1 Esdras 5

¹After this, the chiefs of fathers’ houses were chosen to go up according to their tribes, with their wives, sons, and daughters, with their menservants and maidservants, and their livestock. ²Darius sent with them one thousand cavalry to bring them back to Jerusalem with peace, with musical instruments, drums, and flutes. ³All their kindred were making merry, and he made them go up together with them.

⁴These are the names of the men who went up, according to their families among their tribes, after their several divisions. ⁵The priests, the sons of Phinees, the sons of Aaron: Jesus the son of Josedek, the son of Saraias, and Joakim the son of Zorobabel, the son of Salathiel, of the house of David, of the lineage of Phares, of the tribe of Judah, ⁶who spoke wise words before Darius the king of Persia in the second year of his reign, in the month Nisan, which is the first month.

⁷These are the of Judeans who came up from the captivity, where they lived as foreigners, whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon. ⁸They returned to Jerusalem and to the other parts of Judea, every man to his own city, who came with Zorobabel, with Jesus, Nehemias,1 Zaraias, Resaias,2 Eneneus, Mardocheus, Beelsarus,3 Aspharsus,4 Reelias, Roimus, and Baana, their leaders.

⁹The number of them of the nation and their leaders: the sons of Phoros, two thousand one hundred seventy two; the sons of5 Saphat, four hundred seventy two; ¹⁰the sons of6 Ares, seven hundred fifty six; ¹¹the sons of7 Phaath Moab, of the sons of Jesus and Joab, two thousand eight hundred twelve; ¹²the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty four; the sons of8 Zathui, nine hundred forty five; the sons of9 Chorbe, seven hundred five; the sons of Bani, six hundred forty eight; ¹³the sons of Bebai, six hundred twenty three; the sons of10 Astad,11 one thousand three hundred twenty two; ¹⁴the sons of Adonikam, six hundred sixty seven; the sons of12 Bagoi, two thousand sixty six; the sons of13 Adinu, four hundred fifty four; ¹⁵the sons of14 Ater, of Ezekias, ninety two; the sons of Kilan and Azetas, sixty seven; the sons of15 Azaru, four hundred thirty two; ¹⁶the sons of16 Annis, one hundred one; the sons of Arom, the sons of17 Bassai, three hundred twenty three; the sons of Arsiphurith, one hundred twelve; ¹⁷the sons of Baiterus, three thousand five; the sons of18 Bethlomon, one hundred twenty three; ¹⁸those from Netophas, fifty five; those from Anathoth, one hundred fifty eight; those from19 Bethasmoth, forty two; ¹⁹those from20 Kariathiarius, twenty five: those from Caphira and Beroth, seven hundred forty three; ²⁰the Chadiasai and Ammidioi, four hundred twenty two; those from21 Kirama and22 Gabbe, six hundred twenty one; ²¹those from23 Macalon, one hundred twenty two; those from24 Betolion, fifty two; the sons of25 Niphis, one hundred fifty six; ²²the sons of26 Calamolalus and27 Onus, seven hundred twenty five; the sons of28 Jerechu,29 three hundred forty five; ²³and the sons of30 Sanaas, three thousand three hundred thirty.

²⁴The priests: the sons of31 Jeddu, the son of Jesus, among the sons of Sanasib, nine hundred seventy two; the sons of32 Emmeruth, one thousand fifty two; ²⁵the sons of33 Phassurus, one thousand two hundred forty seven; and the sons of34 Charme, one thousand seventeen. ²⁶The Levites: the sons of Jesus, Kadmiel, Bannas, and Sudias, seventy four. ²⁷The holy singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred twenty eight. ²⁸The gatekeepers: the sons of35 Salum, the sons of36 Atar, the sons of Tolman, the sons of37 Dacubi, the sons of38 Ateta, the sons of39 Sabi, in all one hundred thirty nine.

²⁹The temple servants: the sons of40 Esau, the sons of41 Asipha, the sons of Tabaoth, the sons of42 Keras, the sons of43 Sua, the sons of44 Phaleas, the sons of Labana, the sons of45 Aggaba. ³⁰the sons of46 Acud, the sons of Uta, the sons of Ketab, the sons of47 Accaba, the sons of48 Subai, the sons of49 Anan, the sons of50 Cathua, the sons of51 Geddur, ³¹the sons of52 Jairus, the sons of53 Daisan, the sons of54 Noeba, the sons of Chaseba, the sons of55 Gazera, the sons of56 Ozias, the sons of57 Phinoe, the sons of Asara, the sons of58 Basthai, the sons of59 Asana, the sons of60 Maani, the sons of61 Naphisi, the sons of62 Acub, the sons of63 Achipha, the sons of64 Asur, the sons of Pharakim, the sons of65 Basaloth, ³²the sons of66 Meedda, the sons of Cutha, the sons of67 Charea, the sons of68 Barchus, the sons of69 Serar, the sons of70 Thomei, the sons of71 Nasi, the sons of Atipha.

³³The sons of the servants of Solomon: the sons of72 Assaphioth, the sons of73 Pharida, the sons of74 Jeeli, the sons of75 Lozon, the sons of76 Isdael, the sons of77 Saphuthi, ³⁴the sons of78 Agia, the sons of79 Phacareth, the sons of Sabie, the sons of Sarothie, the sons of80 Masias, the sons of Gas, the sons of Addus, the sons of Subas, the sons of Apherra, the sons of Barodis, the sons of Saphat, the sons of Allon.

