One Nation Under One King

¹⁵ The word of the Lord came to me:

²⁰ Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on ²¹ and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.^{(A) 22} I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.^(B) There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.^{(C) 23} They will no longer defile^(D) themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,^[a](E) and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.^(F)

²⁴ “‘My servant David^(G) will be king^(H) over them, and they will all have one shepherd.^(I) They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.^{(J) 25} They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived.^(K) They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever,^(L) and David my servant will be their prince forever.^{(M) 26} I will make a covenant of peace^(N) with them; it will be an everlasting covenant.^(O) I will establish them and increase their numbers,^(P) and I will put my sanctuary among them^(Q) forever.^{(R) 27} My dwelling place^(S) will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.^{(T) 28} Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy,^(U) when my sanctuary is among them forever.^(V)’”

Ezra’s Prayer About Intermarriage

9 After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate^(A) from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites,^(B) Ammonites,^(C) Moabites,^(D) Egyptians and Amorites.^{(E) 2} They have taken some of their daughters^(F) as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled^(G) the holy race^(H) with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”^(I)

³ When I heard this, I tore^(J) my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled.^(K)

The People’s Confession of Sin

10 While Ezra was praying and confessing,^(A) weeping^(B) and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly.

¹⁰ Then Ezra^(A) the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt.^{(B) 11} Now honor^[a] the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”^(C)

8 ¹ all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate.^(A) They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses,^(B) which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

² So on the first day of the seventh month^(C) Ezra the priest brought the Law^(D) before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³ He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate^(E) in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

2 ¹ on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,^(A) the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^{(B) 2} “Speak to Zerubbabel^(C) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,^[a](D) the high priest, and to the remnant^(E) of the people. Ask them, ³ ‘Who of you is left who saw this house^(F) in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?^{(G) 4} But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong,^(H) Joshua son of Jozadak,^(I) the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with^(J) you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁵ ‘This is what I covenanted^(K) with you when you came out of Egypt.^(L) And my Spirit^(M) remains among you. Do not fear.’^(N)

⁶ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while^(O) I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,^(P) the sea and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake all nations, and what is desired^(Q) by all nations will come, and I will fill this house^(R) with glory,^(S)’ says the Lord Almighty.

The Coming of Zion’s King

The Lord Will Appear

Mourning for the One They Pierced

¹⁰ “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit^[a](A) of grace and supplication.^(B) They will look on^[b] me, the one they have pierced,^(C) and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child,^(D) and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.^(E)