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Ezra 1-10
Young's Literal Translation
Ezra 1-10
Young's Literal Translation
1 And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, at the completion of the word of Jehovah from the mouth of Jeremiah, hath Jehovah waked up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he causeth an intimation to pass over into all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying,
2 `Thus said Cyrus king of Persia, All kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, God of the heavens, given to me, and He hath laid a charge on me to build to Him a house in Jerusalem, that [is] in Judah;
3 who [is] among you of all His people? His God is with him, and he doth go up to Jerusalem, that [is] in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, God of Israel -- He [is] God -- that [is] in Jerusalem.
4 `And every one who is left, of any of the places where he [is] a sojourner, assist him do the men of his place with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, along with a free-will offering for the house of God, that [is] in Jerusalem.'
5 And heads of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin rise, and the priests and the Levites, even every one whose spirit God hath waked, to go up to build the house of Jehovah, that [is] in Jerusalem;
6 and all those round about them have strengthened [them] with their hands, with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, apart from all that hath been offered willingly.
7 And the king Cyrus hath brought out the vessels of the house of Jehovah that Nebuchadnezzar hath brought out of Jerusalem, and putteth them in the house of his gods;
8 yea, Cyrus king of Persia bringeth them out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbereth them to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
9 And this [is] their number: dishes of gold thirty, dishes of silver a thousand, knives nine and twenty,
10 basins of gold thirty, basins of silver (seconds) four hundred and ten, other vessels a thousand.
11 All the vessels of gold and of silver [are] five thousand and four hundred; the whole hath Sheshbazzar brought up with the going up of the removal from Babylon to Jerusalem.
2 And these [are] sons of the province who are going up -- of the captives of the removal that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed to Babylon, and they turn back to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city --
2 who have come in with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah: The number of the men of the people of Israel:
3 Sons of Parosh, two thousand a hundred seventy and two.
4 Sons of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.
5 Sons of Arah, seven hundred five and seventy.
6 Sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua, Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.
7 Sons of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
8 Sons of Zattu, nine hundred and forty and five.
9 Sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty.
10 Sons of Bani, six hundred forty and two.
11 Sons of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three.
12 Sons of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two.
13 Sons of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six.
14 Sons of Bigvai, two thousand fifty and six.
15 Sons of Adin, four hundred fifty and four.
16 Sons of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.
17 Sons of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
18 Sons of Jorah, a hundred and twelve.
19 Sons of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three.
20 Sons of Gibbar, ninety and five.
21 Sons of Beth-Lehem, a hundred twenty and three.
22 Men of Netophah, fifty and six.
23 Men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty and eight.
24 Sons of Azmaveth, forty and two.
25 Sons of Kirjath-Arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.
26 Sons of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.
27 Men of Michmas, a hundred twenty and two.
28 Men of Beth-El and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.
29 Sons of Nebo, fifty and two.
30 Sons of Magbish, a hundred fifty and six.
31 Sons of another Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
32 Sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
33 Sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five.
34 Sons of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.
35 Sons of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty.
36 The Priests: sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.
37 Sons of Imner, a thousand fifty and two.
38 Sons of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
39 Sons of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.
40 The Levites; sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, seventy and four.
41 The singers: sons of Asaph, a hundred twenty and eight.
42 Sons of the gatekeepers; sons of Shallum, sons of Ater, sons of Talmon, sons of Akkub, sons of Hatita, sons of Shobai, the whole [are] a hundred thirty and nine.
43 The Nethinim: sons of Ziha, sons of Hasupha, sons of Tabbaoth,
44 Sons of Keros, sons of Siaha, sons of Padon,
45 Sons of Lebanah, sons of Hagabah, sons of Akkub,
46 Sons of Hagab, sons of Shalmai, sons of Hanan,
47 Sons of Giddel, sons of Gahar, sons of Reaiah,
48 Sons of Rezin, sons of Nekoda, sons of Gazzam,
49 Sons of Uzza, sons of Paseah, sons of Besai,
50 Sons of Asnah, sons of Mehunim, sons of Nephusim,
51 Sons of Bakbuk, sons of Hakupha, sons of Harhur,
52 Sons of Bazluth, sons of Mehida, sons of Harsha,
53 Sons of Barkos, sons of Sisera, sons of Thamah,
54 Sons of Neziah, sons of Hatipha.
55 Sons of the servants of Solomon: sons of Sotai, sons of Sophereth, sons of Peruda,
56 Sons of Jaalah, sons of Darkon, sons of Giddel,
57 Sons of Shephatiah, sons of Hattil, sons of Pochereth of Zebaim, sons of Ami.
58 All the Nethinim, and the sons of the servants of Solomon [are] three hundred ninety and two.
59 And these [are] those going up from Tel-Melah, Tel-Harsa, Cherub, Addan, Immer, and they have not been able to declare the house of their fathers, and their seed, whether they [are] of Israel:
60 sons of Delaiah, sons of Tobiah, sons of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.
61 And of the sons of the priests: sons of Habaiah, sons of Koz, sons of Barzillai (who took from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite a wife, and is called by their name;)
62 these have sought their register among those reckoning themselves by genealogy, and they have not been found, and they are redeemed from the priesthood,
63 and the Tirshatha saith to them, that they eat not of the most holy things till the standing up of a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
64 All the assembly together [is] four myriad two thousand three hundred sixty,
65 apart from their servants and their handmaids; these [are] seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and of them [are] singers and songstresses two hundred.
