The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred and two and twenty;

The children of Jorah, a hundred and twelve;

The children of Bethlehem, a hundred and three and twenty;

The men of Anathoth, a hundred and eight and twenty;

The men of Michmas, a hundred and two and twenty;

The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and three and twenty;

The children of Magbish, a hundred and six and fifty;

The children of the other Elam, a thousand, two hundred four and fifty;

The children of Immer, a thousand, and two and fifty;

The children of Pashhur, a thousand, and two hundred and seven and forty;

The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

The singers: The children of Asaph, a hundred and eight and twenty.

The children of the doorkeepers: The children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, and the children of Shobai, all together a hundred and nine and thirty.

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.

and gave after their ability, unto the treasure of the work, one and three score thousand drams, and five thousand pounds of silver, and a hundred priests' garments.

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.

Many also of the old priests and Levites and ancient fathers which had seen the first house - when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes - wept with a loud voice. And many shouted with joy,

so that the noise gave a great sound, insomuch that the people could not know the joyful sound for the noise of the weeping among the people: for the people shouted with a loud cry, so that the noise was heard afar off.

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 other ancient fathers of Israel answered them, "It belongeth not to you, but to us to build the house unto our God: for we ourselves will build alone unto the LORD our God of Israel, as Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us."

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.

Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote a letter from Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, as it followeth.

And now in the mean season we have destroyed the temple, and would no longer see the king's dishonour. Therefore sent we out, and caused the king to be certified thereof:

Therefore do we certify the king, that if this city be builded, and the walls thereof made up, thou shalt keep nothing on this side the water by the reason of it."

The letter which ye sent unto us, hath been openly read before me,

and I have commanded to make search: and it is found, that this city, of old, hath made insurrection against kings; and how the uproar and rebellion hath been committed therein.

There have been mighty kings also at Jerusalem which have reigned over all that is beyond the water, and toll, tribute and a yearly custom was given unto them.

Do ye now after this commandment, forbid the same men, that the city be not builded, till I have given commandment?

Take heed now that ye be not negligent herein, lest the king have harm therethrough."

At the same time came to them Tattenai, which was the captain on this side the water, and Shetharbozenai, and their counselors, and said thus unto them, "Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up the walls thereof?"

Then told we them the names of the men, that made this building.

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.

Be it known unto the king, that we came into Jewry to the house of the great God, which is builded with all manner of stone, and beams are laid in the walls, and the work goeth fast forth, and prospereth in their hands?

Nevertheless, we asked the Elders and said unto them, 'Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up the walls thereof?'

We asked their names also, that we might certify thee, and have written the names of the men that were their rulers.

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.

But after our forefathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them over into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, which brake down this house, and carried the people away unto Babylon.

and said unto him, 'Take these vessels, go thy way, and bring them unto the temple at Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.'

So at Ecbatana, in a castle that lieth in the land of the Medes, there was found a book, and in it was there an act written after this manner:

"Get you far from them therefore, thou Tattenai, captain beyond the water, and Shetharbozenai, and your counselors, which are beyond the water, get ye away from them.

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.

This commandment have I given. And what man soever he be that altereth these words, there shall a beam be taken from his house, and set up, and he shall be hanged thereon, and his house shall be made a dunghill for the deed.

But the God that dwelleth in heaven, destroy all kings and people that put to their hand to alter and to break down the house of God at Jerusalem. I, Darius, have commanded, that this be diligently done."

and offered at the dedication of the house of God, a hundred calves, two hundred lambs, four hundred goats: and for the sin offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel,

This Ezra was a perfect scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel did give. And the king gave him all that he required, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

And this is the copy of the letter, that king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, which was a teacher in the words of the LORD and of his statutes over Israel:

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;

I king Artaxerxes have commanded all the treasurers beyond the water, that look: whatsoever Ezra, the priest and scribe in the law of the God of heaven, requireth of you; that ye fulfill the same diligently,

until a hundred talents of silver, until a hundred quarters of wheat, and until a hundred baths of wine, and till a hundred baths of oil, and salt without measure.

And known be it unto you, that ye shall have no authority to require taxing and custom, yearly rents upon any of the priests, Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, and ministers in the house of this God.

But thou Ezra - after the wisdom of thy God that is in thy hand - set thou judges and arbiters, to judge all the people that is beyond the Jordan, even all such as know the law of thy God: and them that know it not, those see that ye teach.

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.

of the children of Shecaniah, of the children of Parosh; Zechariah, and with him were numbered a hundred and fifty men.

