Ezra 1

Ezra 1:1 In the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, to fulfill the word of Yahveh^[1] by Jeremiah’s mouth, Yahveh^[2] stirred up the breath^[3] of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing:

Ezra 1:2 King Cyrus of Persia says: ” Yahveh, the god of the sky^[4], has given me all the kingdoms of the land^[5] and has appointed me to build him a house^[6] at Jerusalem in Judah.

Ezra 1:3 If any of his people are among you, let his god be with him, and let him go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of Yahveh, the god of Israel, who is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 1:4 Let every survivor, wherever he resides,^[7] be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and animals,^[8] along with a spontaneous voluntary^[9] donation for the house of God in Jerusalem.”

Ezra 1:5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose breath God had stirred up —prepared to rebuild Yahveh’s house in Jerusalem.

Ezra 1:6 All their neighbors strengthened^[10] their hands with silver articles, gold, goods, animals, valuables, and all that was given as a donation.^[11]

Ezra 1:7 King Cyrus also brought out the articles of Yahveh’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and had placed in the house of his gods.

Ezra 1:8 King Cyrus of Persia had them brought out under Mithredath’s treasurer’s hand, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the leader^[12] of Judah.

Ezra 1:9 This was their number: 30 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins, 29 silver knives,

Ezra 1:10 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls, and 1,000 other articles.

Ezra 1:11 The gold and silver articles totaled 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought all of them when the exiles went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

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[1] יָהְוֶה = Yahveh. Ezra 1:1, 2, 3, 5, 7; 2:68; 3:3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11; 4:1, 3; 6:21, 22; 7:6, 10, 11, 27, 28; 8:28, 29, 35; 9:5, 8, 15; 10:11.

[2] יָהְוֶה = Yahveh (God’s name). Ezra 1:1, 2, 3, 5, 7; 2:68; 3:3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11; 4:1, 3; 6:21, 22; 7:6, 10, 11, 27, 28; 8:28, 29, 35; 9:5, 8, 15; 10:11.

[3] רוּחַ= breath. Ezra 1:1, 5.

[4] שָׁמַיִם = sky. Ezra 1:2; 9:6.

[5] אֶרֶץ = land. Ezra 1:2; 3:3; 4:4; 6:21; 9:1, 2, 7, 11, 12; 10:2, 11.

[6] בַּיִת = house, (family, home, temple) inside. Ezra 1:2, 3, 4, 5, 7; 2:36, 59, 68; 3:8, 9, 11, 12; 4:3; 6:22; 7:27; 8:17, 25, 29, 30, 33, 36; 9:9; 10:1, 6, 9, 16.

[7] גּוּר = reside as a guest. Ezra 1:4.

[8] בְּהֵמָה = animal. Ezra 1:4, 6.

[9]  נְדָבָה = spontaneous voluntary. Ezra 1:4; 3:5; 8:28.

[10]  חָזָק = be strong, strongly, catch. Ezra 1:6; 6:22; 7:28; 9:12; 10:4.

[11] נָדָב = donation. Ezra 1:6; 2:68; 3:5.

[12] נָשִׂיא = leader, general. Ezra 1:8.

links:

ACST 2 The Promise
getting it done
he will get it done

The EZRA shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Chronicles 36

2 Chronicles 36:1 Then the familiar people took Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

2 Chronicles 36:2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 36:3 The king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and fined the land seventy-five hundred pounds of silver and seventy-five pounds of gold.

2 Chronicles 36:4 Then King Neco of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took his brother Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt.

2 Chronicles 36:5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of Yahvehhis God.

2 Chronicles 36:6 Now King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked him and bound him in bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.

2 Chronicles 36:7 Also, Nebuchadnezzar took some of the articles of Yahveh’s house to Babylon and put them in his temple there.

