semeia, and Ania, and Uria, and Helcia, and Maasia, on his right hand: and on the left, Phadaia, Misael, and Melchia, and Hasum, and Hasbadana, Zacharia and Mosollam.
5 And Esdras opened the book before all the people: for he was above all the people: and when he had opened it, all the people stood.
6 And Esdras blessed the Lord, the great God: and all the people answered: Amen, amen: lifting up their hands: and they bowed down, and adored God with their faces to the ground.
7 Now Josue, and Bani, and Serebia, Jamin, Accub, Sephthai, Odia, Maasia, Celita, Azarias, Jozabed, Hanan, Phalaia, the Levites, made silence among the people to hear the law: and the people stood in their place.
8 And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to be understood: and they understood when it was read.
9 And Nehemias (he is Athersatha) and Esdras, the priest and scribe, and the Levites, who interpreted to all the people, said: This is a holy day to the Lord, our God: do not mourn, nor weep: for all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10 And he said to them: Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad: for the joy of the Lord is our strength.
11 And the Levites stilled all the people, saying: Hold your peace, for the day is holy, and be not sorrowful.
12 So all the people went to eat and drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth: because they understood the words that he had taught them.
13 And on the second day the chiefs of the families of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, were gathered together to Esdras, the scribe, that he should interpret to them the words of the law.
14 And they found written in the law, that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in tabernacles, on the feast in the seventh month:
15 And that they should proclaim and publish the word in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying: Go forth to the mount, and fetch branches of olive, and branches of beautiful wood, branches of myrtle, and branches of palm, and branches of thick trees, to make tabernacles, as it is written.
16 And the people went forth, and brought.  And they made themselves tabernacles every man on the top of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water-gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.
17 And all the assembly of them that were returned from the captivity, *made tabernacles, and dwelt in tabernacles: for since the days of Josue, the son of Nun, the children of Israel had not done so, until that day: and there was exceeding great joy.
18 And he read in the book of the law of God, day by day, from the first day till the last, and they kept the solemnity seven days, and in the eighth day a solemn assembly according to the manner.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3551, A.C. 453.
17:  Lev. xxiii. 39.
====================

2 ESDRAS 9
CHAPTER IX.

The people repent with fasting and sack-cloth.  The Levites confess God's benefits, and the people's ingratitude: they pray for them, and make a coventant with God.

1 And *in the four and twentieth day of the month, the children of Israel came together with fasting, and with sack-cloth, and earth upon them.
2 And the seed of the children of Israel separated themselves from every stranger: and they stood, and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
3 And they rose up to stand: and they read in the book of the law of the Lord, their God, four times in the day, and four times they confessed, and adored the Lord, their God.
4 And there stood up upon the step of the Levites, Josue, and Bani, and Cedmihel, Sabania, Bonni, Sarebias, Bani, and Chanani: and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord, their God.
5 And the Levites, Josue and Cedmihel, Bonni, Hasebnia, Serebia, Odaia, Sebnia, and Phathahia, said: Arise, bless the Lord, your God, from eternity to eternity: and blessed be the high name of thy glory, with all blessing and praise.
6 Thou, thyself, O Lord, alone, thou hast made heaven, and the heaven of heavens, and all the host thereof: the earth, and all things that are in it: the seas, and all that are therein: and thou givest life to all these things, and the host of heaven adoreth thee.
7 Thou, O Lord God, art he who didst choose Abram *and broughtest him forth out of the fire of the Chaldeans, and gavest him the name of Abraham.
8 And thou didst find his heart faithful before thee: and thou madest a covenant with him, to give him the land of the Chanaanite, of the Hethite, and of the Amorrhite, and of the Pherezite, and of the Jebusite, and of the Gergesite, to give it to his seed: and thou hast fulfilled thy words, because thou art just.
9 And thou sawest the affliction of our fathers in Egypt: and thou didst hear their cry by the Red Sea.
10 And thou shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharao, and upon all his servants, and upon the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them: and thou madest thyself a name, as it is at this day.
11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, and they passed through the midst of the sea on dry land: but their persecutors thou threwest into the depth, as a stone into mighty waters.
12 And in a pillar of a cloud thou wast their leader by day, and in a pillar of fire by night, that they might see the way by which they went.
13 Thou camest down also, to Mount Sinai, and didst speak with them from heaven, and thou gavest them right judgments, and the law of truth, ceremonies, and good precepts.
14 Thou madest known to them thy holy sabbath, and didst prescribe to them commandments, and ceremonies, and the law, by the hand of Moses, thy servant.
15 And thou gavest them bread from heaven in their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock in their thirst, and thou saidst to them that they should go in, and possess the land, upon which thou hadst lifted up thy hand to give it them.
16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments.
17 And they would not hear, and they remembered not thy wonders which thou hadst done for them.  And they hardened their necks, and set their head to return to their bondage, as it were by contention.  But thou, a forgiving God, gracious, and merciful, long-suffering, and full of compassion, didst not forsake them.
18 Yea, when they had made also to themselves a molten calf, and had said: This is thy God, that brought thee out of Egypt: and had committed great blasphemies:
19 Yet thou, in thy many mercies, didst not leave them in the desert: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way, and the pillar of fire by night, to shew them the way by which they should go.
20 And thou gavest them thy good Spirit to teach them, and thy manna thou didst not withhold from their mouth, and thou gavest them water for their thirst.
21 Forty years didst thou feed them in the desert, and nothing was wanting to them: their garments did not grow old, and their feet were not worn.
22 And thou gavest them kingdoms, and nations, and didst divide lots for them: and they possessed the land of Sehon, and the land of the king of Hesebon, and the land of Og, king of Basan.
23 And thou didst multiply their children, as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them to the land concerning which thou hadst said to their fathers, that they should go in and possess it.
24 And the children came and possessed the land, and thou didst humble before them the inhabitants of the land, the Chanaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as it pleased them.
25 And they took strong cities and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods: cisterns made by others, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit-trees, in abundance: and they eat, and were filled, and became fat, and abounded with delight in thy great goodness.
26 But they provoked thee to wrath, and departed from thee, and threw thy law behind their backs: and they killed thy prophets, who admonished them earnestly to return to thee: and they were guilty of great blasphemies.
27 And thou gavest them into the hands of their enemies, and they afflicted them.  And, in the time of their tribulation, they cried to thee, and thou heardest from heaven, and according to the multitude of thy tender mercies thou gavest them saviours, to save them from the hands of their enemies.
28 But after they had rest, they returned to do evil in thy sight: and thou leftest them in the hand of their enemies, and they had dominion over them.  Then they returned, and cried to thee: and thou heardest from heaven, and deliveredst them many times in thy mercies.
29 And thou didst admonish them to return to thy law.  But they dealt proudly, and hearkened not to thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them: and they withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
30 And thou didst forbear with them for many years, and didst testify against them by thy spirit, by the hand of thy prophets: and they heard not, and thou didst deliver them into the hand of the people of the lands.
31 Yet in thy very many mercies thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them: because thou art a merciful and gracious God.
32 Now, therefore, our God, great, strong and terrible, who keepest covenant and mercy, turn not away from thy face all the labour which hath come upon us, upon our kings, and our princes, and our priests, and our prophets, and our fathers, and all the people from the days of the king of Assur, until this day.
33 And thou art just in all things that have come upon us: because thou hast done truth, but we have done wickedly.
34 Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers, have not kept thy law, and have not minded thy commandments, and thy testimonies, which thou hast testified among them.
35 And they have not served thee in their kingdoms, and in thy manifold goodness, which thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land, which thou deliveredst before them, nor did they return from their most wicked devices.
36 Behold we, ourselves, this day are bondmen: and the land, which thou gavest our fathers, to eat the bread thereof, and the good things thereof, and we, ourselves, are servants in it.
37 And the fruits thereof grow up for the kings, whom thou hast set over us for our sins, and they have dominion over our bodies, and over our beasts, according to their will, and we are in great tribulation.
38 And because of all this we, ourselves, make a covenant, and write it, and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, sign it.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3551.
7:  Gen. xi. 31.
====================

2 ESDRAS 10
CHAPTER X.

The names of the subscribers to the covenant, and the contents of it.

1 And *the subscribers were Nehemias, Athersatha, the son of Hachelai, and Sedecias.
2 Saraias, Azarias, Jeremias,
3 Pheshur, Amarias, Melchias,
4 Hattus, Sebenia, Melluch,
5 Harem, Merimuth, Obdias,
6 Daniel, Genthon, Baruch,
7 Mosollam, Abia, Miamin,
8 Maazia, Belgia, Semeia: these were priests.
9 And the Levites, Josue, the son of Azanias, Bennui, of the sons of Henadad, Cedmihel.
10 And their brethren, Sebenia, Oduia, Celita, Phalaia, Hanan,
11 Micha, Rohob, Hasebia,
12 Zachur, Serebia, Sabania,
13 Odaia, Bani, Baninu.
14 The heads of the people, Pharos, Phahath Moab, Elam, Zethu, Bani,
15 Bonni, Azgad, Bebai,
16 Adonia, Begoai, Adin,
17 Ater, Hezecia, Azur,
18 Odaia, Hasum, Besai,
19 Hareph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20 Megphias, Mosollam, Hazir,
21 Mesizabel, Sadoc, Jeddua,
22 Pheltia, Hanan, Anaia,
23 Osee, Hanania, Hasub,
24 Alohes, Phalea, Sobec,
25 Rehum, Hasebna, Maasia,
26 Echaia, Hanan, Anan,
27 Melluch, Haran, Baana:
28 And the rest of the people, priests, Levites, porters, and singing men, Nathinites, and all that had separated themselves from the people of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters.
29 All that could understand, promising for their brethren, with their chief men; and they came to promise, and swear that they would walk in the law of God, which he gave in the hand of Moses, the servant of God, that they would do and keep all the commandments of the Lord, our God, and his judgments, and his ceremonies.
30 And that we would not give our daughters to the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons.
31 And if the people of the land bring in things to sell, or any things for use, to sell them on the sabbath-day, that we would not buy them of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day.  And that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every hand.
32 And we made ordinances for ourselves, to give the third part of a sicle every year for the work of the house of our God,
33 For the loaves of proposition, and for the continual sacrifice, and for a continual holocaust on the sabbaths, on the new moons, on the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin-offering: that atonement might be made for Israel, and for every use of the house of our God.
34 And we cast lots among the priests, and the Levites, and the people, for the offering of wood, that it might be brought into the house of our God, by the houses of our fathers, at set times, from year to year: to burn upon the altar of the Lord, our God, as it is written in the law of Moses:
35 And that we would bring the first-fruits of our land, and the first-fruits of all fruit of every tree, from year to year, in the house of our Lord.
36 And the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our oxen, and of our sheep, to be offered in the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God.
37 And that we would bring the first-fruits of our meats, and of our libations, and the fruit of every tree, of the vintage also, and of oil to the priests, to the store-house of our God, and the tithes of our ground to the Levites.  The Levites, also, shall receive the tithes of our works out of all the cities.
38 And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites in the tithes of the Levites, and the Levites shall offer the tithe of their tithes, in the house of our God, to the store-room, into the treasure-house.
39 For the children of Israel, and the children of Levi, shall carry to the treasury the first-fruits of corn, of wine, and of oil: and the sanctified vessels shall be there, and the priests, and the singing men, and the porters, and ministers, and we will not forsake the house of our God.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3551.
====================

2 ESDRAS 11
CHAPTER XI.

Who were the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the other cities.

