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Worship in Jerusalem Restored

Now the seventh month drew near and the Israelites[a] were in the cities, so the people gathered as one[b] in Jerusalem. And Jeshua son of Jehozadak and his brothers the priests stood up, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers built the altar of the God of Israel, in order to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. They set up the altar on its foundations, because they were in terror[c] because of the peoples of the lands. And they offered burnt offerings on it for Yahweh, burnt offerings for the morning and the evening. And they kept the feast of booths, as it is written, and offered burnt offerings day by day in number according to the ordinance as described for each day.[d] After this, they presented the daily sacrifice of burnt offerings, the offerings for the New Moon Festival, and for all of the appointed times consecrated for Yahweh and for all who gave a freewill offering to Yahweh. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh. But the temple of Yahweh was not yet founded.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 3:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  2. Ezra 3:1 Literally “one man”
  3. Ezra 3:3 Literally “in terror before them”
  4. Ezra 3:4 Literally “the daily word on its day”

The Altar is Rebuilt

When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites[a] were living[b] in their[c] towns, the people assembled[d] in[e] Jerusalem. Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak[f] and his priestly colleagues[g] and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his colleagues[h] started to build[i] the altar of the God of Israel so they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by[j] the law of Moses the man of God. They established the altar on its foundations, even though they were in terror of the local peoples,[k] and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and the evening offerings. They observed the Feast of Shelters[l] as required[m] and offered the proper number of[n] daily burnt offerings according to the requirement for each day. Afterward they offered the continual burnt offerings and those for the new moons and those for all the holy assemblies of the Lord and all those that were being voluntarily offered to the Lord. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. However, the Lord’s temple was not at that time established.[o]

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 3:1 tn Heb “the sons of Israel.”
  2. Ezra 3:1 tn The word “living” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied. Some translations supply “settled” (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT).
  3. Ezra 3:1 tc The translation reads with some medieval Hebrew mss and ancient versions בְּעָרֵיהֶם (beʿarehem, “in their towns”), rather than the reading בֶּעָרִים (beʿarim, “in the towns”) found in the MT. Cf. Neh 7:72 HT [7:73 ET].
  4. Ezra 3:1 tn The Hebrew text adds the phrase “like one man.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  5. Ezra 3:1 tn Heb “to.”
  6. Ezra 3:2 sn Jozadak (also in 3:8) is a variant spelling of Jehozadak.
  7. Ezra 3:2 tn Heb “his brothers the priests.”
  8. Ezra 3:2 tn Heb “his brothers.”
  9. Ezra 3:2 tn Heb “arose and built.”
  10. Ezra 3:2 tn Heb “written in.” Cf. v. 4.
  11. Ezra 3:3 tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
  12. Ezra 3:4 tn The Hebrew phrase אֶת חַג־הַסֻּכּוֹת (ʾet khag hassukot, “Feast of Shelters” [or “Huts”]) is traditionally known as the Feast of Tabernacles. The rendering “booths” (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV) is probably better than the traditional “tabernacles” in light of the meaning of the term סֻכָּה (sukkah, “hut; booth”), but “booths” are frequently associated with trade shows and craft fairs in contemporary American English. The nature of the celebration during this feast as a commemoration of the wanderings of the Israelites after they left Egypt suggests that a translation like “shelters” is more appropriate.
  13. Ezra 3:4 tn Heb “according to what is written.”
  14. Ezra 3:4 tn Heb “by number.”
  15. Ezra 3:6 tn Or “the foundation of the Lord’s temple was not yet laid.”