Category: Ezra

[1:1] In the first year that Cyrus of Persia was emperor, the Lord made what he had said through the prophet Jeremiah come true. He prompted Cyrus to issue the following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud everywhere in his empire:

[1:2] “This is the command of Cyrus, Emperor of Persia. The Lord, the God of Heaven, has made me ruler over the whole world and has given me the responsibility of building a temple for him in Jerusalem in Judah.

[1:3] May God be with all of you who are his people. You are to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is worshiped in Jerusalem.

[1:4] If any of his people in exile need help to return, their neighbors are to give them this help. They are to provide them with silver and gold, supplies and pack animals, as well as offerings to present in the Temple of God in Jerusalem.”

[1:5] Then the heads of the clans of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and Levites, and everyone else whose heart God had moved got ready to go and rebuild the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem.

[1:6] All their neighbors helped them by giving them many things: silver utensils, gold, supplies, pack animals, other valuables, and offerings for the Temple.

[1:7] Emperor Cyrus gave them back the bowls and cups that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and had put in the temple of his gods.

[1:8] He handed them over to Mithredath, chief of the royal treasury, who made an inventory of them for Sheshbazzar, the governor of Judah,

[1:11] In all there were 5,400 gold and silver bowls and other articles which Sheshbazzar took with him when he and the other exiles went from Babylon to Jerusalem.

[2:1] Many of the exiles left the province of Babylon and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, all to their own hometowns. Their families had been living in exile in Babylonia ever since King Nebuchadnezzar had taken them there as prisoners.

[2:2] Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the list of the clans of Israel, with the number of those from each clan who returned from exile: – Shephatiah – 372 – Arah – 775 – Pahath Moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) – 2,812 – Elam – 1,254 – Zattu – 945 – Zaccai – 760 – Bani – 642 – Bebai – 623 – Azgad – 1,222 – Adonikam – 666 – Bigvai – 2,056 – Adin – 454 – Ater (also called Hezekiah) – 98 – Bezai – 323 – Jorah – 112 – Hashum – 223 – Gibbar – 95 – Bethlehem – 123 – Netophah – 56 – Anathoth – 128 – Azmaveth – 42 – Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth – 743 – Ramah and Geba – 621 – Michmash – 122 – Bethel and Ai – 223 – Nebo – 52 – Magbish – 156 – The other Elam – 1,254 – Harim – 320 – Lod, Hadid, and Ono – 725 – Jericho – 345 – Senaah – 3,630 – Jedaiah (descendants of Jeshua) – 973 – Immer – 1,052 – Pashhur – 1,247 – Harim – 1,017 – Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah) – 74 – Temple musicians (descendants of Asaph) – 128 – Temple guards (descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai) – 139 – Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, – Keros, Siaha, Padon, – Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, – Hagab, Shamlai, Hanan, – Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, – Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, – Uzza, Paseah, Besai, – Asnah, Meunim, Nephisim, – Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, – Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, – Barkos, Sisera, Temah, – Neziah, and Hatipha – Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, – Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel, – Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth Hazzebaim, and Ami

[2:58] The total number of descendants of the Temple workers and of Solomon's servants who returned from exile was 392.

[2:63] The Jewish governor told them that they could not eat the food offered to God until there was a priest who could use the Urim and Thummim. – Their male and female servants – 7,337 – Male and female musicians – 200 – Horses – 736 – Mules – 245 – Camels – 435 – Donkeys – 6,720

[2:68] When the exiles arrived at the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem, some of the leaders of the clans gave freewill offerings to help rebuild the Temple on its old site.

[2:69] They gave as much as they could for this work, and the total came to 1,030 pounds of gold, 5,740 pounds of silver, and 100 robes for priests.

[2:70] The priests, the Levites, and some of the people settled in or near Jerusalem; the musicians, the Temple guards, and the Temple workers settled in nearby towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in the towns where their ancestors had lived.

