Ezra 7:10

7:10 Now Ezra had dedicated himself ¹  to the study of the law of the Lord, to its observance, and to teaching ²  its statutes and judgments in Israel.

Ezra 7:18

7:18 You may do whatever seems appropriate to you and your colleagues ³  with the rest of the silver and the gold, in keeping with the will of your God.

Ezra 6:4

6:4 with three layers of large stones ⁴  and one ⁵  layer of timber. The expense is to be subsidized ⁶  by the royal treasury. ⁷ 

Ezra 6:3

6:3 In the first year of his reign, ⁸  King Cyrus gave orders concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: ⁹  ‘Let the temple be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered. Let its foundations be set in place. ¹⁰  Its height is to be ninety feet and its width ninety ¹¹  feet, ¹² 

Ezra 1:3

1:3 Anyone from ¹³  his people among you (may his God be with him!) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of the Lord God of Israel – he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 5:15

5:15 He said to him, “Take these vessels and go deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its proper location.” ¹⁴ 

Ezra 6:6

6:6 “Now Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials of Trans-Euphrates – all of you stay far away from there!

Ezra 10:3

10:3 Therefore let us enact ¹⁵  a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, ¹⁶  and that of those who respect ¹⁷  the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law.

Ezra 1:4

1:4 Anyone who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner must be helped by his neighbors ¹⁸  with silver, gold, equipment, and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

Ezra 4:3

4:3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the leaders of Israel said to them, “You have no right ¹⁹  to help us build the temple of our God. We will build it by ourselves for the Lord God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”

Ezra 5:17

5:17 “Now if the king is so inclined, ²⁰  let a search be conducted in the royal archives ²¹  there in Babylon in order to determine whether King Cyrus did in fact issue orders for this temple of God to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us a decision concerning this matter.”

Ezra 4:22

4:22 Exercise appropriate caution so that there is no negligence in this matter. Why should danger increase to the point that kings sustain damage?”

Ezra 9:10

9:10 “And now what are we able to say after this, our God? For we have forsaken your commandments

Ezra 7:9

7:9 On the first day of the first month he had determined to make ²²  the ascent from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he arrived at Jerusalem, ²³  for the good hand of his God was on him.

Ezra 7:24

7:24 Furthermore, be aware of the fact ²⁴  that you have no authority to impose tax, tribute, or toll on any of the priests, the Levites, the musicians, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or the attendants at the temple of this God.

Ezra 10:11

10:11 Now give praise to the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the local residents ²⁵  and from these foreign wives.”

Ezra 7:13

7:13 I have now issued a decree ²⁶  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. ²⁷ 

Ezra 4:21

4:21 Now give orders that these men cease their work and that this city not be rebuilt until such time as I so instruct. ²⁸ 

Ezra 5:10

5:10 We also inquired of their names in order to inform you, so that we might write the names of the men who were their leaders.

Ezra 6:7

6:7 Leave the work on this temple of God alone. ²⁹  Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple of God in its proper place.

Ezra 7:19-20

7:19 Deliver to ³⁰  the God of Jerusalem the vessels that are given to you for the service of the temple of your God. 7:20 The rest of the needs for the temple of your God that you may have to supply, ³¹  you may do so from the royal treasury.

Ezra 8:30

8:30 Then the priests and the Levites took charge of ³²  the silver, the gold, and the vessels that had been weighed out, to transport them to Jerusalem to the temple of our God.

Ezra 10:19

10:19 (They gave their word ³³  to send away their wives; their guilt offering was a ram from the flock for their guilt.)

Ezra 6:12

6:12 May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow any king or nation ³⁴  who reaches out ³⁵  to cause such change so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them be carried out with precision!”

Ezra 7:25

7:25 “Now you, Ezra, in keeping with the wisdom of your God which you possess, ³⁶  appoint judges ³⁷  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 6:11

6:11 “I hereby give orders that if anyone changes this directive a beam is to be pulled out from his house and he is to be raised up and impaled ³⁸  on it, and his house is to be reduced ³⁹  to a rubbish heap ⁴⁰  for this indiscretion. ⁴¹ 

Ezra 7:23

7:23 Everything that the God of heaven has required should be precisely done for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath ⁴²  against the empire of the king and his sons?

