Rebuilding the Altar

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,(A) the people assembled(B) together as one in Jerusalem. Then Joshua(C) son of Jozadak(D) and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel(E) 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(F) the man of God. Despite their fear(G) 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.(H) Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles(I) with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon(J) sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord,(K) as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. 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.

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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