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Ezra
1
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Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of
Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah might be
accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of
Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his
kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘Yahweh, the God
of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he
has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in
Judah.
Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be
with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and
build the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel (he is God), which
is in Jerusalem.
Whoever is left, in any place where he lives, let the men of his
place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, and with
animals, besides the freewill offering for the house of God
which is in Jerusalem.’”
Then the heads of fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin,
and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had
stirred to go up rose up to build the house of Yahweh which is
in Jerusalem.
All those who were around them strengthened their hands with
vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, and
with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.
Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of
Yahweh, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem,
and had put in the house of his gods;
even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of
Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them to Sheshbazzar, the
prince of Judah.
This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one
thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives,
thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred
and ten, and other vessels one thousand.
All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and
four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when they of
the captivity were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
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1:1 “Yahweh” is God’s proper
Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other
translations.
1:2 The Hebrew word rendered
“God” is “Elohim.”
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Ezra 2 |
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Now these are the children of the province, who went up out
of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon,
and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city;
who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah,
Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of
the men of the people of Israel:
The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy-two.
The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy-two.
The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy-five.
The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and
Joab, two thousand eight hundred twelve.
The children of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.
The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty-five.
The children of Zaccai, seven hundred sixty.
The children of Bani, six hundred forty-two.
The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty-three.
The children of Azgad, one thousand two hundred twenty-two.
The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-six.
The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty-six.
The children of Adin, four hundred fifty-four.
The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety-eight.
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty-three.
The children of Jorah, one hundred twelve.
The children of Hashum, two hundred Twenty-three.
The children of Gibbar, ninety-five.
The children of Bethlehem, one hundred twenty-three.
The men of Netophah, fifty-six.
The men of Anathoth, one hundred twenty-eight.
The children of Azmaveth, forty-two.
The children of Kiriath Arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven
hundred forty-three.
The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty-one.
The men of Michmas, one hundred twenty-two.
The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty-three.
The children of Nebo, fifty-two.
The children of Magbish, one hundred fifty-six.
The children of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred
fifty-four.
The children of Harim, three hundred twenty.
The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-five.
The children of Jericho, three hundred forty-five.
The children of Senaah, three thousand six hundred thirty.
The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua,
nine hundred seventy-three.
The children of Immer, one thousand fifty-two.
The children of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven.
The children of Harim, one thousand seventeen.
The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children
of Hodaviah, seventy-four.
The singers: the children of Asaph, one hundred twenty-eight.
The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the
children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub,
the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all one
hundred thirty-nine.
The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the
children of Tabbaoth,
the children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of
Padon,
the children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children
of Akkub,
the children of Hagab, the children of Shamlai, the children of
Hanan,
the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of
Reaiah,
the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of
Gazzam,
the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of
Besai,
the children of Asnah, the children of Meunim, the children of
Nephisim,
the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of
Harhur,
the children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of
Harsha,
the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of
Temah,
the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the
children of Hassophereth, the children of Peruda,
the children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of
Giddel,
the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children
of Pochereth Hazzebaim, the children of Ami.
All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon’s servants, were
three hundred ninety-two.
These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub,
Addan, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’
houses, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:
the children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of
Nekoda, six hundred fifty-two.
Of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the
children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife
of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called
after their name.
These sought their register among those who were reckoned
by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they
deemed polluted and put from the priesthood.
The governor said to them, that they should not eat of the most
holy things, until there stood up a priest with Urim and with
Thummim.
The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred
sixty,
besides their male servants and their female servants, of whom
there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven: and they
had two hundred singing men and singing women.
Their horses were seven hundred thirty-six; their mules, two
hundred forty-five;
their camels, four hundred thirty-five; their donkeys,
six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
Some of the heads of fathers’ houses, when they came to
the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for
the house of God to set it up in its place:
they gave after their ability into the treasury of the work
sixty-one thousand darics of gold, and five thousand minas of
silver, and one hundred priests’ garments.
So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the
singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, lived in their
cities, and all Israel in their cities. |
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Ezra 3 |
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When the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel
were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as
one man to Jerusalem.
Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers the
priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brothers,
and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt
offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man
of God.
They set the altar on its base; for fear was on them because of
the peoples of the countries: and they offered burnt offerings
thereon to Yahweh, even burnt offerings morning and evening.
They kept the feast of tents, as it is written, and offered
the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the ordinance,
as the duty of every day required;
and afterward the continual burnt offering, and the offerings
of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of Yahweh that were
consecrated, and of everyone who willingly offered a freewill
offering to Yahweh.
From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer
burnt offerings to Yahweh: but the foundation of the temple of
Yahweh was not yet laid.
They gave money also to the masons, and to the carpenters; and
food, and drink, and oil, to them of Sidon, and to them of Tyre,
to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa,
according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.
Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at
Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of
Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their
brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who were
come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, and appointed the
Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight
of the work of the house of Yahweh.
Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and
his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to have the oversight of
the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their
sons and their brothers the Levites.
When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh,
they set the priests in their clothing with trumpets, and the
Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise Yahweh, after
the order of David king of Israel.
They sang one to another in praising and giving thanks to
Yahweh, “For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever
toward Israel.” All the people shouted with a great shout, when
they praised Yahweh, because the foundation of the house of
Yahweh was laid.
But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’
houses, the old 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:
so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of
joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people
shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off. |
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Ezra 4 |
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Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the
children of the captivity were building a temple to Yahweh, the
God of Israel;
then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ houses, and said to them, “Let us build with you; for we
seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days
of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”
But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of
fathers’ houses of Israel, said to them, “You have
nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we
ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as
king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of
Judah, and troubled them in building,
and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose,
all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of
Darius king of Persia.
In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote
they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and
Jerusalem.
In the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and
the rest of his companions, to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and
the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian character,
and set forth in the Syrian language.
Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter
against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe,
and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the
Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites,
the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar
brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest
of the country beyond the River, and so forth.
This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the
king: Your servants the men beyond the River, and so forth.
Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from you are
come to us to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and
the bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the
foundations.
Be it known now to the king that if this city is built, and the
walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and
in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.
Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not
appropriate for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore have we
sent and informed the king;
that search may be made in the book of the records of your
fathers: so you shall find in the book of the records, and know
that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and
provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of
old time; for which cause was this city laid waste.
We inform the king that, if this city be built, and the walls
finished, by this means you shall have no portion beyond the
River.
Then sent the king an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and
to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who
dwell in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond
the River: Peace, and so forth.
The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.
I decreed, and search has been made, and it is found that this
city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that
rebellion and sedition have been made therein.
There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled
over all the country beyond the River; and tribute,
custom, and toll, was paid to them.
Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this
city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me.
Take heed that you not be slack herein: why should damage grow
to the hurt of the kings?
Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before
Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went
in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by
force and power.
Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem;
and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king
of Persia.
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Ezra 5 |
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Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son
of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem;
in the name of the God of Israel prophesied they to them.
Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son
of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at
Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.
At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the
River, and Shetharbozenai, and their companions, and said thus
to them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to
finish this wall?”
Then we told them in this way, what the names of the men were
who were making this building.
But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they
did not make them cease, until the matter should come to Darius,
and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it.
The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the
River, and Shetharbozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites,
who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king;
they sent a letter to him, in which was written thus: To Darius
the king, all peace.
Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of
Judah, to the house of the great God, which is built with great
stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goes on
with diligence and prospers in their hands.
Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you
a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”
We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might
write the names of the men who were at the head of them.
Thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of
the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was
built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built
and finished.
But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to
wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the
people away into Babylon.
But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king
made a decree to build this house of God.
The gold and silver vessels also of the house of God, which
Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and
brought into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king took
out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one
whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;
and he said to him, ‘Take these vessels, go, put them in the
temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built
in its place.’
Then the same Sheshbazzar came, and laid the foundations of the
house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even
until now has it been in building, and yet it is not completed.
Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search
made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon,
whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to
build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his
pleasure to us concerning this matter.” |
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