Ezra 1; Ezra 2; John 19:23-42

Ezra 1

1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the LORD fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:

2 “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3 Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!

4 Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.”

5 Then God stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the LORD .

6 And all their neighbors assisted by giving them articles of silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock. They gave them many valuable gifts in addition to all the voluntary offerings.

7 King Cyrus himself brought out the articles that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the LORD ’s Temple in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his own gods.

8 Cyrus directed Mithredath, the treasurer of Persia, to count these items and present them to Sheshbazzar, the leader of the exiles returning to Judah.

9 This is a list of the items that were returned: gold basins 30 silver basins 1,000 silver incense burners 29

10 gold bowls 30 silver bowls 410 other items 1,000

11 In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar brought all of these along when the exiles went from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Ezra 2

1 Here is the list of the Jewish exiles of the provinces who returned from their captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar had deported them to Babylon, but now they returned to Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah where they originally lived.

2 Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the number of the men of Israel who returned from exile:

3 The family of Parosh 2,172

4 The family of Shephatiah 372

5 The family of Arah 775

6 The family of Pahath-moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) 2,812

7 The family of Elam 1,254

8 The family of Zattu 945

9 The family of Zaccai 760

10 The family of Bani 642

11 The family of Bebai 623

12 The family of Azgad 1,222

13 The family of Adonikam 666

14 The family of Bigvai 2,056

15 The family of Adin 454

16 The family of Ater (descendants of Hezekiah) 98

17 The family of Bezai 323

18 The family of Jorah 112

19 The family of Hashum 223

20 The family of Gibbar 95

21 The people of Bethlehem 123

22 The people of Netophah 56

23 The people of Anathoth 128

24 The people of Beth-azmaveth 42

25 The people of Kiriath-jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth 743

26 The people of Ramah and Geba 621

27 The people of Micmash 122

28 The people of Bethel and Ai 223

29 The citizens of Nebo 52

30 The citizens of Magbish 156

31 The citizens of West Elam 1,254

32 The citizens of Harim 320

33 The citizens of Lod, Hadid, and Ono 725

34 The citizens of Jericho 345

35 The citizens of Senaah 3,630

36 These are the priests who returned from exile: The family of Jedaiah (through the line of Jeshua) 973

37 The family of Immer 1,052

38 The family of Pashhur 1,247

39 The family of Harim 1,017

40 These are the Levites who returned from exile: The families of Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah) 74

41 The singers of the family of Asaph 128

42 The gatekeepers of the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai 139

43 The descendants of the following Temple servants returned from exile: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

44 Keros, Siaha, Padon,

45 Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,

46 Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,

47 Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,

48 Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,

49 Uzza, Paseah, Besai,

50 Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim,

51 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

52 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

53 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

54 Neziah, and Hatipha.

55 The descendants of these servants of King Solomon returned from exile: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,

56 Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,

57 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-hazzebaim, and Ami.

58 In all, the Temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants numbered 392.

59 Another group returned at this time from the towns of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Kerub, Addan, and Immer. However, they could not prove that they or their families were descendants of Israel.

60 This group included the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda—a total of 652 people.

61 Three families of priests—Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai—also returned. (This Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai of Gilead, and he had taken her family name.)

62 They searched for their names in the genealogical records, but they were not found, so they were disqualified from serving as priests.

63 The governor told them not to eat the priests’ share of food from the sacrifices until a priest could consult the LORD about the matter by using the Urim and Thummim—the sacred lots.

64 So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah,

65 in addition to 7,337 servants and 200 singers, both men and women.

66 They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules,

67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

68 When they arrived at the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders made voluntary offerings toward the rebuilding of God’s Temple on its original site,

69 and each leader gave as much as he could. The total of their gifts came to 61,000 gold coins, 6,250 pounds of silver, and 100 robes for the priests.

70 So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled in villages near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel.

John 19:23-42

23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did.

25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene.

26 When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.”

27 And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”

29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips.

30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.

31 It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down.

32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus.

33 But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs.

34 One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

35 (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe. )

36 These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,”

37 and “They will look on the one they pierced.”

38 Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away.

39 With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes.

40 Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth.

41 The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before.

42 And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.