1 ¶ Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, so that the word of the LORD aby the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia bto make a proclamation throughout all his kingdom. And he put it also in writing, saying,
2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And He has ccharged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, that is in Judah.
3 ‘Who is there among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem that is in Judah and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (dHe is God), that is in Jerusalem.
4 ‘And whoever remains in any place where he sojourns, let the men of his place help him with silver and with gold and with goods and with livestock, besides the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.’”
5 ¶ Then the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits eGod had moved, rose up to go build the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem.
6 And all those who were around them encouraged them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods and with livestock and with precious things, besides all that was fwillingly offered.
7 ¶ gCyrus the king also brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD hthat Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and had put in the house of his gods.
8 Even these Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer and counted them out to iSheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
9 Now this was their number: 30 dishes of gold, 1,000 dishes of silver, 29 knives,
10 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles.
11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these Sheshbazzar brought up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Chapter-1 References: a 2 Ch 36:22,23 b Er 5:13,14 c Is 44:28; 45:1,13 d Dn 6:26 e Ph 2:13 f Er 2:68 g Er 5:14; 6:5 h 2 Kg 24:13 i Er 5:14,16
1 ¶ Now athese are the children of the province who went up out of the captivity, of those who had been carried away, bwhom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon. And they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.
2 These came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
3 the children of Parosh, 2,172;
4 the children of Shephatiah, 372;
5 the children of Arah, c775;
6 the children of dPahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812;
7 the children of Elam, 1,254;
8 the children of Zattu, 945;
9 the children of Zaccai, 760;
10 the children of Bani, 642;
11 the children of Bebai, 623;
12 the children of Azgad, 1,222;
13 the children of Adonikam, 666;
14 the children of Bigvai, 2,056;
15 the children of Adin, 454;
16 the children of Ater of Hezekiah, 98;
17 the children of Bezai, 323;
18 the children of Jorah, 112;
19 the children of Hashum, 223;
20 the children of Gibbar, 95;
21 the children of Bethlehem, 123;
22 the men of Netophah, 56;
23 the men of Anathoth, 128;
24 the children of Azmaveth, 42;
25 the children of Kirjatharim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;
26 the children of Ramah and Gaba, 621;
27 the men of Michmas, 122;
28 the men of Bethel and Ai, 223;
29 the children of Nebo, 52;
30 the children of Magbish, 156;
31 the children of the other eElam, 1,254;
32 the children of Harim, 320;
33 the children of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 725;
34 the children of Jericho, 345;
35 the children of Senaah, 3,630.
36 The priests: the children of fJedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973;
37 the children of gImmer, 1,052;
38 the children of hPashur, 1,247;
39 the children of iHarim, 1,017.
40 ¶ The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, 74.
41 ¶ The singers: the children of Asaph, 128.
42 ¶ The children of the gatekeepers: 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 139.
43 ¶ jThe Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
44 the children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,
45 the children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub,
46 the children of Hagab, the children of Shalmai, the children of Hanan,
47 the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,
48 the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,
49 the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,
50 the children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of Nephusim,
51 the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
52 the children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
53 the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah,
54 the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
55 ¶ The children of kSolomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of lSophereth, the children of Peruda,
56 the children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
57 the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Ami.
58 All the Nethinims and the children of Solomon’s servants were 392.
59 ¶ Now these were those who went up from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, Addan and Immer. However, they could not identify their father’s house and their seed, whether they were of Israel:
60 the children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, 652.
61 And of the children of the priests: the children of oHabaiah, the children of Koz, the children of pBarzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called after their name.
62 These sought their register among those who were registered by genealogy, but they were not found. qTherefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled.
63 And the governor said to them that they rshould not eat of the most holy things until there stood up a priest with the sUrim and Thummim.
64 ¶ The whole assembly together was 42,360,
65 besides their servants and their maids, of whom there were 7,337. And there were among them 200 singing men and singing women.
66 Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; 67 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.
68 ¶ uAnd some of the chiefs of the fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD that is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in its place.
69 They gave after their ability to the vtreasury for the work 61,000 gold drachmas and 5,000 silver minas and 100 priestly garments.
70 wSo the priests and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers and the gatekeepers and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities and all Israel in their cities.
