Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,
that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished,
Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in
writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia,
All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me;
and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in
Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all his
people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in
Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God),
which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever is left, in
any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with
silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the
freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
Then rose up the heads of fathers' houses
of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose
spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in
Jerusalem. And all they that were round about
them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with
goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was
willingly offered. Also Cyrus the king brought
forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had
brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods;
even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth
by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto
Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. And this is the
number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver,
nine and twenty knives, thirty bowls of gold,
silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a
thousand. All the vessels of gold and of silver
were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up,
when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
Now these are the children of the province, that
went up out of the captivity of those that had been carried away, whom
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and that
returned unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;
who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah,
Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The
number of the men of the people of Israel: The
children of Parosh, two thousand a hundred seventy and two.
The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy
and two. The children of Arah, seven hundred
seventy and five. The children of Pahath-moab, of
the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and
twelve. The children of Elam, a thousand two
hundred fifty and four. The children of Zattu,
nine hundred forty and five. The children of
Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore. The
children of Bani, six hundred forty and two. The
children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three.
The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred
twenty and two. The children of Adonikam, six
hundred sixty and six. The children of Bigvai,
two thousand fifty and six. The children of
Adin, four hundred fifty and four. The children
of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety and eight. The
children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
The children of Jorah, a hundred and twelve.
The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and
three. The children of Gibbar, ninety and five.
The children of Beth-lehem, a hundred twenty and
three. The men of Netophah, fifty and six.
The men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty and eight.
The children of Azmaveth, forty and two.
The children of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and
Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three. The
children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.
The men of Michmas, a hundred twenty and two.
The men of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred twenty
and three. The children of Nebo, fifty and two.
The children of Magbish, a hundred fifty and
six. The children of the other Elam, a thousand
two hundred fifty and four. The children of
Harim, three hundred and twenty. The children of
Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five.
The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and
five. The children of Senaah, three thousand and
six hundred and thirty. The priests: the
children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and
three. The children of Immer, a thousand fifty
and two. The children of Pashhur, a thousand two
hundred forty and seven. The children of Harim,
a thousand and seventeen. The Levites: the
children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and
four. The singers: the children of Asaph, a
hundred twenty and eight. The children of the
porters: 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 a hundred thirty and nine. The
Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of
Tabbaoth, the children of Keros, the children of
Siaha, the children of Padon, the children of
Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub,
the children of Hagab, the children of Shamlai,
the children of Hanan, the children of Giddel,
the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,
the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,
the children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza,
the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,
the children of Asnah, the children of Meunim,
the children of Nephisim, the children of
Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
the children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida,
the children of Harsha, the children of Barkos,
the children of Sisera, the children of Temah,
the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
The children of Solomon's servants: the children
of Sotai, the children of Hassophereth, the children of Peruda,
the children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon,
the children of Giddel, the children of
Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth-hazzebaim,
the children of Ami. All the Nethinim, and the
children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.
And these were they that went up from Tel-melah,
Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not show their
fathers' houses, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:
the children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah,
the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.
And of the children of the priests: the children
of Habaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who took a
wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after
their name. These sought their register
among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not
found: therefore were they deemed polluted and put from the priesthood.
And the governor said unto them, that they
should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with
Urim and with Thummim. The whole assembly
together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,
besides their men-servants and their
maid-servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and
seven: and they had two hundred singing men and singing women.
Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six;
their mules, two hundred forty and five; their
camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand
seven hundred and twenty. And some of the heads
of fathers' houses, when they came to the house of Jehovah which is
in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to set it up in its
place: they gave after their ability into the
treasury of the work threescore and one thousand darics of gold, and five
thousand pounds of silver, and one hundred priests' garments.
So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the
people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, dwelt in their
cities, and all Israel in their cities.
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. 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. And they set the altar
upon its base; for fear was upon them because of the peoples of the
countries: and they offered burnt-offerings thereon unto Jehovah, even
burnt-offerings morning and evening. And they
kept the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the
daily burnt-offerings by number, according to the ordinance, as the duty
of every day required; and afterward the
continual burnt-offering, and the offerings of the new moons, and
of all the set feasts of Jehovah that were consecrated, and of every one
that willingly offered a freewill-offering unto Jehovah.
From the first day of the seventh month began
they to offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah: but the foundation of the
temple of Jehovah was not yet laid. They gave
money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and food, and drink,
and oil, unto them of Sidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar-trees
from Lebanon to the sea, unto Joppa, according to the grant that they had
of Cyrus king of Persia. 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 rest 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 have the oversight of the work of the
house of Jehovah. Then stood Jeshua with his sons
and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to
have the oversight of the workmen in the house of God: the sons of
Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.
