The Daily Audio Bible
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21 And I preached there fasting beside the flood of Ahava, that we should be tormented before the Lord our God, and that we should ask of him the right way to us, and to our sons, and to all our substance. (And I preached, or proclaimed, that we should fast there beside the Ahava River, and that we should be tormented before the Lord our God, and that we should ask him for a safe journey for us, and for our sons, and for all our possessions.)
22 For I shamed to ask of the king help, and horsemen, which should defend us from our enemies in the way (For I was ashamed to ask the king for any help, or for horsemen, who could defend us on the way from our enemies), for we had said to the king, The hand of our God is upon all men that seek him in goodness; and his lordship, and his strength, and his strong vengeance, be on all men that forsake him.
23 And (so) we fasted, and prayed (to) our God for this thing, and it befelled to us wellsomely.
24 And I separated twelve of the princes of (the) priests, Sherebiah, and Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them; (And I separated out, or chose, twelve of the leaders of the priests, Sherebiah, and Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them;)
25 and I betook under certain weight and number to them the silver and gold, and the hallowed vessels of the house of our God, which the king had offered, and his counsellors, and his princes, and all the men that were found of Israel. (and I delivered into their hands, under certain weight and number, the silver and the gold, and the holy vessels of the House of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, or his officials, and his leaders, and all the Israelites who were found, had offered.)
26 And I betook under certain weight and number into the hands of them six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and an hundred silveren vessels; an hundred talents of gold, (And so I delivered into their hands, under certain weight and number, six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and a hundred silver vessels; and a hundred talents of gold,)
27 and twenty golden cups, or basins, which had in weight a thousand pieces of gold; and two fair vessels of best brass, shining as gold. (and twenty gold bowls, which were worth/which weighed a thousand pieces of gold; and two beautiful vessels of the best bronze, shining as gold.)
28 And I said to them, Ye be the holy men of the Lord; and therefore watch ye, and keepeth the holy vessels, and the silver and gold (and so keepeth watch over the holy vessels, and the silver and the gold), that is offered by free will to the Lord God of our fathers,
29 till ye yield (them) under certain weight and number before the princes of priests, and of deacons, and before (the) dukes of (the) families of Israel in Jerusalem, into the chamber of God’s house. (until ye give them under certain weight and number to the leaders of the priests, and the Levites, and the leaders of the families of the tribes of Israel in Jerusalem, in the rooms of the House of God.)
30 And the priests and deacons took the weight of silver, and of gold, and of vessels, for to bear them into Jerusalem, into the house of our God. (And so the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, in order to carry them to Jerusalem, to the House of our God.)
31 Therefore we moved forth from the flood of Ahava, in the twelfth day of the first month, for to go into Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and delivered us from the hand of [the] enemy, and of the ambusher in the way. (And so we moved forth from the Ahava River, on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and delivered us from the hands of the enemy, and of the ambusher on the way.)
32 And we came to Jerusalem, and we dwelled there three days (and we stayed there three days).
33 Forsooth in the fourth day the silver was yielded [up] under certain weight and number, and the gold, and the vessels, in the house of our God, by the number and weight of all things, by the hand of Meremoth, the son of Uriah, (the) priest; and with him was Eleazar, the son of Phinehas, and with them were Jozabad, the son of Joshua, and Noadiah, the son of Binnui, deacons; (And on the fourth day, the silver, and the gold, and the vessels were weighed in the House of our God, and given into the hands, or the care, of Meremoth the priest, the son of Uriah; and with him was Eleazar, the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad, the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah, the son of Binnui;)
34 and all the weight was described in that time. (and the number and the weight of all the things were listed at that time.)
35 But also the sons of (the) transmigration, that came from (the) captivity, offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord God of Israel, twelve calves for all the people of Israel, ninety and six rams, seven and seventy lambs, twelve bucks of (the) goats for sin; all these were offered into burnt sacrifice to the Lord. (And the sons of them who had been carried off, and had now come back from the captivity, offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord God of Israel, yea, twelve calves for all the people of Israel, ninety-six rams, and seventy-seven lambs, and also twelve goat bucks for a sin offering; all these were offered as a burnt sacrifice to the Lord.)
36 Forsooth they gave the commandments of the king to the princes, that were in the sight of the king, and to the dukes beyond the flood; and they raised up the people, and the house of God. (Then they gave the king’s orders to the leaders who served the king there, and to the governors of the province on the west side of the Euphrates River; and then they supported the people, and the House of God.)
