Apocrypha (Deuterocanonical books: Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, Maccabees, ...)

And now by confessing give glory unto the Lord God of our fathers,

And do his will, and separate yourselves from the heathen of the land, and from the strange women.

Then cried the whole multitude, and said with a loud voice, Like as thou hast spoken, so will we do.

But forasmuch as the people are many, and it is foul weather, so that we cannot stand without, and this is not a work of a day or two, seeing our sin in these things is spread far:

Therefore let the rulers of the multitude stay, and let all them of our habitations that have strange wives come at the time appointed,

And with them the rulers and judges of every place, till we turn away the wrath of the Lord from us for this matter.

Then Jonathan the son of Azael and Ezechias the son of Theocanus accordingly took this matter upon them: and Mosollam and Levis and Sabbatheus helped them.

And they that were of the captivity did according to all these things.

And Esdras the priest chose unto him the principal men of their families, all by name: and in the first day of the tenth month they sat together to examine the matter.

So their cause that held strange wives was brought to an end in the first day of the first month.

And of the priests that were come together, and had strange wives, there were found:

Of the sons of Jesus the son of Josedec, and his brethren; Matthelas and Eleazar, and Joribus and Joadanus.

And they gave their hands to put away their wives and to offer rams to make reconcilement for their errors.

And of the sons of Emmer; Ananias, and Zabdeus, and Eanes, and Sameius, and Hiereel, and Azarias.

And of the sons of Phaisur; Elionas, Massias Israel, and Nathanael, and Ocidelus and Talsas.

And of the Levites; Jozabad, and Semis, and Colius, who was called Calitas, and Patheus, and Judas, and Jonas.

Of the holy singers; Eleazurus, Bacchurus.

Of the porters; Sallumus, and Tolbanes.

Of them of Israel, of the sons of Phoros; Hiermas, and Eddias, and Melchias, and Maelus, and Eleazar, and Asibias, and Baanias.

Of the sons of Ela; Matthanias, Zacharias, and Hierielus, and Hieremoth, and Aedias.

And of the sons of Zamoth; Eliadas, Elisimus, Othonias, Jarimoth, and Sabatus, and Sardeus.

Of the sons of Babai; Johannes, and Ananias and Josabad, and Amatheis.

Of the sons of Mani; Olamus, Mamuchus, Jedeus, Jasubus, Jasael, and Hieremoth.

And of the sons of Addi; Naathus, and Moosias, Lacunus, and Naidus, and Mathanias, and Sesthel, Balnuus, and Manasseas.

And of the sons of Annas; Elionas and Aseas, and Melchias, and Sabbeus, and Simon Chosameus.

And of the sons of Asom; Altaneus, and Matthias, and Baanaia, Eliphalet, and Manasses, and Semei.

And of the sons of Maani; Jeremias, Momdis, Omaerus, Juel, Mabdai, and Pelias, and Anos, Carabasion, and Enasibus, and Mamnitanaimus, Eliasis, Bannus, Eliali, Samis, Selemias, Nathanias: and of the sons of Ozora; Sesis, Esril, Azaelus, Samatus, Zambis, Josephus.

And of the sons of Ethma; Mazitias, Zabadaias, Edes, Juel, Banaias.

All these had taken strange wives, and they put them away with their children.

And the priests and Levites, and they that were of Israel, dwelt in Jerusalem, and in the country, in the first day of the seventh month: so the children of Israel were in their habitations.

And the whole multitude came together with one accord into the broad place of the holy porch toward the east:

And they spake unto Esdras the priest and reader, that he would bring the law of Moses, that was given of the Lord God of Israel.

So Esdras the chief priest brought the law unto the whole multitude from man to woman, and to all the priests, to hear law in the first day of the seventh month.

And he read in the broad court before the holy porch from morning unto midday, before both men and women; and the multitude gave heed unto the law.

And Esdras the priest and reader of the law stood up upon a pulpit of wood, which was made for that purpose.

And there stood up by him Mattathias, Sammus, Ananias, Azarias, Urias, Ezecias, Balasamus, upon the right hand:

And upon his left hand stood Phaldaius, Misael, Melchias, Lothasubus, and Nabarias.

Then took Esdras the book of the law before the multitude: for he sat honourably in the first place in the sight of them all.

And when he opened the law, they stood all straight up. So Esdras blessed the Lord God most High, the God of hosts, Almighty.

And all the people answered, Amen; and lifting up their hands they fell to the ground, and worshipped the Lord.

Also Jesus, Anus, Sarabias, Adinus, Jacubus, Sabateas, Auteas, Maianeas, and Calitas, Asrias, and Joazabdus, and Ananias, Biatas, the Levites, taught the law of the Lord, making them withal to understand it.

Then spake Attharates unto Esdras the chief priest and reader, and to the Levites that taught the multitude, even to all, saying,

This day is holy unto the Lord; (for they all wept when they heard the law:)

Go then, and eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send part to them that have nothing;

For this day is holy unto the Lord: and be not sorrowful; for the Lord will bring you to honour.

So the Levites published all things to the people, saying, This day is holy to the Lord; be not sorrowful.

Then went they their way, every one to eat and drink, and make merry, and to give part to them that had nothing, and to make great cheer;

Because they understood the words wherein they were instructed, and for the which they had been assembled.

