Old/New Testament
6 Then King Darius issued a decree, and they searched the archives which were deposited there at the treasury office in Babylon. 2 A scroll was located in Ecbatana, in the citadel that is in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:
3 In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree regarding the house of God in Jerusalem.
That house is to be rebuilt at the place where sacrifices were sacrificed, and its foundations are to be laid.[a] Its height: ninety feet. Its width: ninety feet.[b] 4 Build with three layers of large stone and one layer of wood.[c] The cost will be paid by the royal treasury. 5 Also the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned, and each vessel is to be taken to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You are to deposit them in the house of God.
6 Now Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and their associates, officials who are in Trans-Euphrates: You are to keep away from there. 7 Leave the work on that house of God alone. Let the governor of the Judeans and the elders of the Judeans rebuild that house of God on its site. 8 Furthermore, a decree is issued from me concerning what you should do together with the elders of these Judeans in order to rebuild that temple of God: The complete cost will be paid to these men from the royal treasury, out of the taxes of the Trans-Euphrates area, so that the builders will not have to stop. 9 Whatever they need—bulls, rams, or lambs for burnt offerings to the God of Heaven, wheat, salt, wine, olive oil, according to the request of the priests in Jerusalem—is to be given to them daily without neglect, 10 so that they may offer offerings to the God of Heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
11 Furthermore, a decree is issued from me that if any person tries to change this edict, a beam will be pulled out of his house and he will be impaled on it, and his house will be made a pile of rubble.
12 May the God who caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who take action to change my decree, in order to destroy that house of God that is in Jerusalem.
I, Darius, have issued a decree. Let it be carried out exactly.
13 Then Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and their associates—because King Darius had sent his decree—did exactly what it said. 14 So the elders of the Judeans continued to build and prosper throughout the prophetic ministry of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah grandson of Iddo. They finished building the temple by the decree of the God of Israel and by the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia. 15 This house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, during the sixth year[d] of the reign of King Darius.
16 The Israelites—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—dedicated this house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of this house of God, they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, as well as twelve male goats for sin offerings for all Israel, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 They appointed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their assigned groups for the service of the God who is in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.
The Passover Is Celebrated
19 The exiles celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 Because the priests and the Levites together had purified themselves, all of them were ceremonially pure. The Levites slaughtered the Passover for all of the exiles, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. 21 The Israelites who had returned from the exile ate the Passover lambs, together with every person who had separated himself from the impurity of the nations of the land in order to join them, in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread joyfully, because the Lord had made them joyful, since he had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to encourage them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
Ezra and His Mission
7 After these things,[e] during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the high priest— 6 this Ezra came up from Babylon.
Now he was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given to them. The king granted him his entire request, because the hand of the Lord his God was resting upon him. 7 Some of the Israelites and some of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8 Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month (it was during the king’s seventh year). 9 On the first day of the first month, he began the ascent from Babylon. On the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem. The good hand of his God was resting upon him, 10 because Ezra had set his heart to seek the Law of the Lord and to obey it, and to teach the statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Authorization for Ezra’s Mission
11 This is a copy of the document that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, who was a scribe of the words of the commands of the Lord and of his statutes for Israel:
12 From Artaxerxes, King of Kings.
To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, etc.[f]
Here is the message:
13 A decree has been issued by me that anyone from among the people of Israel who is living in my kingdom who is willing to go to Jerusalem with you, including its priests and Levites, may go. 14 Since you are being sent from the king and his seven advisors to look after Judah and Jerusalem on the basis of the Law of your God, which is in your possession, 15 you may take along the silver and gold that the king and his advisors have voluntarily contributed to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 and you may also take along all the silver and gold that you collect throughout the province of Babylon as voluntary contributions from the people and the priests, which they are freely giving to the house of their God that is in Jerusalem.
17 Therefore, you are to be careful to use this money to purchase bulls, rams, lambs, and the grain offerings and drink offerings that go with them. You are to offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, you may do according to the will of your God. 19 Also the vessels that have been given to you for the service of the house of your God, you are to deliver to the God of Jerusalem. 20 As for the rest of the needs of the house of your God which you are responsible to pay, you may pay for them from the royal treasury.
21 From me—I, King Artaxerxes—a decree is issued to all the treasurers who are in the Trans-Euphrates region: Everything that Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, asks from you is to be done exactly as specified. 22 Give him up to one hundred talents of silver,[g] up to six hundred bushels of wheat, up to six hundred gallons of wine, up to six hundred gallons of olive oil, and salt without limit— 23 everything that is decreed by the God of Heaven shall be done correctly for the house of the God of Heaven. Why should there be anger against the kingdom of the king and his sons?
24 We are informing you concerning all of the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, and other servants of this house of God—taxes, tribute, and revenue shall not be imposed on them.
25 Now you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that you possess, are to appoint magistrates and judges who will judge all the people in the Trans-Euphrates region who know the laws of your God. If anyone does not know them, you will inform him about God’s laws. 26 Severe judgment will be imposed on everyone who does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, whether death or banishment or fine or imprisonment.
