Discovery BoxEzra 3:11 
Context3:11 With antiphonal response they sang, 1 praising and glorifying the Lord:
“For he is good;
his loyal love toward Israel is forever.”
All the people gave a loud 2 shout as they praised the Lord when the temple of the Lord was established.
Ezra 5:8
Context5:8 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 7:25
Context7:25 “Now you, Ezra, in keeping with the wisdom of your God which you possess, 4 appoint judges 5 and court officials who can arbitrate cases on behalf of all the people who are in Trans-Euphrates who know the laws of your God. Those who do not know this law should be taught.
Ezra 7:28
Context7:28 He has also conferred his favor on me before the king, his advisers, and all the influential leaders of the king. I gained strength as the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
Ezra 9:2
Context9:2 Indeed, they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race 6 has become intermingled with the local residents. Worse still, the leaders and the officials have been at the forefront of all of this!”
Ezra 10:3
Context10:3 Therefore let us enact 7 a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, 8 and that of those who respect 9 the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law.
1 tn Heb “they answered.”
2 tn Heb “great.”
3 tn Aram “stones of rolling.” The reference is apparently to stones too large to carry.
4 tn Aram “in your hand.”
5 tc For the MT reading שָׁפְטִין (shoftim, “judges”) the LXX uses the noun γραμματεῖς (grammatei", “scribes”).
6 tn Heb “the holy seed,” referring to the Israelites as God’s holy people.
7 tn Heb “cut.”
8 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.
9 tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”
