Old/New Testament
King Darius Verifies the Decree
6 Then King Darius issued an order to search the Hall of Records where the Babylonian archives were stored. 2 The following was found written on a scroll in Ecbatana at the summer[a] palace of the province of Media:
3 Date: First year of Cyrus the King
From: King Cyrus
Subject: The Temple of God in Jerusalem
Let the Temple be rebuilt where they offered sacrifices. Let the foundations thereof be laid with a height of 60 cubits[b] and a width of 60 cubits,[c] 4 constructed[d] with three layers of foundation[e] stone interlaced with a row of new timber, the expenses for which are to be paid from the king’s treasury.
5 Furthermore, let the gold and silver utensils from the Temple of God (that Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple in Jerusalem and carried off to Babylon) be brought back to the Temple at Jerusalem and restored to their respective places in the Temple of God.
King Darius Confirms the Decree
6 To: Tattenai, Trans-Euphrates Governor, Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues living beyond the Euphrates[f] River.
Stay away from there!
7 Leave the work on this Temple of God alone!
Let the Jewish governor and the Jewish leaders build this Temple of God on its site.
8 Furthermore, I hereby decree what you are to do for the Jewish leaders who are building this Temple of God: you are to pay the expenses of these men out of the king’s assets from taxes collected[g] beyond the River so that they are not hindered.
9 And be sure that you don’t fail to provide their daily needs—including young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of Heaven, along with wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as the priests in Jerusalem tell you— 10 so they may approach the God of Heaven with fragrant sacrifices and pray for the life of this king and his sons.
11 I hereby also decree that whoever shall alter the wording of this edict, let his residence be torn down for timber to build a gallows,[h] hang[i] him on it, and turn his home into an outhouse. 12 And may the God who causes his Name to rest there destroy any king or people who might attempt[j] to destroy this Temple of God in Jerusalem.
I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be carried out quickly.
13 Because of what King Darius had mandated, Tattenai, the Trans-Euphrates Governor, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues carried out his orders quickly.
Progress and Completion
14 And so the Jewish leaders continued their building, and prospered because of the prophecies of Haggai the prophet and Iddo’s son Zechariah. They completed the rebuilding in accordance with the commandment from the God of Israel and the edicts of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, king of Persia. 15 The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar during the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 The Israelis—the priests, the descendants of Levi, and the other related descendants who had returned from captivity—celebrated with joy at the dedication of the Temple of God. 17 At the dedication offering of the Temple of God, they presented 100 bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs, along with a sin offering of twelve male goats for the entire nation of Israel according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 Furthermore, they established the priests in their divisions and the descendants of Levi in their positions for the service of God conducted at Jerusalem, as is proscribed in the Book of Moses.
The First Post-Captivity Passover(A)
19 [k]The former exiles[l] observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month 20 because the priests and descendants of Levi had purified themselves together—all of them were pure—and they killed the Passover lamb[m] for every former exile,[n] for their relatives the priests, and for themselves.
21 So the Israelis who had returned from captivity ate the Passover with all who had consecrated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. 22 Then they observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the Lord had made them glad, turning the heart of the king of Assyria toward them and strengthening them for their work on the Temple of God, the God of Israel.
Ezra’s Return to Jerusalem(B)
7 After all of this, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Seraiah’s son Ezra (who was the grandson of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest) 6 left[o] Babylon. He was a skillful scribe of the Law of Moses that the Lord God of Israel had given. And the king granted him everything he had requested because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. 7 Some of the descendants of Israel also left for Jerusalem, including the priests, the descendants of Levi, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Temple Servants, during the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.
8 He arrived in Jerusalem during the fifth month of the seventh year of the king’s reign.[p] 9 On the first day[q] of the first month he left Babylon and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day[r] of the fifth month, since the beneficent hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, to obey it, and to teach God’s[s] statutes and judgments in Israel.
The Letter from King Artaxerxes
11 Here is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest-scribe, a scholar[t] in matters concerning the commandments of the Lord and concerning his statutes pertaining to Israel:
12 From:[u] Artaxerxes, King of Kings
To: Ezra, the Priest, a scholar[v] in matters concerning the laws of the God of Heaven
Greetings![w]
13 I hereby decree that all of the people of Israel—along with their priests and descendants of Levi in my kingdom—who are determined to return to Jerusalem with you may do so. 14 You have authority to act for the king and for his Council of Seven to conduct an inquiry concerning Judah and Jerusalem in accordance with the Law of your God, which is in your possession. 15 You are carrying silver and gold that the King and his advisors have freely given to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem, 16 together with all of the silver and gold that you can raise in the province of Babylon, plus the freewill offerings given by the people and the priests, contributed for the Temple of their God, which is in Jerusalem.
