Ezra 3
1 It was the seventh month after the people of Israel came back to their cities, when they gathered together 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 Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brothers rose up and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings 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 Then they established the altar on its stand, for dread was on them because of the people of the land. They offered burnt offerings to Yahweh at dawn and evening.
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 observed the Festival of Shelters as it is written and offered burnt offerings day by day according to the decree, each day's duty on its 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 Accordingly, there were daily burnt offerings and monthly ones and offerings for all the fixed feasts of Yahweh, along with all the freewill offerings.
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 They began to offer up burnt offerings to Yahweh on the first day of the seventh month, although the temple had not been founded.
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 So they gave silver to the stoneworkers and craftsmen, and they gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so they would bring cedar trees by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized for them 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 Then in the second month of the second year after they came to the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, the rest of the priests, the Levites, and those who came from captivity back to Jerusalem began the work. They assigned the Levites twenty years old and older to oversee the work of Yahweh's house.
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 Jeshua and his sons and brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, who were descendants of Hodaviah), and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers-all of them were Levites-joined together in supervising 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 The builders laid a foundation for Yahweh's temple. This enabled the priests to stand in their garments with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, to praise Yahweh with cymbals, just as the hand of David, king of Israel had commanded.
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 They sang with praise and thankfulness to Yahweh, “He is good! His covenant faithfulness to Israel endures forever.” All the people cried out with a great shout of joy in praise of Yahweh because the temple's foundations 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 priests, Levites, and chief patriarchs, those who were old and had seen the first house, when this house's foundations were laid before their eyes, wept loudly. But many people had shouts of joy with gladness and an excited sound.
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 As a result, people were not able to distinguish the joyful and glad sounds from the sound of people weeping, for the people were crying out with great joy, and the sound was heard from far away.
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.