1 And the princes of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: but the rest of the people cast lots, to take one part in ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts in the other cities.
2 And the people blessed all the men that willingly offered themselves to dwell in Jerusalem.
3 These, therefore, are the chief men of the province, who dwelt in Jerusalem, and in the cities of Juda.  And every one dwelt in his possession, in their cities: Israel, the priests, the Levites, the Nathinites, and the children of the servants of Solomon.
4 And in Jerusalem there dwelt some of the children of Juda, and some of the children of Benjamin: of the children of Juda, Athaias, the son of Aziam, the son of Zacharias, the son of Amarias, the son of Saphatias, the son of Malaleel: of the sons of Phares,
5 Maasia, the son of Baruch, the son of Cholhoza, the son of Hazia, the son of Adaia, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zacharias, the son of the Silonite:
6 All these, the sons of Phares, who dwelt in Jerusalem, were four hundred sixty-eight valiant men.
7 And these are the children of Benjamin: Sellum, the son of Mosollam, the son of Joed, the son of Phadaia, the son of Colaia, the son of Masia, the son of Etheel, the son of Isaia.
8 And after him, Gebbai, Sellai, nine hundred twenty-eight.
9 And Joel, the son of Zechri, their ruler, and Judas, the son of Senua, was second over the city.
10 And of the priests, Idaia, the son of Joarib, Jachin,
11 Saraia, the son of Helcias, the son of Mosollam, the son of Sadoc, the son of Meraioth, the son of Achitob, the prince of the house of God,
12 And their brethren that do the works of the temple: eight hundred twenty-two.  And Adaia, the son of Jeroham, the son of Phelelia, the son of Amsi, the son of Zacharias, the son of Pheshur, the son of Melchias,
13 And his brethren, the chiefs of the fathers: two hundred forty-two.  And Amassai, the son of Azreel, the son of Ahazi, the son of Mosollamoth, the son of Emmer,
14 And their brethren, who were very mighty, a hundred twenty-eight: and their ruler, Zabdiel, son of the mighty.
15 And of the Levites, Semeia the son of Hasub, the son of Azaricam, the son of Hasabia, the son of Bonni,
16 And Sabathai and Jozabed, who were over all the outward business of the house of God, of the princes of the Levites.
17 And Mathania, the son of Micha, the son of Zebedei, the son of Asaph, was the principal man to praise, and to give glory in prayer, and Becbecia, the second, one of his brethren, and Abda the son of Samua, the son of Galal, the son of Idithum.
18 All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty-four.
19 And the porters, Accub, Telmon, and their brethren, who kept the doors: a hundred seventy-two.
20 And the rest of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, were in all the cities of Juda, every man in his possession.
21 And the Nathinites, that dwelt in Ophel, and Siaha, and Gaspha, of the Nathinites.
22 And the overseer of the Levites, in Jerusalem, was Azzi, the son of Bani, the son of Hasabia, the son of Mathania, the son of Micha.  Of the sons of Asaph, were the singing men in the ministry of the house of God.
23 For the king's commandment was concerning them, and an order among the singing men, day by day.
24 And Phathahia, the son of Mesezebel, of the children of Zara, the son of Juda, was at the hand of the king, in all matters concerning the people,
25 And in the houses through all their countries.  Of the children of Juda, some dwelt at Cariatharbe, and in the villages thereof, and at Dibon, and in the villages thereof, and at Cabseel, and in the villages thereof,
26 And at Jesue, and at Molada, and Bethphaleth,
27 And at Hasersual, and at Bersabee, and in the villages thereof,
28 And at Siceleg, and at Mochona, and in the villages thereof,
29 And at Remmon, and at Saraa, and at Jerimuth,
30 Zanoa, Odollam, and in their villages, at Lachis, and its dependencies, and at Azeca, and the villages thereof.  And they dwelt from Bersabee unto the valley of Ennom.
31 And the children of Benjamin, from Geba, at Mechmas, and at Hai, and at Bethel, and in the villages thereof,
32 At Anathoth, Nob, Anania,
33 Asor, Rama, Gethaim,
34 Hadid, Seboim, and Neballat, Lod,
35 And Ono, the valley of craftsmen.
36 And of the Levites, were portions of Juda and Benjamin.
====================

2 ESDRAS 12
CHAPTER XII.

The priests, and Levites, that came up with Zorobabel.  The succession of high priests: the solemnity of the dedication of the wall.

1 Now these are the priests, and the Levites, that went up with Zorobabel, the son of Salathiel, and Josue: Saraia, Jeremias, Esdras,
2 Amaria, Melluch, Hattus,
3 Sebenias, Rheum, Merimuth,
4 Addo, Genthon, Abia,
5 Miamin, Madia, Belga,
6 Semeia, and Joiarib, Idaia, Sellum, Amoc, Helcias,
7 Idaia.  These were the chief of the priests, and of their brethren, in the days of Josue.
8 And the Levites, Jesua, Bennui, Cedmihel, Sarebia, Juda, Mathanias, they and their brethren were over the hymns:
9 And Becbecia, and Hanni, and their brethren, every one in his office.
10 And Josue begot Joacim, and Joacim begot Eliasib, and Eliasib begot Joiada,
11 And Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jeddoa.
12 And in the days of Joacim, the priests and heads of the families were: Of Saraia, Maraia: of Jeremias, Hanania:
13 Of Esdras, Mosollam: and of Amaria, Johanan:
14 Of Milicho, Jonathan: of Sebenia, Joseph:
15 Of Haram, Edna: of Maraioth, Helci:
16 Of Adaia, Zacharia: of Genthon, Mosollam:
17 Of Abia, Zechri: of Miamin and Moadia, Phelti:
18 Of Belga, Sammua: of Semaia, Jonathan:
19 Of Joiarib, Mathanai: of Jodaia, Azzi:
20 Of Sellai, Celai: of Amoc, Heber:
21 Of Helcias, Hasebia: of Idaia, Nathanael.
22 The Levites, the chiefs of the families, in the days of Eliasib, and Joiada, and Johanan, and Jeddoa, were recorded, and the priests, in the reign of Darius, the Persian.
23 The sons of Levi, heads of the families, were written in the book of Chronicles, even unto the days of Jonathan, the son of Eliasib.
24 Now the chief of the Levites were Hasebia, Serebia, and Josue, the son of Cedmihel: and their brethren, by their courses, to praise, and to give thanks according to the commandment of David, the man of God, and to wait equally in order.
25 Mathania, and Becbecia, Obedia, and Mosollam, Telmon, Accub, were keepers of the gates, and of the entrances before the gates.
26 These were in the days of Joacim, the son of Josue, the son of Josedec, and in the days of Nehemias, the governor, and of Esdras, the priest and scribe.
27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, and to keep the dedication, and to rejoice with thanksgiving, and with singing, and with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps.
28 And the sons of the singing men were gathered together out of the plain country about Jerusalem, and out of the villages of Nethuphati,
29 And from the house of Galgal, and from the countries of Geba, and Azmaveth: for the singing men had built themselves villages round about Jerusalem.
30 And the priests, and the Levites, purified, and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.
31 And I made the princes of Juda go up upon the wall, and I appointed two great choirs to give praise.  And they went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dunghill-gate.
32 And after them went Osaias, and half of the princes of Juda,
33 And Azarias, Esdras, and Mosollam, Judas, and Benjamin, and Semeia, and Jeremias.
34 And of the sons of the priests with trumpets, Zacharias, the son of Jonathan, the son of Semeia, the son of Mathania, the son of Michaia, the son of Zechur, the son of Asaph,
35 And his brethren, Semeia, and Azareel, Malalai, Galalai, Maai, Nathanael, and Judas, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David, the man of God: and Esdras, the scribe, before them at the fountain-gate.
36 And they went up over-against them by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall of the house of David, and to the water-gate eastward:
37 And the second choir of them that gave thanks went on the opposite side, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, and upon the tower of the furnaces, even to the broad wall,
38 And above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish-gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Emath, and even to the flock-gate: and they stood still in the watch-gate.
39 And the two choirs of them that gave praise, stood still at the house of God, and I, and the half of the magistrates with me.
40 And the priests, Eliachim, Maasia, Miamin, Michea, Elioenai, Zacharia, Hanania, with trumpets,
41 And Maasia, and Semeia, and Eleazar, and Azzi, and Johanan, and Melchia, and Elam, and Ezer.  And the singers sung loud, and Jezraia was their overseer:
42 And they sacrificed, on that day, great sacrifices, and they rejoiced: for God had made them joyful with great joy: their wives, also, and their children rejoiced, and the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.
43 They appointed, also, in that day, men over the storehouses of the treasure, for the libations, and for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, that the rulers of the city might bring them in by them in honour of thanksgiving, for the priests and Levites: for Juda was joyful in the priests and Levites that assisted.
44 And they kept the watch of their God, and the observance of expiation, and the singing men, and the porters, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon, his son.
45 For in the days of David and Asaph, from the beginning, there were chief singers appointed, to praise with canticles, and give thanks to God.
46 And all Israel, in the days of Zorobabel, and in the days of Nehemias, gave portions to the singing men, and to the porters, day by day, and they sanctified the Levites, and the Levites sanctified the sons of Aaron.
====================

2 ESDRAS 13
CHAPTER XIII.

Divers abuses are reformed.

1 And* on that day they read in the book of Moses, in the hearing of the people: and therein was found written, that the Ammonites and the Moabites should not come into the church of God for ever:
2 Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water: and they hired against them Balaam, to curse them: and our God turned the curse into blessing.
3 And it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated every stranger from Israel.
4 And over this thing was Eliasib, the priest, who was set over the treasury of the house of our God, and was near akin to Tobias.
5 And he made him a great store-room, where before him they laid up gifts, and frankincense, and vessels, and the tithes of the corn, of the wine, and of the oil, the portions of the Levites, and of the singing men, and of the porters, and the first-fruits of the priests.
6 But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem, because in the two and thirtieth year* of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I went to the king, and after certain days I asked the king:
7 And I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliasib had done for Tobias, to make him a storehouse in the courts of the house of God.
8 And it seemed to me exceeding evil.  And I cast forth the vessels of the house of Tobias out of the storehouse.
9 And I commanded, and they cleansed the storehouses: and I brought thither again the vessels of the house of God, the sacrifice, and the frankincense.
10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: and that the Levites, and the singing men, and they that ministered, were fled away, every man to his own country:
11 And I pleaded the matter against the magistrates, and said: Why have we forsaken the house of God?  And I gathered them together, and I made them to stand in their places.
12 And all Juda brought the tithe of the corn, and the wine, and the oil, into the storehouses.
13 And we set over the storehouses Selemias, the priest, and Sadoc, the scribe, and of the Levites, Phadaia, and next to them Hanan, the son of Zachur, the son of Mathania: for they were approved as faithful, and to them were committed the portions of their brethren.
14 Remember me, O my God, for this thing, and wipe not out my kindnesses, which I have done relating to the house of my God, and his ceremonies.
15 In those days I saw in Juda some treading the presses on the sabbath, and carrying sheaves, and lading asses with wine, and grapes, and figs, and all manner of burthens, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the sabbath-day.  And I charged them that they should sell on a day on which it was lawful to sell.
16 Some Tyrians also dwelt there, who brought fish, and all manner of wares: and they sold them on the sabbaths to the children of Juda in Jerusalem.
17 And I rebuked the chief men of Juda, and said to them: What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath-day?
18 Did not our fathers do these things, and our God brought all this evil upon us, and upon this city?  And you bring more wrath upon Israel by violating the sabbath.
19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem were at rest on the sabbath-day, I spoke: and they shut the gates, and I commanded that they should not open them till after the sabbath: and I set some of my servants at the gates, that none should bring in burthens on the sabbath-day.
20 So the merchants, and they that sold all kind of wares, stayed without Jerusalem once or twice.
21 And I charged them, and I said to them: Why stay you before the wall? if you do so another time, I will lay hands on you.  And from that time they came no more on the sabbath.
22 I spoke also to the Levites, that they should be purified, and should come to keep the gates, and to sanctify the sabbath-day: for this, also, remember me, O my God, and spare me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
23 In those days, also, I saw Jews that married wives, women of Azotus, and of Ammon, and of Moab.
24 And their children spoke half in the speech of Azotus, and could not speak the Jews' language, but they spoke according to the language of this and that people.
25 And I chid them, and laid my curse upon them.  And I beat some of them, and shaved off their hair, and made them swear by God that they would not give their daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for their sons, nor for themselves, saying:
26 *Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin in this kind of thing? and surely among many nations, there was not a king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel:** and yet women of other countries brought even him to sin.
27 And shall we also be disobedient, and do all this great evil, to transgress against our God, and marry strange women?
28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliasib, the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanaballat, the Horonite, and I drove him from me.
29 Remember them, O Lord my God, that defile the priesthood, and the law of priests and Levites.
30 So I separated from them all strangers, and I appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites, every man in his ministry:
31 And for the offering of wood at times appointed, and for the first-fruits: remember me, O my God, unto good.  Amen.
____________________
*
1:  Deut. xxiii. 3.
6:  A.M. 3562, A.C. 442.
26:  3 Kings iii. 1. --- ** 3 Kings xi. 4.
====================
====================

TOBIAS
THE BOOK OF TOBIAS.

TOBIAS 1
CHAPTER I.

Tobias' early piety: his works of mercy, particularly in burying the dead.

