Ezra 2:63

2:63 The governor ¹  instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult ²  the Urim and Thummim.

Ezra 3:13

3:13 People were unable to tell the difference between the sound of joyous shouting and the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people were shouting so loudly ³  that the sound was heard a long way off.

Ezra 4:5

4:5 They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time ⁴  of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius ⁵  of Persia. ⁶ 

Ezra 8:29

8:29 Be careful with them and protect them, until you weigh them out before the leading priests and the Levites and the family leaders of Israel in Jerusalem, ⁷  in the storerooms of the temple of the Lord.”

Ezra 9:4

9:4 Everyone who held the words of the God of Israel in awe ⁸  gathered around me because of the unfaithful acts of the people of the exile. ⁹  Devastated, I continued to sit there until the evening offering.

Ezra 9:6

9:6 I prayed, ¹⁰ 

“O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God! For our iniquities have climbed higher than our heads, and our guilt extends to the heavens.

Ezra 9:14

9:14 Shall we once again break your commandments and intermarry with these abominable peoples? Would you not be so angered by us that you would wipe us out, with no survivor or remnant?

[2:63]  ¹ tn The Hebrew word תִּרְשָׁתָא (tirshata’) is an official title of the Persian governor in Judea, perhaps similar in meaning to “excellency” (BDB 1077 s.v.; HALOT 1798 s.v.; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 395).

[2:63]  ² tn Heb “to stand.”

[3:13]  ³ tn Heb “a great shout.”

[4:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “all the days of.”

[4:5]  ⁶ sn Darius ruled Persia ca. 522-486 B.C.

[4:5]  ⁷ sn The purpose of the opening verses of this chapter is to summarize why the Jews returning from the exile were unable to complete the rebuilding of the temple more quickly than they did. The delay was due not to disinterest on their part but to the repeated obstacles that had been placed in their path by determined foes.

[8:29]  ⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[9:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “who trembled at the words of the God of Israel.”

[9:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the exile”; the words “the people” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “I said.”