Capitulum I. To breþeren, þat ben by Egipt, Jewis, helþe ſayen breþeren, þat ben in Jeruſalem, Jewis, and þat ben in þe cuntree of Judee, and good pees. God do wel to ȝou, and haue mynd of his teſtament, þat he ſpake to Abraham, Yſaac, and Jacob, his trewe ſeruauntis; and ȝeue herte to ȝou alle, þat ȝe wirſhipe hym, and do þe wille of hym wiþ grete herte and wilful ynwytt. Opene he ȝour herte in his lawe, and his heeſtis, and make he pees; heere he graciouſly ȝour preyers, and be recounſeilid to ȝou, neþer forſake ȝou in yuel tyme. And nowe we ben here preyinge for ȝou. Regnynge Demetrie in þe hundrid ȝeer and ſixti and nynþe, we Jewis han writen to ȝou in tribulacioun and ferſneſſe, þat came aboue to vs in þeſe ȝeeris, ſiþen Jaſon wente oute of þe holy lond and rewme. Þei brenten þe ȝate, and ſhedden out innocent blood; and we preyeden to þe Lord, and we ben graciouſly herd, and we han offrid ſacrifice, and cleene flour, and han tendid lanterns, and han putte forþ looues. And nowe vſe ȝe þe days of Senephegie, of þe moneþ Caſleu. In þe hundred ȝeer and eiȝte and eiȝtiþe, þe peple þat is in Jeruſalem and in Judee, and þe ſenate, and Judas, to Ariſtoble, maiſter of Tholome, kyng, þat is of þe kyn of oyntyd preſtis, and to hem þat ben in Egypt, Jewis, helþe of ſoule, and helþe of body. We delyuerd of God fro grete perilis, don þankyngis to hym hugely, as we þat han fouȝten aȝeinus ſiche a kyng. Forſoþe he made to buyle out of Perſis hem þat fouȝten aȝeinus vs and þe holy citee. For whi whan in Perſe was þe duyke hym ſelf, and wiþ hym al þe ooſt, he felle in þe temple of Nauee, diſceyuyd bi þe counſeil of þe preſt of Nauee. Forſoþe as to dwellyng wiþ hym Antiochus came to þe place, and his freendis, and for to take myche moneys by name of dower. And whan preſtis of Nauee hadden putte hem forþ, and he wiþ fewe entride wiþ ynne cumpas of þe temple, þei cloſiden þe temple, whanne Antiochus had entride. And þe priuy entree of þe temple opnyd, þei ſendinge ſtoons ſmyten þe duyk, and hem þat weren wiþ hym, and departiden lym mele; and þe hedis gird off, caſten forþ out. Bi alle þingis bleſſid God, þat bitoke vnpitous men. Þerfore we to makynge puryfiyng, or clenſynge, of þe temple, in þe fyue and twentiþe day of þe moneþ Caſleu, ledden needful for to ſignyfie to ȝou, þat and ȝe do þe day of Senephegie, and þe day of fijr, þat is ȝouen, whan Neemye offride ſacrifices, and þe temple and þe auter bildid. For whi whan oure fadris weren ledde in to Perſis, preſtis þat þanne weren wirſhipers of God, hidden priuyly fijr taken of þe auter, in a valey, wher was a deep pitt, and drye; and þerynne þei kepten it, ſo þat þe place was vnknowen to alle men. Forſoþe whanne many ȝeeris hadden paſſid, and it pleſide to God þat Neemye was ſente fro þe kyng of Perſis, he ſente þe ſonys ſonys of preſtis þat hidden, for to ſeeke fijre; and as þei teelden to vs, þei foonden not fijre, bot fatt water. And he comaundide hem for to drawe, and brynge to hym. And Neemye, preſt, comaundide þe ſacrifices, þat weren put vpon, for to be ſpreynt wiþ þis water, and þe trees, and þo þat weren putte aboue. And as þis was don, and þe tyme came to, in whiche þe ſunne ſhoon aȝein, þat byfore was in cloude, a grete fijr is kyndlid, ſo þat alle men wondriden. Forſoþe alle þe preſtis maden preyer, whijl þe ſacrifice was eendid; Jonaþas bygynnynge, oþer forſoþe anſwerynge. And þe preyer of Neemye was hauynge þis manere. Lord God, of alle þingis maker of nouȝt, dreedful and ſtronge, iuſt and mercyful, whiche aloon art a good kyng, aloon ȝeuynge, aloone iuſt, and almiȝti, and wiþ out bigynnyng and eend, whiche delyueriſt Yrael fro al yuel, whiche madiſt choſen faders, and halewidiſt hem; take þou ſacrifice for al þy peple Yrael, and keepe þi part, and halewe. Gadre oure ſcateryng, delyuere hem þat ſeruen to heiþen men, and biholde þou diſpiſid men, and maad abomynable, þat heiþen men wite, þat þou art oure God. Tourment þou men oppreſſynge vs, and doynge diſpite in pride. Ordeyn þi peple in þin holy place, as Moyſes ſaide. Forſoþe preſtis ſungen ympnys, tyl þe ſacrifice was eendid. Forſoþe whan þe ſacrifice was eendid, Neemye comaundide þe more ſtoons for to be ſhed on of þe reſidue water; whiche þing as was don, flawme is kyndlid of hem, bot it is waaſtid of þe liȝt, þat aȝein ſhynyde of þe auter. Forſoþe as þe þing is knowen, it is tolde to þe kyng of Peris, þat in þe place in whiche þo preſtis þat weren tranſlatid, hadden hidde fijr, water apperide, of whiche Neemye and þei þat weren wiþ hym, clenſiden ſacrifices. Forſoþe þe kyng byholdynge and diligently examyninge þe þing, made a temple to hym, for to proue þat þing þat was don.