EZRA.

7 They sent a letter unto him, † where-and search was made in the house • ch.5.17. HEN Darius the king made a decree, in was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.

3.

The temple finished.

Before

CHAP. VII.

CHST being set up, let him be hanged there

519.

Ezra goeth up to Jerusalem.
CHAP. VII.

on; and let his house be made a dunghil 1 Ezra goeth up to Jerusalem. 11 The gra

+Chald. let for this. him be de

stroyed.

12 And the God that hath caused his

1 Dan 2.5 "name to dwell there destroy all kings

&3.29.

h1 Kings, and people, that shall put to their hand
to alter and to destroy this house of God
I Darius have
which is at Jerusalem.
made a decree; let it be done with
speed.

i ch. 5. 1, 2.

13 Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.

14 1 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 finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and ac+Chald. de- cording to the commandment of Cyk ch.1.1. & rus, and 'Darius, and "Artaxerxes king 13 ver. 3 of Persia.

cree.

1 ch. 4. 24.

515

15 And this house was finished on the m ch.7.1. third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

16 And the children of Israel, the
priests, and the Levites, and the rest of
kept
Chald. the the children of the captivity,
"the dedication of this house of God
with joy,

sons of the transporte trothe

D1 Kings &

63. a Chron. 7.5

och 835

17 And offered at the dedication of this house of God an 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.

P

१

18 And they set the priests in their P1 Chron. divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; t'as it is written in the book of Moses.

41 Chron. 236

+ Chald. ac cording to the writing. r Numb. 3. • Exod. 126.

15

19 And the children of the captivity kept the passover 'upon the fourteenth day of the first month.

20 For the priests and the Levites 12Chron.30 were purified together, all of them were pure, and "killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

2 Chron. 3.11.

21 And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,

22 And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the King heart of the king of Assyria unto them, strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. 425

29 2 Chron. 3

ch. 1.& ver."

to

TOW after these things, in the reign
b
of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra
the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah,
the son of Hilkiah,

2 The son of Shallum, the son of Za-
dok, the son of Ahitub,

3 The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

4 The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:

e

Before CHRIST 457.

457.
a 1 Esdras S.

1, &c.
Neh. 2. 1.

e 1 Chron. 6.
14.

21.

8. 22, 31.

6 This Ezra went up from Babylon;
and he was a ready scribe in the law of d ver. 11, 12,
had given: and the king granted him all
Moses, which the LORD God of Israel
his request, according to the hand of ver9 ch.
7 'And there went up some of the f ch. 8. 1.
the LORD his God upon him.
children of Israel, and of the priests, and
the Levites, and the singers, and the
porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jeru-
salem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes
the king.

8 And he came to Jerusalem in the
fifth month, which was in the seventh
year of the king.

9 For upon the first day of the first month + began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to *seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to 'teach in Israel statutes and judg

ments.

11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.

12 Artaxerxes, "king of kings, || unto God of heaven, perfect peace, "and at Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the such a time.

13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.

14 Forasmuch as thou art sent + of the Chald. 'seven counsellers, to the king. king, and of his °; enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, 14 according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;

15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellers have freely offered unto the God of Israel, p 2Chron 6. whose habitation is in Jerusalem,

16 And all the silver and gold that

2. Ps. 135.

21.

૧

ch. 8. 25,

Artaxerxes' gracious commission to Ezra.

Before CHRIST

cir. 457. Chron.

29. 6, 9.

EZRA.

Before CHRIST cir. 457.

Those who returned with Ezra. thou canst find in all the province of Ba- | gathered together out of Israel chief men bylon, with the freewill offering of the to go up with me. people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which

is in Jerusalem:

17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with Numb. 15. their meat offerings and their drink offert Deut. 125, ings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

4.-13.

11.

+ Chald.

cors.

+ Heb. Whatsoever

cree.

18 And whatsoever shall seem good

CHAP. VIII.

1 The companions of Ezra, who returned from
Babylon. 15 He sendeth to Iddo for mi-
nisters for the temple. 21 He keepeth a
fast. 24 He committeth the treasures to
the custody of the priests. 31 From Ahava
they come to Jerusalem. 33 The treasure
is weighed in the temple. 36 The com-
mission is delivered.

to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with Tati

the rest of the silver and the gold, that
do after the will of your God.