Ezra 7:26

7:26 Everyone who does not observe both the law of your God and the law of the king will be completely ⁴³  liable to the appropriate penalty, whether it is death or banishment or confiscation of property or detainment in prison.”

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 9:8

9:8 “But now briefly ⁴⁴  we have received mercy from the Lord our God, in that he has left us a remnant and has given us a secure position ⁴⁵  in his holy place. Thus our God has enlightened our eyes ⁴⁶  and has given us a little relief in our time of servitude.

Ezra 9:11

9:11 which you commanded us through your servants the prophets with these words: ⁴⁷  ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land defiled by the impurities of the local residents! ⁴⁸  With their abominations they have filled it from one end to the other with their filthiness.

Ezra 10:4

10:4 Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”

Ezra 6:8

6:8 “I also hereby issue orders as to what you are to do with those elders of the Jews in order to rebuild this temple of God. From the royal treasury, from the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs are to be given to these men, so that there may be no interruption of the work. ⁴⁹ 

Ezra 7:21

7:21 “I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue orders to all the treasurers of ⁵⁰  Trans-Euphrates, that you precisely execute all that Ezra the priestly scribe of the law of the God of heaven may request of you –

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 ⁵¹  for us, our children, and all our property.

Ezra 9:9

9:9 Although we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our servitude. He has extended kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, in that he has revived us ⁵²  to restore the temple of our God and to raise ⁵³  up its ruins and to give us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ 

Ezra 10:14

10:14 Let our leaders take steps ⁵⁵  on behalf of all the assembly. Let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each town and its judges, until the hot anger of our God is turned away from us in this matter.”

Ezra 10:16

10:16 So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out ⁵⁶  by name men who were leaders in their family groups. ⁵⁷  They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month,

Ezra 1:5

The Exiles Prepare to Return to Jerusalem

1:5 Then the leaders ⁵⁸  of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites – all those whose mind God had stirred – got ready ⁵⁹  to go up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. ⁶⁰ 

Ezra 4:14

4:14 In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king, ⁶¹  and since it does not seem appropriate to us that the king should sustain damage, ⁶²  we are sending the king this information ⁶³ 

Ezra 4:16

4:16 We therefore are informing the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, you will not retain control ⁶⁴  of this portion of Trans-Euphrates.”

Ezra 8:29

8:29 Be careful with them and protect them, until you weigh them out before the leading priests and the Levites and the family leaders of Israel in Jerusalem, ⁶⁵  in the storerooms of the temple of the Lord.”

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. ⁶⁶  And they all took a solemn oath.

Ezra 3:2

3:2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak ⁶⁷  and his priestly colleagues ⁶⁸  and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his colleagues ⁶⁹  started to build ⁷⁰  the altar of the God of Israel so they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by ⁷¹  the law of Moses the man of God.

Ezra 4:12

4:12 Now ⁷²  let the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. ⁷³  They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations.

Ezra 4:15

4:15 so that he may initiate a search of the records ⁷⁴  of his predecessors ⁷⁵  and discover in those records ⁷⁶  that this city is rebellious ⁷⁷  and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts ⁷⁸  from long ago. ⁷⁹  It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed.

Ezra 6:9

6:9 Whatever is needed – whether oxen or rams or lambs or burnt offerings for the God of heaven or wheat or salt or wine or oil, as required by ⁸⁰  the priests who are in Jerusalem – must be given to them daily without any neglect,

Ezra 6:21

6:21 The Israelites who were returning from the exile ate it, along with all those who had joined them ⁸¹  in separating themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel.

Ezra 7:6

7:6 This Ezra is the one who came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king supplied him with everything he requested, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

Ezra 7:17

7:17 With this money you should be sure to purchase bulls, rams, and lambs, along with the appropriate ⁸²  meal offerings and libations. You should bring them to the altar of the temple of your God which is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 8:17

8:17 I sent them to Iddo, who was the leader in the place called Casiphia. I told them ⁸³  what to say to Iddo and his relatives, ⁸⁴  who were the temple servants in ⁸⁵  Casiphia, so they would bring us attendants for the temple of our God.

