Ezra 3:6-13

6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer whole-burnt-offerings to the Lord: but the foundation of the house of the Lord was not laid.
7 And they gave money to the stone-hewers and carpenters, and meat and drink, and oil, to the Sidonians, and Tyrians, to bring cedar trees from Libanus to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant of Cyrus king of the Persians to them.
8 And in the second year of their coming to the house of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zorobabel the of Salathiel, and Jesus the of Josedec, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, and they appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, over the workmen in the house of the Lord.
9 And Jesus and his sons and his brethren stood, Cadmiel and his sons the sons of Juda, over them that wrought the works in the house of God: the sons of Enadad, their sons and their brethren the Levites.
10 And they laid a foundation for building the house of the Lord: and the priests in their robes stood with trumpets and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the order of David king of Israel.
11 And they answered with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, , For good, for his mercy to Israel for ever. And all the people shouted with a loud voice to praise the Lord at the laying the foundation of the house of the Lord.
12 But many of the priests and the Levites, and the elder men, heads of families, who had seen the former house on its foundation, and this house with their eyes, wept with a loud voice: but the multitude shouted with joy to raise a song.
13 And the people did not distinguish the voice of the glad shout from the voice of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud voice, and the voice was heard even from afar off.

Ezra 3:6-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 3

This chapter relates how that the people of Israel returned from captivity, gathered to Jerusalem, and set up the altar, where sacrifices were offered, Ezr 3:1-3, and kept the feast of tabernacles, and offered the sacrifices of that, besides the daily sacrifice, and of other festivals; and contributed to the workmen that prepared for the building of the temple, Ezr 3:4-7 and began it by laying the foundation of it; which to some was matter of joy, to others of grief, on different accounts, Ezr 3:8-13.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.