Old/New Testament
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.
4 Now the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity built the Temple to the LORD God of Israel.
2 And they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief fathers, and said to them, “We will build with you. For we seek the LORD your God like you; and we have sacrificed to Him since the time of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”
3 Then Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief fathers of Israel said to them, “It is not for you but for us to build the House to our God. For we ourselves together will build it to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”
4 Therefore, the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.
5 And they hired counselors against them to hinder their plans all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius, king of Persia.
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus (in the beginning of his reign) they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 And in the days of Artachshashta, when it was peace, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. And the writing of the letter was in the Aramites’ writing. And the thing declared was in the language of the Aramites.
8 Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote a letter of this type to Artaxerxes the king, against Jerusalem.
9 Then, Rehum the chancellor wrote, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions Dinai and Apharsathcai, Tarpelai, Persia, Archevai, Bablai, Shushanchai, Dehave, Elamai,
10 and the rest of the people whom the great and noble Osnapper brought over and set in the cities of Samaria, and others who are beyond the River and Cheeneth.
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent to King Artaxerxes, “THY SERVANTS, the men beyond the River and Cheeneth:
12 “Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem (a rebellious and wicked city). And they build and lay the foundations of the walls and have joined the foundations.
13 “Be it known now to the king that if this city is built, and the foundations of the walls laid, they will give neither toll, tribute nor custom. So shall they hinder the king’s tribute.
14 “Now therefore, since we have been brought up in the palace, it was not right for us to see the king’s dishonor. For this reason, we have sent and informed the king,
15 “so that one may search in the Book of the Chronicles of your fathers, and you shall find in the Book of the Chronicles and perceive that this city is rebellious and noisome to kings and provinces, and that they have incited sedition in former times, for which reason this city was destroyed.
16 “We inform the king that if this city is built, and the foundation of the walls laid, by this means the portion beyond the River shall not be yours.”
17 The king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe and to the rest of their companions who dwelt in Samaria, and to the others beyond the River (Shelam and Cheeth).
18 “The letter which you sent to us has been openly read before me.
19 “And I have commanded, and they have searched, and found, that this city has made insurrection against kings in former times and has rebelled. And rebellion has been committed in it.
20 “Also, there have been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all beyond the River. And toll, tribute and custom were given to them.
21 “Now make a decree that those men may cease, and that the city not be built until I have given commandment.
22 “Be careful now that you do not fail to do this. Why should damage grow to hurt the king?”
23 When the copy of King Artaxerxes’s letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up quickly to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and made them cease by force and power.
24 Then the work of the House of God which was in Jerusalem ceased. And it ceased until the second year of Darius, king of Persia.
5 Then Haggai, a Prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, a Prophet, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the Name of the God of Israel to them.
2 Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, arose and began to build the House of God at Jerusalem, and with them the Prophets of God, who helped them.
3 At the same time, Tattenai came to them (who was captain beyond the River) and Shethar-Boznai and their companions, and said thus to them, “Who has given you commandment to build this House, and to lay the foundations of these walls?”
4 Then we said to them after this manner, “What are the names of the men who build this building?”
5 But the Eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so that they could not make them stop until the matter came to Darius. And then they answered by letters about it.
6 The copy of the letter that Tattenai, captain beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai and his companions, Persians, (who were beyond the river) sent to King Darius
7 (they sent a letter to him in which it was written): “TO DARIUS the king, all peace.
8 “Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the House of the great God, which is built with great stones. And beams are laid in the walls. And this work is wrought speedily and prospers in their hands.
9 “Then asked we those elders, and said to them thus, ‘Who has given you commandment to build this House, and to lay the foundation of these walls?’
10 “We also asked their names so that we might inform you, and so that we might write the names of the men who were their rulers.
11 “But they answered us thus, and said, ‘We are the servants of the God of Heaven and Earth, and build the House that was built of old, many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and founded.
12 ‘But after our fathers had provoked the God of Heaven to wrath, He gave them over into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, the Chaldean. And he destroyed this house and carried the people away captive to Babel.
13 ‘But in the first year of Cyrus, king of Babel, King Cyrus made a decree to build this House of God.
14 ‘And the vessels of gold and silver of the House of God which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babel—Cyrus the king took those out of the temple of Babel and gave them to Sheshbazzar by name, whom he had made captain.
15 ‘And he said to him, “Take these vessels and go your way, and put them in the Temple that is in Jerusalem. And let the House of God be built in its place.”
16 ‘Then, the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the House of God, which is in Jerusalem. And since that time until now, it has been under construction. It is not finished yet.’
17 “Now therefore, if it pleases the king, let there be a search made in the house of the king’s treasures which is there in Babel, to find whether a decree has been made by King Cyrus to build this House of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send his pleasure concerning this.”
20 Now, the first of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the sepulcher - early, when it was still dark. And she saw the stone taken away from the tomb.
2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher! And we do not know where they have laid Him!”
3 Therefore, Peter went out, and the other disciple, and they came to the sepulcher.
4 So they both ran together. But the other disciple outran Peter and came to the sepulcher first.
5 And he stooped down and saw the linen clothes lying. Still, he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the sepulcher. And he saw the linen clothes, laying.
7 And the facecloth that was upon His head was not laying with the linen clothes but was wrapped together in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple (who had first come to the sepulcher) went in also. And he saw it and believed.
9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, “That He must rise again from the dead”.
10 And the disciples went away again to their own home.
11 But Mary stood outside the sepulcher, weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down into the sepulcher
12 and saw two angels in white, sitting - one at the head and the other at the feet - where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 And they said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 When she had said this, she turned back and saw Jesus, standing. And she didn’t know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek?” She, supposing that He was the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if you have taken Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned, and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, “Master”)
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not touch Me. For I am not yet ascended to My Father. But, go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father, and to your Father, and to My God, and your God’.”
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
19 The evening of the same day (which was the first of the week), when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace to you.”
20 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples rejoiced, having seen the Lord.
21 Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you. As My Father sent Me, so I send you.”
22 And when He had said that, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Ghost.”
23 “Whoever’s sins you forgive, they are forgiven them. And whoever’s sins you retain, they are retained.”
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve (called Didymus) was not with them when Jesus came.
25 Therefore, the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it!”
26 And eight days later, His disciples were inside again and Thomas with them. Then Jesus came (when the doors were shut) and stood in their midst, and said, “Peace to you.”
27 Afterward, He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. And see My hands. And put forth your hand and put it into My side. And do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28 Then Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord, and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you believe. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
30 And Jesus also did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this Book.
31 But these things are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And that in believing, you might have life, through His Name.
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