CHAPTER 3
By the seventh
month,
the Israelites
had settled
in their towns,
and the people
assembled
as one
man
in
Jerusalem.
Then Jeshua
son
of Jozadak
and his fellow
priests,
along with Zerubbabel
son
of Shealtiel
and his associates,
began
to build
the altar
of the God
of Israel
to sacrifice
burnt offerings
on it,
as it is written
in the law
of Moses,
the man
of God.
They set up
the altar
on
its foundation
and sacrificed
burnt offerings
upon it
to the LORD—
both the morning
and evening
burnt offerings—
even though
they feared
the people
of the land.
They also celebrated
the Feast
of Tabernacles,
as it is written,
and offered burnt offerings
daily,
based on the number
prescribed
for each day.
After that,
they presented the regular
burnt offerings
and those for New Moons
and for all
the appointed
sacred feasts
of the LORD,
as well as all
the freewill offerings
brought
to the LORD.
On the first
day
of the seventh
month,
the Israelites began
to offer
burnt offerings
to the LORD,
although the foundation of the temple
of the LORD
had not been laid.
They gave
money
to the masons
and carpenters,
and food
and drink
and oil
to the people of Sidon
and Tyre
to bring
cedar
logs
from
Lebanon
to
Joppa
by sea,
as authorized
by King
Cyrus
of Persia.
In the second
month
of the second
year
after they had arrived
at
the house
of God
in Jerusalem,
Zerubbabel
son
of Shealtiel,
Jeshua
son
of Jozadak,
and the rest
of their associates
including the priests,
the Levites,
and all
who had returned
to Jerusalem
from the captivity,
began the work.
They appointed
Levites
twenty
years of age
or older
to supervise
the construction
of the house
of the LORD.
Jeshua
and his sons
and brothers
joined
together
with Kadmiel
and his sons,
the descendants
of Yehudah,
and with the sons
of Henadad
and their sons
and brothers—
all Levites—
to supervise
those working
on the house
of God.
When the builders
had laid the foundation
of the temple
of the LORD,
the priests
in their apparel
with trumpets,
and the Levites
(the sons
of Asaph)
with cymbals,
took their positions
to praise
the LORD,
as
King
David
of Israel
had prescribed.
And they sang responsively
with praise
and thanksgiving
to the LORD:
“For
He is good;
for
His loving devotion
upon
Israel
endures forever.”
Then all
the people
gave a great
shout
of praise
to the LORD,
because the foundation
of the house
of the LORD
had been laid.
But many
of the older
priests,
Levites,
and family
heads
who
had seen
the first
temple
wept
loudly
when they saw
the foundation
of this
temple.
Still, many
others shouted
joyfully.
The people
could not
distinguish
the shouts
of joy
from the sound
of weeping,
because
the people
were making so much noise.
And the sound
was heard
from
afar.