Chapter-2 References: a Ne 7:6-73 b 2 Kg 24:14-16; 25:11 c Ne 7:10 d Ne 7:11 e Er 2:7 f 1 Ch 24:7-18 g 1 Ch 24:14 h 1 Ch 9:12 i 1 Ch 24:8 j 1 Ch 9:2 k 1 Kg 9:21 l Ne 7:57-60 m 1 Ch 9:2 n 1 Kg 9:21 o Ne 7:63 p 2 Sm 17:27 q Nm 3:10 r Lv 22:2,10,15,16 s Ex 28:30 t Ne 7:66 u Ne 7:70 v Er 8:25-35 w Ne 7:37
1 ¶ And when the aseventh month had come and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
2 Then Jeshua the son of bJozadak stood up, and his brethren the priests and cZerubbabel the son of dShealtiel, and his brethren, and built the altar of the God of Israel in order to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is ewritten in the law of Moses the man of God.
3 And they set the altar upon its bases, for fear was upon them because of the people of the lands. And they offered fburnt offerings on it to the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening.
4 gThey kept also the feast of tabernacles has it is written. And they ioffered the daily burnt offerings in the number required by ordinance for each day.
5 And afterward they offered the jcontinual burnt offering, both for the new moons and for all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and for everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to the LORD.
6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.
7 ¶ They gave money also to the masons and to the carpenters, and kfood and drink and oil to those of Sidon and to those of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of lJoppa, according to the permission that they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
8 ¶ Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem in the second month, nZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work and oappointed the Levites from twenty years and older to supervise the work of the house of the LORD.
9 Then Jeshua with his sons and brethren stood united with Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brethren the Levites, to supervise those working on the temple of God.
10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, pthe priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD after the qordinance of David king of Israel.
11 rAnd they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks to the LORD because sHe is good, for tHis mercy endures forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
12 ¶ But many of the priests and Levites and uchief of the fathers who were older men and who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes. But many shouted aloud for joy.
13 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.
Chapter-3 References: a Ne 7:73; 8:1,2 b Ne 12:1,8 c Er 2:2; 4:2,3; 5:2 d 1 Ch 3:17 e Dt 12:5,6 f Nm 28:3 g Ne 8:14-18 h Ex 23:16 i Nm 29:12,13 j Ex 29:38 k At 12:20 l 2 Ch 2:16 m Er 1:2; 6:3 n Er 3:2; 4:3 o 1 Ch 23:4,24 p 1 Ch 16:5,6 q 1 Ch 6:31; 16:4; 25:1 r Ne 12:24 s Ps 136:1 t Jr 33:11 u Er 2:6-8
1 ¶ Now when the aenemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building the temple to the LORD God of Israel,
2 they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief of the fathers. And they said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do. And we have sacrificed to Him bsince the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us up here.”
3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chiefs of the fathers of Israel said to them, c“You have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God. But we ourselves together will build to the LORD God of Israel as dKing Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”
4 Then ethe people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and troubled them in building.
5 And they hired counselors against them in order to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of fDarius king of Persia.
6 ¶ And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote to him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 ¶ And in the days of gArtaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. And the letter was written in the hAramaic script and translated into the Aramaic language.
8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
9 “From Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the iDinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,
10 j“and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnapper brought over and settled in the cities of Samaria, and the rest who are on this side the River, kand so forth.”
11 (This is the copy of the letter that they sent to him.) “To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men in the region beyond the River.
12 “Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem, building the lrebellious and the evil city. And they are setting up its m
13 “Let it be known now to the king that if this city is built and the walls set up again, then they will not pay ntax, tribute and custom, and so it will diminish the revenue of the king.
14 “Now because we receive support from the king’s palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king
15 “so that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. And you will find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city and harmful to kings and provinces, and that they have incited sedition within the same in former times. For this reason this city was destroyed.
16 “We inform the king that if this city is built again, and its walls set up, by this means you will have no dominion on this side the River.”
17 ¶ Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor and to Shimshai the scribe and to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and to the rest beyond the River, “Greetings:
18 “The letter that you sent to us has been clearly read before me.
19 “And I commanded and search has been made. And it has been found that this city of former times has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.
20 “There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem who have oruled over all countries pbeyond the River. And tax, tribute and custom was paid to them.
21 “Now give a command to cause these men to cease and that this city not be built until another command is given from me.
22 “Take heed now that you do not fail to do this. Why should damage increase to the harm of the kings?”
23 ¶ Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews. And they made them cease by force and arms.
