1 When the seventh month arrived, after the people of Isra’el had resettled in the towns, the people gathered with one accord in Yerushalayim.
2 Then Yeshua the son of Yotzadak with his fellowcohanim, and Z’rubavel the son of Sh’alti’el with his kinsmen, organized rebuilding the altar of the God of Isra’el; so that they could offer burnt offerings on it, as is written in theTorahof Moshe the man of God.
3 They set up the altar on its former bases. Despite feeling threatened by the peoples of the [surrounding] countries; they offered on it burnt offerings toAdonai, the morning and evening burnt offerings.
4 They observed the festival ofSukkotas written, offering daily the number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day,
5 and afterwards the regular burnt offering, the offerings forRosh-Hodeshand those for all the designated times set apart forAdonai, as well as those of everyone who volunteered a voluntary offering toAdonai.
6 From the first day of the seventh month, they began offering burnt offerings toAdonai, even though the foundation ofAdonai’s temple had not yet been laid.
7 They also gave money for the stone-workers and carpenters, as well as food, drink and olive oil for the people of Tzidon and Tzor bringing cedar logs from the L’vanon to the sea and on to Yafo, in accordance with the authorization granted by Koresh king of Persia.
8 In the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Yerushalayim, in the second month, Z’rubavel the son of Sh’alti’el, Yeshua the son of Yotzadak, the rest of their kinsmen thecohanimandL’vi’im, and all who had come out of exile to Yerushalayim began the project. They appointed theL’vi’imaged twenty and up to direct work in the house ofAdonai.
9 Yeshua and his sons and brothers, Kadmi’el and his sons, and Y’hudah’s sons together directed the workers in the house of God; also the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their kinsmen theL’vi’im.
10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple ofAdonai, thecohanimin their robes, with trumpets, and theL’vi’imthe sons of Asaf, with cymbals, took their places to praiseAdonai, as David king of Isra’el had instructed.
11 They sang antiphonally, praising and giving “thanks toAdonai, for he is good, for his grace continues forever” toward Isra’el. All the people raised a great shout of praise toAdonai, because the foundation of the house ofAdonaihad been laid.
12 But many of thecohanim,L’vi’imand heads of fathers’ clans, the old men who had seen the first house standing on its foundation, wept out loud when they saw this house; while others shouted out loud for joy —
13 so that the people couldn’t distinguish the noise of the joyful shouting from the noise of the people’s weeping; for the people were shouting so loudly that the noise could be heard at a great distance.