Sacrifices Restored

1By the seventh month, the Israelites (God prevails) had settled in their towns, and the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem (city of peace).

2Then Jeshua (he is saved) son of Jozadak (Jehozadak)a and his fellow priests, along with Zerubbabel (sown in Babylon) son of Shealtiel (I have asked of God) and his associates, began to build the altar of the God {Elohe} of Israel (he wrestles with God) to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses (drawn out) the man of God. 3They set up the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD {YHWH}—both the morning and evening burnt offerings—even though they feared the people of the land.

4They also celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)b in accordance with what is written, and they offered burnt offerings daily based on the number prescribed for each day.

5After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings and those for New Moons and for all the appointed sacred feasts of the LORD {YHWH}, as well as all the freewill offerings brought to the LORD.

6On the first day of the seventh month, the Israelites began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD {YHWH}, although the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid. 7They gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon (whiteness) to Joppa (beautiful) by sea, as authorized by Cyrus (possess the furnace) king of Persia (pure / splendid).

Temple Restoration Begins

8In the second month of the second year after they had arrived at the house of God {Elohim} in Jerusalem (city of peace), Zerubbabel (sown in Babylon) son of Shealtiel (I have asked of God), Jeshua (he is saved) son of Jozadak (YHWH is righteous), and the rest of their associates including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years of age or older to supervise the construction of the house of the LORD {YHWH}. 9So Jeshua (he is saved) and his sons and brothers, Kadmiel (God is the ancient one) and his sons (descendants of Yehudah \sons of Judah/),c and the sons of Henadad (favor of Hadad) and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together to supervise those working on the house of God {Elohim}.

10When the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD {YHWH}, the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph (gatherer)) with cymbals, took their positions to praise the LORD, as David (beloved) king of Israel (he wrestles with God) had prescribed. 11And they sang responsively with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD {YHWH}:

“For He is good;

for His loving devotion {chesed}d to Israel (he wrestles with God) endures forever.”

Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD had been laid.

12But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first temple wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple. Still, many others shouted joyfully. 13The people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people were making so much noise. And the sound was heard from afar.