6:1-22 - Study Chapter - Click the Play Button for Chapter Audio
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1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and search R95 was made in the archives, F60 where the treasures were stored in Babylon. 2 In Ecbatana F61 in the fortress, which is in R96 the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: "Memorandum-- 3 "In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: '{Concerning} the house of God at Jerusalem, let the temple, F62 the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be retained, F63 its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits; 4 with R97 three layers of huge stones and one F64 layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the royal F65 treasury. 5 'Also let the R98 gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought F66 to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put {them} in the house of God.' 6 "Now {therefore,} Tattenai, R99 governor of {the province} beyond the River, F67 Shethar-bozenai and your F68 colleagues, the officials of {the provinces} beyond the River, F67 keep F69 away from there. 7 "Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. 8 "Moreover, I R100 issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of {the provinces} beyond the River, and that without delay. 9 "Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, {it} is to be given to them daily without fail, 10 that they may offer acceptable F70 sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray R101 for the life of the king and his sons. 11 "And I issued a decree that any R102 man who violates this edict, a timber shall be drawn from his house and he shall be impaled on it and his R103 house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this. 12 "May the God who has R104 caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts F71 to change {it,} so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued {this} decree, let {it} be carried out with all diligence!"
13 Then Tattenai, R105 the governor of {the province} beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out {the decree} with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent. 14 And the R106 elders of the Jews were F72 successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they F73 finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of R107 Cyrus, Darius, R108 and Artaxerxes R109 king of Persia. 15 This temple F74 was completed on F75 the third day of the month R110 Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles, F76 celebrated R111 the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 R112 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 Then they appointed the priests to their R113 divisions and the Levites in their R114 orders for the service of God in F77 Jerusalem, as R115 it is written in the book of Moses. 19 The R116 exiles observed the Passover on the R117 fourteenth of the first month. 20 For R118 the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then they R119 slaughtered the Passover {lamb} for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. 21 The sons of Israel who returned from exile and all R120 those who had separated themselves from the R121 impurity of the nations of the land to {join} them, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate {the Passover.} 22 And they R122 observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had caused them to rejoice, and had R123 turned the heart of the R124 king of Assyria toward them to encourage F78 them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
7:1-28 - Study Chapter - Click the Play Button for Chapter Audio
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1 Now R125 after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes R126 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 Amariah, 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 chief priest. 6 This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe R127 skilled in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he F79 requested because R128 the hand of the LORD his God {was} upon him. 7 Some R129 of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first of the first month he F80 began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because R130 the good hand of his God {was} upon him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study F81 the law of the LORD and to practice {it,} and to R131 teach {His} statutes and ordinances in Israel.
11 Now this is the copy of the decree which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, learned F82 in the words of the commandments of the LORD and His statutes to Israel: 12 "Artaxerxes, king R132 of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect {peace.} And now 13 I R133 have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 "Forasmuch as you are sent by F83 the king and his seven R134 counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand, 15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose R135 dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 with all R136 the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along with R137 the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who offered R138 willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; 17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs, with R139 their grain offerings and their drink offerings and offer R140 them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18 "Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. 19 "Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. 20 "The rest of the needs for the house of your God, for which you may have occasion to provide, provide R141 {for it} from the royal treasury. 21 "I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are {in the provinces} beyond the River, F84 that whatever Ezra the priest, the R142 scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, 22 {even} up to 100 talents of silver, 100 kors F85 of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt as F86 needed. 23 "Whatever is commanded F87 by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, so R143 that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. 24 "We also inform you that it R144 is not allowed to impose F88 tax, tribute or toll {on} R145 any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim or servants of this house of God. 25 "You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint R146 magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in {the province} beyond the River, {even} all those who know the laws of your God; and you may teach R147 anyone who is ignorant {of them.} 26 "Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment F89 or for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment."
27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who R148 has put {such a thing} as this in the king's heart, to adorn the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, 28 and has R149 extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king's mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to the R150 hand of the LORD my God upon me, and I gathered leading F90 men from Israel to go up with me.
8:1-36 - Study Chapter - Click the Play Button for Chapter Audio
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1 Now these are the heads of their fathers' {households} and the genealogical enrollment of those who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2 of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush; R1513 of the sons of Shecaniah {who was} of the sons of Parosh, R152 Zechariah and with him 150 males {who were in} the genealogical list; 4 of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and 200 males with him; 5 of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and 300 males with him; 6 and of the sons of Adin, R153 Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 males with him; 7 and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 males with him; 8 and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 males with him; 9 of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 males with him; 10 and of the sons of Bani, Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him; 11 and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 males with him; 12 and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him; 13 and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names, Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and 60 males with them; 14 and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, F91 and 70 males with them. F9215 Now I assembled them at the R154 river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I observed the people and the priests, I did R155 not find any Levites there. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, leading F93 men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. 17 I sent them to Iddo the leading F94 man at the place Casiphia; and I told F95 them what to say to Iddo F96 {and} his brothers, the R156 temple servants at the place Casiphia, {that is,} to bring ministers to us for the house of our God. 18 According R157 to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man R158 of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men; 19 and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah F97 of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men; 20 and 220 of the R159 temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name.