66 Their horses [are] seven hundred thirty and six, their mules, two hundred forty and five,
67 their camels, four hundred thirty and five, asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
68 And some of the heads of the fathers in their coming in to the house of Jehovah that [is] in Jerusalem, have offered willingly for the house of God, to establish it on its base;
69 according to their power they have given to the treasure of the work; of gold, drams six myriads and a thousand, and of silver, pounds five thousand, and of priests' coats, a hundred.
70 And the priests dwell, and the Levites, and of the people, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, in their cities; even all Israel in their cities.
3 And the seventh month cometh, and the sons of Israel [are] in the cities, and the people are gathered, as one men, unto Jerusalem.
2 And rise doth Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and they build the altar of the God of Israel, to cause to ascend upon it burnt-offerings, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God.
3 And they establish the altar on its bases, because of the fear upon them of the peoples of the lands, and he causeth burnt-offerings to ascend upon it to Jehovah, burnt-offerings for the morning and for the evening.
4 And they make the feast of the booths as it is written, and the burnt-offering of the day daily in number according to the ordinance, the matter of a day in its day;
5 and after this a continual burnt-offering, and for new moons, and for all appointed seasons of Jehovah that are sanctified; and for every one who is willingly offering a willing-offering to Jehovah.
6 From the first day of the seventh month they have begun to cause burnt-offerings to ascend to Jehovah, and the temple of Jehovah hath not been founded,
7 and they give money to hewers and to artificers, and food, and drink, and oil to Zidonians and to Tyrians, to bring in cedar-trees from Lebanon unto the sea of Joppa, according to the permission of Cyrus king of Persia concerning them.
8 And in the second year of their coming in unto the house of God, to Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those coming from the captivity to Jerusalem, and they appoint the Levites from a son of twenty years and upward, to overlook the work of the house of Jehovah.
9 And Jeshua standeth, [and] his sons, and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, sons of Judah together, to overlook those doing the work in the house of God; the sons of Henadad, [and] their sons and their brethren the Levites.
10 And those building have founded the temple of Jehovah, and they appoint the priests, clothed, with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise Jehovah, by means of [the instruments of] David king of Israel.
11 And they respond in praising and in giving thanks to Jehovah, for good, for to the age His kindness [is] over Israel, and all the people have shouted -- a great shout -- in giving praise to Jehovah, because the house of Jehovah hath been founded.
12 And many of the priests, and the Levites, and the heads of the fathers, the aged men who had seen the first house -- in this house being founded before their eyes -- are weeping with a loud voice, and many with a shout, in joy, lifting up the voice;
13 and the people are not discerning the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people are shouting -- a great shout -- and the noise hath been heard unto a distance.
4 And adversaries of Judah and Benjamin hear that the sons of the captivity are building a temple to Jehovah, God of Israel,
2 and they draw nigh unto Zerubbabel, and unto heads of the fathers, and say to them, `Let us build with you; for, like you, we seek to your God, and we are not sacrificing since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Asshur, who brought us up hither.'
3 And Zerubbabel saith to them, also Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel, `Not for you, and for us, to build a house to our God; but we ourselves together do build to Jehovah God of Israel, as the king Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us.'
4 And it cometh to pass, the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble, and troubling them in building,
5 and are hiring against them counsellors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even till the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the commencement of his reign, they have written an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem;
7 and in the days of Artaxerxes have Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions written unto Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter is written in Aramaean, and interpreted in Aramaean.
8 Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus:
9 Then Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions, Dinaites, and Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites, (who are Elamites),
10 and the rest of the nations that the great and honourable Asnapper removed and set in the city of Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, and at such a time:
11 This [is] a copy of a letter that they have sent unto him, unto Artaxerxes the king: `Thy servants, men beyond the river, and at such a time;
12 Be it known to the king, that the Jews who have come up from thee unto us, have come in to Jerusalem, the rebellious and base city they are building, and the walls they have finished, and the foundations they join.
13 `Now, be it known to the king, that if this city be builded, and the walls finished, toll, tribute, and custom they do not give; and at length [to] the kings it doth cause loss.
14 Now, because that the salt of the palace [is] our salt, and the nakedness of the king we have no patience to see, therefore we have sent and made known to the king;
15 so that he doth seek in the book of the records of thy fathers, and thou dost find in the book of the records, and dost know, that this city [is] a rebellious city, and causing loss [to] kings and provinces, and makers of sedition [are] in its midst from the days of old, therefore hath this city been wasted.
16 We are making known to the king that, if this city be builded and the walls finished, by this means a portion beyond the river thou hast none.'
17 An answer hath the king sent unto Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions who are dwelling in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, `Peace, and at such a time:
18 The letter that ye sent unto us, explained, hath been read before me,
19 and by me a decree hath been made, and they sought, and have found that this city from the days of old against kings is lifting up itself, and rebellion and sedition is made in it,
20 and mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, even rulers over all beyond the river, and toll, tribute, and custom is given to them.
21 `Now, make ye a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city is not builded, till by me a decree is made.
22 And beware ye of negligence in doing this; why doth the hurt become great to the loss of the kings?'
23 Then from the time that a copy of the letter of king Artaxerxes is read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they have gone in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and strength;
24 then ceased the service of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem, and it ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
5 And prophesied have the prophets, (Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo) unto the Jews who [are] in Judah and in Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel -- unto them.