[3:1] By the seventh month the people of Israel were all settled in their towns. Then they all assembled in Jerusalem,

[3:2] and Joshua son of Jehozadak, his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, together with his relatives, rebuilt the altar of the God of Israel, so that they could burn sacrifices on it according to the instructions written in the Law of Moses, the man of God.

[3:3] Even though the returning exiles were afraid of the people who were living in the land, they rebuilt the altar where it had stood before. Then they began once again to burn on it the regular morning and evening sacrifices.

[3:4] They celebrated the Festival of Shelters according to the regulations; each day they offered the sacrifices required for that day;

[3:5] and in addition they offered the regular sacrifices to be burned whole and those to be offered at the New Moon Festival and at all the other regular assemblies at which the Lord is worshiped, as well as all the offerings that were given to the Lord voluntarily.

[3:6] Although the people had not yet started to rebuild the Temple, they began on the first day of the seventh month to burn sacrifices to the Lord.

[3:7] The people gave money to pay the stonemasons and the carpenters and gave food, drink, and olive oil to be sent to the cities of Tyre and Sidon in exchange for cedar trees from Lebanon, which were to be brought by sea to Joppa. All this was done with the permission of Emperor Cyrus of Persia.

[3:8] So in the second month of the year after they came back to the site of the Temple in Jerusalem, they began work. Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the rest of their people, the priests, and the Levites, in fact all the exiles who had come back to Jerusalem, joined in the work. All the Levites twenty years of age or older were put in charge of the work of rebuilding the Temple.

[3:9] The Levite Jeshua and his sons and relatives, and Kadmiel and his sons (the clan of Hodaviah) joined together in taking charge of the rebuilding of the Temple. (They were helped by the Levites of the clan of Henadad.)

[3:10] When the builders started to lay the foundation of the Temple, the priests in their robes took their places with trumpets in their hands, and the Levites of the clan of Asaph stood there with cymbals. They praised the Lord according to the instructions handed down from the time of King David.

[3:11] They sang the Lord's praises, repeating the refrain: “The Lord is good, and his love for Israel is eternal.” Everyone shouted with all their might, praising the Lord, because the work on the foundation of the Temple had been started.

[3:12] Many of the older priests, Levites, and heads of clans had seen the first Temple, and as they watched the foundation of this Temple being laid, they cried and wailed. But the others who were there shouted for joy.

[3:13] No one could distinguish between the joyful shouts and the crying, because the noise they made was so loud that it could be heard for miles.

[4:1] The enemies of the people of Judah and Benjamin heard that those who had returned from exile were rebuilding the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel.

[4:2] So they went to see Zerubbabel and the heads of the clans and said, “Let us join you in building the Temple. We worship the same God you worship, and we have been offering sacrifices to him ever since Emperor Esarhaddon of Assyria sent us here to live.”

[4:3] Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the heads of the clans told them, “We don't need your help to build a temple for the Lord our God. We will build it ourselves, just as Emperor Cyrus of Persia commanded us.”

[4:4] Then the people who had been living in the land tried to discourage and frighten the Jews and keep them from building.

[4:5] They also bribed Persian government officials to work against them. They kept on doing this throughout the reign of Emperor Cyrus and into the reign of Emperor Darius.

[4:6] At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Xerxes, the enemies of the people living in Judah and Jerusalem brought written charges against them.

[4:7] Again in the reign of Emperor Artaxerxes of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their associates wrote a letter to the emperor. The letter was written in Aramaic and was to be translated when read.

[4:8] Also Rehum, the governor, and Shimshai, the secretary of the province, wrote the following letter to Emperor Artaxerxes about Jerusalem:

[4:9] “From Rehum, the governor, from Shimshai, secretary of the province, from their associates, the judges, and from all the other officials, who are originally from Erech, Babylon, and Susa in the land of Elam,

[4:10] together with the other peoples whom the great and powerful Ashurbanipal moved from their homes and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in West-Of-Euphrates Province.”

[4:11] This is the text of the letter: “To Emperor Artaxerxes from his servants who live in West-Of-Euphrates.

