Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



And I gathered them together to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we encamped three days. And I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi. Verse ConceptsAssembling Israel

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. Verse ConceptsFasting, Reasons ForFasting, Practice OfAttitudes Of HumilityJourneyRepentance, Examples OfRivers And StreamsTeachablenessCanalsHumbling OneselfFastingFasting And Prayer

Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushment by the way. Verse ConceptsCaravansHand Of GodRoadsDivine Protection, Examples OfGod's HandGod Saving From EnemiesGod's Hands On PeopleEnemy Attacks

Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushment by the way. Verse ConceptsCaravansHand Of GodRoadsDivine Protection, Examples OfGod's HandGod Saving From EnemiesGod's Hands On PeopleEnemy Attacks


And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. Verse ConceptsFireSpiritual Blindness, Removal OfChariotsGuardiansHorsesVisionArmies, GodDivine Protection, Examples OfHeavenly ChariotsReceiving SightAngelic GuardianshipEyesarmyreassurance

And they journeyed, and a terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. Verse ConceptsDivine Protection, Examples OfTerror Of Godterrorism

And it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. And the cloud and the darkness was there, yet it gave light by night. And the one did not come near the other all the night. Verse ConceptsLight, NaturalDivine Protection, Examples OfStanding At A DistanceComing BetweenLight In The WorldCamping During The Exodus

saying, Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we may seal the bondmen of our God on their foreheads. Verse ConceptsForeheadsRestraintDivine Protection, Examples OfHarming TreesSlaves Of GodhurtingChristians Are Called Servants Of God

Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushment by the way. Verse ConceptsCaravansHand Of GodRoadsDivine Protection, Examples OfGod's HandGod Saving From EnemiesGod's Hands On PeopleEnemy Attacks

LORD has sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy grain to be food for thine enemies, and foreigners shall not drink thy new wine, for which thou have labored. Verse ConceptsForeignersHandsOaths, DivineRedemption, In OtRight Hand Of GodForeigners SubduedGod Feeds All The EarthOvercoming EnemiesAliensSpilling Your Seed On The Ground

And LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt in safety. Verse Conceptsenemies, of Israel and Judahenemies, of believersGod Saving From Enemies

He rescues me from my enemies. Yea, thou lift me up above those who rise up against me. Thou deliver me from the violent man. Verse ConceptsViolenceRescue From ViolenceGod Lifting PeopleGod Saving From EnemiesProtection From EnemiesEnemy Attacks


Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushment by the way. Verse ConceptsCaravansHand Of GodRoadsDivine Protection, Examples OfGod's HandGod Saving From EnemiesGod's Hands On PeopleEnemy Attacks


And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. Verse ConceptsFireSpiritual Blindness, Removal OfChariotsGuardiansHorsesVisionArmies, GodDivine Protection, Examples OfHeavenly ChariotsReceiving SightAngelic GuardianshipEyesarmyreassurance

And they journeyed, and a terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. Verse ConceptsDivine Protection, Examples OfTerror Of Godterrorism

And it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. And the cloud and the darkness was there, yet it gave light by night. And the one did not come near the other all the night. Verse ConceptsLight, NaturalDivine Protection, Examples OfStanding At A DistanceComing BetweenLight In The WorldCamping During The Exodus

saying, Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we may seal the bondmen of our God on their foreheads. Verse ConceptsForeheadsRestraintDivine Protection, Examples OfHarming TreesSlaves Of GodhurtingChristians Are Called Servants Of God

Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushment by the way. Verse ConceptsCaravansHand Of GodRoadsDivine Protection, Examples OfGod's HandGod Saving From EnemiesGod's Hands On PeopleEnemy Attacks


And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. Verse ConceptsFireSpiritual Blindness, Removal OfChariotsGuardiansHorsesVisionArmies, GodDivine Protection, Examples OfHeavenly ChariotsReceiving SightAngelic GuardianshipEyesarmyreassurance

And they journeyed, and a terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. Verse ConceptsDivine Protection, Examples OfTerror Of Godterrorism

And it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. And the cloud and the darkness was there, yet it gave light by night. And the one did not come near the other all the night. Verse ConceptsLight, NaturalDivine Protection, Examples OfStanding At A DistanceComing BetweenLight In The WorldCamping During The Exodus

saying, Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we may seal the bondmen of our God on their foreheads. Verse ConceptsForeheadsRestraintDivine Protection, Examples OfHarming TreesSlaves Of GodhurtingChristians Are Called Servants Of God

And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge [of it] was upon them, and to them pertained the opening of it morning by morning. And certain of them had charge of the vessels of service, for by count were these brought in and by count were these taken out. Some of them were also appointed over the furniture, and over all the vessels of the sanctuary, and over the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.

