Beginning

1 In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremy should be fulfilled (so that the word of the Lord through Jeremiah would be fulfilled), the Lord raised (up) the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia; and he published a voice in all his realm, yea, by writing, he sent out his letters, (to be read aloud,) and said,

² (I,) Cyrus, the king of Persia, saith these things, The Lord God of heaven hath given to me all the realms of [the] earth, and he hath commanded to me, that I should build to him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah (and he hath commanded me, to build a House for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah).

³ Who is among you of all his people? his God be with him; and go he up into Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build he (again) the house of the Lord God of Israel; he is God, which is in Jerusalem. (Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him; and go he up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and help he to rebuild the House of the Lord God of Israel; he is the God, who is worshipped in Jerusalem/whose city is Jerusalem.)

⁴ And all other men, that dwell wherever in all places, help him; the men of their place help in silver, and gold, and chattel, and sheep, besides that that they offer willfully to the temple of God, which is in Jerusalem. (And let all the other people, wherever they may live in every place, help him; let people from every place help him with silver, and gold, and chattel/and cattle, and sheep, besides what they offer by free will for the Temple of God, which was, and shall be again, in Jerusalem.)

⁵ And then [the] princes of the fathers of Judah and of Benjamin rose up, and the priests, and the deacons, and each man whose spirit God raised, for to go up to build (again) the temple of the Lord, that was in Jerusalem. (And then the leaders of the families of the tribes of Judah and of Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, and each man whose spirit God had raised up, rose up to go up to rebuild the Temple of the Lord, that was in Jerusalem.)

⁶ And all men that were in compass about helped the hands of them (And all the people who were round about helped them), with vessels of silver, and of gold, with their substance, with purtenance of household, and with work beasts, besides, or over, these things which they offered by their (own) free will.

⁷ And king Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the temple of the Lord (And King Cyrus brought forth the vessels from the Temple of the Lord), which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem, and had set them in the temple of his god.

⁸ And Cyrus, the king of Persia, brought forth those vessels by the hand of Mithredath, the son of Gizbar; and numbered those to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. (And Cyrus, the king of Persia, put Mithredath, the treasurer, in charge of these vessels; and Mithredath listed them for Sheshbazzar, the governor of Judah.)

⁹ And this is the number of the vessels; golden vials, thirty; silveren vials, a thousand; great knives, nine and twenty; (And this is the number of the vessels; thirty gold basins, one thousand silver basins; twenty-nine other kinds of vessels;)

¹⁰ (small) golden basins, thirty; (small) silveren basins, two thousand four hundred and ten; and other vessels, a thousand; (thirty gold bowls; four hundred and ten silver bowls; and a thousand other vessels;)

¹¹ all the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. And Sheshbazzar took all these vessels, with them that went up from the transmigration of Babylon, into Jerusalem. (in all, there were five thousand four hundred gold and silver vessels. And Sheshbazzar took all of these vessels with him, when he, and others of the captivity, left Babylon, and went to Jerusalem.)

2 And these be the sons of the province, which went up from the captivity, which Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had translated into Babylon; and they turned again into Jerusalem and into Judah, each man into his city, (And these be the sons of the province, who came back from the captivity, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had carried off to Babylon; and they returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each man to his own city,)

² that came with Zerubbabel; that is, Jeshua, (or Joshua,) Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. This is the number of [the] men of the sons of Israel; (yea, the leaders who came back with Zerubbabel; that is, Jeshua, or Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. And this is the list of the number of the men of the Israelites who returned;)

³ the sons of Parosh, two thousand an hundred and two and seventy;

⁴ the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and two and seventy;

⁵ the sons of Arah, seven hundred and five and seventy;

⁶ the sons of Pahath and of Moab, (of the) sons of Joshua and of Joab, two thousand nine hundred and twelve; (the sons of Pahathmoab, of the sons of Jeshua and of Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve;)

⁷ the sons of Elam, a thousand two hundred and four and fifty;

⁸ the sons of Zattu, nine hundred and five and forty;

⁹ the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;

¹⁰ the sons of Bani, six hundred and two and forty;

¹¹ the sons of Bebai, six hundred and three and twenty;

¹² the sons of Azgad, a thousand two hundred and two and twenty;

¹³ the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and six and sixty;

¹⁴ the sons of Bigvai, two thousand two hundred and six and fifty; [the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and six and fifty;]

¹⁵ the sons of Adin, four hundred and four and fifty;

¹⁶ the sons of Ater, that were of Hezekiah (also called Hezekiah), ninety and eight;

¹⁷ the sons of Bezai, three hundred and three and twenty;

¹⁸ the sons of Jorah, an hundred and twelve;

¹⁹ the sons of Hashum, two hundred and three and twenty;

²⁰ the sons of Gibbar were ninety and five;

