Book | Chapter | Verse | Text |
Ezra |
1 |
1 |
In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the LORD fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy by stirring the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation into writing and to send it throughout his kingdom: |
Ezra |
1 |
2 |
"This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem in the land of Judah. |
Ezra |
1 |
3 |
All of you who are his people may return to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! |
Ezra |
1 |
4 |
Those who live in any place where Jewish survivors are found should contribute toward their expenses by supplying them with silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a freewill offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem." |
Ezra |
1 |
5 |
Then God stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the LORD. |
Ezra |
1 |
6 |
And all their neighbors assisted by giving them vessels of silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock. They gave them many choice gifts in addition to all the freewill offerings. |
Ezra |
1 |
7 |
King Cyrus himself brought out the valuable items which King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the LORD's Temple in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his own gods. |
Ezra |
1 |
8 |
Cyrus directed Mithredath, the treasurer of Persia, to count these items and present them to Sheshbazzar, the leader of the exiles returning to Judah. |
Ezra |
1 |
9 |
These were the items Cyrus donated: gold trays............. 30 silver trays.......... 1,000 silver censers......... 29 |
Ezra |
1 |
10 |
gold bowls............ 30 silver bowls.......... 410 other items.......... 1,000 |
Ezra |
1 |
11 |
In all, 5,400 gold and silver items were turned over to Sheshbazzar to take back to Jerusalem when the exiles returned there from Babylon. |
Ezra |
2 |
1 |
Here is the list of the Jewish exiles of the provinces who returned from their captivity to Jerusalem and to the other towns of Judah. They had been deported to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. |
Ezra |
2 |
2 |
Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the number of the men of Israel who returned from exile: |
Ezra |
2 |
3 |
The family of Parosh.................... 2,172 |
Ezra |
2 |
4 |
The family of Shephatiah.................. 372 |
Ezra |
2 |
5 |
The family of Arah....................... 775 |
Ezra |
2 |
6 |
The family of Pahath-moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab)......... 2,812 |
Ezra |
2 |
7 |
The family of Elam..................... 1,254 |
Ezra |
2 |
8 |
The family of Zattu....................... 945 |
Ezra |
2 |
9 |
The family of Zaccai...................... 760 |
Ezra |
2 |
10 |
The family of Bani....................... 642 |
Ezra |
2 |
11 |
The family of Bebai...................... 623 |
Ezra |
2 |
12 |
The family of Azgad.................... 1,222 |
Ezra |
2 |
13 |
The family of Adonikam.................. 666 |
Ezra |
2 |
14 |
The family of Bigvai.................... 2,056 |
Ezra |
2 |
15 |
The family of Adin....................... 454 |
Ezra |
2 |
16 |
The family of Ater (descendants of Hezekiah)................. 98 |
Ezra |
2 |
17 |
The family of Bezai...................... 323 |
Ezra |
2 |
18 |
The family of Jorah...................... 112 |
Ezra |
2 |
19 |
The family of Hashum.................... 223 |
Ezra |
2 |
20 |
The family of Gibbar...................... 95 |
Ezra |
2 |
21 |
The people of Bethlehem.................. 123 |
Ezra |
2 |
22 |
The people of Netophah.................... 56 |
Ezra |
2 |
23 |
The people of Anathoth.................... 128 |
Ezra |
2 |
24 |
The people of Beth-azmaveth.............. 42 |
Ezra |
2 |
25 |
The peoples of Kiriath-jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth................... 743 |
Ezra |
2 |
26 |
The peoples of Ramah and Geba............. 621 |
Ezra |
2 |
27 |
The people of Micmash.................... 122 |
Ezra |
2 |
28 |
The peoples of Bethel and Ai................ 223 |
Ezra |
2 |
29 |
The citizens of Nebo....................... 52 |
Ezra |
2 |
30 |
The citizens of Magbish.................... 156 |
Ezra |
2 |
31 |
The citizens of Elam...................... 1,254 |
Ezra |
2 |
32 |
The citizens of Harim...................... 320 |
Ezra |
2 |
33 |
The citizens of Lod, Hadid, and Ono............................... 725 |
Ezra |
2 |
34 |
The citizens of Jericho..................... 345 |
Ezra |
2 |
35 |
The citizens of Senaah.................... 3,630 |
Ezra |
2 |
36 |
These are the priests who returned from exile: The family of Jedaiah (through the line of Jeshua)...... 973 |
Ezra |
2 |
37 |
The family of Immer.......... 1,052 |
Ezra |
2 |
38 |
The family of Pashhur......... 1,247 |
Ezra |
2 |
39 |
The family of Harim.......... 1,017 |
Ezra |
2 |
40 |
These are the Levites who returned from exile: The families of Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah).......... 74 |
Ezra |
2 |
41 |
The singers of the family of Asaph.... 128 |
Ezra |
2 |
42 |
The gatekeepers of the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai................ 139 |
Ezra |
2 |
43 |
The descendants of the following Temple servants returned from exile: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, |
Ezra |
2 |
44 |
Keros, Siaha, Padon, |
Ezra |
2 |
45 |
Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, |
Ezra |
2 |
46 |
Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, |
Ezra |
2 |
47 |
Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, |
Ezra |
2 |
48 |
Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, |
Ezra |
2 |
49 |
Uzza, Paseah, Besai, |
Ezra |
2 |
50 |
Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim, |
Ezra |
2 |
51 |
Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, |
Ezra |
2 |
52 |
Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, |
Ezra |
2 |
53 |
Barkos, Sisera, Temah, |
Ezra |
2 |
54 |
Neziah, and Hatipha. |
Ezra |
2 |
55 |
