The First Book of Esdras, chapters 5 - 7
5 AFTER THIS the heads of families, tribe by tribe, were chosen to go to
Jerusalem, with their wives, their sons and daughters, their male and
female slaves, and their pack-animals. Darius sent a thousand horsemen
to accompany them until they had brought them safely back to Jerusalem,
with a band of drums and flutes, and all their brothers dancing. So he sent
them off with their escort.
These are the names of the men who went to Jerusalem, according to their
families, tribes, and allotted duties. The priests, the sons of Phineas son of
Aaron, with Jeshua son of Josedek son of Saraeas, and Joakim his son; and
of the tribe of Judah, who spoke wise words before Darius king of Persia.
They went in the second year of his reign, in Nisan the first month.
Now these are the men of Judah who came up from amongst the captive
exiles, those whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had transported to
Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and the rest of Judaea, each to his own
city: they came with Zerubbabel and Jeshua, Nehemiah, Zaraeas, Resaeas,
Enenius, Mardochaeus, Beelsarus, Aspharasus, Reelias, Romelius, and
Baana, their leaders. The numbers of those from the nation who returned
with their leaders were: the line of Phoros two thousand one hundred and
seventy-two; the line of Saphat four hundred and seventy-two; the line of
Ares seven hundred and fifty-six; the line of Phaath-moab, deriving from
the line of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve; the
line of Elam one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; the line of Zathui
nine hundred and forty-five; the line of Chorbe seven hundred and five;
the line of Banei six hundred and forty-eight; the line of Bebae six hundred
and twenty-three; the line of Astaa one thousand three hundred and
twenty-two. The line of Adonikam six hundred and sixty-seven; the line
of Bagoi two thousand and sixty-six; the line of Adinus four hundred and
fifty-four; the line of Ater son of Hezekias ninety-two; the line of Keilan
and Azeas sixty-seven; the line of Azurus four hundred and thirty-two;
the line of Annias one hundred and one; the line of Arom and the line of
Bassa three hundred and twenty-three; the line of Arsiphurith one hundred
and twelve; the line of Baeterus three hundred and five. The line of
Bethlomon one hundred and twenty-three; the men of Netophae fifty-five;
the men of Anathoth one hundred and fifty-eight; the men of Bethasmoth
forty-two; the men of Cariathiarius twenty-five; the men of Caphira
and Beroth seven hundred and forty-three; the Chadasians and Ammi-
daeans four hundred and twenty-two; the men of Kirama and Gabbes six
hundred and twenty-one; the men of Macalon one hundred and twenty-
two; the men of Betolio fifty-two; the line of Phinis one hundred and fifty-
six; the line of Calamolalus and Onus seven hundred and twenty-five; the
line of Jerechus three hundred and forty-five; the line of Sanaas three
thousand three hundred and thirty.
The priests: the line of Jeddu son of Jeshua, deriving from the line of
Anasib, nine hundred and seventy-two. The line of Emmeruth one
thousand and fifty-two. The line of Phassurus one thousand two hundred
and forty-seven. The line of Charme one thousand and seventeen.
The Levites: the line of Jesue, Cadmielus, Bannus, and Sudius seventy-
four. The temple singers: the line of Asaph one hundred and twenty-
eight.
The door-keepers: the line of Salum, of Atar, of Tolman, of Dacubi, of
Ateta, of Sabi, in all one hundred and thirty-nine.
The temple-servitors: the line of Esau, of Asipha, of Taboth, of Keras,
of Susa, of Phaleas, of Labana, of Aggaba, of Acud, of Uta, of Ketab, of
Gaba, of Subai, of Anan, of Cathua, of Geddur, of Jairus, of Desan, of
Noeba, of Chaseba, of Gazera, of Ozius, of Phinoe, of Asara, of Basthae,
of Asana, of Maani, of Naphisi, of Acum, of Achipha, of Asur, of Pharakim,
of Baaloth, of Meedda, of Coutha, of Charea, of Barchue, of Serar, of
Thomi, of Nasith, of Atepha. The descendants of Solomon's servants:
the line of Asapphioth, of Pharida, of Jeeli, of Lozon, of Isdael, of Saphythi,
of Hagia, of Phacareth, of Sabie, of Sarothie, of Masias, of Gas, of Addus,
of Subas, of Apherra, of Barodis, of Saphat, of Adlon. All the temple-
servitors and the descendents of Solomon's servants numbered three
hundred and seventy-two.
The following came from Thermeleth and Thelsas with their leaders
Charaathalar and Alar, and could not prove by their families and
genaelogies the they were Israelites: the line of Dalan, the line of Ban,
and the line of Necodan six hundred and fifty-two.
From among the priests the claimants to the priesthood whose record
could not be traced: the line of Obdia, of Accos, of Joddus, who married
Augia one of the daughters of Zorzelleas, and took his name; when search
was made for their family record in the register it could not be traced, and
so they were excluded from priestly service. Nehemiah the governor told
them that they should not participate in the sacred offerings until a high
priest arose wearing the breast-piece of Revelation and Truth.
