1And in the first year of Cyrus, the king of Persia, in order to fulfill what had been spoken from the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, the king over Persia, and he commanded a proclamation in all his kingdom, and indeed in writing, saying, 2 “Thus said Cyrus, king over Persia, ‘The God of the heavens has given me all the kingdoms, and he himself has oversaw me over me to build for him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Who is there among you from all his people? And his God will be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem. 4 And all who are left from all the places where he dwells there, and the men of his place shall receive him with silver and gold and goods and livestock along with the voluntary offering for the house of the God who is in Jerusalem.’” 5 And the rulers of the paternal families in Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, all of whom God had stirred up their spirit to go up to build the house that is in Jerusalem. 6 And all those round about were strengthened in their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods and with livestock, and with presents besides the voluntary offerings. 7 And King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the house, which Nebuchadnezzar took from Jerusalem and placed them in the house of his God, 8 and Cyrus, king of Persia, brought them out onto the hand of Mithredath Tasbarenou, and he counted them for Sheshbazzar, ruler of Judah. 9 And this was their number: for the Lord, thirty gold and one thousand silver, twenty-nine having been brought out; 10 of kephphoures: thirty gold and six silver and one thousand other vessels.
2All the vessels in gold and silver were five thousand four hundred, all of which went up from the exile out of Babylonia to Jerusalem. 2 Now these are the sons of the territory, who went up from the captivity of the exile, which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had exiled to Babylonia, and he returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each man to his city, 2 who went with Zerubbabel: Joshua, Nehemiah, Araias, Rheeleia, Marathchaios, Baspham, Malsar, Batousi, and Balleia. The number of the men of Israel: 3 the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two; 4 the sons of Asaph, four hundred and seventy-two; 5 the sons of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five; 6 the sons of Pahath-moab—in reference to the sons of Jeshua and Joab—two thousand eight hundred and twelve; 7 the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 8 the sons of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five; 9 the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty; 10 the sons of Binnui, six hundred and forty-two; 11 the sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three; 12 the sons of Azgad, three thousand two hundred and twenty-two; 13 the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six; 14 the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and fifty-six; 15 the sons of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four; 16 the sons of Ater—in reference to Hezekiah —ninety-two; 17 the sons of Bezai, three hundred and twentythree; 18 the sons of Jorah, one hundred and twelve; 19 the sons of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three; 20 the sons of Geber, ninety-five. 21 The sons of Bethlehem, one hundred and twenty-three; 22 the sons of Netophah, fifty-six; 23 the sons of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight; 24 the sons of Azmaveth, fortytwo; 25 the sons of Kiriatharim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three; 26 the sons of Ramah and Gibeah, six hundred and twenty-one; 27 the men of Michmash, one hundred and twenty-two; 28 the men of Bethel and Aiah, two hundred and twenty-three; 29 the sons of Nebo, fifty-two; 30 the sons of Magbish, one hundred and fifty-six; 31 the sons of Elam, two thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 32 the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty; 33 the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, six hundred and twenty-five; 34 the sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five; 35 the sons of Sanaa, three thousand six hundred and thirty. 36 And the priests: the sons of Jedaiah—in reference to the house of Joshua—nine hundred and seventy-three; 37 the sons of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two; 38 the sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven. 40 And the Levites: the sons of Joshua and Kadmiel—in reference to the descendants of Hodaviah—seventy-four. 41 The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and fortyeight. 42 The sons of the gates: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, in all one hundred and thirty-nine. 43 The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, 44 the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, 45 the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, 46 the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai, the sons of Hanan, 47 the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, 48 the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, 49 the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, 50 the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephisim, 51 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 52 the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 53 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Temah, 54 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha. 55 The sons of Abdeselma: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda, 56 the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 57 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Phasrath, the sons of Haseboein, the sons of Ami. 58 All the temple servants and sons of Abdeselma were three hundred and seventy-two. 59 And these were the ones who came up from Thermeleth, Thaaresa, Charous, Addan, and Emer, who were not able to declare their house of paternal lineage and whether their seed was in Israel: 60 the sons of Lachea, the sons of Boua, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, in all six hundred and fifty-two. 61 And from the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai (who took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite as a wife and was called in their name). 62 These, the methoesim, sought their records, and they were not found, and they were made next of kin from the priesthood. 63 And Athersatha told them not to eat from the holy of holies until a priest should arise for the things that enlighten and the things that are perfect. 64 Now the whole assembly was about forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 65 besides their slaves and female servants—these were seven thousand three hundred and thirtyf our, and among these were two hundred male singers and songs. 66 Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six; and their mules were two hundred and forty-five; 67 their camels were four hundred and thirty-five; their donkeys were seven hundred and twenty. 68 And some of the rulers of the ancestral families, when they came to the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings to the house of God in order to erect it on its foundation. 69 According to their power they gave to the treasury for the work sixty-one thousand minas of pure gold and five thousand minas of silver and one hundred kothonoib of the priests. 70 And the priests and the Levites and those from the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the thanieimc settled in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.
