When they came to the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders<n id="1" /> offered voluntary offerings for the temple of God in order to rebuild<n id="2" /> it on its site.

<p class="bodytext">The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family<n id="1" /> of Jeshua): 973;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then the priests and the Levites took charge of<n id="1" /> the silver, the gold, and the vessels that had been weighed out, to transport them to Jerusalem to the temple of our God.p>

along with all the silver and gold that you may collect<n id="1" /> throughout all the province of Babylon and the contributions of the people and the priests for the temple of their God which is in Jerusalem.

Anyone who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner must be helped by his neighbors<n id="1" /> with silver, gold, equipment, and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is in Jerusalem.&#8217;&#8221;p>

Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones,<n id="1" /> and timbers are being placed in the walls. This work is being done with all diligence and is prospering in their hands.

Everything that the God of heaven has required should be precisely done for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath<n id="1" /> against the empire of the king and his sons?

I sent them to Iddo, who was the leader in the place called Casiphia. I told them<n id="1" /> what to say to Iddo and his relatives,<n id="2" /> who were the temple servants in<n id="3" /> Casiphia, so they would bring us attendants for the temple of our God.p>

So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out<n id="1" /> by name men who were leaders in their family groups.<n id="2" /> They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month,