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For Ezra had prepared his heart to seeke the Law of the Lord, and to doe it, and to teach in Israel, Statutes and Iudgements.

And all the siluer and gold, that thou canst find in all the prouince of Babylon, with the free-will offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God, which is in Ierusalem:

The vessels also that are giuen thee, for the seruice of the house of thy God, those deliuer thou before the God of Ierusalem.

And whatsoeuer more shall be needfull for the house of thy God, which thou shalt haue occasion to bestowe; bestowe it out of the kings treasure house.

Whatsoeuer is commanded by the God of heauen, let it be diligently done, for the house of the God of heauen: for why should there be wrath against the realme of the king and his sonnes?

Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Iarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chiefe men; also for Iarib, and for Elnathan, men of vnderstanding.

And I sent them with commandement vnto Iddo the chiefe at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say vnto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring vnto vs ministers for the house of our God.

Also of the Nethinims, whom Dauid, and the Princes had appointed for the seruice of the Leuites, two hundred and twentie Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the riuer Ahaua, that we might afflict our selues before our God, to seeke of him a right way for vs, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of souldiers and horsmen, to helpe vs against the enemie in the way: because wee had spoken vnto the king, saying, The hand of our God is vpon all them for good, that seeke him, but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

So we fasted, and besought our God for this, and hee was intreated of vs.

Also the children of those that had bene caried away which were come out of the captiuitie, offered burnt offrings vnto the God of Israel, twelue bullocks for all Israel, ninetie and sixe rammes, seuentie and seuen lambes, twelue hee goates for a sinne offering: All this was a burnt offering vnto the Lord.

For they haue taken of their daughters for themselues, and for their sonnes: so that the holy seed haue mingled themselues with the people of those lands, yea the hand of the princes and rulers hath bin chiefe in this trespasse.

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

Since the dayes of our fathers, haue wee beene in a great trespasse vnto this day, & for our iniquities haue we, our kings and our priests, bin deliuered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captiuitie, and to a spoile, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

And now for a litle space grace hath bene shewed from the Lord our God, to leaue vs a remnant to escape, and to giue vs a naile in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and giue vs a litle reuiuing in our bondage:

For wee were bondmen, yet our God hath not forsaken vs in our bondage, but hath extended mercie vnto vs in the sight of the kings of Persia, to giue vs a reuiuing to set vp the house of our God, and to repaire the desolations thereof, and to giue vs a wall in Iudah and in Ierusalem.

And now, O our God, what shal we say after this? for we haue forsaken thy commandements,

Nowe therefore giue not your daughters vnto their sonnes, neither take their daughters vnto your sonnes, nor seeke their peace or their wealth for euer: that ye may bee strong, and eate the good of the land, and leaue it for an inheritance to your children for euer.

And after all that is come vpon vs, for our euill deeds, and for our great trespasse, seeing that thou, our God, hast punished vs lesse, then our iniquities deserue, and hast giuen vs such deliuerance as this: