Beginning
1 Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia (so that the Word of the LORD, by the mouth of Jeremiah, might be accomplished) the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia. And he made a proclamation through all his kingdom, and also by writing, saying,
2 “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, ‘The LORD God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the Earth. And He has Commanded me to build Him a House in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 ‘Who is he among you of all His people with whom his God is? Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the House of the LORD God of Israel. He is the God Who is in Jerusalem.
4 “And anyone who remains in any place where he has sojourned, let the men of his place support him with silver and with gold and with goods and with cattle, a willing offering for the House of God that is in Jerusalem.”
5 Then, the chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites rose up with all those whose spirit God had raised up to go, to build the House of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.
6 And all those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods and with cattle, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.
7 Also, King Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the House of the LORD which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of Jerusalem and put in the house of his god.
8 Cyrus, king of Persia, brought them forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
9 And this is the number of them: thirty basins of gold, one thousand basins of silver, twenty-nine knives,
10 thirty bowls of gold, four hundred ten silver bowls of the second sort, and one thousand other vessels.
11 All the vessels of gold and silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought up all with those of the captivity who came up from Babel to Jerusalem.
2 Also, these are the sons of the province who went up out of the captivity (whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, had carried away to Babel) and who returned to Jerusalem, and to Judah, everyone to his city.
2 These came up with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel was:
3 two thousand one hundred seventy-two of the sons of Parosh,
4 three hundred seventy-two of the sons of Shephatiah,
5 seven hundred seventy-five of the sons of Arah,
6 two thousand eight hundred twelve of the sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab,
7 one thousand two hundred fifty-four of the sons of Elam,
8 nine hundred forty-five of the sons of Zattu,
9 seven hundred sixty of the sons of Zaccai,
10 six hundred forty-two of the sons of Bani,
11 six hundred twenty-three of the sons of Bebai,
12 one thousand two hundred twenty-two of the sons of Azgad,
13 six hundred sixty-six of the sons of Adonikam,
14 two thousand fifty-six of the sons of Bigvai,
15 four hundred fifty-four of the sons of Adin,
16 ninety-eight of the sons of Ater of Hezekiah,
17 three hundred twenty-three of the sons of Bezai,
18 one hundred twelve of the sons of Jorah,
19 two hundred twenty-three of the sons of Hashum,
20 ninety-five of the sons of Gibbar,
21 one hundred twenty-three of the sons of Bethlehem,
22 fifty-six of the men of Netophah,
23 one hundred twenty-eight of the men of Anothoth,
24 forty-two of the sons of Azmaveth,
25 seven hundred forty-three of the sons of Kirjath Arim, of Chephirah, and Beeroth,
26 six hundred twenty-one of the sons of Ramah and Geba,
27 one hundred twenty-two of the men of Michmas,
28 two hundred twenty-three of the sons of Bethel and Ai,
29 fifty-two of the sons of Nebo,
30 one hundred fifty-six of the sons of Magbish,
31 one thousand two hundred fifty-four of the sons of the other Elam,
32 three hundred twenty of the sons of Harim,
33 seven hundred twenty-five of the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono,
34 three hundred forty-five of the sons of Jericho,
35 three thousand six hundred thirty of the sons of Senaah,
36 nine hundred seventy-three of the priests of the sons of Jedaiah of the House of Jeshua,
37 one thousand fifty-two of the sons of Immer,
38 one thousand two hundred forty-seven of the sons of Pashur,
39 one thousand seventeen of the sons of Harim.
40 Of the Levites were seventy-four of the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah.
41 Of the Singers were one hundred twenty-eight of the sons of Asaph.
42 Of the sons of the gatekeepers were the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, and the sons of Shobai. In all, there were one hundred thirty-nine.
43 Of the Nethinim were the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
44 the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon,
45 the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub,
46 the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai, the sons of Hanan,
47 the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah,
48 the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam,
49 the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai,
50 the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephusim,
51 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
52 the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
53 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Thamah,
54 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha,
55 the sons of Solomon’s servants (the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Peruda),
56 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
57 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth Hazzebaim, and the sons of Ami.
58 In all, the Nethinim and the sons of Solomon’s servants were three hundred ninety-two.
59 And these went up from Tel Melah, and from Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan and Immer. But they could not discern their father’s House and their seed, whether they were of Israel:
60 six hundred fifty-two of the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, and the sons of Nekoda.
61 And of the sons of the priests were the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Koz, and the sons of Barzillai, who took of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife and were called after their name.
62 These sought their writings in the genealogies, but they were not found. Therefore, they were cast out from the priesthood.
63 And Tirshatha told them that they should not eat of the Most Holy thing, until there rose up a priest with Urim and Thummim.
64 Altogether, the whole Congregation was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty,
65 besides their servants and their maids (of whom were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven). And among them were two hundred singing men and singing women.
66 Their horses were seven hundred thirty-six. Their mules were two hundred forty-five.
67 Their camels were four hundred thirty-five. Their donkeys were six thousand seven hundred-twenty.
68 And certain of the chief fathers, when they came to the House of the LORD, which was in Jerusalem, they offered willingly for the House of God, to set it up upon its foundation.
69 They gave to the treasure of the work after their ability: sixty-one thousand drams of gold, five thousand pieces of silver, and one hundred priests’ garments.
70 So the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the Nethinim dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.
3 And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in their cities, the people assembled themselves as one man to Jerusalem.
2 Then Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, stood up and built the Altar of the God of Israel, to offer Burnt Offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
3 And they set the Altar upon its bases (for fear was among them because of the people of those countries). Therefore, they offered Burnt Offerings to the LORD on it, Burnt Offerings in the morning and at evening.
4 They also kept the Feast of the Tabernacles, as it is written, and a daily Burnt Offering, by number, according to the custom, day by day,
5 and afterward, the continual Burnt Offering, both in the new months and on all the Feast days that were consecrated to the LORD, and in all the oblations willingly offered to the LORD.
6 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 was not laid.
7 They also gave money to the masons, and to the workmen, and food and drink, and oil to those of Zidon and of Tyre, to bring them cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea, to Japho, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus, king of Persia.
8 And in the second year of their coming to the House of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests, and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and above, began to set forward the work of the House of the LORD.
9 And Jeshua stood with his sons, and his brethren, and Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah together, to set forward the workmen in the House of God, and the sons of Henadad, with their sons, and their brethren the Levites.
10 And after the builders laid the foundation of the Temple of the LORD, they appointed the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the Ordinance of David, king of Israel.
11 Thus they sang to the LORD, when they gave praise and when they gave thanks: “For He is good! For His mercy endures forever toward Israel!” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the House of the LORD had been laid.
12 Also, many of the priests and the Levites and the chief of the fathers, ancient men who had seen the first House, (when the foundation of this House was laid before their eyes) wept with a loud voice. And many shouted aloud for joy,
13 so that the people could not discern the sound of the shout for joy from the noise of the weeping of the people. For the people shouted with a loud cry. And the noise was heard far away.
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