17 Accordingly, you are to exercise due diligence to utilize this money to purchase bulls, rams, lambs, grain offerings, and drink offerings, and to offer them upon the altar of the Temple of your God, which is in Jerusalem.
18 Furthermore, the balance remaining of the silver and gold may be used for whatever other purpose you and your people desire, as long as such use is consistent with the will of your God.
19 Furthermore, you are to deliver to the God of Jerusalem the vessels for the service of the Temple of your God that have been given to you.
20 Furthermore, provide from the royal treasury whatever else may be needed for the Temple of your God.
21 I, Artaxerxes, in my capacity as king,[x] hereby decree to all royal treasuries beyond the Euphrates[y] River that whatever Ezra the priest-scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, may require of you are to be performed with all due diligence, 22 up to 100 silver talents,[z] 100 measures of wheat, 100 measures of wine, 100 measures of oil, and salt without limitation. 23 Whatever is commanded by the God of Heaven is to be done with all due diligence for the Temple of the God of Heaven, or wrath will come against the king’s realm and his sons.
24 Furthermore, we decree that with respect to any of the priests, descendants of Levi, singers, gatekeepers, Temple Servants, or other servants of this Temple of God, it is not to be lawful to impose any tribute, tax, or toll on them.
25 And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom given to you by your God, are to appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people beyond the Euphrates[aa] River. All of them are to know the laws of your God, and you are to instruct those who do not know them. 26 Whoever refuses to practice the law of your God and the law of the king is to see judgment executed quickly, whether to death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.
Ezra’s Response to the Letter
27 Blessed be the Lord God of our ancestors,
who placed this decree[ab] into the king’s heart
to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem
28 and who showed gracious love to me before the king,
before his advisors,
and before all of the king’s mighty officials.
And I was strengthened because the hand of the Lord my God was upon me. So I gathered together the leaders of Israel to go with me.
Ezra’s List of Family Leaders
8 These are the leaders of the families listed among those who left Babylon with me during the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2 From Phinehas’s descendants: Gershom. From Ithamar’s descendants: Daniel. From David’s descendants: Hattush. 3 From Shecaniah’s descendants and[ac] from Parosh’s descendants: Zechariah, along with 150 men whose genealogies had been certified. 4 From Pahath-moab’s descendants: Zerahiah’s son Eliehoenai and 200 men with him. 5 From Zattu’s descendants: Jahaziel’s son Shecaniah and 300 men with him. 6 From Adin’s descendants: Jonathan’s son Ebed and 50 men with him. 7 From Elam’s descendants: Athaliah’s son Jeshaiah and 70 men with him. 8 From Shephatiah’s descendants: Michael’s son Zebadiah and 80 men with him. 9 From Joab’s descendants: Jehiel’s son Obadiah and 218 men with him. 10 From Bani’s descendants:[ad] Josiphiah’s son Shelomith and 160 men with him. 11 From Bebai’s descendants: Bebai’s son Zechariah and 28 men with him. 12 From Azgad’s descendants: Hakkatan’s son Johanan and 110 men with him. 13 From Adonikam’s later descendants: Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 men with him. 14 From Bigvai’s descendants: Uthai, Zabbud,[ae] and 70 men with him.
Ezra Calls the Leaders to Fast
15 I gathered them together at the river that flows toward Ahava,[af] where we camped three days. Afterwards, I examined the people and the priests, but found no descendants of Levi there. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were senior leaders, as well as for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of discernment. 17 I told them to go see Iddo, a leader of Casiphia, and tell him and his relatives (administrators of Casiphia) to bring us men who could serve in the Temple of our God. 18 By the grace[ag] of our God they brought back a discerning man from the descendants of Mahli, a descendant of Israel’s son Levi, along with Sherebiah and eighteen of his sons and brothers; 19 Hashabiah and Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari and 20 of his brothers and their sons; 20 220 descendants of the Temple Servants whom David and the leaders had appointed to serve the descendants of Levi, listed by name.
