The Temple Is Dedicated
(Ezra 6.13-18)1 Then Governor Sisinnes, Shethar Bozenai, and the other officials did exactly as the emperor had commanded 2 and gave careful supervision to the work on the Temple, helping the Jewish leaders and Temple officials. 3 The workers made good progress with the building of the Temple, encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. 4 The Jews completed the building according to the command of the Lord, the God of Israel, and with the permission of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, emperors of Persia. 5 The Temple was completed on the twenty-third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Darius. 6 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and all the others who had returned from exile and joined them—carried out all the commands in the Law of Moses. 7 For the dedication they offered 100 bulls, 200 sheep, and 400 lambs as sacrifices, 8 and 12 goats as offerings for sin, one goat for the leader of each tribe of Israel. 9 The priests in their robes and the Levites took their positions, family by family, for the Temple services of the Lord, the God of Israel, according to the instructions contained in the book of Moses. The Temple guards stood at each gate.
The Passover
(Ezra 6.19-22)10 The people of Israel who had returned from exile celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month of the following year. The priests and Levites had purified themselves at the same time. 11 Not all the Jews who had returned purified themselves at that time, but the Levites did. 12 The Levites killed the animals for the Passover sacrifices for all the people who had returned, for the priests, and for themselves. 13 The sacrifices were eaten by all the Israelites who had returned from exile; they worshiped the Lord and rejected the pagan ways of the other people who were living in the land. 14 For seven days they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread. They rejoiced in the presence of the Lord, 15 the God of Israel, because he had made the plans of the emperor of Assyria favorable to them and had supported them in their work.
1 Then Sisinnes the governor of Celosyria and Phenice, and Sathrabuzanes, with their companions following the commandments of king Darius,
2 Did very carefully oversee the holy works, assisting the ancients of the Jews and governors of the temple.
3 And so the holy works prospered, when Aggeus and Zacharias the prophets prophesied.
4 And they finished these things by the commandment of the Lord God of Israel, and with the consent of Cyrus, Darius, and Artexerxes, kings of Persia.
5 And thus was the holy house finished in the three and twentieth day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of Darius king of the Persians.
6 And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and others that were of the captivity, that were added unto them, did according to the things written in the book of Moses.
7 And to the dedication of the temple of the Lord they offered an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs;
8 And twelve goats for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the chief of the tribes of Israel.
9 The priests also and the Levites stood arrayed in their vestments, according to their kindreds, in the service of the Lord God of Israel, according to the book of Moses: and the porters at every gate.
10 And the children of Israel that were of the captivity held the passover the fourteenth day of the first month, after that the priests and the Levites were sanctified.
11 They that were of the captivity were not all sanctified together: but the Levites were all sanctified together.
12 And so they offered the passover for all them of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
13 And the children of Israel that came out of the captivity did eat, even all they that had separated themselves from the abominations of the people of the land, and sought the Lord.
14 And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days, making merry before the Lord,
15 For that he had turned the counsel of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the works of the Lord God of Israel.