Chronological
The Decree of Cyrus
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to accomplish the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, Yahweh stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia and he sent a message to all of his kingdom and also put the message in writing:
2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: Yahweh, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And he himself has appointed me to build a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever among you who is from all of his people, may his God be with him and may he go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may he build the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let every survivor, from wherever he resides[a] be assisted by the men of that place with silver and gold, with possessions and domestic animals, and with the freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.”
5 So the heads of the families[b] for Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites—to all whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and build the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem. 6 And all of their neighbors helped them[c] with objects of silver, gold, possessions, domestic animals, and with valuable gifts—besides all of the freewill offering. 7 And Cyrus the king brought out the objects of the house of Yahweh that Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. 8 Cyrus the king of Persia let them go out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 9 Now these were the inventories: thirty gold metal dishes, one thousand silver metal dishes, twenty-nine vessels, 10 thirty bowls of gold, four hundred and ten matching silver metal bowls, and one thousand other objects. 11 All of the objects of gold and silver metal were five thousand four hundred. All this Sheshbazzar brought up along with the exiles from Babylonia to Jerusalem.
The List of Returned Exiles
2 Now these were the people[d] of the province who came up from the captivity of the exile whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own city. 2 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.
The number of the men of the people of Israel: 3 the descendants[e] of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two; 4 the descendants[f] of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two; 5 the descendants[g] of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five; 6 the descendants[h] of Pahath-moab, particularly the descendants[i] of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve; 7 the descendants[j] of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 8 the descendants[k] of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five; 9 the descendants[l] of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty; 10 the descendants[m] of Bani, six hundred and forty-two; 11 the descendants[n] of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three; 12 the descendants[o] of Azgad, one thousand two hundred and twenty-two; 13 the descendants[p] of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six; 14 the descendants[q] of Bigvai, two thousand fifty-six; 15 the descendants[r] of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four; 16 the descendants[s] of Ater, particularly of Hezekiah, ninety-eight; 17 the descendants[t] of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three; 18 the descendants[u] of Jorah, one hundred and twelve; 19 the descendants[v] of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three; 20 the descendants[w] of Gibbar, ninety-five; 21 the people[x] of Bethlehem, one hundred and twenty-three; 22 the men of Netophah, fifty-six; 23 the men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight; 24 the people[y] of Azmaveth, forty-two; 25 the people[z] of Kiriath Αrim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three; 26 the people[aa] of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one; 27 the men of Micmash, one hundred and twenty-two; 28 the men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three; 29 the people[ab] of Nebo, fifty-two; 30 the people[ac] of Magbish, one hundred and fifty-six; 31 the people[ad] of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 32 the people[ae] of Harim, three hundred and twenty; 33 the people[af] of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-five; 34 the people[ag] of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five; 35 the people[ah] of Senaah, three thousand six hundred and thirty.
36 The priests: the descendants[ai] of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three; 37 the descendants[aj] of Immer, one thousand fifty-two; 38 the descendants[ak] of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven; 39 the descendants[al] of Harim, one thousand seventeen.
40 The Levites: the descendants[am] of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the descendants[an] of Hodaviah, seventy-four.
41 The singers: the descendants[ao] of Asaph, one hundred and twenty-eight.
42 The descendants[ap] of the gatekeepers: the descendants[aq] of Shallum, the descendants[ar] of Ater, the descendants[as] of Talmon, the descendants[at] of Akkub, the descendants[au] of Hatita, and the descendants[av] of Shobai; in total one hundred and thirty-nine.
