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And who so euer wyl not diligently fulfyll the lawe of thy God, and the kynges lawe, shall haue his iudgmet for the dede, whether it be vnto death, or to be banyshed, or to be condemned in good, or to be put in preson.

Praysed be the LORDE God of oure fathers, which so hath inspyred ye kynges hert to garnysh the house of God at Ierusalem:

and hath enclyned his mercy vnto me in the presence of the kynge, and his councelers, and before all the kynges hye estates. And I was comforted (acordinge to the hade of the LORDE my God ouer me) and so gathered I the heades of Israel together, yt they mighte go vp with me.

So we fasted, and soughte this at oure God, and he herde us.

and sayde vnto them: Ye are holy vnto the LORDE, therfore are the vessels holy also, and so is the syluer and golde that is geuen of a good wyll vnto the LORDE God of youre fathers:

So we brake vp, from the water of Aheua on the twolueth daye of the first moneth, to go vnto Ierusalem: and the hande of oure God was vpon us, and delyuered us fro the hande of the enemies and preuy waytinges by the waye.

But now is there a litle and sodane graciousnes come from the LORDE oure God, so that some of vs are escaped, that he maie geue vs a nayle in his holy place, that oure God maye lighte oure eyes, and geue vs a litle lyfe in oure bondage.

As for vs, we haue turned backe, & haue let go thy commaundementes, to make contracte with the people of these abhominacions. Wilt thou then be wroth at vs, tyll we be vtterly consumed, so that nothynge remayne, and tyll there be no delyueraunce?

And the children of the captiuyte dyd euen so. And E?dras the prest, and ye awncient fathers thorow the house of their fathers, and all that were now rehearsed by name, separated the selues, and sat them downe on the first daye of the tenth moneth, to exame this matter.

Then sayde ye kynge vnto me: Why lokest thou so sadly? Thou art not sicke, that is not ye matter, but thou art heuy harted. Neuertheles I was sore afrayed,

And ye kynge sayde vnto me, & so dyd the quene yt sat by him: How loge shal thy iourney cotynue, and wha wilt thou come agayne? And it pleased ye kynge to sende me, and I set him a tyme,

And euery one yt buylded, had his swerde girde by his side, & so builded they. And the trompetters stode beside me.

As for me and my brethren, & my seruauntes, and ye men of the watch behynde me, we put neuer of oure clothes, so so moch as to washe oure selues.

and I aduysed so in my mynde, yt I rebuked the councelers, and the rulers, and sayde vnto them: Wyl ye requyre vsury one of another? And I broughte a greate congregacion agaynst them,

Then sayde they: We wyl restore them agayne, and wyl requyre nothinge of them, and wyl do as thou hast spoken. And I called the prestes, and toke an ooth of the, that they shulde do so.

And I shoke my lappe, and sayde: God shake out euery man after the same maner fro his house and laboure, that maynteyneth not this worde: euen thus be he shaken out, and voyde. And all ye congregacion sayde: Amen, and praysed the LORDE. And the people dyd so.

For the olde Debytes that were before me, had bene chargeable vnto the people, and had take of the bred and wyne, and fortye Sycles of syluer: Yee and their seruauntes had oppressed the people. But so dyd not I, and that because of the feare of God.

Therfore toke he the money, that I shulde be afrayed, and so to do and synne, that they might haue an euell reporte of me, to blaspheme me.

And they red in the boke of the lawe of God distinctly and planely, so that men vnderstode the thinge that was red.

And so they caused it be declared and proclamed in all their cities, & at Ierusalem, sayenge: Go vp vnto ye mout and fetch Olyue braunches, Pynebraunches, Myrtbraunches, Palmebraunches, & braunches of thicketrees, to make bothes as it is wrytten.