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They build the altar

3 When all the people were now living in their towns, they went to meet together in Jerusalem. It was the seventh month of the year. 2 Jozadak's son, Jeshua, and some of the other priests in his family began to build the altar of Israel's God. Shealtiel's son, Zerubbabel, and some of his family also began to build it. They wanted to make burnt offerings on it. God's servant, Moses, had written about this in the law. 3 The people who already lived near there made them afraid. But they built the altar on its foundation. Then they made burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar. They offered sacrifices on it every day, in the morning and in the evening. 4 Then they had the Feast of Huts, as the law said they should do. [ a ] On each day of the feast they made the right number of burnt offerings. 5 After that, they made burnt offerings every day, and also at the time of each new moon. They made the right sacrifices for the special festivals, when people met together to worship the Lord . They also offered special gifts that people had chosen to give to the Lord. 6 They began to offer those burnt offerings on the first day of the seventh month. That was before they had started to build the temple.

They prepare to build the temple

7 The leaders gave money to men who could work with stone and wood. They sent food, drink and olive oil to the people in Tyre and Sidon. This was to pay for beams of wood from cedar trees. They would bring the wood from Lebanon on ships that came to Joppa. Cyrus, king of Persia, had commanded them to do this.

8 The Israelites began to build the Lord 's temple two years after they arrived in Jerusalem. In the second month of the year, Shealtiel's son, Zerubbabel, and Jozadak's son, Jeshua, began the work. All the priests and the Levites who worked with them in Jerusalem joined them. All the people who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon helped in the work. The leaders chose Levites who were 20 years old, or older, to have authority over the work.

9 These are their names:

Jeshua, his sons and his brothers.

Kadmiel and his sons. (They were descendants of Hodaviah.)

Henadad's sons, with their sons and brothers, who were Levites.

10 The men who were building the Lord 's temple finished the foundations. Then the priests put on their special clothes. They made a noise with their trumpets. The Levites (sons of Asaph) made a noise with their cymbals. [ b ] They all stood to praise the Lord , in the way that Israel's King David had told them many years before. 11 They sang together to praise the Lord . Group by group, they sang these words:

‘He is good.
His love for Israel will continue for ever.’

Then all the people shouted loudly to praise the Lord . They praised him because they had finished work on the temple's foundation.

12 But many of the older priests, Levites and leaders wept aloud. They were sad because they had seen the temple as it had been before. They remembered how beautiful it had been. At the same time, many other people shouted because they were happy. 13 The happy shouts and the noise of people who were weeping were both very loud. People far away could hear the noise. The different sounds mixed together, so nobody could say which was which.

Footnotes

  1. 3:4 See Leviticus 23:34 .
  2. 3:10 Cymbals and trumpets are musical instruments.

Rebuilding the Altar

3 So by the seventh month, [ a ] the Israelites had moved back to their own hometowns. At that time all the people met together in Jerusalem. They were all united as one people. 2 Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and the priests with him, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and the people with him, built the altar of the God of Israel. They built the altar of the God of Israel so that they could offer sacrifices on it. They built it just as it says in the Law of Moses. Moses was God’s special servant.

3 They were afraid of the other people living near them, but that didn’t stop them. They built the altar on its old foundation and offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord . They offered sacrifices in the morning and in the evening. 4 Then they celebrated the Festival of Shelters just as the Law of Moses said. They offered the right number of burnt offerings for each day of the festival. 5 After that they began offering the continual burnt offerings each day and the offerings for the New Moon and all the other festivals that were commanded by the Lord . The people also began giving any other gifts they wanted to give to the Lord . 6 So on the first day of the seventh month, these Israelites again began offering sacrifices to the Lord . This was done, even though the Lord ’s Temple had not been rebuilt.

Rebuilding the Temple

7 Then those who had come back from captivity gave money to the stonecutters and carpenters. They also gave food, wine, and olive oil. They used these things to pay the people of Tyre and Sidon to bring cedar logs from Lebanon. They wanted to bring the logs in ships to the seacoast town of Joppa as they did for the first Temple. King Cyrus of Persia gave permission for them to do this.

8 So in the second month [ b ] of the second year after they came to the Temple in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak began the work. Their brothers, the priests, Levites, and everyone who came back to Jerusalem from captivity began working with them. They chose Levites who were 20 years old and older to be the leaders in the building of the Lord ’s Temple. 9 These were the men who supervised the work of building the Lord ’s Temple: Jeshua and his sons, Kadmiel and his sons (the descendants of Judah), the sons of Henadad and their brothers, the Levites. 10 The builders finished laying the foundation for the Lord ’s Temple. When the foundation was finished, the priests put on their special clothing. Then they got their trumpets, and the sons of Asaph got their cymbals. They all took their places to praise the Lord . This was done the way King David of Israel had ordered in the past. 11 They sang songs of praise and thanksgiving, taking turns in singing each part. [ c ] They sang,

“The Lord is good.
His faithful love will last forever.”

