1Esdras:4
Seeker Overlay ON
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Then the second ,
that had spoken of the strength of the king ,
began to say ,
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O ye men ,
do not men excel in strength that bear rule over sea and land and all things in them ?
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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And yet he is but one man :
if he command to kill ,
they kill ;
if he command to spare ,
they spare ;
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If he command to smite ,
they smite ;
if he command to make desolate ,
they make desolate ;
if he command to build ,
they build ;
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If he command to cut down ,
they cut down ;
if he command to plant ,
they plant .
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So all his people and his armies obey him :
furthermore he lieth down ,
he eateth and drinketh ,
and taketh his rest :
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And these keep watch round about him ,
neither may any one depart ,
and do his own business ,
neither disobey they him in any thing .
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O ye men ,
how should not the king be mightiest ,
when in such sort he is obeyed ?
And he held his tongue .
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Then the third ,
who had spoken of women ,
and of the truth , (
this was Zorobabel )
began to speak .
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O ye men ,
it is not the great king ,
nor the multitude of men ,
neither is it wine ,
that excelleth ;
who is it then that ruleth them ,
or hath the lordship over them ?
are they not women ?
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Women have borne the king and all the people that bear rule by sea and land .
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Even of them came they :
and they nourished them up that planted the vineyards ,
from whence the wine cometh .
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These also make garments for men ;
these bring glory unto men ;
and without women cannot men be .
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Yea ,
and if men have gathered together gold and silver ,
or any other goodly thing ,
do they not love a woman which is comely in favour and beauty ?
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And letting all those things go ,
do they not gape ,
and even with open mouth fix their eyes fast on her ;
and have not all men more desire unto her than unto silver or gold ,
or any goodly thing whatsoever ?
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A man leaveth his own father that brought him up ,
and his own country ,
and cleaveth unto his wife .
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He sticketh not to spend his life with his wife .
and remembereth neither father ,
nor mother ,
nor country .
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By this also ye must know that women have dominion over you :
do ye not labour and toil ,
and give and bring all to the woman ?
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Yea ,
a man taketh his sword ,
and goeth his way to rob and to steal ,
to sail upon the sea and upon rivers ;
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And looketh upon a lion ,
and goeth in the darkness ;
and when he hath stolen ,
spoiled ,
and robbed ,
he bringeth it to his love .
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Wherefore a man loveth his wife better than father or mother .
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Yea ,
many there be that have run out of their wits for women ,
and become servants for their sakes .
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Many also have perished ,
have erred ,
and sinned ,
for women .
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And now do ye not believe me ?
is not the king great in his power ?
do not all regions fear to touch him ?
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Yet did I see him and Apame the king '
s concubine ,
the daughter of the admirable Bartacus ,
sitting at the right hand of the king ,
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And taking the crown from the king '
s head ,
and setting it upon her own head ;
she also struck the king with her left hand .
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And yet for all this the king gaped and gazed upon her with open mouth :
if she laughed upon him ,
he laughed also :
but if she took any displeasure at him ,
the king was fain to flatter ,
that she might be reconciled to him again .
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O ye men ,
how can it be but women should be strong ,
seeing they do thus ?
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Then the king and the princes looked one upon another :
so he began to speak of the truth .
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O ye men ,
are not women strong ?
great is the earth ,
high is the heaven ,
swift is the sun in his course ,
for he compasseth the heavens round about ,
and fetcheth his course again to his own place in one day .
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Is he not great that maketh these things ?
therefore great is the truth ,
and stronger than all things .
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All the earth crieth upon the truth ,
and the heaven blesseth it :
all works shake and tremble at it ,
and with it is no unrighteous thing .
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Wine is wicked ,
the king is wicked ,
women are wicked ,
all the children of men are wicked ,
and such are all their wicked works ;
and there is no truth in them ;
in their unrighteousness also they shall perish .
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As for the truth ,
it endureth ,
and is alwaYs strong ;
it liveth and conquereth for evermore .
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With her there is no accepting of persons or rewards ;
but she doeth the things that are just ,
and refraineth from all unjust and wicked things ;
and all men do well like of her works .
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Neither in her judgment is any unrighteousness ;
and she is the strength ,
kingdom ,
power ,
and majesty ,
of all ages .
Blessed be the God of truth .
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And with that he held his peace .
And all the people then shouted ,
and said ,
Great is Truth ,
and mighty above all things .
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Then said the king unto him ,
Ask what thou wilt more than is appointed in the writing ,
and we will give it thee ,
because thou art found wisest ;
and thou shalt sit next me ,
and shalt be called my cousin .
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Then said he unto the king ,
Remember thy vow ,
which thou hast vowed to build Jerusalem ,
in the day when thou camest to thy kingdom ,
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And to send away all the vessels that were taken away out of Jerusalem ,
which Cyrus set apart ,
when he vowed to destroy Babylon ,
and to send them again thither .
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Thou also hast vowed to build up the temple ,
which the Edomites burned when Judea was made desolate by the Chaldees .
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And now ,
O lord the king ,
this is that which I require ,
and which I desire of thee ,
and this is the princely liberality proceeding from thyself :
I desire therefore that thou make good the vow ,
the performance whereof with thine own mouth thou hast vowed to the King of heaven .
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Then Darius the king stood up ,
and kissed him ,
and wrote letters for him unto all the treasurers and lieutenants and captains and governors ,
that they should safely convey on their way both him ,
and all those that go up with him to build Jerusalem .
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He wrote letters also unto the lieutenants that were in Celosyria and Phenice ,
and unto them in Libanus ,
that they should bring cedar wood from Libanus unto Jerusalem ,
and that they should build the city with him .
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Moreover he wrote for all the Jews that went out of his realm up into Jewry ,
concerning their freedom ,
that no officer ,
no ruler ,
no lieutenant ,
nor treasurer ,
should forcibly enter into their doors ;
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And that all the country which they hold should be free without tribute ;
and that the Edomites should give over the villages of the Jews which then they held :
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Yea ,
that there should be yearly given twenty talents to the building of the temple ,
until the time that it were built ;
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And other ten talents yearly ,
to maintain the burnt offerings upon the altar every day ,
as they had a commandment to offer seventeen :
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And that all they that went from Babylon to build the city should have free liberty ,
as well they as their posterity ,
and all the priests that went away .
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He wrote also concerning .
the charges ,
and the priests '
vestments wherein they minister ;
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And likewise for the charges of the Levites ,
to be given them until the day that the house were finished ,
and Jerusalem builded up .
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And he commanded to give to all that kept the city pensions and wages .
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He sent away also all the vessels from Babylon ,
that Cyrus had set apart ;
and all that Cyrus had given in commandment ,
the same charged he also to be done ,
and sent unto Jerusalem .
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Now when this young man was gone forth ,
he lifted up his face to heaven toward Jerusalem ,
and praised the King of heaven ,
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And said ,
From thee cometh victory ,
from thee cometh wisdom ,
and thine is the glory ,
and I am thy servant .
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Blessed art thou ,
who hast given me wisdom :
for to thee I give thanks ,
O Lord of our fathers .
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And so he took the letters ,
and went out ,
and came unto Babylon ,
and told it all his brethren .
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And they praised the God of their fathers ,
because he had given them freedom and liberty
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To go up ,
and to build Jerusalem ,
and the temple which is called by his name :
and they feasted with instruments of musick and gladness seven days .
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