Ezra 1-6

Ezra 1

¹Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, 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,

²Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

³Whosoever 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 the LORD, the God of Israel, (he is God,) which is in Jerusalem.

⁴And 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, beside the freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.

⁵Then rose up the heads of fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, told the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

⁶And 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, beside all that was willingly offered.

⁷Also 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;

⁸even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

⁹And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives;

¹⁰thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.

¹¹All 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.

Ezra 2

¹Now 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 that returned unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;

²which came with Zerubbabel Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

³The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.

⁴The children of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy two.

⁵The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.

⁶The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.

⁷The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

⁸The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five.

⁹The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.

¹⁰The children of Bani, six hundred forty and two.

¹¹The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three.

¹²The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two.

¹³The children of Adonikam six hundred sixty and six.

¹⁴The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty and six.

¹⁵The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four.

¹⁶The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.

¹⁷The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.

¹⁸The children of Jorah, an hundred and twelve.

¹⁹The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three.

²⁰The children of Gibbar, ninety and five.

²¹The children of Beth-lehem, an hundred twenty and three.

²²The men of Netophah, fifty and six.

²³The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.

²⁴The children of Azmaveth, forty and two.

²⁵The children of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.

²⁶The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.

²⁷The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two.

²⁸The men of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.

²⁹The children of Nebo, fifty and two.

³⁰The children of Magbish, an hundred fifty and six.

³¹The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

³²The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.

³³The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five.

³⁴The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.

³⁵The children of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty.

³⁶The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.

³⁷The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.

³⁸The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.

³⁹The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

⁴⁰The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four.

⁴¹The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight.

⁴²The 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.

⁴³The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth;

⁴⁴the children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon;

⁴⁵the children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub;

⁴⁶the children of Hagab, the children of Shamlai, the children Hanan;

⁴⁷the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah;

⁴⁸the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam;

⁴⁹the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai;

⁵⁰the children of Asnah, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephisim;

⁵¹the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur;

⁵²the children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha;

⁵³the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah;

⁵⁴the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

⁵⁵The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Hassophereth, the children of Peruda;

⁵⁶the children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel;

⁵⁷the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the children of Ami.

⁵⁸All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred ninety and two.

⁵⁹And these were they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not shew their fathers’ houses, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:

⁶⁰the children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.

⁶¹And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name.

⁶²These 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.

⁶³And 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.

⁶⁴The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,

⁶⁵beside their menservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred singing men and singing women.

⁶⁶Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;

⁶⁷their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

⁶⁸And some of the heads of fathers’ houses, when they came to the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to set it up in its place:

⁶⁹they 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.

⁷⁰So 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.

Ezra 3

¹And 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.

²Then 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.

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

⁴And 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;

⁵and afterward the continual burnt offering, and the offerings 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.

⁶From 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.

⁷They 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, unto Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.

⁸Now 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 the LORD.

⁹Then 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.

¹⁰And 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 order of David king of Israel.

¹¹And they sang one to another in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD, saying, For 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.

¹²But 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:

¹³so 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.

Ezra 4

¹Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded a temple unto the LORD, the God of Israel;

²then 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 do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, which brought us up hither.

³But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses 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, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

⁴Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

⁵and 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.

⁶And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

⁷And 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.

⁸Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

⁹then 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,

¹⁰and 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.

¹¹This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men beyond the river, and so forth.

¹²Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which 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.

¹³Be 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 endamage the kings.

¹⁴Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

¹⁵that 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.

¹⁶We certify the king that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, by this means thou shalt have no portion beyond the river.

¹⁷Then 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.

¹⁸The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.

¹⁹And 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.

²⁰There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all the country beyond the river; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid unto them.

²¹Make 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.

²²And take heed that ye be not slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

²³Then 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.

²⁴Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezra 5

¹Now 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.

²Then 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.

³At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the river, and Shethar-bonzenai, and their companions, and said thus to them, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?

⁴Then spake we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?

⁵But 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.

⁶The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the river, and Shethar-bozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were beyond the river, sent unto Darius the king:

⁷they sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.

⁸Be 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.

⁹Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?

¹⁰We asked them their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were at the head of them.

¹¹And 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 finished.

¹²But 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.

¹³But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.

¹⁴And the gold and sliver vessels also 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;

¹⁵and 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.

¹⁶Then 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.

¹⁷Now 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.

Ezra 6

¹Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.

²And 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.

³In 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;

⁴with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house:

⁵And 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.

⁶Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-bozenai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:

⁷let 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.

⁸Moreover 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.

⁹And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:

¹⁰that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savour unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.

¹¹Also 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:

¹²and 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.

¹³Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the river; Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, because that Darius the king had sent, did accordingly with all diligence.

¹⁴And 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.

¹⁵And 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.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷And they offered at the dedication of this house of God an 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.

¹⁸And 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.

¹⁹And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.

²⁰For 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.

²¹And the children of Israel, which were come again out of the captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, did eat,

²²and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD 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.