1 Tobias, of the tribe and city of Nephthali, (which is in the upper parts of Galilee, above Naason, beyond the way that leadeth to the west, having on the right hand the city of Sephet)
2 *When he was made captive in the days of Salmanasar, king of the Assyrians, even in his captivity, forsook not the way of truth,
3 But every day gave all he could get to his brethren, his fellow-captives, that were of his kindred.
4 And when he was younger than any of the tribe of Nephthali, yet did he no childish thing in his work.
5 Moreover, when all went to the golden calves, *which Jeroboam, king of Israel, had made, he alone fled the company of all,
6 And went to Jerusalem, to the temple of the Lord, and there adored the Lord God of Israel, offering faithfully all his first-fruits, and his tithes.
7 So that in the third year he gave all his tithes to the proselytes, and strangers.
8 These, and such like things did he observed when but a boy, according to the law of God.
9 But when he was a man, he took to wife, Anna, of his own tribe, and had a son by her, whom he called after his own name,
10 And from his infancy he taught him to fear God, and to abstain from all sin.
11 And when, by the captivity, he, with his wife, and his son, and all his tribe, was come to the city of Ninive,
12 (When all ate of the meats of the Gentiles) he kept his soul, and never was defiled with their meats.
13 And because he was mindful of the Lord with all his heart, God gave him favour in the sight of Salmanasar, the king.
14 And he gave him leave to go whithersoever he would, with liberty to do whatever he had a mind.
15 He, therefore, went to all that were in captivity, and gave them wholesome admonitions.
16 And when he was come to Rages, a city of the Medes, and had ten talents of silver of that with which he had been honoured by the king:
17 And when amongst a great multitude of his kindred, he saw Gabelus in want, who was one of his tribe, taking a note of his  hand, he gave him the aforesaid sum of money.
18 But after a long time, Salmanasar, the king, being dead, *when Sennacherib, his son, who reigned in his place, had a hatred for the children of Israel:
19 Tobias daily went among all his kindren, and comforted them, and distributed to every one as he was able, out of his goods:
20 He fed the hungry, and gave clothes to the naked, and was careful to bury the dead, and they that were slain.
21 *And when **king Sennacherib was come back, fleeing from Judea, by reason of the slaughter that God had made about him for his blasphemy, and being angry, slew many of the children of Israel, Tobias buried their bodies.
22 But when it was told the king, he commanded him to be slain, and took away all his substance.
23 But Tobias fleeing naked away with his son, and with his wife, lay concealed; for many loved him.
24 *But after forty-five days, the king was killed by his own sons.
25 And Tobias returned to his house, and all his substance was restored to him.
____________________
*
2:  4 Kings xvii. 3. and xviii. 9.; A.M. 3283, A.C. 721.
5:  3 Kings xii. 28.
18:  A.M. 3287.
21:  4 Kings xix. 35.; Eccli. xlviii. 24.; 2 Mac. viii. 19. --- ** A.M. 3294.
24:  4 Kings xix. 37.; 2 Par. xxxii. 21.; Isai. xxxvii. 38.
====================

TOBIAS 2
CHAPTER II.

Tobias leaveth his dinner to bury the dead: he loseth his sight by God's permission, for manifestation of his patience.

1 But after this, when there was a festival of the Lord, and a good dinner was prepared in Tobias's house,
2 He said to his son: Go, and bring some of our tribe, that fear God, to feast with us.
3 And when he had gone, returning, he told him, that one of the children of Israel lay slain in the street.  And he forthwith leaped up from his place at the table, and left his dinner, and came fasting to the body:
4 And taking it up, carried it privately to his house, that after the sun was down, he might bury him cautiously.
5 And when he had hid the body, he ate bread with mourning and fear,
6 Remembering the word which the Lord spoke by *Amos, the prophet: Your festival days shall be turned into lamentation and mourning.
7 So when the sun was down, he went and buried him.
8 Now all his neighbours blamed him, saying: Once already commandment was given for thee to be slain because of this matter, and thou didst scarce escape the sentence of death, and dost thou again bury the dead?
9 *But Tobias fearing God more than the king, carried off the bodies of them that were slain, and hid them in his house, and at midnight buried them.
10 Now it happened one day, that being wearied with burying, he came to his house, and cast himself down by the wall, and slept.
11 And as he was sleeping, hot dung, out of a swallow's nest, fell upon his eyes, and he was made blind.*
12 Now this trial the Lord, therefore, permitted to happen to him, that an example might be given to posterity of his patience, as also of holy Job.
13 For, whereas, he had always feared God from his infancy, and kept his commandments; he repined not against God, because the evil of blindness had befallen him,
14 But continued immoveable in the fear of God, giving thanks to God all the days of his life.
15 For as the kings insulted over holy Job, so his relations and kinsmen mocked at his life, saying:
16 Where is thy hope, for which thou gavest alms, and buriedst the dead?
17 But Tobias rebuked them, saying: Speak not so:
18 For we are the children of saints, and look for that life which God will give to those that never change their faith from him.
19 Now Anna, his wife, went daily to weaving work, and she brought home what she could get for their living by the labour of her hands.
20 Whereby it came to pass, that she received a young kid, and brought it home:
21 And when her husband heard it bleating, he said: *Take heed, lest perhaps it be stolen, restore ye it to its owners; for it is not lawful for us either to eat or to tough any thing that cometh by theft.
22 *At these words, his wife being angry, answered: It is evident thy hope is come to nothing, and thy alms now appear.
23 And with these, and other such like words, she upbraided him.
____________________
*
6:  Amos viii. 10.; 1 Mac. i. 41.
9:  Supra i. 21.
11:  A.M. 3295.
21:  Deut. xxii. 1.
22:  Job xxii. 9.
====================

TOBIAS 3
CHAPTER III.

The prayer of Tobias, and of Sara, in their several afflictions, are heard by God, and the angel Raphael is sent to relieve them.

1 Then Tobias sighed, and began to pray with tears,
2 Saying: Thou art just, O Lord, and all thy judgments are just, and all thy ways are mercy, and truth, and judgment:
3 And now, O Lord, think of me, and take not revenge of my sins, neither remember my offences, nor those of my parents.
4 *For we have not obeyed thy commandments, therefore are we delivered to spoil and to captivity, and death, and are made a fable, and a reproach to all nations, amongst which thou hast scattered us.
5 And now, O Lord, great are thy judgments, because we have not done according to thy precepts, and have not walked sincerely before thee:
6 And now, O Lord, do with me according to thy will, and command my spirit to be received in peace: for it is better for me to die, than to live.
7 Now it happened on the same day, that Sara, daughter of Raguel, in Rages, a city of the Medes, received a reproach from one of her father's servant-maids,
8 Because she had been given to seven husbands, and a devil named Asmodeus had killed them, at their first going in unto her.
9 So when she reproved the maid for her fault, she answered her, saying: May we never see son, or daughter of thee upon the earth, thou murderer of thy husbands.
10 Wilt thou kill me also, as thou hast already killed seven husbands?  At these words she went into an upper chamber of her house: and for three days and three nights did neither eat, nor drink:
11 But continuing in prayer, with tears besought God, that he would deliver her from this reproach.
12 And it came to pass on the third day, when she was making an end of her prayer, blessing the Lord,
13 She said: Blessed is thy name, O God of our fathers: who when thou hast been angry, wilt shew mercy, and in the time of tribulation forgivest the sins of them that call upon thee.
14 To thee, O Lord, I turn my face, to thee I direct my eyes.
15 I beg, O Lord, that thou loose me from the bond of this reproach, or else take me away from the earth.
16 Thou knowest, O Lord, that I never coveted a husband, and kept my soul clean from all lust.
17 Never have I joined myself with them that play: neither have I made myself partaker with them that walk in lightness.
18 But a husband I consented to take, with thy fear, not with my lust.
19 And either I was unworthy of them, or they, perhaps, were not worthy of me: because, perhaps, thou hast kept me for another man.
20 For thy counsel is not in man's power.
21 But this every one is sure of that worshippeth thee, that his life, if it be under trial, shall be crowned: and if it be under tribulation, it shall be delivered: and if it be under correction, it shall be allowed to come to thy mercy.
22 For thou art not delighted in our being lost: because, after a storm thou makest a calm, and after tears and weeping thou pourest in joyfulness.
23 Be thy name, O God of Israel, blessed for ever.
24 At that time the prayers of them both were heard in the sight of the glory of the most high God:
25 And the holy angel of the Lord, Raphael, was sent to heal them both, whose prayers at one time were rehearsed in the sight of the Lord.
____________________
*
4:  Deut. xxviii. 15.
====================

TOBIAS 4
CHAPTER IV.

Tobias thinking he shall die, giveth his son godly admonitions: and telleth him of money he had lent to a friend.

1 Therefore, *when Tobias thought that his prayer was heard that he might die, he called to him Tobias, his son,
2 And said to him: Hear, my son, the words of my mouth, and lay them as a fountain in thy heart.
3 When God shall take my soul, thou shalt bury my body: *and thou shalt honour thy mother all the days of her life:
4 For thou must be mindful what and how great perils she suffered for thee in her womb.
5 And when she also shall have ended the time of her life, bury her by me.
6 And all the days of thy life have God in thy mind: and take heed thou never consent to sin, nor transgress the commandments of the Lord, our God.
7 *Give alms out of thy substance, and turn not away thy face from any poor person: for so it shall come to pass, that the face of the Lord shall not be turned from thee.
8 *According to thy ability be merciful.
9 If thou have much, give abundantly: if thou have little, take care even so to bestow willingly a little.
10 For thus thou storest up to thyself a good reward for the day of necessity.
11 *For alms deliver from all sin, and from death, and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.
12 Alms shall be a great confidence before the most high God, to all them that give it.
13 *Take heed to keep thyself, my son, from all fornication, and beside thy wife never endure to know a crime.
14 Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy words: *for from it all perdition took its beginning.
15 *If any man hath done any work for thee, immediately pay him his hire, and let not the wages of thy hired servant stay with thee at all.
16 *See thou never do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee by another.
17 *Eat thy bread with the hungry and the needy, and with thy garments cover the naked.
18 Lay out thy bread, and thy wine, upon the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink thereof with the wicked.
19 Seek counsel always of a wise man.
20 Bless God at all times: and desire of him to direct thy ways, and that all thy counsels may abide in him.
21 I tell thee also, my son, that I lent ten talents of silver, while thou wast yet a child, to Gabelus, in Rages, a city of the Medes, and I have a note of his hand with me:
22 Now, therefore, inquire how thou mayst go to him, and receive of him the aforesaid sum of money, and restore to him the note of his hand.
23 Fear not, my son: we lead indeed a poor life, *but we shall have  many good things if we fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is good.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3299.
3:  Exod. xx. 12.; Eccli. vii. 29.
7:  Prov. iii. 9.; Eccli. iv. 1. and xiv. 13.; Luke xiv. 13.
8:  Eccl. xxxv. 12.
11:  Eccli. xxix. 15.
13:  1 Thes. iv. 3.
14:  Gen. iii. 5.
15:  Lev. xix. 13.; Deut. xxiv. 14.
16:  Mat. vii. 12.; Luke vi. 31.
17:  Luke xiv. 13.
23:  Rom. viii. 17.
====================

TOBIAS 5
CHAPTER V.

Young Tobias seeking a guide for his journey, the angel Raphael, in shape of a man, undertaketh this office.

1 Then Tobias answered his father, and said: I will do all things, father, which thou hast commanded me.
2 But how I shall get this money, I cannot tell: he knoweth not me, and I know not him: what token shall I give him? nor did I ever know the way which leadeth thither.
3 Then his father answered him, and said: I have a note of his hand with me, which when thou shalt shew him, he will presently pay it.
4 But go now, and seek thee out some faithful man, to go with thee for his hire: that thou mayst receive it, while I yet live.
5 Then Tobias going forth, found a beautiful young man, standing girded, and as it were ready to walk.
6 And not knowing that he was an angel of God, he saluted him, and said: From whence art thou, good young man?
7 But he answered: Of the children of Israel.  And Tobias said to him: Knowest thou the way that leadeth to the country of the Medes?
8 And he answered: I know it: and I have often walked through all the ways thereof, and I have abode with Gabelus, our brother, who dwelleth at Rages, a city of the Medes, which is situate in the mount of Ecbatana.
9 And Tobias said to him: Stay for me, I beseech thee, till I tell these same things to my father.
10 Then Tobias going in, told all these things to his father.  Upon which his father being in admiration, desired that he would come in unto him.
11 So going in, he saluted him, and said: Joy be to thee always.
12 And Tobias said: What manner of joy shall be to me, who sit in darkness, and see not the light of heaven?
13 And the young man said to him: Be of good courage, thy cure from God is at hand.
14 And Tobias said to him: Canst thou conduct my son to Gabelus, at Rages, a city of the Medes? and when thou shalt return, I will pay thee thy hire.
15 And the angel said to him: I will conduct him thither, and bring him back to thee.
16 And Tobias said to him: I pray thee, tell me, of what family, or what tribe art thou?
17 And Raphael, the angel, answered: Dost thou seek the family of him thou hirest, or the hired servant himself, to go with thy son?
18 But lest I should make thee uneasy, I am Azarias, the son of the great Ananias.
19 And Tobias answered: Thou art of a great family.  But I pray thee be not angry that I desired to know thy family.
20 And the angel said to him: I will lead thy son safe, and bring him to thee again safe.
21 And Tobias answering, said: May you have a good journey, and God be with you in your way, and his angel accompany you.
22 Then all things being ready, that were to be carried in their journey, Tobias bid his father and his mother farewell, and they set out both together.
23 *And when they were departed, his mother began to weep, and to say: Thou hast taken the staff of our old age, and sent him away from us.
24 I wish the money for which thou hast sent him, had never been.
25 For our poverty was sufficient for us, that we might account it as riches, that we saw our son.
26 And Tobias said to her: Weep not, our son will arrive thither safe, and will return safe to us, and thy eyes shall see him.
27 For I believe that the good angel of God doth accompany him, and doth order all things well that are done about him, so that he shall return to us with joy.
28 At these words his mother ceased weeping, and held her peace.
____________________
*
23:  Infra x. 4.
====================

TOBIAS 6
CHAPTER VI.

