Ezra 1:5

The Exiles Prepare to Return to Jerusalem

1:5 Then the leaders ¹  of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites – all those whose mind God had stirred – got ready ²  to go up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. ³ 

Ezra 3:4

3:4 They observed the Festival of Temporary Shelters ⁴  as required ⁵  and offered the proper number of ⁶  daily burnt offerings according to the requirement for each day.

Ezra 6:22

6:22 They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had given them joy and had changed the opinion ⁷  of the king of Assyria ⁸  toward them, so that he assisted ⁹  them in the work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.

Ezra 8:18

8:18 Due to the fact that the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us a skilled man, from the descendants of Mahli the son of Levi son of Israel. This man was Sherebiah, ¹⁰  who was accompanied by his sons and brothers, ¹¹  18 men,

[1:5]  ¹ tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”

[1:5]  ² tn Heb “arose.”

[1:5]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:4]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew phrase אֶת חַג־הַסֻּכּוֹת (’et khag-hassukot, “festival of huts” [or “shelters”]) is traditionally known as the Feast of Tabernacles. The rendering “booths” (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV) is probably better than the traditional “tabernacles” in light of the meaning of the term סֻכָּה (sukkah, “hut; booth”), but “booths” are frequently associated with trade shows and craft fairs in contemporary American English. The nature of the celebration during this feast as a commemoration of the wanderings of the Israelites after they left Egypt suggests that a translation like “temporary shelters” is more appropriate.

[3:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “according to what is written.”

[3:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “by number.”

[6:22]  ⁷ tn Heb “heart.”

[6:22]  ⁸ sn The expression “king of Assyria” is anachronistic, since Assyria fell in 612 b.c., long before the events of this chapter. Perhaps the expression is intended subtly to contrast earlier kings of Assyria who were hostile toward Israel with this Persian king who showed them favor.

[6:22]  ⁹ tn Heb “to strengthen their hands.”

[8:18]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and Sherebiah.” The words “this man was” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[8:18]  ¹¹ tn Or “relatives” (so CEV; NRSV “kin”); also in v. 19.