Study Desk

And some of the heads of the fathers, when they came to the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in its place.

They gave according to their ability to the treasury of the ministry, sixty one thousand drachmas of gold, and five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred garments for the priests.

And they set the altar on its bases, for fear was on them because of the people of those lands. And he offered burnt offerings on it to Jehovah, burnt offerings morning and evening.

And they sang, praising and giving thanks to Jehovah, because He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praisedJehovah because the foundation of the houseof Jehovah was laid.

But many of the priests and Levites, and heads of the fathers, the aged 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 tell the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of weeping of the people. For the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

then they came to Zerubbabel and to the head of the fathers and said to them, Let us build with you, for we seek your God, as you. And we have not sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel said to them, It is not for you and for us to build a house to our God. But we ourselves will together build toJehovah the God of Israel, as King Cyrus theking of Persia has commanded us.

Now because we have eaten of the palace salt, and it is not right for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore we have sent and notified the king,

so that he may search in the book of the records of your fathers, and you shall discover in the book of the records and shall know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtfulto kings and to provinces; and insurrectionwas stirred up in it in the past; for which reason this city was destroyed.

Also I make a decree as to what you shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of that house of God, that the exact expense be given to these men from the king's property, out of the tax Beyond the River, so that they may not haveto cease working.

And that which they need, both young bulls and rams and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of Heaven; wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as say the priests in Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail,

so that they may offer sacrifices of sweet odor to the God of Heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.

Also I have given a decree that whoever shall change this word, let timber be torn out from his house, and let him be impaled and hanged on it. And let his house be made an outhouse for this.

And they offered at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats, for a sin offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

And they raised up the priests in their sections, and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God which is in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

For the priests and the Levites were purified together; all of them were pure. And they slaughtered the passover lamb for all the sons of the exile, and for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.

And they performed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy. For Jehovah had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to make their handsstrong in the work of the house of God, theGod of Israel.

For on the first of the first month, he laid the foundation in order to go up from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of God on him.

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of Jehovah, and to do it, and to teach statutes and judgments in Israel.