1 Now in the first year of ^[a]Cyrus king of Persia [almost seventy years after the first Jewish captives were taken to Babylon], that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might begin to be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing:^(A)

² Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.

³ Whoever is among you of all His people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem; He is God.

⁴ And in any place where a survivor [of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews] sojourns, let the men of that place assist him with silver and gold, with goods and beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.

⁵ Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites, with all those whose spirits God had stirred up, to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.

⁶ And all those who were around them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, goods, beasts, and precious things, besides all that was willingly and freely offered.

⁷ Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem [when he took that city] and had put in the house of his gods.

⁸ These Cyrus king of Persia directed Mithredath the treasurer to bring forth and count out to Sheshbazzar [who is Zerubbabel, recognized as the legitimate heir to the throne of David] the prince of Judah.

⁹ And they numbered: 30 basins of gold; 1,000 basins of silver; 29 sacrificial dishes;

¹⁰ Of gold bowls, 30; another sort of silver bowl, 410; and other vessels, 1,000.

¹¹ All the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these Sheshbazzar [the governor] brought with the people of the captivity from Babylon to Jerusalem.

2 Now these are the people of the province [of Judah] who went up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, but who came again to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his own city.

² These came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah [not the author], Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai [not Esther’s relative], Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of Israel:

³ The sons [meaning male descendants] of Parosh, 2,172.

⁴ The sons of Shephatiah, 372.

⁵ The sons of Arah, 775.

⁶ The sons of Pahath-moab, namely of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812.

⁷ The sons of Elam, 1,254.

⁸ The sons of Zattu, 945.

⁹ The sons of Zaccai, 760.

¹⁰ The sons of Bani, 642.

¹¹ The sons of Bebai, 623.

¹² The sons of Azgad, 1,222.

¹³ The sons of Adonikam, 666.

¹⁴ The sons of Bigvai, 2,056.

¹⁵ The sons of Adin, 454.

¹⁶ The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98.

¹⁷ The sons of Bezai, 323.

¹⁸ The sons of Jorah, 112.

¹⁹ The sons of Hashum, 223.

²⁰ The sons of Gibbar, 95.

²¹ The sons of Bethlehem, 123.

²² The men of Netophah, 56.

²³ The men of Anathoth, 128.

²⁴ The sons of Azmaveth, 42.

²⁵ The sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743.

²⁶ The sons of Ramah and Geba, 621.

²⁷ The men of Michmas, 122.

²⁸ The men of Bethel and Ai, 223.

²⁹ The sons of Nebo, 52.

³⁰ The sons of Magbish, 156.

³¹ The sons of the other Elam, 1,254.

³² The sons of Harim, 320.

³³ The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725.

³⁴ The sons of Jericho, 345.

³⁵ The sons of Senaah, 3,630.

³⁶ The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973.

³⁷ The sons of Immer, 1,052.

³⁸ The sons of Pashhur, 1,247.

³⁹ The sons of Harim, 1,017.

⁴⁰ The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the house of Hodaviah, 74.

⁴¹ The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128.

⁴² The sons of the gatekeepers: of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, in all 139.

⁴³ The Nethinim [the temple servants]: the sons of Ziba, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

⁴⁴ The sons of Keros, Siaha, Padon,

⁴⁵ The sons of Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,

⁴⁶ The sons of Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,

⁴⁷ The sons of Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,

⁴⁸ The sons of Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,

⁴⁹ The sons of Uzza, Paseah, Besai,

⁵⁰ The sons of Asnah, Meunim, Nephisim,

⁵¹ The sons of Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

⁵² The sons of Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

⁵³ The sons of Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

⁵⁴ The sons of Neziah [and] of Hatipha.

⁵⁵ The sons of [King] Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, Sophereth (Hassophereth), Peruda,

⁵⁶ The sons of Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,

⁵⁷ The sons of Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth-hazzebaim, Ami.

⁵⁸ All the Nethinim [the temple servants] and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.

⁵⁹ And these were they who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they could not show a record of their fathers’ houses or prove their descent, whether they were of Israel:

⁶⁰ The sons of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 652.

⁶¹ And of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, of Hakkoz, and of Barzillai, who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the [noted] Gileadite and had assumed their name.^(A)

⁶² These sought their names among those enrolled in the genealogies, but they were not found; so they were excluded from the priesthood as [ceremonially] unclean.

⁶³ [Zerubbabel] the governor told them they should not eat of the most holy things [the priests’ food] until there should be a priest with Urim and Thummim [who by consulting these articles in his breastplate could ^[a]know God’s will in the matter].

