1After this the heads of fathers' houses were chosen to go up, according to their tribes, with their wives and sons and daughters, and their menservants and maidservants, and their cattle. 2And Dari'us sent with them a thousand horsemen to take them back to Jerusalem in safety, with the music of drums and flutes; 3and all their brethren were making merry. And he made them go up with them.

4These are the names of the men who went up, according to their fathers' houses in the tribes, over their groups: 5the priests, the sons of Phin'ehas, son of Aaron; Jeshua the son of Jo'zadak, son of Serai'ah, and Jo'akim the son of Zerub'babel, son of She-al'ti-el, of the house of David, of the lineage of Phares, of the tribe of Judah, 6who spoke wise words before Dari'us the king of the Persians, in the second year of his reign, in the month of Nisan, the first month.

7These are the men of Judea who came up out of their sojourn in captivity, whom Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon 8and who returned to Jerusalem and the rest of Judea, each to his own town. They came with Zerub'babel and Jeshua, Nehemi'ah, Serai'ah, Resa'iah, Big'vai,5.8 Gk Eneneus Mor'decai, Bilshan,5.8 Gk Beelsarus, Mispar,5.8 Gk Aspharasus Re-eli'ah, Rehum, and Ba'anah, their leaders.

9The number of the men of the nation and their leaders: the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two. The sons of Shephati'ah, four hundred and seventy-two. 10The sons of Arah, seven hundred and fifty-six. 11The sons of Pa'hath-mo'ab, of the sons of Jeshua and Jo'ab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve. 12The sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four. The sons of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five. The sons of Chorbe, seven hundred and five. The sons of Bani, six hundred and forty-eight. 13The sons of Be'bai, six hundred and twenty-three. The sons of Azgad, one thousand three hundred and twenty-two. 14The sons of Adoni'kam, six hundred and sixty-seven. The sons of Big'vai, two thousand and sixty-six. The sons of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four. 15The sons of Ater, namely of Hezeki'ah, ninety-two. The sons of Kilan and Aze'tas, sixty-seven. The sons of Azar'u, four hundred and thirty-two. 16The sons of Anni'as, one hundred and one. The sons of Arom. The sons of Be'zai, three hundred and twenty-three. The sons of Jorah,5.16 Gk Arsiphurith one hundred and twelve. 17The sons of Baite'rus, three thousand and five. The sons of Bethlehem,5.17 Gk Bethlomon one hundred and twenty-three. 18The men of Netoph'ah, fifty-five. The men of An'athoth, one hundred and fifty-eight. The men of Beth-as'moth, forty-two. 19The men of Kir'iath-ar'im, twenty-five. The men of Chephi'rah and Be-er'oth, seven hundred and forty-three. 20The Chadi'asans and Ammid'ians, four hundred and twenty-two. The men of Ramah5.20 Gk Kirama and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one. 21The men of Michmas,5.21 Gk Macalon one hundred and twenty-two. The men of Bethel,5.21 Gk Betolio fifty-two. The sons of Magbish,5.21 Gk Niphis, one hundred and fifty-six. 22The sons of the other Elam5.22 Gk Calamolalus and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-five. The sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five. 23The sons of Sena'ah, three thousand three hundred and thirty.

24The priest: the sons of Jedai'ah the son of Jeshua, of the sons of An'asib, nine hundred and seventy-two. The sons of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two. 25The sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven. The sons of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.

26The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kad'mi-el and Bannas and Sudi'as, seventy-four. 27The temple singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and twenty-eight. 28The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hati'ta, the sons of Sho'bai, in all one hundred and thirty-nine.

29The temple servants: the sons of Ziha,5.29 Gk Esau the sons of Hasu'pha, the sons of Tabba'oth, the sons of Keros, the sons of Si'aha,5.29 Gk Sua the sons of Padon, the sons of Leba'nah, the sons of Hag'abah, 30the sons of Akkub, the sons of Uthai, the sons of Ketab, the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai,5.30 Gk Subai the sons of Hana, the sons of Cath'ua, the sons of Gahar,5.30 Gk Geddur 31the sons of Re-a'iah,5.31 Gk Ja'irus the sons of Rezin,5.31 Gk Daisan the sons of Neko'da,5.31 Gk Noeba the sons of Chezib, the sons of Gazzam,5.31 Gk Gazera the sons of Uzza, the sons of Pase'ah,5.31 Gk Phinoe the sons of Hasrah, the sons of Besai,5.31 Gk Basthai the sons of Asnah, the sons of the Me-u'nites,5.31 Gk Maani, the sons of Nephi'sim, the sons of Bakbuk,5.31 Gk Acub or Acuph or Acum the sons of Haku'pha, the sons of Asur, the sons of Phar'akim, the sons of Bazluth, 32the sons of Mehi'da, the sons of Cutha, the sons of Char'ea, the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sis'era,5.32 Gk Serar the sons of Temah, the sons of Nezi'ah, the sons of Hati'pha.