3And the seventh month arrived, and Israel was in their cities, and the people assembled as one man to Jerusalem. 2 And Joshua, the son of Jozadak, stood up, along with his brothers, and they built the altar of the God of Israel in order to offer upon it burnt offerings according to what is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. 3 So they prepared the altar upon its foundation, and they mounted upon it a burnt offering to the Lord in the morning and in the evening. 4 Then they observed the feast of booths, according to what is written, and burnt offerings day by day, by number, as the judgment, an account of day by day. 5 And after that perpetual burnt offerings and those for the new moon and for all the holy feasts and voluntary offerings for all who made freewill offerings to the Lord. 6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to bring burnt offerings to the Lord, but the house of the Lord did not have a foundation laid. 7 And they gave silver to the stone cutters and carpenters and food and drink and olive oil to the Sidonians and Sorein to carry timber of cedar from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant of Cyrus, the king of Persia, to them. 8 Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, began the work, along with Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and the rest of the brothers, the priests and the Levites, and all those who were coming from the captivity to Jerusalem, and they appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and up, over the work of the Lord. 9 And Joshua stood along with his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Binnui and Hodaviah, and the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brothers the Levites over those who were doing the work in the house of God. 10 And they laid the foundation in order to build the house of the Lord, and the priests stood dressed in their garments with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, in order to praise the Lord on the hands of David, king of Israel. 11 And they answered with praise and gave thanks to the Lord, “For it is good, for his mercy is upon Israel for eternity.” And all the people indicated with a great voice to praise the Lord for the foundation of the house of the Lord. 12 And many from the priests and the Levites and rulers of the paternal families, the elders who had seen the first house on its foundation and this house with their eyes, were weeping with a great voice, and the crowd at a signal raised a song with merriment. 13 And people were not distinguishing the sound of a signal of the merriment from the sound of the weeping, for the people were shouting with a great voice, and the sound was being heard even from far away.
4Now those who were oppressing Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the exile were building a house to the Lord, God of Israel. 2 So they approached Zerubbabel and the rulers of the paternal families and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek our God like you, and to him we have been sacrificing from the days of Esar-haddon, king of Assyria, who brought us here.” 3 And Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the rulers of the paternal families of Israel said to them, “It is not for us and for you to build a house to our God, for we will build it to the Lord, our God, as Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us.” 4 And the people of the land were weakening the hands of the people of Judah and hindering them from building 5 and hiring against them, wishing to scatter their council all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, and until the reign of Darius, king of Persia. 6 Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his reign, he wrote a letter against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 7 And in the days of Artaxerxes, Tabeel, in peace with Mithredath and the rest of the fellow-slaves, wrote to the king of Persia. The tribute collector wrote a document in Aramaic, also having been translated. 8 Rehum, Baaltam, and Shimshai the scribe wrote one letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes. 9 Thus it is thought by Rehum, Baaltam, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of our fellow-slaves, the Dinaites,a Apharsathachites, Tarphallites, Persians, Urukites, Babylonians, and Susaites, who are Elamites, 10 and the rest of the nations whom Osnappar, the great and noble, exiled and settled in the cities of Samaria, and the rest beyond the river. 11 This is the command of the letter that they sent to him: “To King Artaxerxes. From your servants, men beyond the river. 12 Let it be known to the king that the Judeans who went up from Cyrus to us went to Jerusalem, which is rebellious and evil, and they are rebuilding the city, and its walls have been restored, and they have raised its foundations. 13 Now therefore, let it be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls reestablished, the tributes will not come to you, nor will they give, and this is injurious to kings. 14 Now it is not proper for us to see the shame of the king; therefore we sent this and explained the matter to the king 15 so that he might look in the document of the archives of your ancestors, and you will find and know that that city is a rebellious city and injurious to kings and territories and a refuge of slaves in its midst from days of eternity. Because of this, this city was laid waste. 16 We are making it known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls re-established, there will be no peace for you.” 17 Then the king sent peace to Rehum, Baaltam, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their fellow-slaves who live in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, and he said, 18 “The tribute collector whom you sent to us was called before me. 19 And a decision was established by me, and we examined and found that that city, from days of eternity, rises up against kings, and that rebellion and sedition occur in it, 20 and that kings became strong in Jerusalem and ruled over the whole west of the river, and full tributes and a share were given to them. 21 Now establish a decision that those men stop; and that city will no longer be built due to the decision. 22 Take care to make relief concerning this, in case destruction multiplies, to the affliction for kings.” 23 Then the tribute collector of King Artaxerxes read it before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their fellow-slaves. And they went in haste to Jerusalem and in Judah and they subdued them with horses and a force. 24 Then the work of the house of God that is in Jerusalem ceased and was idle until the second year of Darius, the king of Persia.
5Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, prophesied a prophecy to the Judeans who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel concerning them. 2 At that time Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Jozadak, rose and began to build the house of God in Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God, helping them. 3 At that time Tattenai, governor beyond the river, came to them along with Shethar-bozenai and their fellow-slaves and said to them as follows, “Who authorized for you a decision to rebuild the house and to prepare this furniture?” 4 Then they said this to them, “What are the names of the men who are building this city?” 5 And the eyes of God were upon the captivity of Judah, and they did not hinder them until a decision was brought to Darius. And then he sent to the tribute collector about this. 6 The explanation of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the other side, along with Shethar-bozenai and their fellowslaves, the Apharsachaioi, in the area beyond the river, sent to King Darius. 7 They sent a report to him and this was written in it: “To King Darius, all peace. 8 Let it be known to the king that we went to the territory of Judea, to the house of the great God, and it is being built with choice stones, and timbers are being put in the walls, and that work is skillful and prospering in their hands. 9 Then we asked those elders and told them thus: ‘Who gave you a decision for the building and preparing of this furniture? 10 And we asked them their names to inform you so that we could write the names of the men who are their rulers. 11 And they answered this word to us, saying, ‘We are slaves of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building the house that was built many years before this, and a great king of Israel built and established it for them. 12 But after our fathers provoked the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and released this house and exiled the people to Babylonia. 13 But, in the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus made a decision to rebuild this house of God. 14 And as for the gold and silver vessels of God that Nebuchadnezzar had carried from the house that is in Jerusalem and brought to the temple of the king, he gave them to Bagasar, the treasurer who was over the treasury. 15 And he said to him, “Take all the vessels, and go; put them in the house that is in Jerusalem in their place.” 16 Then this Sheshbazzar went and laid the foundation of the house of God, which is in Jerusalem, and from then until now it was built but not finished. 17 And now, if it is good to the king, let a search be made in the house of the treasury of the king of Babylon, so that you might know that from King Cyrus a decision was made to build the house of God, which is in Jerusalem. And when the king knows about this, let him send notification to us.”
6Then King Darius gave a decision and searched in the library where the treasure is stored in Babylon. 2 And one volume was found in the city, in the bastion, and this was written in it: “A record: 3 In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus gave a decision concerning the holy house of God, which is in Jerusalem, and the place where they sacrifice sacrifices; and he made a foundation sixty cubits in height, 4 with three courses of stone and one course of wood, and the expense will be given from the house of the king. 5 And the silver and gold vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought out from the house that is in Jerusalem, to the place they were put in the house of God. 6 “Now you will give assistance, governors beyond the river, Shethar-bozenai and their fellow-slaves, the Apharsachites, in the region beyond the river, though being far from there. 7 Permit the work of the house of God. And the elders of the Judeans, let them build that house of God in its place. 8 And by me a decision was established, in case you do anything with the elders of the Judeans, to build that house of God. And from the possessions of the king, of the tribute beyond the river, let the expense be carefully given to those men, so that there is no hindrance. 9 And whatever deficiency, both offspring of cattle and rams and male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or olive oil, according to the word of the priests who are in Jerusalem, let it be given to them day by day, whatever they request, 10 so that they may be offering sweet smells to the God of heaven and be praying for the life of the king and his sons. 11 And from me a decision was established that any person who changes this word, and a timber shall be pulled down from his house, and he shall be lifted up to be struck upon it, and his house shall be made my possession. 12 And the God whose name encamps there will overthrow any king and people who stretch out their hand to change or to remove the house of God that is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given a decision; it shall be done carefully.” 13 Then Tattenai, governor beyond the river, Shetharbozenai, and their fellow-slaves, thus observed carefully what King Darius had sent. 14 And the elders of the Judeans kept building, along with the Levites, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, and they built and restored through the decision of the God of Israel and through the decision of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15 And they completed this house until the third day of the month of Adar, which was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 16 And the sons of Israel—the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the sons of the exile—observed a feast of consecration of the house of God with merriment. 17 And they offered for the feast of consecration of the house of God one hundred calves, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs, and twelve male goats; goats for sin on behalf of all Israel, for the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God, who is in Jerusalem, according to the writing of the document of Moses. 19 Then the sons of the exile observed the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month, 20 because the priests and the Levites were purified, clean one and all, and they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the sons of the exile and for their brothers the priests and for themselves. 21 And the sons of Israel, those from the exile and all who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to seek the Lord, God of Israel, ate the Passover lamb. 22 And they observed the feast of unleavened bread seven days with merriment, because the Lord had made them merry and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of the God of Israel.
