The Israelites who were returning from the exile ate it, along with all those who had joined them<n id="1" /> in separating themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to seek the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel.

and some of the temple servants that David and his officials had established for the work of the Levites &#8211; 220 of them. They were all designated by name.p>

<p class="bodytext">I called for a fast there by the Ahava Canal, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from him a safe journey<n id="1" /> for us, our children, and all our property.

and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels intended for the temple of our God &#8211; items that the king, his advisers, his officials, and all Israel who were present had contributed.

Everyone who held the words of the God of Israel in awe<n id="1" /> gathered around me because of the unfaithful acts of the people of the exile.<n id="2" /> Devastated, I continued to sit there until the evening offering.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Everything that has happened to us has come about because of our wicked actions and our great guilt. Even so, our God, you have exercised restraint<n id="1" /> toward our iniquities and have given us a remnant such as this.

Therefore let us enact<n id="1" /> a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord,<n id="2" /> and that of those who respect<n id="3" /> the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law.

<p class="bodytext">So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan.<n id="1" /> And they all took a solemn oath.

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">In the first<n id="2" /> year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the <sc>Lord&#8217;ssc> message<n id="3" /> spoken through<n id="4" /> Jeremiah,<n id="5" /> the <sc>Lordsc> stirred the mind<n id="6" /> of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated<n id="7" /> a proclamation<n id="8" /> throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict<n id="9" /> the following:<n id="10" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Thus says King Cyrus of Persia:p> <p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has instructed me to build a temple<n id="1" /> for him in Jerusalem,<n id="2" /> which is in Judah.

Anyone from<n id="1" /> his people among you (may his God be with him!) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel &#8211; he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

<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" />

With antiphonal response they sang,<n id="1" /> praising and glorifying the <sc>Lordsc>:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;For he is good;p> <p class="poetry">his loyal love toward Israel is forever.&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">All the people gave a loud<n id="2" /> shout as they praised the <sc>Lordsc> when the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> was established.

This Ezra is the one who came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel had given. The king supplied him with everything he requested, for the hand of the <sc>Lordsc> his God was on him.

He has also conferred his favor on me before the king, his advisers, and all the influential leaders of the king. I gained strength as the hand of the <sc>Lordsc> my God was on me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.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,

In the second year after they had come to the temple of God in Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak initiated the work,<n id="2" /> along with the rest of their associates,<n id="3" /> the priests and the Levites, and all those who were coming to Jerusalem from the exile. They appointed<n id="4" /> the Levites who were at least twenty years old<n id="5" /> to take charge of the work on the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.