Καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ εἰκοστῇ καὶ τετάρτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς τούτου συνήχθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν νηστείᾳ καὶ ἐν σάκκοις.
καὶ ἐχωρίσθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ παντὸς υἱοῦ ἀλλοτρίου, καὶ ἔστησαν καὶ ἐξηγόρευσαν τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς ἀνομίας τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν.
καὶ ἔστη ἐπὶ ἀναβάσει τῶν Λευειτῶν Ἰησοῦς καὶ υἱοὶ
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Καδμιήλ, Σαραβιὰ υἱὸς Ἀραβιά, καὶ ἐβόησαν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ πρὸς Κύριον τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν.
καὶ εἴποσαν οἱ Λευεῖται Ἰησοῦς καὶ Καδμιήλ Ἀνάστητε, εὐλογεῖτε Κύριον τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος· καὶ εὐλογήσουσιν ὄνομα δόξης σου, καὶ ὑψώσουσιν ἐπὶ πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ καὶ αἰνέσει.
καὶ εἶπεν Ἔσρας Σὺ εἶ αὐτὸς Κύριος μόνος· σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν στάσιν αὐτῶν, τὴν γῆν καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐστὶν ἐν αὐτῇ, τὰς θαλάσσας καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐταῖς, καὶ σὺ ζωοποιεῖς τὰ πάντα· καὶ σοὶ προσκυνοῦσιν αἱ στρατεῖαι τῶν οὐρανῶν.
σὺ εἶ ό θεός, σὺ ἐξελέξω ἐν Ἀβρὰμ καὶ ἐξήγαγες αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς χώρας τῶν Χαλδαίων, καὶ ἐπέθηκας αὐτῷ ὄνομα Ἀβραάμ.
καὶ εὗρες τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ πιστὴν ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ διέθου πρὸς αὐτὸν διαθήκην δοῦναι αὐτῷ τὴν γῆν τῶν Χαναναίων καὶ Χετταίων καὶ Ἀμορραίων καὶ Φερεζαίων καὶ Ἰεβουσαίων καὶ Γεργεσαίων καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἔστησας τοὺς λόγους σου, ὅτι δίκαιος σύ.
καὶ εἶδες τὴν ταπείνωσιν τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ τὴν κραυγὴν αὐτῶν ἤκουσας ἐπὶ θάλασσαν ἐρυθράν.
καὶ ἔδωκας σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, ἐν Φαραὼ καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς παισὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ λαῷ τῆς γῆς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἔγνως ὅτι ὑπερηφάνησαν ἐπʼ αὐτούς· καὶ ἐποίησας σεαυτῷ ὄνομα, ὡς ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη.
καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ἔρηξας ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ παρήλθοσαν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐν ξηρασίᾳ, καὶ τοὺς καταδιώξαντας αὐτοὺς ἔριψας εἰς βυθὸν ὡσεὶ λίθον ἐν ὕδατι σφοδρῷ.
καὶ ἐν στύλῳ νεφέλης ὡδήγησας αὐτοὺς ἡμέρας καὶ ἐν στύλῳ πυρὸς τὴν νύκτα, τοῦ φωτίσαι αὐτοῖς τὴν ὁδὸν ἐν ᾖ πορεύσονται ἐν αὐτῇ.
καὶ τὸ σάββατόν σου τὸ ἅγιον ἐγνώρισας αὐτοῖς, ἐντολὰς καὶ προστάγματα καὶ νόμον ἐνετείλω αὐτοῖς ἐν χειρὶ Μωυσῆ δούλου σου.
καὶ ἄρτον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς εἰς σιτοδοτείαν αὐτῶν, καὶ ὕδωρ ἐκ πέτρας ἐξήνεγκας αὐτοῖς εἰς δίψαν αὐτῶν. καὶ εἶπας αὐτοῖς εἰσελθεῖν κληρονομῆσαι τὴν γῆν ἐφʼ ἣν ἐξέτεινας τὴν χεῖρά σου δοῦναι αὐτοῖς.
