Ezra 8

1 This is a list of the names of the leaders of the clans who came with me up [to Jerusalem] from Babylonia when Artaxerxes was the king [of Persia]:

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 Gershom, from the clan descended from [Aaron’s grandson] Phinehas Daniel, from the clan descended from [Aaron’s son] Ithamar Hattush, the son of Shecaniah, from the clan descended from King David

Of the sones of Phynees, Gerson; of the sones of Ythamar, Danyel; of the sones of Dauid, Arcus;

3 Zechariah and 150 [other] men from the clan descended from Parosh

of the sones of Sechemye and of the sones of Pharos, Zacarie, and with hym weren noumbrid an hundrid and fifti men;

4 Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and 200 other men from the clan descended from Pahath-Moab

of the sones of Phet, Moab, and Elioneay, the sone of Zacharie, and with hym two hundrid men;

5 Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel and 300 other men from the clan descended from Zattu

of the sones of Sechemye, the sone of Ezechiel, and with hym thre hundrid men;

6 Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 other men from the clan descended from Adin

of the sones of Addam, Nabeth, the sone of Jonathan, and with hym fifti men;

7 Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 other men from the clan descended from Elam

of the sones of Elam, Ysaie, the sone of Italie, and with him seuenti men;

8 Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 other men from the clan descended from Shephatiah

of the sones of Saphacie, Zebedie, the sone of Mycael, and with him fourescore men;

9 Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 other men from the clan descended from Joab

of the sones of Joab, Obedie, the sone of Jehiel, and with him two hundrid and eiytene men;

10 Shelomith the son of Josiphiah and 160 other men from the clan descended from Bani

of the sones of Salomyth, the sone of Josphie, and with hym an hundrid and sixti men; of the sones of Belbai,

11 Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 other men from the clan descended from [another man whose name was] Bebai

Zacarie, the sone of Belbai, and with hym twenti and eiyte men;

12 Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 other men from the clan descended from Azgad

of the sones of Ezead, Johannam, the sone of Ezethan, and with hym an hundrid and ten men;

13 Also Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, who returned [here] later with 60 men from the clan descended from Adonikam

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 And Uthai and Zaccur and 70 other men from the clan descended from Bigvai.

of the sones of Beguy, Vtai, and Zaccur, and with hem weren seuenti men.

15 I gathered all of them together at the canal that goes [from Babylon] to Ahava [town]. We set up our tents there and stayed there for three days. [During that time] I checked the lists of names and found out that there were priests [going with us], but no [other] descendants of Levi [who could help them in the temple].

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 So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, two men whose names were Elnathan, and Jarib, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were all leaders [of the people]. I also summoned Joiarib and another Elnathan, who were wise.

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 I sent them all to Iddo, the leader of the descendants of Levi, who was living in Casiphia [town], to request that he and his relatives and other men who had worked in the temple send to us some men who would [go/come with us to] work in God’s new temple [in Jerusalem].

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 Because God was kind to us, they brought to us a man named Sherebiah and 18 of his sons and other relatives. Sherebiah was a very wise man, a descendant of Mahli, [who was a grandson] of Levi.

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 They also sent to us Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah, descendants of [Levi’s son] Merari, and 20 of their relatives.

and Azabie, and Isaie, with him of the sones of Merari, thei brouyten his britheren, and his sones, twenti;

20 They also sent 220 other men to work in the temple. Those men’s ancestors had been appointed by King David to assist the descendants of Levi [who helped the priests in the temple]. I listed/wrote the names of all those men.

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 There alongside the Ahava Canal, I told them that we all would (fast/abstain from eating food) and pray. I also told them that we should humble ourselves in the presence of our God. We prayed that God would protect us while we traveled, and also protect our children and our possessions/belongings.

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 Previously we had told the king that our God takes care of all those who truly trust in him, but that he becomes very angry with those who refuse to obey him. So I would have been ashamed if I had asked the king to send soldiers and men riding on horses to protect us from our enemies while we were traveling along the road.

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 So we (fasted/abstained from eating food) and requested God to protect us, and he (answered our prayers/did what we requested.)

Forsothe we fastiden, and preieden oure God for this thing, and it bifelde to vs `bi prosperite.

24 I chose twelve of the leaders of the priests, Sherebiah and Hashabiah and ten of their relatives.

And `Y departide twelue of the princes of prestis, Sarabie, and Asabie, and ten of her britheren with hem;

25 I appointed them to supervise carrying to Jerusalem the gifts of silver and gold and the other valuable items that the king and his advisors and other officials, and the Israeli people [who were living in Babylonia], had contributed for the temple of our God.

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 As I gave these various items to those priests, I weighed each of the items. This was the total: 25 tons of silver, 100 items made from silver that altogether weighed 7,500 pounds, (7,500 pounds/3,400 kg.) of gold,

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 20 gold bowls that altogether weighed (19 pounds/8.6 kg.), and two items made of polished bronze that were as valuable as ones made of gold.

and twenti goldun cuppis, that hadden a thousynde peesis of gold; and twei faire vessels of best bras, schynynge as gold.

28 I said to those priests, “You belong to Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors (worshiped/also belonged to), and these valuable things also belong to him. The people themselves gave these things to be offerings to Yahweh (voluntarily/because they wanted to).

And Y seide to hem, Ye ben the hooli men of the Lord,

29 So guard them carefully, and [when we arrive] in Jerusalem, weigh them in the presence of the priests, the descendants of Levi [who will help the priests], and the other Israeli leaders there. They will then put them in the storerooms in the new temple.”

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 So the priests and [other] descendants of Levi took from me all the gifts of silver and gold and the other valuable items, in order to carry them to the temple in Jerusalem.

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 On April 19, we left the Ahava Canal and started to travel to Jerusalem. Our God took care of us, and while we traveled, he prevented our enemies and bandits from (ambushing us/suddenly attacking us).

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 After we arrived in Jerusalem, we rested for three days.

And we camen to Jerusalem, and we dwelliden there thre daies.

33 Then on the fourth/next day we went to the temple. There the silver and gold and the other items were weighed and given to the priest Meremoth, the son of Uriah. Eleazar the son of Phinehas and two descendants of Levi, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui, were with him.

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 They counted everything, and wrote down how much they weighed, and wrote [a description of] each item.

and al the weiyte was discriued in that tyme.

35 We who had returned from Babylonia offered to God sacrifices on the altar. We offered twelve bulls for all us Israeli people. We also offered 96 rams and 27 lambs. We also sacrificed twelve goats [to atone] for the sins that all the people had committed. These were all completely burned on the altar.

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 Some of us who returned [from Babylonia] took to the governors and other officials of the province west of the [Euphrates] River the letter that the king had given to us. [After they read the letter, ] they did all [that they were able to do] for us Israeli people and for the temple of God.

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.