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and the Veffels, even the Offering of the Houfe of our God, which the King and his Counsellors, and his Lords, and all Ifrael there present, had offered.

28 And I faid unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD, the Veffels are holy also.

29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the Priests, and the Levites, and chief of the Fathers of Ifrael at Jerufalem, in the Chambers of the Houfe of the LORD.

31 Then we departed from the River Ahava, on the twelfth Day of the first Month, to go unto Jerufalem; and the Hand of our GOD was upon us, and he delivered us from the Hand of the Enemy, and of fuch as lay in Wait by the Way.

32 And we came to Jerufalem, and abode there three Days.

36 And they delivered the King's Commiffions unto the King's Lieutenants, and to the Governors on this Side the River, and they furthered the People, and the Houfe of God.

CHA P. IX.

1 Ezra mourneth for the Affinity of the People with Strangers: 5 He prayeth unto God with Confeffion of Sins.

Ver. 1 WOW when thefe Things were done, the PrinNow ces came to me faying, The People of Ifrael, and the Priests, and the Levites have not feparated themfelves from the People of the Lands, doing according to their ABOMINATIONS.

2 For they have taken of their Daughters for themselves, and for their Sons: fo that the holy Seed have mingled themfelves with the People of thofe Lands: yea, the Hand of the Princes and Rulers hath been chief in this Trefpaís.

3 And when I heard this Thing, I rent my Garment and my Mantle, and pluckt off the Hair of my Head, and of my Beard, and fat down aftonied.

4 Then were affembled unto me every one that TREMBLED at the Words of the GOD of Ifrael, because of the Tranfgreffion of thofe that had been carried away, and I fat aftonied until the Evening Sacrifice.

5 And at the Evening Sacrifice, I arose up from my Hea vinefs, and having rent my Garment and my Mantle, I fell

upon

upon my KNEES, and spread out my Hands unto the LORD my GOD.

6 And faid, O MY GOD, I am ASHAMED, and blush to lift up my Face to thee, my GoD: Our Iniquities are increased over our Heads, and our Trefpaffes is grown up unto the Heavens.

7 Since the Days of our Fathers, have we been in a great Trespass unto this Day, and for our INIQUITIES have we, our Kings, and our Priests been delivered into the Hand of the Kings of the Lands, to the Sword, to Captivity, and to a Spoil, and to Confufion of Face, as it is this Day.

8. And now for a little Space GRACE hath been fhewed from the LORD our GoD, to leave us a Remnant to escape, and to give us a Nail in his holy Place, that our GOD may LIGHTEN Our EYES, and give us a little Reviving in our Bondage.

9 For we were Bondmen, yet our God hath not FORSAKEN us in our Bondage, but hath extended MERCY unto us in the Sight of the Kings of Perfia, to give us a Reviving, to fet up the House of our GOD, and to repair the Defolations thereof, and to give us a Wall in Judah and Jerufalem.

10 And now, O our GOD, what shall we fay after this? for we have forfaken thy Commandments.

II Which thou hast commanded by thy Servants the Prophets, faying, The Land unto which ye go to poffefs it, is an UNCLEAN LAND with the Filthinefs of the People of the Lands, with their ABOMINATIONS, which have filled it from one End to another, with their Uncleannefs.

12 Now therefore give not your Daughters unto their Sons, neither take their Daughters unto your Sons, nor feek their PEACE, or their Wealth for ever: that ye may be ftrong, and eat the Good of the Land, and leave it for an Inheritance to your Children for ever.

13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil Deeds, and for our great Trefpafs, feeing that thou our God haft PUNISHED us lefs than our Iniquities DESERVE, and haft given us fuch Deliverance as this.

14 Should we again break thy Commandments, and join in AFFINITY with the People of thefe ABOMINATIONS? wouldeft thou not be angry with us, till thou hadft confumed us, fo that there should be no Remnant nor escaping?

15 O LORD GOD of Ifrael, thou art RIGHTEOUS, for

we

we remain yet escaped, as it is this Day: behold, we are before thee in our TRESPASSES: for we cannot STAND before thee, because of this.