The second book of the prophet Esdras, the son of Saraias, the son of Azarias, the son of Helchias, the son of Sadamias, the sou of Sadoc, the son of Achitob,

The son of Achias, the son of Phinees, the son of Heli, the son of Amarias, the son of Aziei, the son of Marimoth, the son of And he spake unto the of Borith, the son of Abisei, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar,

The son of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi; which was captive in the land of the Medes, in the reign of Artexerxes king of the Persians.

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

Go thy way, and shew my people their sinful deeds, and their children their wickedness which they have done against me; that they may tell their children’s children:

Because the sins of their fathers are increased in them: for they have forgotten me, and have offered unto strange gods.

Am not I even he that brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage? but they have provoked me unto wrath, and despised my counsels.

Pull thou off then the hair of thy head, and cast all evil upon them, for they have not been obedient unto my law, but it is a rebellious people.

How long shall I forbear them, into whom I have done so much good?

Many kings have I destroyed for their sakes; Pharaoh with his servants and all his power have I smitten down.

All the nations have I destroyed before them, and in the east I have scattered the people of two provinces, even of Tyrus and Sidon, and have slain all their enemies.

Speak thou therefore unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord,

I led you through the sea and in the beginning gave you a large and safe passage; I gave you Moses for a leader, and Aaron for a priest.

I gave you light in a pillar of fire, and great wonders have I done among you; yet have ye forgotten me, saith the Lord.

Thus saith the Almighty Lord, The quails were as a token to you; I gave you tents for your safeguard: nevertheless ye murmured there,

And triumphed not in my name for the destruction of your enemies, but ever to this day do ye yet murmur.

Where are the benefits that I have done for you? when ye were hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, did ye not cry unto me,

Saying, Why hast thou brought us into this wilderness to kill us? it had been better for us to have served the Egyptians, than to die in this wilderness.

Then had I pity upon your mournings, and gave you manna to eat; so ye did eat angels’ bread.

When ye were thirsty, did I not cleave the rock, and waters flowed out to your fill? for the heat I covered you with the leaves of the trees.

I divided among you a fruitful land, I cast out the Canaanites, the Pherezites, and the Philistines, before you: what shall I yet do more for you? saith the Lord.

Thus saith the Almighty Lord, When ye were in the wilderness, in the river of the Amorites, being athirst, and blaspheming my name,

I gave you not fire for your blasphemies, but cast a tree in the water, and made the river sweet.

What shall I do unto thee, O Jacob? thou, Juda, wouldest not obey me: I will turn me to other nations, and unto those will I give my name, that they may keep my statutes.

Seeing ye have forsaken me, I will forsake you also; when ye desire me to be gracious unto you, I shall have no mercy upon you.

Whensoever ye shall call upon me, I will not hear you: for ye have defiled your hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit manslaughter.

Ye have not as it were forsaken me, but your own selves, saith the Lord.

Thus saith the Almighty Lord, Have I not prayed you as a father his sons, as a mother her daughters, and a nurse her young babes,

That ye would be my people, and I should be your God; that ye would be my children, and I should be your father?

I gathered you together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings: but now, what shall I do unto you? I will cast you out from my face.

When ye offer unto me, I will turn my face from you: for your solemn feastdays, your new moons, and your circumcisions, have I forsaken.

I sent unto you my servants the prophets, whom ye have taken and slain, and torn their bodies in pieces, whose blood I will require of your hands, saith the Lord.

Thus saith the Almighty Lord, Your house is desolate, I will cast you out as the wind doth stubble.

And your children shall not be fruitful; for they have despised my commandment, and done the thing that is an evil before me.

Your houses will I give to a people that shall come; which not having heard of me yet shall believe me; to whom I have shewed no signs, yet they shall do that I have commanded them.

They have seen no prophets, yet they shall call their sins to remembrance, and acknowledge them.

I take to witness the grace of the people to come, whose little ones rejoice in gladness: and though they have not seen me with bodily eyes, yet in spirit they believe the thing that I say.

And now, brother, behold what glory; and see the people that come from the east:

Unto whom I will give for leaders, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Oseas, Amos, and Micheas, Joel, Abdias, and Jonas,

Nahum, and Abacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zachary, and Malachy, which is called also an angel of the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord, I brought this people out of bondage, and I gave them my commandments by menservants the prophets; whom they would not hear, but despised my counsels.

The mother that bare them saith unto them, Go your way, ye children; for I am a widow and forsaken.

I brought you up with gladness; but with sorrow and heaviness have I lost you: for ye have sinned before the Lord your God, and done that thing that is evil before him.

But what shall I now do unto you? I am a widow and forsaken: go your way, O my children, and ask mercy of the Lord.

As for me, O father, I call upon thee for a witness over the mother of these children, which would not keep my covenant,

That thou bring them to confusion, and their mother to a spoil, that there may be no offspring of them.

Let them be scattered abroad among the heathen, let their names be put out of the earth: for they have despised my covenant.

Woe be unto thee, Assur, thou that hidest the unrighteous in thee! O thou wicked people, remember what I did unto Sodom and Gomorrha;

Whose land lieth in clods of pitch and heaps of ashes: even so also will I do unto them that hear me not, saith the Almighty Lord.

Thus saith the Lord unto Esdras, Tell my people that I will give them the kingdom of Jerusalem, which I would have given unto Israel.

Their glory also will I take unto me, and give these the everlasting tabernacles, which I had prepared for them.

They shall have the tree of life for an ointment of sweet savour; they shall neither labour, nor be weary.