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Forsothe the enemyes of Juda and of Beniamyn herden, that the sones of caitifte bildiden a temple to the Lord God of Israel;

and thei neiyeden to Zorobabel, and to the princes of fadris, and seiden to hem, Bilde we with you, for so as ye, we seken youre God; lo! we han offrid sacrificis fro the daies of Assoraddon, kyng of Assur, that brouyte vs hidur.

And Zorobabel, and Josue, and the othere princes of the fadris of Israel, seiden to hem, It is not to vs and to you, that we bilde an hows to oure God; but we vs silf aloone schulen bilde to `oure Lord God, as Cirus, the kyng of Persis, comaundide to vs.

Forsothe Aggei, the prophete, and Zacharie, the prophete, the sone of Ado, prophesieden, prophesiynge in the name of God of Israel, to the Jewis that weren in Juda and Jerusalem.

Thanne Zorobabel, the sone of Salatiel, and Josue, the sone of Josedech, risiden, and bigunnen to bilde the temple of God in Jerusalem; and with hem rysyden the prophetis of God, helpynge hem.

Forsothe the iye of God of hem was maad on the elde men of Jewis, and thei myyten not forbede the Jewis; and it pleside that the thing schulde be teld to Darius, and thanne thei schulden make satisfaccioun ayens that accusyng.

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.

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.

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.

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.

and go, and sette tho in the temple, which is in Jerusalem; and the hows of God be bildid in `his place.

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.

and suffre ye, that thilke temple of God be maad of the duyk of Jewis, and of the eldre men of hem; and that thei bilde that hows of God in his place.

But also it is comaundid of me, that that bihoueth to be maad of tho preestis of Jewys, that the hows of God be bildid, that is, that costis be youun bisili to tho men of the arke of the kyng, that is, of tributis, that ben youun of the contrei biyende the flood, lest the werk be lettid.

That if it be nede, yyue thei bothe calues, and lambren, and kidis in to brent sacrifice to God of heuene; wheete, salt, and wyn, and oile, bi the custom of preestis that ben in Jerusalem, be youun to hem bi ech dai, that no pleynt be in ony thing.

And offre thei offryngis to God of heuene; and preye thei for the lijf of the kyng and of hise sones.

Forsothe God, that makith his name to dwelle there, distrie alle rewmes and puple, that holdith forth her hond to impugne and destrie thilke hows of God, which is in Jerusalem. I Darius haue demyd the sentence, which Y wole be fillid diligentli.

Sotheli the eldre men of Jewis bildiden, and hadden prosperite, bi the profesie of Aggey, the profete, and of Zacarie, the sone of Ado; and thei bildiden, and maden, for God of Israel comaundide, and for Cirus, and Darius, and Artaxerses, kyngis of Persis, comaundiden;

and thei performyden this hows of God `til to the thridde dai of the monethe Adar, which is the sixte yeer of the rewme of king Darius.

And thei ordeyneden preestis in her ordris, and dekenes in her whilis, on the werkis of God in Jerusalem, as it is writun in the book of Moises.