And when the builders laid the foundation of the
temple of Jehovah, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets,
and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise Jehovah, after
the order of David king of Israel. And they sang
one to another in praising and giving thanks unto Jehovah, saying,
For he is good, for his lovingkindness endureth for ever toward
Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised
Jehovah, because the foundation of the house of Jehovah was laid.
But many of the priests and Levites and heads of
fathers' houses, the old 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: 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.
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin
heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple unto
Jehovah, the God of Israel; then they drew near
to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers' houses, and said unto
them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as ye do; and we
sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who
brought us up hither. But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua,
and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses of Israel, said unto
them, Ye have nothing to do with us in building a house unto our God; but
we ourselves together will build unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, as king
Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. Then
the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and
troubled them in building, and hired counsellors
against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of
Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning
of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah
and Jerusalem. And in the days of Artaxerxes
wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, unto
Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in
the Syrian character, and set forth in the Syrian tongue.
Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe
wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and
Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and
the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the
Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
and the rest of the nations whom the great and
noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the
rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth.
This is the copy of the letter that they sent
unto Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men beyond the River, and so
forth. Be it known unto the king, that the Jews
that came up from thee are come to us unto Jerusalem; they are building
the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired
the foundations. Be it known now unto the king,
that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, they will not pay
tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful unto the
kings. Now because we eat the salt of the
palace, and it is not meet for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore
have we sent and certified the king; that search
may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find
in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city,
and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition
within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste.
We certify the king that, if this city be
builded, and the walls finished, by this means thou shalt have no portion
beyond the River. Then sent the king an
answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the
rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and in the rest of the
country beyond the River: Peace, and so forth.
The letter which ye sent unto us hath been
plainly read before me. And I decreed, and
search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath
made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been
made therein. There have been mighty kings also
over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the
River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid unto them.
Make ye now a decree to cause these men to
cease, and that this city be not builded, until a decree shall be made by
me. And take heed that ye be not slack herein:
why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter
was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they
went in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force
and power. Then ceased the work of the house of
God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the
reign of Darius king of Persia.
Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and
Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and
Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel prophesied they unto
them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of
Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of
God which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping
them. At the same time came to them Tattenai, the
governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, and
said thus unto them, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to
finish this wall? Then we told them after this
manner, what the names of the men were that were making this building.
But the eye of their God was upon the elders of
the Jews, and they did not make them cease, till the matter should come to
Darius, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it.
The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the
governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and his companions the
Apharsachites, who were beyond the River, sent unto Darius the king;
they sent a letter unto him, wherein was written
thus: Unto Darius the king, all peace. Be it
known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house
of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid
in the walls; and this work goeth on with diligence and prospereth in
their hands. Then asked we those elders, and said
unto them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish
this wall? We asked them their names also, to
certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were at the
head of them. And thus they returned us answer,
saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are
building the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great
king of Israel builded and finished. But after
that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them
into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who
destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon,
Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.
And the gold and silver vessels also of the
house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in
Jerusalem, and brought into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the
king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one
whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;
and he said unto him, Take these vessels, go,
put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be
builded in its place. Then came the same
Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundations of the house of God which is in
Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building,
and yet it is not completed. Now therefore, if
it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's
treasure-house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree
was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and
let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
Then Darius the king made a decree, and search
was made in the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in
Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the
palace that is in the province of Media, a roll, and therein was thus
written for a record: In the first year of Cyrus
the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning the house of God at
Jerusalem, let the house be builded, the place where they offer
sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height
thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;
with three courses of great stones, and a course
of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house.
And also let the gold and silver vessels of the
house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is
at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again
unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to its place; and thou
shalt put them in the house of God. Now
therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your
companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, be ye far from
thence: let 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. Moreover I make a decree
what ye shall do to these elders of the Jews for the building of this
house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the
River, expenses be given with all diligence unto these men, that they be
not hindered. And that which they have need of,
both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for burnt-offerings to the God
of heaven; also wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word
of the priests that are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day
without fail; that they may offer sacrifices of
sweet savor unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and
of his sons. Also I have made a decree, that
whosoever shall alter this word, let a beam be pulled out from his house,
and let him be lifted up and fastened thereon; and let his house be made a
dunghill for this: and the God that hath caused
his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples that shall put
forth their hand to alter the same, to destroy this house of God
which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with
all diligence. Then Tattenai, the governor
beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, because that
Darius the king had sent, did accordingly with all diligence.