21 Then I proclaimed a R160 fast there at the R161 river of Ahava, that we might humble R162 ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe F98 journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect F99 us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, "The hand of our God is favorably F100 disposed to all those who seek Him, but His R163 power and His anger are against all those who forsake R164 Him." 23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this {matter,} and He listened F101R165 to our entreaty.
24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, R166 Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; 25 and I weighed R167 out to them the R168 silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his R169 counselors and his princes and all Israel present {there} had offered. 26 Thus R170 I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils {worth} 100 talents, {and} 100 gold talents, 27 and 20 gold bowls {worth} 1,000 darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. 28 Then I said to them, "You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils R171 are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers. 29 "Watch and keep {them} until R172 you weigh {them} before the leading priests, the Levites and the heads of the fathers' {households} of Israel at Jerusalem, {in} the chambers of the house of the LORD." 30 So the priests and the Levites accepted R173 the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring {them} to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
31 Then we journeyed from the R174 river Ahava on the R175 twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the R176 hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way. 32 Thus R177 we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days. 33 On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils were R178 weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth R179 the son of Uriah the priest, and with him {was} Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them {were} the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 Everything {was} numbered and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at that time. 35 The R180 exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 R181 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the LORD. 36 Then they R182 delivered the king's edicts to the R183 king's satraps and to the governors {in the provinces} beyond the River, F102 and they supported the people and the house of God.
9:1-15 - Study Chapter - Click the Play Button for Chapter Audio
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1 Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated R184 themselves from the peoples of the lands, according R185 to their abominations, {those} of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. 2 "For they R186 have taken some of their daughters {as wives} for themselves and for their sons, so that the R187 holy race F103 has intermingled R188 with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness." 3 When I heard about this matter, I tore R189 my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat R190 down appalled. 4 Then everyone R191 who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the R192 evening offering.
5 But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, F104 even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched R193 out my hands F105 to the LORD my God; 6 and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen F106 above our heads and our guilt R194 has grown even to the heavens. 7 "Since the days of our fathers to this day we {have been} in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings {and} our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to open F107R195 shame, as {it is} this day. 8 "But now for a brief moment grace has been {shown} from the LORD our God, to R196 leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg R197 in His holy place, that our God may enlighten R198 our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 "For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has R199 extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. 10 "Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11 which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end {and} with R200 their impurity. 12 'So now do not give R201 your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and never R202 seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good {things} of the land and leave R203 {it} as an inheritance to your sons forever.' 13 "After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our R204 great guilt, since You our God have requited {us} less than our iniquities {deserve,} and have given us an R205 escaped remnant as this, 14 shall R206 we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who F108 commit these abominations? Would R207 You not be angry with us to F109 the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape? 15 "O LORD God of Israel, You R208 are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as {it is} this day; behold, we are before You in our R209 guilt, for no R210 one can stand before You because of this."
10:1-44 - Study Chapter - Click the Play Button for Chapter Audio
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1 Now while R211 Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before R212 the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly. 2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God and have married F110 foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 3 "So now let R213 us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their F111R214 children, according to the counsel of my F112 lord and of those R215 who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according R216 to the law. 4 "Arise! For {this} matter is your F113 responsibility, but we will be with you; be R217 courageous and act." 5 Then Ezra rose and made R218 the leading priests, the Levites and all Israel, take oath that they would do according to this proposal; F114 so they took the oath.
6 Then Ezra rose R219 from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he R220 did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. 7 They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, 8 and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the exiles. 9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square {before} the house of God, trembling R221 because of this matter and the heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 "Now therefore, make R222 confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do R223 His will; and separate R224 yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives." 12 Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, "That's right! As you have said, so it is our F115 duty to do. 13 "But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor {can} the task {be done} in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. 14 "Let our leaders represent F116 the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce R225 anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us."
15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed F117 this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them. 16 But the exiles did so. And Ezra F118 the priest selected men {who were} heads of fathers' {households} for {each} {of} their father's households, all of them by name. So they convened F119 on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. 17 They finished {investigating} all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month. 18 Among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua R226 the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. 19 They pledged F120 to put away their wives, and being guilty, {they R227 offered} a ram of the flock for their offense. 20 Of the sons of Immer {there were} Hanani and Zebadiah; 21 and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah; 22 and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. 23 Of Levites {there were} Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. 24 Of the singers {there was} Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri. 25 Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh R228 {there were} Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah; 26 and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah; 27 and of the sons of Zattu: R229 Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza; 28 and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai {and} Athlai; 29 and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal {and} Jeremoth; 30 and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh; 31 and {of} the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, R230 Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch {and} Shemariah; 33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh {and} Shimei; 34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, 38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah {and} Joseph. 43 Of the sons of Nebo R231 {there were} Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel {and} Benaiah. 44 All these had married foreign R232 wives, and some of them had wives {by whom} they had children.
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