By the angel's advice, young Tobias taketh hold on a fish that assaulteth him.  Reserveth the heart, the gall, and the liver, for medicines.  They lodge at the house of Raguel, whose daughter, Sara, Tobias is to marry; she had before been married to seven husbands, who were all slain by a devil.

1 And *Tobias went forward, and the dog followed him, and he lodged the first night by the river of Tigris.
2 And he went out to wash his feet, and behold a monstrous fish came up to devour him.
3 And Tobias being afraid of him, cried out with a loud voice, saying: Sir, he cometh upon me.
4 And the angel said to him: Take him by the gill, and draw him to thee.  And when he had done so, he drew him out upon the land, and he began to pant before his feet.
5 Then the angel said to him: Take out the entrails of this fish, and lay up his heart, and his gall, and his liver, for thee: for these are necessary for useful medicines.
6 And when he had done so, he roasted the flesh thereof, and they took it with them in the way: the rest they salted, as much as might serve them, till they came to Rages, the city of the Medes.
7 Then Tobias asked the angel, and said to him: I beseech thee, brother Azarias, tell me what remedies are these things good for, which thou hast bid me keep of the fish?
8 And the angel, answering, said to him: If thou put a little piece of its heart upon coals, the smoke thereof driveth away all kind of devils, either from man or from woman, so that they come no more to them.
9 And the gall is good for anointing the eyes, in which there is a white speck, and they shall be cured.
10 And Tobias said to him: Where wilt thou that we lodge?
11 And the angel answering, said: Here is one whose name is Raguel, a near kinsman of thy tribe, and he hath a daughter named Sara, but he hath no son nor any other daughter beside her.
12 *All his substance is due to thee, and thou must take her to wife.
13 Ask her, therefore, of her father, and he will give her thee to wife.
14 Then Tobias answered, and said: I hear that she hath been given to seven husbands, and they all died: moreover, I have heard, that a devil killed them.
15 Now I am afraid, lest the same thing should happen to me also: and whereas I am the only child of my parents, I should bring down their old age with sorrow to hell.
16 Then the angel, Raphael, said to him: Hear me, and I will shew thee who they are, over whom the devil can prevail.
17 For they who in such manner receive matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves, and from their mind, and to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule, which have not understanding, over them the devil hath power.
18 But thou, when thou shalt take her, go into the chamber, and for three days keep thyself continent from her, and give thyself to nothing else but to prayers with her.
19 And on that night lay the liver of the fish on the fire, and the devil shall be driven away.
20 But the second night thou shalt be admitted into the society of the holy patriarchs.
21 And the third night thou shalt obtain a blessing that sound children may be born of you.
22 And when the third night is past, thou shalt take the virgin, with the fear of the Lord, moved rather for love of children than for lust, that in the seed of Abraham thou mayst obtain a blessing in children.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3299.
12:  Num. xxvii. 8. and xxxvi. 8.
====================

TOBIAS 7
CHAPTER VII.

They are kindly entertained by Raguel.  Tobias demandeth Sara to wife.

1 And *they went into Raguel, and Raguel received them with joy.
2 And Raguel looking upon Tobias, said to Anna, his wife: How like is this young man to my cousin?
3 And when he had spoken these words, he said: Whence are ye, young men, our brethren?
4 But they said: We are of the tribe of Nephthali, of the captivity of Ninive.
5 And Raguel said to them: Do you know Tobias, my brother?  And they said: We know him.
6 And when he was speaking many good things of him, the angel said to Raguel: Tobias, concerning whom thou inquirest, is this young man's father.
7 And Raguel went to him, and kissed him with tears, and weeping upon his neck, said: A blessing be upon thee, my son, because thou art the son of a good and most virtuous man.
8 And Anna, his wife, and Sara, their daughter, wept.
9 And after they had spoken, Raguel commanded a sheep to be killed, and a feast to be prepared.  And when he desired them to sit down to dinner,
10 Tobias said: I will not eat nor drink here this day, unless thou first grant me my petition, and promise to give me Sara, thy daughter.
11 Now when Raguel heard this, he was afraid, knowing what had happened to those seven husbands that went in unto her: and he began to fear, lest it might happen to him also in like manner: and as he was in suspense, and gave no answer to his petition,
12 The angel said to him: Be not afraid to give her to this man, for to him who feareth God, is thy daughter due to be his wife: therefore another could not have her.
13 Then Raguel said: I doubt not but God hath regarded my prayers and tears in his sight.
14 And I believe he hath therefore made you come to me, that this maid might be married to one of her own kindred, *according to the law of Moses: and now doubt not but I will give her to thee.
15 And taking the right hand of his daughter, he gave it into the right hand of Tobias, saying: The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, be with you, and may he join you together, and fulfil his blessing in you.
16 And taking paper, they made a writing of the marriage.
17 And afterwards they made merry, blessing God.
18 And Raguel called to him Anna, his wife, and bid her prepare another chamber.
19 And she brought Sara, her daughter, in thither, and she wept.
20 And she said to her: Be of good cheer, my daughter: the Lord of heaven give thee joy for the trouble thou hast undergone.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3299.
14:  Num. xxxvi. 6.
====================

TOBIAS 8
CHAPTER VIII.

Tobias burneth part of the fish's liver, and Raphael bindeth the devil.  Tobias and Sara pray.

1 And *after they had supped, they brought in the young man to her.
2 And Tobias, remembering the angel's word, took out of his bag part of the liver, and laid it upon burning coals.
3 Then the angel, Raphael, took the devil, and bound him in the desert of Upper Egypt.
4 Then Tobias exhorted the virgin, and said to her: Sara, arise, and let us pray to God to-day, and to-morrow, and the next day: because for these three nights we are joined to God: and when the third night is over, we will be in our own wedlock.
5 For we are the children of saints, and we must not be joined together like heathens that know not God.
6 So they both arose, and prayed earnestly both together that health might be given them.
7 And Tobias said: Lord God of our father, may the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains, and the rivers, and all thy creatures that are in them, bless thee.
8 *Thou madest Adam of the slime of the earth, and gavest him Eve for a helper.
9 And now, Lord, thou knowest, that not for fleshly lust do I take my sister to wife, but only for the love of posterity, in which thy name may be blessed for ever and ever.
10 Sara also said: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, and let us grow old both together in health.
11 And it came to pass about the cock crowing, Raguel ordered his servants to be called for, and they went with him together to dig a grave.
12 For he said: Lest, perhaps it may have happened to him, in like manner as it did to the other seven husbands that went in unto her.
13 And when they had prepared the pit, Raguel went back to his wife, and said to her:
14 Send one of thy maids, and let her see if he be dead, that I may bury him before it be day.
15 So she sent one of her maid-servants, who went into the chamber, and found them safe and sound, sleeping both together.
16 And returning, she brought the good news: and Raguel, and Anna, his wife, blessed the Lord,
17 And said: We bless thee, O Lord God of Israel, because it hath not happened as we suspected.
18 For thou hast shewn thy mercy to us, and hast shut out from us the enemy that persecuted us.
19 And thou hast taken pity upon two only children.  Make them, O Lord, bless thee more fully: and to offer up to thee a sacrifice of thy praise, and of their health, that all nations may know, that thou alone art God in all the earth.
20 And immediately Raguel commanded his servants to fill up the pit they had made, before it was day.
21 And he spoke to his wife to make ready a feast, and prepare all kind of provisions that are necessary for such as go a journey.
22 He caused also two fat kine, and four wethers to be killed, and a banquet to be prepared for all his neighbours, and all his friends.
23 And Raguel adjured Tobias, to abide with him two weeks.
24 And of all things which Raguel possessed, he gave one half to Tobias, and made a writing, that the half that remained, should after their decease, come also to Tobias.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3299.
8:  Gen. ii. 7.
====================

TOBIAS 9
CHAPTER IX.

The angel, Raphael, goeth to Gabelus, receiveth the money, and bringeth him to the marriage.

1 Then *Tobias called the angel to him, whom he took to be a man, and said to him: Brother Azarias, I pray thee hearken to my words:
2 If I should give myself to be thy servant, I should not make a worthy return for thy care.
3 However, I beseech thee, to take with thee beasts and servants, and to go to Gabelus, to Rages, the city of the Medes: and to restore to him his note of hand, and receive of him the money, and desire him to come to my wedding.
4 For thou knowest that my father numbereth the days: and if I stay one day more, his soul will be afflicted.
5 And indeed, thou seest how Raguel hath adjured me, whose adjuring I cannot despise.
6 Then Raphael took four of Raguel's servants, and two camels, and went to Rages, the city of the Medes: and finding Gabelus, gave him his note of hand, and received of him all the money.
7 And he told him concerning Tobias, the son of Tobias, all that had been done: and made him come with him to the wedding.
8 And when he was come into Raguel's house, he found Tobias sitting at the table: and he leaped up, and they kissed each other: and Gabelus wept, and blessed God,
9 And said: The God of Israel bless thee, because thou art the son of a very good and just man, and that feareth God, and doth alms-deeds:
10 And may a blessing come upon thy wife and upon your parents.
11 And may you see your children, and your children's children, unto the third and fourth generation: and may your seed be blessed by the God of Israel, who reigneth for ever and ever.
12 And when all had said, Amen; they went to the feast: but the marriage feast they celebrated, also, with the fear of the Lord.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3299.
====================

TOBIAS 10
CHAPTER X.

The parents lament the long absence of their son, Tobias.  He sets out to return.

1 But *as Tobias made longer stay upon occasion of the marriage, Tobias, his father, was solicitous, saying: Why, thinkest thou, doth my son tarry, or why is he detained there?
2 Is Gabelus dead, thinkest thou, and no man will pay him the money?
3 And he began to be exceedingly sad, both he and Anna, his wife, with him: and they began both to weep together: because their son did not return to them on the day appointed.
4 *But his mother wept and was quite disconsolate, and said: Woe, woe is me, my son, why did we send thee to go to a strange country, the light of our eyes, the staff of our old age, the comfort of our life, the hope of our posterity?
5 We, having all things together in thee alone, ought not to have let thee go from us.
6 And Tobias said to her: Hold thy peace, and be not troubled, our son is safe: that man with whom we sent him, is very trusty.
7 But she could by no means be comforted, but daily running out, looked round about, and went into all the ways by which there seemed any hope he might return, that she might, if possible, see him coming afar off.
8 But Raguel said to his son-in-law: Stay here, and I will send a messenger to Tobias, thy father, that thou art in health.
9 And Tobias said to him: I know that my father and mother now count the days, and their spirit is grievously afflicted within them.
10 And when Raguel had pressed Tobias with many words, and he by no means would hearken to him, he delivered Sara unto him, and half of all his substance in men-servants, and women-servants, in cattle, in camels, and in kine, and in much money, and sent him away safe and joyful from him,
11 Saying: The holy angel of the Lord be with you in your journey, and bring you through safe, and that you may find all things well about your parents, and my eyes see your children before I die.
12 And the parents taking their daughter, kissed her, and let her go:
13 Admonishing her to honour her father and mother-in-law, to love her husband, to take care of the family, to govern the house, and to behave herself irreprehensibly.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3299.
4:  Supra v. 23.
====================

TOBIAS 11
CHAPTER XI.

Tobias anointeth his father's eyes with the fish's gall, and he recovereth his sight.

1 And *as they were returning they came to Charan, which is in the midway to Ninive, the eleventh day.
2 And the angel said: Brother Tobias, thou knowest how thou didst leave thy father.
3 If it please thee, therefore, let us go before, and let the family follow softly after us, together with thy wife, and with the beasts.
4 And as this their going pleased him, Raphael said to Tobias: Take with thee of the gall of the fish, for it will be necessary.  So Tobias took some of that gall and departed.
5 But Anna sat beside the way daily, on the top of a hill, from whence she might see afar off.
6 And while she watched his coming from that place, she saw him afar off, and presently perceived it was her son coming: and returning, she told her husband, saying: Behold thy son cometh.
7 And Raphael said to Tobias: As soon as thou shalt come into thy house, forthwith adore the Lord, thy God: and giving thanks to him, go to thy father, and kiss him:
8 And immediately anoint his eyes with this gall of the fish, which thou carriest with thee.  For be assured that his eyes shall be presently opened, and thy father shall see the light of heaven, and shall rejoice in the sight of thee.
9 Then the dog, which had been with them in the way, ran before, and coming as if he had brought the news, shewed his joy by his fawning and wagging his tail.
10 And his father, that was blind, rising up, began to run, stumbling with his feet: and giving a servant his hand, went to meet his son.
11 And receiving him, kissed him, as did also his wife, and they began to weep for joy.
12 And when they had adored God, and given him thanks, they sat down together.
13 Then Tobias taking of the gall of the fish, anointed his father's eyes.
14 And he stayed about half an hour: and a white skin began to come out of his eyes, like the skin of an egg.
15 And Tobias took hold of it, and drew it from his eyes, and immediately he recovered his sight.
16 And they glorified God, both he and his wife, and all that knew them.
17 And Tobias said: I bless thee, O Lord, God of Israel, because thou hast chastised me, and thou hast saved me: and behold I see Tobias, my son.
18 And after seven days, Sara, his son's wife, and all the family, arrived safe, and the cattle, and the camels, and an abundance of money of his wife's: and that money, also, which he had received of Gabelus:
19 And he told his parents all the benefits of God, which he had done to him by the man that conducted him.
20 And Achior, and Nabath, the kinsmen of Tobias, came, rejoicing for Tobias, and congratulating with him for all the good things that God had done for him.
21 And for seven days they feasted and rejoiced, all with great joy.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3299.
====================

TOBIAS 12
CHAPTER XII.

