Then arose the ancestral chiefs of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, - even every one whose spirit God had aroused, to go up to build the house of Yahweh, which was in Jerusalem;

and, all they who were round about them, strengthened their hands, with utensils of silver, with gold with goods and with beasts, and with precious things, - besides any thing he had volunteered.

And, King Cyrus, brought forth the utensils of the house of Yahweh, - which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth from Jerusalem, and put in the house of his gods: -

From the first day of the seventh month, began they to offer up ascending-sacrifices unto Yahweh, - but, the temple of Yahweh, had not had its foundation laid.

But, many of the priests and the Levites and the ancestral chiefs, who were old men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, were weeping with a loud voice, - many, however, shouting and rejoicing, with voice raised on high;

Then, when, the copy of the letter of Artaxerxes the king, had been read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they journeyed in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and forbade them, with arm and force.

But, after that our fathers had provoked the God of the heavens to wrath, he delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, - and, this house, he destroyed, and, the people, he exiled to Babylon.

Moreover also, the utensils of the house of God, of gold and silver, which, Nebuchadnezzar, had brought forth out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, and had brought into the temple of Babylon, Cyrus the king, brought them forth, out of the temple of Babylon, - and they were delivered to one Sheshbazzar by name, whom he made, pasha;

Then, Tattenai the pasha Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, - according as Darius the king had sent, so, forthwith, they did.

for the priests and the Levites, had purified themselves, as one man, all of them, were pure, - so they slaughtered the passover for all the Sons of the Exile, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

Therefore the sons of Israel who had returned from the Exile and all who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land unto them, did eat, - to seek Yahweh, God of Israel;

and kept the festival of unleavened cakes seven days, with joy, - for Yahweh had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria towards them, to strengthen their hands, in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

this Ezra, came up out of Babylon, he, being a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which Yahweh God of Israel had given, - and the king gave him, according to the hand of Yahweh his God upon him, all his request.

For, Ezra, had settled his heart, to study the law of Yahweh, and to do it , - and to teach in Israel, statute and regulation.

and, of the Nethinim whom David and the rulers had given for the service of the Levites, Nethinim, two hundred and twenty, - all of them, expressed by name.

For I was ashamed to ask of the king, a band of soldiers and horsemen, to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God, is upon all who seek him, for good, But, his power and his anger, are against all who forsake him.

and weighed unto them, the silver and the gold, and the utensils, - the heave-offering for the house of our God, which the king and his counselors and his rulers and all Israel who were present, had offered:

Then, unto me, were gathered, all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, concerning the unfaithfulness of them who had been exiled, - but, I, sat stunned, until the evening gift.

And, at the evening gift, I arose from mine affliction, which had been accompanied by the rending of my garment and my robe, - and I bowed upon my knees, and spread forth my hands unto Yahweh my God;

O Yahweh, God of Israel, righteous thou art, for we have had left us a deliverance as at this day, - here we are, before thee, in our guilty deeds, for there is no standing before thee, because of this thing!

Now, when Ezra had prayed and when he had made confession, weeping and casting himself down, before the house of God, there gathered unto him out of Israel, an exceeding large convocation - men and women and children, for the people wept with a very bitter weeping.

and they made an end with all the men who had married foreign women, - by the first day of the first month.

Now there were found, of the sons of the priests, who had married foreign women, - of the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brethren, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah;

All these, had taken foreign women, - and had begotten of them children.