9 And after that these things were fulfilled, the princes nighed to me, that is, to Ezra, and said, The people of Israel, and the priests, and deacons, be not separated from the peoples of (the) lands, and from [the] abominations of them, that is, of Canaanites, of Hittites, and of Perizzites, and of Jebusites, and of Ammonites, and of Moabites, and of Egyptians, and of Amorites. (And after that these things were finished, the leaders came to me, Ezra, and said, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not set themselves apart from the peoples of these lands, that is, from the Canaanites, and Hittites, and Perizzites, and Jebusites, and Ammonites, and Moabites, and Egyptians, and Amorites, and from all their abominations.)
2 For they have taken of their daughters wives to themselves, and to their sons, and they have meddled holy seed with the peoples of (the) lands; also the hand of (the) princes and of (the) magistrates was the first in this trespassing. (For they have taken their daughters as wives for themselves, and for their sons as well, and they have mixed, or mingled, holy seed with the peoples of these lands; yea, the hands of the leaders and of the magistrates were the first in this trespass.)
3 And when I had heard this word, I rent my mantle and my coat, and I pulled away the hairs of mine head and of my beard, and I sat mourning. (And when I had heard this, I tore my cloak and my coat, and I pulled away the hairs of my head and of my beard, and I sat down mourning.)
4 Forsooth all that dreaded the word of (the) God of Israel came together to me, for the trespassing of them that were come from [the] captivity; and I sat sorry till to the sacrifice of eventide (And all who feared the word/who revered the word of the God of Israel came together to me, because of the trespassing of those who were come from the captivity; and I sat in despair until the evening sacrifice.)
5 And in the sacrifice of eventide I rose up from mine affliction, and after that I had rent my mantle and my coat (And at the evening sacrifice I rose up from my affliction, and after that I had torn my cloak and my coat), I bowed my knees, and I spreaded abroad mine hands to the Lord my God,
6 and I said, My God, I am confounded and ashamed to raise up my face to thee, for our wickednesses be multiplied on mine head, and our trespasses have increased unto heaven, (and I said, My God, I am shamed and ashamed to raise up my face to thee, for our wickednesses be multiplied upon our heads, and our trespasses have increased unto the heavens,)
7 from the days of our fathers hitherto; and also we ourselves have sinned grievously unto this day, and for our wickednesses we, and our kings, and our priests be betaken into the hands of kings of heathen lands, both into sword, and into captivity, into raven, and into shame of cheer, as also in this day. (from the days of our forefathers unto now; for we ourselves have grievously sinned, and because of our wickednesses we, and our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hands of the kings of heathen lands, yea, unto the sword, and into captivity, and unto robbing, or pillage, and unto the shame of our face, as it is this very day.)
8 And now as at a little time and at a moment our prayer is made with the Lord our God, that [the] relics, or remnants, should be left to us, and that a little stake, that is, some setting, and stableness, should be given in his holy place, and that our God should lighten our eyes, and give to us a little life in our servage. (But now, for a little moment, the Lord our God hath been gracious to us, and a remnant hath escaped, and he hath given us a little stake, that is, some place of settling, and of stability, in this his Holy Place, and our God hath enlightened our eyes, and he hath given us a little life in the midst of our servitude, or our slavery.)
9 For we be servants; and our God forsook us not in our servage/in our thralldom; and he bowed down mercy upon us before the king(s) of Persia, that he should give life to us, and (so we could) enhance the house of our God, and that he should build (again) the wildernesses thereof, or the desolate things thereof, and give to us hope, or mercy, in Judah and in Jerusalem. (For we be slaves; but our God hath not left us in our servitude, or our slavery; but he bowed down mercy upon us from the kings of Persia, to give life to us, so that we could rebuild the House of our God, and repair its ruins, and so give us a wall of defence, or a safe place, here in Judah and in Jerusalem.)
10 And now, Lord our God, what shall we say after these things? For we have forsaken thy commandments,
11 which thou commandedest in the hand of thy servants (the) prophets, and saidest, The land, to which ye shall enter, to hold it in possession, is an unclean land, by the uncleanness of peoples, and of other lands, in the abominations of them, that (have) filled it with their defouling, from the mouth till to the mouth. (which thou commandedest by thy servants the prophets, and saidest, The land, to which ye shall enter to have for a possession, is an unclean land, because of the uncleanness and the abominations of the people there, from other lands, who have filled it with their defiling, from one end to the other.)
12 Now therefore, ye Jews, give ye not your daughters to their sons, nor take ye their daughters to your sons; nor seek ye the peace of them, nor their prosperity unto without end; that ye be comforted, and eat the good things, that be of the earth, and that ye have your sons (as) your heirs, unto without end (so that ye be strengthened, and eat the good things of the land, and that ye leave it for an inheritance to your sons forevermore).
