Ezra 6:16-22

English Standard Version

¹⁶And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the ^(A)dedication of this house of God with joy. ¹⁷They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel ^(B)12 male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁸And they set the priests ^(C)in their divisions and the Levites ^(D)in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, ^(E)as it is written in the Book of Moses.

Passover Celebrated

¹⁹^(F)On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover. ²⁰^(G)For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. ^(H)So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. ²¹It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and ^(I)also by every one who had joined them and separated himself ^(J)from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. ²²And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread ^(K)seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful ^(L)and had turned the heart of ^(M)the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.