¹⁶ Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication^(A) of the house of God with joy.

⁵ And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God.

⁶³ Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated^(A) the temple of the Lord.

Final Exhortations

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!^(A)

Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims

²² Then came the Festival of Dedication^[a] at Jerusalem. It was winter,

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

²² For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread,^(A) because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude^(B) of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

Ezra Reads the Law

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,^(C)

Opposition to the Rebuilding

4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building^(A) a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel,

¹¹ With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:

And all the people gave a great shout^(B) of praise to the Lord, because the foundation^(C) of the house of the Lord was laid. ¹² But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple,^(D) wept^(E) aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.