Open English Translation EZRA Chapter 3

3 In the seventh month, the Israelis from their various cities, gathered together in unity in Yerushalem. 2 Then Yotsadak’s son Yeshua and his brothers the priests, and Shealti’el’s son Zerubavel and his brothers, and they built the altar to offer up burnt offerings to Israel’s God on it as is written in the law of Mosheh, the man of God.[ref] 3 They set the altar up on its foundation because they were worried about trouble from some of the other people groups in the region. Then they offered burnt offerings to Yahweh on it as well as the regular morning and evening burnt offerings.[ref] 4 Then they observed the Celebration in Shelters as per the written instructions[ref] with a burnt offering each day as required. 5 After that was over, they kept up the regular burnt offerings, plus those for the new moons and other times that Yahweh required, as well as any free-will offerings to Yahweh.[ref] 6 Even though the temple foundation rebuilding hadn’t started yet, the people started sacrificing burnt offerings to Yahweh from the beginning of October.

7 They donated cash to the stone-workers and carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the workers from Tsidon (Sidon) and Tsor (Tyre) to float cedar logs along the coast from Lebananon into Port Yafo (Joppa) with the permission of Persian King Koresh (Cyrus).

8 In the second month of second year since their return to Yerushalem, Shealtiel’s son Zerubavel and Yotsadak’s son Yeshua, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and everyone except who’d returned to Yerushalem from captivity, began work on God’s residence, and they appointed the Levites who were twenty and over to act as overseers for the work of rebuilding Yahweh’s temple. 9 And Yeshua with his brothers and their sons, Kadmiel and his sons, (all descendants of Yehudah) cooperated to act as overseers for those doing the work at the temple together with Henadad’s sons and grandsons, and their brothers the Levites.

10 When the builders had laid the foundation of Yahweh’s temple, they got the priests to stand there in their robes with their trumpets, and Asaf’s descendants (who were Levites) with their cymbals, to praise Yahweh using the rhythms composed by David, the former Israeli king.[ref] 11 Then they sang in response—praising and thanking Yahweh: “Yes, he is good, because his loyal commitment to Israel will continue forever.”

Then all the people shouted a great shout in praise to Yahweh because the foundation of Yahweh’s temple had been laid.[ref] 12 Many of the older priests and Levites, and clan leaders who’d seen the first temple, wept loudly when they witnessed the founding of this one, but others were shouting happily with loud voices. 13 So the people couldn’t differentiate the happy sounds from the sound of the people weeping, because the people were shouting very loudly and it could be heard from far away.