And the elders of the Jews builded and
prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the
son of Iddo. And they builded and finished it, according to the
commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus,
and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. And
this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in
the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
And the children of Israel, the priests, and the
Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the
dedication of this house of God with joy. And
they offered at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks,
two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin-offering for all
Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
And they set the priests in their divisions, and
the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at
Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.
And the children of the captivity kept the
passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.
For the priests and the Levites had purified
themselves together; all of them were pure: and they killed the passover
for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests,
and for themselves. And the children of Israel
that were come again out of the captivity, and all such as had separated
themselves unto them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to
seek Jehovah, the God of Israel, did eat, and
kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for Jehovah had
made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto
them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God
of Israel.
Now after these things, in the reign of
Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah,
the son of Hilkiah, the son of Shallum, the son
of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, the son of Amariah,
the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, the son
of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son
of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest;
this Ezra went up from Babylon: and he was a
ready scribe in the law of Moses, which Jehovah, the God of Israel, had
given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of
Jehovah his God upon him. And there went up some
of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the
singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh
year of Artaxerxes the king. And he came to
Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
For upon the first day of the first month
began he to go up from Babylon; and on the first day of the fifth
month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon
him. For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law
of Jehovah, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.
Now this is the copy of the letter that the king
Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the
words of the commandments of Jehovah, and of his statutes to Israel:
Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest,
the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect and so forth.
I make a decree, that all they of the people of
Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, that are minded of
their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with thee.
Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king and his
seven counsellors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to
the law of thy God which is in thy hand, and to
carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely
offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
and all the silver and gold that thou shalt find
in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill-offering of the people,
and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is
in Jerusalem; therefore thou shalt with all
diligence buy with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their
meal-offerings and their drink-offerings, and shalt offer them upon the
altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
And whatsoever shall seem good to thee and to
thy brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do ye
after the will of your God. And the vessels that
are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver thou
before the God of Jerusalem. And whatsoever more
shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion
to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure-house.
And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a
decree to all the treasurers that are beyond the River, that whatsoever
Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require
of you, it be done with all diligence, unto a
hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a
hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without
prescribing how much. Whatsoever is commanded by
the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of
heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and
his sons? Also we certify you, that touching any
of the priests and Levites, the singers, porters, Nethinim, or servants of
this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or
toll, upon them. And thou, Ezra, after the
wisdom of thy God that is in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who
may judge all the people that are beyond the River, all such as know the
laws of thy God; and teach ye him that knoweth them not.
And whosoever will not do the law of thy God,
and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him with all
diligence, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation
of goods, or to imprisonment. Blessed be
Jehovah, the God of our fathers, who hath put such a thing as this in the
king's heart, to beautify the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem;
and hath extended lovingkindness unto me before
the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes.
And I was strengthened according to the hand of Jehovah my God upon me,
and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
Now these are the heads of their fathers'
houses, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from
Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king: Of
the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the sons
of David, Hattush. Of the sons of Shecaniah, of
the sons of Parosh, Zechariah; and with him were reckoned by genealogy of
the males a hundred and fifty. Of the sons of
Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah; and with him two hundred
males. Of the sons of Shecaniah, the son of
Jahaziel; and with him three hundred males. And
of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan; and with him fifty males.
And of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of
Athaliah; and with him seventy males. And of the
sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael; and with him fourscore
males. Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of
Jehiel; and with him two hundred and eighteen males.
And of the sons of Shelomith, the son of
Josiphiah; and with him a hundred and threescore males.
And of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of
Bebai; and with him twenty and eight males. And
of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan; and with him a hundred
and ten males. And of the sons of Adonikam,
that were the last; and these are their names: Eliphelet, Jeuel,
and Shemaiah; and with them threescore males.
And of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud; and
with them seventy males. And I gathered them
together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there we encamped three
days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of
the sons of Levi. Then sent I for Eliezer, for
Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan,
and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for
Joiarib, and for Elnathan, who were teachers.
And I sent them forth unto Iddo the chief at the
place Casiphia; and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and
his brethren the Nethinim, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring
unto us ministers for the house of our God. And
according to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of
discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and
Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;
and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons
of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;
and of the Nethinim, whom David and the princes
had given for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim:
all of them were mentioned by name. Then I
proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble
ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for
our little ones, and for all our substance. For
I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help
us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken unto the king,
saying, The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him, for good; but
his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.
So we fasted and besought our God for this: and
he was entreated of us. Then I set apart twelve
of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their
brethren with them, and weighed unto them the
silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of
our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his princes, and all
Israel there present, had offered: I weighed
into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver
vessels a hundred talents; of gold a hundred talents;
and twenty bowls of gold, of a thousand darics;
and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold.
And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto Jehovah,
and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a
freewill-offering unto Jehovah, the God of your fathers.
Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them
before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the princes of the
fathers' houses of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the
house of Jehovah. So the priests and the Levites
received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring
them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.
Then we departed from the river Ahava on the
twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand
of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and
the lier-in-wait by the way. And we came to
Jerusalem, and abode there three days. And on
the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the
house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest;
and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad
the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, the Levite;
the whole by number and by weight: and all the
weight was written at that time. The children of
the captivity, that were come out of exile, offered burnt-offerings unto
the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams,
seventy and seven lambs, twelve he-goats for a sin-offering: all this was
a burnt-offering unto Jehovah. And they
delivered the king's commissions unto the king's satraps, and to the
governors beyond the River: and they furthered the people and the house of
God.
Now when these things were done, the princes drew
near unto me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the
Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands,
doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the
Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken
of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy
seed have mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands: yea, the hand
of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment
and my robe, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat
down confounded. Then were assembled unto me
every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the
trespass of them of the captivity; and I sat confounded until the evening
oblation. And at the evening oblation I arose up
from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe rent; and I fell
upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto Jehovah my God;
and I said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to
lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our
head, and our guiltiness is grown up unto the heavens.
Since the days of our fathers we have been
exceeding guilty unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings,
and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands,
to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, as
it is this day. And now for a little moment grace
hath been showed from Jehovah our God, to leave us a remnant to escape,
and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our
eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
For we are bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken
us in our bondage, but hath extended lovingkindness unto us in the sight
of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our
God, and to repair the ruins thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and
in Jerusalem. And now, O our God, what shall we
say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,
which thou hast commanded by thy servants the
prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean
land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their
abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their
filthiness: now therefore give not your
daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons,
nor seek their peace or their prosperity for ever; that ye may be strong,
and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your
children for ever. And after all that is come
upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that thou our
God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us
such a remnant, shall we again break thy
commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples that do these
abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed
us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?
O Jehovah, the God of Israel, thou art
righteous; for we are left a remnant that is escaped, as it is this day:
behold, we are before thee in our guiltiness; for none can stand before
thee because of this.
Now while Ezra prayed and made confession,
weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there was
gathered together unto him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and
women and children; for the people wept very sore.
And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons
of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God,
and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land: yet now there
is hope for Israel concerning this thing. Now
therefore let us make a covenant 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 that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done
according to the law. Arise; for the matter
belongeth unto thee, and we are with thee: be of good courage, and do it.
Then arose Ezra, and made the chiefs of the
priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do
according to this word. So they sware. Then Ezra
rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of
Jehohanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat
no bread, nor drink water; for he mourned because of the trespass of them
of the captivity. And they made proclamation
throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity,
that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;
and that whosoever came not within three days,
according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance
should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the
captivity. Then all the men of Judah and
Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within the three
days; it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month:
and all the people sat in the broad place before the house of God,
trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.
And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto
them, Ye have trespassed, and have married foreign women, to increase the
guilt of Israel. Now therefore make confession
unto Jehovah, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure; and separate
yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.
Then all the assembly answered and said with a
loud voice, As thou hast said concerning us, so must we do.
But the people are many, and it is a time of
much rain, and we are not able to stand without: neither is this a work of
one day or two; for we have greatly transgressed in this matter.
Let now our princes be appointed for all the
assembly, and let all them that are in our cities that have married
foreign women come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every
city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God be turned
from us, until this matter be despatched. Only
Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against
this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
And the children of the captivity did so. And
Ezra the priest, with certain heads of fathers' houses,
after their fathers' houses, and all of them by their names, were set
apart; and they sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine
the matter. And they made an end with all the
men that had married foreign women by the first day of the first month.
And among the sons of the priests there were
found that had married foreign women: namely, of the sons of
Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and his brethren, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and
Jarib, and Gedaliah. And they gave their hand
that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they
offered a ram of the flock for their guilt.
And of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
And of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, and Elijah,
and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. And of
the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and
Elasah. And of the Levites: Jozabad, and
Shimei, and Kelaiah (the same is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
And of the singers: Eliashib. And of the
porters: Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. And of
Israel: Of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, and Izziah, and Malchijah, and
Mijamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
And of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah,
and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Elijah.
And of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib,
Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
And of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah,
Zabbai, Athlai. And of the sons of Bani:
Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, Jeremoth.
And of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, and
Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
And of the sons of Harim: Eliezer,
Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah.
Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah,
Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei. Of
the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,
Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu,
and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
Azarel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.
Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad,
Zebina, Iddo, and Joel, Benaiah. All these had
taken foreign wives; and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
HTML generated 17 October 2002.
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