They were in all: Israelites from twelve years old, not counting slaves
male and female, forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty; their slaves
seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; musicians and singers
two hundred and forty-five; camels four hundred and thirty-five, horses
seven thousand and thirty-six, mules two hundred and forty-five, donkeys
five thousand five hundred and twenty-five.
Some of the heads of families, when they arrived at the temple of God
in Jerusalem, made a vow to erect the house again on its site as best they
could, and to give to the sacred treasury for the fabric fund one thousand
minas of gold and five thousand minas of silver and one hundred vest-
ments.
The priests, the Levites, and some of the people settled in Jerusalem
and the neighbourhood, with the temple musicians and the door-keepers;
and all Israel settled in their villages.
WHEN THE SEVENTH MONTH came and the Israelites were in their
homes they gathered as one man in the broad square of the first gateway
toward the east. Jeshua son of Josedek ad his brother priests and Zerub-
babel son of Salathiel and his colleagues came forward and made ready
the altar of the God of Israel, to offer on it a whole burnt-offering according
to the directions in the book of Moses the man of God. They were joined
by the men from the other peoples of the land and they set up the altar on its
site (for the peoples in the land as a whole were hostile to them and were
too strong for them); and they offered sacrifices to the Lord at the proper
time, and whole burnt-offerings morning and evening. They observed the
Feast of Tabernacles as enjoined in the law, and the proper sacrifices day
by day; and thereafter the continual offerings, and sacrifices on sabbaths,
at new moons, and on solemn feasts. all who had made a vow to God
offered sacrifices to God from the new moon of the seventh month,
although the temple of God was not yet built. Money was paid to the stone-
masons and carpenters; the Sidonians and Tyrians were supplied with
food and drink, and with carts to bring cedar-trees from Lebanon, floating
them down as rafts to the anchorage at Joppa, as decreed by Cyrus king
of Persia.
In the second month of the second year, Zerubbabel son of Salathiel
came to the temple of God in Jerusalem and started the work. There were
with him Jeshua son of Josedek, their kinsmen, the levitical priests, and all
who had come to Jerusalem from the exile; and they laid the foundation
of the temple of God. This was at the new moon, in the second month of
the second year after they had returned to Judaea and Jerusalem. The
Levites from the age of twenty upwards were set over the works of the
Lord. Jeshua, his sons, his brothers, his brother Cadoel, the sons of Jeshua
Emadabun, and the sons of Joda son of Iliadun with their sons and brothers,
all the Levites, supervisors of the work, were active as one man on the
works in the house of God. While the builders built the temple of the Lord,
the priests in their vestments with musical instruments and trumpets, and
the Levites the sons of Asaph with their cymbals, stood singing to the Lord
and praising him as David king of Israel had appointed. They sang psalms
praising the Lord, 'for his goodness and glory is for ever toward all Israel'.
All the people blew their trumpets and gave a loud shout, singing to the
Lord as the building rose.
The priests, the Levites, the heads of families, the older men who had
seen the former house, came to the building of this one with cries of
lamentation; and so, while many were sounding the trumpets loudly for
joy——so loudly as to be heard far away——the people could not hear the
trumpets for the noise of lamentation.
The enemies of Judah and Benjamin hear the noise of the trumpets
and came to see what it meant. They found the returned exile building the
temple for the Lord God of Israel; they came to Zerubbabel and Jeshua
and the leaders of the families, and said: 'We build with you; for like
you we obey our Lord and have sacrificed to him from the time of Asba-
sareth king of Assyria who transported us here.' But Zerubbabel and Jeshua
and the leaders of the families of Israel replied: 'You have no share in
building the house of the Lord our God; we alone will build for the Lord
of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia decreed.' But the peoples of the land
harassed the men of Judaea, blockaded them, and interrupted the build-
ing. Their plots, agitations, and riots held up the completion of the building
all the lifetime of King Cyrus. They were prevented from building for two
years until Darius became king.
6 In the second year of the reign of Darius, the prophets Haggai and Zecha-
riah son of Addo prophesied to the Jews in Judaea and Jerusalem in the
name of the Lord the God of Israel. Then Zerubbabel son of Salathiel and
Jeshua son of Josedek began to rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.
The prophets of the Lord were at their side to help them. At that time
Sisinnes, the governor-general of Syria and Phoenicia, with Sathrabuzanes
and their colleagues, came to them and said: 'Who has authorized you to
put up this building, complete with roof and everything else? Who are
the builders carrying out this work?' But, thanks to the Lord who protected
the returned exiles, the elders of the Jews were not prevented from build-
ing during the time that Darius was being informed and the directions issued.
