Ezra 3:3-6

3:3 They established the altar on its foundations, even though they were in terror of the local peoples, ¹  and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and the evening offerings. 3:4 They observed the Festival of Temporary Shelters ²  as required ³  and offered the proper number of ⁴  daily burnt offerings according to the requirement for each day. 3:5 Afterward they offered the continual burnt offerings and those for the new moons and those for all the holy assemblies of the Lord and all those that were being voluntarily offered to the Lord. 3:6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. However, the Lord’s temple was not at that time established. ⁵ 

Ezra 3:11

3:11 With antiphonal response they sang, ⁶  praising and glorifying the Lord:

“For he is good;

his loyal love toward Israel is forever.”

All the people gave a loud ⁷  shout as they praised the Lord when the temple of the Lord was established.

[3:3]  ¹ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”

[3:4]  ² tn The Hebrew phrase אֶת חַג־הַסֻּכּוֹת (’et khag-hassukot, “festival of huts” [or “shelters”]) is traditionally known as the Feast of Tabernacles. The rendering “booths” (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV) is probably better than the traditional “tabernacles” in light of the meaning of the term סֻכָּה (sukkah, “hut; booth”), but “booths” are frequently associated with trade shows and craft fairs in contemporary American English. The nature of the celebration during this feast as a commemoration of the wanderings of the Israelites after they left Egypt suggests that a translation like “temporary shelters” is more appropriate.

[3:4]  ³ tn Heb “according to what is written.”

[3:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “by number.”

[3:6]  ⁵ tn Or “the foundation of the LORD’s temple was not yet laid.

[3:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “they answered.”

[3:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “great.”