Ezra 8:31

8:31 On the twelfth day of the first month we began traveling from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from our enemy and from bandits ⁸⁶  along the way.

[7:10]  ¹ tn Heb “established his heart.”

[7:10]  ² tn Heb “to do and to teach.” The expression may be a hendiadys, in which case it would have the sense of “effectively teaching.”

[7:18]  ³ tn Aram “brothers.”

[6:4]  ⁴ tn Aram “stones of rolling.”

[6:4]  ⁵ tc The translation follows the LXX reading חַד (khad, “one”) rather than the MT חֲדַת (khadat, “new”). If the MT reading “new” is understood to mean freshly cut timber that has not yet been seasoned it would seem to be an odd choice for construction material.

[6:4]  ⁶ tn Aram “let be given.”

[6:4]  ⁷ tn Aram “house.”

[6:3]  ⁸ tn Aram “In the first year of Cyrus the king.”

[6:3]  ⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[6:3]  ¹⁰ tn Aram “raised”; or perhaps “retained” (so NASB; cf. NLT), referring to the original foundations of Solomon’s temple.

[6:3]  ¹¹ tc The Syriac Peshitta reads “twenty cubits” here, a measurement probably derived from dimensions given elsewhere for Solomon’s temple. According to 1 Kgs 6:2 the dimensions of the Solomonic temple were as follows: length, 60 cubits; width, 20 cubits; height, 30 cubits. Since one would expect the dimensions cited in Ezra 6:3 to correspond to those of Solomon’s temple, it is odd that no dimension for length is provided. The Syriac has apparently harmonized the width dimension provided here (“twenty cubits”) to that given in 1 Kgs 6:2.

[6:3]  ¹² tn Aram “Its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about eighteen inches (45 cm) long.

[1:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “from all.”

[5:15]  ¹⁴ tn Aram “upon its place.”

[10:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “cut.”

[10:3]  ¹⁶ 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.

[10:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”

[1:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the men of his place.”

[4:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “not to you and to us.”

[5:17]  ²⁰ tn Aram “if upon the king it is good.”

[5:17]  ²¹ tn Aram “the house of the treasures of the king.”

[7:9]  ²² tc The translation reads יִסַּד (yissad, “he appointed” [= determined]) rather than the reading יְסֻד (yÿsud, “foundation”) of the MT. (The words “to make” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.)

[7:9]  ²³ sn Apparently it took the caravan almost four months to make the five hundred mile journey.

[7:24]  ²⁴ tn Aram “we are making known to you.”

[10:11]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the peoples of the land.”

[7:13]  ²⁶ tn Heb “from me is placed a decree.” So also in v. 21.

[7:13]  ²⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:21]  ²⁸ tn Aram “until a command is issued from me.”

[6:7]  ²⁹ tc For the MT reading “the work on this temple of God” the LXX reads “the servant of the Lord Zurababel” [= Zerubbabel].

[7:19]  ³⁰ tn Or “before.”

[7:20]  ³¹ tn Aram “may fall to you to give.”

[8:30]  ³² tn Heb “received.”

[10:19]  ³³ tn Heb “hand.”

[6:12]  ³⁴ tn Aram “people.”

[6:12]  ³⁵ tn Aram “who sends forth his hand.”

[7:25]  ³⁶ tn Aram “in your hand.”

[7:25]  ³⁷ tc For the MT reading שָׁפְטִין (shoftim, “judges”) the LXX uses the noun γραμματεῖς (grammatei", “scribes”).

[6:11]  ³⁸ sn The practice referred to in v. 11 has been understood in various ways: hanging (cf. 1 Esd 6:32 and KJV); flogging (cf. NEB, NLT); impalement (BDB 1091 s.v. זְקַף; HALOT 1914 s.v. מחא hitpe; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The latter seems the most likely.

