1 Now when the seventh month came, and ANeh 7:73; 8:1the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then ANeh 12:1, 8Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and BEzra 2:2; Hag 1:1; 2:2Zerubbabel the son C1 Chr 3:17of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and DEx 27:1built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, EDeut 12:5, 6as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. 3 So they set up the altar on its foundation, for 1Lit terror was upon themAEzra 4:4they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they BNum 28:2offered burnt offerings on it to the Loʀᴅ, burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 They celebrated the ANeh 8:14; Zech 14:16Feast of 1Or TabernaclesBooths, BEx 23:16as it is written, and offered 2Lit by numberthe fixed number of burnt offerings daily, CNum 29:12according to the ordinance, as each day required; 5 and afterward there was a AEx 29:38; Num 28:3continual burnt offering, also BNum 28:11for the new moons and CNum 29:39for all the fixed festivals of the Loʀᴅ that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewill offering to the Loʀᴅ. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Loʀᴅ, but the foundation of the temple of the Loʀᴅ had not been laid. 7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and A2 Chr 2:10; Acts 12:20food, drink and oil to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians, B2 Chr 2:16to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at CActs 9:36Joppa, according to the permission they had 1Lit offrom DEzra 1:2; 6:3Cyrus king of Persia.

8 Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem in the second month, AEzra 3:2; 4:3Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and B1 Chr 23:4, 24appointed the Levites from twenty years and older to oversee the work of the house of the Loʀᴅ. 9 Then AEzra 2:40Jeshua with his sons and brothers stood united with Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of 1In Ezra 2:40, HodaviahJudah and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brothers the Levites, to oversee the workmen in the temple of God.

10 Now when the builders had AZech 4:6-10laid the foundation of the temple of the Loʀᴅ, 1So with the Gr and some mss; M.T. they set the prieststhe priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Loʀᴅ B1 Chr 6:31; 25:1according to the 2Lit handsdirections of King David of Israel. 11 A2 Chr 7:3; Neh 12:24, 40They sang, praising and giving thanks to the Loʀᴅ, saying, “B1 Chr 16:34; 2 Chr 5:13; Ps 100:5; 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 131:1; Jer 33:11For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Loʀᴅ because the foundation of the house of the Loʀᴅ was laid. 12 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, AHag 2:3the old men who had seen the first 1Lit housetemple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.