²¹ the sons of Bethlehem, an hundred and eight and twenty; [the sons of Bethlehem, an hundred and three and twenty;]

²² the men of Netophah, six and fifty;

²³ the men of Anathoth, an hundred and eight and twenty;

²⁴ the sons of Azmaveth, two and forty;

²⁵ the sons of Kiriathjearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and three and forty;

²⁶ the sons of Ramah and of Gaba, six hundred and one and twenty;

²⁷ (the) men of Michmas, an hundred and two and twenty;

²⁸ (the) men of Bethel and of Ai, two hundred and three and twenty;

²⁹ the sons of Nebo, two and fifty;

³⁰ the sons of Magbish, an hundred and six and fifty;

³¹ the sons of the tother Elam, a thousand two hundred and four and fifty;

³² the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;

³³ the sons of Lod, Hadid, and of Ono, seven hundred and five and twenty;

³⁴ the sons of Jericho, three hundred and five and forty;

³⁵ the sons of Senaah, three thousand six hundred and thirty;

³⁶ (the) priests; the sons of Jedaiah, in the house of Jeshua, (or Joshua,) nine hundred and three and seventy;

³⁷ the sons of Immer, a thousand and two and fifty;

³⁸ the sons of Pashur, a thousand two hundred and seven and forty;

³⁹ the sons of Harim, a thousand and seventeen;

⁴⁰ deacons (the Levites); the sons of Jeshua and of Kadmiel, (of) the sons of Hodaviah, four and seventy;

⁴¹ (the) singers; the sons of Asaph, an hundred and eight and twenty;

⁴² the sons of [the] porters; the sons of Shallum, sons of Ater, sons of Talmon, sons of Akkub, sons of Hatita, sons of Shobai, all these were an hundred and eight and thirty; (the sons of the guards, or of the doorkeepers; 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, all these were a hundred and thirty-nine;)

⁴³ Nethinims, these bare wood and water to the house of God’s religion (the Temple workers, who carried the wood and the water for the House of God); 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 Shalmai, 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 Mehunim, 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 the servants of Solomon; the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Peruda,

⁵⁶ the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,

⁵⁷ the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth, that were of Zebaim, the sons of Ami;

⁵⁸ all the Nethinims, and the sons of the servants of Solomon, were three hundred ninety and twain. (all the Temple workers, and the sons of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred and ninety-two.)

⁵⁹ And they that went up from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, and Addan, and Immer, and might not show the house of their fathers, and their seed, or progeny, whether they were of Israel, were these; (And those who came back from the towns of Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, and Addan, and Immer, and could not prove their father’s house, or family, and whether they were descendants of Israelites, were these;)

⁶⁰ the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and two and fifty;

⁶¹ and of the sons of (the) priests, the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, and the sons of Barzillai, the which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai (the) Gileadite, and was called by the name of them;

⁶² these sought the scripture of their genealogy, and found it not, and they were therefore cast out of priesthood. (these sought proof for their genealogy, and could not find it, and so they were cast out of the priesthood.)

⁶³ And (the) Tirshatha said to them, that they should not eat of the holy of holy things, till a wise priest and a perfect man rose up. (And the governor said to them, that they should not eat the holy of holy things, until a priest rose up who could consult the Urim and the Thummim.)

⁶⁴ All the multitude being as one man, were two and forty thousand three hundred and sixty, (All the multitude being like one person, were forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,)

⁶⁵ besides the servants of them and the handmaids, which were seven thousand three hundred and seven and thirty; and among them were singers and singeresses, two hundred. (besides their servants and servantesses, who were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and among them were two hundred singers and singeresses.)

⁶⁶ The horses of them were six hundred and six and thirty; the mules of them, four hundred and five and forty;

⁶⁷ the camels of them, four hundred and five and thirty; the asses of them, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

⁶⁸ And of the princes of [the] fathers, when they entered into the temple of the Lord, that is, the place where the temple was, (or formerly had been,) which is in Jerusalem, they offered of their free will into the house of God, to build it (again) in his place; (And the leaders of the families of the tribes, when they went to the place in Jerusalem where the Temple of the Lord had been, offered their free will offerings to help rebuild the House of God, in its former place;)

⁶⁹ they gave by their mights (for) the costs of the work, one and forty thousand pieces of gold; and five thousand bezants of silver; and priests’ clothes an hundred. (they gave out of their wealth for the costs, or the expenses, of the work, sixty-one thousand pieces of gold, and five thousand bezants of silver, and a hundred priests’ garments.)

⁷⁰ Therefore (the) priests, and deacons of the people, and singers, and porters, and Nethinims dwelled in their cities, and all Israel in their cities. (And so the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people lived in Jerusalem, and the singers, and the guards, or the doorkeepers, and the Temple workers, lived in their cities, and all the other Israelites lived in their cities.)

