Ezra 3

Expanded Bible

Rebuilding the Altar

3 In the seventh month, after the Israelites were settled in their hometowns, they ·met together [assembled in unity/with one accord; ^Las one man] in Jerusalem. ² Then Jeshua son of Jozadak [Zech. 3:1–9] and his ·fellow [^Lbrothers the] priests joined Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel [and his brothers/colleagues; v. 8; 4:2–3; 5:2; Neh. 7:7; Hag. 1:1, 12, 14; 2:2, 4, 21, 23; Zech. 4:6–10; Matt. 1:12–13; Luke 3:27] and began to build the altar of the God of Israel where they could offer burnt offerings, just as ·it is written [instructed; required] in the ·Teachings [Law; ^LTorah] of Moses, the man of God. ³ ·Even though [or Because] they were afraid of the people living around them, they ·built [set up; established] the altar where it had been before. And they ·offered [sacrificed] burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] on it to the Lord morning and evening. ⁴ Then, to obey what was ·written [instructed; required], they celebrated the Feast of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles; Ex. 23:16; Lev. 23:33–36]. They offered the ·right [specified; proper; fixed] number of sacrifices ·for [according to the ordinance/requirement for] each day. ⁵ After the Feast of Shelters, they had ·regular [continual] ·sacrifices [burnt offerings; Lev. 1:1–17], as well as sacrifices for the New Moon and all the festivals ·commanded by [of] the Lord. Also there were ·special [freewill; voluntary] offerings to the Lord. ⁶ On the first day of the seventh month [^Cfifteen days before the beginning of the festival] they began to ·bring [offer; sacrifice] burnt offerings to the Lord, ·but [though] the foundation of the Lord’s ·Temple [^Lhouse] had not yet been laid.

Rebuilding the Temple

⁷ Then they gave money to the ·bricklayers [masons] and carpenters. They also gave food, ·wine [drink], and olive oil to the cities of Sidon and Tyre so they would ·float [bring] cedar logs from Lebanon to the seacoast town of Joppa. Cyrus king of Persia had given permission for this.

⁸ In the second month [^Cmidspring] of the second year after their arrival at the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel [v. 2], Jeshua son of Jozadak, their fellow priests and Levites, and all who had returned from ·captivity [exile] to Jerusalem began to work. They ·chose [appointed] Levites twenty years old and older to ·be in charge of [supervise] the building of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ⁹ The workers building the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of God were supervised by Jeshua and his sons and brothers [3:2], together with Kadmiel and his sons who were the descendants of Hodaviah, and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers. They were all Levites.

¹⁰ The builders finished laying the foundation of the Temple of the Lord. Then the priests, dressed in their ·robes [vestments], stood with their ·trumpets [clarions; ^Ca long, metallic instrument, not a ram’s horn], and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, stood with their cymbals. They all took their places and praised the Lord just as David king of Israel had ·said to do [instructed; prescribed]. ¹¹ With praise and thanksgiving, they ·sang [^Lanswered; ^Csang antiphonally] to the Lord:

And then all the people shouted loudly, “Praise the Lord! The foundation of his ·Temple [^Lhouse] has been laid.” ¹² But many of the older priests, Levites, and ·family leaders [^Lheads of fathers] who had seen the first ·Temple [^Lhouse] cried loudly when they saw the foundation of this Temple. ·Most of the other people [Many others] were shouting with joy. ¹³ The people made so much noise it could be heard far away, and no one could tell the difference between the joyful shouting and the sad crying.