36:15. And the Lord the God of their fathers sent to them, by the hand of his messengers, rising early, and daily admonishing them: because he spared his people and his dwelling place.
36:16. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused the prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and there was no remedy.
36:17. For he brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, and he slew their young men with the sword in the house of his sanctuary, he had no compassion on young man, or maiden, old man or even him that stooped for age, but he delivered them all into his hands.
36:18. And all the vessels of the house of Lord, great and small, and the treasures of the temple and of the king, and of the princes he carried away to Babylon.
36:19. And the enemies set fire to the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burnt all the towers, and what soever was precious they destroyed.
36:20. Whosoever escaped the sword, was led into Babylon, and there served the king and his sons, till the reign of the king of Persia,
36:21. That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremias might be fulfilled, and the land might keep her sabbaths: for all the days of the desolation she kept a sabbath, till the seventy years were expired.
36:22. But in the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, to fulfil the word of the Lord, which he had spoken by the mouth of Jeremias, the Lord stirred up the heart of Cyrus, king of the Persians: who commanded it to be proclaimed through all his kingdom, and by writing also, saying:
36:23. Thus saith Cyrus king of the Persians: All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord the God of heaven given to me, and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea: who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.
THE FIRST BOOK OF ESDRAS
This Book taketh its name from the writer: who was a holy priest, and doctor of the law. He is called by the Hebrews, Ezra.
1 Esdras Chapter 1
Cyrus king of Persia releaseth God's people from their captivity, with license to return and build the temple in Jerusalem: and restoreth the holy vessels which Nabuchodonosor had taken from thence.
1:1. In the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremias might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians: and he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and in writing also, saying:
1:2. Thus saith Cyrus king of the Persians: The Lord the God of heaven hath given to me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea.
1:3. Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord the God of Israel: he is the God that is in Jerusalem.
1:4. And let all the rest in all places wheresoever they dwell, help him every man from his place, with silver and gold, and goods, and cattle, besides that which they offer freely to the temple of God, which is in Jerusalem.
1:5. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Juda and Benjamin, and the priests, and Levites, and every one whose spirit God had raised up, to go up to build the temple of the Lord, which was in Jerusalem.
1:6. And all they that were round about, helped their hands with vessels of silver, and gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with furniture, besides what they had offered on their own accord.
1:7. And king Cyrus brought forth vessels of the temple of the Lord, which Nabuchodonosor had taken from Jerusalem, and had put them in the temple of his god.
1:8. Now Cyrus king of Persia brought them forth by the hand of Mithridates the son of Gazabar, and numbered them to Sassabasar the prince of Juda.
1:9. And this is the number of them: thirty bowls of gold, a thousand bowls of silver, nine and twenty knives, thirty cups of gold,
1:10. Silver cups of a second sort, four hundred and ten: other vessels a thousand.
1:11. All the vessels of gold and silver, five thousand four hundred: all these Sassabasar brought with them that came up from the captivity of Babylon to Jerusalem.
1 Esdras Chapter 2
The number of them that returned to Judea: their oblations.
2:1. Now these are the children of the province, that went out of the captivity, which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Juda, every man to his city.
2:2. Who came with Zorobabel, Josue, Nehemia, Saraia, Rahelaia, Mardochai, Belsan, Mesphar, Beguai, Rehum, Baana. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
2:3. The children of Pharos two thousand one hundred seventy-two.
2:4. The children of Sephatia, three hundred seventy-two.
2:5. The children of Area, seven hundred seventy-five.
2:6. The children of Phahath Moab, of the children of Josue: Joab, Two thousand eight hundred twelve.
2:7. The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty-four.
2:8. The children of Zethua, nine hundred forty-five.
2:9. The children of Zachai, seven hundred sixty.
2:10. The children of Bani, six hundred forty-two.
2:11. The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty-three.
2:12. The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty-two.
2:13. The children of Adonicam, six hundred sixty-six.
2:14. The children of Beguai, two thousand fifty-six.
2:15. The children of Adin, four hundred fifty-four.
2:16. The children of Ather, who were of Ezechias, ninety-eight.
2:17. The children of Besai, three hundred and twenty-three.
2:18. The children of Jora, a hundred and twelve.
2:19. The children of Hasum, two hundred twenty-three.
2:20. The children of Gebbar, ninety-five.
2:21. The children of Bethlehem, a hundred twenty-three.