24 ¶ Then the work ceased on the house of God that is at Jerusalem. So it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Chapter-4 References: a Er 4:7-9 b 2 Kg 17:24; 19:37 c Ne 2:20 d Er 1:14 e Er 3:3 f Er 5:5; 6:1 g Er 7:1,7,21 h 2 Kg 18:26 i 2 Kg 17:30,31 j 2 Kg 17:24 k Er 4:11,17; 7:12 l 2 Ch 36:13 m Er 5:3,9 n Er 4:20; 7:24 o Ps 72:8 p Gn 15:18
1 ¶ Then the prophets, aHaggai the prophet and bZechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.
2 Then cZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God that is at Jerusalem. And the dprophets of God were with them supporting them.
3 ¶ At the same time eTattenai, governor on this side the River, and Shetharboznai and their companions came to them. And they said to them thus, f“Who has commanded you to build this house and to finish this wall?”
4 gThen accordingly, we told them the names of the men who were constructing this building.
5 But the heye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews so that they could not cause them to cease until the matter came to Darius. Then a iwritten reply was returned concerning this matter.
6 ¶ This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor on this side the River, and Shetharboznai and jhis companions the Persians, who were on this side the River, sent to Darius the king:
7 (They sent a letter to him in which was written thus): “To Darius the king: All peace.
8 “Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God that is being built with great stones, and timber is being laid in the walls. And this work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands.
9 “Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, k‘Who commanded you to build this house and to finish these walls?’
10 “We asked their names also, to inform you so that we might write the names of the men who were the leaders among them.
11 “And they answered us, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. And we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago which a great king of Israel built and lfinished.
12 ‘But mbecause our fathers provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of nNebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and ocarried the people away into Babylon.
13 ‘But in the first year of pCyrus the king of Babylon the same King Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.
14 ‘And the vessels also of qgold and silver of the house of God that Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon and they were delivered to rone whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
15 ‘And he said to him, “Take these vessels. Go and carry them to the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.”
16 ‘Then the same Sheshbazzar came and slaid the foundation of the house of God that is in Jerusalem. And since that time even until now it has been under construction, and yet tit is not finished.’
17 “Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, ulet there be a search made in the king’s treasure house that is there at Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was made by Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem. Then let the king send to us his decision concerning this matter.”
Chapter-5 References: a Hg 1:1 b Zc 1:1 c Er 3:2 d Hg 2:4 e Er 5:6; 6:6 f Er 1:3; 5:9 g Er 5:10 h Ps 33:18 i Er 6:6 j Er 4:7-10 k Er 5:3,4 l 1 Kg 6:1,38 m 2 Ch 34:25; 36:16,17 n 2 Kg 24:2; 25:8-11 o Jr 13:19 p Er 1:1 q Er 1:7,8; 6:5 r Hg 1:14; 2:2 s Er 3:8-10 t Er 6:15 u Er 6:1,2
1 ¶ Then Darius the king issued a decree and aa search was made in the house of the archives where the treasures were stored in Babylon.
2 And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the bMedes, a scroll. And in it was a record thus written:
3 “In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a cdecree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, ‘Let the house be built, the place where they offered sacrifices. And let its foundations be firmly laid, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits;
4 d‘with three rows of great stones and a row of new timber. And let the eexpenses be paid for by the king’s house.
5 ‘And also let the fgold and silver vessels of the house of God that Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and returned to the temple that is at Jerusalem, everything to its place. And place them in the house of God.’
6 ¶ g“Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shetharboznai and your companions the Persians who are beyond the River, keep yourselves away from there.
7 “Leave the work of this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.
8 “Furthermore, I issue a decree of what you will do for the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay.
9 “And whatever they need, both young bulls and rams and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine and oil, according to the appointment of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them daily without fail.
10 h“so that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savors to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.
11 “I have also issued a decree that whoever will alter this word, let timber be taken from his house and erected, and let him be hanged on it. And ilet his house be made a rubbish heap because of this.
12 “And may the God who has caused jHis name to dwell there destroy all kings or people who attempt to change it, or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have made a decree. Let it be done diligently.”
13 ¶ Then Tattenai, governor on this side the River, Shetharboznai and their companions diligently did according to what King Darius had sent.
14 kAnd the elders of the Jews built. And they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it according to the commandment of the God of Israel and according to the commandment of lCyrus and mDarius, and nArtaxerxes king of Persia.