2 Then have Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, risen, and begun to build the house of God, that [is] in Jerusalem, and with them are the prophets of God supporting them.
3 At that time come to them hath Tatnai, governor beyond the river, and Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, and thus they are saying to them, `Who hath made for you a decree this house to build, and this wall to finish?'
4 Then thus we have said to them, `What [are] the names of the men who are building this building?'
5 And the eye of their God hath been upon the elders of the Jews, and they have not caused them to cease till the matter goeth to Darius, and then they send back a letter concerning this thing.
6 The copy of a letter that Tatnai, governor beyond the river, hath sent, and Shethar-Boznai and his companions, the Apharsachites who [are] beyond the river, unto Darius the king.
7 A letter they have sent unto him, and thus is it written in it:
8 `To Darius the king, all peace! be it known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the great house of God, and it is built [with] rolled stones, and wood is placed in the walls, and this work is done speedily, and prospering in their hand.
9 Then we have asked of these elders, thus we have said to them, Who hath made for you a decree this house to build, and this wall to finish?
10 And also their names we have asked of them, to let thee know, that we might write the names of the men who [are] at their head.
11 `And thus they have returned us word, saying, We [are] servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was built many years before this, that a great king of Israel built and finished:
12 but after that our fathers made the God of heaven angry, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon the Chaldean, and this house he destroyed, and the people he removed to Babylon;
13 but in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God,
14 and also, the vessels of the house of God, of gold and silver, that Nebuchadnezzar had taken forth out of the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, them hath Cyrus the king brought forth out of the temple of Babylon, and they have been given to [one], Sheshbazzar [is] his name, whom he made governor,
15 and said to him, These vessels lift up, go, put them down in the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, and the house of God is builded on its place.
16 Then hath this Sheshbazzar come -- he hath laid the foundations of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem, and from thence even till now it hath been building, and is not finished.
17 `And now, if to the king it be good, let search be made in the treasure-house of the king, that [is] there in Babylon, whether it be that of Cyrus the king there was made a decree to build this house of God in Jerusalem, and the will of the king concerning this thing he doth send unto us.'
6 Then Darius the king made a decree, and they sought in the house of the books of the treasuries placed there in Babylon,
2 and there hath been found at Achmetha, in a palace that [is] in the province of Media, a roll, and a record thus written within it [is]:
3 `In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king hath made a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: the house let be builded in the place where they are sacrificing sacrifices, and its foundations strongly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits;
4 three rows of rolled stones, and a row of new wood, and the outlay let be given out of the king's house.
5 `And also, the vessels of the house of God, of gold and silver, that Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, let be given back, and go to the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, [each] to its place, and put [them] down in the house of God.
6 `Now, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, the Apharsachites, who [are] beyond the river, be ye far from hence;
7 let alone the work of this house of God, let the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build this house of God on its place.
8 `And by me is made a decree concerning that which ye do with the elders of these Jews to build this house of God, that of the riches of the king, that [are] of the tribute beyond the river, speedily let the outlay be given to these men, that they cease not;
9 and what they are needing -- both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil according to the saying of the priests who [are] in Jerusalem -- let be given to them day by day without fail,
10 that they be bringing near sweet savours to the God of heaven, and praying for the life of the king, and of his sons.
11 `And by me is made a decree, that any one who changeth this thing, let wood be pulled down from his house, and being raised up, let him be smitten on it, and his house let be made a dunghill for this.
12 And God, who caused His name to dwell there, doth cast down any king and people that putteth forth his hand to change, to destroy this house of God that [is] in Jerusalem; I Darius have made a decree; speedily let it be done.'
13 Then Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king hath sent, so they have done speedily;
14 and the elders of the Jews are building and prospering through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo, and they have built and finished by the decree of the God of Israel, and by the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 And this house hath gone out till the third day of the month Adar, that is [in] the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
16 And the sons of Israel have made, [and] the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the sons of the captivity, a dedication of this house of God with joy,
17 and have brought near for the dedication of this house of God, bullocks a hundred, rams two hundred, lambs four hundred; and young he-goats for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve, according to the number of the tribes of Israel;
18 and they have established the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God that [is] in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
19 And the sons of the captivity make the passover on the fourteenth of the first month,
20 for the priests and the Levites have been purified together -- all of them [are] pure -- and they slaughter the passover for all the sons of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
21 And the sons of Israel, those returning from the captivity, and every one who is separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the land unto them, to seek to Jehovah, God of Israel, do eat,
22 and they make the feast of unleavened things seven days with joy, for Jehovah made them to rejoice, and turned round the heart of the king of Asshur unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
7 And after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the head priest;
6 Ezra himself hath come up from Babylon, and he [is] a scribe ready in the law of Moses, that Jehovah God of Israel gave, and the king giveth to him -- according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him -- all his request.
7 And there go up of the sons of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 And he cometh in to Jerusalem in the fifth month, that [is in] the seventh year of the king,
9 for on the first of the month he hath founded the ascent from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he hath come in unto Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him,
10 for Ezra hath prepared his heart to seek the law of Jehovah, and to do, and to teach in Israel statute and judgment.
