Study Desk

And ^(C1)the elders of the Jews ^(F1)were successful in building through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And ^(F2)they finished building following the command of the God of Israel and the decree ^(C2)of Cyrus, ^(C3)Darius, and ^(C4)Artaxerxes king of Persia.

Now this ^(F1)temple was completed ^(F2)on the third day of the ^(C1)month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the ^(F1)exiles, ^(C1)celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

They offered for the dedication of this temple of God a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel ^(C1)twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel.

Then they appointed the priests to ^(C1)their divisions and the Levites in ^(C2)their sections for the service of God in Jerusalem, ^(C3)as it is written in the Book of Moses.

^(C1)The exiles held the Passover on ^(C2)the fourteenth of the first month.

^(C1)For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then ^(C2)they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

And the sons of Israel who returned from exile and ^(C1)all those who had separated themselves from ^(C2)the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate the Passover.

And ^(C1)they held the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the LORD had made them happy, and ^(C2)had turned the heart of ^(C3)the king of Assyria toward them to ^(F1)encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.