The Decree of Cyrus 1 Inthe first year of Cyrus king of Persia,the word of theLordspoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled.TheLordput it into the mindof King Cyrus to issue a proclamation…

The Exiles Who Returned 1 Thesenow are the people of the province who came from those captive exiles King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonhad deported to Babylon.They returned to Jerusalem and Judah,…

Sacrifice Restored 1 By the seventh month,the Israelites had settled in their towns, and the people gathered together in Jerusalem. 2 Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests…

Opposition to Rebuilding the Temple 1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjaminheard that the returned exileswere building a temple for Yahweh, the God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel…

1 But when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddoprophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was…

Darius’s Search 1 King Darius gave the order, and they searchedin the library of Babylon in the archives. 2 But it was in the fortress of Ecbatana in the province…

Ezra’s Arrival 1 After these events, during the reign of King Artaxerxesof Persia, Ezra — Seraiah’sson, Azariah’s son, Hilkiah’sson, 2 Shallum’s son, Zadok’sson, Ahitub’s son, 3 Amariah’s son, Azariah’s son,…

Those Returning with Ezra 1 These are the family leaders and the genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2 Gershom,…

Israel’s Intermarriage with Pagans 1 After these things had been done, the leaders approached me and said: “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselvesfrom…

Sending Away Foreign Wives 1 While Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and falling facedownbefore the house of God, an extremely large assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around…