11 And this [is] a copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commands of Jehovah, and of His statutes on Israel:
12 `Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a perfect scribe of the law of the God of heaven, and at such a time:
13 By me hath been made a decree that every one who is willing, in my kingdom, of the people of Israel and of its priests and Levites, to go to Jerusalem with thee, doth go;
14 because that from the king and his seven counsellors thou art sent, to inquire concerning Judah and concerning Jerusalem, with the law of God that [is] in thy hand,
15 and to carry silver and gold that the king and his counsellors willingly offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle [is] in Jerusalem,
16 and all the silver and gold that thou findest in all the province of Babylon, with the free-will offerings of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly, for the house of their God that [is] in Jerusalem,
17 therefore thou dost speedily buy with this money, bullocks, rams, lambs, and their presents, and their libations, and dost bring them near to the altar of the house of your God that [is] in Jerusalem,
18 and that which to thee and to thy brethren is good to do with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God ye do.'
19 `And the vessels that are given to thee, for the service of the house of thy God, make perfect before the God of Jerusalem;
20 and the rest of the needful things of the house of thy God, that it falleth to thee to give, thou dost give from the treasure-house of the king.
21 `And by me -- I Artaxerxes the king -- is made a decree to all treasurers who [are] beyond the river, that all that Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, doth ask of you, be done speedily:
22 Unto silver a hundred talents, and unto wheat a hundred cors, and unto wine a hundred baths, and unto oil a hundred baths, and salt without reckoning;
23 all that [is] by the decree of the God of heaven, let be done diligently for the house of the God of heaven; for why is there wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons?
24 `And to you we are making known, that upon any of the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, and servants of the house of God, tribute and custom there is no authority to lift up.
25 `And thou, Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God, that [is] in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may be judges to all the people who are beyond the river, to all knowing the law of thy God, and he who hath not known ye cause to know;
26 and any who doth not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, speedily is judgment done upon him, whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of riches, and to bonds.'
27 Blessed [is] Jehovah, God of our fathers, who hath given such a thing as this in the heart of the king, to beautify the house of Jehovah that [is] in Jerusalem,
28 and unto me hath stretched out kindness before the king and his counsellors, and before all the mighty heads of the king: and I have strengthened myself as the hand of Jehovah my God [is] upon me, and I gather out of Israel heads to go up with me.
8 And these [are] heads of their fathers, and the genealogy of those going up with me, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king, from Babylon.
2 From the sons of Phinehas: Gershom; from the sons of Ithamar: Daniel; from the sons of David: Hattush;
3 from the sons of Shechaniah, from the sons of Pharosh: Zechariah, and with him, reckoning themselves by genealogy, of males a hundred and fifty.
4 From the sons of Pahath-Moab: Elihoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred who are males.
5 From the sons of Shechaniah: the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred who are males.
6 And from the sons of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him fifty who are males.
7 And from the sons of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him seventy who are males.
8 And from the sons of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him eighty who are males.
9 From the sons of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen who are males.
10 And from the sons of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah, and with him a hundred and sixty who are males.
11 And from the sons of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight who are males.
12 And from the sons of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him a hundred and ten who are males.
13 And from the younger sons of Adonikam -- and these [are] their names -- Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them sixty who are males.
14 And from the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and with them seventy who are males.
15 And I gather them unto the river that is going unto Ahava, and we encamp there three days; and I consider about the people, and about the priests, and of the sons of Levi I have found none there;
16 and I send for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, heads, and for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding;
17 and I charge them for Iddo the head, in the place Casiphia, and put in their mouth words to speak unto Iddo, [and] his brethren the Nethinim, in the place Casiphia, to bring to us ministrants for the house of our God.
18 And they bring to us, according to the good hand of our God upon us, a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, and Sherebiah, and his sons, and his brethren, eighteen;
19 and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah, of the sons of Merari, his brethren, and their sons, twenty;
20 and from the Nethinim, whom David and the heads gave for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim, all of them defined by name.
21 And I proclaim there a fast, by the river Ahava, to afflict ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a right way for us, and for our infants, and for all our substance,
22 for I was ashamed to ask from the king a force and horsemen to help us because of the enemy in the way, for we spake to the king, saying, `The hand of our God [is] upon all seeking Him for good, and His strength and His wrath [is] upon all forsaking Him.'
23 And we fast, and seek from our God for this, and He is entreated of us.
24 And I separate from the heads of the priests, twelve, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them of their brethren ten,
25 and I weigh to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, a heave-offering of the house of our God, that the king, and his counsellors, and his heads, and all Israel -- those present -- lifted up;
26 and I weigh to their hand, of silver, talents six hundred and fifty, and of vessels of silver a hundred talents, of gold a hundred talents,
27 and basins of gold twenty, of a thousand drams, and two vessels of good shining brass, desirable as gold.
28 And I say unto them, `Ye [are] holy to Jehovah, and the vessels [are] holy, and the silver and the gold [are] a willing-offering to Jehovah, God of your fathers;
29 watch, and keep, till ye weigh before the heads of the priests, and of the Levites, and the heads of the fathers of Israel, in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of Jehovah.'
30 And the priests and the Levites took the weight of the silver, and of the gold, and of the vessels, to bring to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
31 And we journey from the river Ahava, on the twelfth of the first month, to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God hath been upon us, and He delivereth us from the hand of the enemy and the lier in wait by the way;
32 and we come in to Jerusalem, and dwell there three days.
