Temple Restoration Begins

8 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. 9 So Jeshua and his sons and brothers, Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Yehudah),[fn] and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together to supervise those working on the house of God.

10 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 David king of Israel had prescribed. 11 And they sang responsively with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD:

“For He is good;

for His loving devotion [fn] to 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.

12 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. 13 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.