Ketuvim
Ezra3
Ezra · Chapter 3
And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Yisra'el
were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Yerushalayim.
Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the kohanim, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the Elohim of Yisra'el, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as
it is
written in the torah of Mosheh the man of Elohim.
And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear
was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH),
even burnt offerings morning and evening.
They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as
it is written, and
offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;
And afterward
offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH).
From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH). But the foundation of the heikhal of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) was not
yet laid.
They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.
Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of Elohim at Yerushalayim, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the kohanim and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Yerushalayim; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH).
Then stood Jeshua
with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of Elohim: the sons of Henadad,
with their sons and their brethren the Levites.
And when the builders laid the foundation of the heikhal of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH), they set the kohanim in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH), after the ordinance of Dawid king of Yisra'el.
And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH); because
he is good, for his mercy
endureth for ever toward Yisra'el. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH), because the foundation of the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) was laid.
But many of the kohanim and Levites and chief of the fathers,
who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
So that the people could not discern 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 afar off.
Ketuvim
Ezra4
Ezra · Chapter 4
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the heikhal unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) Elohim of Yisra'el;
Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your Elohim, as ye
do;
and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.
But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Yisra'el, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our Elohim; but we ourselves together will build unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) Elohim of Yisra'el, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they
unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Yerushalayim.
And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter
was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Yerushalayim to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
Then
wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites,
and the Elamites,
And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnapper brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest
that are on this side the river, and at such a time.
This
is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him,
even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.
Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Yerushalayim, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls
thereof, and joined the foundations.
Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up
again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and
so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.
Now because we have maintenance from
the king’s palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;
That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city
is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.
We certify the king that, if this city be builded
again,
and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.
Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and
to Shimshai the scribe, and
to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and
unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.
The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.
And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and
that
rebellion and sedition have been made therein.
There have been mighty kings also over Yerushalayim, which have ruled over all
countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them.
Give ye now mitsvah to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until
another mitsvah shall be given from me.
Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter
was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Yerushalayim unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
Then ceased the work of the house of Elohim which
is at Yerushalayim. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Ketuvim
Ezra5
Ezra · Chapter 5
Then the nevi'im, Haggai the navi, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that
were in Judah and Yerushalayim in the name of the Elohim of Yisra'el,
even unto them.
Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of Elohim which
is at Yerushalayim: and with them
were the nevi'im of Elohim helping them.
At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
But the eye of their Elohim was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this
matter.
The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which
were
on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:
They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.
Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great Elohim, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.
Then asked we those elders,
and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?
We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that
were the chief of them.
And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the Elohim of shamayim and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Yisra'el builded and set up.
But after that our fathers had provoked the Elohim of shamayim unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Bavel, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Bavel.
But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Bavel
the same
king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of Elohim.
And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of Elohim, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the heikhal that
was in Yerushalayim, and brought them into the heikhal of Bavel, those did Cyrus the king take out of the heikhal of Bavel, and they were delivered unto
one, whose name
was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;
And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the heikhal that
is in Yerushalayim, and let the house of Elohim be builded in his place.
Then came the same Sheshbazzar,
and laid the foundation of the house of Elohim which
is in Yerushalayim: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and
yet it is not finished.
Now therefore, if
it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure house, which
is there at Bavel, whether it be
so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of Elohim at Yerushalayim, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.