Ezra 3:1–4:5

Worship in Jerusalem Restored

3 Now the seventh month drew near and the ⌊Israelites⌋a were in the cities, so the people gathered as ⌊one⌋b in Jerusalem. 2 And Jeshua son of Jehozadak and his brothers the priests stood up, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers built the altar of the God of Israel, in order to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. 3 They set up the altar on its foundations, because ⌊they were in terror⌋c because of the peoples of the lands. And they offered burnt offerings on it for Yahweh, burnt offerings for the morning and the evening. 4 And they kept the feast of booths, as it is written, and offered burnt offerings day by day in number according to the ordinance ⌊as described for each day⌋.d 5 After this, they presented the daily sacrifice of burnt offerings, the offerings for the New Moon Festival, and for all of the appointed times consecrated for Yahweh and for all who gave a freewill offering to Yahweh. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh. But the temple of Yahweh was not yet founded. 7 So they gave money to the stone craftsmen and skilled craftsmen, and food, drink, and olive oil to the Sidonians and Tyrians, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the authorization over them of Cyrus king of Persia.

Foundation of the Temple is Laid

8 In the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadak began their work, and the remainder of their brothers the priests and the Levites and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem. They appointed the Levites ⌊from twenty years and older⌋e to direct the work of the house of Yahweh. 9 And Jeshua with his sons and brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons—the sons of Judah—together directed the workers in the house of God, along with the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers the Levites.

10 And the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh, and the priests in their apparel with the trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with the cymbals, were positioned to praise Yahweh, ⌊as described by⌋f King David of Israel. 11 And they ⌊sang responsively⌋,g with praising and thanksgiving to Yahweh saying, “For he is good, for his loyal love is everlasting for Israel.”

And all of the people responded with a great shout of joyful acclaim in praise to Yahweh because the house of Yahweh was laid. 12 But many of the elderly priests, Levites, and heads of the families who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house, but many ⌊shouted aloud with joy⌋.h 13 No person could distinguish the sound of joyful acclaim from the sound of people weeping, for the people shouted with great joyful acclaim and the sound was heard from afar.

Resistance to Rebuilding the House of God

4 Now the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the ⌊returned exiles⌋a were building a temple for Yahweh the God of Israel. 2 And they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the ⌊families⌋,b and they said to them, “Let us build with you. Like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him from the days of Esarhaddon the king of Assyria who brought us up here. 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the ⌊families⌋c of Israel said to them, “It is not for you but for us to build a house for our God. For we ourselves alone will build it for Yahweh the God of Israel, just as Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”

4 Then the people of the land discouraged ⌊the people of Judah⌋d and made them afraid to build 5 and bribed officials against them to frustrate their plan for all the days of Cyrus king of Persia until the reign of Darius king of Persia.