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.

<p class="bodytext">The priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the rest of Israel lived in their towns.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin learned that the former exiles<n id="1" /> were building a temple for the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel,

<p class="bodytext">From the Israelites: from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah.p>

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;

<p class="bodytext">The exiles who were returning from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel &#8211; twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs, along with twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the <sc>Lordsc>.

They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.p> <p class="bodytext">The number of Israelites<n id="1" /> was as follows:<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">These are the ones that came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify<n id="1" /> their family connection<n id="2" /> or their ancestry,<n id="3" /> as to whether they really were from Israel):p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites<n id="1" /> were living<n id="2" /> in their<n id="3" /> towns, the people assembled<n id="4" /> in<n id="5" /> Jerusalem.<n id="6" />

In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, Ezra brought<n id="1" /> up to Jerusalem<n id="2" /> some of the Israelites and some of the priests, the Levites, the attendants, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants.

Now Ezra had dedicated himself<n id="1" /> to the study of the law of the <sc>Lordsc>, to its observance, and to teaching<n id="2" /> its statutes and judgments in Israel.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">What follows<n id="1" /> is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe.<n id="2" /> Ezra was<n id="3" /> a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the <sc>Lordsc> and his statutes over Israel:p>

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.

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,<n id="1" /> in the storerooms of the temple of the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;p>

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">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.

<p class="bodytext">Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, &#8220;You have behaved in an unfaithful manner by taking foreign wives! This has contributed to the guilt of Israel.

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.

Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak<n id="1" /> and his priestly colleagues<n id="2" /> and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his colleagues<n id="3" /> started to build<n id="4" /> the altar of the God of Israel so they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by<n id="5" /> the law of Moses the man of God.

When the builders established the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple, the priests, ceremonially attired and with their clarions,<n id="1" /> and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with their cymbals, stood to praise the <sc>Lordsc> according to the instructions left by<n id="2" /> King David of Israel.<n id="3" />