2 Chronicles 36:8 Notice, the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim, the repulsive actions he committed, and what was found against him, are written in the Book of Israel’s Kings. His son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

2 Chronicles 36:9 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight.

2 Chronicles 36:10 In the spring, Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon along with the valuable articles of Yahveh’s house. Then he made Jehoiachin’s brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 36:11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 36:12 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahveh his God and did not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah at Yahveh’s command.

2 Chronicles 36:13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear allegiance by God. He stiffened his neck and toughened his heart against returning to Yahveh, the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 36:14 All the captains of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the repulsive practices of the nations, and they defiled Yahveh’s house that he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 36:15 But Yahveh, the God of their ancestors, sent word against them by the hand of his agents, sending them time and time again, for he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place.

2 Chronicles 36:16 But they kept ridiculing God’s agents, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophets, until Yahveh’s wrath was so stirred up against his people that there was no remedy.

2 Chronicles 36:17 So he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their fit young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He did not pity young men or young women, elderly or aged; he handed them all over to him.

2 Chronicles 36:18 He took everything to Babylon– all the articles of God’s house, large and small, the treasures of Yahveh’s house, and the treasures of the king and his captains.

2 Chronicles 36:19 Then the Chaldeans burned God’s house. They tore down Jerusalem’s wall, burned all its palaces, and spoiled all its valuable articles.

2 Chronicles 36:20 He deported those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they became slaves to him and his sons until the rise of the Persian kingdom.

2 Chronicles 36:21 This fulfilled the word of Yahveh through Jeremiah, and the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation until seventy years were fulfilled.

2 Chronicles 36:22 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of Yahveh spoken through Jeremiah, Yahveh roused the breath of King Cyrus of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and also to put it in writing:

2 Chronicles 36:23 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: Yahveh, the God of the sky, has given me all the kingdoms of the land and has appointed me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up and may Yahveh his God be with him.

links:

right choices
the right choices
until there was no remedy

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Chronicles 33

2 Chronicles 33:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 33:2 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight, imitating the repulsive practices of the nations that Yahveh had dispossessed before the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down and reestablished the altars for the Baals. He made Asherah poles, bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky, and slaved for them.

2 Chronicles 33:4 He built altars in Yahveh’s house, where Yahveh had said, “Jerusalem is where my name will remain permanently.”

2 Chronicles 33:5 He built altars to all the army in the sky in both courtyards of Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 33:6 He passed his sons through the fire in Ben Hinnom Valley. He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a great deal of evil in Yahveh’s sight, angering him.

2 Chronicles 33:7 Manasseh placed a carved image of the idol he had made in God’s house, which God had spoken about to David and his son Solomon: “I will establish my name permanently in this house and Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:8 I will not remove the feet of the Israelites from the land where I stationed your ancestors again, if only they will be careful to do all I have commanded them through Moses — all the instruction, prescribed tasks, and judgments.”

2 Chronicles 33:9 Manasseh caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to stray, and they did worse evil than the nations Yahveh had exterminated before the Israelites.

2 Chronicles 33:10 Yahveh spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they didn’t listen.

2 Chronicles 33:11 So he brought against them the army captains of the king of Assyria. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

2 Chronicles 33:12 When he was in distress, he sought the favor of Yahveh his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors.

2 Chronicles 33:13 He prayed to Yahveh, who was receptive to his prayer. He granted his request and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So, Manasseh came to know that Yahveh was his God.

2 Chronicles 33:14 After this, he built the outer wall of the city of David from west of Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate, bringing it around the Ophel and enhancing it considerably. He also placed powerful captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.

2 Chronicles 33:15 He removed the foreign gods and the idol from Yahveh’s house, along with all the altars that he had built on the mountain of Yahveh’s house and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city.

2 Chronicles 33:16 He built the altar of Yahveh and offered sacrifices for healthy relationships and thank offerings on it. Then he told Judah to work for Yahveh, the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:17 But the people still sacrificed at the high places, yet only to Yahveh their God.

2 Chronicles 33:18 Notice, the rest of Manasseh’s reign, along with his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahveh, the God of Israel, are written in the Events of Israel’s Kings.