27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of my fathers, who put this desire into the heart of the king—to glorify the House of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem! 28 He extended favor to me before the king, his advisors, and all of the king’s powerful officers. I was encouraged, since the hand of the Lord my God was resting on me. So I gathered the leaders of Israel to go up with me.
The List of Family Heads Who Returned With Ezra
8 These are the heads of their families who went up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes, listed according to their registration in the genealogy:
2 from the descendants of Phinehas: Gershom,
from the descendants of Ithamar: Daniel,
from the descendants of David: Hattush 3 from the sons of Shekaniah,[h]
from the descendants of Parosh: Zechariah, also registered with him in the genealogy were 150 males,
4 from the descendants of Pahath Moab: Elihoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him were 200 males,
5 from the descendants of Zattu:[i] Shekaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him were 300 males,
6 and from the descendants of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him were 50 males,
7 and from the descendants of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him were 70 males,
8 and from the descendants of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him were 80 males,
9 from the descendants of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him were 218 males,
10 and from the descendants of Bani:[j] Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him were 160 males,
11 and from the descendants of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him were 28 males,
12 and from the descendants of Azgad: Jonathan son of Hakkatan, and with him were 110 males,
13 and from the descendants of Adonikam—they were the last descendants[k]—these are their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them were 60 males,
14 and from the descendants of Bigvai: Uthai and Zakkur,[l] and with him were 70 males.
The Journey to Jerusalem
15 So I gathered them together at the canal[m] that runs to Ahava, and we camped there three days. I looked over the people and the priests who were there, but I did not find any Levites among them. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were teachers. 17 I sent them to Iddo, the leader serving in the place called Kasiphia, and I gave them a message to speak to Iddo and his brothers, the temple servants in the place called Kasiphia, so that they would bring us ministers for the house of our God.
18 So, since the good hand of our God was resting upon us, they brought us the following people: Sherebiah, a discerning man from the descendants of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, along with his sons and his brothers,[n] eighteen men; 19 also Hashabiah and with him Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari and his brothers and their sons, twenty men; 20 and from the temple servants whom David and the leaders appointed to the service of the Levites, two hundred twenty temple servants. All of them were registered by name.
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the Ahava Canal in order to humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey—for us, for our children, and for all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and cavalry to help protect us against enemies on the journey, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God rests upon all who seek him, for their good, but his power and anger are against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and we sought help from our God concerning this, and he granted our request.
24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests to be with Sherebiah and Hashabiah and ten of their brothers with them. 25 I weighed out for them the silver and the gold and the vessels—the special contribution for the house of our God, which had been contributed by the king and his advisors and officials and by all the Israelites who were present there.
26 I weighed out and placed into their hands six hundred fifty talents[o] of silver, silver vessels worth one hundred talents, one hundred talents of gold, 27 and twenty gold bowls worth one thousand darics,[p] and two finely polished bronze vessels, as precious as gold.
28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy. The silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of our fathers. 29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them again in front of the leaders of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the families[q] of Israel in Jerusalem, before placing them into the storerooms of the House of the Lord.”
30 So the priests and the Levites received the full weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels in order to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
31 Then, on the twelfth day of the first month, we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of enemies and from ambushes on the way. 32 We arrived in Jerusalem and stayed there three days.
Ezra Begins His Mission
33 Then on the fourth day, in the house of our God we weighed out the silver and gold and the vessels before handing them over to Meremoth son of Uriah the priest. Also with him was Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them were Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui, the Levites. 34 Everything was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded at that time.
35 The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve goats for a sin offering—all offered as a burnt offering to the Lord.
36 They also delivered the king’s laws to the king’s satraps[r] and the governors of Trans-Euphrates, and they supported the people and the house of God.
Breakfast With the Lord Jesus
21 After this, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. This is how he showed himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.”
They replied, “We’ll go with you.”
They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus.
5 Jesus called to them, “Boys, don’t you have any fish?”
“No!” they answered.
6 He told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” So they cast the net out. Then they were not able to haul it in because of the large number of fish.
7 The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard, “It is the Lord!” he tied his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about one hundred yards. 9 When they stepped out on land, they saw some bread and a charcoal fire with fish on it. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
11 So Simon Peter climbed aboard and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, 153 of them. Yet even with so many, the net was not torn.
12 Jesus said to them, “Come, eat breakfast.”
None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.
13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them, and also the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
“Do You Love Me?”
15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love[a] me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I care about[b] you.”
Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 A second time Jesus asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
He said, “Yes, Lord, you know that I care about you.”
Jesus told him, “Be a shepherd for my sheep.”
17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you care about me?”
Peter was grieved because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you care about me?” He answered, “Lord, you know all things. You know that I care about you.”
“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “Amen, Amen, I tell you: When you were young, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will tie you and carry you where you do not want to go.”
19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”
20 Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them. This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
22 “If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you? You follow me.” 23 And so it was said among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say that he would not die, but, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”
24 This is the disciple who is testifying about these things and who wrote these things. We know that his testimony is true.
Much More
25 Jesus also did many other things. If every one of them were written down, I suppose the world itself would not have room for the books that would be written.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.