Rebuilding the Temple

⁸ In the second month of the second year after they arrived at God’s house in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak,^(A) and the rest of their brothers, including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began to build. They appointed the Levites who were twenty years old or more to supervise the work on the Lord’s house.^{(B) 9} Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah^[a] and of Henadad, with their sons and brothers, the Levites,^(C) joined together to supervise those working on the house of God.

Temple Foundation Completed

¹⁰ When the builders had laid the foundation of the Lord’s temple, the priests, dressed in their robes and holding trumpets, and the Levites descended from Asaph,^(D) holding cymbals, took their positions to praise the Lord, as King David of Israel had instructed.^{(E) 11} They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord: “For he is good; his faithful love to Israel endures forever.”^(F) Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s house had been laid.^(G)

¹² But 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,^(H) but many others shouted joyfully. ¹³ The people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from that of the^[b] weeping,^(I) because the people were shouting so loudly. And the sound was heard far away.

Preparing to Rebuild the Walls

¹¹ After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,^{(A) 12} I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took^[a] was the one I was riding. ¹³ I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s^[b] Well and the Dung Gate,^(B) and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.^{(C) 14} I went on to the Fountain Gate^(D) and the King’s Pool,^(E) but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. ¹⁵ So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate^(F) and returned. ¹⁶ The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work. ¹⁷ So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned.^(G) Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall,^(H) so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” ¹⁸ I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me,^(I) and what the king had said to me.

They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened^[c] to do this good work.

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple,^[a](A) and I will raise it up in three days.”^(B)

²⁰ Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build,^[b] and will you raise it up in three days?” ^(C)

²¹ But he was speaking about the temple of his body.^{(D) 22} So when he was raised from the dead,^(E) his disciples remembered that he had said this,^(F) and they believed the Scripture^(G) and the statement Jesus had made.

⁹ For we are God’s coworkers.^[a] You are God’s field, God’s building.^(A)

¹⁰ According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder,^[b] and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation^(B) other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver,^(C) costly stones,^(D) wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire;^(E) the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.^{(F) 14} If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience^[c] loss, but he himself will be saved^(G)—but only as through fire.^(H)

¹⁶ Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple^(I) and that the Spirit of God lives in you?^{(J) 17} If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him;^(K) for God’s temple is holy,^(L) and that is what you are.