Ezra 1:2

1:2 “Thus says King Cyrus of Persia:

“‘The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has instructed me to build a temple 1  for him in Jerusalem, 2  which is in Judah.

Ezra 1:4-5

1:4 Anyone who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner must be helped by his neighbors 3  with silver, gold, equipment, and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

The Exiles Prepare to Return to Jerusalem

1:5 Then the leaders 4  of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites – all those whose mind God had stirred – got ready 5  to go up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. 6 

Ezra 2:1

The Names of the Returning Exiles

2:1 7 These are the people 8  of the province who were going up, 9  from the captives of the exile whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile in Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem 10  and Judah, each to his own city.

Ezra 2:68

2:68 When they came to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders 11  offered voluntary offerings for the temple of God in order to rebuild 12  it on its site.

Ezra 4:12

4:12 Now 13  let the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. 14  They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations.

Ezra 4:24--5:2

4:24 So the work on the temple of God in Jerusalem came to a halt. It remained halted until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia. 15 

Tattenai Appeals to Darius

5:1 Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son 16  of Iddo 17  prophesied concerning the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem 18  in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 5:2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began 19  to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

Ezra 5:16

5:16 Then this Sheshbazzar went and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem. From that time to the present moment 20  it has been in the process of being rebuilt, although it is not yet finished.’

Ezra 7:7

7:7 In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, Ezra brought 21  up to Jerusalem 22  some of the Israelites and some of the priests, the Levites, the attendants, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants.

Ezra 7:9

7:9 On the first day of the first month he had determined to make 23  the ascent from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he arrived at Jerusalem, 24  for the good hand of his God was on him.

Ezra 7:13

7:13 I have now issued a decree 25  that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel – even the priests and Levites – who wishes to do so may go up with you to Jerusalem. 26 

Ezra 7:16-17

7:16 along with all the silver and gold that you may collect 27  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. 7:17 With this money you should be sure to purchase bulls, rams, and lambs, along with the appropriate 28  meal offerings and libations. You should bring them to the altar of the temple of your God which is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 7:27

7:27 29 Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, who so moved in the heart of the king to so honor the temple of the Lord which is in Jerusalem!

Ezra 8:29-31

8:29 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, 30  in the storerooms of the temple of the Lord.”

8:30 Then the priests and the Levites took charge of 31  the silver, the gold, and the vessels that had been weighed out, to transport them to Jerusalem to the temple of our God.

8:31 On the twelfth day of the first month we began traveling from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from our enemy and from bandits 32  along the way.

1 tn Heb “house.” The Hebrew noun בַּיִת (bayit, “house”) is often used in reference to the temple of Yahweh (BDB 108 s.v. 1.a). This is also frequent elsewhere in Ezra and Nehemiah (e.g., Ezra 1:3, 4, 5, 7; 2:68; 3:8, 9, 11, 12; 4:3; 6:22; 7:27; 8:17, 25, 29, 30, 33, 36; 9:9; 10:1, 6, 9).

2 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

3 tn Heb “the men of his place.”

4 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”

5 tn Heb “arose.”

6 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

7 sn The list of names and numbers in this chapter of Ezra has a parallel account in Neh 7:6-73. The fact that the two lists do not always agree in specific details suggests that various textual errors have crept into the accounts during the transmission process.

8 tn Heb “the sons of.”

9 tn The Hebrew term הָעֹלִים (ha’olim, “those who were going up” [Qal active participle]) refers to continual action in the past. Most translations render this as a simple past: “went up” (KJV), “came up” (RSV, ASV, NASV, NIV), “came” (NRSV). CEV paraphrases: “were on their way back.”

10 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

11 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”

12 tn Heb “cause it to stand.”

13 tn The MT takes this word with the latter part of v. 11, but in English style it fits better with v. 12.

14 sn Management of the provinces that were distantly removed from the capital was difficult, and insurrection in such places was a perennial problem. The language used in this report about Jerusalem (i.e., “rebellious,” “odious”) is intentionally inflammatory. It is calculated to draw immediate attention to the perceived problem.

15 sn Darius I Hystaspes ruled Persia ca. 522–486 b.c.

16 tn Aram “son.” According to Zech 1:1 he was actually the grandson of Iddo.

17 tn Aram “and Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo the prophet.”

18 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

19 tn Aram “arose and began.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.

20 tn Aram “from then and until now.”

21 tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּעֲל (vayya’al, “he [Ezra] brought up”) rather than the Qal plural וַיַּעַלוּ (vayya’alu, “they came up”) of the MT.

tn Heb “he brought”; the referent (Ezra) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

22 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

23 tc The translation reads יִסַּד (yissad, “he appointed” [= determined]) rather than the reading יְסֻד (yÿsud, “foundation”) of the MT. (The words “to make” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.)

24 sn Apparently it took the caravan almost four months to make the five hundred mile journey.

25 tn Heb “from me is placed a decree.” So also in v. 21.

26 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

27 tn Aram “find.”

28 tn Aram “their meal offerings and their libations.”

29 sn At this point the language of the book reverts from Aramaic (7:12-26) back to Hebrew.

30 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

31 tn Heb “received.”

32 tn Heb “from the hand of the enemy and the one who lies in wait.” Some modern English versions render the latter phrase as “ambushes” (cf. NASB, NRSV).