2 Chronicles 33:19 Notice, his prayer and how God was receptive to it, all his sin and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places, set up Asherah poles, and carved images before he humbled himself are written in the Events of Hozai.

2 Chronicles 33:20 Manasseh lied down with his fathers, and he was buried in his own house. His son Amon became king in his place.

2 Chronicles 33:21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 33:22 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight, just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that his father Manasseh had made, and he slaved for them.

2 Chronicles 33:23 But he did not humble himself before Yahveh like his father Manasseh humbled himself; instead, Amon increased his need for reparation.

2 Chronicles 33:24 So his slaves conspired against him and put him to death in his own house.

2 Chronicles 33:25 The familiar people struck down all who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.

links:

2 Chronicles 33 – jeffersonvann
breaking point
Manasseh’s breaking point

2 Chronicles 31

2 Chronicles 31:1 When all this was completed, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, to the last one. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his possession.

2 Chronicles 31:2 Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites for the ascending offerings and sacrifices for healthy relationships, ministry, giving thanks, and praise in the gates of the camp of Yahveh, each division corresponding to his service among the priests and Levites.

2 Chronicles 31:3 The king contributed from his possessions for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings, the ascending offerings of the Sabbaths, of the New Moons, and the appointed feasts, as written in the instruction of Yahveh.

2 Chronicles 31:4 He told the people who lived in Jerusalem to contribute to the priests and Levites so that they could strengthen themselves in Yahveh’s instruction.

2 Chronicles 31:5 When the word spread, the Israelites gave liberally of the first[1] of the grain, new wine, fresh oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance, a tenth of everything.

2 Chronicles 31:6 As for the Israelites and Judahites who lived in the cities of Judah, they also brought a tenth of the herds and flocks, and a tenth of the dedicated things that were consecrated to Yahveh their God. They gathered them into large piles.

2 Chronicles 31:7 In the third month, they began building up the piles and finished in the seventh month.

2 Chronicles 31:8 When Hezekiah and his captains came and viewed the piles, they praised Yahveh and his people, Israel.

2 Chronicles 31:9 Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles.

2 Chronicles 31:10 The chief priest Azariah, of the household of Zadok, answered him, “Since they began bringing the offering to Yahveh’s house, we have consumed and are satisfied, and there is plenty in reserve because Yahveh has empowered his people; this abundance is what is in reserve.”

2 Chronicles 31:11 Hezekiah told them to prepare chambers in Yahveh’s house, and they prepared them.

2 Chronicles 31:12 The offering, the tenth, and the dedicated things were brought faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.

2 Chronicles 31:13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were deputies under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei by appointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah, the chief official of God’s house.

2 Chronicles 31:14 Kore son of Imnah, the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the spontaneous voluntary[2] offerings to God to distribute the contribution to Yahveh and the consecrated things.

2 Chronicles 31:15 Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests were to distribute it faithfully under his authority to their brothers by divisions, whether large or small.

2 Chronicles 31:16 In addition, they distributed it to males registered by genealogy three years old and above, to all who entered Yahveh’s house for their daily duty, for their service in their responsibilities according to their divisions.

2 Chronicles 31:17 They distributed also to those recorded by genealogy of the priests by their ancestral houses and the Levites twenty years old and above, by their responsibilities in their divisions;

2 Chronicles 31:18 to those registered by genealogy- with all their dependents, wives, sons, and daughters- of the whole congregation (for they had faithfully consecrated themselves as sacred);

2 Chronicles 31:19 and to the descendants of Aaron, the priests, in the standard fields of their cities, in every town. Some men were registered by name to distribute a portion to every male among the priests, and every Levite was recorded by genealogy.

2 Chronicles 31:20 Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what was good, upright, and reliable before Yahveh his God.

2 Chronicles 31:21 He was diligent in every deed that he began in the service of God’s house, in the instruction and the commands, in order to seek his God, and he prospered.