And he gathered together all the rulers of Israel, with the priests and the Levites. And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward. And their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand. Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of LORD. And six thousand were officers and judges, read more.
and four thousand were porters, and four thousand praised LORD with the instruments which I made, [David said], to praise therewith. And David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers of Ladan. And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second. But Jeush and Beriah had not many sons. Therefore they became a fathers' house in one reckoning. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons, forever, to burn incense before LORD, to minister to him, and to bless in his name, forever. But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief. And the sons of Eliezer were: Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only. And their brothers the sons of Kish took them [to wife]. The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three. These were the sons of Levi after their fathers' houses, even the heads of the fathers of those of them that were counted, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of the house of LORD, from twenty ye For David said, LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. And also the Levites shall no more have need to carry the tabernacle and all the vessels of it for the service of it. For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered, from twenty years old and upward. For their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God, also for the showbread, and for the fine flour for a meal-offering, whether of unleavened wafers, or of that which is baked in the pan, or of that which is soaked, and for all manner of measure and size. And to stand every morning to thank and praise LORD, and likewise at evening. And to offer all burnt-offerings to LORD, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before LORD. And that they should keep the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brothers, for the service of the house of LORD.

Then I set apart twelve of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them, and weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, and his rulers, and all Israel there present, had offered. I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and a hundred talents of silver vessels, a hundred talents of gold, read more.
and twenty bowls of gold, of a thousand darics, and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold. And I said to them, Ye are holy to LORD, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill-offering to LORD, the God of your fathers. Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the rulers of the fathers' of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of LORD. So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God. Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushment by the way. And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. And on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them was Jozabad the s the whole by number and by weight. And all the weight was written at that time.


And some from among the heads of fathers gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, five hundred and thirty priests' garments. And some of the heads of fathers gave into the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pounds of silver. And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand pounds of silver, and sixty-seven priests' garments.

and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good. Verse ConceptsPleasing GodFirewoodFirst fruits

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as LORD their God had sent him. An Then Haggai, LORD's messenger, spoke in LORD's message to the people, saying, I am with you, says LORD. And LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and did work on th

Then the heads of fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred, rose up to go up to build the house of LORD which is in Jerusalem. And all those who were round about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.

And some of the heads of fathers, when they came to the house of LORD which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to set it up in its place. They gave after their ability into the treasury of the work sixty-one thousand darics of gold, and five thousand pounds of silver, and one hundred priests' garments.

Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brothers, stood up and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt-offerings on it as it is written in the law of M And they set the altar upon its base, for fear was upon them because of the peoples of the countries. And they offered burnt-offerings on it to LORD, even burnt-offerings morning and evening. And they kept the feast of tabernacles as it is written, and [offered] the daily burnt-offerings by number according to the ordinance, as the duty of every day required. read more.
And afterward the continual burnt-offering, and [the offerings] of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of LORD that were consecrated, and of everyone who willingly offered a freewill-offering to LORD. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt-offerings to LORD. But the foundation of the temple of LORD was not yet laid. Also they gave money to the masons, and to the carpenters, and food, and drink, and oil, to those of Sidon, and to those of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those Then Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, stood together to have the oversight of the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brothers the Levites.

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, rose up and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God, helping them. At the same time Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, came to them, and said thus to them, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall? Then we told them after this manner, [that is] what the names of the men were who were making this building. read more.
But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease till the matter should come to Darius, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it. The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king;

And the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the dec And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. And the sons of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the sons of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy. read more.
And they offered at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs. And for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses. And the sons of the captivity kept the Passover upon the fourteenth [day] of the first month. For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. And they killed the Passover for all the sons of the captivity, and for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. And the sons of Israel who came again out of the captivity, and all such as had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek LORD, the God of Israel, ate, and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy. For LORD had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

and weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, and his rulers, and all Israel there present, had offered. I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and a hundred talents of silver vessels, a hundred talents of gold, and twenty bowls of gold, of a thousand darics, and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold. read more.
And I said to them, Ye are holy to LORD, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill-offering to LORD, the God of your fathers. Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the rulers of the fathers' of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of LORD. So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God. Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushment by the way. And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. And on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them was Jozabad the s the whole by number and by weight. And all the weight was written at that time. The sons of the captivity, who came out of exile, offered burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve he-goats for a sin-offering. All this was a burnt-offering