[6:11]  ³⁹ tn Aram “made.”

[6:11]  ⁴⁰ tn Aram “a dunghill.”

[6:11]  ⁴¹ tn Aram “for this.”

[7:23]  ⁴² tn The Aramaic word used here for “wrath” (קְצַף, qÿtsaf; cf. Heb קָצַף, qatsaf) is usually used in the Hebrew Bible for God’s anger as opposed to human anger (but contra Eccl 5:17 [MT 5:16]; Esth 1:18; 2 Kgs 3:27). The fact that this word is used in v. 23 may have theological significance, pointing to the possibility of divine judgment if the responsible parties should fail to make available these provisions for the temple.

[7:26]  ⁴³ tn On the meaning of this word see HALOT 1820-21 s.v. אָסְפַּרְנָא; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 14.

[9:8]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “according to a little moment.”

[9:8]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “a peg” or “tent peg.” The imagery behind this word is drawn from the experience of nomads who put down pegs as they pitched their tents and made camp after times of travel.

[9:8]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “to cause our eyes to shine.” The expression is a figure of speech for “to revive.” See DCH 1:160 s.v. אור Hi.7.

[9:11]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “through your servants the prophets, saying.”

[9:11]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”

[6:8]  ⁴⁹ tn The words “of the work” are not in the Aramaic, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[7:21]  ⁵⁰ tn Aram “who are in.”

[8:21]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “a straight way.”

[9:9]  ⁵² tn Heb “has granted us reviving.”

[9:9]  ⁵³ tn Heb “to cause to stand.”

[9:9]  ⁵⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:14]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “stand.”

[10:16]  ⁵⁶ 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.

[10:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “the heads of the fathers, to the house of their fathers, and all of them by name.”

[1:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”

[1:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “arose.”

[1:5]  ⁶⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:14]  ⁶¹ tn Aram “we eat the salt of the palace.”

[4:14]  ⁶² tn Aram “the dishonor of the king is not fitting for us to see.”

[4:14]  ⁶³ tn Aram “and we have made known.”

[4:16]  ⁶⁴ tn Aram “will not be to you.”

[8:29]  ⁶⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:5]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “to do according to this plan.”

[3:2]  ⁶⁷ sn Jozadak (also in 3:8) is a variant spelling of Jehozadak.

[3:2]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “his brothers the priests.”

[3:2]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[3:2]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “arose and built.”

[3:2]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “written in.” Cf. v. 4.

[4:12]  ⁷² tn The MT takes this word with the latter part of v. 11, but in English style it fits better with v. 12.

[4:12]  ⁷³ sn Management of the provinces that were distantly removed from the capital was difficult, and insurrection in such places was a perennial problem. The language used in this report about Jerusalem (i.e., “rebellious,” “odious”) is intentionally inflammatory. It is calculated to draw immediate attention to the perceived problem.

[4:15]  ⁷⁴ tn Aram “the book of the minutes.”

[4:15]  ⁷⁵ tn Aram “of your fathers.”

[4:15]  ⁷⁶ tn Aram “discover…and learn.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.

[4:15]  ⁷⁷ tn Aram “is a rebellious city.”

[4:15]  ⁷⁸ tn Aram “revolts they are making in its midst.”

[4:15]  ⁷⁹ tn Aram “from olden days.” So also in v. 19.

[6:9]  ⁸⁰ tn Aram “according to the word of.”

[6:21]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “who had separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to them.”

[7:17]  ⁸² tn Aram “their meal offerings and their libations.”

[8:17]  ⁸³ tn Heb “I placed in their mouth words.”

[8:17]  ⁸⁴ tc The translation reads with the LXX and Vulgate וְאֶחָיו (vÿ’ekhayv, “and his brethren” = “relatives”; so NCV, NLT) rather than the reading אָחִיו (’akhiyv, “his brother”) of the MT.

[8:17]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “in the place called.” This phrase has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[8:31]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “from the hand of the enemy and the one who lies in wait.” Some modern English versions render the latter phrase as “ambushes” (cf. NASB, NRSV).