| 1:1 |
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying: |
| 1:2 |
“ThusThis saysis what Cyrus king of Persia, says: ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to buildrebuild for Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. |
| 1:3 |
Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! LetGo him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. |
| 1:4 |
EveryAnd every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the menpeople of that place are to support him with silver and gold, with goodsequipment and cattle, together with a freewillvoluntary offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’ ” |
| 1:5 |
Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites aroserose up, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up andto rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. |
| 1:6 |
AllAnd all of those aboutaround them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goodsequipment, with cattle, and with valuables, aside from alleverything that was given as a freewillvoluntary offering. |
| 1:8 |
and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the princeleader of Judah. |
| 1:9 |
Now this was their number: 30thirty gold dishes, 1,000a thousand silver dishes, 29twenty nine duplicates; |
| 1:10 |
30thirty gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind, and 1,000a thousand other articles. |
| 1:11 |
All the articles of gold and silver numberedtotaled 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem. |
| 2:1 |
Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carriedtaken awayinto exile to Babylon, and they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city. |
| 2:2 |
These came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. TheT his is the number of the men of the people of Israel: |
| 2:16 |
the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98; |
| 2:25 |
the sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743; |
| 2:33 |
the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725; |
| 2:42 |
The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, and the sons of Shobai, 139 in all 139. |
| 2:54 |
the sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha. |
| 2:57 |
the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the sons of Ami. |
| 2:58 |
All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants weretotaled 392. |
| 2:59 |
Now these arewere thosethe ones who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they were not able to giveprovide evidence of their fathers’ households and their descendants, whether they were of Israel: |
| 2:60 |
the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, and the sons of Nekoda, 652. |
| 2:61 |
Of the sons of the priests: the sons of HabaiahHobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and he was called by their name. |
| 2:62 |
These searched among their ancestralgenealogical registration, but they could not be located; thereforeso they were considered uncleandefiled and excluded from the priesthood. |
| 2:63 |
The governor said to them that they shouldwere not to eat from the most holy things until a priest stood up with Urim and Thummim. |
| 2:64 |
The whole assembly numberedtogether totaled 42,360, |
| 2:65 |
besides their male and female servantsslaves who numberedtotaled 7,337; and they had 200two hundred singing men and women. |
| 2:66 |
Their horses werenumbered 736; their mules, 245; |
| 2:68 |
Some of the heads of fathers’ households, when they arrived at the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to restoreerect it on its foundationsite. |
| 2:69 |
According to their ability they gave to the treasury for the work 61,000sixty-one thousand gold drachmas, andfive 5,000thousand silver minas, and 100a hundred priestly garments. |
| 2:70 |
Now the priests and the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities. |
| 3:1 |
Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one manperson to Jerusalem. |
| 3:2 |
Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers, aroserose up and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the lawLaw of Moses, the man of God. |
| 3:3 |
So they set up the altar on its foundation, forbecause they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. |
| 3:4 |
They also celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the fixedprescribed number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required; |
| 3:5 |
and afterward there was a continual burnt offering, also for the new moons and for all the fixedappointed festivals of the Lord that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewillvoluntary offering to the Lord. |
| 3:7 |
Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at Joppa, according to the permission they had from Cyrus king of Persia. |
| 3:8 |
Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites fromwho were twenty years old and olderupward to oversee the work of the house of the Lord. |
| 3:11 |
TheyAnd they sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, “For He is good, for His lovingkindnessfavor is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout of joy when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. |
| 3:13 |
so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, forbecause the people shoutedwere shouting with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away. |
| 4:2 |
they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we, like you, we seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.” |
| 4:3 |
But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build tofor the Lord God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.” |
| 4:5 |
and hiredbribed counselorsadvisers against them to frustrate their counseladvice all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. |
| 4:7 |
And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic. |
| 4:8 |
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as follows— |
| 4:9 |
then wrote Rehum the commander, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues, the judges and the lesser governors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, |
| 4:10 |
and the rest of the nations which the great and honorable Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region beyond the Euphrates River. NowAnd now |
| 4:11 |
this is thea copy of the letter which they sent to him: “To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men inof the region beyond the Euphrates River,; and now |
| 4:13 |
Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, custom tax, or toll, and it will damagebe detrimental to the revenue of the kings. |
| 4:14 |
Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king’s dishonorshame, thereforefor this reason we have sent word and informed the king, |
| 4:15 |