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[1]רֵאשִׁית = first, firstfruits. 2 Chronicles 31:5.

[2] נְדָבָה = spontaneous voluntary. 2 Chronicles 31:14; 35:8.

links:

more than enough
open the floodgates

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library

2 Chronicles 30

2 Chronicles 30:1 Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh to come to Yahveh’s house in Jerusalem to observe the Passover of Yahveh, the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 30:2 For the king and his captains and the entire congregation in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover of Yahveh in the second month,

2 Chronicles 30:3 because they were not able to observe it at the appropriate time. Not enough of the priests had consecrated themselves, and the people hadn’t been gathered in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 30:4 The proposal pleased the king and the congregation,

2 Chronicles 30:5 so they affirmed the proposal and spread the message throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, to come to observe the Passover of Yahveh, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem, for they hadn’t observed it often, as prescribed.

2 Chronicles 30:6 So the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the hand of the king and his captains, and according to the king’s command, saying, “Israelites, return to Yahveh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel so that he may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.

2 Chronicles 30:7 Don’t be like your fathers and your brothers who were unfaithful to Yahveh, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror as you yourselves see.

2 Chronicles 30:8 Don’t become obstinate now like your fathers did. Give your allegiance to Yahveh and come to his sanctuary that he has consecrated permanently. Work for Yahveh your God so that he may turn his burning anger away from you,

2 Chronicles 30:9 for when you return to Yahveh, your brothers and your sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. For Yahveh your God is gracious and merciful; he will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.”

2 Chronicles 30:10 The couriers traveled from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but the inhabitants laughed at them and mocked them.

2 Chronicles 30:11 Some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun certainly humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 30:12 Also, the power of God was at work in Judah, giving them one heart to carry out the command of the king and his captains by the word of Yahveh.

2 Chronicles 30:13 a vast congregation of people was gathered in Jerusalem to observe the Festival of Matzah in the second month.

2 Chronicles 30:14 They proceeded to remove the altars in Jerusalem, including the incense altars, and throw them into the Kidron Valley.

2 Chronicles 30:15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought ascending offerings to Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 30:16 They stood at their prescribed posts, according to the judgment of the instruction of Moses, the man of God. The priests splattered the blood received from the Levites,

2 Chronicles 30:17 for there were many in the congregation who had not consecrated themselves, and so the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover lambs for every impure person to consecrate the lambs to Yahveh.

2 Chronicles 30:18 A large number of the people- many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun- were ritually unclean, yet they had consumed the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah had interceded for them, saying, “May the good Lord atone

2 Chronicles 30:19 whoever sets his whole heart on seeking God, Yahveh, the God of his ancestors, even though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”

2 Chronicles 30:20 So Yahveh heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

2 Chronicles 30:21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem observed the Festival of Matzah seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests praised Yahveh day after day with loud instruments.

2 Chronicles 30:22 Then Hezekiah encouraged the hearts of all the Levites who performed skilfully before Yahveh. They consumed at the appointed festival for seven days, making sacrifices for healthy relationships and giving thanks to Yahveh, the God of their ancestors.

2 Chronicles 30:23 The whole congregation decided to observe seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy,

2 Chronicles 30:24 for King Hezekiah of Judah contributed one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the congregation. Also, the captains contributed one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the congregation, and many priests consecrated themselves.

2 Chronicles 30:25 Then the whole congregation of Judah with the priests and Levites, the entire congregation that came from Israel, the foreign guests who came from the land of Israel, and those who were living in Judah, rejoiced.

2 Chronicles 30:26 There was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for nothing like this was known since the days of Solomon, son of David, the king of Israel.

2 Chronicles 30:27 Then the priests and the Levites stood to empower the people, and God heard them, and their prayer came into his sacred dwelling place in the sky.

links:

God’s mercy and the death-state
grace again
skipping steps

The 2 Chronicles shelf in Jeff’s library