33 And on the fourth day hath been weighed the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, in the house of our God, unto the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah the priest, and with him Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them Jozabad son of Jeshua, and Noadiah son of Binnui, the Levites:
34 by number, by weight of every one, and all the weight is written at that time.
35 Those coming in of the captives -- sons of the removal -- have brought near burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, bullocks twelve, for all Israel, rams ninety and six, lambs seventy and seven, young he-goats for a sin-offering twelve -- the whole a burnt-offering to Jehovah;
36 and they give the laws of the king to the lieutenants of the king and the governors beyond the river, and they have lifted up the people and the house of God.
9 And at the completion of these things, drawn nigh unto me have the heads, saying, `The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not been separated from the peoples of the lands, as to their abominations, even the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Egyptian, and the Amorite,
2 for they have taken of their daughters to them, and to their sons, and the holy seed have mingled themselves among the peoples of the lands, and the hand of the heads and of the seconds have been first in this trespass.'
3 And at my hearing this word, I have rent my garment and my upper robe, and pluck out of the hair of my head, and of my beard, and sit astonished,
4 and unto me are gathered every one trembling at the words of the God of Israel, because of the trespass of the removal, and I am sitting astonished till the present of the evening.
5 And at the present of the evening I have risen from mine affliction, and at my rending my garment and my upper robe, then I bow down on my knees, and spread out my hands unto Jehovah my God,
6 and say, `O my God, I have been ashamed, and have blushed to lift up, O my God, my face unto Thee, for our iniquities have increased over the head, and our guilt hath become great unto the heavens.
7 `From the days of our fathers we [are] in great guilt unto this day, and in our iniquities we have been given -- we, our kings, our priests -- into the hand of the kings of the lands, with sword, with captivity, and with spoiling, and with shame of face, as [at] this day.
8 `And now, as a small moment hath grace been from Jehovah our God, to leave to us an escape, and to give to us a nail in His holy place, by our God's enlightening our eyes, and by giving us a little quickening in our servitude;
9 for servants we [are], and in our servitude our God hath not forsaken us, and stretcheth out unto us kindness before the kings of Persia, to give to us a quickening to lift up the house of our God, and to cause its wastes to cease, and to give to us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 `And now, what do we say, O our God, after this? for we have forsaken Thy commands,
11 that Thou hast commanded by the hands of thy servants the prophets, saying, The land into which ye are going to possess it, [is] a land of impurity, by the impurity of the people of the lands, by their abominations with which they have filled it -- from mouth unto mouth -- by their uncleanness;
12 and now, your daughters ye do not give to their sons, and their daughters ye do not take to your sons, and ye do not seek their peace, and their good -- unto the age, so that ye are strong, and have eaten the good of the land, and given possession to your sons unto the age.
13 `And after all that hath come upon us for our evil works, and for our great guilt (for Thou, O our God, hast kept back of the rod from our iniquities, and hast given to us an escape like this),
14 do we turn back to break Thy commands, and to join ourselves in marriage with the people of these abominations? art not Thou angry against us -- even to consumption -- till there is no remnant and escaped part?
15 `O Jehovah, God of Israel, righteous [art] Thou, for we have been left an escape, as [it is] this day; lo, we [are] before Thee in our guilt, for there is none to stand before Thee concerning this.'
10 And at Ezra's praying, and at his making confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there have been gathered unto him out of Israel an assembly very great -- men and women and children -- for the people have wept, multiplying weeping.
2 And Shechaniah son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answereth and saith to Ezra, `We -- we have trespassed against our God, and we settle strange women of the peoples of the land; and now there is hope for Israel concerning this,
3 and now, let us make a covenant with our God, to cause all the women to go out, and that which is born of them, by the counsel of the Lord, and of those trembling at the command of our God, and according to law it is done;
4 rise, for on thee [is] the matter, and we [are] with thee; be strong, and do.'
5 And Ezra riseth, and causeth the heads of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear to do according to this word -- and they swear.
6 And Ezra riseth from before the house of God, and goeth unto the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib; yea, he goeth there, bread he hath not eaten, and water he hath not drunk, for he is mourning because of the trespass of the removal.
7 And they cause a voice to pass over into Judah and Jerusalem, to all sons of the removal, to be gathered to Jerusalem,
8 and every one who cometh not in by the third day, according to the counsel of the heads and of the elders, all his substance is devoted, and himself separated from the assembly of the removal.
9 And gathered are all the men of Judah and Benjamin to Jerusalem by the third day, it [is] the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sit in the broad place of the house of God, trembling on account of the matter and of the showers.
10 And Ezra the priest riseth, and saith unto them, `Ye -- ye have trespassed, and ye settle strange women, to add to the guilt of Israel;
11 and, now, make confession to Jehovah, God of your fathers, and do His good pleasure, and be separated from the peoples of the land, and from the strange women.'
12 And all the assembly answer and say [with] a great voice, `Right; according to thy word -- on us to do;
13 but the people [are] many, and [it is] the time of showers, and there is no power to stand without, and the work [is] not for one day, nor for two, for we have multiplied to transgress in this thing.
14 `Let, we pray thee, our heads of all the assembly stand, and all who [are] in our cities, who have settled strange wives, do come in at the times appointed, and with them the elders of city and city, and its judges, till the turning back of the fury of the wrath of our God from us, for this thing.'
15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel, and Jahaziah son of Tikvah, stood against this, and Meshullam, and Shabbethai the Levite, helped them.
