And whosoever remaineth yet in any manner of place, where he is a stranger, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with good and cattle, beside that which they willingly offer, for the house of God at Jerusalem.'"

Then gat up the principal fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, and all they whose spirit God had raised to go up, and to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem.

And all they that were about them, strengthened their hands with vessels of silver and gold, with goods and cattle, and jewels, beside that which they gave of their own free will.

And these went up also: Telmelah, Telharsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not show their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.

These sought the register of their birth, and found none, therefore were they put from the priesthood.

And Hathirsatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy, till there rose up a priest with the light and perfectness.

beside their servants and maidens, of whom there were seven thousand, three hundred and seven and thirty. And they had two hundred singing men and women,

And certain of the chief fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, they offered willingly unto the house of God, that it should be set in his place;

And the altar set they upon his sockets - for there was a fearfulness among them because of the nations and the lands - and offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, in the morning and at evening.

Afterward, the daily burnt offering also, and of the new moons and of all the feast days of the LORD that were hallowed, and all manner of freewill offerings, which they did of their own freewill unto the LORD.

Upon the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt sacrifices unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.

Nevertheless, they gave money unto the masons and the carpenters, and meat and drink and oil unto them of Sidon and of Tyre, to bring Cedar timber from Lebanon by sea unto Joppa, according to the commandment of Cyrus the king of Persia.

In the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem: and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and above, to see that the work of the house of the LORD went forward.

And they sang together, giving praise and thanks unto the LORD; because he is gracious, and because his mercy endureth forever upon Israel. And all the people shouted loud in praising the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

they came to Zerubbabel and to the principal fathers, and said unto them, "We will build with you: for we seek the Lord your God like as ye do. And we have done sacrifice unto him, since the time that Esarhaddon the king of Assyria brought us up hither."

But when Ahasuerus was king, even in the beginning of his reign, they wrote unto him a complaint against the inhabiters of Judah and Jerusalem.

And this is the sum of the letter that they sent: "Unto king Artaxerxes: Thy servants, the men that are now on this side the water.

Be it known also unto the king, that if this city be builded and the walls made up again, then shall not they pay tribute, toll, and yearly custom, and the king's profit shall incur damage?

That it may be sought in the Chronicles of thy progenitors, and so shalt thou find in the same Chronicles, and perceive, that this city is seditious and noisome unto kings and lands, and that they cause others also to rebel of the old, and for the same cause was this city destroyed.

Now when king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe and their counsel, they went up in all the haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and forbade them with violence and power.

But the eye of their God came upon the Elders of the Jews, that they were not inhibited, till the matter was brought before Darius, and till there came a writing thereof again.

And this is the intent of the words that they sent unto him: "Unto Darius the king, all peace.

But they answered us with these words, and said, 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.

And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God - which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon - shall be restored again, that they may be brought unto the temple at Jerusalem to their place into the house of God."

I have commanded also, what shall be done to the Elders of Judah for the building of the house of God, that there shall diligently be taken of the king's goods, even of the rents beyond the water, and given unto the men, and that they be not hindered.

And if they have need of calves, lambs, or goats, for the burnt offering unto the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine and oil, after the custom of the priests at Jerusalem, there shall be given them daily as is according: and see that this be done without fault,

that they may offer sweet savours unto the God of heaven; and pray for the king's life, and for his children.

And the Elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo: and they builded, and laid up the foundation, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and after the commandment of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

for the priests and Levites had purified themselves, so that they were all clean as one man, and killed Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

And they came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, that is the seventh year of the king.

I have commanded, that all they of the people of Israel, and of the priests and Levites in my realm, which are minded of their own good will to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee;

and hath inclined his mercy unto me in the presence of the king, and his counselors, and before all the king's high estates. And I was comforted, according to the hand of the LORD my God over me, and so gathered I the heads of Israel together, that they might go up with me.

And to those gave I commandment unto Iddo, the chiefest at Casiphia; and I told them what they should say unto Iddo and his brethren the Nethinims at Casiphia: that they should cause the ministers of the house of our God to come unto us.

And through the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a wise man from among the children of Mahli the son of Levi the son of Israel, even Sherebiah, with his sons and brethren, eighteen;

And they delivered the king's commission unto the king's officers, and to the captains on this side the water. And they promoted the people and the house of God.

For they have taken the daughters of the same, and their sons, and have mixed the holy seed with the nations in the lands: and the hand of the rulers and lords of council hath been principal in this trespass."

which thou hast commanded by thy servants the Prophets, and said, 'The land unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land through the filthiness of the people of the lands, in their abominations wherewith they have made it full of uncleanness on every side.

Then rose Ezra, and took an oath of the rulers, priests, and Levites, and all of Israel, that they should do according to this word: and they sware.

And they caused a proclamation be made throughout Judah and Jerusalem, unto all the children which had been in captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem:

Let us appoint our rulers therefore in all the congregation, that all they which have taken strange wives in our cities, may come at the time appointed - and the elders of every city and their judges with them - till the wrath of our God be turned away from us for this offense."

And on the first day of the first month they made an end of all the men that had taken strange wives.

And they gave their hands thereupon, that they would put away their wives: and for their trespass offering to give a ram for their trespass.