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¹ Thanne kyng Darius comaundide, and thei rekenyden in the biblet of bokis, that weren kept in Babiloyne.² And o book was foundun in Egbatanys, which is a castel in the prouynce of Medena, and sich a sentence of the kyng was writun therynne.³ In the first yeer of kyng Cirus, Cirus the kyng demyde, that, `Goddis hows, which is in Jerusalem, schulde be bildid in the place where thei offren sacrifices, and that thei sette foundementis supportynge the heiythe of sixti cubitis, and the lengthe of sixti cubitis, thre ordris of stonys vnpolischid,⁴ and so ordris of newe trees. Sotheli costis schulen be youun of the kyngis hows.⁵ 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.⁶ Now therfor Tathannai, duyk of the cuntrei which is biyende the flood, and Starbusannai, and youre counseleris, Arphasacei, that ben byyende the flood, departe ye fer fro hem;⁷ 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.⁸ 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.⁹ 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.¹⁰ And offre thei offryngis to God of heuene; and preye thei for the lijf of the kyng and of hise sones.¹¹ Therfor the sentence is set of me, that if ony man chaungith this comaundement, a tre be takun of his hows, and be reisid, and be he hangid therynne; sotheli his hows be forfetid.¹² 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.

¹³ Therfor Tathannai, duyk of the `cuntrei biyende the flood, and Starbusannai, and hise counseleris, diden execucioun, `ether filliden, so diligentli, bi that that kyng Darius hadde comaundid.¹⁴ 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;¹⁵ 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.<sup>16</sup> Forsothe the sones of Israel, the preestis and dekenes, and the othere of the sones of transmygracioun, `that is, that camen fro transmigracioun, `ether caitifte, maden the halewyng of Goddis hows in ioie;<sup>17</sup> and offriden, `in the halewyng of Goddis hows, an hundrid caluys, twei hundryd wetheris, foure hundrid lambren, twelue buckis of geet for the synne of al Israel, bi the noumbre of lynagis of Israel.¹⁸ 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.¹⁹ Forsothe the sones of transmygracioun maden pask, in the fourtenthe dai of the firste monethe.²⁰ For the preestis and dekenes as o man weren clensid, alle weren clene for to offre pask to alle the sones of transmygracioun, and to her britheren preestis, and to hem silf.²¹ And the sones of Israel eeten, that turneden ayen fro transmygracioun, and ech man eet, that hadde departid hym silf fro al the defoulyng of hethene men of the lond, for to seke the Lord God of Israel.²² And thei maden solempnyte of therf looues seuene daies in gladnesse; for the Lord hadde maad hem glad, and hadde turned the herte of the kyng of Assur to hem, that he wolde helpe `her hondis in the werk of the hows of the Lord God of Israel.