so that a search may be madeconducted in the record books of your fathers. And you will discover in the record books and learn that that city is a rebellious city and damagingdetrimental to kings and provinces, and that they have incitedrevolted revolt within it in past days; thereforefor this reason that city was laid waste. |
| 4:16 |
We informare informing the king that if that city is rebuilt and the walls finished, then as a result of this you will have no possession in the province beyond the Euphrates River.” |
| 4:17 |
Then the king sent ana answerresponse to Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River: “Peace. And now, |
| 4:19 |
AAnd a decree has been issued by me, and a search has been madeconducted and it has been discovered that that city has risen up against the kings in past days, and that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated in it, |
| 4:20 |
that mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem, governing all the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and that tribute, custom tax, and toll were paid to them. |
| 4:21 |
So,Now now issue a decree to make thesethose men stop work, so that this city maywill not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me. |
| 4:22 |
BewareAnd beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should there be great damage, increase to the detriment of the kings?” |
| 4:23 |
Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes’ documentdecree was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they went in hastea hurry to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by military force of arms. |
| 4:24 |
Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceasedwas discontinued, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. |
| 5:2 |
then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak aroserose up and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them. |
| 5:3 |
At that time Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus,as follows: “Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?” |
| 5:5 |
But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until athe report could comereach to Darius, and then athe writtendecree replyconcerning it could be returnedsent concerning itback. |
| 5:6 |
This is the copy of the letter whichthat Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. |
| 5:7 |
They sent athe report to him in which it was written thusas follows: “To Darius the king, all peace. |
| 5:8 |
LetMay it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with hugelarge stones, and beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is goingbeing onperformed with great care and is succeeding in their hands. |
| 5:9 |
Then we asked those elders and said to them thus,as follows: ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?’ |
| 5:10 |
We also asked them their names so as to inform you, andin order that we might write down the names of the men who were atin their headcharge. |
| 5:11 |
ThusSo they answered us as follows, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. |
| 5:12 |
But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gavehanded them intoover theto hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. |
| 5:14 |
Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took them from the temple of Babylon and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. |
| 5:15 |
HeAnd he said to him, “Take these utensils, go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and lethave the house of God be rebuilt in its place.” |
| 5:17 |
NowAnd now, if it pleases the king, let a search be conducted in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, ifas itto bewhether that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God atin Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his decision concerning this matter.” |
| 6:1 |
Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was madeconducted in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. |
| 6:2 |
InAnd in Ecbatana, in the fortress, which is in the province of Media, a scroll was found; and therethe following was written in it as follows: “Memorandum— |
| 6:3 |
In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God atin Jerusalem, let the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt, and let its foundations be retainedrepaired, its height being 60sixty cubits and its width 60sixty cubits;, |
| 6:4 |
with three layers of hugelarge stones and one layer of timberstimber. And let the cost is to be paid from the royal treasury. |
| 6:5 |
Also let the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned and brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.’ |
| 6:6 |
“Now thereforeas for you, Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, keepstay away from there. |
| 6:7 |
Leave thisthat work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild thisthat house of God on its site. |
| 6:8 |
MoreoverFurthermore, I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of thisthat house of God: the full cost is to be paid to thesethose people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and that without delayinterruption. |
| 6:9 |
WhateverAnd whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offeringofferings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem requestorder, it is to be given to them daily without fail, |
| 6:10 |
so that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the lifelives of the king and his sons. |
| 6:11 |
And I issued a decree that any manperson who violates this edictdecree, a timber shall be drawnpulled fromout of his house and he shall be impaled on it; and his house shall be madeturned into a refuse heap on account of this. |
| 6:12 |
May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts to change it, so as to destroy thisthat house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree,; let it is to be carried out with all diligence!” |
| 6:13 |
Then Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sentordered. |
| 6:14 |
And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesyingprophecy of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building accordingfollowing to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. |
| 6:15 |
ThisNow this temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. |
| 6:16 |
And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. |
| 6:17 |
They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100a hundred bulls, 200two hundred rams, 400four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. |
| 6:18 |
Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their orderssections for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the bookBook of Moses. |
| 6:19 |
The exiles observedheld the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month. |
| 6:20 |
