Altar and Sacrifices Restored

Now when the seventh month came, and (A)the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one person to Jerusalem. Then (B)Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and (C)Zerubbabel the son (D)of Shealtiel and his brothers, rose up and (E)built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, (F)as it is written in the Law of Moses, the man of God. So they set up the altar on its foundation, because [a](G)they were terrified of the peoples of the lands; and they (H)offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. They also celebrated the (I)Feast of [b]Booths, (J)as it is written, and offered [c]the prescribed number of burnt offerings daily, (K)according to the ordinance, [d]as each day required; and afterward there was a (L)continual burnt offering, also (M)for the new moons and (N)for all the appointed festivals of the Lord that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a [e]voluntary offering to the Lord. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 3:3 Lit terror was upon them from
  2. Ezra 3:4 Or Tabernacles
  3. Ezra 3:4 Lit by number
  4. Ezra 3:4 Lit a day’s word on its day
  5. Ezra 3:5 Or freewill offering

Initial Offering Ceremonies(A)

Seven months after the Israelis had settled in their cities, they all gathered together in Jerusalem as a united body.[a] Then Jozadak’s son Jeshua and his brothers got up, along with Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel and his brothers. They built an altar of the God of Israel in order to offer burnt offerings, as prescribed by the Law of Moses, the man of God.

Even though they feared the people in neighboring regions, they rebuilt the altar where it had stood before.[b] They offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord—burnt offerings both in the morning and in the evening. They also observed the Festival of Tents[c] as has been prescribed, offering a specific number of daily burnt offerings in accordance with the ordinance of each day. After that, they offered[d] all of the continual burnt offerings and the New Moon sacrifices[e] for all of the designated festivals of the Lord that were being consecrated, along with all the voluntary offerings that were dedicated to the Lord. They began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord from the first day of the seventh month, even though the foundation of the Temple of the Lord had not yet been laid.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 3:1 Lit. together as one man in Jerusalem
  2. Ezra 3:3 Lit. altar on its bases
  3. Ezra 3:4 Or Shelters
  4. Ezra 3:5 The Heb. lacks they offered
  5. Ezra 3:5 Lit. the moons