corruption of Hebrew. ing of by ἀγχιστεύω caused much confusion in the LXX. version. holies. + Heb. Urim & Thummim. + 5 3 elsewhere, in and their seed, whether they were of on, and the children of Israel were in Israel: 60 the children of Dalea, the their cities, and the people assembled children of Bua, the children of To- as one man at Jerusalem. 2 Then bias, the children of Necoda, six hun- stood up Jesus the son of called Joshua dred and fifty-two. 61 And of the Josedec, and his brethren Hagg. & Zech. children of the priests, the children of the priests, and Zorobabel the son of Labeia, the children of Akkus, the Salathiel, and his brethren, and they children of Berzellai, who took a wife built the altar of the God of Israel, to of the daughter of Berzellai the Ga- offer upon it whole-burnt-offerings, laadite, and was called by their according to the things that were writname. 62 These sought their genealogy ten in the law of Moses the man of + Gr. oi pebw- as though they had been God. And they set up the altar on eriu, evident reckoned, but they were not its place, for there was a terror upon found; and they were re- them because of the people of the lands: The render- moved, as polluted, from and the whole-burnt-offering was offered yxor has the priesthood. 63 And the up upon it to the Lord morning and frequently Athersastha told them that evening. And they kept the feast of they should not eat of the tabernacles, according to that which *most holy things, until a was written, and offered whole-burnt+ Lit. holy of priest should arise with offerings daily in number according to Lights and Perfections. the ordinance, the exact daily rate. 64 And all the congregation And after this the perpetual wholetogether were about forty-two thousand burnt-offering, and offering for the three hundred and sixty. 65 Besides season of new moon, and for all the their men-servants and maid-servants, hallowed feasts to the Lord, and for and these were seven thousand three every one that offered a freewill-offerhundred and thirty-seven: and among ing to the Lord. On the first day of these were two hundred singing men the seventh month they began to offer and singing women. 66 Their horses whole-burnt-offerings to the Lord: but were seven hundred and thirty-six, the foundation of the house of the Lord their mules, two hundred and forty- was not laid. And they gave money five. 67 Their camels, four hundred to the stone-hewers and carpenters, and thirty-five; their asses, six thou- and 'meat, and drink, and +Gr. meats sand seven hundred and twenty. 68 And oil, to the Sidonians and and drinks. some of the chiefs of families, when Tyrians, to bring cedar trees from they went into the house of the Lord Libanus to the sea of Joppa, according that was in Jerusalem, offered will- to the grant of Cyrus king of the ingly for the house of God, to estab- Persians to them. And in the second lish it on its prepared place. 69+ Ac-year of their coming to the house of † μναὶ nom. cording to their power they God in Jerusalem, in the second month, gave into the treasury of began Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, the work pure gold sixty-one thousand and Jesus the son of Josedec, and the + Gr. pounds, pieces, and five thousand rest of their brethren the priests and Heb. drachms. pounds of silver, and one the Levites, and all who came from hundred priests' garments. 70 So the the captivity to Jerusalem, and they priests, and the Levites, and some of appointed the Levites, from twenty the people, and the singers, and the years old and upward, over the workporters, and the Nathinim, dwelt in men in the house of the Lord. their cities, and all Israel in their cities. Jesus and his sons and his brethren stood, Cadmiel and his sons the sons case ungrammatical. 8 And 3. And the seventh month came of Juda, over them that wrought the probably be to the latter 8 6 works in the house of God: the sons | against them, plotting to frustrate their of Enadad, their sons and their bre- counsel, all the days of Cyrus king of thren the Levites. 10 And they laid a the Persians, and until the reign of foundation for building the house of Darius king of the Persians. And in the Lord: and the priests in their robes the reign of Assuerus, even in the bestood with trumpets and the Levites ginning of his reign, they wrote a letthe sons of Asaph with cymbals, to ter against the inhabitants of Juda and praise the Lord, according to the order Jerusalem. And in the days of Arof David king of Israel." And they thasastha Tabeel wrote peaceably to answered each other with praise and Mithradates and to the rest of his thanksgiving to the Lord, saying, For fellow-servants: the tribute-gatherer it is good, for his mercy to Israel en- wrote to Arthasastha king of the Perdures for ever. And all the people sians a writing in the Syrian tongue, shouted with a loud voice to praise the and the same interpreted. Reum the Lord at the laying the foundation of chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe wrote the house of the Lord. 12 But many an epistle against Jerusalem to king of the priests and the Levites, and the Arthasastha, saying, 9 Thus has judged elder men, heads of families, who had Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the +These words seen the former house on scribe, and the rest of our fellow-serlong, at least its foundation, and who saw vants, the Dinæans, the Apharsathin the original, this house with their eyes, achæans, the Tarphalaans, the Apharclause. wept with a loud voice; but sæans, the Archyæans, the Babylonians, the multitude shouted with joy to raise the Susanachæans, Davæans, 10 and the a song. 13 And the people did not dis- rest of the nations whom the great tinguish the voice of the glad shout and noble Assenaphar removed, and * from the voice of the weep- settled them in the cities of Somoron, ing of the people: for the and the rest of them be- + Or, the rest, people shouted with a loud voice, and yond the river. This is who now are. the voice was heard even from afar off. the purport of the letter, tion, or, framwhich they sent to him: Thy ing. 4. And they that afflicted Juda and servants the men beyond the river to Benjamin heard, that the children of king Arthasastha. 