Ezra 3:13

3:13 People were unable to tell the difference between the sound of joyous shouting and the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people were shouting so loudly ¹  that the sound was heard a long way off.

Ezra 4:5

4:5 They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time ²  of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius ³  of Persia. ⁴ 

Ezra 4:19

4:19 So I gave orders, ⁵  and it was determined ⁶  that this city from long ago has been engaging in insurrection against kings. It has continually engaged in ⁷  rebellion and revolt.

Ezra 4:24

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. ⁸ 

Ezra 7:13

7:13 I have now issued a decree ⁹  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. ¹⁰ 

Ezra 8:21

8:21 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 ¹¹  for us, our children, and all our property.

Ezra 9:13-14

9:13 “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 ¹²  toward our iniquities and have given us a remnant such as this. 9:14 Shall we once again break your commandments and intermarry with these abominable peoples? Would you not be so angered by us that you would wipe us out, with no survivor or remnant?

Ezra 10:5

10:5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. ¹³  And they all took a solemn oath.

Ezra 10:16

10:16 So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out ¹⁴  by name men who were leaders in their family groups. ¹⁵  They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month,

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¹ tn Heb “a great shout.”

² tn Heb “all the days of.”

³ sn Darius ruled Persia ca. 522-486 B.C.

⁴ sn The purpose of the opening verses of this chapter is to summarize why the Jews returning from the exile were unable to complete the rebuilding of the temple more quickly than they did. The delay was due not to disinterest on their part but to the repeated obstacles that had been placed in their path by determined foes.

⁵ tn Aram “from me was placed a decree.”

⁶ tn Aram “and they searched and found.”

⁷ tn Aram “are being done.”

⁸ sn Darius I Hystaspes ruled Persia ca. 522–486 b.c.

⁹ tn Heb “from me is placed a decree.” So also in v. 21.

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 “a straight way.”

¹² tn Heb “held back downwards from”; KJV “hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve” (NIV, NRSV, NLT all similar).

¹³ tn Heb “to do according to this plan.”

¹⁴ tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּבְדֵּל לוֹ (vayyavdel lo, “separated for himself”) rather than the Niphal plural וַיִּבָּדְלוּ (vayyibbadÿlu, “were separated”) of the MT.

¹⁵ tn Heb “the heads of the fathers, to the house of their fathers, and all of them by name.”