³⁵All the temple-servants and the sons of the servants of Solomon were three hundred seventy two. ³⁶These came up from81 Thermeleth, and82 Thelersas,83 Charaathalan leading them, and Allar; ³⁷and they could not show their families, nor their stock, how they were of Israel: the sons of84 Dalan the son of85 Ban, the sons of86 Nekodan, six hundred fifty two.

³⁸Of the priests, those who usurped the office of the priesthood and were not found: the sons of87 Obdia, the sons of88 Akkos, the sons of Jaddus, who married Augia one of the daughters of89 Zorzelleus, and was called after his name. ³⁹When the description of the kindred of these men was sought in the register and was not found, they were removed from executing the office of the priesthood; ⁴⁰for Nehemias and Attharias told them that they should not be partakers of the holy things until a high priest wearing90 Urim and Thummim should arise.

⁴¹So all those of Israel, from twelve years old and upward, beside menservants and women servants, were in number forty two thousand three hundred sixty. ⁴²Their menservants and handmaids were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven; the minstrels and singers, two hundred forty five; ⁴³four hundred thirty and five camels, seven thousand thirty six horses, two hundred forty five mules, and five thousand five hundred twenty five beasts of burden.

⁴⁴And some of the chief men of their families, when they came to the temple of God that is in Jerusalem, vowed to set up the house again in its own place according to their ability, ⁴⁵and to give into the holy treasury of the works one thousand minas91 of gold, five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priestly vestments.

⁴⁶The priests and the Levites and some of the people lived in Jerusalem and the country. The holy singers also and the gatekeepers and all Israel lived in their villages.

⁴⁷But when the seventh month was at hand, and when the children of Israel were each in their own place, they all came together with one purpose into the broad place before the first porch which is toward the east. ⁴⁸Then Jesus the son of Josedek, his kindred the priests, Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and his kindred stood up and made the altar of the God of Israel ready ⁴⁹to offer burned sacrifices upon it, in accordance with the express commands in the book of Moses the man of God. ⁵⁰Some people joined them out of the other nations of the land, and they erected the altar upon its own place, because all the nations of the land were hostile to them and oppressed them; and they offered sacrifices at the proper times and burnt offerings to the Lord both morning and evening. ⁵¹They also held the feast of tabernacles, as it is commanded in the law, and offered sacrifices daily, as appropriate. ⁵²After that, they offered the continual oblations and the sacrifices of the Sabbaths, of the new moons, and of all the consecrated feasts. ⁵³All those who had made any vow to God began to offer sacrifices to God from the new moon of the seventh month, although the temple of God was not yet built. ⁵⁴They gave money, food, and drink to the masons and carpenters. ⁵⁵They also gave carts to the people of Sidon and Tyre, that they should bring cedar trees from Libanus, and convey them in rafts to the harbor of Joppa, according to the commandment which was written for them by Cyrus king of the Persians.

⁵⁶In the second year after his coming to the temple of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, Jesus the son of Josedek, their kindred, the Levitical priests, and all those who had come to Jerusalem out of the captivity began work. ⁵⁷They laid the foundation of God’s temple on the new moon of the second month, in the second year after they had come to Judea and Jerusalem. ⁵⁸They appointed the Levites who were at least twenty years old over the Lord’s works. Then Jesus, with his sons and kindred, Kadmiel his brother, the sons of Jesus, Emadabun, and the sons of Joda the son of Iliadun, and their sons and kindred, all the Levites, with one accord stood up and started the business, laboring to advance the works in the house of God. So the builders built the Lord’s temple.

⁵⁹The priests stood arrayed in their vestments with musical instruments and trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with their cymbals, ⁶⁰singing songs of thanksgiving and praising the Lord, according to the directions of King David of Israel. ⁶¹They sang aloud, praising the Lord in songs of thanksgiving, because his goodness and his glory are forever in all Israel. ⁶²All the people sounded trumpets and shouted with a loud voice, singing songs of thanksgiving to the Lord for the raising up of the Lord’s house. ⁶³Some of the Levitical priests and of the heads of their families, the elderly who had seen the former house came to the building of this one with lamentation and great weeping. ⁶⁴But many with trumpets and joy shouted with a loud voice, ⁶⁵so that the people couldn’t hear the trumpets for the weeping of the people, for the multitude sounded loudly, so that it was heard far away.

⁶⁶Therefore when the enemies of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin heard it, they came to know what that noise of trumpets meant. ⁶⁷They learned that those who returned from captivity built the temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁶⁸So they went to Zorobabel and Jesus, and to the chief men of the families, and said to them, “We will build together with you. ⁶⁹For we, just like you, obey your Lord, and sacrifice to him from the days of King92 Asbasareth of the Assyrians, who brought us here.”

⁷⁰Then Zorobabel, Jesus and the chief men of the families of Israel said to them, “It is not for you to build the house for the Lord our God. ⁷¹We ourselves alone will build for the Lord of Israel, as King Cyrus of the Persians has commanded us.” ⁷²But the heathen of the land pressed hard upon the inhabitants of Judea, cut off their supplies, and hindered their building. ⁷³By their secret plots, and popular persuasions and commotions, they hindered the finishing of the building all the time that King Cyrus lived. So they were hindered from building for two years, until the reign of Darius.