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The Decree of Cyrus
1 In(A) the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,[a] the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled.(B) The Lord put it into the mind(C) of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing:
2 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.(D) 3 Whoever is among His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel,(E) the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 Let every survivor,(F) wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.”
Return from Exile
5 So the family leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone God had motivated[b](G)—prepared to go up and rebuild the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors supported them[c](H) with silver articles, gold, goods, livestock, and valuables, in addition to all that was given as a freewill offering. 7 King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and had placed in the house of his gods.(I) 8 King Cyrus of Persia had them brought out under the supervision of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.(J) 9 This was the inventory:
30 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins,
29 silver knives, 10 30 gold bowls,
410 various[d] silver bowls, and 1,000 other articles.
11 The gold and silver articles totaled 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought all of them when the exiles went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
The Exiles Who Returned
2 These(K) now are the people of the province who came from those captive exiles King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon[e] had deported to Babylon.(L) They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. 2 They came with Zerubbabel,(M) Jeshua,(N) Nehemiah, Seraiah,(O) Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.
The number of the Israelite men included:[f]
| 3 Parosh’s descendants(P) | 2,172 |
| 4 Shephatiah’s descendants | 372 |
| 5 Arah’s descendants | 775 |
| 6 Pahath-moab’s descendants: | |
| Jeshua’s and Joab’s descendants | 2,812 |
| 7 Elam’s descendants | 1,254 |
| 8 Zattu’s descendants | 945 |
| 9 Zaccai’s descendants | 760 |
| 10 Bani’s descendants | 642 |
| 11 Bebai’s descendants | 623 |
| 12 Azgad’s descendants | 1,222 |
| 13 Adonikam’s descendants(Q) | 666 |
| 14 Bigvai’s descendants | 2,056 |
| 15 Adin’s descendants | 454 |
| 16 Ater’s descendants: of Hezekiah | 98 |
| 17 Bezai’s descendants | 323 |
| 18 Jorah’s descendants | 112 |
| 19 Hashum’s descendants | 223 |
| 20 Gibbar’s descendants | 95 |
| 21 Bethlehem’s(R) people | 123 |
| 22 Netophah’s men | 56 |
| 23 Anathoth’s men | 128 |
| 24 Azmaveth’s people | 42 |
| 25 Kiriatharim’s, Chephirah’s, and Beeroth’s people | 743 |
| 26 Ramah’s(S) and Geba’s people | 621 |
| 27 Michmas’s men | 122 |
| 28 Bethel’s and Ai’s(T) men | 223 |
| 29 Nebo’s people | 52 |
| 30 Magbish’s people | 156 |
| 31 the other Elam’s people | 1,254 |
| 32 Harim’s people | 320 |
| 33 Lod’s, Hadid’s, and Ono’s people | 725 |
| 34 Jericho’s(U) people | 345 |
| 35 Senaah’s people | 3,630 |
36 The priests included:
| Jedaiah’s descendants of the house of Jeshua | 973 |
| 37 Immer’s descendants | 1,052 |
| 38 Pashhur’s descendants | 1,247 |
| 39 and Harim’s descendants | 1,017 |
40 The Levites included:
| Jeshua’s and Kadmiel’s descendants | |
| from Hodaviah’s descendants | 74 |
41 The singers included:
| Asaph’s(V) descendants | 128 |
42 The gatekeepers’(W) descendants included:
| Shallum’s descendants, Ater’s descendants, | |
| Talmon’s descendants, Akkub’s descendants, | |
| Hatita’s descendants, Shobai’s descendants, in all | 139 |
43 The temple servants(X) included:
Ziha’s descendants, Hasupha’s descendants,
Tabbaoth’s descendants, 44 Keros’s descendants,
Siaha’s descendants, Padon’s descendants,
45 Lebanah’s descendants, Hagabah’s descendants,
Akkub’s descendants, 46 Hagab’s descendants,
Shalmai’s[g] descendants, Hanan’s descendants,
47 Giddel’s descendants, Gahar’s descendants,
Reaiah’s descendants, 48 Rezin’s descendants,
Nekoda’s descendants, Gazzam’s descendants,
49 Uzza’s descendants, Paseah’s descendants,
Besai’s descendants, 50 Asnah’s descendants,
Meunim’s[h] descendants, Nephusim’s[i] descendants,
51 Bakbuk’s descendants, Hakupha’s descendants,
Harhur’s descendants, 52 Bazluth’s descendants,
Mehida’s descendants, Harsha’s descendants,
53 Barkos’s descendants, Sisera’s descendants,
Temah’s descendants, 54 Neziah’s descendants,
and Hatipha’s descendants.
55 The descendants of Solomon’s servants(Y) included:
| Sotai’s descendants, Hassophereth’s descendants, | |
| Peruda’s descendants, 56 Jaalah’s descendants, | |
| Darkon’s descendants, Giddel’s descendants, | |
| 57 Shephatiah’s descendants, Hattil’s descendants, | |
| Pochereth-hazzebaim’s descendants, and Ami’s descendants. | |
| 58 All the temple servants | |
| and the descendants of Solomon’s servants | 392. |
59 The following are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer but were unable to prove that their families and ancestry were Israelite:
| 60 Delaiah’s descendants, | |
| Tobiah’s descendants, | |
| Nekoda’s descendants | 652 |
61 and from the descendants of the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, the descendants of Barzillai—who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name. 62 These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood. 63 The governor(Z) ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.(AA)
| 64 The whole combined assembly numbered | 42,360 |
| 65 not including their 7,337 male and female slaves, | |
| and their 200 male and female singers.(AB) | |
| 66 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, | |
| 67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. |
Gifts for the Work
68 After they arrived at the Lord’s house in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders gave freewill offerings(AC) for the house of God in order to have it rebuilt on its original site. 69 Based on what they could give, they gave 61,000 gold coins,[j] 6,250 pounds[k] of silver, and 100 priestly garments to the treasury(AD) for the project. 70 The priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, and some of the people settled in their towns, and the rest of Israel settled in their towns.(AE)
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved.(A) 19 For it is written:
20 Where is the philosopher?[b] Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age?(C) Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. 22 For the Jews ask for signs(D) and the Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified,(E) a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.[c] 24 Yet to those who are called,(F) both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
Boasting Only in the Lord
26 Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective,[d] not many powerful,(G) not many of noble birth. 27 Instead, God has chosen(H) what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world(I)—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one[e] can boast in His presence.(J) 30 But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us—our righteousness,(K) sanctification,(L) and redemption,(M) 31 in order that, as it is written:(N) The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.(O)[f]
Paul’s Proclamation
2 When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony[g] of God to you, I did not come with brilliance(P) of speech(Q) or wisdom. 2 For I didn’t think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.(R) 3 I came to you in weakness,(S) in fear,(T) and in much trembling.(U) 4 My speech(V) and my proclamation were not with persuasive(W) words of wisdom[h] but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit, 5 so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.(X)
7 Lord, hear my voice when I call;
be gracious to me and answer me.(A)
8 My heart says this about You,
“You[a] are to seek My face.”
Lord, I will seek Your face.(B)
9 Do not hide Your face from me;(C)
do not turn Your servant away in anger.(D)
You have been my helper;(E)
do not leave me or abandon me,
God of my salvation.
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord cares for me.(F)
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