7Now after these matters, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, there went up Ezra, son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Shemariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest of their father. 6 He went up from Babylonia, and he was a quick scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord, God of Israel, had given, and the king gave to him, for the hand of his God was upon him in all that he himself was seeking. 7 And some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests and some of the Levites and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8 And they came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, this being the seventh year of the king, 9 because on the first of the fifth month they came to Jerusalem, because the hand of his God was good upon him, 10 because Ezra had decided in his heart to seek the law and to act and to teach the ordinances and judgments in Israel. 11 And this is the wording of the edict that Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the document of the words of the commands of the Lord and his ordinances for Israel: 12 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra, scribe of the law of the God of heaven. The word and the answer have been accomplished. 13 From me a decision was given that any in my kingdom from the people of Israel and the priests and Levites who offer willingly to go to Jerusalem with you may go. 14 From the face of the king and the seven councilors it was sent to examine in Judah and in Jerusalem in the law of their God, which is in your hand. 15 And for the house of the Lord silver and gold that the king and the councilors have offered willingly to the Lord of Israel who encamps in Jerusalem, 16 and any silver and gold that anyone might find in all the territory of Babylonia besides the freewill offering of the people and the priests who offer willingly for the house of God, which is in Jerusalem, 17 and everything coming in, readily insert this in this document, calves, rams, lambs, and their sacrifices and their libations, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem. 18 And yet to you and your brothers whatever is considered acceptable, with the rest of the silver and the gold, to do as is pleasing to your God, do it! 19 And the vessels that are being given to you for the ministry of the house of God, you should deliver them before God in Jerusalem. 20 And as for the rest of the needs of the house of God, whatever it seems to you to give, give from the houses of the treasury of the king. 21 And from me, I, King Artaxerxes, have given a decision to all the treasures that are in the region beyond the river that anything Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, asks you, let it be done readily, 22 up to one hundred talents of silver and one hundred kors of wheat and up to one hundred stores of wine and salt for which there is no writ. 23 Everything that is in the decision of the God of heaven, let it happen. Be careful not to attack the house of the God of heaven, lest wrath come upon the kingdom of the king and his sons. 24 And this has been made known to you among all the priests and the Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, and servants of this house of God, let there be no tribute for you; you will not have power to oppress them. 25 And you, Ezra, to whom the wisdom of God is in your hand, appoint scribes and judges so that they may be judging for all the people who are beyond the river, all who know the law of God, and you shall declare it to the one who does not know it. 26 And any who does not do the law of God and the law of the king readily, the judgment will be happening upon him, whether for death, whether for discipline, whether for penalty of livelihood, or whether for delivery.” 27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who put thus in the heart of the king, to glorify the house in Jerusalem, 28 and who has inclined mercy upon me in the eyes of the king and his councilors and all the rulers of the king who are exalted. And I was strengthened, for the good hand of God was upon me, and I gathered rulers from Israel to go up with me.
