Ezra
The book of Ezra describes the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem, led by Zerubbabel and Jeshua, to rebuild the temple as prophesied by Jeremiah and decreed by King Cyrus. The Israelites gathered in Jerusalem, built the altar, and began constructing the temple, but their progress was hindered by enemies who wrote a letter of accusation to King Artaxerxes, causing the work to be interrupted. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the Israelites to continue building, and King Darius eventually confirmed Cyrus' decree, allowing the temple to be completed in the sixth year of his reign. The book also tells the story of Ezra, a scribe and priest, who was granted permission by King Artaxerxes to lead a group of Israelites from Babylon to Jerusalem, where he enforced the law of God and the law of the king, and dealt with the issue of the people's intermarriage with surrounding nations, leading to a pact to cast aside their foreign wives and children.
Chapter 1
Cyrus, king of the Persians, issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, as prophesied by Jeremiah. He also ordered that those who remained in other places should assist the returning Jews with silver, gold, and goods. The leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites, rose up to build the temple, and they were assisted by those around them with vessels and offerings. Cyrus also returned the vessels of the temple that had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar, which were given to Sheshbazzar, the leader of Judah.
Chapter 2
The people of Israel who returned from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem and Judah are listed, along with their numbers, including the sons of various families, priests, Levites, singing men, gatekeepers, and temple servants. The total number of people who returned was 42,360, not including their servants. Some of the leaders freely offered gold, silver, and priestly vestments to help construct the temple. The people settled in their cities, with the priests, Levites, and other temple personnel living in Jerusalem.
Chapter 3
The Israelites gathered in Jerusalem and built the altar of God, led by Jeshua and Zerubbabel, to offer sacrifices as written in the law of Moses. They kept the solemnity of tabernacles and offered daily holocausts, as well as those on new moons and other solemnities. The people began to work on the temple, with the Levites overseeing the labor, and when the foundation was laid, the priests and Levites praised God with music and hymns. The people rejoiced and wept at the sight of the new temple, with their voices mingling in a great clamor that could be heard from far away.
Chapter 4
The enemies of Judah and Benjamin, who had been living in the area, offered to help the Israelites build the temple, but Zerubbabel and the other leaders refused their assistance. The enemies then began to hinder the Israelites' progress, hiring counselors to argue against their plan and eventually writing a letter of accusation to King Artaxerxes. The king, after reading the letter and searching the historical records, ordered the Israelites to stop building the temple, and the work was interrupted until the second year of the reign of Darius, the king of the Persians.
Chapter 5
The prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged Zerubbabel and Jeshua to build the temple of God in Jerusalem. Tattenai, the governor beyond the river, and his counselors questioned the Jews about their authority to build the temple, and the Jews responded by stating they were servants of the God of heaven and earth, rebuilding the temple that was previously constructed by a great king of Israel. The Jews also explained that the temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, but king Cyrus had issued a decree to rebuild it and had returned the temple vessels. Tattenai and his counselors then wrote to king Darius, asking him to search the king's library to confirm whether Cyrus had indeed ordered the rebuilding of the temple.
Chapter 6
King Darius ordered a search for records regarding the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, and a document was found in Ecbatana that confirmed Cyrus' decree to rebuild the temple. Darius instructed Tattenai, the governor of the region beyond the river, to allow the Jews to rebuild the temple and to provide them with the necessary funds and materials from the king's treasury. The Jews completed the temple in the sixth year of Darius' reign and celebrated its dedication with sacrifices and the appointment of priests and Levites. The Jews then kept the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread, rejoicing that the Lord had made them joyful and had converted the heart of the king to assist them.
Chapter 7
Ezra, a scribe and priest, was granted permission by King Artaxerxes to lead a group of Israelites, priests, and Levites from Babylon to Jerusalem in the seventh year of the king's reign. The king gave Ezra a letter authorizing him to take silver and gold offerings to the temple in Jerusalem and to purchase animals for sacrifices. Artaxerxes also granted Ezra the authority to appoint judges and magistrates to enforce the law of God and the law of the king, and to exempt priests, Levites, and temple servants from taxes and tributes. Ezra was strengthened by God's hand and gathered leaders of Israel to accompany him on the journey.
Chapter 8
The leaders of the families who ascended from Babylon with Ezra are listed, along with the number of men who accompanied each leader. Ezra gathered the people at the river Ahava and sent for Levites to serve in the temple, but initially found none. He then sent messengers to Iddo, who led to them a group of Levites, including Sherebiah and Hashabiah. Ezra proclaimed a fast and the people prayed for a safe journey, and as a result, they prospered. Ezra entrusted a large quantity of silver, gold, and vessels to the priests and Levites to carry to Jerusalem, and they set out on the twelfth day of the first month. After arriving in Jerusalem, they weighed out the silver, gold, and vessels, and the people offered holocausts to God.
Chapter 9
The leaders of Israel informed Ezra that the people, including priests and Levites, had intermarried with the surrounding nations and adopted their abominable practices. Upon hearing this, Ezra was overcome with grief and prayed to God, confessing the people's sins and acknowledging their guilt. He recognized that their disobedience had led to their captivity and suffering, but also acknowledged God's mercy in allowing them to return to Jerusalem. Ezra prayed for God's forgiveness and asked for His continued mercy, acknowledging that they had not followed God's commandments to separate themselves from the surrounding nations.
Chapter 10
While Ezra prayed and wept before the temple, a large assembly gathered around him, and the people wept over their sins, including taking foreign wives. Shecaniah suggested that they make a pact with God to cast aside these wives and their children, and Ezra caused the leaders to swear to do so. A proclamation was sent out for all the exiles to gather in Jerusalem, where Ezra rebuked them for their transgressions and instructed them to separate from their foreign wives. The people agreed, but due to the large number and the rainy season, they decided to appoint leaders to handle the matter in each city. A list of those who had taken foreign wives was compiled, and they were required to cast aside their wives and offer a ram as a sacrifice for their offense.
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