Old/New Testament
6 Then King Darius gave commandment. And they searched in the library of the treasures which were laid up there in Babel.
2 And a volume was found in a coffer (in the palace that was in the province of the Medes). And a memorial was written in it:
3 “IN THE FIRST year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus made a decree for the House of God in Jerusalem: ‘Let the House be built, the place where they offered Sacrifices. And let its walls be joined together. Let its height be sixty cubits, and its width sixty cubits,
4 ‘with three rows of great stones, and one row of timber. And let the expenses be given from the king’s house.
5 ‘And also let them render the vessels of the House of God (from gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple which was in Jerusalem and brought to Babel). And let each go to the Temple in Jerusalem to its place and put it in the House of God.’
6 “Therefore Tattenai, captain beyond the river, and Shethar-Boznai, (and their companions, Apharsecai, who are beyond the River) stay far from there.
7 “Allow the work of this House of God, so that the captain of the Jews and the elders of the Jews may build this House of God in its place.
8 “For I have given a commandment as to what you shall do for the elders of these Jews for the building of this House of God: that the revenue of the king which is from the tribute beyond the River shall immediately be given for these men’s expenses, so that they do not cease.
9 “And that which they shall have need of, let it be given to them day by day, whether it be young bulls, or rams, or lambs for the Burnt Offerings of the God of Heaven, or wheat, salt, wine and oil, according to the appointment of the priests who are in Jerusalem, without fail,
10 “so that they may have sweet odors to offer to the God of Heaven, and pray for the king’s life and for his sons.
11 “And I have made a decree that whoever shall alter this edict shall have the wood pulled down from his house. And it shall be set up, and he shall be hanged on it. And his house shall be made a dunghill for this.
12 “And may the God Who has caused His Name to dwell there destroy all kings and people who make it their intention to alter and to destroy this House of God, which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have made a decree. Let it be done with speed.”
13 Then Tattenai, the captain beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai and their companions, did according to that which Darius had sent, speedily.
14 So the elders of the Jews built. And they prospered by the prophesying of Haggai the Prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, by the appointment of the God of Israel, and by the commandment of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes, king of Persia.
15 And this House was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity kept the dedication of this House of God with joy,
17 and offered one hundred bulls at the dedication of this House of God, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve goats, for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they set the priests in their order, and the Levites in their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.
19 And the children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month,
20 for the priests and the Levites were purified altogether. And they killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren, the priests, and for themselves.
21 So, the children of Israel who had come back out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate.
22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy. For the LORD had made them glad and turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to encourage them in the work of the House of God, the God of Israel.
7 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, was 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 Babel and was a scribe, skilled in the Law of Moses which the LORD God of Israel had given. And the king gave him all his request according to the Hand of the LORD his God which was upon him.
7 And in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, some of the children of Israel, and of the priests and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, went up to Jerusalem.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 For upon the first day of the first month, he began to go up from Babel. And on the first day of the fifth month, he came to Jerusalem, according to the good Hand of his God that was upon him.
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach the Precepts and Judgments in Israel.
11 And this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the Priest and scribe, a writer of the Words of the Commandments of the LORD, and of His Statutes, over Israel:
12 “ARTAXERXES, king of kings, to Ezra the Priest and perfect scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, and to Cheeneth,
13 “I have given commandment that every one of the people in my kingdom— of Israel and of the priests and Levites—who is willing to go to Jerusalem with you, shall go.
14 “Therefore, you are sent from the king and his seven counselors to enquire in Judah and Jerusalem, according to the Law of your God which is in your hand,
15 “and to carry the silver and the gold which the king and his counselors willingly offer to the God of Israel (whose habitation is in Jerusalem)
16 “and all the silver and gold that you can find in all the province of Babel, with the free offering of the people, and that which the priests offer willingly to the House of their God which is in Jerusalem,
17 “so that you may speedily buy bulls, rams and lambs, with their Meat Offerings and their Drink Offerings, with this silver. And you shall offer them upon the Altar of the House of your God, which is in Jerusalem.
18 “And whatever it pleases you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of your God.
19 “And the vessels that are given to you for the service of the House of your God, deliver those before God in Jerusalem.
20 “And the rest that shall be needed for the House of your God, which shall be right for you to bestow, you shall bestow it out of the king’s treasure house.
21 “And I, King Artaxerxes, have given commandment to all the treasurers which are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the Priest and scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven shall require of you, that it be done immediately,
22 “to a hundred talents of silver, to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without writing.
23 “Whatever is by the Commandment of the God of Heaven, let it be done speedily for the House of the God of Heaven. For why should He be angry against the realm of the king and his children?
24 “And we inform you that upon any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or ministers in this House of God, no governor shall lay toll, tribute or custom.
25 “And you, Ezra (after the wisdom of your God that is in your hand), set judges and arbiters which may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all that know the Law of your God. And teach those who do not know it.
26 “And whoever will not do the Law of your God, and the king’s law, let him have judgment without delay, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.”
27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, Who has put such in the king’s heart, to beautify the House of the LORD that is in Jerusalem,
28 and has inclined mercy toward me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes! And I was comforted by the Hand of the LORD my God upon me. And I gathered the chief of Israel to go up with me.
8 These, now, are the chief fathers of those—and the genealogy of those— who came up with me from Babel, in the reign of King Artaxerxes.
2 Of the sons of Phinehas came Gershom. Of the sons of Ithamar came Daniel. Of the sons of David came Hattush.
3 Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh came Zechariah, and the count of the males with him was one hundred fifty.