Raphael maketh himself known.

1 Then *Tobias called to him his son, and said to him: What can we give to this holy man that is come with thee?
2 Tobias answering, said to his father: Father, what wages shall we give him? or what can be worthy of his benefits?
3 He conducted me and brought me safe again, he received the money of Gabelus, he caused me to have my wife, and he chased from her the evil spirit, he gave joy to her parents, myself he delivered from being devoured by the fish, thee also he hath made to see the light of heaven, and we are filled with all good things through him.  What can we give him sufficient for these things?
4 But I beseech thee, my father, to desire him, that he would vouchsafe to accept of one half of all things that have been brought.
5 So the father and the son, calling him, took him aside: and began to desire him that he would vouchsafe to accept of half of all things that they had brought.
6 Then he said to them secretly: Bless ye the God of heaven, give glory to him in the sight of all that live, because he hath shewn his mercy to you.
7 For it is good to hide the secret of a king: but honourable to reveal and confess the works of God.
8 Prayer is good with fasting and alms, more than to lay up treasures of gold:
9 For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting.
10 But they that commit sin and iniquity, are enemies to their own soul.
11 I discover then the truth unto you, and I will not hide the secret from you.
12 When thou didst pray with tears, and didst bury the dead, and didst leave thy dinner, and hide the dead, by day, in thy house, and bury them by night, I offered thy prayer to the Lord.
13 And because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove thee.
14 And now the Lord hath sent me to heal thee, and to deliver Sara, thy son's wife, from the devil.
15 For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord.
16 And when they had heard these things, they were troubled, and being seized with fear, they fell upon the ground on their face.
17 And the angel said to them: Peace be to you, fear not.
18 For when I was with you, I was there by the will of God: bless ye him, and sing praises to him.
19 I seemed, indeed, to eat, and to drink with you: but I use an invisible meat and drink, which cannot be seen by men.
20 It is time, therefore that I return to him that sent me: but bless ye God, and publish all his wonderful works.
21 And when he had said these things, he was taken from their sight, and they could see him no more.
22 Then they lying prostrate for three hours upon their face, blessed God: and rising up, they told all his wonderful works.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3299.
====================

TOBIAS 13
CHAPTER XIII.

Tobias, the father, praiseth God, exhorting all Israel to do the same.  Prophesieth the restoration and better state of Jerusalem.

1 And *Tobias, the elder, opening his mouth, blessed the Lord, and said: Thou art great, O Lord, for ever, and thy kingdom is unto all ages:
2 *For thou scourgest, and thou savest: thou leadest down to hell, and bringest up again: and there is none that can escape thy hand.
3 Give glory to the Lord, ye children of Israel, and praise him in the sight of the Gentiles:
4 Because he hath therefore scattered you among the Gentiles, who know not him, that you may declare his wonderful works, and make them know that there is no other Almighty God besides him.
5 He hath chastised us for our iniquities: and he will save us for his own mercy.
6 See then what he hath done with us, and with fear and trembling give ye glory to him: and extol the eternal king of worlds in your works.
7 As for me, I will praise him in the land of my captivity: because he hath shewn his majesty toward a sinful nation.
8 Be converted, therefore, ye sinners, and do justice before God, believing that he will shew his mercy to you.
9 And I and my soul will rejoice in him.
10 Bless ye the Lord, all his elect, keep days of joy, and give glory to him.
11 Jerusalem, city of God, the Lord hath chastised thee for the works of thy hands.
12 Give glory to the Lord for thy good things, and bless the God eternal, that he may rebuild his tabernacle in thee, and may call back all the captives to thee, and thou mayst rejoice for ever and ever.
13 Thou shalt shine with a glorious light: and all the ends of the earth shall worship thee.
14 *Nations from afar shall come to thee: and shall bring gifts, and shall adore the Lord in thee, and shall esteem thy land as holy.
15 For they shall call upon the great name in thee.
16 They shall be cursed that shall despise thee: and they shall be condemned that shall blaspheme thee: and blessed shall they be that shall build thee up.
17 But thou shalt rejoice in thy children, because they shall all be blessed, and shall be gathered together to the Lord.
18 Blessed are all they that love thee, and that rejoice in thy peace.
19 My soul, bless thou the Lord, because the Lord, our God, hath delivered Jerusalem, his city, from all her troubles.
20 Happy shall I be if there shall remain of my seed, to see the glory of Jerusalem.
21 *The gates of Jerusalem shall be built of sapphire, and of emerald, and all the walls thereof round about of precious stones.
22 All its streets shall be paved with white and clean stones: and Alleluia shall be sung in its streets.
23 Blessed be the Lord, who hath exalted it, and may he reign over it for ever and ever, Amen.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3299.
2:  Deut. xxxii. 39.; 1 Kings ii. 6.; Wisd. xvi. 13.
14:  Isai. lx. 5.
21:  Apocal. xxi. 16.
====================

TOBIAS 14
CHAPTER XIV.

Old Tobias dieth at the age of a hundred and two years, after exhorting his son and grandsons to piety, foreshewing that Ninive shall be destroyed, and Jerusalem rebuilt.  The younger Tobias returneth with his family to Raguel, and dieth happily as he had lived.

1 And the words of Tobias were ended.  And after Tobias was restored to his sight, he lived two and forty years, and saw the children of his grandchildren.
2 And after he had lived a hundred and two years, he was buried *honourably in Ninive.
3 For he was six and fifty years old when he lost the sight of his eyes, and sixty when he recovered it again.
4 And the rest of his life was in joy, and with great increase of the fear of God he departed in peace.
5 And at the hour of his death he called unto him his son, Tobias, and his children, seven young men, his grandsons, and said to them:
6 The destruction of Ninive is at hand: for the word of the Lord must be fulfilled: *and our brethren, that are scattered abroad from the land of Israel, shall return to it.
7 And all the land thereof that is desert, shall be filled with people, and the house of God which is burnt in it, shall again be rebuilt: and all that fear God shall return thither.
8 And the Gentiles shall leave their idols, and shall come into Jerusalem, and shall dwell in it,
9 And all the kings of the earth shall rejoice in it, adoring the King of Israel.
10 Hearken, therefore, my children, to your father: serve the Lord in truth, and seek to do the things that please him:
11 And command your children that they do justice and alms-deeds, and that they be mindful of God, and bless him at all times in truth, and with all their power.
12 And now, children, hear me, and do not stay here: but as soon as you shall bury your mother, by me, in one sepulchre, without delay direct your steps to depart hence:
13 For I see that its iniquity will bring it to destruction.
14 And it came to pass, that after the death of his mother, Tobias departed out of Ninive with his wife, and children, and children's children, and returned to his father and mother-in-law.
15 And he found them in health in a good old age: and he took care of them, and he closed their eyes: and all the inheritance of Raguel's house came to him: and he saw his children's children to the fifth generation.
16 And after he had lived ninety-nine years in the fear of the Lord, with joy they buried him.
17 And all his kindred, and all his generation continued in good life, and in holy conversation, so that they were acceptable, both to God, and to men, and to all that dwelt in the land.
____________________
*
2:  A.M. 3341, A.C. 663.
6:  1 Esdras iii. 8.
====================
====================

JUDITH
THE BOOK OF JUDITH.

JUDITH 1
CHAPTER I.

Nabuchodonosor, king of the Assyrians, overcometh Arphaxad, king of the Medes.

1 Now Arphaxad, king of the Medes, had brought many nations under his dominion, and he built a very strong city, which he called Ecbatana,
2 Of stones squared and hewed: he made the walls thereof seventy cubits broad, and thirty cubits high, and the towers thereof he made a hundred cubits high.  But on the square of them, each side was extended the space of twenty feet.
3 And he made the gates thereof according to the height of the towers:
4 And he gloried as a mighty one in the force of his army, and in the glory of his chariots.
5 Now in the twelfth year* of his reign: Nabuchodonosor, king of the Assyrians, who reigned in Ninive, the great city, fought against Arphaxad, and overcame him,
6 In the great plain which is called Ragau, about the Euphrates, and the Tigris, and the Jadason, in the plain of Erioch, the king of the Elicians.
7 Then was the kingdom of Nabuchodonosor exalted, and his heart was elevated: and he sent to all that dwelt in Cilicia, and Damascus, and Libanus,
8 And to the nations that are in Carmelus, and Cedar, and to the inhabitants of Galilee, in the great plain of Esdrelon,
9 And to all that were in Samaria, and beyond the river Jordan, even to Jerusalem, and all the land of Jesse, till you come to the borders of Ethiopia.
10 To all these, Nabuchodonosor, king of the Assyrians, sent messengers:
11 But they all, with one mind, refused, and sent them back empty, and rejected them without honour.
12 Then king Nabuchodonosor being angry against all that land, swore by his throne and kingdom, that he would revenge himself of all those countries.
____________________
*
5:  A.M. 3347, A.C. 657.
====================

JUDITH 2
CHAPTER II.

Nabuchodonosor sendeth Holofernes to waste the countries of the west.

1 In *the thirteenth year of the reign of Nabuchodonosor, the two and twentieth day of the first month, the word was given out in the house of Nabuchodonosor, king of the Assyrians, that he would revenge himself.
2 And he called all the ancients, and all the governors, and his officers of war, and communicated to them the secret of his counsel:
3 And he said that his thoughts were to bring all the earth under his empire.
4 And when this saying pleased them all, Nabuchodonosor, the king, called Holofernes, the general of his armies,
5 And said to him: Go out against all the kingdoms of the west, and against them, especially, that despise my commandment.
6 Thy eye shall not spare any kingdom, and all the strong cities thou shalt bring under my yoke.
7 Then Holofernes called the captains, and officers of the power of the Assyrians: and he mustered men for the expedition, as the king commanded him, a hundred and twenty thousand fighting men on foot, and twelve thousand archers, horsemen.
8 And he made all his warlike preparations to go before with a multitude of innumerable camels, with all provisions sufficient for the armies in abundance, and herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep, without number.
9 He appointed corn to be prepared out of all Syria, in his passage.
10 But gold and silver he took out of the king's house in great abundance.
11 And he went forth, he and all the army, with the chariots, and horsemen, and archers, who covered the face of the earth, like locusts.
12 And when he had passed through the borders of the Assyrians, he came to the great mountains of Ange, which are on the left of Cilicia: and he went up to all their castles, and took all the strong places.
13 And he took, by assault, the renowned city of Melothus, and pillaged all the children of Tharsis, and the children of Ismahel, who were over-against the face of the desert, and on the south of the land of Cellon.
14 And he passed over the Euphrates, and came into Mesopotamia: and he forced all the stately cities that were there, from the torrent of Mambre, till one comes to the sea:
15 And he took the borders thereof, from Cilicia to the coasts of Japheth, which are towards the south.
16 And he carried away all the children of Madian, and stripped them of all their riches, and all that resisted him he slew with the edge of the sword.
17 And after these things he went down into the plains of Damascus in the days of the harvest, and he set all the corn on fire, and he caused all the trees and vineyards to be cut down.
18 And the fear of him fell upon all the inhabitants of the land.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3348.
====================

JUDITH 3
CHAPTER III.

Many submit themselves to Holofernes.  He destroyeth their cities, and their gods, that Nabuchodonosor only might be called god.

1 Then the kings and the princes of all the cities and provinces, of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Syria Sobal, and Libya, and Cilicia, sent their ambassadors, who coming to Holofernes, said:
2 Let thy indignation towards us cease: for it is better for us to live and serve Nabuchodonosor, the great king, and be subject to thee, than to die and to perish, or suffer the miseries of slavery.
3 All our cities and our possessions, all mountains, and hills, and fields, and herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep, and goats, and horses, and camels, and all our goods, and families are in thy sight:
4 Let all we have be subject to thy law.
5 Both we and our children are thy servants.
6 Come to us a peaceable lord, and use our service as it shall please thee.
7 Then he came down from the mountains with horsemen, in great power, and made himself master of every city, and all the inhabitants of the land.
8 And from all the cities he took auxiliaries, valiant men, and chosen for war.
9 And so great a fear lay upon all those provinces, that the inhabitants of all the cities, both princes and nobles, as well as the people, went out to meet him at his coming,
10 And received him with garlands, and lights, and dances, and tumbrels, and flutes.
11 And though they did these things, they could not for all that mitigate the fierceness of his heart:
12 For he both destroyed their cities and cut down their groves.
13 For Nabuchodonosor, the king, had commanded him to destroy all the gods of the earth, that he only might be called god by those nations which could be brought under him by the power of Holofernes.
14 And when he had passed through all Syria Sobal, and all Apamea, and all Mesopotamia, he came to the Idumeans, into the land of Gabaa,
15 And he took possession of their cities, and stayed there for thirty days, in which days he commanded all the troops of his army to be united.
====================

JUDITH 4
CHAPTER IV.

The children of Israel prepare themselves to resist Holofernes.  They cry to the Lord for help.

1 Then the children of Israel, who dwelt in the land of Juda, hearing these things, were exceedingly afraid of him.
2 Dread and horror seized upon their minds, lest he should do the same to Jerusalem, and to the temple of the Lord, that he had done to other cities, and their temples.
3 And they sent into all Samaria round about, as far as Jericho, and seized upon all the tops of the mountains:
4 And they compassed their towns with walls, and gathered together corn, for provision for war.
5 And Eliachim, the priest, wrote to all that were over-against Esdrelon, which faceth the great plain near Dothain, and to all by whom there might be a passage of way, that they should take possession of the ascents of the mountains, by which there might be any way to Jerusalem, and should keep watch where the way was narrow between the mountains.
6 And the children of Israel did as the priest of the Lord, Eliachim, had appointed them.
7 And all the people cried to the Lord with great earnestness, and they humbled their souls in fastings, and prayers, both they and their wives.
8 And the priests put on hair-cloths, and they caused the little children to lie prostrate before the temple of the Lord, and the altar of the Lord they covered with hair-cloth.
9 And they cried to the Lord, the God of Israel, with one accord, that their children might not be made a prey, and their wives carried off, and their cities destroyed, and their holy things profaned, and that they might not be made a reproach to the Gentiles.
10 Then Eliachim, the high priest of the Lord, went about all Israel, and spoke to them,
11 Saying: Know ye that the Lord will hear your prayers, if you continue with perseverance in fastings and prayers, in the sight of the Lord.
12 Remember Moses, the servant of the Lord, who overcame Amalec, that trusted in his own strength, and in his power, and in his army, and in his shields, and in his chariots, and in his horsemen, not by fighting with the sword, but by holy prayers:
13 *So shall all the enemies of Israel be, if you persevere in this work which you have begun.
14 So they being moved by this exhortation of his, prayed to the Lord, and continued in the sight of the Lord.
15 So that even they who offered the holocausts to the Lord, offered the sacrifices to the Lord, girded with hair-cloths, and with ashes upon their head.
16 And they all begged of God, with all their heart, that he would visit his people, Israel.
____________________
*
13:  Exod. xvii. 12.
====================

JUDITH 5
CHAPTER V.

Achior gives Holofernes an account of the people of Israel.

1 And it was told Holofernes, the general of the army of the Assyrians, that the children of Israel prepared themselves to resist, and had shut up the ways of the mountains.
2 And he was transported with exceedingly great fury and indignation, and he called all the princes of Moab, and the leaders of Ammon.
3 And he said to them: Tell me what is this people that besetteth the mountains: or what are their cities, and of what sort, and how great: also what is their power, or what is their multitude: or who is the king over their warfare:
4 And why they, above all that dwell in the east, have despised us, and have not come out to meet us, that they might receive us with peace?
5 Then Achior, captain of all the children of Ammon, answering, said: If thou vouchsafe, my lord, to hear, I will tell the truth in thy sight, concerning this people, that dwelleth in the mountains, and there shall not a false word come out of my mouth.
6 This people is of the offspring of the Chaldeans.
7 *They dwelt first in Mesopotamia, because they would not follow the gods of their fathers, who were in the land of the Chaldeans.
8 Wherefore, forsaking the ceremonies of their fathers, which consisted in the worship of many gods,
9 They worshipped one God of heaven, *who also commanded them to depart from thence, and to dwell in Charan.  And when there was a famine over all the land, **they went down into Egypt, and there for four hundred years were so multiplied, that the army of them could not be numbered.
10 And when the king of Egypt oppressed them, and made slaves of them, to labour in clay and brick, in the building of his cities, they cried to their Lord, and he struck the whole land of Egypt with divers plagues.
11 *And when the Egyptians had cast them out from them, and the plague had ceased from them, and they had a mind to take them again, and bring them back to their service,
12 *The God of heaven opened the sea to them in their flight, so that the waters were made to stand firm as a wall on either side, and they walked through the bottom of the sea, and passed it dry foot.
13 And when an innumerable army of the Egyptians pursued after them in that place, they were so overwhelmed with the waters, that there was not one left, to tell what had happened to posterity.
14 And after they came out of the Red Sea, they abode in the deserts of Mount Sina, in which never man could dwell, or son of man rested.
15 There bitter fountains were made sweet for them to drink, and for forty years they received food from heaven.
16 Wheresoever they went in without bow and arrow, and without shield and sword, their God fought for them, and overcame.
17 And there was no one that triumphed over this people, but when they departed from the worship of the Lord, their God.
18 But as often as, beside their own God, they worshipped any other, they were given to spoil, and to the sword, and to reproach.
19 And as often as they were penitent for having revolted from the worship of their God, the God of heaven gave them power to resist.
20 So they overthrew the king of the Chanaanites, and of the Jebusites, and of the Pherezites, and of the Hethites, and of the Hevites, and of the Amorrhites, and all the mighty ones in Hesebon, and they possessed their lands, and their cities:
21 And as long as they sinned not in the sight of their God, it was well with them: for their God hateth iniquity.
22 And even some years ago when they had revolted from the way which God had given them, to walk therein, they were destroyed in battles by many nations, and very many of them were led away captive into a strange land.
23 But of late returning to the Lord, their God, from the different places wherein they were scattered, they are come together, and are gone up into all these mountains, and possess Jerusalem again, where their holies are.
24 Now, therefore, my lord, search if there be any iniquity of theirs in the sight of their God: let us go up to them, because their God will surely deliver them to thee, and they shall be brought under the yoke of thy power:
25 But if there be no offense of this people in the sight of their God, we can not resist them, because their God will defend them: and we shall be a reproach to the whole earth.
26 And it came to pass, when Achior had ceased to speak these words, all the great men of Holofernes were angry, and they had a mind to kill him, saying to each other:
27 Who is this, that saith the children of Israel can resist king Nabuchodonosor, and his armies, men unarmed, and without force, and without skill in the art of war?
28 That Achior, therefore, may know that he deceiveth us, let us go up into the mountains: and when the bravest of them shall be taken, then shall he, with them, be stabbed with the sword:
29 That every nation may know that Nabuchodonosor is god of the earth, and besides him there is no other.
____________________
*
7:  Gen. xi. 31.
9:  Gen. xii. 1. --- ** Gen. xlvi. 6.
11:  Exod. xii. 33.
12:  Exod. xiv. 29.
====================

JUDITH 6
CHAPTER VI.

Holofernes, in great rage, sendeth Achior to Bethulia, there to be slain with the Israelites.

1 And it came to pass, when they had left off speaking, that Holofernes, being in a violent passion, said to Achior:
2 Because thou hast prophesied unto us, saying, that the nation of Israel is defended by their God, to shew thee that there is no God, but Nabuchodonosor:
3 When we shall slay them all as one man, then thou also shalt die with them by the sword of the Assyrians, and all Israel shall perish with thee:
4 And thou shalt find that Nabuchodonosor is lord of the whole earth: and then the sword of my soldiers shall pass through thy sides, and thou shalt be stabbed, and fall among the wounded of Israel, and thou shalt breathe no more till thou be destroyed with them.
5 But if thou think thy prophecy true, let not thy countenance sink, and let the paleness that is in thy face, depart from thee, if thou imaginest these, my words, cannot be accomplished.
6 And that thou mayst know that thou shalt experience these things, together with them, behold from this hour thou shalt be associated to their people, that when they shall receive the punishment they deserve from my sword, thou mayst fall under the same vengeance.
7 Then Holofernes commanded his servants to take Achior, and to lead him to Bethulia, and to deliver him into the hands of the children of Israel.
8 And the servants of Holofernes taking him, went through the plains: but when they came near the mountains, the slingers came out against them.
9 Then turning out of the way by the side of the mountain, they tied Achior to a tree hand and foot, and so left him bound with ropes, and returned to their master.
10 And the children of Israel coming down from Bethulia, came to him.  And loosing him, they brought him to Bethulia, and setting him in the midst of the people, asked him what was the matter, that the Assyrians had left him bound.
11 In those days the rulers there were Ozias, the son of Micha, of the tribe of Simeon, and Charmi, called also Gothoniel.
12 And Achior related in the midst of the ancients, and in the presence of all the people, all that he had said, being asked by Holofernes: and how the people of Holofernes would have killed him for this word,
13 And how Holofernes himself, being angry, had commanded him to be delivered for this cause to the Israelites: that when he should overcome the children of Israel, then he might command Achior also himself to be put to death by diverse torments, for having said: The God of heaven is their defender.
14 *And when Achior had declared all these things, all the people fell upon their faces, adoring the Lord, and all of them together, mourning and weeping, poured out their prayers with one accord to the Lord,
15 Saying: O Lord God of heaven and earth, behold their pride, and look on our low condition, and have regard to the face of thy saints, and shew that thou forsakes not them that trust on thee, and that thou humblest them that presume of themselves, and glory in their own strength.
16 So when their weeping was ended, and the people's prayer, in which they continued all the day, was concluded, they comforted Achior,
17 Saying: The God of our fathers, whose power thou hast set forth, will make this return to thee, that thou rather shalt see their destruction.
18 And when the Lord, our God, shall give this liberty to his servants, let God be with thee also in the midst of us: that as it shall please thee, so thou, with all thine, mayst converse with us.
19 Then Ozias, after the assembly was broken up, received him into his house, and made him a great supper.
20 And all the ancients were invited, and they refreshed themselves together after their fast was over.
21 And afterwards all the people were called together, and they prayed all the night long within the church, desiring help of the God of Israel.
____________________
*
14:  Supra v. 6.
====================

JUDITH 7
CHAPTER VII.

Holofernes besiegeth Bethulia.  The distress of the besieged.

1 But Holofernes, on the next day, gave orders to his army, to go up against Bethulia.
2 Now there were in his troops a hundred and twenty thousand footmen, and two and twenty thousand horsemen, besides the preparations of those men who had been taken, and who had been brought away out of the provinces and cities, of all the youth.
3 All these prepared themselves together to fight against the children of Israel, and they came by the hill side to the top, which looketh toward Dothain, from the place which is called Belma, unto Chelmon, which is over-against Esdrelon.
4 But the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, prostrated themselves upon the ground, putting ashes upon their heads, praying, with one accord, that the God of Israel would shew his mercy upon his people.
5 And taking their arms of war, they posted themselves at the places, which by a narrow path-way lead directly between the mountains, and they guarded them all day and night.
6 Now Holofernes, in going round about, found that the fountain which supplied them with water, ran through an aqueduct without the city, on the south side: and he commanded their aqueduct to be cut off.
7 Nevertheless, there were springs not far from the walls, out of which they were seen secretly to draw water, to refresh themselves a little rather than to drink their fill.
8 But the children of Ammon, and Moab, came to Holofernes, saying: The children of Israel trust not in their spears, nor in their arrows, but the mountains are their defense, and the steep hires and precipices guard them.
9 Wherefore, that thou mayst overcome them without joining battle, set guards at the springs that they may not draw water out of them, and thou shalt destroy them without sword, or at least being wearied out, they will yield up their city, which they suppose, because it is situate in the mountains, to be impregnable.
10 And these words pleased Holofernes, and his officers, and he placed all round about a hundred men at every spring.
11 And when they had kept this watch for full twenty days, the cisterns, and the reserve of waters, failed among all the inhabitants of Bethulia, so that there was not within the city enough to satisfy them, no not for one day, for water was daily given out to the people by measure.
12 Then all the men and women, young men, and children, gathering themselves together to Ozias, all together with one voice,
13 Said: *God be judge between us and thee, for thou hast done evil against us, in that thou wouldst not speak peaceably with the Assyrians, and for this cause God hath sold us into their hands.
14 And therefore there is no one to help us, while we are cast down before their eyes in thirst, and sad destruction.
15 And now, assemble ye all that are in the city, that we may, of our own accord, yield ourselves all up to the people of Holofernes.
16 For it is better that, being captives, we should live and bless the Lord, than that we should die, and be a reproach to all flesh, after we have seen our wives and our infants die before our eyes.
17 We call to witness this day heaven and earth, and the God of our fathers, who taketh vengeance upon us according to our sins, conjuring you to deliver now the city into the hand of the army of Holofernes, that our end may be short by the edge of the sword, which is made longer by the drought of thirst.
18 And when they had said these things, there was great weeping and lamentation of all in the assembly, and for many hours with one voice they cried to God, saying:
19 *We have sinned with our fathers, we have done unjustly, we have commited iniquity:
20 Have thou mercy on us, because thou art good, or punish our iniquities, by chastising us thyself, and deliver not them that trust in thee to a people that knoweth not thee,
21 That they may not say among the Gentiles: Where is their God?
22 And when, being wearied with these cries, and tired with these weepings, they held their peace,
23 Ozias, rising up all in tears, said: Be of good courage, my brethren, and let us wait these five days for mercy from the Lord.
24 For perhaps he will put a stop to his indignation, and will give glory to his own name.
25 But if after five days be past, there come no aid, we will do the things which you have spoken.
____________________
*
13:  Exod. v. 21.
19:  Psal. cv. 6.
====================

JUDITH 8
CHAPTER VIII.