⁶⁴ The whole congregation numbered 42,360,

⁶⁵ Besides their menservants and maidservants, 7,337; and among them they had 200 men and women singers.

⁶⁶ Their horses were 736; their mules, 245;

⁶⁷ Their camels were 435; their donkeys, 6,720.

⁶⁸ Some of the heads of families, when they came to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God to [re]build it on its site.

⁶⁹ They gave as they were able to the treasury for the work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priests’ garments.

⁷⁰ So the priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their own towns, and all Israel [gradually settled] into their towns.

³⁹ And at that time Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town of Judah,

⁴⁰ And she went to the house of Zachariah and, entering it, saluted Elizabeth.

⁴¹ And it occurred that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit.

⁴² And she cried out with a loud cry, and then exclaimed, Blessed (favored of God) above all other women are you! And blessed (favored of God) is the Fruit of your womb!

⁴³ And how [have I deserved that this honor should] be granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

⁴⁴ For behold, the instant the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

⁴⁵ And blessed (happy, ^[a]to be envied) is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord.

⁴⁶ And Mary said, My soul magnifies and extols the Lord,

⁴⁷ And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

⁴⁸ For He has looked upon the low station and humiliation of His handmaiden. For behold, from now on all generations [of all ages] will call me blessed and declare me happy and ^[b]to be envied!

⁴⁹ For He Who is almighty has done great things for me—and holy is His name [to be venerated in His purity, majesty and glory]!

⁵⁰ And His mercy (His compassion and kindness toward the miserable and afflicted) is on those who fear Him with godly reverence, from generation to generation and age to age.^(A)

⁵¹ He has shown strength and ^[c]made might with His arm; He has scattered the proud and haughty in and by the imagination and purpose and designs of their hearts.

⁵² He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree.

⁵³ He has filled and satisfied the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty-handed [without a gift].

⁵⁴ He has laid hold on His servant Israel [to help him, to espouse his cause], in remembrance of His mercy,

⁵⁵ Even as He promised to our forefathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.^(B)

⁵⁶ And Mary remained with her [Elizabeth] for about three months and [then] returned to her [own] home.

⁵⁷ Now the time that Elizabeth should be delivered came, and she gave birth to a son.

⁵⁸ And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy on her, and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹ And it occurred that on the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were intending to call him Zachariah after his father,^(C)

⁶⁰ But his mother answered, Not so! But he shall be called John.

⁶¹ And they said to her, None of your relatives is called by that name.

⁶² And they inquired with signs to his father [as to] what he wanted to have him called.

⁶³ Then Zachariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, His name is John. And they were all astonished.

⁶⁴ And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak, blessing and praising and thanking God.

⁶⁵ And awe and reverential fear came on all their neighbors; and all these things were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.

⁶⁶ And all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, Whatever will this little boy be then? For the hand of the Lord was [^[d]so evidently] with him [protecting and aiding him].

⁶⁷ Now Zachariah his father was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸ Blessed (praised and extolled and thanked) be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and brought deliverance and redemption to His people!

⁶⁹ And He has raised up a Horn of salvation [a mighty and valiant Helper, the Author of salvation] for us in the house of David His servant—

⁷⁰ This is as He promised by the mouth of His holy prophets from the most ancient times [in the memory of man]—

⁷¹ That we should have deliverance and be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who detest and pursue us with hatred;

⁷² To make true and show the mercy and compassion and kindness [promised] to our forefathers and to remember and carry out His holy covenant [to bless, which is ^[e]all the more sacred because it is made by God Himself],

⁷³ That covenant He sealed by oath to our forefather Abraham:

⁷⁴ To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our foes, might serve Him fearlessly

⁷⁵ In holiness (divine consecration) and righteousness [in accordance with the everlasting principles of right] within His presence all the days of our lives.

⁷⁶ And you, little one, shall be called a prophet of the Most High; for you shall go on before the face of the Lord to make ready His ways,^(D)

⁷⁷ To bring and give the knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness and remission of their sins.

⁷⁸ Because of and through the heart of tender mercy and loving-kindness of our God, a Light from on high will dawn upon us and visit [us]^(E)

⁷⁹ To shine upon and give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct and guide our feet in a straight line into the way of peace.^(F)

⁸⁰ And the little boy grew and became strong in spirit; and he was in the deserts (wilderness) until the day of his appearing to Israel [the commencement of his public ministry].

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