1 Therfor these ben the princes of meynees, and this is the genologie of hem, whiche beynge in the rewme of Artaxerses, kyng, stieden with me fro Babiloyne.
2 Of the sones of Phynees, Gerson; of the sones of Ythamar, Danyel; of the sones of Dauid, Arcus;
3 of the sones of Sechemye and of the sones of Pharos, Zacarie, and with hym weren noumbrid an hundrid and fifti men;
4 of the sones of Phet, Moab, and Elioneay, the sone of Zacharie, and with hym two hundrid men;
5 of the sones of Sechemye, the sone of Ezechiel, and with hym thre hundrid men;
6 of the sones of Addam, Nabeth, the sone of Jonathan, and with hym fifti men;
7 of the sones of Elam, Ysaie, the sone of Italie, and with him seuenti men;
8 of the sones of Saphacie, Zebedie, the sone of Mycael, and with him fourescore men;
9 of the sones of Joab, Obedie, the sone of Jehiel, and with him two hundrid and eiytene men;
10 of the sones of Salomyth, the sone of Josphie, and with hym an hundrid and sixti men; of the sones of Belbai,
11 Zacarie, the sone of Belbai, and with hym twenti and eiyte men;
12 of the sones of Ezead, Johannam, the sone of Ezethan, and with hym an hundrid and ten men;
13 of the sones of Adonycam, that weren the laste, and these ben the names of hem, Eliphelech, and Eihel, and Samaie, and with hem weren sexti men;
14 of the sones of Beguy, Vtai, and Zaccur, and with hem weren seuenti men.
15 Forsothe Y gaderide hem togidere at the flood, that renneth doun to Hanna; and we dwelliden there thre daies. And `Y souyte in the puple, and in the prestis of the sonus of Leuy, and Y fonde not there.
16 Therfor Y sente Eliezer, and Ariehel, and Semeam, and Helnathan, and Jaubeth, and an other Helnathan, and Nathan, and Zacharie, and Mesollam, princes; and Joarib, and Elnathan, wise men;
17 and Y sente hem to Heldo, which is `the firste in the place of Casphie, and Y puttide in the mouth of hem wordis, whiche thei schulden speke to Heldo, and to hise britheren, Natynneis, in the place of Casphie, for to brynge to vs the mynystris of the hows of oure God.
18 And `thei brouyten to vs, bi the good hoond of oure God on vs, a ful wijs man of the sones of Mooli, the sone of Leuy, sone of Israel; and Sarabie, and his sones twenti, and his britheren eiytene;
19 and Azabie, and Isaie, with him of the sones of Merari, thei brouyten his britheren, and his sones, twenti;
20 and of Nathynneis, whiche Dauid and the princis hadden youe to the seruyces of dekenes, thei brouyten two hundrid and twenti Nathynneis; alle these weren clepid bi her names.
21 And `Y prechide there fastyng bisidis the flood of Hanna, that we schulden be turmentid bifor `oure Lord God, and that we schulden axe of him the riytful weie to vs, and to oure sones, and to al oure catel.
22 For Y schamede to axe of the kyng help, and horse men, that schulden defende vs fro enemyes in the weie, for we hadden seid to the king, The hond of oure God is on alle men that seken hym in goodnesse; and his lordschip, and his strengthe, and strong veniaunce ben on alle men that forsaken hym.
23 Forsothe we fastiden, and preieden oure God for this thing, and it bifelde to vs `bi prosperite.
24 And `Y departide twelue of the princes of prestis, Sarabie, and Asabie, and ten of her britheren with hem;
25 and Y bitook vndur certeyn weiyte and noumbre to hem the siluer and gold, and the halewid vessels of the hows of oure God, whiche the kyng hadde offrid, and hise counseleris, and hise princes, and `al Israel, of hem that weren foundun.
26 And Y bitook vndur certeyn weiyte and noumbre in the hondis of hem sixe hundrid and fifti talentis of siluer, and an hundrid siluerne vessels; an hundrid talentis of gold,
27 and twenti goldun cuppis, that hadden a thousynde peesis of gold; and twei faire vessels of best bras, schynynge as gold.
28 And Y seide to hem, Ye ben the hooli men of the Lord,
29 and wake ye, and kepe the hooli vessels, and siluer and gold, which is offrid bi fre wille to the Lord God of oure fadris, til ye yelde vndur certeyn weiyte and noumbre bifor th princes of prestis, and of dekenes, and bifor the duykis of meynees of Israel in Jerusalem, in to the tresour of Goddis hows.
30 Sotheli the preestis and dekenes token the weiyte of siluer, and of gold, and of vessels, for to bere in to Jerusalem, in to the hows of oure God.
31 Therfor we mouyden forth fro the flood of Hanna, in the tweluethe dai of the firste monethe, for to go in to Jerusalem; and the hond of oure God was on vs, and delyuerde vs fro the hond of enemye and of aspiere in the weie.
32 And we camen to Jerusalem, and we dwelliden there thre daies.
33 Forsothe in the fourthe dai the siluer was yoldun vndur certeyn weiyte and noumbre, and the gold, and the vessels, `in the hows of oure God, by the noumbre and weiyte of alle thingis, bi the hond of Remmoth, `sone of Vrie, preest; and with him was Eleazar, the sone of Phynees, and with him weren Jozaded, the sone of Josue, and Noadaie, the sone of Bennoy, dekenes;
34 and al the weiyte was discriued in that tyme.
35 But also the sones of transmygracioun, that camen fro caitifte, offriden brent sacrifices to the Lord God of Israel, `twelue calues for al the puple of Israel, nynti and sixe rammes, seuene and seuenti lambren, twelue buckis of geet for synne; alle thingis in to brent sacrifice to the Lord.
36 Forsothe thei yauen the comaundementis of the kyng to the princes, that weren of the siyt of the king, and to the duykis biyende the flood; and thei reisiden the puple, and the hows of God. |