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.
1 Kad pienāca septītais mēnesis un Israēla bērni visi jau bija savās pilsētās, tad ļaudis sapulcējās kā viens vīrs Jeruzālemē. 2 Tad cēlās Ješua, Jocadaka dēls, kopā ar saviem priesteru brāļiem un Zerubābels, Šealtiēla dēls, ar saviem biedriem un uzcēla Israēla Dieva altāri, lai nestu uz tā dedzināmos upurus, kā rakstīts Dieva vīra Mozus bauslībā. 3 Viņi uzcēla altāri tā vecajā vietā, jo viņiem bija bailes no apkārtējām tautām, un viņi nesa Tam Kungam uz tā dedzināmos upurus, dedzināmos upurus rītā un vakarā. 4 Un viņi svinēja Būdiņu svētkus, kā rakstīts, un upurēja katru dienu dedzināmos upurus noteiktā skaitā, kā ik dienas pienācās; 5 un arī vēl kārtējos upurus jauna mēness dienā un visās Tā Kunga noteiktās svinamās dienās un no ikviena, kas Tam Kungam nesa labprātīgu dāvanu. 6 No septītā mēneša pirmās dienas viņi sāka nest Tam Kungam dedzināmos upurus, bet Tā Kunga Tempļa pamati vēl nebija likti. 7 Un viņi deva akmeņu lauzējiem un namdariem naudu, ēdienu, dzērienu un eļļu sidoniešiem un tiriešiem, lai tie atvestu ciedru kokus no Libanona pa jūru uz Jafu saskaņā ar Persijas ķēniņa Kīra doto atļauju. 8 Un otrajā viņu pārnākšanas gada otrajā mēnesī darbu pie Dieva nama Jeruzālemē iesāka Zerubābels, Šealtiēla dēls, un Ješua, Jocadaka dēls, kopā ar pārējiem brāļiem, priesteriem un levītiem un visiem, kas bija atnākuši no gūsta uz Jeruzālemi. Un viņi iecēla levītus, no divdesmit gadiem un vecākus, lai tie uzraudzītu Tā Kunga nama celšanas darbus. 9 Un Ješua un viņa dēli un brāļi un Kadmiēls un viņa dēli, un Jūdas dēli, visi stāvēja kā viens vīrs, uzraudzīdami tos, kas strādāja pie Dieva nama celšanas; arī Henadada dēli, viņu dēli un brāļi, levīti. 10 Un, kad cēlēji lika Tā Kunga Tempļa pamatus, tad priesteri savos tērpos nostājās ar taurēm un levīti, Asafa dēli, ar cimbālēm, lai slavētu To Kungu, kā noteicis Israēla ķēniņš Dāvids. 11 Un viņi dziedāja, slavēdami un pateikdamies Tam Kungam: "Jo Viņš ir labs, un Viņa mīlestība ir mūžīgi pār Israēlu." Un visi ļaudis gavilēja lielās gavilēs, slavēdami To Kungu, tādēļ ka Tā Kunga nama pamati bija likti. 12 Bet daudzi no priesteriem un levītiem un tēvu namu galveniem, veci vīri, kas bija redzējuši pirmo namu, raudāja skaļā balsī, kad viņu acu priekšā notika šī nama pamatu likšana, kaut gan daudzi pacēla balsi gavilēs un priekā, 13 tā ka ļaudis nevarēja izšķirt prieka gaviļu balsi no ļaužu raudāšanas, jo ļaudis gavilēja lielās gavilēs, un balsis bija dzirdamas tālumā.