12 Be it known to the captivity were building a house to the king, that the Jews who came up the Lord God of Israel. 2And they from thee to us have come to Jerudrew near to Zorobabel, and to the salem the rebellious and wicked city, heads of families, and said to them, which they are building, and its walls + Or, let us. *We will build with you; are set in order, and they have estabfor as ye do, we seek to serve our God, lished the foundations of + Gr. exalted. and we do sacrifice to him from the it. 13 Now then be it known to the days of Asaradan king of Assur, who king, that if that city be built up, and brought us hither. Then Zorobabel, its walls completed, thou shalt have no and Jesus and the rest of the heads of tribute, neither will they pay anything, the families of Israel said to them, It and this injures kings. 14And it is not is not for us and you to build a house lawful for us to see the dishonour of to our God, for we ourselves will build the king: therefore have we sent and together to the Lord our God, as made known the matter to the king; Cyrus the king of the Persians com- 15 that examination may be made. manded us. And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Juda, and hindered them in building, and continued hiring persons + Or, because of. 3 + Or, construc in thy fathers' book of record; and thou shalt find, and thou shalt know that that city is rebellious, and does harm to kings and countries, and tions of slaves it, &c. lector. 4 8 7 peace words. *there are in the midst of it from very that was in Jerusalem: and with them + Or, deser- old time refuges for run- were the prophets of God assisting take place in away slaves: therefore this them. At the same time came there city has been made desolate. upon them Thanthanai, the governor 16 We therefore declare to the king, on this side the river, and Satharthat, if that city be built, and its walls buzanai, and their fellow-servants, and be set up, thou shalt not have peace. spoke thus to them, Who has ordained 17 Then the king sent to Reum the a decree for you to build this house, chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and to provide this preparation? and the rest of their fellow-servants Then they spoke thus to them, What who dwelt in Samaria, and the rest are the names of the men that build beyond the river, saying, Peace, this city? 5 But the eyes of God were and he says, 18 The tribute-gatherer upon the captivity of Juda, and they + Or, tribute- whom ye sent to us, has did not cause them to cease till the bearer or col- been called before decree was brought to Darius, and then was sent by the tribute-gatherer concerning this the copy of a letter, which Thanthanai, the governor of the part on this side the river, and Satharbuzanai, and their fellow-servants the Apharsachæans who were on this side of the river, sent to king Darius. They sent an account to him, and thus it + Gr. with was written in it: All to king Darius. Be it known to the king, that we went into the land of Judea, to the house of the great God; and it is building with choice stones, and they are laying timbers in the walls, and that work is prospering, and goes on favourably in their hands. 9 Then we asked those elders, and thus we said to them, Who gave you the order to build this house, and to provide this preparation? 10 And we asked them their names, in order to declare them to thee, so as to write to thee the names of their leading men. 11 And they answered us thus, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building the house which had been built many years before this, and a great king of Israel built it, and established it for them. 12 But after that our fathers provoked the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nabuchodonosor the Chaldean, king of Babylon, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people captive to me. 19 And a decree has been made by me, and we have examined, and found that that city of old time exalts itself against kings, and that rebellions and desertions take place within it. 20 And there were powerful kings in Jerusalem, and they ruled over all the country beyond the river, and abundant revenues and ↑ Lit. part. *tribute were given to them. 21 Now therefore make a decree to stop the work of those men, and that city shall no more be built. 22 See that ye be careful of the decree, not to be remiss concerning this matter, lest at any time destruction should abound to the harm of kings. 23 Then the tri+ Or, courier. bute-gatherer of king Arthasastha read the letter before Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and his fellow-servants: and they went in haste to Jerusalem and through Juda, and caused them to cease with horses and an armed force. 