Day 203 of 730

¹Now these are the children of the province, who went up out of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city;

²who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

³The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy-two.

⁴The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy-two.

⁵The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy-five.

⁶The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred twelve.

⁷The children of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.

⁸The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty-five.

⁹The children of Zaccai, seven hundred sixty.

¹⁰The children of Bani, six hundred forty-two.

¹¹The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty-three.

¹²The children of Azgad, one thousand two hundred twenty-two.

¹³The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-six.

¹⁴The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty-six.

¹⁵The children of Adin, four hundred fifty-four.

¹⁶The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety-eight.

¹⁷The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty-three.

¹⁸The children of Jorah, one hundred twelve.

¹⁹The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty-three.

²⁰The children of Gibbar, ninety-five.

²¹The children of Bethlehem, one hundred twenty-three.

²²The men of Netophah, fifty-six.

²³The men of Anathoth, one hundred twenty-eight.

²⁴The children of Azmaveth, forty-two.

²⁵The children of Kiriath Arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty-three.

²⁶The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty-one.

²⁷The men of Michmas, one hundred twenty-two.

²⁸The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty-three.

²⁹The children of Nebo, fifty-two.

³⁰The children of Magbish, one hundred fifty-six.

³¹The children of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.

³²The children of Harim, three hundred twenty.

³³The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-five.

³⁴The children of Jericho, three hundred forty-five.

³⁵The children of Senaah, three thousand six hundred thirty.

³⁶The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy-three.

³⁷The children of Immer, one thousand fifty-two.

³⁸The children of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven.

³⁹The children of Harim, one thousand seventeen.

⁴⁰The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy-four.

⁴¹The singers: the children of Asaph, one hundred twenty-eight.

⁴²The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all one hundred thirty-nine.

⁴³The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

⁴⁴the children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,

⁴⁵the children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub,

⁴⁶the children of Hagab, the children of Shamlai, the children of Hanan,

⁴⁷the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,

⁴⁸the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,

⁴⁹the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,

⁵⁰the children of Asnah, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephisim,

⁵¹the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

⁵²the children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

⁵³the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah,

⁵⁴the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

⁵⁵The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Hassophereth, the children of Peruda,

⁵⁶the children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

⁵⁷the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth Hazzebaim, the children of Ami.

⁵⁸All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety-two.

⁵⁹These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers' houses, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:

⁶⁰the children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty-two.

⁶¹Of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name.

⁶²These sought their place among those who were registered by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they deemed polluted and put from the priesthood.

⁶³The governor said to them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, until there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.

⁶⁴The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty,

⁶⁵besides their male servants and their female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven: and they had two hundred singing men and singing women.

⁶⁶Their horses were seven hundred thirty-six; their mules, two hundred forty-five;

⁶⁷their camels, four hundred thirty-five; their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

⁶⁸Some of the heads of fathers' households, when they came to the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for God's house to set it up in its place:

⁶⁹they gave after their ability into the treasury of the work sixty-one thousand darics of gold, and five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priests' garments.

⁷⁰So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

¹When the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.

²Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak stood up with his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers, and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

³In spite of their fear because of the peoples of the surrounding lands, they set the altar on its base; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, even burnt offerings morning and evening.

⁴They kept the feast of tents, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the ordinance, as the duty of every day required;

⁵and afterward the continual burnt offering, the offerings of the new moons, of all the set feasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to the Lord.

⁶From the first day of the seventh month, they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord; but the foundation of the Lord's temple was not yet laid.

⁷They also gave money to the masons, and to the carpenters. They also gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus King of Persia.

⁸Now in the second year of their coming to God's house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of the Lord's house.

⁹Then Jeshua stood with his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to have the oversight of the workmen in God's house: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brothers the Levites.

¹⁰When the builders laid the foundation of the Lord's temple, they set the priests in their clothing with trumpets, with the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of Israel.

¹¹They sang to one another in praising and giving thanks to the Lord, "For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever toward Israel." All the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord had been laid.

¹²But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice. Many also shouted aloud for joy,

¹³so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard far away.

¹The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity. There is no one who does good.

²God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God.

³Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one.

⁴Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call on God?

⁵There they were in great fear, where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you. You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.

⁶Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back his people from captivity, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

¹Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.

²A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.

³The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts.

⁴An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

⁵Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.

⁶Children's children are the crown of old men; the glory of children are their parents.

⁷Arrogant speech isn't fitting for a fool, much less do lying lips fit a prince.

⁸A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who gives it; wherever he turns, he prospers.

⁹He who covers an offense promotes love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.

¹⁰A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool.

¹¹An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

¹²Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

¹³Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.

¹⁵He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

¹⁶Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, seeing he has no understanding?

¹⁷A friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes collateral in the presence of his neighbor.

¹⁹He who loves disobedience loves strife. One who builds a high gate seeks destruction.

²⁰One who has a perverse heart doesn't find prosperity, and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.

²¹He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.

²²A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

²³A wicked man receives a bribe in secret, to pervert the ways of justice.

²⁴Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶Also to punish the righteous is not good, nor to flog officials for their integrity.

²⁷He who spares his words has knowledge. He who is even tempered is a man of understanding.

²⁸Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise. When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning.