Ezra 1:4

1:4 Anyone who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner must be helped by his neighbors ¹  with silver, gold, equipment, and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

Ezra 4:3

4:3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the leaders of Israel said to them, “You have no right ²  to help us build the temple of our God. We will build it by ourselves for the Lord God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”

Ezra 4:12

4:12 Now ³  let the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. ⁴  They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations.

Ezra 4:15

4:15 so that he may initiate a search of the records ⁵  of his predecessors ⁶  and discover in those records ⁷  that this city is rebellious ⁸  and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts ⁹  from long ago. ¹⁰  It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed.

Ezra 5:8

5:8 Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones, ¹¹  and timbers are being placed in the walls. This work is being done with all diligence and is prospering in their hands.

Ezra 9:9

9:9 Although we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our servitude. He has extended kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, in that he has revived us ¹²  to restore the temple of our God and to raise ¹³  up its ruins and to give us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁴ 

Ezra 9:11

9:11 which you commanded us through your servants the prophets with these words: ¹⁵  ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land defiled by the impurities of the local residents! ¹⁶  With their abominations they have filled it from one end to the other with their filthiness.

[1:4]  ¹ tn Heb “the men of his place.”

[4:3]  ² tn Heb “not to you and to us.”

[4:12]  ³ tn The MT takes this word with the latter part of v. 11, but in English style it fits better with v. 12.

[4:12]  ⁴ sn Management of the provinces that were distantly removed from the capital was difficult, and insurrection in such places was a perennial problem. The language used in this report about Jerusalem (i.e., “rebellious,” “odious”) is intentionally inflammatory. It is calculated to draw immediate attention to the perceived problem.

[4:15]  ⁵ tn Aram “the book of the minutes.”

[4:15]  ⁶ tn Aram “of your fathers.”

[4:15]  ⁷ tn Aram “discover…and learn.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.

[4:15]  ⁸ tn Aram “is a rebellious city.”

[4:15]  ⁹ tn Aram “revolts they are making in its midst.”

[4:15]  ¹⁰ tn Aram “from olden days.” So also in v. 19.

[5:8]  ¹¹ tn Aram “stones of rolling.” The reference is apparently to stones too large to carry.

[9:9]  ¹² tn Heb “has granted us reviving.”

[9:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “to cause to stand.”

[9:9]  ¹⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[9:11]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “through your servants the prophets, saying.”

[9:11]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”