EzraChapter 3
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1By the seventh month, the Israelites had settled in their towns. Then the people came together in Jerusalem as if they were one man. 2Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests began to build the altar of the God of Israel. Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his helpers joined them. They wanted to offer burnt offerings on it. This is what is written in the Law of Moses, the man of God. 3They were afraid of the people of the land. Even so, they set up the altar on its base. They offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD. They offered the morning and evening burnt offerings. 4They also held the Feast of Tabernacles, just as it is written. Each day they offered the number of burnt offerings the law called for that day. 5After that, they gave the regular burnt offerings. They gave the offerings for New Moons. They gave the offerings for all the holy feasts the LORD had set. They also gave all the freewill offerings people brought to the LORD. 6On the first day of the seventh month, the Israelites began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD. But the base of the LORD's temple had not been laid yet. 7They gave money to the stone workers and the carpenters. They gave food, drink, and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre. In return, these people would bring cedar logs from Lebanon by sea to Joppa. Cyrus king of Persia had given them permission for this. 8The work began in the second month of the second year after they came to God's house in Jerusalem. Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak began it. So did the rest of their people. That included the priests, the Levites, and all who had come back to Jerusalem from captivity. They chose Levites who were 20 years old or older. These Levites would be in charge of building the house of the LORD. 9So Jeshua and his sons and brothers joined together. So did Kadmiel and his sons, who came from Yehudah. So did the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers. All of them were Levites. They were in charge of the workers on God's house. 10The builders laid the base of the LORD's temple. Then the priests in their robes took their places with trumpets. The Levites, the sons of Asaph, took their places with cymbals. They praised the LORD, just as David king of Israel had ordered. 11They took turns singing praise and thanks to the LORD: "He is good. His faithful love for Israel lasts forever." Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD. They shouted because the base of the LORD's house had been laid. 12But many of the older priests, Levites, and family leaders cried out loud. They had seen the first temple. Now they saw the base of this temple, and they wept. Still, many others shouted for joy. 13No one could tell the shouts of joy from the sound of crying. That was because the people were making so much noise. The sound was heard far away.