In one year to Cyrus the king of Persia, to complete the word of Jehovah from the month of Jeremiah, Jehovah roused up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he will cause a voice to pass through in all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying,

And whoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the free-will-offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

And there will rise up the heads to the fathers to Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites to all God roused up his spirit, to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in 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 the king Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar brought forth from Jerusalem; and he will give them into the house of his God.

And Cyrus king of Persia will bring them forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he will number them to Sheshbazzar, prince to Judah.

And these the sons of the province coming up from the captivity of the exiles which Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile to Babel; and they will turn back to Jerusalem and Judah, a man to his city;

From the sons of the priests: the sons of Habiah, the sons of Koz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and he will be called by their name.

These sought their writing of those being enrolled, and they found not: and they will be polluted from the priesthood.

And the Tirshatha will say to them, that they shall not eat from the holy of holies till there stood up a priest for Lights and Truth.

And the seventh month will draw near, and the sons of Israel in the cities, and the people will gather together as one man to Jerusalem.

And Joshua the son of Josedek, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and they will build the altar of the God of Israel, to bring up upon it burnt-offerings as written in the law of Moses the man of God.

And they will prepare the altar upon its foundations; for in the terror upon them from the people of the lands: and they will bring up burnt-offerings upon it to Jehovah, burnt-offerings for morning and for evening.

And they will do the festival of tents as written, and the burnt-offerings of a day in a day, in number according to judgment, the word of a day in its day.

And afterward offered the continual burnt-offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a free-will-offering to the LORD.

And they will give silver to those hewing, and to those graving, and food and drink and oil to the Zidonians, and the Tyrians, to bring cedar woods from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa according to the permit of Cyrus king of Persia to them.

And in the second year to their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Josedek, and the remainder of their brethren the priests, and the Levites, and all those coming from the captivity to Jerusalem; and they will cause the Levites to stand up, from the son of twenty years and above, to superintend over the works of the house of Jehovah.

And Joshua will stand, his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, as one, to superintend over the doing of the work in the house of God: the sons of Henadad their sons, and their brethren the Levites.

And those building will lay the foundation of the temple of Jehovah, and they will cause the priests to stand, being clothed, with trumpets, and the Levites sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise Jehovah according to the hands of David king of Israel.

And they will answer in praising and in confessing to Jehovah, for he is good, for his mercy forever upon Israel. And all the people shouted a great shout in praising to Jehovah, for the foundation of the house of Jehovah.

And the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin will hear that the sons of the captivity were building the temple to Jehovah God of Israel;

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 Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers' houses of Israel, said unto them, You have nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.

And the people of the land will be slackening the hands of the people of Judah, and terrifying them in building,

Be it known unto the king, - that, the Jews who came up from thee unto us, are come to Jerusalem, - the rebellious and wicked city, are they building, and, the walls, have they finished, and, the foundations, will they repair.

Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city is built, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so you shall impair the revenue of the kings.

so that it may be investigated in the book of records of your ancestors. You will find in the book of records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and they have rebelled in its midst from ancient times. Because of that this city was destroyed.

We make known to the king that if this city is built and the walls are finished, you will have nothing in [the province] Beyond the River."

Therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until a further decree has been pronounced by me.

See that you not neglect this matter. Otherwise, the damage will increase and the royal interests will suffer.

And the eye of their God was upon the captivity of the Jews, and they caused them not to cease till the account went to Darius: and then they will return a letter concerning this.

And now, if to the king it be good, let search be made in the treasure-house of the king, that is there in Babylon, whether it be that of Cyrus the king there was made a decree to build this house of God in Jerusalem, and the will of the king concerning this thing he doth send unto us.'

And I issue forth a decree for what you should do for these elders of the Jews to build this house of God. The full expense will be paid to these men from the riches of the king from the taxes of [the province] Beyond the River, without delay.

I also issue a decree concerning any man who interferes with this directive:

Let a beam be torn from his house and raised up; he will be impaled on it, and his house will be made into a garbage dump because of this offense.

And the sons of the exile will do the passover in the fourteenth to the first month.

