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The Return from the Exile
Chapter 1
The Decree of Cyrus. 1 In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order that the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue the following proclamation throughout his kingdom and also have it put in writing:
2 “King Cyrus of Persia says this: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given to me all the kingdoms of the earth, and in addition he has designated me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 May God be with all those among you who belong to his people.[a] They are to go up to Jerusalem in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let everyone who has survived, and who has settled down to reside in that locale, be assisted by the people of that place with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, in addition to the voluntary offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.”
5 Then the heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, as well as the priests and Levites—all those whose spirit has been aroused by God—prepared to go forth and rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. 6 All of their neighbors assisted them with gifts of every kind—silver and gold, goods and livestock, and many valuable gifts, in addition to all of their free-will offerings.
7 Furthermore, King Cyrus himself handed over the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed them in the temple of his gods. 8 Cyrus, the king of Persia, ordered them to be released into the charge of Mithredath, the treasurer, who made a complete inventory of them before turning them over to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.[b]
9 [c]This was the final inventory: thirty gold dishes; one thousand silver dishes, in addition to twenty-nine others that had been repaired; 10 thirty gold bowls; four hundred and ten silver bowls; one thousand other articles. 11 The final total of all the gold and silver vessels was five thousand four hundred. All these Sheshbazzar took with him when he led the exiles back from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Chapter 2
Census of the Province. 1 These were the people of the province who returned from the captivity of the exiles, those whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had carried away to Babylon and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. 2 They were led back by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.[d]
The census of the men of the people of Israel: 3 the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two; 4 the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two; 5 the sons of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five; 6 the sons of Pahath-moab, namely the descendants of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve; 7 the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 8 the sons of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five; 9 less the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty; 10 the sons of Bani, six hundred and forty-two; 11 the sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three; 12 the sons of Azgad, one thousand two hundred and twenty-two; 13 the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six; 14 the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and fifty-six; 15 the sons of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four; 16 the sons of Ater, namely the descendants of Hezekiah, ninety-eight; 17 the sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three; 18 the sons of Jorah, one hundred and twelve; 19 the sons of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three; 20 the sons of Gibeon, ninety-five; 21 the sons of Bethlehem, one hundred and twenty-three; 22 the sons of Netophah, fifty-six; 23 the sons of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight; 24 the sons of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two; 25 the sons of Kiriath-jearim, Chephi-rah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three; 26 the sons of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one; 27 the sons of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two; 28 the sons of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three; 29 the sons of Nebo, fifty-two; 30 the sons of Magbish, one hundred and fifty-six; 31 the sons of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 32 the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty; 33 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-five; 34 the sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five; 35 the sons of Senaah, three thousand six hundred and thirty.
36 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, who were of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three; 37 the sons of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two; 38 the sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven; 39 the sons of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.
40 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, Kadmiel, Binnui, and Hodaviah, seventy-four.
41 The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and twenty-eight.
42 The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, one hundred and thirty-nine in all.
43 The temple slaves: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, 44 the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, 45 the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, 46 the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai, the sons of Hanan, 47 the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, 48 the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, 49 the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, 50 the sons of Asnah, the sons of the Meunites, the sons of the Nephusites, 51 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 52 the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 53 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, 54 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
55 The descendants of the slaves of Solomon: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda, 56 the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 57 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Ami. 58 The total of the temple slaves and the descendants of Solomon’s servants numbered three hundred and ninety-two.
59 The following were those who returned from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer but were unable to prove that their families and their ancestry were of Israelite origin: 60 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda: six hundred and fifty-two. 61 And also in regard to the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai (he had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and became known by his name). 62 These men had searched for their names in the genealogical records[e] but they were not to be found there. As a result, they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 63 Consequently the governor[f] ordered them not to partake of the most sacred food until a priest arrived to consult the Urim and the Thummim.
64 The entire assemblage numbered forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty people, 65 apart from their male and female slaves, who numbered seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven, not including two hundred male and female singers. 66 Their horses numbered seven hundred and thirty-six. In addition, their mules numbered two hundred and forty-five, 67 their camels numbered four hundred and thirty-five, and their donkeys numbered six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
68 When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of families gave free-will offerings for the rebuilding of the house of God on its original site. 69 According to their resources they donated sixty-one thousand gold drachmas, five thousand silver minas, and one hundred priestly robes.[g]
70 The priests, the Levites, and some of the people settled in Jerusalem and its vicinity, while the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.
18 Indeed, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the understanding of the learned I will bring to naught.”[a]
20 Where now are the wise ones? Where are the men of learning? Where are the debaters of this present age? Has God not shown the wisdom of the world to be foolish? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world was unable to come to know him through wisdom, he chose, through the folly of preaching, to save those who have faith.
22 Jews demand signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified. This is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles;[b] 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 God Has Chosen Those Who Count for Nothing. Consider, brethren, your calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards,[c] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 Rather, God chose those who were regarded as foolish by the world to shame the wise; God chose those in the world who were weak to shame the strong. 28 God chose those in the world who were lowly and despised, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who were regarded as worthy, 29 [d]so that no one could boast in the presence of God.
30 It is through him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom of God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written, “If anyone wishes to boast, let him boast in the Lord.”
Chapter 2
Jesus Christ—and Him Crucified. 1 When I came to you, brethren, I did not proclaim to you the mystery of God[e] with words of eloquence or wisdom. 2 For I resolved that, while I was with you, I would know nothing except Jesus Christ—and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in great trepidation. 4 My message and my proclamation were not made with persuasive words of wisdom, but in a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,[f] 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
7 O Lord, hear my voice when I cry out;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart[a] says of you,
“Seek his face.”
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
9 do not hide your face[b] from me.
Do not turn away your servant in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not reject or forsake me,
O God, my Savior.
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will gather me up.[c]
11 Teach me your way,[d] O Lord,
and lead me along a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Do not abandon me to the will of my adversaries,
for lying witnesses have risen against me,
breathing forth violence in their malice.
13 I am confident that I will behold the goodness of the Lord[e]
in the land of the living.
14 Place your hope in the Lord:
be strong and courageous in your heart,
and place your hope in the Lord.
22 Do not say, “I will repay evil,”[a]
but trust in the Lord, who will help you.
23 Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord,
and dishonest scales are not acceptable to him.
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