Ezra 4:23

4:23 Then, as soon as the copy of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read in the presence of Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues, they proceeded promptly to the Jews in Jerusalem ¹  and stopped them with threat of armed force. ² 

Ezra 5:8

5:8 Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones, ³  and timbers are being placed in the walls. This work is being done with all diligence and is prospering in their hands.

Ezra 6:5

6:5 Furthermore let the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, be returned and brought to their proper place in the temple in Jerusalem. Let them be deposited in the temple of God.’

Ezra 10:3

10:3 Therefore let us enact ⁴  a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, ⁵  and that of those who respect ⁶  the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law.

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¹ tn Aram “to Jerusalem against the Jews.”

² tn Aram “by force and power,” a hendiadys.

³ tn Aram “stones of rolling.” The reference is apparently to stones too large to carry.

⁴ tn Heb “cut.”

⁵ tn The MT vocalizes this word as a plural, which could be understood as a reference to God. But the context seems to suggest that a human lord is intended. The apparatus of BHS suggests repointing the word as a singular (“my lord”), but this is unnecessary. The plural (“my lords”) can be understood in an honorific sense even when a human being is in view. Most English versions regard this as a reference to Ezra, so the present translation supplies “your” before “counsel” to make this clear.

⁶ tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”