Here is a copy of the letter written to Darius, and sent by Sisinnes, the
governor-general of Syria and Phoenicia, with Sathrabuzanes and their
colleagues the authorities in Syria and Phoenicia:
To King Darius our humble duty. Be it known to our lord the king:
we visited the district of Judaea and entered the city of Jerusalem, and
there we found the elders of the Jews returned from exile building a
great new house for the Lord with costly hewn stone and with beams
set in the walls. This work was being done with all speed and the under-
taking was making good progress; it was being executed in great splendour
and with the utmost care. We then inquired of these elders by whose
authority they were building this house and laying such foundations.
We questioned them so that we could inform you in writing who their
leaders were, and asked for a list of their names. They answered as
follows: 'We are servants of the Lord who made heaven and earth. This
house was built and completed many years ago by a great and powerful
king of Israel. When our fathers sinned against the heavenly Lord of
Israel and provoked him, he delivered them over to Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon, king of the Chaldaeans; and they pulled down the house,
set it on fire, and took the people into exile in Babylon. In the first year
of the reign of King Cyrus over Babylonia, the king decreed that this
house should be rebuilt. The sacred vessels of gold and silver which
Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the house in Jerusalem, and set up in
his own temple, he brought back out of the temple in Babylon and
delivered to Zerubbabel and Sanabassar the governor, with orders to
take all these vessels and put them in the temple at Jerusalem, and
to rebuild this temple of the Lord on the same site as before. Then
Sanabassar came and laid the foundations of the house of the Lord in
Jerusalem. From then till now the building has continued and is still un-
finished.' Therefore, if it is Your Majesty's pleasure, let search be made
in the royal archives in Babylon, and if it is found that the building of the
house of the Lord in Jerusalem took place with the approval of King
Cyrus, and if our own lord the king so decide, let directions be issued to us
on this subject.
Then King Darius ordered the archives in Babylon to be searched, and
a scroll was found in the castle Ecbatana in the province of Media which
contained the following record:
In the first year of his reign King Cyrus ordered that the house of the
Lord in Jerusalem, where they sacrifice with fire continually, should be
rebuilt. Its height should be sixty cubits and its breadth sixty cubits,
with three courses of hewn stone to one of new local timber; the expenses
to be met from the royal treasury. The sacred gold and silver vessels of
the house of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar removed from the house in
Jerusalem, and took to Babylon, should be restored to the house in
in Jerusalem and replaced where they formerly were.
Darius therefore instructed Sisinnes, the governor-general of Syria and
Phoenicia, with Sathrabuzanes, their colleagues, and the governors in
office in Syria and Phoenicia, to be careful not to interfere with the place,
but to allow the servant of the Lord, Zerubbabel, governor of Judaea, and
the elders of the Jews to build the house of the Lord on its old site. 'I have
also given instructions', he continued, 'that it should be completely rebuilt,
and that they should not fail to co-operate with the returned exiles in
Judaea until the house of the Lord is finished. From the tribute of Coele-
syria and Phoenicia let a contribution be duly given to these men for
sacrifices to the Lord, payable to Zerubbabel the governor, for bulls, rams,
and lambs; and similarly wheat, salt, wine, and oil are to be provided
regularly each year without question, as the priests in Jerusalem may
require day by day. Let all this be expended in order that sacrifices and
libations may be offered to the Most High God for the king and his children,
and that intercession may be made on their behalf.' He also gave these
orders: 'If anyone disobeys or neglects any of these orders written above
or here set down, let a beam be taken from his own house and let him be
hanged on it and his estate forfeited to the king. May the Lord himself,
therefore, to whom this temple is dedicated, destroy any king or people
who shall lift a finger to delay or damage the Lord's house in Jerusalem.
I, Darius the king, decree that these orders to be obeyed to the letter.'
7 Then, in accordance with the orders of King Darius, Sisinnes, governor-
General of Coele-syria and Phoenicia, with Sathrabuzanes and their col-
leagues, carefully supervised the sacred works, co-operating with the
elders of the Jews and the temple officers. With the encouragement of the
prophets Haggai and Zechariah, good progress was made with the sacred
works, and they were finished by the ordinance of the Lord God of Israel
and with the approval of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.
It was on the twenty-third of Adar in the sixth year of King Darius that
the house was completed. The Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the
rest of the former exiles who had joined them carried out the directions
in the book of Moses. For the dedication of the temple of the Lord they
offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and
twelve goats for the sin of all Israel corresponding to the twelve patriarchs
of Israel. The priests and the Levites in their vestments stood family by
family to preside over the service of the Lord God of Israel according to
the book of Moses. The door-keepers took their stand at every gateway.
The Israelites who had returned from exile kept the Passover on the
fourteenth day of the first month. The priests and the Levites were purified
together; not all the returned exiles were purified with the priests, but
the Levites were. They slaughtered the Passover victims for all the returned
exiles and for their brother priests and for themselves. All those Israelites
participated who had returned from exile and had segregated themselves
from the abominations of the peoples of the land to seek the Lord. They
kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days, rejoicing before the
Lord; for he had changed the policy of the Assyrian king towards them and
strengthened them for the service of the Lord the God of Israel.
The New English Bible (with Apocrypha)
Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, 1970
Posted Jul 23, 2019, 9:43 PM UTC
10