καὶ ἐσκλήρυναν τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν τῶν ἐντολῶν σου.
καὶ ἀνένευσαν τοῦ εἰσακοῦσαι, καὶ οὐκ ἀνεμνήσθησαν τῶν θαυμασίων σου ὦν ἐποίησας μετʼ αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐσκλήρυναν τὸν τράχηλον αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔδωκαν ἀρχὴν ἐπιστρέψαι εἰς δουλείαν αὐτῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ. καὶ σὺ θεὸς ἐλεήμων καὶ οἰκτείρμων, μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος, καὶ οὐκ ἐνκατέλιπες αὐτοὺς.
ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς μόσχον χωνευτὸν καὶ εἶπαν Οὗτοι οἱ θεοὶ οἱ ἐξαγαγόντες ἡμᾶς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου· καὶ ἐποίησαν παροργισμοὺς μεγάλους.
καὶ σὺ ἐν οἰκτειρμοῖς σου τοῖς πολλοῖς οὐκ ἐνκατέλιπες αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· τὸν στύλον τῆς νεφέλης οὐκ ἐξέκλινας ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἡμέρας ὁδηγῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, καὶ τὸν στύλον τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν νύκτα φωτίζειν αὐτοῖς τὴν ὁδὸν ἐν ᾗ πορεύσονται ἐν αὐτῇ.
καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά σου τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἔδωκας συνετίσαι αὐτούς, καὶ τὸ μάννα σου οὐκ ἀφυστερήσας ἀπὸ στόματος αὐτῶν, καὶ ὕδωρ ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς τῷ δίψει αὐτῶν.
καὶ τεσσεράκοντα ἔτη διέθρεψας αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· οὐχ ὑστέρησας· ἱμάτια αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐπαλαιώθησαν, καὶ πόδες αὐτῶν οὐ διερράγησαν.
καὶ ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς βασιλέας καὶ λαούς, καὶ ἐμέρισας αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐκληρονόμησαν τὴν γῆν Σηὼν καὶ τὴν Ὢγ βασιλέως τοῦ Βασάν.
καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν ἐπλήθυνας ὡς τοὺς ἀστέρας τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ εἰσήγαγες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν γῆν ἣν εἶπας τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐκληρονόμησαν αὐτήν.
καὶ κατελάβοσαν πόλεις ὑψηλάς, καὶ ἐκληρονόμησαν οἰκίας πλήρεις πάντων ἀγαθῶν, λάκκους λελατομημένους, ἀμπελῶνας καὶ ἐλαιῶνας καὶ πᾶν ξύλον βρώσιμον εἰς πλῆθος· καὶ ἐφάγοσαν καὶ ἐνεπλήσθησαν καὶ ἐλιπάνθησαν, καὶ ἐτρύφησαν ἐν ἀγαθωσύνῃ σου τῇ μεγάλῃ.
καὶ ἠλάλαξαν καὶ ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ σοῦ, καὶ ἔρριψαν τὸν νόμον σου ὀπίσω σώματος αὐτῶν, καὶ τοὺς προφήτας σου ἀπέκτειναν οἳ διεμαρτύραντο ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐπιστρέψαι αὐτοὺς πρὸς σέ, καὶ ἐποίησαν παροργισμοὺς μεγάλους.
καὶ ἔδωκας αὐτοὺς ἐν χειρὶ θλιβόντων αὐτούς, καὶ ἔθλιψαν αὐτούς· καὶ ἀνεβόησαν πρὸς σέ ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως αὐτῶν, καὶ σὺ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ σου ἤκουσας, καὶ ἐν οἰκτειρμοῖς σου τοῖς μεγάλοις ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς σωτῆρας καὶ ἔσωσας αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς θλίβοντος αὐτούς.
