¹² But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple,^(A) wept^(B) 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^(C) from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

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.

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,^(A) because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.