43 The temple servants: the descendants[aw] of Ziha, the descendants[ax] of Hasupha, the descendants[ay] of Tabbaoth, 44 the descendants[az] of Keros, the descendants[ba] of Siaha, the descendants[bb] of Padon, 45 the descendants[bc] of Lebanah, the descendants[bd] of Hagabah, the descendants[be] of Akkub, 46 the descendants[bf] of Hagab, the descendants[bg] of Shamlai, the descendants[bh] of Hanan, 47 the descendants[bi] of Giddel, the descendants[bj] of Gahar, the descendants[bk] of Reaiah, 48 the descendants[bl] of Rezin, the descendants[bm] of Nekoda, the descendants[bn] of Gazzam, 49 the descendants[bo] of Uzza, the descendants[bp] of Paseah, the descendants[bq] of Besai, 50 the descendants[br] of Asnah, the descendants[bs] of Meunim, the descendants[bt] of Nephisim, 51 the descendants[bu] of Bakbuk, the descendants[bv] of Hakupha, the descendants[bw] of Harhur, 52 the descendants[bx] of Bazluth, the descendants[by] of Mehida, the descendants[bz] of Harsha, 53 the descendants[ca] of Barkos, the descendants[cb] of Sisera, the descendants[cc] of Temah, 54 the descendants[cd] of Neziah, and the descendants[ce] of Hatipha.
55 The descendants[cf] of Solomon’s servants: the descendants[cg] of Sotai, the descendants[ch] of Hassophereth, the descendants[ci] of Peruda, 56 the descendants[cj] of Jaalah, the descendants[ck] of Darkon, the descendants[cl] of Giddel, 57 the descendants[cm] of Shephatiah, the descendants[cn] of Hattil, the descendants[co] of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the descendants[cp] of Ami.
58 All the temple servants and the descendants[cq] of Solomon’s servants were three hundred and ninety-two.
59 Now these were the ones who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they were not able to prove their fathers’ household and their descent, if they were from Israel: 60 the descendants[cr] of Delaiah, the descendants[cs] of Tobiah, and the descendants[ct] of Nekoda, six hundred and fifty-two. 61 And from the descendants[cu] of the priests: the descendants[cv] of Habaiah, the descendants[cw] of Hakkoz, and the descendants[cx] of Barzillai (who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name). 62 These sought their record in the genealogy records, but they were not found, and were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.[cy] 63 The governor said to them that they could not eat from the holy food of the sanctuary[cz] until there was present a priest for the Urim and Thummim.
64 The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 65 apart from their male and female servants, of whom were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred male and female singers. 66 Their horses numbered seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules numbered two hundred and forty-five, 67 their camels numbered four hundred and thirty-five, their donkeys numbered six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
Gifts Given for Temple Work
68 When some of the heads of families[da] came to the house of Yahweh that is in Jerusalem, they gave freewill offerings for the house of God to erect it on its place. 69 According to their ability they gave to the treasury room for the work sixty-one thousand darics of gold, five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priestly tunics.
70 The priests, the Levites, and some of the people lived in Jerusalem, and the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.
Worship in Jerusalem Restored
3 Now the seventh month drew near and the Israelites[db] were in the cities, so the people gathered as one[dc] in Jerusalem. 2 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. 3 They set up the altar on its foundations, because they were in terror[dd] because of the peoples of the lands. And they offered burnt offerings on it for Yahweh, burnt offerings for the morning and the evening. 4 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.[de] 5 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. 6 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. 7 So they gave money to the stone craftsmen and skilled craftsmen, and food, drink, and olive oil to the Sidonians and Tyrians, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the authorization over them of Cyrus king of Persia.
Foundation of the Temple is Laid
8 In the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadak began their work, and the remainder of their brothers the priests and the Levites and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem. They appointed the Levites from twenty years and older[df] to direct the work of the house of Yahweh. 9 And Jeshua with his sons and brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons—the sons of Judah—together directed the workers in the house of God, along with the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers the Levites.
10 And the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh, and the priests in their apparel with the trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with the cymbals, were positioned to praise Yahweh, as described by[dg] King David of Israel. 11 And they sang responsively,[dh] with praising and thanksgiving to Yahweh saying, “For he is good, for his loyal love is everlasting for Israel.”
And all of the people responded with a great shout of joyful acclaim in praise to Yahweh because the house of Yahweh was laid. 12 But many of the elderly priests, Levites, and heads of the families who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house, but many shouted aloud with joy.[di] 13 No person could distinguish the sound of joyful acclaim from the sound of people weeping, for the people shouted with great joyful acclaim and the sound was heard from afar.
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