15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, that was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
16 And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the odedication of this house of God with joy.
17 And they poffered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and for a sin offering for all Israel, 12 male goats according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they set the priests in their qdivisions and the Levites in their rdivisions, for the service of God that is at Jerusalem, sas it is written in the book of Moses.
19 ¶ And the children of the captivity kept the Passover on the tfourteenth day of the first month.
20 For the priests and the Levites were upurified together, all of them were pure. And they vkilled the Passover lamb for all the children of the captivity and for their brethren the priests and for themselves.
21 And the children of Israel who had come again out of captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves to them from the wimpurity of the nations of the land in order to seek the LORD God of Israel.
22 And they kept with joy the xfeast of unleavened bread seven days, for the LORD had made them joyful and yturned the heart of the zking of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
Chapter-6 References: a Er 5:17 b 2 Kg 17:6 c Er 1:1; 5:13 d 1 Kg 6:36 e Er 3:7 f Er 1:7,8; 5:14 g Er 5:3,6 h Er 7:23 i Dn 2:5; 3:29 j 1 Kg 9:3 k Er 5:1,2 l Er 1:1; 5:13; 6:3 m Er 4:24; 6:12 n Er 7:1,11 o 1 Kg 8:63 p Er 8:35 q 1 Ch 24:1 r 1 Ch 23:6 s Nm 3:6; 8:9 t Ex 12:6 u 2 Ch 29:34; 30:15 v 2 Ch 35:11 w Er 9:11 x Ex 12:15; 13:6,7 y Pv 21:1 z Er 1:1; 6:1
1 ¶ Now after these things, in the reign of aArtaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the bson of Seraiah, the cson of Azariah, the son of dHilkiah,
2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest,
6 this Ezra went up from Babylon. And he was a escribe skilled in the law of Moses that the LORD God of Israel had given. And the king granted him all his requests faccording to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.
7 gAnd there went up some of the children of Israel and some of the priests and the hLevites, and the singers and the gatekeepers and the iNethinims, to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon. And on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, jaccording to the good hand of his God upon him.
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to kseek the law of the LORD and to do it, and to lteach in Israel statutes and judgments.
11 ¶ Now this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even an expert in the words of the commandments of the LORD and of His statutes to Israel:
12 “Artaxerxes, mking of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace nand so forth.
13 “I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and Levites in my realm who are willing of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.
14 “Forasmuch as you are sent by the king and by his oseven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God that is in your hand,
15 “and to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, pwhose habitation is in Jerusalem,
16 q“and all the silver and gold that you can find in all the province of Babylon, with the rfreewill offering of the people and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem;
17 “with this money, therefore, you may diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs, with their sgrain offerings and their drink offerings, and toffer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem.
18 “And whatever will seem good to you and to your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.
19 “The vessels also that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, these you deliver before the God of Jerusalem.
20 “And whatever more will be needed for the house of your God that you will have occasion to provide, provide it out of the king’s treasure house.
21 “And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do issue a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, will require of you, it will be done diligently,
22 “to 100 talents of silver, and to 100 measures of wheat, and to 100 baths of wine, and to 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
23 “Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
24 “We also inform you that it will not be lawful to impose tax, tribute or custom on any of the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God.
25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that you possess, uappoint magistrates and judges so that they may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And you vteach those who do not know them.
26 “And whoever will not do the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether by death or by banishment or by confiscation of goods or by imprisonment.”
27 ¶ wBlessed be the LORD God of our fathers xwho has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem,
28 and yhas extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the zhand of the LORD my God was upon me. And I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
Chapter-7 References: a Ne 2:1 b 1 Ch 6:14 c Jr 52:24 d 2 Ch 35:8 e Er 7:11,12 f Er 7:9,28; 8:22 g Er 8:1-14 h Er 8:15 i Er 2:43; 8:20 j Ne 2:8,19 k Ps 119:45 l Dt 33:10 m Dn 2:37 n Er 4:10 o Et 1:14 p Er 6:12 q Er 8:25 r 1 Ch 29:6,9 s Nm 15:4-13 t Dt 12:5-11 u Ex 18:21,22 v Ml 2:7 w 1 Ch 29:10 x Er 6:22 y Er 9:9 z Er 5:5; 7:6,9; 8:18
1 ¶ These are now the chief of their fathers and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king:
2 of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, aHattush;
3 of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of bPharosh, Zechariah, and with him were reckoned by genealogy 150 males;
4 of the sons of cPahathmoab, Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 males;
5 of the sons of Shechaniah, the son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 males;
6 of the sons also of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him 50 males;
7 and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him 70 males;
8 and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him 80 males;
9 of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him 218 males;
10 and of the sons of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 males;
11 and of the sons of dBebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him 28 males;
12 and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 males;
13 and of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 males;
14 of the sons also of Bigvai, Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them 70 males.