For the priests and Levites were purified as one, all of them being purified; and they will slaughter the pass-over for all the sons of the exile, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

And the sons of Israel will eat; those turning back from exile and every one being separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the earth to them, to seek for Jehovah the God of Israel;

And they will do the festival of the unleavened seven days in gladness: for Jehovah gladdened them, and turned the heart of the king of Assur to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel

This Ezra went up from Babel; and he a scribe skilled in the law of Moses which Jehovah God of Israel gave: and the king will give to him according to the hand of Jehovah upon him all his seeking.

And there will go up from the sons of Israel, and from the priests and the Levites, and those singing, and they watching the gates, and the Nethinims, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year to Arthasatha the king.

And he will come to Jerusalem in the fifth month, this the seventh year to the king.

I make a decree, that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, who are minded of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you.

and that thou shouldest take with thee, silver and gold, which the king and the lords of his counsel give of their own good will unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is at Jerusalem,

and all of the silver and gold that you will find in the whole province of Babylonia, with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests giving willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem.

And whatsoever shall seem good to you, and to your brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do according to the will of your God.

All that is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with diligence for the house of the God of heaven, otherwise wrath will come on the kingdom of the king and his sons.

In addition, we make it clear to you, that it will be against the law to put any tax or payment in goods or forced payment on any of the priests or Levites, the music-makers, door-keepers, Nethinim, or any servants of this house of God.

"You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges who can judge all of the people [in the province] Beyond the River who know the laws of your God. And you will teach those who do not know.

And whosoever will not do the law of your God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

And they will bring to us according to the good hand of our God upon us a man of understanding from the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel; and Sherebiah, and his sons and his brethren, eighteen.

And we will fast and seek of our God concerning this; and he will be entreated for us.

And I said to them, Ye are holy to the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a free-will-offering to the LORD God of your fathers.

And we removed from the river Ahava in the twelfth to the first month, to go to Jerusalem: and the band of our God was upon us and he will deliver us from the hand of the enemy, and of him lying in wait upon the way.

And they will give the king's laws to the king's satraps and prefects beyond the river: and they lifted up the people and the house of God.

For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands. Indeed, the officials and chief men have been foremost in this unfaithful act and direct violation [of God’s will].”

And to me all will assemble, trembling at the word of the God of Israel for the transgression of the exile; and I sat astonished till the sacrifice of the evening.

So do not give your daughters to their sons in marriage or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you will be strong, eat the good things of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.”

As for us, we have turned back, and have let go thy commandments, to make contract with the people of these abominations. Wilt thou then be wroth at us, till we be utterly consumed, so that nothing remain, and there be no deliverance?

And Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the sons of Elam, will answer and say to Ezra, We transgressed against our God, and we were dwelling with strange wives from the people of the land: and now there is hope to Israel concerning this.

for now will we make a covenant with our God, that we shall put away all the wives - and such as are born of them - according to the counsel of the LORD and of them that fear the commandment of our God, that we may do according to the law.

Arise; for this matter belongs unto you: we also will be with you: be of good courage, and do it.

And Ezra will rise and cause the chiefs to swear, the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to do according to this word. And they will swear.

And Ezra will rise up from before the house of God, and will go the chamber of Johanan son of Eliashib: and he will go there, he ate not bread and drank not water: for he was mourning for the transgression of the exiles.

And all the men of Judah and Benjamin will gather together at Jerusalem in three days. It was the ninth month, in the twentieth in the month, and all the people will sit in the broad place of the house of God, trembling for the word, and from the heavy showers.

And Ezra the priest will rise up and say to them, Ye transgressed, and ye will dwell with strange wives to add upon the guilt of Israel.

Now make a confession to Yahweh the God of your ancestors and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women."

Then all the assembly responded with a loud voice: “Yes, we will do as you say!

And thus the sons of the exile will do. And they will be separated, Ezra the priest, men, heads of the fathers, for the house of their fathers, and all of them by names, and they will it down in one day to the tenth month to seek out the word.

And they will finish with all the men dwelling with strange wives, even to one day to the first month.

And there will be found from the sons of the priest who dwelt with strange wives: from the sons of Joshua son of Josedek and his brethren: Maaseiah and Eleazar, and Jarib and Gedaliah.

And they will give their hand to bring forth their wives; and being guilty, a ram of the flock for their guilt.

All these took strange wives: and there is from them wives, and sons will be produced.