CHAP. X.

1 Shechaniah encourageth Ezra to reform the strange Marriage. 6 Ezra Mourning affembleth the People. 9 The People at the Exhortation of Ezra, repent and promife Amendment. 15 Their Care to perform it. 18 The Names of them which had married ftrange Wives.

Ver. 1 No

OW when Ezra had prayed, and when he had CONFESSED, WEEPING and cafting himself down before the House of GoD, there affembled unto him out of Ifrael a very great Congregation of Men, and Women, and Children: for the People wept very fore.

2 And Shechaniah one of the Sons of Elam, answered and faid unto Ezra, We have trefpaffed against our GOD, and have taken strange Wives, of the People of the Land: yet now there is HOPE in Ifrael concerning this Thing.

3 Now therefore let us make a COVENANT with our GOD, to put away all the Wives, and fuch as are born of them, according to the Counsel of my LORD, and of those that TREMBLE at the COMMANDMENT of our GOD, and let it be done according to the LAW.

4 Arife: for this Matter belongeth unto thee; we alfo will be with thee: be of good Courage, and do it.

5 Then arofe Ezra, and made the chief Priests, the Levites, and all Ifrael to fwear, that they fhould do according to this Word: and they sware.

6 Then Ezra rofe up from before the Houfe of GOD, and went into the Chamber of Johanan the Son of Eliafhib: and when he came thither, he did eat no Bread, nor drink Water: for he MOURNED because of the TRANSGRESSION of them that had been carried away.

7 And they made Proclamation throughout Judah and Jerufalem, unto all the Children of the Captivity, that they fhould gather themfelves together unto Jerufalem.

8 And that whofoever would not come within three Days, all his Subftance fhould be forfeited, and himself feparated from the Congregation.

9 Then all the Men of Judah and Benjamin gathered

themfelves

themselves together unto Jerufalem, and all the People fat in the Street of the Houfe of GOD, TREMBLING because of this Matter. and for the GREAT RAIN.

10 And Ezra the Priest ftood up, and faid unto them, Ye have tranfgreffed, and have taken strange Wives, to encrease the Trefpafs of Ifrael.

II Now therefore make CONFESSION unto the LORD GOD of your Fathers, and Do his PLEASURE: and feparate your felves from the People of the Land, and from the strange Wives.

12 Then all the Congregation answered, and faid with a loud Voice, as thou haft faid, fo muft we do.

13 But the People are many, and it is Time of much Rain, and we are not able to ftand without, neither is this a Work of one Day or two: for we are many that have tranfgreffed in this Thing.

14 Let now our Rulers of all the Congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange Wives in our Cities, come at appointed Times, and with them the Elders of every City, and the Judges thereof, until the fierce Wrath of our GOD for this Matter, be turned from us.

15 Only Jonathan the Son of Afahel, and Jahaziah the Son of Tikvah, were employed about this Matter: and Mefhullam, and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

16 And the Children of the Captivity did fo: and Ezra the Prieft, with certain chief of the Fathers, and all of them by their Names, were feparated, and fat down in the first Day of the tenth Month to examine the Matter.

17 And they made an End with all the Men that had taken strange Wives, by the first Day of the firft Month.

AN

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1 Nehemiah understanding by Hanani, the Mifery of Jerusalem mourneth, fasteth and prayeth. 5 His Prayer.

Ver. 1

T

HE Words of Nehemiah the Son of Ha-
chaliah. And it came to pafs in the
Month Chifleu, in the twentieth Year, as
I was in Shufhan the Palace.

2 That Hanani one of my Brethren, came, he and certain Men of Judah, and I asked them concerning the Jews that had ESCAPED, which were left of the Captivity, and concerning Jerufalem.

3 And they faid unto me, The Remnant that are left of the Captivity there in the Province, are in great Affliction and Reproach: the Wall of Jerufalem alfo is broken down, and the Gates thereof are burnt.

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