Of the children of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him a hundred and three men.

Of the children of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him a hundred and ten men.

And I gathered them together by the water that runneth toward Ahava, and there abode we three days. And when I looked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there.

Then sent I to Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, the rulers, and Joiarib and Elnathan, which were men of understanding.

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 even there at the water beside Ahava, I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and our children and all our substance.

For I was ashamed to require of the king, soldiers and horsemen, to help us against the enemy in the way. For we had said unto the king, "The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him in goodness, and his violence and wrath is upon all them that forsake him."

So we fasted, and besought our God for this; and he heard us.

And I took out twelve of the chief priests, Sherebiah and Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,

And there weighed I them, under their hand, six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and in silver vessel a hundred talents, and in gold a hundred talents,

twenty cups of gold of a thousand drams, and two costly ornaments of good brass, as clear as gold,

and said unto them, "Ye are holy unto the LORD, therefore are these vessels holy also, and so is the silver and the gold that is given of a good will unto the LORD God of your fathers:

Watch ye therefore and keep it, till ye weigh it down before the chief priests and Levites, and ancient fathers of Israel at Jerusalem in the chests of the house of the LORD."

So we brake up, from the water of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and delivered us from the hand of the enemies and of such as laid wait for us by the way.

And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.

And the children of the captivity, which were come out of prison, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel: twelve bullocks for all Israel, six and ninety rams, seven and seventy lambs, twelve goats for a sin offering, all to the burnt offering of the LORD.

When I heard this, I rent my clothes and my raiment, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat mourning.

And there resorted unto me all such as feared the word of the LORD God of Israel, because of the great transgression. And I sat mourning until the evening sacrifice.

And about the evening sacrifice I rose up from my heaviness, and rent my clothes and my raiment, and fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God;

and said, "My God, I am ashamed, and dare not lift up mine eyes unto thee my God: for our wickednesses are grown over our head, and our trespasses are waxen great unto the heaven.

Since the time of our fathers have we been in great trespass unto this day, and because of our wickedness have we and our kings been delivered into the hand of the kings of the nations, in to the sword, in to captivity, in to spoil, and in to confusion of face, as it is come to pass this day.

But now is there a little and sudden graciousness come from the LORD our God, so that some of us are escaped: that he may give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may light our eyes, and give us a little life in our bondage.

For we are bondmen, and our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, and hath inclined mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, that he should give us life, and promote the house of our God, and to set up the desolation thereof, and to give us a hedge in Judah and in Jerusalem.

And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken thy commandments,

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.

Therefore shall ye not give your daughters unto their sons, and their daughters shall ye not take unto your sons, and seek not their peace and wealth forever, that ye may be strong, and enjoy the good in the land, and that ye and your children may have the inheritance of it for evermore.'

And after all this that is come upon us, because of our evil deeds and great trespass, thou our God hast spared our wickednesses, and hast given us a deliverance as it is come to pass this day.

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?

O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous, for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day. Behold, in thy presence are we in our trespass: for because of it is there no standing before thee."

And when Ezra prayed after this manner, and knowledged, wept, and lay before the house of God, there resorted unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: For the people wept very sore.

And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the children of Elam, answered, and said unto Ezra, "We have trespassed against the LORD our God, in that we have taken strange wives of the people of the land. Now there is hope yet in 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.

Get thee up therefore, for the matter belongeth unto thee. We will be with thee; be of good comfort, and do it."

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:

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, "Ye have transgressed, that have taken strange wives, to make the trespass of Israel yet more:

Then answered all the congregation and said with a loud voice, "Let it be done as thou hast said.

But the people are many, and it is a rainy weather; and the people are too faint to tarry without in the street - neither is this a work of one day or two, for we are many that have offended in this transgression.

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

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. It fortuned in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, that I was in the castle at Susa:

and Hanani, one of my brethren, came with certain men of Judah, and I asked them how the Jews did that were delivered and escaped from the captivity, and how it went at Jerusalem.

When I heard these words, I sat me down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

and said, "O LORD God of heaven, thou great and terrible God, thou that keepest covenant and mercy for them that love thee and observe thy commandments:

Let thine ears mark and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray now before thee day and night for the children of Israel thy servants, and knowledge the sins of the children of Israel, which we have committed against thee. And I and my father's house have sinned also.

We have been corrupt unto thee, in that we have not kept the commandments, statutes, and laws which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

Yet call to remembrance the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, and saidest, 'If ye transgress, then will I scatter you abroad among the nations.