Cyrus Commands the Jews to Return

¹In the first year that Cyrus of Persia was emperor, the Lord made what he had said through the prophet Jeremiah come true. He prompted Cyrus to issue the following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud everywhere in his empire:

²“This is the command of Cyrus, Emperor of Persia. The Lord, the God of Heaven, has made me ruler over the whole world and has given me the responsibility of building a temple for him in Jerusalem in Judah.

³May God be with all of you who are his people. You are to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is worshiped in Jerusalem.

⁴If any of his people in exile need help to return, their neighbors are to give them this help. They are to provide them with silver and gold, supplies and pack animals, as well as offerings to present in the Temple of God in Jerusalem.”

⁵Then the heads of the clans of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and Levites, and everyone else whose heart God had moved got ready to go and rebuild the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem.

⁶All their neighbors helped them by giving them many things: silver utensils, gold, supplies, pack animals, other valuables, and offerings for the Temple.

⁷Emperor Cyrus gave them back the bowls and cups that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and had put in the temple of his gods.

⁸He handed them over to Mithredath, chief of the royal treasury, who made an inventory of them for Sheshbazzar, the governor of Judah,

^9-10as follows: gold bowls for offerings 30 silver bowls for offerings 1,000 other bowls 29 small gold bowls 30 small silver bowls 410 other utensils 1,000

¹¹In all there were 5,400 gold and silver bowls and other articles which Sheshbazzar took with him when he and the other exiles went from Babylon to Jerusalem.

The List of Those Who Returned from Exile

¹Many of the exiles left the province of Babylon and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, all to their own hometowns. Their families had been living in exile in Babylonia ever since King Nebuchadnezzar had taken them there as prisoners.

²Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the list of the clans of Israel, with the number of those from each clan who returned from exile:

^3-20Parosh - 2,172 Shephatiah - 372 Arah - 775 Pahath Moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) - 2,812 Elam - 1,254 Zattu - 945 Zaccai - 760 Bani - 642 Bebai - 623 Azgad - 1,222 Adonikam - 666 Bigvai - 2,056 Adin - 454 Ater (also called Hezekiah) - 98 Bezai - 323 Jorah - 112 Hashum - 223 Gibbar - 95

^21-35People whose ancestors had lived in the following towns also returned: Bethlehem - 123 Netophah - 56 Anathoth - 128 Azmaveth - 42 Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth - 743 Ramah and Geba - 621 Michmash - 122 Bethel and Ai - 223 Nebo - 52 Magbish - 156 The other Elam - 1,254 Harim - 320 Lod, Hadid, and Ono - 725 Jericho - 345 Senaah - 3,630

^36-39This is the list of the priestly clans that returned from exile: Jedaiah (descendants of Jeshua) - 973 Immer - 1,052 Pashhur - 1,247 Harim - 1,017

^40-42Clans of Levites who returned from exile: Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah) - 74 Temple musicians (descendants of Asaph) - 128 Temple guards (descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai) - 139

^43-54Clans of Temple workers who returned from exile: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, Keros, Siaha, Padon, Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, Hagab, Shamlai, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, Besai, Asnah, Meunim, Nephisim, Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Temah, Neziah, and Hatipha

^55-57Clans of Solomon's servants who returned from exile: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel, Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth Hazzebaim, and Ami

⁵⁸The total number of descendants of the Temple workers and of Solomon's servants who returned from exile was 392.

^59-60There were 652 belonging to the clans of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda who returned from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not prove that they were descendants of Israelites.

^61-62The following priestly clans could find no record to prove their ancestry: Habaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai. (The ancestor of the priestly clan of Barzillai had married a woman from the clan of Barzillai of Gilead and had taken the name of his father-in-law's clan.) Since they were unable to prove who their ancestors were, they were not accepted as priests.

⁶³The Jewish governor told them that they could not eat the food offered to God until there was a priest who could use the Urim and Thummim.

^64-67Total number of exiles who returned - 42,360 Their male and female servants - 7,337 Male and female musicians - 200 Horses - 736 Mules - 245 Camels - 435 Donkeys - 6,720

⁶⁸When the exiles arrived at the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem, some of the leaders of the clans gave freewill offerings to help rebuild the Temple on its old site.

⁶⁹They gave as much as they could for this work, and the total came to 1,030 pounds of gold, 5,740 pounds of silver, and 100 robes for priests.

⁷⁰The priests, the Levites, and some of the people settled in or near Jerusalem; the musicians, the Temple guards, and the Temple workers settled in nearby towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in the towns where their ancestors had lived.

