<t /><p class="bodytext">These are the leaders<n id="1" /> and those enrolled with them by genealogy who were coming up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:p>

<p class="bodytext">When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and my robe and ripped out some of the hair from my head and beard. Then I sat down, quite devastated.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then the leaders<n id="1" /> of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites &#8211; all those whose mind God had stirred &#8211; got ready<n id="2" /> to go up in order to build the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> in Jerusalem.<n id="3" />

they came to Zerubbabel and the leaders<n id="1" /> and said to them, &#8220;Let us help you build,<n id="2" /> for like you we seek your God and we have been sacrificing to him<n id="3" /> from the time<n id="4" /> of King Esarhaddon<n id="5" /> of Assyria, who brought us here.&#8221;<n id="6" />

But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the leaders of Israel said to them, &#8220;You have no right<n id="1" /> to help us build the temple of our God. We will build it by ourselves for the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.&#8221;

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,