16 And the sons of the removal do so, and Ezra the priest, [and] men, heads of the fathers, for the house of their fathers, are separated, even all of them by name, and they sit on the first day of the tenth month, to examine the matter;
17 and they finish with all the men who have settled strange women unto the first day of the first month.
18 And there are found of the sons of the priests that have settled strange women: of the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brethren, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah;
19 and they give their hand to send out their wives, and, being guilty, a ram of the flock, for their guilt.
20 And of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah;
21 and of the sons of Harim: Masseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah;
22 and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 And of the Levites: Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah -- he [is] Kelita, -- Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 And of the singers: Eliashib. And of the gatekeepers: Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
25 And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchijah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
26 And of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27 And of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
28 And of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.
29 And of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
30 And of the sons of Pahath-Moab: Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 And of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah.
33 Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei.
34 Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhu,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
38 and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
39 and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
40 Machnadbai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.
43 Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah;
44 all these have taken strange women, and there are of them women -- who adopt sons.
Ezra 1-10
New International Version
Ezra 1-10
New International Version
Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return(A)
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah,(B) the Lord moved the heart(C) of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed(D) me to build(E) a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. 4 And in any locality where survivors(F) may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold,(G) with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings(H) for the temple of God(I) in Jerusalem.’”(J)
5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin,(K) and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved(L)—prepared to go up and build the house(M) of the Lord in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold,(N) with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.
7 Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god.[a](O) 8 Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar(P) the prince of Judah.
9 This was the inventory:
| gold dishes | 30 |
| silver dishes | 1,000 |
| silver pans[b] | 29 |
| 10 gold bowls | 30 |
| matching silver bowls | 410 |
| other articles | 1,000 |
11 In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
The List of the Exiles Who Returned(Q)
2 Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles,(R) whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon(S) had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to their own town,(T) 2 in company with Zerubbabel,(U) Joshua,(V) Nehemiah, Seraiah,(W) Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah):
The list of the men of the people of Israel:
| 3 the descendants of Parosh(X) | 2,172 |
| 4 of Shephatiah | 372 |
| 5 of Arah | 775 |
| 6 of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) | 2,812 |
| 7 of Elam | 1,254 |
| 8 of Zattu | 945 |
| 9 of Zakkai | 760 |
| 10 of Bani | 642 |
| 11 of Bebai | 623 |
| 12 of Azgad | 1,222 |
| 13 of Adonikam(Y) | 666 |
| 14 of Bigvai | 2,056 |
| 15 of Adin | 454 |
| 16 of Ater (through Hezekiah) | 98 |
| 17 of Bezai | 323 |
| 18 of Jorah | 112 |
| 19 of Hashum | 223 |
| 20 of Gibbar | 95 |
| 21 the men of Bethlehem(Z) | 123 |
| 22 of Netophah | 56 |
| 23 of Anathoth | 128 |
| 24 of Azmaveth | 42 |
| 25 of Kiriath Jearim,[c] Kephirah and Beeroth | 743 |
| 26 of Ramah(AA) and Geba | 621 |
| 27 of Mikmash | 122 |
| 28 of Bethel and Ai(AB) | 223 |
| 29 of Nebo | 52 |
| 30 of Magbish | 156 |
| 31 of the other Elam | 1,254 |
| 32 of Harim | 320 |
| 33 of Lod, Hadid and Ono | 725 |
| 34 of Jericho(AC) | 345 |
| 35 of Senaah | 3,630 |
36 The priests:
| the descendants of Jedaiah(AD) (through the family of Jeshua) | 973 |
| 37 of Immer(AE) | 1,052 |
| 38 of Pashhur(AF) | 1,247 |
| 39 of Harim(AG) | 1,017 |
40 The Levites:(AH)
| the descendants of Jeshua(AI) and Kadmiel (of the line of Hodaviah) | 74 |
41 The musicians:(AJ)
| the descendants of Asaph | 128 |
42 The gatekeepers(AK) of the temple:
| the descendants of | |
| Shallum, Ater, Talmon, | |
| Akkub, Hatita and Shobai | 139 |
43 The temple servants:(AL)
| the descendants of |
| Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, |
| 44 Keros, Siaha, Padon, |
| 45 Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, |
| 46 Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, |
| 47 Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, |
| 48 Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, |
| 49 Uzza, Paseah, Besai, |
| 50 Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim, |
| 51 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, |
| 52 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, |
| 53 Barkos, Sisera, Temah, |
| 54 Neziah and Hatipha |
55 The descendants of the servants of Solomon:
| the descendants of |
| Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, |
| 56 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, |
| 57 Shephatiah, Hattil, |
| Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Ami |
| 58 The temple servants(AM) and the descendants of the servants of Solomon | 392 |
59 The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended(AN) from Israel:
| 60 The descendants of | |
| Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda | 652 |
61 And from among the priests:
| The descendants of |
| Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite(AO) and was called by that name). |
62 These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood(AP) as unclean. 63 The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food(AQ) until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.(AR)
64 The whole company numbered 42,360, 65 besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 200 male and female singers.(AS) 66 They had 736 horses,(AT) 245 mules, 67 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
68 When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families(AU) gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. 69 According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics[d] of gold, 5,000 minas[e] of silver and 100 priestly garments.
