Ezra 5

¹ The word which thei senten to hym was writun thus; Al pees be to the kyng Darius. ² Be it knowun to the kyng, that we yeden to the prouince of Judee, to the hows of greet God, which is bildid with stoon vnpolischid, and trees ben set in the wallis, and thilke werk is bildid diligently, and encreessith in the hondis of hem. ³ Therfor we axiden tho elde men, and thus we seiden to hem, Who yaf to you power to bilde this hows, and to restore these wallis? ⁴ But also we axiden of hem the names of hem, that we schulden telle to thee; and we han write the names of men, whiche thei ben, that ben princes among hem. 5 Sotheli thei answeriden bi sich word, and seiden, We ben the seruauntis of God of heuene and of erthe; and we bilden the temple that was bildid bifor these many yeeris, and which temple the greet kyng of Israel hadde bildid, and maad. 6 But aftir that oure fadris stiryden God of heuene and of erthe to wrathfulnesse, bothe he bitook hem in the hond of Nabugodonosor, Caldey, kyng of Babiloyne; and he distriede this hows, and translatide the puple therof in to Babiloyne. 7 Forsothe in the firste yeer of Cirus, king of Babiloyne, Cirus, the king of Babiloyne, settide forth a comaundement, that the hows of God schulde be bildid. ⁸ For whi kyng Cirus brouyte forth fro the temple of Babiloyne also the goldun and siluerne vessels of Goddis temple, whiche Nabugodonosor hadde take fro the temple, that was in Jerusalem, and hadde bore tho awei in to the temple of Babiloyne; and tho vessels weren youun to Sasabazar bi name, whom he made also prince. And Cirus seide to hym, Take these vessels, ⁹ and go, and sette tho in the temple, which is in Jerusalem; and the hows of God be bildid in his place. 10 Therfor thanne thilke Sasabazar cam, and settide the foundementis of Goddis temple in Jerusalem; and fro that tyme til to now it is bildid, and is not yit fillid. ¹¹ Now therfor if it semeth good to the king, rikene he in the biblet of the kyng, which is in Babiloyne, whether it be comaundid of kyng Cyrus, that Goddis hows schulde be bildid in Jerusalem; and sende he to vs the wille of the kyng on this thing. ¹³ Thanne kyng Darius comaundide, and thei rekenyden in the biblet of bokis, that weren kept in Babiloyne. ¹⁴ And o book was foundun in Egbatanys, which is a castel in the prouynce of Medena, and sich a sentence of the kyng was writun therynne. ¹⁵ In the first yeer of kyng Cirus, Cirus the kyng demyde, that, `Goddis hows, which is in Jerusalem, schulde be bildid in the place where thei offren sacrifices, and that thei sette foundementis supportynge the heiythe of sixti cubitis, and the lengthe of sixti cubitis, thre ordris of stonys vnpolischid, ¹⁶ and so ordris of newe trees. Sotheli costis schulen be youun of the kyngis hows. ¹⁷ But also the goldun and siluerne vessels of Goddis temple, whiche Nabugodonosor took fro the temple of Jerusalem, and brouyte tho in to Babiloyne, be yoldun, and borun ayen in to the temple of Jerusalem, and in to her place, whiche also be set in the temple of God.