EZRA
Ezra 3 ©
Jeshua the priest and Zerubbabel the prince build the altar of the Lord, and offer the first offerings thereon, v. 1, etc. They also keep the feast of tabernacles, 4. They appoint all things which were necessary for the further service of God, and for the building, 5. The foundation of the temple is laid with great joy, and thanksgiving to God, 8. Albeit also with great weeping of many who had seen the previous temple, 12.
AND when the 1seventh month 2was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together 3as one man to Jerusalem.
Then stood up 4Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his 5brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the 6son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is writtena in the law of Moses the 7man of God.
And they set the altar upon his bases; 8for fear was upon them be-cause of the people of those 9coun-tries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings 10morningb and evening.
They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the 11custom,c as the 12duty of every day required;
And afterward offered the 13continual burnt offering, both of the newd moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were 14consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD.
From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.
They gave money also unto the 15masons, and to the carpenters; and 16meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from 17Lebanon to the sea of 18Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.
¶Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the 19second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, 20from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD.
Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of 21Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests 22in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the 23ordinance of David king of Israel.
And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this 24house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.