Ezra 3
1 By the seventh month, the Israelites had settled in their towns, and the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem.
And when the seventh month drew near, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
2 Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates, began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
Then arose Jeshua' the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealthiel, and his brethren, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer thereon burnt-offerings, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
3 They set up the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD—both the morning and evening burnt offerings—even though they feared the people of the land.
And they erected the altar upon its foundations; for there was fear upon them because of the people of these countries; and they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto the Lord, burnt-offerings at morning and at evening.
4 They also celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in accordance with what is written, and they offered burnt offerings daily based on the number prescribed for each day.
And they celebrated the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and [offered] the daily burnt-offerings by number, according to the prescribed manner, the offering of every day on its day;
5 After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings and those for New Moons and for all the appointed sacred feasts of the LORD, as well as all the freewill offerings brought to the LORD.
And afterward the continual burnt-offering, and that for the new moons, and for all the feasts of the Lord that are hallowed, and that of every one who willingly offered a free-will offering unto the Lord.
6 On the first day of the seventh month, the Israelites began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, although the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid.
From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord: although the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not yet been laid.
7 They gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.
Then did they give money unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and food, and drink, and oil, unto the Zidonians and Tyrians, to bring cedar-trees from the Lebanon by sea to Joppa, according to the permission of Cyrus the king of Persia for them.
8 In the second month of the second year after they had arrived at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their associates including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years of age or older to supervise the construction of the house of the LORD.
And in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, did Zerubbabel the son of Shealthiel and Jeshua' the son of Jozadak, and the remainder of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem make a beginning; and they appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to superintend the work of the house of the Lord.
9 So Jeshua and his sons and brothers, Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Yehudah), and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together to supervise those working on the house of God.
Then stood forward Jeshua' with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, as one man, to superintend the workmen in the house of God; [also] the sons of Chenadad, their sons and their brethren the Levites.
10 When the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their positions to praise the LORD, as David king of Israel had prescribed.
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they placed the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Assaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the manner of David the king of Israel.
11 And they sang responsively with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD: “For He is good; for His loving devotion to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD had been laid.
And they sang responsively in praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord; because he is good, for unto everlasting endureth his kindness toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, while praising the Lord; because the foundation of the house of the Lord had been laid.
12 But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first temple wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple. Still, many others shouted joyfully.
But many of the priests and Levites and chiefs of the divisions, the aged, who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice, while many, shouting for joy, raised aloud their voice:
13 The people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people were making so much noise. And the sound was heard from afar.
So that the people could not distinguish the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard ever so far off.