4 Of the sons of Pahath-Moab came Elihoenai, the son of Zerahiah, and two hundred males with him.
5 Of the sons of Shechaniah came the son of Jahaziel, and three hundred males with him.
6 And of the sons of Adin came Ebed, the son of Jonathan, and fifty males with him.
7 And of the sons of Elam came Jeshaiah, the son of Athaliah, and seventy males with him.
8 And of the sons of Shephatiah came Zebadiah, the son of Michael, and eighty males with him.
9 Of the sons of Joab came Obadiah, the son of Jehiel, and two hundred eighteen males with him.
10 And of the sons of Shelomith came the son of Josiphiah, and one hundred sixty males with him.
11 And of the sons of Bebai came Zechariah, the son of Bebai, and twenty-eight males with him.
12 And of the sons of Azgad came Johanan, the son of Hakkatan, and one hundred ten males with him.
13 And of the sons of Adonikam came the last, whose names are these: Eliphelet, Jehiel and Shemaiah, and sixty males with them.
14 And of the sons of Bigvai came Uthai and Zabbud, and seventy males with them.
15 And I gathered them to the river that goes toward Ahava. And we stayed there for three days. Then I viewed the people, and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi there.
16 Therefore I sent to Eliezer, to Ariel, to Shemeiah, and to Elnathan, and to Jarib, and to Elnathan, and to Nathan, and to Zechariah, and to Meshullam (the chief), and to Joiarib, and to Elnathan, men of understanding.
17 And I gave them a commandment for Iddo (the highest at the place of Casiphia). And I told them the words that they should speak to Iddo and to his brethren, the Nethinim, at the place of Casiphia, so that they would cause the ministers of the House of our God to come to us.
18 So, by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah with his sons and his brethren (eighteen).
19 Also Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah, of the sons of Merari, with his brethren, and their sons (twenty).
20 And of the Nethinim whom David had set—and the princes for the service of the Levites—two hundred twenty of the Nethinim, all of which were named by name.
21 And there at the river, by Ahava, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek of Him a right way for us, and for our children, and for all our possessions.
22 For I was ashamed to require an army and horsemen of the king, to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The Hand of our God is upon all those who seek Him in goodness. But His power and His wrath is against all those who forsake Him.”
23 So we fasted and sought our God for this. And He was entreated by us.
24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,
25 and weighed the silver and the gold and the vessels for them, the offering of the House of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes and all Israel that was present had offered.
26 And I weighed to their hand six hundred fifty talents of silver, and one hundred talents in silver vessels, and one hundred talents in gold,
27 and twenty basins of gold of a thousand drams, and two vessels of shining bronze (very good and precious as gold).
28 And I said to them, “You are consecrated to the LORD. And the vessels are consecrated. And the gold and the silver are freely offered to the LORD God of your fathers.
29 “Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites, and the chief fathers of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the House of the LORD.”
30 So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver, and of the gold, and of the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the House of our God.
31 Then we departed from the river Ahavah, on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the Hand of our God was upon us, and delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as laid in wait by the way.
32 And we came to Jerusalem and stayed there for three days.
33 And on the fourth day, the silver was weighed, and the gold, and the vessels, in the House of our God, by the hand of Meremoth, the son of Uriah the Priest. And with him was Eleazar, the son of Phinehas. And with them was Jozabad, the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah, the son of Binnui (the Levites)
34 and all the weight was written at the same time, by number and by weight of each one.
35 Also, the children of the captivity who had come out of captivity offered Burnt Offerings to the God of Israel— twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats for sin—all a Burnt Offering to the LORD.
36 And they delivered the king’s commission to the king’s officers, and to the captains beyond the river. And they promoted the people, and the House of God.
21 After these things, Jesus revealed Himself again to His disciples at the sea of Tiberias. And in this way, He revealed Himself:
2 Simon Peter and Thomas, who is called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two of His other disciples, were together.
3 Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you, also.” They went their way and immediately entered into a ship. And that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore. Nevertheless, the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Sirs, do you have any food!?” They answered Him, “No!”
6 Then He said to them, “Cast out the net on the right side of the ship, and you shall find.” So, they cast out and were not able to draw it in at all, because of the multitude of fish.
7 Therefore, the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he threw on his coat (for he was naked) and cast himself into the sea.
8 But the other disciples came by ship, (for they were not far from land, only about two hundred cubits) and they drew in the net with the fish.
9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw hot coals with fish laid thereon, and bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have caught now!”
11 Simon Peter stepped forth and drew in the net to land, full of great fish (a hundred and fifty-three). And even though there were so many, the net was not broken.
12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast!” And none of the disciples dared ask Him, ‘Who are You?’, knowing that He was the Lord.
13 Jesus then came and took bread and gave it to them, and fish also.
14 This is now the third time that Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples after He was risen again from the dead.
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again the second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My sheep.”
17 He said to him a third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was sorry because He said to him a third time, ‘Do you love Me?’, and said to Him, “Lord, you know all things. You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”
18 “Truly, truly I say to you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you would. But when you shall be old, you shall stretch forth your hands and another shall dress you and lead you where do not wish.”
19 And this He spoke to signify by what death He would glorify God. And when He had said this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
20 Then Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, following (who had also leaned on His breast at supper, and had said, ‘Lord, which is he who betrays You?’)
21 Therefore, when Peter saw him he said to Jesus, “Lord, what of this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I wish him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
23 Then the word went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet, Jesus did not say to him, ‘He shall not die’, but ‘if I wish him to remain until I come, what is it to you?’
24 This is that disciple who testifies of these things and wrote these things. And we know that his testimony is true.
25 Now, there are also many other things which Jesus did; which, if every one should be written, I suppose the world could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
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