8Now these are the rulers of their paternal families, the guides who went up with me in the reign of Artaxerxes, the king of Babylonia: 2 from the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; from the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; from the sons of David, Hattush; 3 from the sons of Shecaniah; from the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him the company of one hundred and fifty; 4 from the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai, son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males; 6 and from the sons of Adin, Ebed, son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males; 7 and from the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah, son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males; 8 and from the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah, son of Michael, and with him eighty-four males; 9 and from the sons of Joab, Obadiah, son of Iema, and with him two hundred and eighteen males; 10 and from the sons, Salimouth, son of Josiphiah, and with him one hundred and sixty males; 11 and from the sons of Bebai, both Azaria, son of Bebai, and seventy-eight males with him; 12 and from the sons of Astad, Johanan, son of Hakkatan, and with him one hundred and ten males; 13 and from the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, and these were their names, Aleiphat and Eueia and Shemaiah, sixty males; 14 and from the sons of Bigvai, Uthai, and with him eighty males. 15 And I gathered them to the river that runs to Evi, and we encamped there three days. And I took notice among the people and among the priests, and I did not find there any from the sons of Levi. 16 So I sent to Eleazar, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, understanding men, and to Joiarib and Elnathan. 17 And I brought them out to the ruler with the silver of the place, and I put in their mouths words to speak to their brothers, of the Athaneim, with silver of the place, so that they would bring for us singers for the house of our God. 18 And there came to us, since the good hand of our God was upon us, a man of discretion from the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, and at the beginning his sons and his brothers came, eighteen in all, 19 and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah from the sons of Merari, with his twenty brothers and their sons, 20 and of the temple servants whom David had given and the rulers for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty temple servants. All were gathered together by name. 21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava, so that we might be humbled before our God, to seek from him a straight path for ourselves and our children and all our possessions, 22 because I was ashamed to request an army and horses from the king to save us from an enemy on the way, because we had told the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all who seek him for good, and his strength and his wrath is upon all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and sought from our God concerning this, and he listened to us. 24 Then I appointed twelve from the rulers of the priests, in reference to Seraiah and Hashabiah, and with them from their twelve brothers. 25 And I weighed for them the silver and the gold and the vessels of firstfruit of the house of our God, which the king and his advisors and his rulers and all Israel who were found had raised up. 26 And I weighed into their hands six hundred and fifty talents of silver and one hundred silver vessels and one hundred talents of gold 27 and twenty gold bowls for the journey worth one thousand drachmas and various desirable good vessels of copper glittering with gold. 28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are freewill offerings to the Lord, God of our ancestors. 29 Be watchful and on guard until you weigh them before the rulers of the priests and the Levites and the rulers of the paternal families in Jerusalem at the tents of the house of the Lord.” 30 And the priests and the Levites took the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to be brought to Jerusalem to the house of our God. 31 So we broke camp from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month, in order to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us, and he rescued us from the hand of the enemy and hostility on the way. 32 And we came to Jerusalem and settled there three days. 33 Now it happened that on the fourth day that we weighed the silver and the gold and the vessels in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth, son of Uriah the priest, and with him Eleazar, son of Phinehas, and with them the Levites, Jozabad, son of Joshua, and Noadiah from Ebannaia, 34 everything by number and by weight, and all the weight was written at that time. 35 Those coming out of the captivity, children of the exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve calves for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve male goats for sin, these were all the burnt offerings. 36 And they gave the currency of the king to the administrators of the king and to the governors beyond the river, and they honored the people and the house of God.
9Now when these things were completed, the rulers approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites were not separated from the peoples of the land with their abominations, in reference to the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken from their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and the holy seed was passed by the peoples of the land, and the hand of the rulers was in this unfaithfulness.” 3 And when I heard this word, I tore my garments and trembled and plucked the hair out of my head and my beard and sat silent. 4 Then all those who pursue the word of the God of Israel gathered together to me, because of the unfaithfulness of the exile, and I sat silently until the evening sacrifice. 5 And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my humiliation. And when I had rent my garments, and I was trembling and getting down upon my knees and spreading out my hands to God, 6 then I said, “I was ashamed, and I feel ashamed to raise my face to you, because our transgressions are multiplied above our head, and our sins increased up to heaven. 7 From the days of our ancestors we are in great sin up to this day, and in our transgressions we and our kings and our sons were handed over to the hand of the kings of the nations by sword and by captivity, by plundering and by the shame of our faces, as this day. 8 And now our God arranged for us to leave us for salvation, and to give to us an establishment in the place of his holiness to enlighten our eyes and to give us a small vitality in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves, yet even in our slavery the Lord, our God, has not forsaken us, but has inclined mercy upon us before the kings of Persia to give us vitality, so that they might raise up the house of our God and rebuild its desolation, and to give us a fence in Judea and in Jerusalem. 10 What shall we say, our God, after this? Because we have forsaken your commands, 11 which you gave us by the hand of your servants, the prophets, ‘The land into which you are entering to possess it is a land in commotion by changing the peoples of the nations. With their abominations they have filled it from mouth to mouth with their impurity. 12 So now do not give your daughters to their sons and do not take from their daughters for your sons, and you must not seek their peace and their good until eternity, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and distribute it to your sons until eternity. 13 And after all that is coming upon you for your evil deeds and for your great sins, because there is none like our God, because you lightened our transgression and gave us salvation, 14 because we returned to scatter your commands and to marry with the people. Do not be provoked by us until destruction so that there is no remnant or survivor. 15 O Lord, God of Israel, you are righteous, because we are left survivors, as this day. We are before you with our sins, because it is not possible to stand before you because of this.”
