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Ezra
Chapters: 1 2
3 4 5
| Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that
the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the
LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing,
saying, |
| Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of
heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged
me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. |
| Who is there 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 the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in
Jerusalem. |
| And whosoever remaineth 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, beside the freewill offering for
the house of God that is in Jerusalem. |
| Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and
Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit
God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in
Jerusalem. |
| And all they that were about them strengthened their
hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts,
and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered. |
| Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the
house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of
Jerusalem, and had put them 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 chargers of
gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, |
| Thirty basins of gold, silver basins 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 with them
of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem. |
| Now these are the children of the province that went
up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and
came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city; |
| Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah,
Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The
number of the men of the people of Israel: |
| The children of Parosh, two thousand an 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 Pahathmoab, 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, an hundred and twelve. |
| The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and
three. |
| The children of Gibbar, ninety and five. |
| The children of Bethlehem, an hundred twenty and
three. |
| The men of Netophah, fifty and six. |
| The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight. |
| The children of Azmaveth, forty and two. |
| The children of Kirjatharim, Chephirah, and Beeroth,
seven hundred and forty and three. |
| The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty
and one. |
| The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two. |
| The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty and
three. |
| The children of Nebo, fifty and two. |
| The children of Magbish, an 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 Pashur, 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, an 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 an hundred thirty and
nine. |
| The Nethinims: 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 Shalmai, 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 Mehunim, the
children of Nephusim, |
| 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 Thamah, |
| The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. |
| The children of Solomon's servants: the children of
Sotai, the children of Sophereth, 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 of Zebaim, the children of Ami. |
| All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's
servants, were three hundred ninety and two. |
| And these were they which went up from Telmelah,
Telharsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not show their
father's house, 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 Koz, the children of Barzillai; which 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, as
polluted, put from the priesthood. |
| And the Tirshatha 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 congregation together was forty and two
thousand three hundred and threescore, |
| Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there
were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among
them 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 chief of the fathers, when they came
to the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the
house of God to set it up in his place: |
| They gave after their ability unto the treasure of
the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand
pound 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 Nethinims, 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 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. |
| 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; |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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: |
| 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 builded the temple unto the LORD God
of Israel; |
| Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of
the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your
God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon
king of Assur, which brought us up hither. |
| But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the
chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do
with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will
build unto the LORD 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 unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of
Judah and Jerusalem. |
| And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam,
Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes
king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian
tongue, and interpreted 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, the
Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the
Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites, |
| This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto
him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side
the river, and at such a time. |
| Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came
up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and
the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the
foundations. |
| Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be
builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll,
tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the
kings. |
| Now because we have maintenance from the king's
palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour,
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 destroyed. |
| We certify the king that, if this city be builded
again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no
portion on this side 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 unto the rest beyond the river,
Peace, and at such a time. |
| The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly
read before me. |
| And I commanded, 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,
which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute,
and custom, was paid unto them. |
| Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease,
and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be
given from me. |
| Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why
should damage grow to the hurt of the kings? |
| 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 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. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king
of Persia. |
| Then 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, even 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 Tatnai, governor on
this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said
thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make
up this wall? |
| Then said we unto them after this manner, What are
the names of the men that make this building? |
| But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the
Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to
Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter. |
| The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this
side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites,
which were on this side 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 Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with
great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast
on, and prospereth in their hands. |
| Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus,
Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? |
| We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we
might write the names of the men that were the chief of them. |
| And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the
servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was
builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and
set up. |
| But after that our fathers had provoked the God of
heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king
of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the
people away into Babylon. |
| But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon
the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. |
| And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house
of God, which 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 unto
one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; |
| And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry
them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be
builded in his place. |
| Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the
foundation 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
finished. |
| 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. |
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