The First Book of Esdras
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Anonymous
2:23 And that the Jews were rebellious, and raised always wars therein; for the which cause even this city was made desolate.
2:24 Wherefore now we do declare unto thee, O lord the king, that if this city be built again, and the walls thereof set up anew, thou shalt from henceforth have no passage into Celosyria and Phenice.
2:25 Then the king wrote back again to Rathumus the storywriter, to Beeltethmus, to Semellius the scribe, and to the rest that were in commission, and dwellers in Samaria and Syria and Phenice, after this manner;
2:26 I have read the epistle which ye have sent unto me: therefore I commanded to make diligent search, and it hath been found that that city was from the beginning practising against kings;
2:27 And the men therein were given to rebellion and war: and that mighty kings and fierce were in Jerusalem, who reigned and exacted tributes in Celosyria and Phenice.
2:28 Now therefore I have commanded to hinder those men from building the city, and heed to be taken that there be no more done in it;
2:29 And that those wicked workers proceed no further to the annoyance of kings,
2:30 Then king Artexerxes his letters being read, Rathumus, and Semellius the scribe, and the rest that were in commission with them, removing in haste toward Jerusalem with a troop of horsemen and a multitude of people in battle array, began to hinder the builders; and the building of the temple in Jerusalem ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.
3:1 Now when Darius reigned, he made a great feast unto all his subjects, and unto all his household, and unto all the princes of Media and Persia,
3:2 And to all the governors and captains and lieutenants that were under him, from India unto Ethiopia, of an hundred twenty and seven provinces.
3:3 And when they had eaten and drunken, and being satisfied were gone home, then Darius the king went into his bedchamber, and slept, and soon after awaked.
3:4 Then three young men, that were of the guard that kept the king’s body, spake one to another;
3:5 Let every one of us speak a sentence: he that shall overcome, and whose sentence shall seem wiser than the others, unto him shall the king Darius give great gifts, and great things in token of victory:
3:6 As, to be clothed in purple, to drink in gold, and to sleep upon gold, and a chariot with bridles of gold, and an headtire of fine linen, and a chain about his neck:
3:7 And he shall sit next to Darius because of his wisdom, and shall be called Darius his cousin.
3:8 And then every one wrote his sentence, sealed it, and laid it under king Darius his pillow;
3:9 And said that, when the king is risen, some will give him the writings; and of whose side the king and the three princes of Persia shall judge that his sentence is the wisest, to him shall the victory be given, as was appointed.
3:10 The first wrote, Wine is the strongest.
3:11 The second wrote, The king is strongest.
3:12 The third wrote, Women are strongest: but above all things Truth beareth away the victory.
3:13 Now when the king was risen up, they took their writings, and delivered them unto him, and so he read them:
3:14 And sending forth he called all the princes of Persia and Media, and the governors, and the captains, and the lieutenants, and the chief officers;
3:15 And sat him down in the royal seat of judgment; and the writings were read before them.
3:16 And he said, Call the young men, and they shall declare their own sentences. So they were called, and came in.
3:17 And he said unto them, Declare unto us your mind concerning the writings. Then began the first, who had spoken of the strength of wine;
3:18 And he said thus, O ye men, how exceeding strong is wine! it causeth all men to err that drink it:
3:19 It maketh the mind of the king and of the fatherless child to be all one; of the bondman and of the freeman, of the poor man and of the rich:
3:20 It turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth, so that a man remembereth neither sorrow nor debt:
3:21 And it maketh every heart rich, so that a man remembereth neither king nor governor; and it maketh to speak all things by talents:
3:22 And when they are in their cups, they forget their love both to friends and brethren, and a little after draw out swords:
3:23 But when they are from the wine, they remember not what they have done.
3:24 O ye men, is not wine the strongest, that enforceth to do thus? And when he had so spoken, he held his peace.
4:1 Then the second, that had spoken of the strength of the king, began to say,
4:2 O ye men, do not men excel in strength that bear rule over sea and land and all things in them?
4:3 But yet the king is more mighty: for he is lord of all these things, and hath dominion over them; and whatsoever he commandeth them they do.
4:4 If he bid them make war the one against the other, they do it: if he send them out against the enemies, they go, and break down mountains walls and towers.
4:5 They slay and are slain, and transgress not the king’s commandment: if they get the victory, they bring all to the king, as well the spoil, as all things else.
4:6 Likewise for those that are no soldiers, and have not to do with wars, but use husbundry, when they have reaped again that which they had sown, they bring it to the king, and compel one another to pay tribute unto the king.
4:7 And yet he is but one man: if he command to kill, they kill; if he command to spare, they spare;
4:8 If he command to smite, they smite; if he command to make desolate, they make desolate; if he command to build, they build;