33The sons of Solomon's servants: the sons of Hasso'phereth,5.33 Gk Assaphioth the sons of Peru'da, the sons of Ja'alah, the sons of Lozon, the sons of Giddel,5.33 Gk Isdael the sons of Shephati'ah, 34the sons of Hattil,5.34 Gk Agi'a the sons of Po'chereth-hazzeba'im, the sons of Saro'thie, the sons of Masi'ah, the sons of Gas, the sons of Addus, the sons of Subas, the sons of Apher'ra, the sons of Baro'dis, the sons of Shaphat, the sons of Ami.5.34 Gk Allon

35All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants were three hundred and seventy-two.

36The following are those who came up from Tel-me'lah5.36 Gk Thermeleth and Tel-har'sha, under the leadership of Cherub, Addan, and Immer, 37though they could not prove by their fathers' houses or lineage that they belonged to Israel: the sons of Dela'iah the son of Tobi'ah, the sons of Neko'da, six hundred and fifty-two.

38Of the priests the following had assumed the priesthood but were not found registered: the sons of Habai'ah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Jaddus who had married Agi'a, one of the daughters of Barzil'lai, and was called by his name. 39And when the genealogy of these men was sought in the register and was not found, they were excluded from serving as priests. 40And Nehemi'ah and Atthari'as5.40 Or the governor told them not to share in the holy things until a high priest should appear wearing Urim and Thummim.5.40 Gk Manifestation and Truth

41All those of Israel, twelve or more years of age, besides menservants and maidservants, were forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty; 42their menservants and maidservants were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; there were two hundred and forty-five musicians and singers. 43There were four hundred and thirty-five camels, and seven thousand and thirty-six horses, two hundred and forty-five mules, and five thousand five hundred and twenty-five asses.

44Some of the heads of families, when they came to the temple of God which is in Jerusalem, vowed that they would erect the house on its site, to the best of their ability, 45and that they would give to the sacred treasury for the work a thousand minas of gold, five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priests' garments.

46The priests, the Levites, and some of the people5.46 Or those who sere of the people settled in Jerusalem and its vicinity; and the temple singers, the gatekeepers, and all Israel in their towns.

47When the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were each in his own home, they gathered as one man in the square before the first gate toward the east. 48Then Jeshua the son of Jo'zadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerub'babel the son of She-al'ti-el, with his kinsmen, took their places and prepared the altar of the God of Israel, 49to offer burnt offerings upon it, in accordance with the directions in the book of Moses the man of God. 50And some joined them from the other peoples of the land. And they erected the altar in its place, for all the peoples of the land were hostile to them and were stronger than they; and they offered sacrifices at the proper times and burnt offerings to the Lord morning and evening. 51They kept the feast of booths, as it is commanded in the law, and offered the proper sacrifices every day, 52and thereafter the continual offerings and sacrifices on sabbaths and at new moons and at all the consecrated feasts. 53And all who had made any vow to God began to offer sacrifices to God, from the new moon of the seventh month, though the temple of God was not yet built. 54And they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food and drink 55and carts5.55 The Greek text is uncertain at this point to the Sido'nians and the Tyr'ians, to bring cedar logs from Lebanon and convey them in rafts to the harbour of Joppa, according to the decree which they had in writing from Cyrus king of the Persians.

56In the second year after their coming to the temple of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerub'babel the son of She-al'ti-el and Jeshua the son of Jo'zadak made a beginning, together with their brethren and the Levitical priests and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity; 57and they laid the foundation of the temple of God on the new moon of the second month in the second year after they came to Judea and Jerusalem. 58And they appointed the Levites who were twenty or more years of age to have charge of the work of the Lord. And Jeshua arose, and his sons and brethren and Kad'mi-el his brother and the sons of Jeshua Emada'bun and the sons of Joda son of Ilia'dun, with their sons and brethren, all the Levites, as one man pressing forward the work on the house of God.

So the builders built the temple of the Lord. 59And the priests stood arrayed in their garments, with musical instruments and trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, 60praising the Lord and blessing him, according to the directions of David king of Israel; 61and they sang hymns, giving thanks to the Lord, because his goodness and his glory are for ever upon all Israel. 62And all the people sounded trumpets and shouted with a great shout, praising the Lord for the erection of the house of the Lord. 63Some of the Levitical priests and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the former house, came to the building of this one with outcries and loud weeping, 64while many came with trumpets and a joyful noise, 65so that the people could not hear the trumpets because of the weeping of the people.

For the multitude sounded the trumpets loudly, so that the sound was heard afar; 66and when the enemies of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin heard it, they came to find out what the sound of the trumpets meant. 67And they learned that those who had returned from captivity were building the temple for the Lord God of Israel. 68So they approached Zerub'babel and Jeshua and the heads of the fathers' houses and said to them, “We will build with you. 69For we obey your Lord just as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of E'sar-had'don5.69 Gk Asbasareth king of the Assyrians, who brought us here.” 70But Zerub'babel and Jeshua and the heads of the fathers' houses in Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building the house for the Lord our God, 71for we alone will build it for the Lord of Israel, as Cyrus the king of the Persians has commanded us.” 72But the peoples of the land pressed hard5.72 The Greek text is uncertain at this point upon those in Judea, cut off their supplies, and hindered their building; 73and by plots and demagoguery and uprisings they prevented the completion of the building as long as King Cyrus lived. And they were kept from building for two years, until the reign of Dari'us.