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And foundest his heart faithfull before thee, & madest a couenant with him, to giue the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Iebusites, and the Girgashites, to giue it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words, for thou art righteous,

And shewedst signes and wonders vpon Pharaoh, and on all his seruants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudlie against them: so didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.

They claue to their brethren their nobles, and entred into a curse, and into an oath to walke in Gods law, which was giuen by Moses the seruant of God, and to obserue and doe all the commandements of the Lord our Lord, and his Iudgements, and his statutes:

Now these are the chiefe of the prouince that dwelt in Ierusalem: but in the cities of Iudah dwelt euerie one in his possession in their cities, to wit, Israel, the priests, and the Leuites, and the Nethinims, and the children of Solomons seruants.

And his brethren, chiefe of the fathers, two hundred fourty and two: and Amashai the sonne of Azareel, the sonne of Ahasai, the sonne of Meshilemoth, the sonne of Immer.

And Mattaniah the sonne of Micha, the sonne of Zabdi, the sonne of Asaph, was the principall to beginne the thankesgiuing in prayer: and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the sonne of Shammua, the sonne of Galal, the sonne of Ieduthun.

And the residue of Israel, of the Priests and the Leuites, were in all the cities of Iudah, euery one in his inheritance.

Moreouer the Leuites: Ieshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Iudah, and Mattaniah, which was ouer the thankesgiuing, he and his brethren.

And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Asarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanael, and Iudah, Hanani, with the musicall instruments of Dauid the man of God; and Ezra the Scribe before them.

And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandement of Dauid, and of Solomon his sonne.

And all Israel in the dayes of Zerubbabel, and in the dayes of Nehemiah, gaue the portions of the singers, and the porters, euery day his portion, and they sanctified holy things vnto the Leuites, and the Leuites sanctified them vnto the children of Aaron.

And I perceiued that the portions of the Leuites had not beene giuen them: for the Leuites and the singers that did the worke, were fled euery one to his field.

Did not Solomon king of Israel sinne by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloued of his God, and God made him king ouer all Israel: neuerthelesse, euen him did outlandish women cause to sinne.

Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the Priests and the Leuites, euery one in his businesse:

That in those dayes, when the King Ahasuerus sate on the throne of his kingdome, which was in Shushan the palace:

In the third yeere of his reigne, he made a feast vnto all his Princes, and his seruants, the power of Persia and Media, the Nobles and Princes of the prouinces being before him.

When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdome, and the honour of his excellent maiestie, many dayes, euen an hundred and fourescore dayes.

And the drinking was according to the law, none did compell: for the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should doe according to euery mans pleasure.

But the Queene Uasthi refused to come at the Kings commandement by his chamberlens: therefore was the King very wroth, and his anger burned in him.

And when the kings decree, which he shal make, shalbe published throughout all his empire, (for it is great:) all the wiues shall giue to their husbands honour, both to great and small.