The character of Judith: her discourse to the ancients.

1 Now it came to pass, when Judith, a widow, had heard these words, who was the daughter of Merari, the son of Idox, the son of Joseph, the son of Ozias, the son of Elai, the son of Jamnor, the son of Gedeon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Achitob, the son of Melchias, the son of Enan, the son of Nathanias, the son of Salathiel, the son of Simeon, the son of Ruben:
2 And her husband was Manasses, who died in the time of the barley-harvest:
3 For he was standing over them that bound sheaves in the field; and the heat came upon his head, and he died in Bethulia, his own city, and was buried there with his fathers.
4 And Judith, his relict, was a widow now three years and six months.
5 And she made herself a private chamber in the upper part of her house, in which she abode, shut up with her maids.
6 And she wore hair-cloth upon her loins, and fasted all the days of her life, except the sabbaths, and new moons, and the feasts of the house of Israel.
7 And she was exceedingly beautiful, and her husband left her great riches, and very many servants, and large possessions of herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep.
8 And she was greatly renowned among all, because she feared the Lord very much, neither was there any one that spoke an ill word of her.
9 When, therefore, she had heard that Ozias had promised that he would deliver up the city after the fifth day, she sent to the ancients, Chabri and Charmi.
10 And they came to her, and she said to them: What is this word, by which Ozias hath consented to give up the city to the Assyrians, if within five days there come no aid to us?
11 And who are you that tempt the Lord?
12 This is not a word that may draw down mercy, but rather that may stir up wrath, and enkindle indignation.
13 You have set a time for the mercy of the Lord, and you have appointed him a day, according to your pleasure.
14 But for as much as the Lord is patient, let us be penitent for this same thing, and with many tears let us beg his pardon:
15 For God will not threaten like man, nor be inflamed to anger like the son of man.
16 And therefore, let us humble our souls before him, and continuing in an humble spirit, in his service:
17 Let us ask the Lord with tears, that according to his will so he would shew his mercy to us: that as our heart is troubled by their pride, so also we may glory in our humility:
18 For we have not followed the sins of our fathers, who forsook their God, and worshipped strange gods.
19 For which crime, they were given up to their enemies, to the sword, and to pillage, and to confusion: but we know no other God but him.
20 Let us humbly wait for his consolation, and the Lord, our God, will require our blood of the afflictions of our enemies, and he will humble all the nations that shall rise up against us, and bring them to disgrace.
21 And now, brethren, as you are the ancients among the people of God, and their very soul resteth upon you: comfort their hearts by your speech, that they may be mindful how our fathers were tempted, that they might be proved, whether they worshipped their God truly.
22 *They must remember how our father, Abraham, was tempted, and being proved by many tribulations, was made the friend of God.
23 So Isaac, so Jacob, so Moses, and all that have pleased God, passed through many tribulations, remaining faithful.
24 But they that did not receive the trials with the fear of the Lord, but uttered their impatience and the reproach of their murmuring, against the Lord,
25 *Were destroyed by the destroyer, and perished by serpents.
26 As for us, therefore, let us not revenge ourselves for these things which we suffer,
27 But esteeming these very punishments to be less than our sins deserve, let us believe that these scourges of the Lord, with which, like servants, we are chastised, have happened for our amendment, and not for our destruction.
28 And Ozias, and the ancients, said to her: All things which thou hast spoken are true, and there is nothing to be reprehended in thy words.
29 Now therefore pray for us, for thou art a holy woman, and one fearing God.
30 And Judith said to them: As you know that what I have been able to say, is of God:
31 So that which I intend to do, prove ye if it be of God, and pray that God may strengthen my design.
32 You shall stand at the gate this night, and I will go out with my maid-servant: and pray ye, that as you have said, in five days the Lord may look down upon his people, Israel.
33 But I desire that you search not into what I am doing; and till I bring you word, let nothing else be done but to pray for me to the Lord, our God.
34 And Ozias, the prince of Juda, said to her: Go in peace, and the Lord be with thee, to take revenge of our enemies.  So returning, they departed.
____________________
*
22:  Gen. xxii. 1.
25:  1 Cor. x. 9.
====================

JUDITH 9
CHAPTER IX.

Judith's prayer, to beg of God to fortify her in her undertaking.

1 And when they were gone, Judith went into her oratory: and putting on hair-cloth, laid ashes on her head: and falling down prostrate before the Lord, she cried to the Lord, saying:
2 O Lord God of my father Simeon, *who gavest him a sword to execute vengeance against strangers, who had defiled by their uncleanness, and uncovered the virgin unto confusion:
3 And who gavest their wives to be made a prey, and their daughters into captivity: and all their spoils to be divided to thy servants, who were zealous with thy zeal: assist, I beseech thee, O Lord God, me, a widow.
4 For thou hast done the things of old, and hast devised one thing after another: and what thou hast designed, hath been done.
5 For all thy ways are prepared, and in thy providence thou hast placed thy judgments.
6 *Look upon the camp of the Assyrians now, as thou wast pleased to look upon the camp of the Egyptians, when they pursued armed after thy servants, trusting in their chariots, and in their horsemen, and in a multitude of warriors.
7 But thou lookedst over their camp, and darkness wearied them.
8 The deep held their feet, and the waters overwhelmed them.
9 So may it be with these also, O Lord, who trust in their multitude, and in their chariots, and in their pikes, and in their shields, and in their arrows, and glory in their spears,
10 And know not that thou art our God, who destroyest wars from the beginning, and the Lord is thy name.
11 Lift up thy arm as from the beginning, and crush their power with thy power: let their power fall in thy wrath, who promise themselves to violate thy sanctuary, and defile the dwelling-place of thy name, and to beat down with their sword the horn of thy altar.
12 Bring to pass, O Lord, that his pride may be cut off with his own sword.
13 Let him be caught in the net of his own eyes, in my regard, and do thou strike him by the graces of the words of my lips.
14 Give me constancy in my mind, that I may despise him: and fortitude, that I may overthrow him.
15 *For this will be a glorious monument for thy name, when he shall fall by the hand of a woman.
16 For thy power, O Lord, is not in a multitude, nor is thy pleasure in the strength of horses, nor from the beginning have the proud been acceptable to thee: but the prayer of the humble and the meek hath always pleased thee.
17 O God of the heavens, creator of the waters, and Lord of the whole creation, hear me a poor wretch, making supplication to thee, and presuming of thy mercy.
18 Remember, O Lord, thy covenant, and put thou words in my mouth, and strengthen the resolution in my heart, that thy house may continue in thy holiness:
19 And all nations may acknowledge that thou art God, and there is no other besides thee.
____________________
*
2:  Gen. xxxiv. 26.
6:  Exod. xiv. 9.
15:  Judg. iv. 21. and v. 26.
====================

JUDITH 10
CHAPTER X.

Judith goeth out towards the camp, and is taken, and brought to Holofernes.

1 And it came to pass, when she had ceased to cry to the Lord, that she rose from the place wherein she lay prostrate before the Lord.
2 And she called her maid, and going down into her house, she took off her hair-cloth, and put away the garments of her widowhood,
3 And she washed her body, and anointed herself with the best ointment, and plaited the hair of her head, and put a bonnet upon her head, and clothed herself with the garments of her gladness, and put sandals on her feet, and took her bracelets, and lilies, and earlets, and rings, and adorned herself with all her ornaments.
4 And the Lord also gave her more beauty: because all this dressing up did not proceed from sensuality, but from virtue: and therefore the Lord increased this her beauty, so that she appeared to all men's eyes incomparably lovely.
5 And she gave to her maid a bottle of wine to carry, and a vessel of oil, and parched corn, and dry figs, and bread and cheese, and went out.
6 And when they came to the gate of the city, they found Ozias, and the ancients of the city waiting.
7 And when they saw her they were astonished, and admired her beauty exceedingly.
8 But they asked her no question, only they let her pass, saying: The God of our fathers give thee grace, and may he strengthen all the counsel of thy heart with his power, that Jerusalem may glory in thee, and thy name may be in the number of the holy and just. 9 And they that were there said, all with one voice: So be it, so be it.
10 But Judith praying to the Lord, passed through the gates, she and her maid.
11 And it came to pass, when she went down the hill, about break of day, that the watchmen of the Assyrians met her, and stopped her, saying: Whence comest thou? or whither goest thou?
12 And she answered: I am a daughter of the Hebrews, and I am fled from them, because I knew they would be made a prey to you, because they despised you, and would not of their own accord yield themselves, that they might find mercy in your sight.
13 For this reason, I thought with myself, saying: I will go to the presence of the prince Holofernes, that I may tell him their secrets, and shew him by what way he may take them, without the loss of one man of his army.
14 And when the men had heard her words, they beheld her face, and their eyes were amazed, for they wondered exceedingly at her beauty.
15 And they said to her: Thou hast saved thy life by taking this resolution, to come down to our lord.
16 And be assured of this, that when thou shalt stand before him, he will treat thee well, and thou wilt be most acceptable to his heart.  And they brought her to the tent of Holofernes, telling him of her.
17 And when she was come into his presence, forthwith Holofernes was caught by his eyes.
18 And his officers said to him: Who can despise the people of the Hebrews, who have such beautiful women that we should not think it worth our while for their sakes to fight against them?
19 And Judith, seeing Holofernes sitting under a canopy, which was woven of purple and gold, with emeralds and precious stones:
20 After she had looked on his face, bowed down to him, prostrating herself to the ground.  And the servants of Holofernes lifted her up, by the command of their master.
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JUDITH 11
CHAPTER XI.

Judith's speech to Holofernes.

1 Then Holofernes said to her: Be of good comfort, and fear not in thy heart: for I have never hurt a man that was willing to serve Nabuchodonosor, the king.
2 And if thy people had not despised me, I would never have lifted up my spear against them.
3 But now tell me, for what cause hast thou left them, and why it hath pleased thee to come to us?
4 And Judith said to him: Receive the words of thy handmaid, for if thou wilt follow the words of thy handmaid, the Lord will do with thee a perfect thing.
5 For as Nabuchodonosor, the king of the earth liveth, and his power liveth, which is in thee for chastising of all straying souls: not only men serve him through thee, but also the beasts of the field obey him.
6 For the industry of thy mind is spoken of among all nations, and it is told through the whole world, that thou only art excellent and mighty in all his kingdom, and thy discipline is cried up in all provinces.
7 *It is known, also, what Achior said, nor are we ignorant of what thou hast commanded to be done to him.
8 For it is certain that our God is so offended with sins, that he hath sent word by his prophets to the people, that he will deliver them up for their sins.
9 And because the children of Israel know they have offended their God, thy dread is upon them.
10 Moreover, also, a famine hath come upon them, and for drought of water they are already to be counted among the dead.
11 And they have a design even to kill their cattle, and to drink the blood of them.
12 And the consecrated things of the Lord, their God, which God forbade them to touch, in corn, wine, and oil, these have they purposed to make use of, and they design to consume the things which they ought not to touch with their hands: therefore, because they do these things, it is certain they will be given up to destruction.
13 And I, thy handmaid, knowing this, am fled from them, and the Lord hath sent me to tell thee these very things.
14 For I, thy handmaid, worship God even now that I am with thee, and thy handmaid will go out, and I will pray to God,
15 And he will tell me when he will repay them for their sins, and I will come and tell thee, so that I may bring thee through the midst of Jerusalem, and thou shalt have all the people of Israel, as sheep that have no shepherd, and there shall not so much as one dog bark against thee:
16 Because these things are told me by the providence of God.
17 And because God is angry with them, I am sent to tell these very things to thee.
18 And all these words pleased Holofernes, and his servants, and they admired her wisdom, and they said one to another:
19 There is not such another woman upon earth in look, in beauty, and in sense of words.
20 And Holofernes said to her: God hath done well who sent thee before the people, that thou mightest give them into our hands:
21 And because thy promise is good, if thy God shall do this for me, he shall also be my God, and thou shalt be great in the house of Nabuchodonosor, and thy name shall be renowned through all the earth.
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*
7:  Supra v. 5.
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JUDITH 12
CHAPTER XII.

Judith goeth out in the night to pray: she is invited to a banquet with Holofernes.

