PDF for Ezra 1-4

15-EZR.usfm

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 \v 3 Whoever is from his people (may his God be with him) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.
-\v 4 People of any part of the kingdom where survivors of that land are living should provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, as well as a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem."
+\v 4 People of any part of the kingdom where survivors of that land are living as foreigners should provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, as well as a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem."
 
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-\v 1 It was the seventh month after the people of Israel came back to their cities, when they gathered together as one man in Jerusalem.
+\v 1 It was the seventh month after the descendants of Israel came back to their cities, when the people gathered together as one man in Jerusalem.
 \v 2 Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brothers rose up and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
 
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-\v 3 Then they established the altar on its stand, for dread was on them because of the people of the land. They offered burnt offerings to Yahweh at dawn and evening.
+\v 3 Then they established the altar on its stand, for terror was on them because of the people of the land. They offered burnt offerings to Yahweh at dawn and evening.
 \v 4 They also observed the Festival of Shelters as it is written and offered burnt offerings day by day according to the decree, each day's duty on its day.
-\v 5 Accordingly, there were daily burnt offerings and monthly ones and offerings for all the fixed feasts of Yahweh, along with all the freewill offerings.
+\v 5 Accordingly, there were daily burnt offerings, offerings for the new moons, and offerings for all the fixed feasts of Yahweh that had been consecrated, as well as freewill offerings from all those who offered them to Yahweh.
 
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 \v 6 They began to offer up burnt offerings to Yahweh on the first day of the seventh month, although the temple had not been founded.
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-\v 8 Then in the second month of the second year after they came to the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, the rest of the priests, the Levites, and those who came from captivity back to Jerusalem began the work. They assigned the Levites twenty years old and older to oversee the work of the house of Yahweh.
+\v 8 Then in the second month of the second year after they came to the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and those who came from captivity back to Jerusalem began the work. They assigned the Levites twenty years old and older to oversee the work of the house of Yahweh.
-\v 9 Jeshua and his sons and brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, who were descendants of Hodaviah), and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers-all of them were Levites-joined together in supervising those working on the house of God. \f + \ft There are some textual issues here regarding the phrase \fqa the sons of Judah \fqa* or \fqa the descendants of Hodviah \fqa* and other matters. \f* 
+\v 9 Jeshua and his sons and brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, who were descendants of Hodaviah), and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers-all of them were Levites-joined together in overseeing those working on the house of God. \f + \ft There are some textual issues here regarding the phrase \fqa the sons of Judah \fqa* or \fqa the descendants of Hodaviah \fqa* and other matters. \f* 
 
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-\v 10 The builders laid a foundation for the house of Yahweh. This enabled the priests to stand in their garments with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, to praise Yahweh with cymbals, just as the hand of David, king of Israel had commanded.
+\v 10 The builders laid a foundation for the temple of Yahweh. This enabled the priests to stand in their garments with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, to praise Yahweh with cymbals, just as the hand of David, king of Israel had commanded.
 \v 11 They sang with praise and thankfulness to Yahweh, "He is good! His covenant faithfulness to Israel endures forever." All the people cried out with a great shout of joy in praise of Yahweh because the temple's foundations had been laid.
 
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 \v 2 So they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of their ancestors' clans. They said to them, "Let us build with you, for, like you, we seek your God and have sacrificed to him since the days when Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, brought us to this place."
 
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-\v 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the heads of their ancestors' clans said, "It is not you, but we who must build the house of our God, for it is we who will build for Yahweh, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded."
+\v 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of their ancestors' clans said, "It is not you, but we who must build the house of our God, for it is we who will build for Yahweh, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded."
 
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-\v 4 So the people of the land made the Judeans' hands weak; they made the Judeans afraid to build.
+\v 4 So the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah; they made the Judeans afraid to build.
 \v 5 They also bribed counselors to frustrate their plans. They did this during all of Cyrus's days and into the reign of Darius king of Persia.
 \v 6 Then at the beginning of Ahasuerus's \f + \ft Also known as \fqa Xerxes \fqa* . \f* reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
 
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-\v 7 It was during the days of Artaxerxes that Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their companions wrote to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.
+\v 7 It was during the days of Artaxerxes that Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their companions wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.
-\v 8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote this way to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem.
+\v 8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote this way to King Artaxerxes about Jerusalem.
 
