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, of the sons of the priests, the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, - the sons of Barzillai, who took of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.

All the gathered host together, was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty;

And, a portion of the ancestral chiefs, when they came to the house of Yahweh which was in Jerusalem, offered voluntarily for the house of God, to set it up on its basis.

But, when the seventh month was come, and the sons of Israel were in cities, then did the people gather themselves together as one man, unto Jerusalem.

Then arose - Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his brethren, and built the altar of the God of Israel, - to offer thereon ascending-sacrifices, as it was written in the law of Moses, the man of God.

So they settled the altar upon its stands, for, dread, was upon them, because of the peoples of the countries, - therefore caused they to go up thereon, ascending-sacrifices unto Yahweh, ascending-sacrifices for the morning and for the evening.

And they kept the festival of booths, as it was written, - and the ascending-offering of each day upon its own day, by number, according to regulation, the matter of a day upon its day;

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;

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, did shout with a great shout, and, the noise, was heard afar off.

And, in the days of Artaxerxes, wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates, unto Artaxerxes, king of Persia, - and, the writing of the letter, was written in Aramean, and was to be interpreted as Aramean.

so that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers, so shalt thou find out in the book of records - and shalt ascertain, that, this city, is a rebellious city, and one that causeth damage unto kings and provinces, and that, rebellion, have they been wont to cause in the midst thereof since the days of age-past time, - for this cause, was this city laid waste.

The letter which ye sent unto us, was distinctly read before me;

Then ceased the work of the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, - yea it did cease, until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Then arose - Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, - and, with them, were the prophets of God, strengthening them.

Nevertheless, the eye of their God, was upon the elders of Judah, and they did not forbid them, until the matter, unto Darius, should come, - and, then, answer be returned by letter, concerning this.

a message, sent they unto him, - and, thus, was it written therein, Unto Darius the king, all prosperity!

And, thus, returned they, answer, to us saying, - We, are servants of the God of the heavens and the earth, and are building the house which was built these many years ago, which, a great king of Israel, built and completed.

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, this Sheshbazzar, came, he laid the foundations of the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, - and, since then, even until now, it hath been in building, and is not finished.

And there was found in Achmetha, in the fortress which is in the province of Media, a roll, - and, thus, was it written therein, as a record: -

Moreover also, the utensils of the house of God, of gold and silver, which, Nebuchadnezzar, took forth out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, let them again be taken to the temple which is in Jerusalem every one to its place, and lay them up in the house of God.

And this house was finished, by the third day of the month Adar, - the which was the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

And they set up the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God, which was in Jerusalem, - as it is written, in the Book of Moses.

And he entered Jerusalem, in the fifth month, - the same, was the seventh year of the king.

For, on the first of the first month, was a beginning made of coming up from Babylon, - and, on the first of the fifth month, entered he into Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

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.

Then brake we up from the river of Ahava, on the twelfth of the first month, to journey unto Jerusalem, - and, the hand of our God, was upon us, and he delivered us from the grasp of the enemy and of the lier in wait, by the way.

And, on the fourth day, was weighed - the silver and the gold and the utensils, in the house of our God, unto the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest, and, with him, was Eleazar son of Phinehas, - and, with them, were Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui, Levites:

by the number and by the weight of the whole, - and all the weight, was written down, at that time.

Then arose Ezra from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, - and, when he came thither, bread, did he not eat, and, water, did he not drink, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of them of the Exile.

Then were gathered together all the men of Judah and Benjamin unto Jerusalem, within three days, the same, was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month, - and all the people remained in the broadway of the house of God, trembling concerning the thing, and because of the heavy rains.