10Now as Ezra prayed and as he confessed, weeping and praying before the house of God, a very great assembly, men and women and young men, gathered to him from Israel, because the people wept and lifted up while weeping. 2 And Shecaniah, son of Jehiel, from the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, “We were faithless to our God and we sat foreign women from the peoples of the land, and now Israel has endurance for this. 3 So now let us establish a covenant with our God to divorce all the women and the issue from them, as you desire. Arise, and terrify them with the commands of our God, and let it be done according to the law. 4 Arise, because the word is upon you, and we are with you. Be strong, and do it.” 5 Then Ezra rose, and made the rulers, the Levites, and all Israel swear to act according to this word, and they swore. 6 And Ezra rose from the face of the house of God and went into the treasury of Jehohanan, son of Eliashib, and he went there. He did not eat bread and did not drink water, because he was mourning because of the unfaithfulness of the exile. 7 And they issued a proclamation in Judah and in Jerusalem: 8 “Anyone who does not come in three days, as the council of the rulers and the elders demand, all his property shall be accursed, and he shall be sent away from the assembly of the exile.” 9 And all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered to Jerusalem in three days. This was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. All the people sat in the open square of the house of God, from their tumult concerning the word and because of the winter. 10 And Ezra the priest rose and said to them, “You have been faithless and lived with foreign women, to add to the sin of Israel. 11 So now give praise to the God of our ancestors, and do what is pleasing before him, and be separated from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.” 12 And the whole assembly answered and said, “This word of yours is a big thing for us to do. 13 But the people are many, and the place is wintery, and there is no ability to stand outside, and the task is not for one day, and not for two, because we have multiplied in doing wrong in this matter. 14 Now let our rulers stand for all those in our cities, whoever dwelled with foreign wives, let them come at the appointed times from the gathering, and with them the elders of city by city, and judges, in order to turn away the wrath of the anger of our God from us concerning this matter.” 15 But Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, son of Helkeia, are with me concerning this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai, the Levites, are supporting them. 16 And the children of the exile did so. And Ezra the priest and the men who were rulers of the paternal families were set apart by house, and all by name, because they turned on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. 17 And they finished with all the men who had settled with foreign women by the first day of the first month. 18 And there was found among the sons of the priests those who had settled with foreign women: from the sons of Joshua, son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah and Eliezer and Jarib and Gedaliah. 19 And they gave their hand to carry away their wives and sins, a ram of the flock for their transgression. 20 And from the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. 21 And from the sons of Harim: Maaseiah and Joelaha and Shemaiah and Jehiel and Jaaziah. 22 And from the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, and Ishmael and Nethanel and Jozabad and Elasah. 23 And from the Levites: Jozabad and Shimei and Kelaiah, that is, Kelita, and Pethahiah and Judah and Eliezer. 24 And from the singers: Eliasaph. And from the gatekeepers: Shallum and Telem and Uri. 25 And from Israel: from the sons of Parosh: Ramiah and Izziah and Malchijah and Mijamin and Eleazar and Benaiah. 26 And from the sons of Elam: Mattaniah and Zechariah and Jehiel and Obadiah and Jeremoth and Elijah. 27 And from the sons of Zattu: Elioenai and Eliashib and Alathania and Amōn and Zabad and Aziza. 28 And from the sons of Bebai: Johanan and Hananiah and Zabbai and Thalei. 29 And from the sons of Binnui: Melousam and Aloum and Ada and Iasoud and Sheal and Memon. 30 And from the sons of Pahath-moab: Edene, Chael, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Tha-nouei, and Manasseh. 31 And from the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 From the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Atha, Zabel, Eliphaleth, Jeramai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 34 From the sons of Anei: Modedeia, Marei, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Baraia, Cheluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and so did 38 the sons of Binnui and the sons of Shimei, 39 and Shelemiah and Nathan and Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Sheshai, Sharai, 41 Azarel and Shelemiah and Shemariah 42 and Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 From the sons of Nebo: Iael, Thamathia, Zabad, Zebina, Dia, and Joel and Benaiah. 44 All these took foreign wives and fathered children by them.