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And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it, and come down to you? Verse ConceptsMessengers Sent OutLazinessCessationGreat Things

Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God, for the showbread, and for the continual meal-offering, and for the continual burnt-offering, for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin-offerings to make atonement for Israel, And we cast lots, the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood-offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn upon the altar of LORD our God, a read more.
and to bring the first-fruits of our ground, and the first-fruits of all fruit of all manner of trees, year by year, to the house of LORD, also the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, and that we should bring the first-fruits of our dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, the new wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithes of our ground And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites when the Levites take tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure-house. For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the heave-offering of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, to the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and

Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the treasuries. Verse ConceptsGrainWineTithesBringing In The TitheTithes And Offering

Consider, I pray you, from this day and backward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth [month], since the day that the foundation of LORD's temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? Yea, the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not brought forth. From this day I will bless [you].

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 thee. Forasmuch as thou are sent from the king and his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thy hand, and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, read more.
and all the silver and gold that thou shall find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill-offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem. Therefore thou shall with all diligence buy with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meal-offerings and their drink-offerings, and shall offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. And whatever shall seem good to thee and to thy brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do ye after the will of your God. And the vessels that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. And whatever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shall have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure-house. And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence, to a hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? Also we certify to you, that concerning any of the priests and Levites, the singers, porters, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, upon them. And thou, Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God, that is in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of thy God, and teach ye him who does not kno And whoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him with all diligence, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. Blessed be LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of LORD which is in Jerusalem,

Then I set apart twelve of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them, and weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, and his rulers, and all Israel there present, had offered. I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and a hundred talents of silver vessels, a hundred talents of gold, read more.
and twenty bowls of gold, of a thousand darics, and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold. And I said to them, Ye are holy to LORD, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill-offering to LORD, the God of your fathers. Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the rulers of the fathers' of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of LORD. So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God. Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushment by the way. And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. And on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them was Jozabad the s the whole by number and by weight. And all the weight was written at that time. The sons of the captivity, who came out of exile, offered burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve he-goats for a sin-offering. All this was a burnt-offering And they delivered the king's commissions to the king's satraps, and to the governors beyond the River. And they furthered the people and the house of God.

Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushment by the way. Verse ConceptsCaravansHand Of GodRoadsDivine Protection, Examples OfGod's HandGod Saving From EnemiesGod's Hands On PeopleEnemy Attacks


And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. Verse ConceptsFireSpiritual Blindness, Removal OfChariotsGuardiansHorsesVisionArmies, GodDivine Protection, Examples OfHeavenly ChariotsReceiving SightAngelic GuardianshipEyesarmyreassurance

And they journeyed, and a terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. Verse ConceptsDivine Protection, Examples OfTerror Of Godterrorism

And it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. And the cloud and the darkness was there, yet it gave light by night. And the one did not come near the other all the night. Verse ConceptsLight, NaturalDivine Protection, Examples OfStanding At A DistanceComing BetweenLight In The WorldCamping During The Exodus

saying, Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we may seal the bondmen of our God on their foreheads. Verse ConceptsForeheadsRestraintDivine Protection, Examples OfHarming TreesSlaves Of GodhurtingChristians Are Called Servants Of God

Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of LORD, and of his statutes to Israel: Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect and so forth. 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 thee. read more.
Forasmuch as thou are sent from the king and his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thy hand, and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, and all the silver and gold that thou shall find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill-offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem. Therefore thou shall with all diligence buy with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meal-offerings and their drink-offerings, and shall offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. And whatever shall seem good to thee and to thy brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do ye after the will of your God. And the vessels that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. And whatever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shall have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure-house. And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence, to a hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? Also we certify to you, that concerning any of the priests and Levites, the singers, porters, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, upon them. And thou, Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God, that is in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of thy God, and teach ye him who does not kno And whoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him with all diligence, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. Blessed be LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of LORD which is in Jerusalem, and has extended loving kindness to me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty rulers. And I was strengthened according to the hand of LORD my God upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief m

and weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, and his rulers, and all Israel there present, had offered. I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and a hundred talents of silver vessels, a hundred talents of gold, and twenty bowls of gold, of a thousand darics, and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold. read more.
And I said to them, Ye are holy to LORD, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill-offering to LORD, the God of your fathers. Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the rulers of the fathers' of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of LORD. So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God. Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushment by the way. And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. And on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them was Jozabad the s the whole by number and by weight. And all the weight was written at that time.