Ezra 3:4-7

3:4 They observed the Festival of Temporary Shelters ¹  as required ²  and offered the proper number of ³  daily burnt offerings according to the requirement for each day. 3:5 Afterward they offered the continual burnt offerings and those for the new moons and those for all the holy assemblies of the Lord and all those that were being voluntarily offered to the Lord. 3:6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. However, the Lord’s temple was not at that time established. ⁴ 

Preparations for Rebuilding the Temple

3:7 So they provided money ⁵  for the masons and carpenters, and food, beverages, and olive oil for the people of Sidon ⁶  and Tyre, ⁷  so that they would bring cedar timber from Lebanon to the seaport ⁸  at Joppa, in accord with the edict of King Cyrus of Persia.

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¹ tn The Hebrew phrase אֶת חַג־הַסֻּכּוֹת (’et khag-hassukot, “festival of huts” [or “shelters”]) is traditionally known as the Feast of Tabernacles. The rendering “booths” (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV) is probably better than the traditional “tabernacles” in light of the meaning of the term סֻכָּה (sukkah, “hut; booth”), but “booths” are frequently associated with trade shows and craft fairs in contemporary American English. The nature of the celebration during this feast as a commemoration of the wanderings of the Israelites after they left Egypt suggests that a translation like “temporary shelters” is more appropriate.

² tn Heb “according to what is written.”

³ tn Heb “by number.”

⁴ tn Or “the foundation of the LORD’s temple was not yet laid.

⁵ tn Heb “silver.”

⁶ map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.

⁷ map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.

⁸ tn Heb “to the sea”