Study Desk

And the seventh month came on, and the children of Israel were in their cities, and the people assembled as one man at Jerusalem.

And they that afflicted Juda and Benjamin heard, that the children of the captivity were building a house to the Lord God of Israel.

And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of the house of God with gladness.

And the children of the captivity kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

For the priests and Levites were purified, all were clean to a man, and they slew the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

And the children of Israel ate the passover, even they that were of the captivity, and every one who separated himself to them from the uncleanness of the nations of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel.

And some of the children of Israel went up, and some of the priests, and of the Levites, and the singers, and the door-keepers, and the Nathinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Arthasastha the king.

And I proclaimed there a fast, at the river Aue, that we should humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our children, and for all our property.

At that time the children of the banishment that came from the captivity offered whole-burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, twelve calves for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve goats for a sin-offering; all whole-burnt-offerings to the Lord.

From the days of our fathers we have been in a great trespass until this day: and because of our iniquities we, and our kings, and our children, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the Gentiles by the sword, and by captivity, and by spoil, and with shame of our face, as at this day.

And now give not your daughters to their sons, and take not of their daughters for your sons, neither shall ye seek their peace or their good for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and transmit it as an inheritance to your children for ever.

And they made proclamation throughout Juda and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, saying,

And the children of the captivity did thus: and Esdras the priest, and heads of families according to their house were separated, and all by their names, for they returned in the first day of the tenth month to search out the matter.

and so did the children of Banui, and the children of Semei,

let now thine ear be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, this day both day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and make confession for the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and the house of my father have sinned.

And Sanaballat the Aronite heard it, and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and it was grievous to them that a man was come to seek good for the children of Israel.

And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children are as their children: yet, behold, we are reducing our sons and our daughters to slavery, and some of our daughters are enslaved: and there is no power of our hands, for our fields and our vineyards belong to the nobles.

Now these are the children of the country, that came up from captivity, of the number which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon carried away, and they returned to Jerusalem and to Juda, every man to his city;

The children of Phoros, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two.

The children of Saphatia, three hundred and seventy-two.