The Lord's Command to Rebuild the Temple

¹During the second year that Darius was emperor of Persia, on the first day of the sixth month, the Lord spoke through the prophet Haggai. The message was for the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and for the High Priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak.

²The Lord Almighty said to Haggai, “These people say that this is not the right time to rebuild the Temple.”

³The Lord then gave this message to the people through the prophet Haggai:

⁴“My people, why should you be living in well-built houses while my Temple lies in ruins?

⁵Don't you see what is happening to you?

⁶You have planted much grain, but have harvested very little. You have food to eat, but not enough to make you full. You have wine to drink, but not enough to get drunk on! You have clothing, but not enough to keep you warm. And workers cannot earn enough to live on.

⁷Can't you see why this has happened?

⁸Now go up into the hills, get lumber, and rebuild the Temple; then I will be pleased and will be worshiped as I should be.

⁹“You hoped for large harvests, but they turned out to be small. And when you brought the harvest home, I blew it away. Why did I do that? Because my Temple lies in ruins while every one of you is busy working on your own house.

¹⁰That is why there is no rain and nothing can grow.

¹¹I have brought drought on the land—on its hills, grainfields, vineyards, and olive orchards—on every crop the ground produces, on people and animals, on everything you try to grow.”

The People Obey the Lord's Command

¹²Then Zerubbabel and Joshua and all the people who had returned from the exile in Babylonia, did what the Lord their God told them to do. They were afraid and obeyed the prophet Haggai, the Lord's messenger.

¹³Then Haggai gave the Lord's message to the people: “I will be with you—that is my promise.”

¹⁴The Lord inspired everyone to work on the Temple: Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah; Joshua, the High Priest, and all the people who had returned from the exile. They began working on the Temple of the Lord Almighty, their God,

¹⁵on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was emperor.

The Splendor of the New Temple

¹On the twenty-first day of the seventh month of that same year, the Lord spoke again through the prophet Haggai.

²He told Haggai to speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, to Joshua, the High Priest, and to the people, and to say to them,

³“Is there anyone among you who can still remember how splendid the Temple used to be? How does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all.

⁴But now don't be discouraged, any of you. Do the work, for I am with you.

⁵When you came out of Egypt, I promised that I would always be with you. I am still with you, so do not be afraid.

⁶“Before long I will shake heaven and earth, land and sea.

⁷I will overthrow all the nations, and their treasures will be brought here, and the Temple will be filled with wealth.

⁸All the silver and gold of the world is mine.

⁹The new Temple will be more splendid than the old one, and there I will give my people prosperity and peace.” The Lord Almighty has spoken.

The Prophet Consults the Priests

¹⁰On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the second year that Darius was emperor, the Lord Almighty spoke again to the prophet Haggai.

¹¹He said, “Ask the priests for a ruling on this question:

¹²Suppose someone takes a piece of consecrated meat from a sacrifice and carries it in a fold of his robe. If he then lets his robe touch any bread, cooked food, wine, olive oil, or any kind of food at all, will it make that food consecrated also?” When the question was asked, the priests answered, “No.”

¹³Then Haggai asked, “Suppose someone is defiled because he has touched a dead body. If he then touches any of these foods, will that make them defiled too?” The priests answered, “Yes.”

¹⁴Then Haggai said, “The Lord says that the same thing applies to the people of this nation and to everything they produce; and so everything they offer on the altar is defiled.”

The Lord Promises His Blessing

¹⁵The Lord says, “Can't you see what has happened to you? Before you started to rebuild the Temple,

¹⁶you would go to a pile of grain expecting to find twenty bushels, but there would be only ten. You would go to draw fifty gallons of wine from a vat, but find only twenty.

¹⁷I sent scorching winds and hail to ruin everything you tried to grow, but still you did not repent.

¹⁸Today is the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day that the foundation of the Temple has been completed. See what is going to happen from now on.

¹⁹Although there is no grain left, and the grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced, yet from now on I will bless you.”

The Lord's Promise to Zerubbabel

²⁰On that same day, the twenty-fourth of the month, the Lord gave Haggai a second message

²¹for Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah: “I am about to shake heaven and earth

²²and overthrow kingdoms and end their power. I will overturn chariots and their drivers; the horses will die, and their riders will kill one another.

²³On that day I will take you, Zerubbabel my servant, and I will appoint you to rule in my name. You are the one I have chosen.” The Lord Almighty has spoken.

¹Drinking too much makes you loud and foolish. It's stupid to get drunk.

²Fear an angry king as you would a growling lion; making him angry is suicide.

³Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them.