19 The vessels also that are given thee
for the service of the house of thy God,
those deliver thou before the God of Je-
rusalem.

20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.

21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,

22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred +measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.

23 + Whatsoever is commanded by the is of the de- God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

21, 22. Deut. 16, 19.

24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them. 25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom Exod. 18. of thy God, that is in thine hand, "set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; X ver. 10. and teach them that know them not. 26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, +Chald. to whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

2 Chron. 17. 7. Mal. 2. 7. Matt. 23.2,3.

rooting out.

y 1 Chron. 29. 10.

ye

27 ¶ Blessed be the LORD God of our z ch. 6. 22. fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem: 28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellers, and before all the king's mighty princes. beer, And I was strengthened as the hand of & ch. 8. 18. the LORD my God was upon me, and I

& ver. 6, 9.

28.

HESE " are now the chief of their a Esdras & fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king.

2 Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.

3 Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty.

4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males.

5 Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males.

6 Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.

7 And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.

8 And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males.

9 Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

10 Ånd of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males.

11 And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males.

Ezra imploreth God's favour by a fast.

CHAP. IX.

The treasure is weighed.

unto the house of our God. Before chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elna- | the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem cir 457 than, men of understanding.

CHRIST

words in

17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place +Heb Iput Casiphia, and I told them what they their mouth: should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren See 2 Sam. the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.

14.3, 19

&9.4,5

18 And by the good hand of our God Neh. 8. 7. upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

f See ch. 2. 43.

g2 Chron. 20.3.

19 And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;

20 Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, h Lev. 16.99, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a 'right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

& 23.29. Isai. 58. 3, 5i Ps. 5. 8.

22 For I was ashamed to require 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 them for "good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is "against all them that forsake him.

23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was Pintreated of us.

24 Then I separated twelve of the

Before CHRIST cir. 457

28.

31 ¶ Then we departed from the river
of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first
month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the tch. 7. 6, 9,
hand of our God was upon us, and he de-
livered us from the hand of the enemy,
and of such as lay in wait by the way.

32 And we came to Jerusalem, and "Neh. 2. 11. abode there three days.

33 ¶ Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by 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 son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites;

34 By number and by weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that time.

x ver. 26, 30.

47.

35. Also the children of those that had
been carried away, which were come out
of the captivity, offered burnt offerings y So ch. 6.
unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks
and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin
for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy
offering: all this was a burnt offering unto
the LORD.

2

36 And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God.

CHAP. IX.

1 Ezra mourneth for the affinity of the people
with strangers. 5 He prayeth unto God with
confession of sins.

33, 12. Lai. chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, NOW

22.

ach. 7. 15, 16.

and ten of their brethren with them,

25 And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellers, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered:

26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents;

b

2 ch. 7. 21.

OW when these things were done,
the princes came to me, saying, The
people of Israel, and the priests, and the
Levites, have not separated themselves ch. 6. 2.
from the people of the lands, doing ac- c Deut. 12.
cording to their abominations, even of 30, 31.
zites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the
the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Periz-
Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amor-
ites.

d Exod. 34.

23.
6. & 22. 31.

2 For they have taken of their daugh- 16. Deut. 7. ters for themselves, and for their sons: so 3. Neh. 13. that the holy seed have mingled them- Exod. 19. 27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a the hand of the princes and rulers hath 14.2. • Heb. vel thousand drams; and two vessels of fine selves with the people of those lands: yea, Deut. 7. 6. & copper, † precious as gold. been chief in this trespass.

f2 Cor. 6. 14.

3 And when I heard this thing, I rent & Job 1. 20. my garment and my mantle, and plucked and sat down hastonied. off the hair of my head and of my beard,

h Ps. 143. 4.

i ch. 10. 3.

4 Then were assembled unto me every one that 'trembled at the words of the isa. 66. 2. God of Israel, because of the transgresand I sat astonied until the evening sion of those that had been carried away; sacrifice.

5¶ And at the evening sacrifice I arose

k Exod. 29.

grown up unto the heavens."

7 Since the days of our fathers have Ps. 106. 6. P Dau. 9. 5, 6, we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our 32 kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a and to confusion of face, as it is spoil, this day.

8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us || a nail in his holy place, that our God may 'lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

9 For we were bondmen; "yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, 936 but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and + to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us Ꭹ a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

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

11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an z ch. 6. 21. unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abomina+Heb. from tions, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.