3 And when the seventh month was come, and the sons of Israel were in their cities. And the people was gathered as one man into Jerusalem. (And when the seventh month had come, with all the Israelites in their cities, then the people gathered together as one person in Jerusalem.)

² And Joshua, the son of Jozadak, rose up, and his brethren, (the) priests, and Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and his brethren, and they builded the altar of God of Israel for to offer thereupon burnt sacrifices, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. (And Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, rose up, and his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and his kinsmen, and they rebuilt the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt sacrifices upon, as it is written in the Law of Moses, the man of God.)

³ And they setted the altar upon his foundaments, while the peoples of (the) lands by compass made them afeared; and they offered upon that altar burnt sacrifices to the Lord in the morrowtide and eventide. (And they put the altar on its foundation, or on its base, for the peoples of the lands all about had made them afraid; and they offered on that altar burnt sacrifices to the Lord in the morning and in the evening.)

⁴ And they made the solemnity of tabernacles, as it is written, and they offered burnt sacrifice(s) each day by order, by the work of the day commanded in his day. (And they kept the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt sacrifices in order, as the custom of each day required.)

⁵ And after this they offered the continual burnt sacrifice, both in calends and in all solemnities of the Lord, that were hallowed, and in all, in which (a) gift was offered to the Lord by free will. (And in addition to this, they offered the continual burnt sacrifices that were ordained, and the sacrifices, or the offerings, on calends, that is, on the first day of the month, and at all the Feasts to honour the Lord, as well as all the freewill offerings, or gifts, that were given to the Lord.)

⁶ In the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt sacrifice(s) to the Lord; certainly the temple of God was not founded yet. (On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer the burnt sacrifices to the Lord, even though the foundation of the Temple of God had not yet been laid.)

⁷ But they gave money to the hewers of stone(s), and to the layers of stone(s), and they gave meat, and drink, and oil, to men of Sidon, and to men of Tyre, that they should bring cedar trees from the Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, by that that Cyrus, king of Persia, had commanded to them. (And they gave money to the stone-cutters, and to the stone-layers, and they gave food, and drink, and oil, to men of Sidon, and to men of Tyre, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon over the sea to Joppa, as Cyrus, the king of Persia, had commanded them.)

⁸ And in the second year of their coming to the temple of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and others of their brethren, priests and deacons, and all that came from the captivity into Jerusalem, began the work of God’s temple; and they ordained deacons, from twenty years and above, for to hasten the work of the Lord; (And so in the second year of their coming back to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and others of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites, and all who came back from the captivity to Jerusalem, began work on God’s Temple; and they ordained the Levites, from twenty years of age and older, to oversee, or to supervise, the work of the Lord;)

⁹ and Joshua stood, and his sons, and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, and the sons of Judah together, as one man, to be busy over them that made the work in the temple of God; and the sons of Henadad, (with) their sons, and their brethren, (the) deacons. (and Jeshua, and his sons, and his kinsmen, and Kadmiel, and his sons, the sons of Judah/the sons of Hodaviah, all stood together as one person, to oversee those who did the work in the Temple of God; and they were helped by the sons of Henadad, with their sons, and their kinsmen, the Levites.)

¹⁰ Therefore when the temple of the Lord was founded of stone-layers, (the) priests stood in their ornaments with trumps, and (the) deacons, the sons of Asaph, stood singing in cymbals, for to praise God, by the hand, or ordinance, of David, king of Israel. (And so when the stone-layers laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord, the priests, wearing their adornments, stood blowing trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, stood singing with cymbals, to praise God, in the manner ordained by David, the king of Israel.)

¹¹ And they sang together in hymns and acknowledging to the Lord, (singing,) For he is good, for his mercy is without end upon Israel. And all the people cried with [a] great cry, in praising the Lord, for the temple of the Lord was founded. (And they sang together with hymns and thanksgiving to the Lord, singing, For he is good, and his mercy is upon Israel forevermore. And all the people cried out with a great shout, praising the Lord, for the foundation of the Temple of the Lord had been laid.)

¹² Also full many of the priests, and of the deacons, and the princes of (the) fathers, and the elder men, that had seen the former temple, when it was founded, and (now) saw this temple before their eyes, wept with great voice, and many men crying in great gladness raised up the voice; (And a great many of the priests, and the Levites, and the leaders of the families of the tribes, and the elders, who had seen the first Temple, and now saw the foundation for this Temple laid before their eyes, wept with a great wailing, and many others raised up their voices, and shouted with great gladness;)

¹³ and no man might know the voice of cry of the men being glad, and the voice of weeping of the people; for the people cried together with [a] great cry, and the voice of them was heard afar. (and no one could distinguish between the sound of the people being glad, and the sound of the people weeping; for the people cried out with such a great shout, or with such noise, and their sound was heard afar off.)