Those Who Return from Babylon Unite Together as One |
Ezra 3:1-13 The Book of Ezra in [Smaller Chunks] |
When the 7th month [came] the children [people] of Israel were in the cities. The people gathered themselves together [united] [like] one man [in] Jerusalem. |
Then, Jeshua, [a.k.a. Joshua, Jozadak’s] son & his brethren, the priests & Zerubbabel, [Shealtiel’s] son & his brethren, stood up & [rebuilt] the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings [on it,] as it is written in the Law of Moses, the man of God. They [put] the altar on [its base.] |
For fear [respect] was upon them, because of the people of [the other] countries & they offered burnt offerings [on it] to the Lord, even [every] morning & evening. They also kept the Feast of the Tabernacles, as it is written. [They] offered [the] required number [of] daily burnt offerings, according to the custom [for each] day. |
And afterward, they offered the continual burnt [offerings,] both of the New Moons & all the [appointed sacred] feasts of the Lord, that were consecrated & [from] everyone [who] willingly offered a freewill offering to the Lord. |
From the 1st day of the 7th month, they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the [Lord’s] temple, [hadn’t] been laid yet. |
They also gave money, food, [drinks] & oil to the masons & carpenters of Zidon & Tyre to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the Sea of Joppa, according to the [contract] they had [from] Cyrus, [Persia’s] king. |
Now in the 2nd year, 2nd month, of their coming to [God’s] house in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel, [Shealtiel’s] son & Jeshua, [Jozadak’s] son, & [the remaining] of their brethren [of] the priests & the Levites & all [those who had] come out of captivity to Jerusalem, began & appointed the Levites, 20 years & older, to [supervise & to move] forward the work in the [Lord God’s] house. |
Then, Jeshua stood with his sons & his brethren, Kadmiel & his sons & the sons of Judah, together to [move] forward the workmen of [God’s] house: [who were] the sons of Henadad, with their sons & their brethren [of] the Levites. |
And when the builders laid the foundation of the [Lord’s] house, they [put] the priests [wearing] their [priestly clothes, along] with trumpets & the Levites, [Asaph’s descendants had] cymbals to praise the Lord, [as ordered by] king David of Israel. |
And they sang together by [divisions] in praising & giving thanks to the Lord, because He is good & His mercy endures forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted [loudly,] when they praised the Lord, because the foundation [was] laid for the [Lord’s] house. |
But many of the priests, Levites & [elderly leaders of] the [forefathers’ families, who] had seen the 1st [temple] wept with a loud voice & shouted aloud when the foundation of this [temple] was laid before their eyes. And many shouted aloud for joy. |
The people [couldn’t distinguish between] the noise of the [shouts] of joy & the noise of the weeping of the people. For the people [shouted so loudly, it] was heard [far away.] |