[4:12] “We want Your Majesty to know that the Jews who came here from your other territories have settled in Jerusalem and are rebuilding that evil and rebellious city. They have begun to rebuild the walls and will soon finish them.

[4:13] Your Majesty, if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the people will stop paying taxes, and your royal revenues will decrease.

[4:14] Now, because we are under obligation to Your Majesty, we do not want to see this happen, and so we suggest

[4:15] that you order a search to be made in the records your ancestors kept. If you do, you will discover that this city has always been rebellious and that from ancient times it has given trouble to kings and to rulers of provinces. Its people have always been hard to govern. This is why the city was destroyed.

[4:16] We therefore are convinced that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, Your Majesty will no longer be able to control West-Of-Euphrates Province.”

[4:17] The emperor sent this answer: “To Rehum, the governor, to Shimshai, secretary of the province, and to their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of West-Of-Euphrates, greetings.

[4:18] “The letter which you sent has been translated and read to me.

[4:19] I gave orders for an investigation to be made, and it has indeed been found that from ancient times Jerusalem has revolted against royal authority and that it has been full of rebels and troublemakers.

[4:20] Powerful kings have reigned there and have ruled over the entire province of West-Of-Euphrates, collecting taxes and revenue.

[4:21] Therefore you are to issue orders that those men are to stop rebuilding the city until I give further commands.

[4:22] Do this at once, so that no more harm may be done to my interests.”

[4:23] As soon as this letter from Emperor Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their associates, they hurried to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop rebuilding the city.

[6:1] So Emperor Darius issued orders for a search to be made in the royal records that were kept in Babylon.

[6:2] But it was in the city of Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found, containing the following record:

[6:3] “In the first year of his reign Emperor Cyrus commanded that the Temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are made and offerings are burned. The Temple is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide.

[6:4] The walls are to be built with one layer of wood on top of each three layers of stone. All expenses are to be paid by the royal treasury.

[6:5] Also the gold and silver utensils which King Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon from the Temple in Jerusalem are to be returned to their proper place in the Jerusalem Temple.”

[6:6] Then Emperor Darius sent the following reply: “To Tattenai, governor of West-Of-Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and your fellow officials in West-Of-Euphrates. “Stay away from the Temple

[6:7] and do not interfere with its construction. Let the governor of Judah and the Jewish leaders rebuild the Temple of God where it stood before.

[6:8] I hereby command you to help them rebuild it. Their expenses are to be paid promptly out of the royal funds received from taxes in West-Of-Euphrates, so that the work is not interrupted.

[6:9] Day by day, without fail, you are to give the priests in Jerusalem whatever they tell you they need: young bulls, sheep, or lambs to be burned as offerings to the God of Heaven, or wheat, salt, wine, or olive oil.

[6:10] This is to be done so that they can offer sacrifices that are acceptable to the God of Heaven and pray for his blessing on me and my sons.

[6:11] I further command that if any disobey this order, a wooden beam is to be torn out of their houses, sharpened on one end, and then driven through their bodies. And their houses are to be made a rubbish heap.

[6:12] May the God who chose Jerusalem as the place where he is to be worshiped overthrow any king or nation that defies this command and tries to destroy the Temple there. I, Darius, have commanded. My command is to be fully obeyed.”

[6:13] Then Governor Tattenai, Shethar Bozenai, and their fellow officials did exactly as the emperor had commanded.

[6:14] The Jewish leaders made good progress with the building of the Temple, encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. They completed the Temple as they had been commanded by the God of Israel and by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, emperors of Persia.

[6:15] They finished the Temple on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Darius.

[6:16] Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and all the others who had returned from exile—joyfully dedicated the Temple.

[6:17] For the dedication they offered 100 bulls, 200 sheep, and 400 lambs as sacrifices, and 12 goats as offerings for sin, one for each tribe of Israel.

[6:18] They also organized the priests and the Levites for the Temple services in Jerusalem, according to the instructions contained in the book of Moses.