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then they slaughtered the Passover lamblambs for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. |
| 6:21 |
TheAnd the sons of Israel who returned from exile and all those who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the Lord God of Israel, ate the Passover. |
| 6:22 |
And they observedheld the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, forbecause the Lord had causedmade them to rejoicehappy, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. |
| 7:1 |
Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, thereEzra went up to Jerusalem; Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, |
| 7:6 |
ThisSo this Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the lawLaw of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. |
| 7:7 |
Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. |
| 7:8 |
HeAnd he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. |
| 7:9 |
For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him. |
| 7:10 |
For Ezra had setfirmly hisresolved heart to study the lawLaw of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. |
| 7:11 |
Now this is the copy of the decreeletter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel: |
| 7:12 |
“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the lawLaw of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now |
| 7:14 |
ForasmuchSince as you are sent byon the part of the king and his seven counselorsadvisers to inquire concerningabout Judah and Jerusalem according to the lawLaw of your God which is in your hand, |
| 7:15 |
and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselorsadvisers have freelyvoluntarily offeredgiven to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, |
| 7:16 |
with all the silver and gold which you find in the wholeentire province of Babylon, along with the freewillvoluntary offering of the people and of the priests, who offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; |
| 7:17 |
with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. |
| 7:18 |
WhateverAnd whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. |
| 7:20 |
TheAnd the rest of the needs forof the house of your God, for which youit may havebe occasionincumbent upon you to provide, provide for itthem from the royal treasury. |
| 7:21 |
“I, even Imyself, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the lawLaw of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, |
| 7:22 |
even up to 100a hundred talents of silver, 100a hundred kors of wheat, 100a hundred baths of wine, 100a hundred baths of anointing oil, and salt as needed. |
| 7:23 |
Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it shall be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. |
| 7:24 |
We also inform you that it is not allowed to impose tax, tribute, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinimtemple servants, or other servants of this house of God. |
| 7:25 |
“YouAnd you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges so that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the Euphrates River, eventhat is, all those who know the laws of your God; and you may teach anyone who is ignorant of them. |
| 7:26 |
WhoeverAnd willwhoever does not observecomply with the lawLaw of your God and the law of the king, let judgment is to be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment, or for confiscation of goodsproperty or for imprisonment.” |
| 7:27 |
Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to adornglorify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, |
| 7:28 |
and has extended lovingkindnessfavor to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princesofficials. ThusSo I was strengthened according to the hand of the Lord my God that was upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me. |
| 8:3 |
of the sons of Shecaniah who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him 150 males who were in the genealogical list; |
| 8:4 |
of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and 200two hundred males with him; |
| 8:5 |
of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and 300three hundred males with him; |
| 8:6 |
and of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50fifty males with him; |
| 8:7 |
and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70seventy males with him; |
| 8:8 |
and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80eighty males with him; |
| 8:11 |
and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28twenty-eight males with him; |
| 8:13 |
and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names,: Eliphelet, JeuelJeiel, and Shemaiah, and 60sixty males with them; |
| 8:14 |
and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and 70seventy males with them. |
| 8:15 |
Now I assembled them at the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I observedpaid close attention to the people and the priests, I did not find any Levites there. |
| 8:16 |
So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. |
| 8:17 |
And I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the place called Casiphia; and I told them what to say to Iddo and his brothers, the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God. |
| 8:18 |
AccordingAnd toas the good hand of our God was upon us, they brought us a man of insight offrom the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18eighteen men; |
| 8:19 |
and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20twenty men; |
| 8:20 |
and 220 of the temple servants, whom David and the princesofficials had givenprovided for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name. |
| 8:21 |
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, thatto we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. |
| 8:22 |
For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsakeabandon Him.” |
| 8:23 |
So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreatypleading. |
| 8:24 |
Then I setselected apart twelve of the leading priests,: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; |
| 8:25 |
and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king, and his counselors, and his princesofficials, and all Israel who were present there had offeredcontributed. |
| 8:26 |
ThusSo I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100a hundred talents, and 100a hundred gold talents, |
| 8:27 |
and 20twenty gold bowls worth 1,000a thousand darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. |
| 8:28 |
Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewillvoluntary offering to the Lord God of your fathers. |
| 8:29 |
Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites, and the headsleaders of the fathers’ households of Israel atin Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.” |
| 8:30 |