1 Then he ordered that she should go in where his treasures were laid up, and bade her tarry there, and he appointed what should be given her from his own table.
2 And Judith answered him and said: Now I cannot eat of these things which thou commandest to be given me, lest sin come upon me: but I will eat of the things which I have brought.
3 And Holofernes said to her: If these things which thou hast brought with thee fail thee, what shall we do for thee?
4 And Judith said: As thy soul liveth, my lord, thy handmaid shall not spend all these things till God do by my hand that which I have purposed.  And his servants brought her into the tent which he had commanded.
5 And when she was going in, she desired that she might have liberty to go out, at night, and before day, to prayer, and to beseech the Lord.
6 And he commanded his chamberlains that she might go out and in, to adore her God as she pleased, for three days.
7 And she went out in the nights into the valley of Bethulia, and washed herself in a fountain of water.
8 And as she came up, she prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, that he would direct her way to the deliverance of his people.
9 And going in, she remained pure in the tent, until she took her own meat in the evening.
10 And it came to pass on the fourth day, that Holofernes made a supper for his servants, and said to Vagao, his eunuch: Go, and persuade that Hebrew woman, to consent of her own accord to dwell with me.
11 For it is looked upon as shameful among the Assyrians, if a woman mock a man, by doing so as to pass free from him.
12 Then Vagao went in to Judith, and said: Let not my good maid be afraid to go in to my lord, that she may be honoured before his face, that she may eat with him and drink wine, and be merry.
13 And Judith answered him: Who am I, that I should gainsay my lord?
14 All that shall be good and best before his eyes, I will do.  And whatsoever shall please him, that shall be best to me all the days of my life.
15 And she arose and dressed herself out with her garments, and going in, she stood before his face.
16 And the heart of Holofernes was smitten, for he was burning with the desire of her.
17 And Holofernes said to her: Drink now, and sit down and be merry; for thou hast found favour before me.
18 And Judith said: I will drink my lord, because my life is magnified, this day, above all my days.
19 And she took, and eat and drank before him, what her maid had prepared for her.
20 And Holofernes was made merry on her occasion, and drank exceedingly much wine, so much as he had never drunk in his life.
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JUDITH 13
CHAPTER XIII.

Judith cutteth off the head of Holofernes, and returneth to Bethulia.

1 And when it was grown late, his servants made haste to their lodgings, and Vagao shut the chamber-doors, and went his way.
2 And they were all over-charged with wine.
3 And Judith was alone in the chamber.
4 But Holofernes lay on his bed, fast asleep, being exceedingly drunk.
5 And Judith spoke to her maid to stand without before the chamber, and to watch:
6 And Judith stood before the bed, praying with tears, and the motion of her lips in silence,
7 Saying: Strengthen me, O Lord, God of Israel, and in this hour look on the works of my hands, that as thou hast promised, thou mayst raise up Jerusalem, thy city: and that I may bring to pass that which I have purposed, having a belief that it might be done by thee.
8 And when she had said this, she went to the pillar that was at his bed's head, and loosed his sword that hung tied upon it.
9 And when she had drawn it out, she took him by the hair of his head, and said: Strengthen me, O Lord God, at this hour.
10 And she struck twice upon his neck, and cut off his head, and took off his canopy from the pillars, and rolled away his headless body.
11 And after a while she went out, and delivered the head of Holofernes to her maid, and bade her put it into her wallet.
12 And they two went out according to their custom, as it were to prayer, and they passed the camp, and having compassed the valley, they came to the gate of the city.
13 And Judith, from afar off, cried to the watchmen upon the walls: Open the gates, for God is with us, who hath shewn his power in Israel.
14 And it came to pass, when the men had heard her voice, that they called the ancients of the city.
15 And all ran to meet her, from the least to the greatest: for they now had no hopes that she would come.
16 And lighting up lights they all gathered round about her: and she went up to a higher place, and commanded silence to be made.  And when all had held their peace,
17 Judith said: Praise ye the Lord, our God, who hath not forsaken them that hope in him.
18 And by me, his handmaid, he hath fulfilled his mercy, which he promised to the house of Israel: and he hath killed the enemy of his people, by my hand, this night.
19 Then she brought forth the head of Holofernes out of the wallet, and shewed it them, saying: Behold the head of Holofernes, the general of the army of the Assyrians, and behold his canopy, wherein he lay in his drunkenness, where the Lord, our God, slew him by the hand of a woman.
20 But as the same Lord liveth, his angel hath been my keeper, both going hence, and abiding there, and returning from thence hither: and the Lord hath not suffered me, his handmaid, to be defiled, but hath brought me back to you without pollution of sin, rejoicing for his victory, for my escape, and for your deliverance.
21 *Give all of you glory to him, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.
22 And they all adored the Lord, and said to her: The Lord hath blessed thee by his power, because by thee he hath brought our enemies to nought.
23 And Ozias, the prince of the people of Israel, said to her: Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord, the most high God, above all women upon the earth.
24 Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth, who hath directed thee to the cutting off the head of the prince of our enemies.
25 Because he hath so magnified thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men, who shall be mindful of the power of the Lord, for ever, for that thou hast not spared thy life, by reason of the distress and tribulation of thy people, but hast prevented our ruin in the presence of our God.
26 And all the people said: So be it, so be it.
27 And Achior, being called for, came, and Judith said to him: The God of Israel, to whom thou gavest testimony, that he revengeth himself of his enemies, he hath cut off the head of all the unbelievers this night by my hand.
28 And that thou mayst find that it is so, behold the head of Holofernes, who in the contempt of his pride despised the God of Israel: and threatened thee with death, saying: When the people of Israel shall be taken, I will command thy sides to be pierced with a sword.
29 Then Achior, seeing the head of Holofernes, being seized with a great fear, he fell on his face upon the earth, and his soul swooned away.
30 But after he had recovered his spirits, he fell down at her feet, and reverenced her, and said:
31 Blessed art thou, by thy God, in every tabernacle of Jacob, for in every nation which shall hear thy name, the God of Israel shall be magnified on occasion of thee.
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*
21:  Psal. cv. 1. and cvi. 1.
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JUDITH 14
CHAPTER XIV.

The Israelites assault the Assyrians, who, finding their general slain, are seized with a panic fear.

1 And Judith said to all the people: Hear me, my brethren, hang ye up this head upon our walls:
2 And as soon as the sun shall rise, let every man take his arms, and rush ye out, not as going down beneath, but as making an assault.
3 Then the watchmen must needs run to awake their prince for the battle.
4 And when the captains of them shall run to the tent of Holofernes, and shall find him without his head, wallowing in his blood, fear shall fall upon them.
5 And when you shall know that they are fleeing, go after them securely, for the Lord will destroy them under your feet.
6 Then Achior, seeing the power that the God of Israel had wrought, leaving the religion of the gentiles, he believed God, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined to the people of Israel, with all the succession of his kindred, until this present day.
7 And immediately at break of day, they hung up the head of Holofernes upon the walls, and every man took his arms, and they sent out with a great noise and shouting.
8 And the watchmen, seeing this, ran to the tent of Holofernes.
9 And they that were in the tent, came and made a noise before the door of the chamber to awake him, endeavouring by art to break his rest, that Holofernes might awake, not by their calling him, but by their noise.
10 For no man durst knock, or open and go into the chamber of the general of the Assyrians.
11 But when his captains and tribunes were come, and all the chiefs of the army of the king of the Assyrians, they said to the chamberlains:
12 Go in, and awake him, for the mice coming out of their holes, have presumed to challenge us to fight.
13 Then Vagao going into his chamber, stood before the curtain, and made a clapping with his hands: for he thought that he was sleeping with Judith.
14 But when with hearkening, he perceived no motion of one lying, he came near to the curtain, and lifting it up, and seeing the body of Holofernes, lying upon the ground, without the head, sweltering in his blood, he cried out with a loud voice, with weeping, and rent his garments.
15 And he went into the tent of Judith, and not finding her, he ran out to the people,
16 And said: One Hebrew woman hath made confusion in the house of king Nabuchodonosor: for behold Holofernes lieth upon the ground, and his head is not upon him.
17 Now when the chiefs of the army of the Assyrians had heard this, they all rent their garments, and an intolerable fear and dread fell upon them, and their minds were troubled exceedingly.
18 And there was a very great cry in the midst of their camp.
====================

JUDITH 15
CHAPTER XV.

The Assyrians flee: the Hebrews pursue after them, and are enriched by their spoils.

1 And when all the army heard that Holofernes was beheaded, courage and counsel fled from them, and being seized with trembling and fear, they thought only to save themselves by flight.
2 So that no one spoke to his neighbour, but hanging down the head, leaving all things behind, they made haste to escape from the Hebrews, who, as they heard, were coming armed upon them, and fled by the ways of the fields, and the paths of the hills.
3 So the children of Israel, seeing them fleeing, followed after them.  And they went down sounding with trumpets and shouting after them.
4 And because the Assyrians were not united together, they went without order in their flight; but the children of Israel, pursuing in one body, defeated all that they could find.
5 And Ozias sent messengers through all the cities and countries of Israel.
6 And every country and every city, sent their chosen young men armed after them, and they pursued them with the edge of the sword, until they came to the extremities of their confines.
7 And the rest that were in Bethulia went into the camp of the Assyrians, and took away the spoils, which the Assyrians in their flight had left behind them, and they were loaded exceedingly.
8 But they that returned conquerors to Bethulia, brought with them all things that were theirs, so that there was no numbering of their cattle, and beasts, and of all their moveables, insomuch, that from the least to the greatest, all were made rich by their spoils.
9 And Joachim, the high priest, came from Jerusalem to Bethulia, with all his ancients, to see Judith.
10 And when she was come out to him, they all blessed her with one voice, saying: Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, thou art the honour of our people:
11 For thou hast done manfully, and thy heart has been strengthened, because thou hast loved chastity, and after thy husband hast not known any other: therefore, also, the hand of the Lord hath strengthened thee, and therefore thou shalt be blessed for ever.
12 And all the people said: So be it, so be it.
13 And thirty days were scarce sufficient for the people of Israel to gather up the spoils of the Assyrians.
14 But all those things that were proved to be the peculiar goods of Holofernes, they gave to Judith, in gold and silver, and garments, and precious stones, and all household stuff, and they all were delivered to her by the people.
15 And all the people rejoiced with the women, and virgins, and young men, playing on instruments and harps.
====================

JUDITH 16
CHAPTER XVI.

The canticle of Judith: her virtuous life and death.

1 Then Judith sung this canticle to the Lord, saying:
2 Begin ye to the Lord with timbrels, sing ye to the Lord with cymbals, tune unto him a new psalm, extol, and call upon his name.
3 The Lord putteth an end to wars, the Lord is his name.
4 He hath set his camp in the midst of his people, to deliver us from the hand of all our enemies.
5 The Assyrians came out of the mountains from the north in the multitude of his strength: his multitude stopped up the torrents, and their horses covered the valleys.
6 He bragged that he would set my borders on fire, and kill my young men with the sword, to make my infants a prey, and my virgins captives.
7 But the Almighty Lord hath struck him, and hath delivered him into the hands of a woman, and hath slain him.
8 For their mighty one did not fall by young men, neither did the sons of Titan strike him, nor tall giants oppose themselves to him, but Judith, the daughter of Merari, weakened him with the beauty of her face.
9 For she put off her the garments of widowhood, and put on her the garments of joy, to give joy to the children of Israel.
10 She anointed her face with ointment, and bound up her locks with a crown, she took a new robe to deceive him.
11 Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty made his soul her captive, with a sword she cut off his head.
12 The Persians quaked at her constancy, and the Medes at her boldness.
13 Then the camp of the Assyrians howled, when my lowly ones appeared, parched with thirst.
14 The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and they have killed them like children fleeing away: they perished in battle before the face of the Lord, my God.
15 Let us sing a hymn to the Lord, let us sing a new hymn to our God.
16 O Adonai, Lord, great art thou, and glorious in thy power, and no one can overcome thee.
17 *Let all thy creatures serve thee: because thou hast spoken, and they were made: thou didst send forth thy Spirit, and they were created, and there is no one that can resist thy voice.
18 The mountains shall be moved from the foundations with the waters: the rocks shall melt as wax before thy face.
19 But they that fear thee, shall be great with thee in all things.
20 Woe be to the nation that riseth up against my people: for the Lord Almighty will take revenge on them; in the day of judgment he will visit them.
21 For he will give fire, and worms into their flesh, that they may burn, and may feel for ever.
22 And it came to pass after these things, that all the people, after the victory, came to Jerusalem to adore the Lord: and as soon as they were purified, they all offered holocausts, and vows, and their promises.
23 And Judith offered for an anathema of oblivion all the arms of Holofernes, which the people gave her, and the canopy that she had taken away out of his chamber.
24 And the people were joyful in the sight of the sanctuary, and for three months the joy of this victory was celebrated with Judith.
25 And after those days every man returned to his house, and Judith was made great in Bethulia, and she was most renowned in all the land of Israel.
26 And chastity was joined to her virtue, so that she knew no man all the days of her life, after the death of Manasses, her husband.
27 And on festival days she came forth with great glory.
28 And she abode in her husband's house a hundred and five years, and made her handmaid free, and she died, and was buried with her husband in Bethulia.
29 And all the people mourned for her seven days.
30 And all the time of her life there was none that troubled Israel, nor many years after her death.
31 But the day of the festivity of this victory is received by the Hebrews in the number of holy days, and is religiously observed by the Jews, from that time until this day.
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*
17:  Psal. xxxii. 9.
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This blog is for serious exhortation to faith in this time of the Great Apostasy.