καὶ ὡς ἀνεπαύσαντο, ἐπέστρεψαν ποιῆσαι τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιόν σου· καὶ ἐγκατέλιπες αὐτοὺς εἰς χεῖρας ἐχθρῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ κατῆρξαν ἐν αὐτοῖς. καὶ πάλιν ἀνεβόησαν πρὸς σέ, καὶ σὺ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εἰσήκουσας καὶ ἐρρύσω αὐτοὺς ἐν οἰκτειρμοῖς σου πολλοῖς,
καὶ ἐπεμαρτύρω αὐτοῖς ἐπιστρέψαι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν νόμον σου· καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν, ἀλλὰ ἐυτολαῖς σου καὶ ἐν τοῖς κρίμασί σου ἡμάρτοσαν, ἃ ποιήσας αὐτὰ ἄνθρωπος ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς· καὶ ἔδωκαν νῶτον ἀπειθοῦντα καὶ τράχηλον αὐτῶν ἐσκλήρυναν, καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν.
καὶ εἴλκυσας ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἔτη πολλά, καὶ ἐπεμαρτύρω αὐτοῖς ἐν πνεύματί σου ἐν χειρὶ προφητῶν σου· καὶ οὐκ ἠνωτίσαντο, καὶ ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς ἐν χειρὶ λαῶν τῆς γῆς.
καὶ σὺ ἐν οἰκτειρμοῖς σου τοῖς πολλοῖς οὐκ ἐποίησας αὐτοῖς συντέλειαν καὶ οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπες αὐτούς, ὅτι ἰσχυρὸς καὶ ἐλεήμων καὶ οἰκτείρμων.
καὶ νῦν ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ὁ μέγας ὁ κραταιὸς καὶ ὁ φοβερός, φυλάσσων τὴν διαθήκην σου καὶ τὸ ἔλεός σου, μὴ ὀλιγωθήτω ἐνώπιόν σου πᾶς ὁ μόχθος ὃς εὗρεν ἡμᾶς καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς ἡμῶν καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἡμῶν καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς ἡμῶν καὶ τοὺς
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προφήτας ἡμῶν καὶ τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ λαῷ σου ἀπὸ ἡμερῶν βασιλέων Ἀσσοὺρ καὶ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης.
καὶ σὺ δίκαιος ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐρχομένοις ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς, ὅτι ἀλήθειαν ἐποίησας· καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐξημάρτομεν,
καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς ἡμῶν καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ἡμῶν καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς ἡμῶν καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐποίησαν τὸν νόμον σου, καὶ οὐ προσέσχον τῶν ἐντολῶν σου καὶ τὰ μαρτύριά σου ἃ διεμαρτύρω αὐτοῖς.
καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν βασιλείᾳ σου καὶ ἐν ἀγαθωσύνῃ τῇ πολλῇ ᾗ ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐν τῇ γῇ τῇ πλατείᾳ καὶ λιπαρᾷ ᾗ ἔδωκας ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐδούλευσάν σοι, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέστρεψαν ἀπὸ ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐτῶν τῶν πονηρῶν.
ἰδού ἐσμεν σήμερον δοῦλοι, καὶ ἡ γῆ ἣν ἔδωκας τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν φαγεῖν τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς,
τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν οἷς ἔδωκας ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἐν ἁμαρτίσις ἡμῶν· καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ σώματα ἡμῶν ἐξουσιάζουσιν καὶ ἐν κτήνεσιν ἡμῶν ὡς ἀρεστὸν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐν θλίψει μεγάλῃ ἐσμέν.
καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις ἡμεῖς διατιθέμεθα πίστιν· καὶ γράφομεν, καὶ ἐπισφραγίζουσιν ἄρχοντες ἡμῶν, Λευεῖται ἡμῶν, ἱερεῖς ἡμῶν.
2 Ezra. Septuaginta. ed. Henry Barclay Swete. United States. 2017.
Funding provided by Harvard Library Arcadia Fund.