So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighedweight outof silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God. |
| 8:31 |
Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was overupon us, and He deliveredrescued us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the wayroad. |
| 8:32 |
ThusSo we came to Jerusalem and remained there for three days. |
| 8:33 |
OnAnd on the fourth day the silver, and the gold, and the utensils were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. |
| 8:34 |
EverythingA notation was numberedmade for everything by number and weighedweight, and all the weight was recorded at that time. |
| 8:35 |
The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12twelve bulls for all Israel, 96ninety-six rams, 77seventy-seven lambs, 12twelve male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the Lord. |
| 8:36 |
Then they delivered the king’s edicts to the king’s satraps and to the governors in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and they supported the people and the house of God. |
| 9:1 |
Now when these things had been completed, the princesofficials approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, accordingas to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. |
| 9:2 |
For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princesofficials and the rulersleaders have beentaken foremostthe lead in this unfaithfulness.” |
| 9:3 |
When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled out some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled. |
| 9:4 |
Then everyone who trembledwas atfrightened by the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering. |
| 9:5 |
But at the evening offering I arosestood up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fellbowed down on my knees and stretchedspread out my hands to the Lord my God; |
| 9:6 |
and I said, “OMy my God, I am ashamed and embarrassedhumiliated to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquitieswrongful deeds have risen above our heads, and our guilt has grown even to the heavens. |
| 9:7 |
Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and onbecause account of our iniquitieswrongful deeds we, our kings, and our priests have been givenhanded intoover theto hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder, and to open shame, as it is this day. |
| 9:8 |
But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, so that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. |
| 9:9 |
For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsakenabandoned us, but has extended lovingkindnessfavor to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raiseerect up the house of our God, to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. |
| 9:10 |
“NowAnd now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsakenabandoned Your commandments, |
| 9:11 |
which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end, and with their impurity. |
| 9:12 |
So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters tofor your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’ |
| 9:13 |
AfterAnd allafter everything that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have requitedspared us by inflicting less than our iniquitieswrongdoing deservedeserves, and have given us such an escaped remnant as this, |
| 9:14 |
shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there iswould be no remnant nor any who would escape? |
| 9:15 |
O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this.” |
| 10:1 |
Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women, and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterlygreatly. |
| 10:3 |
So now let’s us make a covenant with our God to putsend away all the wives and their children, accordingfollowing to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremblefear at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the lawLaw. |
| 10:5 |
Then Ezra rosestood and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel, take an oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath. |
| 10:6 |
Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, forbecause he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. |
| 10:7 |
TheySo they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they shouldwere to assemble at Jerusalem, |
| 10:8 |
and that whoever woulddid not come within three days, accordingin toaccordance with the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessionsproperty shouldwould be forfeited, and he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles. |
| 10:9 |
So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the openpublic square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. |
| 10:10 |
Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. |
| 10:12 |
Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, “That’sIt right!is Asour youduty haveto said,do soexactly itas isyou ourhave dutysaid! to do. |
| 10:13 |
ButHowever, there are many people;, it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, forbecause we have transgresseddone greatlya great wrong in this matter. |
| 10:14 |
LetPlease let our leaders represent all the whole assembly and lethave all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us.” |
| 10:16 |
But the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men who were the heads of fathers’ households for each of their father’s households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. |
| 10:17 |
TheyAnd they finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month. |
| 10:18 |
AmongNow among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. |
| 10:19 |
They pledged to putsend away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their offenseguilt. |
| 10:20 |
Of the sons of Immer, there were Hanani and Zebadiah; |
| 10:21 |
and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; |
| 10:22 |
and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. |
| 10:23 |
Of the Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. |
| 10:24 |
Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. |
| 10:25 |
Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; |
| 10:26 |
and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah; |
| 10:27 |
and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; |
| 10:28 |
and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; |
| 10:29 |
and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth; |
| 10:30 |
and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; |
| 10:32 |
Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; |
| 10:33 |
of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; |
| 10:42 |
Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. |
| 10:43 |
Of the sons of Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. |
| 10:44 |
All of these men had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children. |