24 Then ceased the work of the house of God in Jerusalem, and it was at a stand until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians. + 5. And Aggæus the prophet, and Zacharias the son of Addo, prophesied a prophecy to the Jews in Juda and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Or for, or, Israel 'even to them. Then them. rose up Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Jesus the son of Josedec, and began to build the house of God concerning Babylon. 13 And in the first year of king that is in Jerusalem, and put in the Cyrus, Cyrus the king made a decree place where they were set in the house that this house of God should be built. of God. 6 Now, ye 14 And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nabuchodonosor brought out from the house that was in Jerusalem, and carried them into the temple of the king, them did king Cyrus bring out from the temple of the king, and gave them to Sabanasar the treasurer, who was over the treasure; 15 and said to him, Take all the vessels, and go, put them in the house that is in Jerusalem in their place. 16 Then that Sabanasar came, and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem: and from that time even until now it has been building, and has not been finished. "And now, if it seem good to the king, let search be made in the treasure-house of the king at Babylon, that thou mayest know if it be that a decree was made by king Cyrus to build that house of God that was in Jerusalem, and let the king send to us when he has learnt concerning this matter. Now, ye rulers beyond the river, Satharbuzanai, and their fellowservants the Apharsachæans, who are on the other side of the river, give these things, keeping far the name from that place. Now rendered let alone the work of the by dwσETE. house of God: let the rulers of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build that house of God on its place. Also a decree has been made by me, if haply ye may do more lit. lest somewhat in concert with anything. the elders of the Jews for the building of that house of God: to wit, out of the king's property, even the tributes beyond the river, let there be money to defray the expenses carefully granted to those men, so that they be not hindered. And whatever Or, made to need there may be, ye shall cease. 2 6. Then Darius the king made a decree, and caused a search to be made in the record-offices, where the treasure is stored in Babylon. And there was found in the city, in the palace, a volume, and this was the record written in it. 3 In the first year of king Cyrus, Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the holy house of God that was in Jerusalem, saying, Let the house be built, and the place where they sacrifice the sacrifices. (Also he appointed its elevation, in height sixty cubits; its breadth was of sixty cubits.) And let there be three strong layers of stone, and one layer of timber; and the expense shall be paid out of the house of the king. And the silver and the gold vessels of the house of God, which Nabuchodonosor carried off from the house that was in Jerusalem, and carried to Babylon, let them even be given, and be carried to the temple + + ye should do give both the young of bulls and rams, done accord ti. e. the house. accommoda tempted here between the name of Tirshatha and Artaxerxes. + Gr. until. built, at the prophecy of Aggæus the 2 4 7 8 the elders of the Jews and the Levites | sians, came up Esdras the son of Saraias, the son of Azarias, the son of Chelcias, the son of Selum, the son of Sadduc, the son of Achitob, 3 the son of Samarias, the son of Esria, the son of Mareoth, the son of Zaraia, the son of Ozias, the son of Bokki, 5 the son of Abisue, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the first priest. This Esdras went up out of Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel gave: and the king gave him leave, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him in all things which he sought. And some of the children of Israel went up, and some of the priests, and of the Levites, and the singers, and the door-keepers, and the Nathinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Arthasastha the king. And they came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, this was the seventh year of the king. For in the first day of the first month he began the going up from Babylon, and in the first day of the fifth month they came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of it, for the his God was upon him. has goo 10 For Esdras had deter- upon him. mined in his heart to seek the law, and to do and teach the ordinances and judgments in Israel. "And this is the copy of the order which Arthasastha gave to Esdras the priest, the scribe of the book of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his ordinances to Israel. 12 Arthasastha, king of kings, to Esdras, the scribe of the law of the Lord God of heaven, 'Let the order and Or, let the the answer be accomplished. formed and 13 A decree is made by me, turned. that every one who is willing in my kingdom of the people of Israel, and of the priests and Levites, to go to Jerusalem, be permitted to go with thee. 14 One has been sent from the king and the seven councillors, to visit Judea and Jerusalem, according to the law of their God that is in thine hand. 7. Now after these things, in the reign of Arthasastha king of the Per + hand of his God was good order be per the answer re |