God

So we fasted, aud besought our God for this: and he was intreated of vs.

And weighed them the siluer and the gold, and the vessels, euen the offring of ye house of our God, which the King and his counselers, and his Princes, and all Israel that were present had offred.

And I said vnto them, Ye are consecrate vnto the Lord, and the vessels are consecrate, and the gold and the siluer are freely offred vnto the Lord God of your fathers.

Watch ye, and keepe them vntill ye weigh them before the chiefe Priestes and the Leuites, and the chiefe fathers of Israel in Ierusalem in the chambers of the house of the Lord.

So the Priests and the Leuites receiued the weight of the siluer and of the golde, and of the vessels to bring them to Ierusalem, vnto the house of our God.

Then we departed from the Riuer of Ahauah on the twelft day of the first moneth, to go vnto Ierusalem, and the hand of our God was vpon vs, and deliuered vs from the hand of the enemie, and of such as layde waite by the way.

And on ye fourth day was the siluer weighed, and the golde and the vessell in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the sonne of Vriah the Priest, and with him was Eleazar the sonne of Phinehas, and with them was Iozabad the sonne of Ieshua, and Noadiah the sonne of Binnui the Leuites,

Also the children of the captiuitie, which were come out of captiuitie, offred burnt offrings vnto the God of Israel, twelue bullockes for all Israel, ninetie and sixe rammes, seuentie and seuen lambes, and twelue hee goates for sinne: all was a burnt offring of the Lord.

And they deliuered the Kings commission vnto the Kings officers, and to the captaines beyond the Riuer: and they promoted the people, and the house of God.

And there assembled vnto me all that feared the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of them of the captiuitie. And I sate downe astonied vntil the euening sacrifice.

And at the euening sacrifice I arose vp from mine heauinesse, and when I had rent my clothes and my garment, I fell vpon my knees, and spred out mine hands vnto the Lord my God,

And said, O my God, I am confounded and ashamed, to lift vp mine eyes vnto thee my God: for our iniquities are increased ouer our head, and our trespasse is growen vp vnto the heauen.

And now for a litle space grace hath bene shewed from the Lord our God, in causing a remnant to escape, and in giuing vs a nayle in his holy place, that our God may light our eyes, and giue vs a litle reuiuing in our seruitude.

For though we were bondmen, yet our God hath not forsaken vs in our bondage, but hath enclined mercy vnto vs in the sight of the Kings of Persia, to giue vs life, and to erect the house of our God, and to redresse the places thereof, and to giue vs a wall in Iudah and in Ierusalem.

And nowe, our God, what shall we say after this? for we haue forsaken thy commandements,

Which thou hast commanded by thy seruants the Prophets, saying, The land whereunto ye go to possesse it, is an vncleane land, because of the filthines of the people of the lands, which by their abominations, and by their vncleannes haue filled it from corner to corner.

And after all that is come vpon vs for our euill deedes, and for our great trespasses, (seeing that thou our God hast stayed vs from being beneath for our iniquities, and hast giuen vs such deliuerance)

Should we returne to breake thy commadements, and ioyne in affinitie with the people of such abominations? wouldest not thou be angrie towarde vs till thou haddest consumed vs, so that there should be no remnant nor any escaping?

O Lord God of Israel, thou art iust, for we haue bene reserued to escape, as appeareth this day: beholde, we are before thee in our trespasse: therfore we canot stand before thee because of it.

Whiles Ezra prayed thus, and confessed himselfe weeping, and falling downe before the house of God, there assembled vnto him of Israel a very great Congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept with a great lamentation.

Then Shechaniah the sonne of Iehiel one of the sonnes of Elam answered, and sayd to Ezra, We haue trespassed against our God, and haue taken strange wiues of the people of the land, yet nowe there is hope in Israel concerning this.

Now therfore let vs make a couenant with our God, to put away all the wiues (and such as are borne of them) according to the counsell of the Lord, and of those that feare the commandements of our God, and let it be done according to the Lawe.

And Ezra rose vp from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Iohanan the sonne of Eliashib: he went euen thither, but he did eate neither bread, nor drunke water: for he mourned, because of the transgression of them of the captiuitie.

Then all the men of Iudah and Beniamin assembled theselues vnto Ierusalem within three dayes, which was the twentieth day of the ninth moneth, and all the people sate in the streete of the house of God, trembling for this matter, and for the raine.

Now therefore giue praise vnto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will, and separate your selues from the people of the land, and from the strange wiues.