13 And after all things, or dis-eases, that came upon us in our worst works, and in our great trespass, thou, our God, hast delivered us from our wickedness, and hast given health to us, as it is today, (And though much suffering came upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, thou, our God, hast not punished us as we deserved, but thou hast rescued us, or hast saved us, from our wickedness, and hast given us the deliverance, which we have today,)
14 that we should not be turned away from thee, and make void thy commandments, and that we should not join matrimonies with the peoples of these abominations. Whether thou art wroth to us till to the ending, that thou shouldest not leave to us remnants, that is, a few men, and health? (so now should we turn away from thee, and make void thy commandments, and join matrimonies with the peoples of these abominations? Nay! For wouldest thou not then be angry with us unto the end, so that thou wouldest leave no remnant, that is, even a few people, who would survive?)
15 Lord God of Israel, thou art just; for we be left, that should be saved, as in this day, lo! we be before thee in our sin; for men may not stand before thee on this thing. (Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous; we who be left, be but a remnant, that thou hast let survive, unto this day; lo! we be before thee in our sin; but because of it we cannot stand before thee.)
5 Yet all manner of fornication is heard among you, and such fornication, which is not among heathen men, so that some man have the wife of his father [so that one man have the wife of his father].
2 And ye be swollen with pride [And ye be blown with pride], and not more had wailing, that he that did this work, be taken away from the middle of you.
3 And I absent in body [Soothly I absent in body], but present in spirit, now have deemed as present him that hath thus wrought,
4 when ye be gathered together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and my spirit, with the virtue of the Lord Jesus,
5 to betake such a man to Satan, into the perishing of flesh, that the spirit be safe in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not, that a little sourdough impaireth all the gobbet [that a little sourdough corrupteth all the gobbet]?
7 Cleanse ye out the old sourdough, that ye be new sprinkling together, as ye be therf. For Christ offered is our pask. [Cleanse ye out old sourdough, that ye be new sprinkling together, as ye be therf, or without souring. Forsooth Christ is offered our pask.]
8 Therefore eat we, not in old sourdough, neither in sourdough of malice and waywardness, but in therf things of clearness and of truth [of clearness and truth].
9 I wrote to you in an epistle, that ye be not mixed with lechers, [I wrote to you in an epistle, that ye be not mingled, or commune not, with lechers,]
10 not with lechers of this world, nor with covetous men, nor raveners, nor with men serving to maumets[a], else ye should have gone out of this world.
11 But now I have written to you, that ye be not mixed [Now soothly I wrote to you, to be not mingled, or commune not with such]. If he that is named a brother among you, and is a lecher, or covetous, or serving to idols, or a curser, or full of drunkenness, or a ravener, to take no meat with such [with such neither to take meat].
12 For what is it to me to deem of them that be withoutforth? Whether ye deem not of things that be withinforth? [Forsooth what to me to deem of them that be withoutforth. Whether ye deem not of them that be withinforth?]
13 For God shall deem them that be withoutforth. Do ye away evil from yourselves.
31 To victory, the psalm of David. Lord, I have hoped in thee, be I not shamed [into] without end; deliver thou me in thy rightfulness. (To victory, the song of David. Lord, I have put my trust in thee, let me never be shamed; save thou me in thy righteousness.)
2 Bow down thine ear to me; haste thou to deliver me. Be thou to me into God a defender, and into an house of refuge; that thou make me safe. (Bow down thy ear to me; hasten thou to rescue me. God, be my defender, and a house of refuge; so that thou keep me safe/so that thou save me.)
3 For thou art my strength and my refuge; and for (the sake of) thy name, thou shalt lead me forth, and shalt nourish me.
4 Thou shalt lead me out of the snare, which they hid to me (which they have hid for me); for thou art my defender.
5 I betake my spirit into thine hands; Lord God of truth, thou hast again-bought me. (I commit, or I entrust, my spirit into thy hands; Lord God of truth, thou hast redeemed me.)
6 Thou hatest them that keep vanities superfluously. Forsooth I hoped in the Lord; (Thou hatest them who worship false gods, or useless idols. But I put my trust in the Lord;)
7 I shall have fully joy, and shall be glad in thy mercy. For thou beheldest my meekness; thou savedest my life from needs. (I shall have full out joy, or rejoice, and shall be glad for thy love. For thou hast beheld my troubles; thou hast saved my life from dis-eases, or distress.)
8 And thou closedest not me (al)together within the hands of the enemy; thou hast set my feet in a large place. (And thou enclosedest me not in the hands of the enemy; thou hast set me free in a large place.)
21 As partings of waters, so the heart of the king is in the power of the Lord; whither ever he will, he shall bow it. (Like out-flowings of water, is the king’s heart in the Lord’s hand; he shall turn it wherever he will, or desireth.)
2 Each way of a man seemeth rightful to himself; but the Lord weigheth the hearts.
2001 by Terence P. Noble