15 ¶ And I gathered them together at the river that runs to Ahava. And there we stayed in tents for three days. And I viewed the people and the priests, and found none of the esons of Levi.
16 Then I sent for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah and for Elnathan and for Jarib and for Elnathan and for Nathan and for Zechariah and for fMeshullam, chief men, also for Joiarib and for Elnathan, men of understanding.
17 And I sent them with a command for Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia. And I told them what they should say to Iddo and to his brethren the Nethinims at the place Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God.
18 And by the good hand of our God upon us, they gbrought us a man of understanding from the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers, 18 men;
19 and hHashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, 20 men;
20 ialso of the Nethinims whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, 220 Nethinims. All of them were designated by name.
21 ¶ Then I jproclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava in order that we might khumble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a lsafe journey for us and for our little ones and for all our possessions.
22 For mI was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, n“The hand of our God is on all those for ogood who seek Him, but His power and His wrath is pagainst all those who qforsake Him.”
23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this. And He ranswered our prayer.
24 ¶ Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them.
25 And I weighed to them the ssilver and the gold and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God that the king and his counselors, and his lords and all Israel who were present, had offered.
26 I weighed into their hand 650 talents of silver, and 100 talents of silver vessels, and 100 talents of gold,
27 also 20 basins of gold worth 1,000 drachmas, and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.
28 And I said to them, “You are tholy to the LORD. The vessels are ualso holy. And the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers.
29 “Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites and vchief of the fathers of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.”
30 So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the vessels in order to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
31 ¶ Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the whand of our God was on us and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and the ambushes by the way.
32 And we xcame to Jerusalem and remained there three days.
33 ¶ Now on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were yweighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest. And with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas. And with them were zJozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites.
34 Everything was numbered and weighed, and all the weight was written at that time.
35 The children of those who had been acarried away who had come out of the captivity, boffered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and 12 male goats for a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD.
36 ¶ And they delivered the king’s cdecrees to the king’s lieutenants and to the governors on this side the River. And they supported the people and the house of God.
Chapter-8 References: a 1 Ch 3:22 b Er 2:3 c Er 10:30 d Er 10:28 e Er 7:7; 8:2 f Er 10:15 g Ne 8:7 h Ne 12:24 i Er 2:43; 7:7 j 1 Sm 7:6 k Is 58:3,5 l Ps 5:8 m 1 Ch 9:15 n Er 7:6,9,28 o Rm 8:28 p Ps 34:16 q 2 Ch 15:2 r 2 Ch 33:13 s Er 7:15,16 t Lv 21:6-9 u Lv 22:2,3 v Er 4:3 w Er 7:6,9,28 x Ne 2:11 y Er 8:26,30 z Ne 11:16 a Er 2:1 b Er 6:17 c Er 7:21-24
1 ¶ Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests, and the Levites have not aseparated themselves from the people of the lands, doing baccording to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites.
2 “For they chave taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the dholy seed has emingled with the people of those lands. Indeed, the hands of the princes and rulers have been foremost in this trespass.”
3 Now when I heard this thing, fI tore my garment and my mantle. And I pulled out the hair of my head and my beard, and sat down gappalled.
4 Then everyone who htrembled at the words of the God of Israel assembled to me because of the transgression of those who had been carried away. And I sat appalled until the ievening sacrifice.
5 ¶ And at the evening sacrifice I rose up from my heaviness, and having torn my garment and my mantle, I fell on my knees and jspread out my hands to the LORD my God.
6 Then I said, “O my God, I am kashamed and blush to lift up my face to You, my God. For lour iniquities have increased over our head, and our trespass is mgrown up to the heavens.
7 “Since the days of our fathers to this day nwe have been in great guilt, and because of our iniquities, owe have, our kings and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the psword, to captivity and to a spoil and to qhumiliation, as it is this day.
