Part 281 (1/2)

8:10. And he said to them: Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad: for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

8:11. And the Levites stilled all the people, saying: Hold your peace, for the day is holy, and be not sorrowful.

8:12. So all the people went to eat and drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth: because they understood the words that he had taught them.

8:13. And on the second day the chiefs of the families of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Esdras the scribe, that he should interpret to them the words of the law.

8:14. And they found written in the law, that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in tabernacles, on the feast, in the seventh month:

8:15. And that they should proclaim and publish the word in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying: Go forth to the mount, and fetch branches of olive, and branches of beautiful wood, branches of myrtle, and branches of palm, and branches of thick trees, to make tabernacles, as it is written.

8:16. And the people went forth, and brought. And they made themselves tabernacles every man on the top of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of G.o.d, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.

8:17. And all the a.s.sembly of them that were returned from the captivity, made tabernacles, and dwelt in tabernacles: for since the days of Josue the son of Nun the children of Israel had not done so, until that day: and there was exceeding great joy.

8:18. And he read in the book of the law of G.o.d day by day, from the first day till the last, and they kept the solemnity seven days, and in the eighth day a solemn a.s.sembly according to the manner.

2 Esdras Chapter 9

The people repent with fasting and sackcloth. The Levites confess G.o.d's benefits, and the people's ingrat.i.tude: they pray for them, and make a covenant with G.o.d.

9:1. And in the four and twentieth day of the month the children of Israel came together with fasting and with sackcloth, and earth upon them.

9:2. And the seed of the children of Israel separated themselves from every stranger: and they stood, and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

9:3. And they rose up to stand: and they read in the book of the law of the Lord their G.o.d, four times in the day, and four times they confessed, and adored the Lord their G.o.d.

9:4. And there stood up upon the step of the Levites, Josue, and Bani, and Cedmihel, Sabania, Bonni, Sarebias, Bani, and Chanani: and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their G.o.d.

9:5. And the Levites Josue and Cedmihel, Bonni, Hasebnia, Serebia, Oduia, Sebnia, and Phathahia, said: Arise, bless the Lord your G.o.d from eternity to eternity: and blessed be the high name of thy glory with all blessing and praise.

9:6. Thou thyself, O Lord alone, thou hast made heaven, and the heaven of heavens, and all the host thereof: the earth and all things that are in it: the seas and all that are therein: and thou givest life to all these things, and the host of heaven adoreth thee.

9:7. Thou O Lord G.o.d, art he who chosest Abram, and broughtest him forth out of the fire of the Chaldeans, and gavest him the name of Abraham.

The fire of the Chaldeans... The city of Ur in Chaldea, the name of which signifies fire. Or out of the fire of the tribulations and temptations, to which he was there exposed.-The ancient Rabbins understood this literally, affirming that Abram was cast into the fire by the idolaters, and brought out by a miracle without any hurt.

9:8. And thou didst find his heart faithful before thee: and thou madest a covenant with him, to give him the land of the Chanaanite, of the Hethite, and of the Amorrhite, and of the Pherezite, and of the Jebusite, and of the Gergezite, to give it to his seed: and thou hast fulfilled thy words, because thou art just.

9:9. And thou sawest the affliction of our fathers in Egypt: and thou didst hear their cry by the Red Sea.

9:10. And thou shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharao, and upon all his servants, and upon the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them: and thou madest thyself a name, as it is at this day.

9:11. And thou didst divide the sea before them, and they pa.s.sed through the midst of the sea on dry land: but their persecutors thou threwest into the depth, as a stone into mighty waters.

9:12. And in a pillar of a cloud thou wast their leader by day, and in a pillar of fire by night, that they might see the way by which they went.

9:13. Thou camest down also to mount Sinai, and didst speak with them from heaven, and thou gavest them right judgments, and the law of truth, ceremonies, and good precepts.

9:14. Thou madest known to them thy holy sabbath, and didst prescribe to them commandments, and ceremonies, and the law by the hand of Moses thy servant.