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And now, `oure Lord God, what schulen we seie after these thingis? For we han forsake thi comaundementis,

And after alle thingis that camen on vs in oure werste werkis, and in oure grete trespas, for thou, oure God, hast delyuered vs fro oure wickidnesse, and hast youe helthe to vs,

Lord God of Israel, thou art iust; for we ben left, that schulden be sauyd as in this day, lo! we ben bifor thee in oure synne; for me may `not stonde bifor thee on this thing.

And Sechenye, the sone of Jehiel, of the sones of Helam, answeride, and seide to Esdras, We han trespasside ayens oure God, and han weddid wyues, alien wymmen, of `the puplis of the lond. And now, for penaunce is in Israel on this thing,

And Esdras roos bifor the hows of God, and he yede to the bed of Johannan, sone of Eliasiph, and entride thidur; he eet not breed, and drank not watir; for he biweilide the trespassing of hem, that weren comun fro the caitifte.

Therfor alle the men of Juda and of Beniamyn camen togidere in to Jerusalem in thre daies; thilke is the nynthe monethe, in the twentithe dai of the monethe; and al the puple sat in `the street of Goddis hows, and trembliden for synne and reyn.

Netheles for the puple is myche, and the tyme of reyn is, and we suffren not to stonde withoutforth, and it is not werk of o dai, nether of tweyne; for we han synned greetli in this word;

And the sones of transmygracioun diden so. And Esdras, the prest, and men, princes of meynees, yeden into the howsis of her fadris, and alle men bi her names; and thei saten in the firste dai of the tenthe monethe, for to seke the thing.

And thei yauen her hondis, that thei schulden caste out her wyues, and offre for her trespas a ram of the scheep.

thin eere be maad herknynge, and thin iyen openyd, that thou here the preier of thi seruaunt, bi which Y preie bifor thee `to dai, bi nyyt and dai, for the sones of Israel, thi seruauntis, and `Y knouleche for the synnes of the sones of Israel, bi which thei han synned to thee; bothe Y and the hows of my fadir han synned; we weren disseyued bi vanyte,

Lord, Y biseche, `thin eere be ententif to the preier of thi seruaunt, and to the preier of thi seruauntis, that wolen drede thi name; and dresse thi seruaunt to dai, and yiue thou merci to him bifor this man. For Y was the boteler of the kyng.

and seide to the kyng, Kyng, lyue thou withouten ende; whi moreneth not my cheer? for the citee of the hows of the sepulcris of my fadir is desert, `ether forsakun, and the yatis therof ben brent with fier.

And the kyng seide to me, For what thing axist thou? And Y preiede God of heuene,

And Sanaballath Oronythes, and Tobie, the seruaunt Amanytes, herden, and thei weren soreuful bi greet turment, for a man was comun, that souyte prosperite of the sones of Israel.

And Y passid to the yate of the welle, and to the watir cundit of the kyng, and no place was to the hors, `on which Y sat `for to passe;

And Y seide to hem, Ye knowen the turment, in which we ben, for Jerusalem is deseert, and the yatis therof ben wastid with fier; come ye, bilde we the wallis of Jerusalem, and be we no more schenship.

And Melchie Gabaonyte, and Jaddon Methonatite, men of Gabaon and of Maspha, bildiden bisidis hem, for the duyk that was in the cuntrei biyende the flood.

And Neemye seide, Oure God, here thou, for we ben maad dispising; turne thou the schenschip on her heed, and yyue thou hem in to dispisyng in the lond of caytifte;

hile thou not the wickidnesse of hem, and her synnes be not doon awei bifor thi face; for thei scorneden bilderis.

Y bihelde, and roos, and seide to the principal men, and magistratis, and to `the tother part of the comyn puple, Nyle ye drede of her face; haue ye mynde of the greet Lord, and ferdful, and fiyte ye for youre britheren, and youre sones, and youre douytris, for youre wyues, and housis.