Nehemiah 8

¹ And thei redden in the book of Goddis lawe distinctli, ether atreet, and opynli to vndurstonde; and thei vndurstoden, whanne it was red. ² Forsothe Neemye seide, he is Athersata, and Esdras, the preest and writere, and the dekenes, expownynge to al the puple, It is a dai halewid to oure Lord God; nyle ye morne, and nyle ye wepe. For al the puple wepte, whanne it herde the wordis of the lawe. 3 And he seide to hem, Go ye, and ete ye fatte thingis, and drynke ye wiyn maad swete with hony, and sende ye partis to hem, that maden not redi to hem silf, for it is an hooli dai of the Lord; nyle ye be sory, for the ioye of the Lord is youre strengthe. ⁴ Sotheli the dekenes maden silence in al the puple, and seiden, Be ye stille, for it is an hooli dai, and nyle ye make sorewe. 5 Therfor al the puple yede for to ete, and drynke, and to sende partis, and to make greet gladnesse; for thei vndurstoden the wordis, whiche he hadde tauyt hem. ⁶ And in the secound dai the princes of meynees, alle the puplis, prestis, and dekenes, weren gaderid togidere to Esdras, the writere, that he schulde expowne to hem the wordis of the lawe. ⁷ And thei foundun writun in the lawe, that the Lord comaundide in the hond of Moyses, that the sones of Israel dwelle in tabernaclis in the solempne dai, in the seuenthe moneth; 8 and that thei preche, and pupplische a vois in alle her citees, and in Jerusalem; and seie, Go ye out in to the hil, and brynge ye bowis of olyue, and bowis of the faireste tree, the bowis of a myrte tree, and the braunchis of a palm tree, and the bowis of a tree ful of wode, that tabernaclis be maad, as it is writun. ⁹ And al the puple yede out, and thei brouyten, and maden to hem silf tabernaclis, ech man in his hows roof, and in her stretis, ether foryerdis, and in the large placis of Goddis hows, and in the street of the yate of watris, and in the street of the yate of Effraym. 10 Therfor al the chirche of hem, that camen ayen fro caytifte, made tabernaclis, and thei dwelliden in tabernaclis. For the sones of Israel hadden not do siche thingis fro the daies of Josue, sone of Nun, til to that dai; and ful greet gladnesse was. ¹¹ Forsothe Esdras radde in the book of Goddis lawe bi alle daies, fro the firste dai til to the laste dai; and thei maden solempnytee bi seuene daies, and in the eiyte day thei maden a gaderyng of siluer, bi the custom. ¹³ Forsothe in the foure and twentithe dai of this monethe, the sones of Israel camen togidere in fastyng, ¹⁴ and in sackis, and erthe was on hem. And the seed of the sones of Israel was departid fro ech alien sone. And thei stoden bifor the Lord, and knoulechiden her synnes, and the wickidnessis of her fadris. 15 And thei risiden togidere to stonde; and thei redden in the book of the lawe of her Lord God fouresithis in the dai, and fouresithis in the niyt; thei knoulechiden, and herieden her Lord God. 16 Forsothe thei risiden on the degree, of dekenes, Jesuy, and Bany, Cedynyel, Remmy, Abany, Sarabie, Bany, and Chanany. ¹⁷ And the dekenes crieden with grete vois to her Lord God. And Jesue, and Cedyniel, Bonny, Assebie, Serebie, Arabie, Odaie, Sebua, and Facaia, seiden, Rise ye, and blesse ye youre Lord God fro without bigynnyng and til in to with outen ende; and blesse thei the hiye name of thi glorie in al blessyng and preysyng. 18 And Esdras seide, Thou thi silf, Lord, art aloone; thou madist heuene and the heuene of heuenes, and al the oost of tho heuenes; thou madist the erthe and alle thingis that ben there ynne; thou madist the sees and alle thingis that ben in tho; and thou quikenyst alle these thingis; and the oost of heuene worschipith thee.