70 The priests, the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.(AV)
Rebuilding the Altar
3 When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,(AW) the people assembled(AX) together as one in Jerusalem. 2 Then Joshua(AY) son of Jozadak(AZ) and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel(BA) and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses(BB) the man of God. 3 Despite their fear(BC) of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices.(BD) 4 Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles(BE) with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. 5 After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon(BF) sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord,(BG) as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. 6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.
Rebuilding the Temple
7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters,(BH) and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs(BI) by sea from Lebanon(BJ) to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus(BK) king of Persia.
8 In the second month(BL) of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel(BM) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty(BN) years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. 9 Joshua(BO) and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah[f]) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.
10 When the builders laid(BP) the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets,(BQ) and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise(BR) the Lord, as prescribed by David(BS) king of Israel.(BT) 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:
“He is good;
his love toward Israel endures forever.”(BU)
And all the people gave a great shout(BV) of praise to the Lord, because the foundation(BW) of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple,(BX) wept(BY) aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy(BZ) from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.
Opposition to the Rebuilding
4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building(CA) a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon(CB) king of Assyria, who brought us here.”(CC)
3 But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”(CD)
4 Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.[g](CE) 5 They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Later Opposition Under Xerxes and Artaxerxes
6 At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes,[h](CF) they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.(CG)
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes(CH) king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic(CI) language.[i][j]
8 Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
9 Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates(CJ)—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk(CK) and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,(CL) 10 and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal(CM) deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.(CN)
11 (This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)
To King Artaxerxes,
From your servants in Trans-Euphrates:
12 The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.(CO)
13 Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty(CP) will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.[k] 14 Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, 15 so that a search may be made in the archives(CQ) of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed.(CR) 16 We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.
17 The king sent this reply:
To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates:(CS)
Greetings.
18 The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. 19 I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt(CT) against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. 20 Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates,(CU) and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. 21 Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. 22 Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?(CV)
23 As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates,(CW) they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.
24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius(CX) king of Persia.
Tattenai’s Letter to Darius
5 Now Haggai(CY) the prophet and Zechariah(CZ) the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied(DA) to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel(DB) son of Shealtiel and Joshua(DC) son of Jozadak set to work(DD) to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
3 At that time Tattenai,(DE) governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai(DF) and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?”(DG) 4 They[l] also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” 5 But the eye of their God(DH) was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.
6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. 7 The report they sent him read as follows:
To King Darius:
Cordial greetings.
8 The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work(DI) is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.
9 We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?”(DJ) 10 We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
11 This is the answer they gave us:
“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple(DK) that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our ancestors angered(DL) the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.(DM)
13 “However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree(DN) to rebuild this house of God. 14 He even removed from the temple[m] of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple[n] in Babylon.(DO) Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar,(DP) whom he had appointed governor, 15 and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’
16 “So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God(DQ) in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”
17 Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives(DR) of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.
The Decree of Darius
6 King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives(DS) stored in the treasury at Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:
3 In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid.(DT) It is to be sixty cubits[o] high and sixty cubits wide, 4 with three courses(DU) of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury.(DV) 5 Also, the gold(DW) and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.(DX)
6 Now then, Tattenai,(DY) governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai(DZ) and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. 7 Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
8 Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:
Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury,(EA) from the revenues(EB) of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings(EC) to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.(ED)
11 Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled(EE) on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble.(EF) 12 May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there,(EG) overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I Darius(EH) have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
Completion and Dedication of the Temple
13 Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates(EI) carried it out with diligence. 14 So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching(EJ) of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus,(EK) Darius(EL) and Artaxerxes,(EM) kings of Persia. 15 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.(EN)
16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication(EO) of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of this house of God they offered(EP) a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering[p] for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they installed the priests in their divisions(EQ) and the Levites in their groups(ER) for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.(ES)
The Passover
19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.(ET) 20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered(EU) the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. 21 So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves(EV) from the unclean practices(EW) of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord,(EX) the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(EY) because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude(EZ) of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
Ezra Comes to Jerusalem
7 After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes(FA) king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah,(FB) the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,(FC) 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok,(FD) the son of Ahitub,(FE) 3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas,(FF) the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— 6 this Ezra(FG) came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted(FH) him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.(FI) 7 Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.(FJ)
8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.(FK) 10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching(FL) its decrees and laws in Israel.
King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra
11 This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel:
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings,(FM)
To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:
Greetings.
13 Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. 14 You are sent by the king and his seven advisers(FN) to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. 15 Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given(FO) to the God of Israel, whose dwelling(FP) is in Jerusalem, 16 together with all the silver and gold(FQ) you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem.(FR) 17 With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs,(FS) together with their grain offerings and drink offerings,(FT) and sacrifice(FU) them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
18 You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. 19 Deliver(FV) to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. 20 And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.(FW)
21 Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you— 22 up to a hundred talents[q] of silver, a hundred cors[r] of wheat, a hundred baths[s] of wine, a hundred baths[t] of olive oil, and salt without limit. 23 Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?(FX) 24 You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty(FY) on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.(FZ)
25 And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint(GA) magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach(GB) any who do not know them. 26 Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.[u](GC)
27 Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart(GD) to bring honor(GE) to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way 28 and who has extended his good favor(GF) to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me,(GG) I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
List of the Family Heads Returning With Ezra
8 These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:(GH)
2 of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom;
of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel;
of the descendants of David, Hattush 3 of the descendants of Shekaniah;(GI)
of the descendants of Parosh,(GJ) Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men;
4 of the descendants of Pahath-Moab,(GK) Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;
5 of the descendants of Zattu,[v] Shekaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;
6 of the descendants of Adin,(GL) Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;
7 of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men;
8 of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men;
9 of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men;
10 of the descendants of Bani,[w] Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men;
11 of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;
12 of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;
13 of the descendants of Adonikam,(GM) the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;
14 of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zakkur, and with them 70 men.
