ZERUBABBEL, I—VI.

AND

EZAR, VII-X.

CHAP I.

THE PROCLAMATION OF CYRUS.

Now, in the first year of Cyrus,king of Persia, that what the Eternal spoke by Jeremiah might be fulfilled, he stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, to make a proclamation thro' all his kingdom, and issue it al so in writing, saying, 2. Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia, The Eternal God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and charged me, (by his prophet), to build him an house at Jerusalem in Judah; 3. Who is there of all his people among you? his God be with him, and let him go thither, and build the Eternal God of Israel's house; he is the true God, whose temple was in Jerusalem. 4. And whoever remaineth sojourning in any place, let the men of his place help him with silver, gold, goods, and with beasts, besides the free-will offering for God's house, in Jerusalem.

5. Then arose the chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites, with all those whose spirit God stirred up, to go to build his house in Jerusalem. 6. And all who were about

them helped them with utensils of silver, with gold, with goods, beasts, and precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.

7. The vessels of the Eternal's house, which Nebuchadnezzar brought from Jerusalem, and put into the house of his gods, 8. Cyrus caused Mithredath the treasurer, bring out, who numbered them out to Sheshbazzar (i. e. Zerubbabel), the prince of Judad. 9. Their number was thirty golden bowls, a thousand silver ones, and twenty-nine knives; 10. Thirty golden basons; four hundred and ten silver ones of a second sort, and other vessels a thousand. 11. All the golden and silver vessels were five thousand and four hundred, all which Sheshbazzar brought with them of the captivity, who came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

CHAP. II.

THE NUMBER THAT RETURNED.

Now these are the people born in the provinces (of Mesopotamia), that came from the captivity, which Nebuchadnezzar carried to Babylon, who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city; 2. With Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reeliah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of Judah were these. 3. The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred and seventy-two. 4. The children of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two. 5. The children of Arab, seven hundred and seventyfive. 6. The children of Pahath-moab, of the posterity of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve. 7. The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four. 8. The children of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five. 9. The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty. 10. The children of Bani, six hundred and forty-two. 11.. The children of Bebai, six hundred and twenty.

three. 12. The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred and twenty-two. 13. The children of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six. 14. Thẹ children of Bigvai, two thousand and fifty-six. 15. The children of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four. 16. The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight. 17. The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three. 18. The children of Jorah an hundred and twelve. 19. The children of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three. 20. The children of Gibbar, ninety-five. 21. The children of Beth-lehem, an hundred and twenty-three. 22. The men of Netophah, fifty-six. 23. The men of Anathoth, an hundred and twenty-eight. 24. The children of Azmaveth, forty-two. 25. The children of Kirjathaim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three. 26. The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred and twenty-one. 27. The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty-two. 28. The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twentythree. 29. The children of Nebo, fifty-two. 30. The children of Magbish, an hundred and fifty-six. 31. The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four. 32. The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty. 33. The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twentyfive. 34. The children of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five. 35. The children of Senaah, three thousand six hundred and thirty.

36. The priests: the children of Jedaiah of Jeshuah's house, nine hundred and seventythree. 37. The children of Immer, a thousand and fifty-two. 38. The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred and forty-seven. 39. The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

40. The Levites: the children of Jeshua, and Kadmiel, of Hodaviah's children, seventy-four. 41. The singers: The children of Asaph, an hundred and twenty-eight.

42. The children of the doorkeepers: namely, of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, Shobai, in all an hundred and thirty-nine.

43. The Nethinims, or Gibeonites, (Josh. ix.) were the children of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, 44. Keros, Siaha, Padon, 45. Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, 46. Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, 47. Gidde, Gahar, Reaiah, 48. Resin, Nekode, Gazzam, 49. Uzza, Paseah, Bezai, 50. Asnah, Mehunim, Nephusim, 51. Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, 52. Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, 53. Barkos, Sisera, Thamah, 54. Nezia, Hatipha.

55. The children of Solomon's servants, (prose lytes), namely, of Sotai, Sophereth, Peruda, 56. Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel, 57. Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth of Zebaim, Ami, 58. All the Nethinims, (or assistants,) and the children of Solomon's servants were three hundred and ninety-two. 59. These came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsah, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not shew their father's house, and their pedigree, whether they were of Israel: 60. The children of Delaiah, Tobiah, Nekoda, six hundred and fifty-two.

61. And of the posterity of the priests: the children of Hanaiah, Koz, and Barzillai, who married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite; and was called by their name; 62. These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but were not found; therefore they were (as polluted), put from the priesthood. 63. And the Tirshatha, (governor,) forbade them to eat of the most holy things, till a priest arose with urim and thummim.

64. The whole congregation together was fortytwo thousand three hundred and sixty, 65. Besides their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women. 68. Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six; their mules, two hundred

and forty-five; 67. Their camels, four hundred and thirty-five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

68. And some of the chief fathers, when come to the Eternal's house at Jerusalem, offered freely to set it up in its place: 69. Giving, according to their ability, to the treasure of the work, sixty-one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests' garments. 70. So the priests and the Levites, and some of the people, the singers, the doorkeepers, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all those of Israel in their cities.

CHAP. III.

THE TEMPLE'S FOUNDATION LAID.

AFTER the Israelites were six months in their cities, they assembled as one man to Jerusalem. 2. Then stood up Joshua, son of Jozadak, with his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer holocausts thereon, according to the law of Moses the man of God. 3. As soon as they set the altar upon its bases, because they feared the people of those countries, they offered holocausts thereon to the Eternal, morning and evening: 4. They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is writ ten, (Exod. xxiii. 16.) and offered the daily holocausts by number, according to custom, as the duty of every day required; 5. And after that the continual holocaust, and the consecrated things of the new moons, and of all the stated feasts of the Eternal, and of every one that offered a free-will offering to the Eternal. 6. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer holocausts to the Eternal, when the foundation of his temple was not laid. 7. They gave money also to the masons and carpenters; and meat, drink, and oil, to the Zidonians and Tyrians, to bring cedar trees