Then all the people cheered—they gave a loud shout and praised the Lord because the foundation of the Lord ’s Temple had been laid.

12 But many of the older priests, Levites, and family leaders, who could remember seeing the first Temple, began to cry aloud. They cried while the others there shouted for joy. 13 The sound could be heard far away. All of them made so much noise that no one could tell the difference between the shouts of joy and the crying.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 3:1 seventh month That is, September–October, 538 B.C.
  2. Ezra 3:8 second month That is, April–May, 536 B.C.
  3. Ezra 3:11 taking turns … part These songs were sung in two parts. One group (the Levites) sang the first part and the other group (the people) responded with the second part. Here, these are probably Ps. 111-118 and Ps. 136.

3 And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.

2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

3 And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord , even burnt offerings morning and evening.

4 They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;

5 And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the Lord .

6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord . But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid.

7 They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.

8 Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the Lord .

9 Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.

10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord , they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord , after the ordinance of David king of Israel.

11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord ; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever 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 chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that 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:

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.

Altar and Sacrifices Restored

3 Now when the seventh month came, and ( A ) the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one person to Jerusalem. 2 Then ( B ) Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and ( C ) Zerubbabel the son ( D ) of Shealtiel and his brothers, rose up and ( E ) built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, ( F ) as it is written in the Law of Moses, the man of God. 3 So they set up the altar on its foundation, because [ a ] ( G ) they were terrified of the peoples of the lands; and they ( H ) offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord , burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 They also celebrated the ( I ) Feast of [ b ] Booths, ( J ) as it is written, and offered [ c ] the prescribed number of burnt offerings daily, ( K ) according to the ordinance, [ d ] as each day required; 5 and afterward there was a ( L ) continual burnt offering, also ( M ) for the new moons and ( N ) for all the appointed festivals of the Lord that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a [ e ] voluntary 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 had not been laid. 7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and ( O ) food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians ( P ) to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at ( Q ) Joppa, according to the permission they had [ f ] from ( R ) Cyrus king of Persia.

Temple Restoration Begun

8 Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, ( S ) Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and ( T ) appointed the Levites who were twenty years old and upward to oversee the work of the house of the Lord . 9 Then ( U ) Jeshua with his sons and brothers stood united with Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of [ g ] Judah and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brothers the Levites, to oversee the workmen in the temple of God.

10 Now when the builders had ( V ) laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord , [ h ] the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord ( W ) according to the [ i ] directions of King David of Israel. 11 And ( X ) they sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord , saying , “ ( Y ) For He is good, for His favor is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout of joy when they praised the Lord , because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households , ( Z ) the old men who had seen the first [ j ] temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, because the people were shouting with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 3:3 Lit terror was upon them from
  2. Ezra 3:4 Or Tabernacles
  3. Ezra 3:4 Lit by number
  4. Ezra 3:4 Lit a day’s word on its day
  5. Ezra 3:5 Or freewill offering
  6. Ezra 3:7 Lit of
  7. Ezra 3:9 In Ezra 2:40, Hodaviah ; in Neh 7:43, Hodevah
  8. Ezra 3:10 As in LXX and some mss; MT they set the priests
  9. Ezra 3:10 Lit hands
  10. Ezra 3:12 Lit house

Rebuilding the Altar

3 When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, ( A ) the people assembled ( B ) together as one in Jerusalem. 2 Then Joshua ( C ) son of Jozadak ( D ) and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel ( E ) and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses ( F ) the man of God. 3 Despite their fear ( G ) of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord , both the morning and evening sacrifices. ( H ) 4 Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles ( I ) with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. 5 After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon ( J ) sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord , ( K ) as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord . 6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord , though the foundation of the Lord ’s temple had not yet been laid.

Rebuilding the Temple

7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, ( L ) and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs ( M ) by sea from Lebanon ( N ) to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus ( O ) king of Persia.

8 In the second month ( P ) of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel ( Q ) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty ( R ) years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord . 9 Joshua ( S ) and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah [ a ] ) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.

10 When the builders laid ( T ) the foundation of the temple of the Lord , the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, ( U ) and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise ( V ) the Lord , as prescribed by David ( W ) king of Israel. ( X ) 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord :

“He is good;
his love toward Israel endures forever.” ( Y )

And all the people gave a great shout ( Z ) of praise to the Lord , because the foundation ( AA ) of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, ( AB ) wept ( AC ) aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy ( AD ) from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 3:9 Hebrew Yehudah, a variant of Hodaviah
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