The descendants of these servants of King Solomon returned from exile: Sotai, Sophereth, Peruda, |
Ezra |
2 |
56 |
Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel, |
Ezra |
2 |
57 |
Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-hazzebaim, and Ami. |
Ezra |
2 |
58 |
In all, the Temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants numbered 392. |
Ezra |
2 |
59 |
Another group returned to Jerusalem at this time from the towns of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Kerub, Addan, and Immer. However, they could not prove that they or their families were descendants of Israel. |
Ezra |
2 |
60 |
This group consisted of the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda--a total of 652 people. |
Ezra |
2 |
61 |
Three families of priests--Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai--also returned to Jerusalem. (This Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai of Gilead, and he had taken her family name.) |
Ezra |
2 |
62 |
But they had lost their genealogical records, so they were not allowed to serve as priests. |
Ezra |
2 |
63 |
The governor would not even let them eat the priests' share of food from the sacrifices until there was a priest who could consult the LORD about the matter by means of sacred lots. |
Ezra |
2 |
64 |
So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah, |
Ezra |
2 |
65 |
in addition to 7,337 servants and 200 singers, both men and women. |
Ezra |
2 |
66 |
They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, |
Ezra |
2 |
67 |
435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. |
Ezra |
2 |
68 |
When they arrived at the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders gave generously toward the rebuilding of God's Temple on its original site, |
Ezra |
2 |
69 |
and each leader gave as much as he could. The total of their gifts came to 61,000 gold coins, 6,250 pounds of silver, and 100 robes for the priests. |
Ezra |
2 |
70 |
So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled in villages near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to the other towns of Judah from which they had come. |
Ezra |
3 |
1 |
Now in early autumn, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled together as one person in Jerusalem. |
Ezra |
3 |
2 |
Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak with his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family began to rebuild the altar of the God of Israel so they could sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as instructed in the law of Moses, the man of God. |
Ezra |
3 |
3 |
Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they immediately began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the LORD. They did this each morning and evening. |
Ezra |
3 |
4 |
They celebrated the Festival of Shelters as prescribed in the law of Moses, sacrificing the burnt offerings specified for each day of the festival. |
Ezra |
3 |
5 |
They also offered the regular burnt offerings and the offerings required for the new moon celebrations and the other annual festivals to the LORD. Freewill offerings were also sacrificed to the LORD by the people. |
Ezra |
3 |
6 |
Fifteen days before the Festival of Shelters began, the priests had begun to sacrifice burnt offerings to the LORD. This was also before they had started to lay the foundation of the LORD's Temple. |
Ezra |
3 |
7 |
Then they hired masons and carpenters and bought cedar logs from the people of Tyre and Sidon, paying them with food, wine, and olive oil. The logs were brought down from the Lebanon mountains and floated along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to Joppa, for King Cyrus had given permission for this. |
Ezra |
3 |
8 |
The construction of the Temple of God began in midspring, during the second year after they arrived in Jerusalem. The work force was made up of everyone who had returned from exile, including Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jehozadak and his fellow priests, and all the Levites. The Levites who were twenty years old or older were put in charge of rebuilding the LORD's Temple. |
Ezra |
3 |
9 |
The workers at the Temple of God were supervised by Jeshua with his sons and relatives, and Kadmiel and his sons, all descendants of Hodaviah. They were helped in this task by the Levites of the family of Henadad. |
Ezra |
3 |
10 |
When the builders completed the foundation of the LORD's Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the LORD, just as King David had prescribed. |
Ezra |
3 |
11 |
With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the LORD: "He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!" Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the LORD because the foundation of the LORD's Temple had been laid. |
Ezra |
3 |
12 |
Many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders remembered the first Temple, and they wept aloud when they saw the new Temple's foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy. |
Ezra |
3 |
13 |
The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud commotion that could be heard far in the distance. |
Ezra |
4 |
1 |
The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the LORD, the God of Israel. |
Ezra |
4 |
2 |
So they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here." |
Ezra |
4 |
3 |
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied, "You may have no part in this work, for we have nothing in common. We alone will build the Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us." |
Ezra |
4 |
4 |
Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. |
Ezra |
4 |
5 |
They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their aims. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne. |
Ezra |
4 |
6 |
Years later when Xerxes began his reign, the enemies of Judah wrote him a letter of accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. |
Ezra |
4 |
7 |
