The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
New Living Translation NLT
1 When the seventh month arrived, after the people of Isra'el had resettled in the towns, the people gathered with one accord in Yerushalayim.
1
In early autumn, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled in Jerusalem with a unified purpose.
2 Then Yeshua the son of Yotzadak with his fellow cohanim, and Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el with his kinsmen, organized rebuilding the altar of the God of Isra'el; so that they could offer burnt offerings on it, as is written in the Torah of Moshe the man of God.
2
Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak joined his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family in rebuilding the altar of the God of Israel. They wanted to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as instructed in the Law of Moses, the man of God.
3 They set up the altar on its former bases. Despite feeling threatened by the peoples of the [surrounding] countries; they offered on it burnt offerings to ADONAI, the morning and evening burnt offerings.
3
Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the LORD each morning and evening.
4 They observed the festival of Sukkot as written, offering daily the number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day,
4
They celebrated the Festival of Shelters as prescribed in the Law, sacrificing the number of burnt offerings specified for each day of the festival.
5 and afterwards the regular burnt offering, the offerings for Rosh-Hodesh and those for all the designated times set apart for ADONAI, as well as those of everyone who volunteered a voluntary offering to ADONAI.
5
They also offered the regular burnt offerings and the offerings required for the new moon celebrations and the annual festivals as prescribed by the LORD . The people also gave voluntary offerings to the LORD .
6 From the first day of the seventh month, they began offering burnt offerings to ADONAI, even though the foundation of ADONAI's temple had not yet been laid.
6
Fifteen days before the Festival of Shelters began, the priests had begun to sacrifice burnt offerings to the LORD . This was even before they had started to lay the foundation of the LORD ’s Temple.
7 They also gave money for the stone-workers and carpenters, as well as food, drink and olive oil for the people of Tzidon and Tzor bringing cedar logs from the L'vanon to the sea and on to Yafo, in accordance with the authorization granted by Koresh king of Persia.
7
Then the people hired masons and carpenters and bought cedar logs from the people of Tyre and Sidon, paying them with food, wine, and olive oil. The logs were brought down from the Lebanon mountains and floated along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to Joppa, for King Cyrus had given permission for this.
8 In the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Yerushalayim, in the second month, Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el, Yeshua the son of Yotzadak, the rest of their kinsmen the cohanim and L'vi'im, and all who had come out of exile to Yerushalayim began the project. They appointed the L'vi'im aged twenty and up to direct work in the house of ADONAI.
8
The construction of the Temple of God began in midspring, during the second year after they arrived in Jerusalem. The work force was made up of everyone who had returned from exile, including Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jehozadak and his fellow priests, and all the Levites. The Levites who were twenty years old or older were put in charge of rebuilding the LORD ’s Temple.
9 Yeshua and his sons and brothers, Kadmi'el and his sons, and Y'hudah's sons together directed the workers in the house of God; also the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their kinsmen the L'vi'im.
9
The workers at the Temple of God were supervised by Jeshua with his sons and relatives, and Kadmiel and his sons, all descendants of Hodaviah. They were helped in this task by the Levites of the family of Henadad.
10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of ADONAI, the cohanim in their robes, with trumpets, and the L'vi'im the sons of Asaf, with cymbals, took their places to praise ADONAI, as David king of Isra'el had instructed.
10
When the builders completed the foundation of the LORD ’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the LORD, just as King David had prescribed.
11 They sang antiphonally, praising and giving "thanks to ADONAI, for he is good, for his grace continues forever" toward Isra'el. All the people raised a great shout of praise to ADONAI, because the foundation of the house of ADONAI had been laid.
11
With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the LORD : “He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!” Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the LORD because the foundation of the LORD ’s Temple had been laid.
12 But many of the cohanim, L'vi'im and heads of fathers' clans, the old men who had seen the first house standing on its foundation, wept out loud when they saw this house; while others shouted out loud for joy -
12
But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy.
13 so that the people couldn't distinguish the noise of the joyful shouting from the noise of the people's weeping; for the people were shouting so loudly that the noise could be heard at a great distance.
13
The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.