The First Offering on the New Altar
1 During the seventh month of the year, the Israelites who had settled in their towns went to Jerusalem. 2 The priest Joshua son of Jozadak, together with the other priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his relatives rebuilt the altar of Israel's God. Then they were able to offer sacrifices there by following the instructions God had given to Moses, the man of God. 3 And they built the altar where it had stood before, even though they were afraid of the people who were already living around there. Then every morning and evening they burned sacrifices and offerings to the Lord.
4 The people followed the rules for celebrating the Festival of Shelters and offered the proper sacrifices each day. 5 They offered sacrifices to please the Lord, sacrifices at each New Moon Festival, and sacrifices at the rest of the Lord's festivals. Every offering the people had brought voluntarily was also presented to the Lord.
6 Although work on the temple itself had not yet begun, the people started offering sacrifices on the Lord's altar on the first day of the seventh month of that year.
The Rebuilding of the Temple Begins
7 King Cyrus of Persia had said the Israelites could have cedar trees brought from Lebanon to Joppa by sea. So they sent grain, wine, and olive oil to the cities of Tyre and Sidon as payment for these trees, and they gave money to the stoneworkers and carpenters.
8 During the second month of the second year after the people had returned from Babylonia, they started rebuilding the Lord's temple. Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the priests, the Levites, and everyone else who had returned started working. Every Levite over 20 years of age was put in charge of some part of the work. 9 The Levites in charge of the whole project were Joshua and his sons and relatives and Kadmiel and his sons from the family of Hodaviah. The family of Henadad worked along with them.
10 When the builders had finished laying the foundation of the temple, the priests put on their robes and blew trumpets in honor of the Lord, while the Levites from the family of Asaph praised God with cymbals. All of them followed the instructions given years before by King David. 11 They praised the Lord and gave thanks as they took turns singing:
“The Lord is good!
His faithful love for Israel
will last forever.”
Everyone started shouting and praising the Lord because work on the foundation of the temple had begun. 12 Many of the older priests and Levites and the heads of families wept bitterly because they remembered seeing the first temple years before. But others were so happy that they celebrated with joyful shouts. 13 Their shouting and crying were so noisy that it all sounded alike and could be heard a long way off.
Dievkalpošanas atjaunošana Jeruzāleme
1 Kad pienāca septītais mēnesis, Israēla dēli no savām pilsētām visi kā viens tika sapulcināti Jeruzālemē.
2 Tad cēlās Jozua, Jehocādāka dēls, ar saviem brāļiem priesteriem un Zerubābels, Šaltiēla dēls, ar saviem brāļiem un uzcēla altāri Israēla Dievam, lai upurētu sadedzināmo upuri, kā rakstīts Dieva vīra Mozus bauslībā. 3 Viņi uzcēla altāri vecajā vietā, jo baidījās no apkārtējo zemju tautām, un upurēja Kungam sadedzināmo upuri gan no rīta, gan vakarā. 4 Viņi svinēja Būdiņu svētkus, kā bija noteikts, un dienu no dienas pienesa sadedzināmo upuri, kā katrai dienai bija noteikts. 5 Arī pēc tam turpināja pienest sadedzināmo upuri – jaunajos mēnešos un visos svētkos, kurus svētīja Kungam, un pienesa arī labprātīgos upurus Kungam. 6 Sadedzināmos upurus Kungam sāka pienest no septītā mēneša pirmās dienas, lai gan Kunga tempļa pamati vēl nebija likti. 7 Viņi deva naudu akmeņkaļiem un amatniekiem, ēdienu, dzērienu un eļļu sidoniešiem un tīriešiem, lai tie pa jūru uz Jafu vestu ciedru kokus, kā Persijas ķēniņš Kīrs bija pavēlējis.
Tempļa pamatu likšana
8 Otrajā gadā, kopš tie bija atgriezušies pie Dieva nama Jeruzālemē, gada otrajā mēnesī to sāka atjaunot Zerubābels, Šaltiēla dēls, un Jozua, Jehocādāka dēls, un arī viņu pārējie brāļi – priesteri, levīti un visi, kas no gūsta bija atgriezušies Jeruzālemē. Levītus, kuriem bija divdesmit gadu un vairāk, viņi iecēla par Kunga nama darbu uzraugiem. 9 Jūdas dēli bija kā viens vīrs – Jozua ar saviem dēliem un brāļiem, un Kadmiēls ar saviem dēliem – viņi uzraudzīja Kunga nama darbu veicējus, un to darīja arī levīti, Hēnādāda dēli, viņa dēli un brāļi. 10 Kad celtnieki lika Kunga nama pamatus, priesteri savos tērpos un ar taurēm, un levīti, Āsāfa dēli, ar cimbolēm, nostājās slavēt Kungu, kā bija norādījis Israēla ķēniņš Dāvids. 11 Viņi dziedāja, slavēdami un pateikdamies Kungam, ka viņš ir labs un viņa žēlastība pār Israēlu ir mūžīga, un visa tauta varen gavilēja – slavēja Kungu, ka Kunga namam likts pamats. 12 Daudzi veci vīri: priesteri, levīti un tēvu namu galvenie, kas bija redzējuši pirmo templi, lēja asaras un skaļi raudāja, kad lika pamatu šim templim, bet daudzi gavilēja priecīgās balsīs. 13 Ļaudis neatšķīra gaviles no asarām, tauta gavilēja tik vareni, ka bija dzirdams jo tālu!