And even later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, the enemies of Judah, led by Bishlam, Mithredath, and Tabeel, sent a letter to Artaxerxes in the Aramaic language, and it was translated for the king. |
Ezra |
4 |
8 |
Rehum the governor and Shimshai the court secretary wrote the letter, telling King Artaxerxes about the situation in Jerusalem. |
Ezra |
4 |
9 |
They greeted the king for all their colleagues--the judges and local leaders, the people of Tarpel, the Persians, the Babylonians, and the people of Erech and Susa (that is, Elam). |
Ezra |
4 |
10 |
They also sent greetings from the rest of the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal had deported and relocated in Samaria and throughout the neighboring lands of the province west of the Euphrates River. |
Ezra |
4 |
11 |
This is a copy of the letter they sent him: "To Artaxerxes, from your loyal subjects in the province west of the Euphrates River. |
Ezra |
4 |
12 |
"Please be informed that the Jews who came here to Jerusalem from Babylon are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city. They have already laid the foundation for its walls and will soon complete them. |
Ezra |
4 |
13 |
But we wish you to know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, it will be much to your disadvantage, for the Jews will then refuse to pay their tribute, customs, and tolls to you. |
Ezra |
4 |
14 |
"Since we are loyal to you as your subjects and we do not want to see you dishonored in this way, we have sent you this information. |
Ezra |
4 |
15 |
We suggest that you search your ancestors' records, where you will discover what a rebellious city this has been in the past. In fact, it was destroyed because of its long history of sedition against the kings and countries who attempted to control it. |
Ezra |
4 |
16 |
We declare that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the province west of the Euphrates River will be lost to you." |
Ezra |
4 |
17 |
Then Artaxerxes made this reply: "To Rehum the governor, Shimshai the court secretary, and their colleagues living in Samaria and throughout the province west of the Euphrates River. |
Ezra |
4 |
18 |
"Greetings. The letter you sent has been translated and read to me. |
Ezra |
4 |
19 |
I have ordered a search to be made of the records and have indeed found that Jerusalem has in times past been a hotbed of insurrection against many kings. In fact, rebellion and sedition are normal there! |
Ezra |
4 |
20 |
Powerful kings have ruled over Jerusalem and the entire province west of the Euphrates River and have received vast tribute, customs, and tolls. |
Ezra |
4 |
21 |
Therefore, issue orders to have these people stop their work. That city must not be rebuilt except at my express command. |
Ezra |
4 |
22 |
Do not delay, for we must not permit the situation to get out of control." |
Ezra |
4 |
23 |
When this letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their colleagues, they hurried to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop building. |
Ezra |
4 |
24 |
The work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia. |
Ezra |
5 |
1 |
At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied in the name of the God of Israel to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. |
Ezra |
5 |
2 |
Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadak responded by beginning the task of rebuilding the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them and helped them. |
Ezra |
5 |
3 |
But Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues soon arrived in Jerusalem and asked, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?" |
Ezra |
5 |
4 |
They also asked for a list of the names of all the people who were working on the Temple. |
Ezra |
5 |
5 |
But because their God was watching over them, the leaders of the Jews were not prevented from building until a report was sent to Darius and he returned his decision. |
Ezra |
5 |
6 |
This is the letter that Tattenai the governor, Shethar-bozenai, and the other officials of the province west of the Euphrates River sent to King Darius: |
Ezra |
5 |
7 |
"Greetings to King Darius. |
Ezra |
5 |
8 |
We wish to inform you that we went to the construction site of the Temple of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being rebuilt with specially prepared stones, and timber is being laid in its walls. The work is going forward with great energy and success. |
Ezra |
5 |
9 |
We asked the leaders, `Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?' |
Ezra |
5 |
10 |
And we demanded their names so that we could tell you who the leaders were. |
Ezra |
5 |
11 |
"This was their answer: `We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the Temple that was built here many years ago by a great king of Israel. |
Ezra |
5 |
12 |
But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he abandoned them to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who destroyed this Temple and exiled the people to Babylonia. |
Ezra |
5 |
13 |
However, King Cyrus of Babylon, during the first year of his reign, issued a decree that the Temple of God should be rebuilt. |
Ezra |
5 |
14 |
King Cyrus returned the gold and silver utensils that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of Babylon. These items were taken from that temple and delivered into the safekeeping of a man named Sheshbazzar, whom King Cyrus appointed as governor of Judah. |
Ezra |
5 |
15 |
The king instructed him to return the utensils to their place in Jerusalem and to rebuild the Temple of God there as it had been before. |
Ezra |
5 |
16 |
So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. The people have been working on it ever since, though it is not yet completed.' |
Ezra |
5 |
17 |
"So now, if it pleases the king, we request that you search in the royal archives of Babylon to discover whether King Cyrus ever issued a decree to rebuild God's Temple in Jerusalem. And then let the king send us his decision in this matter." |