mouths, 67. Four hundred thirty and five camels, and six thousand seven hundred and twenty asses.

And some of the chief fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, became of their own accord the house of GOD, to set it in his place.

And they gave to the treasury according to their substance threescore and one thousand talents, and five thousand pounds of silver, and an hundred priests’ garments.

And the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, sat down in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.
(Ezra)
Chapter 3
From the altar of burnt offering. Feast of Tabernacles and Foundation of the Temple.

And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in their cities, the people came together as one man to Jerusalem.

And Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose, and his brethren the priests, and the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

And they set up the altar upon his throne, (for there was a terror among them of the people of the countries,) and offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD morning and evening.

And they kept the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered burnt offerings every day by number, according to the manner, every day his offering,

Afterward also the daily burnt offerings, and the new moons, and all the feasts of the LORD
which were hallowed, and all manner of freewill offerings, which they offered freely unto the LORD.

On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.

And they gave money unto the masons, and to the carpenters, and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea to Japho, according to the commandment of Cyrus king of Persia unto them.

And it came to pass in the second year of their going to the house of God to Jerusalem, in the second month, that Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all that came out of the prison to Jerusalem, set the Levites twenty years old and upward to do the work of the house of the LORD.

And Jeshua stood with his sons and his brethren, and Kadmiel with his sons, and the children of Judah as a fine man, to do the work of the house of God, even the children of Henadad with their children, and their brethren the Levites.

And when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests clothed with trumpets, and the Levites the children of Asaph with cymbals, stood praising the LORD
with the song of David king of Israel.

And they sang together with praise and thanksgiving unto the LORD, because he is good, and his mercy endureth for ever upon Israel. And all the people sang aloud with praise unto the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

But many of the priests and Levites and fathers of old, which had seen the former house, and now this house was founded before their eyes, they wept aloud. But many of them shouted with joy, so that the shout went up,

That the people might not know the sound of rejoicing before the cry of weeping among the people: for the people sounded with a loud voice, and the cry was heard afar off.
(Ezra)
Chapter 4
The enemies of the Jews have hindered the building of the temple.

And when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the prison were building the temple unto the LORD God of Israel,

And they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief fathers, and said unto them: We will build with you, for we seek your God, as ye do: and we have not sacrificed since the days of Assar Haddon king of Assyria, which brought us up.

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief fathers of Israel, answered them: It is not fitting for us or you to build the house of our God, but we will build only to the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia commanded us.

And the people of the land restrained the hand of the people of Judah, and discouraged them from building.

And they hired counselors against them, and prevented their counsel, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, unto the kingdom of Darii king of Persia.

For when Ahasuerus was king, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote a charge against them of Judah and Jerusalem.

And in the days of Arthahsastha wrote Bislam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their council, unto Arthahsastha king of Persia. And the writing of the letter was written in Syriac, and was interpreted in Syriac.

And Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote this letter against Jerusalem unto Arthazer the king:

We, Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and others of the council of Dinah, and of Apharsah, and of Tarpla, and of Persia, and of Arach, and of Babylon, and of Shushan, and of Deha, and of Elam

And the rest of the people, whom the great and renowned Asnaphar brought over, and set them in the cities of Samaria, and in other cities on this side the river, and in Canaan.

And this is the substance of the letter which they sent unto Arthahsaxerxes the king: Thy servants, the men that are on this side the river, and in Canaan.

Let it be known unto the king, that the Jews which are come up from thee unto us are come to Jerusalem, to the rebellious and wicked city, and build it, and make the walls thereof, and bring it up out of the ground.

Now therefore let it be known unto the king, that when this city is built, and the walls thereof rebuilt, they shall not give the treasury, nor the toll, nor the yearly tribute; and the taking thereof shall be a hurt to kings.

But now that we all are present, having destroyed the temple, we would no longer see the king’s reproach: therefore let us send and let it be known unto the king, 15. Let it be searched in the book of the chronicles of thy fathers, and thou shalt find in the book of the same chronicles, and shalt know that this city is rebellious and hurtful unto kings and countries, and make others also to fall away of old time, wherefore the city is also destroyed.

Therefore let it be known unto the king, that wheresoever this city is built, and the walls thereof are made, thou shalt not retain any thing of it on this side the river.

Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their council that dwelt in Samaria, and to the rest that were beyond the river; peace and salutation.

the letter which ye have sent us is publicly read before me.

And I commanded that they should search. And it hath been found, that this city of old time hath rebelled against the kings, and there is rebellion and sedition therein.

And there were mighty kings in Jerusalem, which ruled over all that was beyond the river, and gave them the tribute, and the treasury, and the yearly interest.

Do therefore according to this commandment: Forbid these men that the city be not built, until I give the commandment.

Take heed therefore that ye be not negligent therein; lest harm come unto the king.

And it came to pass, when the letter of king Arthur was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their council, that they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and rebuked them with their arm and with violence.

And he ceased from the work of the house of God which was in Jerusalem, and continued until the second year of Darii king of Persia.
(Ezra)
Chapter 5
Continuation of the temple construction.

And Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel.

Then arose Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God at Jerusalem, and with them the prophets of God, which strengthened them.

At that time there came unto them Thathnai the governor on this side the river, and Sthar-
bosnai, and their council, and said thus unto them: Who commanded you to build this house, and to make the walls thereof?

And we told them the names of the men that did this work.

But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they should not be rebuked, till the matter should come to Darium, and a writing should come again concerning it.

Now this is the substance of the letter of Thathnai the governor on this side the river, and of Sthar-bosnai, and of their council of Apharsah, which were on this side the river, unto king Darium.

And the words which they sent unto him were these; All peace to Dario the king.

Let it be known unto the king, that we are come into the land of Judah, unto the house of the great God, which they build with all manner of stones, and beams are laid in