³ They set the altar in its place, ^(A)for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and ^(B)they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening.

⁴ Then ^(A)the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build

² “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, ^(A)my food for my food offerings, my ^(B)pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’ ^3 (C)And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering. ⁴ The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; ⁵ also ^(D)a tenth of an ephah^[a] of fine flour for ^(E)a grain offering, mixed ^(F)with a quarter of a hin^[b] of beaten oil. ⁶ It is a ^(G)regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. ⁷ Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the Lord. ⁸ The other lamb you shall offer at twilight. Like the grain offering of the morning, and like its drink offering, you shall offer it as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

Fasting and Prayer for Protection

^21 (A)Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river ^(B)Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, ^(C)to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. ²² For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, ^(D)“The hand of our God is for good on ^(E)all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.”

¹¹ (This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) “To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now ¹² be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are ^(A)finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. ¹³ Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay ^(B)tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired. ¹⁴ Now because we eat the salt of the palace^[a] and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, ¹⁵ in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste. ¹⁶ We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.”

The Temple's Furnishings

4 He made ^(A)an altar of bronze, twenty cubits^[a] long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high.

³⁸ “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: ^(A)two lambs a year old ^(B)day by day regularly. ³⁹ One lamb you shall offer ^(C)in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer ^(D)at twilight. ⁴⁰ And with the first lamb a tenth measure^[a] of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin^[b] of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. ⁴¹ The other lamb you shall offer ^(E)at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as ^(F)in the morning, for a ^(G)pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. ⁴² It shall be a ^(H)regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, ^(I)where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.