The Return to Jerusalem
15 I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava,(GN) and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites(GO) there. 16 So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning, 17 and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the temple servants(GP) in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God. 18 Because the gracious hand of our God was on us,(GQ) they brought us Sherebiah,(GR) a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all; 19 and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 in all. 20 They also brought 220 of the temple servants(GS)—a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.
21 There, by the Ahava Canal,(GT) I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey(GU) for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers(GV) and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone(GW) who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.(GX)” 23 So we fasted(GY) and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.
24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah,(GZ) Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, 25 and I weighed out(HA) to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. 26 I weighed out to them 650 talents[x] of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents,[y] 100 talents[z] of gold, 27 20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics,[aa] and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.
28 I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord.(HB) The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. 29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.” 30 Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.
31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal(HC) to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us,(HD) and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32 So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.(HE)
33 On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out(HF) the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth(HG) son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad(HH) son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.(HI) 34 Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.
35 Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls(HJ) for all Israel,(HK) ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering,[ab] twelve male goats.(HL) All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king’s orders(HM) to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,(HN) who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.(HO)
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(HP) from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites,(HQ) Ammonites,(HR) Moabites,(HS) Egyptians and Amorites.(HT) 2 They have taken some of their daughters(HU) as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled(HV) the holy race(HW) with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”(HX)
3 When I heard this, I tore(HY) my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled.(HZ) 4 Then everyone who trembled(IA) at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled(IB) until the evening sacrifice.
5 Then, at the evening sacrifice,(IC) I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands(ID) spread out to the Lord my God 6 and prayed:
“I am too ashamed(IE) and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.(IF) 7 From the days of our ancestors(IG) until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword(IH) and captivity,(II) to pillage and humiliation(IJ) at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.
8 “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious(IK) in leaving us a remnant(IL) and giving us a firm place[ac](IM) in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes(IN) and a little relief in our bondage. 9 Though we are slaves,(IO) our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness(IP) in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins,(IQ) and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands(IR) 11 you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering(IS) to possess is a land polluted(IT) by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices(IU) they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. 12 Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them(IV) at any time, that you may be strong(IW) and eat the good things(IX) of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’(IY)
13 “What has happened to us is a result of our evil(IZ) deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved(JA) and have given us a remnant like this. 14 Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry(JB) with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us,(JC) leaving us no remnant(JD) or survivor? 15 Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous!(JE) We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand(JF) in your presence.(JG)”
The People’s Confession of Sin
10 While Ezra was praying and confessing,(JH) weeping(JI) 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. 2 Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam,(JJ) said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful(JK) to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.(JL) 3 Now let us make a covenant(JM) before our God to send away(JN) all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. 4 Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”
5 So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath(JO) to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. 6 Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water,(JP) because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7 A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. 8 Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.
9 Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin(JQ) had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. 10 Then Ezra(JR) the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt.(JS) 11 Now honor[ad] the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”(JT)
12 The whole assembly responded with a loud voice:(JU) “You are right! We must do as you say. 13 But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. 14 Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges(JV) of each town, until the fierce anger(JW) of our God in this matter is turned away from us.”
Footnotes
- Ezra 1:7 Or gods
- Ezra 1:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Ezra 2:25 See Septuagint (see also Neh. 7:29); Hebrew Kiriath Arim.
- Ezra 2:69 That is, about 1,100 pounds or about 500 kilograms
- Ezra 2:69 That is, about 3 tons or about 2.8 metric tons
- Ezra 3:9 Hebrew Yehudah, a variant of Hodaviah
- Ezra 4:4 Or and troubled them as they built
- Ezra 4:6 Hebrew Ahasuerus
- Ezra 4:7 Or written in Aramaic and translated
- Ezra 4:7 The text of 4:8–6:18 is in Aramaic.
- Ezra 4:13 The meaning of the Aramaic for this clause is uncertain.
- Ezra 5:4 See Septuagint; Aramaic We.
- Ezra 5:14 Or palace
- Ezra 5:14 Or palace
- Ezra 6:3 That is, about 90 feet or about 27 meters
- Ezra 6:17 Or purification offering
- Ezra 7:22 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
- Ezra 7:22 That is, probably about 18 tons or about 16 metric tons
- Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
- Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
- Ezra 7:26 The text of 7:12-26 is in Aramaic.
- Ezra 8:5 Some Septuagint manuscripts (also 1 Esdras 8:32); Hebrew does not have Zattu.
- Ezra 8:10 Some Septuagint manuscripts (also 1 Esdras 8:36); Hebrew does not have Bani.
- Ezra 8:26 That is, about 24 tons or about 22 metric tons
- Ezra 8:26 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
- Ezra 8:26 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
- Ezra 8:27 That is, about 19 pounds or about 8.4 kilograms
- Ezra 8:35 Or purification offering
- Ezra 9:8 Or a foothold
- Ezra 10:11 Or Now make confession to
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