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-\v 9 Then Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, who were judges and other officers in the government, the Persians, men from Erech and Babylon, and the men from Susa (that is, the Elamites)—they wrote a letter—
+\v 9 Then Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and their other companions, who were judges and other officers in the government, the Persians, men from Erech and Babylon, and the men from Susa (that is, the Elamites)—they wrote a letter—
-\v 10 and they were joined by the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal forced to settle in Samaria, along with the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River.
+\v 10 and they were joined by the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal exiled and forced to settle in Samaria, along with the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River.
 
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-\v 11 This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes: "Your servants, men of the Province Beyond the River, write this:
+\v 11 This is a copy of the letter that they sent to him: "To King Artaxerxes, your servants, men of the Province Beyond the River, write this:
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 \v 12 Let the king know that the Jews who went from you have come against us in Jerusalem to build a rebellious city. They have completed the walls and repaired the foundations.
 
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-\v 13 Now let the king know that if this city is built and the wall is completed, they will not give any tribute and taxes, but they will harm the kings.
+\v 13 Now let the king know that if this city is built and the wall is completed, they will not give any tribute, taxes, or tolls, and that will harm the treasury of the kings.
 
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-\v 14 Surely because we have eaten the palace salt, it is not fitting for us to see any dishonor happen to the king. It is because of this that we are informing the king
+\v 14 Surely because we have eaten the palace salt, it is not fitting for us to see any dishonor happen to the king. It is because of this that we are sending this to inform to the king
-\v 15 to search your father's record and to verify that this is a rebellious city that will harm kings and provinces. It has caused many problems to the kings and provinces. It has been a center for rebellion from long ago. It was for this reason that the city was destroyed.
+\v 15 to search your father's record books and to learn that this is a rebellious city that will harm kings and provinces. It has caused many problems to the kings and provinces. It has been a center for rebellion from long ago. It was for this reason that the city was destroyed.
 \v 16 We are informing the king that if this city and wall are built, then there will be nothing remaining for you in the Province Beyond the River."
 
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-\v 17 So the king sent out a reply to Rehum and Shimshai and their companions in Samaria and the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River: "May peace be yours.
+\v 17 So the king sent out a reply to Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and their companions in Samaria and the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River: "May peace be yours.
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 \v 18 The letter that you sent me has been translated and read to me.
-\v 19 So I ordered an investigation and discovered that in previous days they had rebelled and revolted against kings.
+\v 19 So a command was given by me, and they searched and found that for a long time that city has risen up against kings, and rebellion and revolt have been made in it.
 
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-\v 20 Mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and had power over everything in the Province Beyond the River. Tribute and taxes were paid to them.
+\v 20 Mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and had power over everything in the Province Beyond the River. Tribute, taxes, and tolls were paid to them.
 \v 21 Now, make a decree for these men to stop and not build this city until I make a decree.
 \v 22 Be careful not to neglect this. Why allow this threat to grow and cause more loss for the royal interests?
 
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-\v 23 When King Artaxerxes's decree was read before Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, they went out quickly to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop building.
+\v 23 When King Artaxerxes's decree was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went out quickly to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop building.
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 \v 24 So the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
 
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 \v 14 I, the king, and my seven counselors, send you all out to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to God's law, which is in your hand.
-\v 15 You are to bring the silver and gold that they have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem.
+\v 15 You are to bring the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem.
 \v 16 Freely give all the silver and gold that all of Babylon has given along with what is freely offered by the people and the priests for the house of God in Jerusalem.
 
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 \v 19 Place the objects that were freely given to you before him for the service of the house of your God in Jerusalem.
-\v 20 Anything else that is needed for the house of your God that you require, take its cost from my treasury.
+\v 20 Anything else that is needed for the house of your God that you require, take its cost from the royal treasury.
 
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 \v 21 I, King Artaxerxes, make a decree to all the treasurers in the Province Beyond the River, that anything that Ezra asks from you should be given in full,
 \v 22 up to one hundred silver talents, one hundred cors of grain, one hundred baths of wine, and one hundred baths of oil, also salt without limit.
-\v 23 Anything that comes from the decree of the God of Heaven, do it with devotion for his house. For why should his wrath come upon the kingdom of me and my sons?
+\v 23 Anything that comes from the decree of the God of Heaven, do it with devotion for his house. For why should his wrath come upon the kingdom of the king and his sons?
 
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 \v 24 We are informing them about you not to impose any tribute or taxes on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, or on the people assigned to the service of the temple and servants of the house of this God.