21 Then I called for a fast there at the Ahava River so we could humble ourselves before our God and seek from him an appropriate way for us and our little ones to live, and how we should guard our personal wealth,[ah] 22 because I was ashamed to ask the king for a contingent of soldiers and cavalry to protect us from enemies we might encounter[ai] on the way. After all, we had told the king, “The hand of our God seeks the good of all who seek him,[aj] but his power and anger are against everyone who forsakes him.” 23 So we fasted and asked our God about this, and he listened to us.
Ezra Delegates Responsibilities
24 Next I selected twelve of the chief priests—Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them— 25 and divided between them the silver, the gold, the vessels, and the offering for the Temple of our God which the king had offered, along with his advisors, his senior officials, and all of Israel assembled there. 26 I divided among them[ak] 650 silver talents,[al] silver utensils weighing 100 talents,[am] 100 talents[an] of gold, 27 20 gold basins weighing 1,000 darics[ao] each, and two vessels made of polished brass, as valuable as gold.
28 I told them, “You are consecrated[ap] to the Lord, and the vessels are also consecrated.[aq] The silver and the gold are a freely given offering to the Lord God of your ancestors. 29 Guard and protect them until you disperse them to the chief priests, the descendants of Levi, and to the family leaders of Israel at Jerusalem in the chambers of the Temple of the Lord.”
30 So the priests and descendants of Levi took possession of the silver, the gold, and the vessels in order to bring them to Jerusalem, to the Temple of our God.
31 Then we left the Ahava River for Jerusalem on the twelfth day[ar] of the first month. Our God’s protection[as] was with us, and he delivered us from the enemy’s power[at] and from ambush along the way.
Ezra’s Delegation Arrives in Jerusalem
32 We arrived in Jerusalem and remained there three days. 33 On the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the vessels were distributed at the Temple of our God into the care[au] of Uriah’s son Meremoth the priest, Phinehas’ son Eleazar, Jeshua’s son Jozabad, and Binnui’s son Noadiah, the descendants of Levi. 34 Distribution was according to inventory[av] and weight, with all weights being recorded at that time.
35 The descendants of those who had been taken into captivity and who had returned from captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all of Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering—all of them burnt offerings to the Lord. 36 Then they delivered copies of[aw] the king’s orders to the king’s officers, and governors on this side of the Euphrates[ax] River. The orders were in support of the people and God’s Temple.
Jesus Appears to Seven of His Disciples
21 Later on, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. This is what happened: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin),[a] Nathaniel from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two of his other disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter told them, “I’m going fishing.”
They all told him, “We’ll go with you, too.” So they went out and got into the boat but didn’t catch a thing that night.
4 Just as dawn was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore. The disciples didn’t realize it was Jesus. 5 Jesus asked them, “Children, you don’t have any fish, do you?”
They answered him, “No.”
6 He told them, “Throw the net on the right hand side of the boat, and you’ll catch[b] some.” So they threw it out and were unable to haul it in because it was so full of fish.
7 That disciple whom Jesus kept loving told Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his clothes back on, because he was practically naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. They were only about 200 cubits[c] away from the shore.
9 When they arrived at the shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish lying on it, and some bread. 10 Jesus told them, “Bring me some of the fish you’ve just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish—153 of them. And although there were so many of them, the net was not torn.
12 Then Jesus told them, “Come, have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”, because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus took the bread, gave it to them, and did[d] the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he had been raised from the dead.
Jesus Speaks with Peter
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Peter[e] told him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus[f] told him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Then he asked him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter[g] told him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus[h] told him, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 He asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was deeply hurt that he had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So he told him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!”
Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep. 18 “Truly, I tell you[i] emphatically, when you were young, you would fasten your belt and go wherever you liked. But when you get old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten your belt and take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Now he said this to show by what kind of death he would glorify God.
After saying this, Jesus[j] told him, “Keep following me.”
Jesus and the Beloved Disciple
20 Peter turned around and noticed the disciple whom Jesus kept loving following them. He was the one who had put his head on Jesus’ chest at the supper and had asked, “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”
21 When Peter saw him, he said, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus told him, “If it’s my will for him to remain until I come back, how does that concern you? You must keep following me!” 23 So the rumor spread among the brothers[k] that this disciple wasn’t going to die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to Peter[l] that he wasn’t going to die, but, “If it’s my will for him to remain until I come back, how does that concern you?”
24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them down. We know that his testimony is true.
25 Of course, Jesus also did many other things, and I suppose that if every one of them were written down, the world couldn’t contain the books that would be written.
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