6:16 The people 1 of Israel – the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles 2 – observed the dedication of this temple of God with joy. 6:17 For the dedication of this temple of God they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 6:18 They appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their divisions over the worship of God at Jerusalem, 3 in accord with 4 the book of Moses. 6:19 5 The exiles 6 observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 6:20 The priests and the Levites had purified themselves, every last one, 7 and they all were ceremonially pure. They sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their colleagues 8 the priests, and for themselves. 6:21 The Israelites who were returning from the exile ate it, along with all those who had joined them 9 in separating themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel.
1 tn Aram “sons of.”
2 tn Aram “sons of the exile.”
3 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
4 tn Aram “according to the writing of.”
5 sn At this point the language of the book reverts from Aramaic (4:8–6:18) back to Hebrew. Aramaic will again be used in Ezra 7:12-26.
6 tn Heb “the sons of the exile.” So also in v. 20.
7 tn Heb “as one.” The expression is best understood as referring to the unity shown by the religious leaders in preparing themselves for the observance of Passover. On the meaning of the Hebrew phrase see DCH 1:182 s.v. אֶחָד 3b. See also HALOT 30 s.v. אֶחָד 5.
8 tn Heb “brothers.”
9 tn Heb “who had separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to them.”