8 “And now for a little while grace has been showed from the LORD our God to leave us a remnant to escape and to give us a peg in his holy place so that our God may renlighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
9 s“For we were slaves. tYet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has uextended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us in order to set up the house of our God and to repair its ruins, and to give us a vwall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 “And now, O our God, what will we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments
11 “that You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land to which you go to possess is an unclean land with the wuncleanness of the people of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from one end to another with their impurity.
12 ‘Now therefore xdo not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons, ynor seek their peace nor their wealth forever so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and zleave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’
13 “And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that You our God ahave punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this,
14 “should we bagain break Your commandments and cintermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not be dangry with us until You have consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escape?
15 “O LORD God of Israel, eYou are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant as it is this day. Behold, fwe are before You gin our trespasses, for we cannot stand before You because of this.”
Chapter-9 References: a Ne 9:2 b Dt 12:30,31 c Dt 7:3 d Ex 22:31 e 2 Co 6:14 f Jb 1:20 g Ps 143:4 h Er 10:3 i Ex 29:39 j Ex 9:29 k Dn 9:7,8 l Ps 38:4 m Rv 18:5 n Dn 9:5,6 o Dt 28:36 p Dt 32:25 q Dn 9:7,8 r Ps 34:5 s Ne 9:36 t Ps 136:23 u Er 7:28 v Is 5:2 w Er 6:21 x Dt 7:3,4 y Dt 23:6 z Pv 13:22; 20:7 a Ps 103:10 b Jn 5:14 c Ne 13:23 d Dt 9:8 e Dn 9:14 f Rm 3:19 g 1 Ch 15:17
1 ¶ Now awhen Ezra had prayed and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down bbefore the house of God, there assembled to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children, for the people wept cbitterly.
2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, “We have dtrespassed against our God and have taken foreign wives of the people of the land. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
3 “Now therefore let us make a ecovenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those who ftremble at the gcommandment of our God. And let it be done according to the hlaw.
4 “Arise, for this matter belongs to you. We also will be with you. iBe courageous and do it.”
5 ¶ Then Ezra arose and made the chief priests, the Levites and all Israel jswear that they should do according to this word. And they swore.
6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib. And when he went there he ate no bread nor drank any water, for he mourned because of the transgression of those who had been carried away.
7 And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together to Jerusalem,
8 and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and himself separated from the assembly of those who had been carried away.
9 ¶ Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And lall the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and because of the great rain.
10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have transgressed and have taken foreign wives to increase the trespass of Israel.
11 “Now therefore make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will. nSeparate yourselves from the people of the land and from the foreign wives.”
12 Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “As you have said, so we must do.
13 “But the people are many and it is a time of much rain. And we are not able to stand in the open. Neither is this a work of one day or two, for we are many who have transgressed in this thing.
14 “Let now our rulers of all the assembly stand and let all those who have taken foreign wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and its judges, until the ofierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.”
15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah opposed this. And pMeshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.
16 ¶ And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain qchiefs of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated. And they sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
17 And they finished with all the men who had taken foreign wives by the first day of the first month.
18 ¶ And among the sons of the priests there were found those who had taken foreign wives: namely, of the sons of rJeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah and Eliezer and Jarib and Gedaliah.
19 And they sgave their promise that they would put away their wives. And being tguilty, they offered a ram of the flock for utheir trespass.
20 And also of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah;
21 and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah and Elijah and Shemaiah and Jehiel and Uzziah;
22 and of the sons of Pashur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23 Also of the Levites there was Jozabad and Shimei and Kelaiah (the same is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
24 Of the singers also: Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum and Telem and Uri;
25 moreover of Israel: of the vsons of Parosh: Ramiah and Jeziah and Malchiah and Miamin and Eleazar and Malchijah and Benaiah;
26 and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah and Jehiel and Abdi and Jeremoth and Eliah;
27 and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah and Jeremoth and Zabad and Aziza;
28 of the wsons also of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai;
29 and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub and Sheal and Ramoth;
30 and of the xsons of Pahath Moab: Adna and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel and Binnui and Manasseh;
31 and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah;
33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei;
34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram and Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau
38 and Bani and Binnui, Shimei,
39 and Shelemiah and Nathan and Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azareel and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah and Joseph;
43 of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau and Joel, Benaiah.
44 All these had taken foreign wives. And some of them had wives by whom they had children.