Ezra 3:8–13

The Foundation of the Temple of Yahweh

⁸Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem in the second month, ^aZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and ^bappointed the Levites from twenty years and older to direct the work of the house of Yahweh.

⁹Then ^aJeshua with his sons and brothers stood united with Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of ¹Judah and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brothers the Levites, to direct those who do the work in the house of God.

¹⁰So the builders ^alaid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh. Then ¹the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise Yahweh ^baccording to the ²directions of King David of Israel.

^11aAnd they sang, praising and giving thanks to Yahweh, saying, “^bFor He is good, for His lovingkindness endures forever upon Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised Yahweh because the foundation of the house of Yahweh was laid.

¹²Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, ^athe old men who had seen the first house of Yahweh, were weeping with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many in loud shouts with gladness were raising their voice,

¹³so that the people could not distinguish the ¹voices of the shouting of gladness from the ²voices of the weeping of the people, for the people were shouting with a loud shout, and those ³voices were heard far away.