King James Version · The Persian return
1 Esdras 5
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1After this were the principal men of the families chosen according to their tribes, to go up with their wives and sons and daughters, with their menservants and maidservants, and their cattle. 2And Darius sent with them a thousand horsemen, till they had brought them back to safely, and with musical instruments tabrets and flutes. 3And all their brethren played, and he made them go up together with them. 4And these are the names of the men which went up, according to their families among their tribes, after their several heads. 5The priests, the sons of the son of : the son of , the son of , and the son of , the son of , of the house of , out of the kindred of Phares, of the tribe of Judah; 6Who spake sentences before Darius the king of in the second year of his reign, in the month , which is the first month. 7And these are they of that came up from , where they dwelt as strangers, whom the king of had unto . 8And they returned unto , and to the other parts of , every man to his own city, who came with , with , Nehemias, and , and Reesaias, Enenius, . Beelsarus, Aspharasus, Reelius, Roimus, and , their guides. 9The number of them of the nation, and their governors, sons of Phoros, two thousand an hundred seventy and two; the sons of Saphat, four hundred seventy and two: 10The sons of Ares, seven hundred fifty and six: 11The sons of Phaath , two thousand eight hundred and twelve: 12The sons of , a thousand two hundred fifty and four: the sons of Zathul, nine hundred forty and five: the sons of Corbe, seven hundred and five: the sons of , six hundred forty and eight: 13The sons of , six hundred twenty and three: the sons of Sadas, three thousand two hundred twenty and two: 14The sons of , six hundred sixty and seven: the sons of Bagoi, two thousand sixty and six: the sons of , four hundred fifty and four: 15The sons of Aterezias, ninety and two: the sons of Ceilan and Azetas threescore and seven: the sons of Azuran, four hundred thirty and two: 16The sons of , an hundred and one: the sons of Arom, thirty two: and the sons of Bassa, three hundred twenty and three: the sons of Azephurith, an hundred and two: 17The sons of Meterus, three thousand and five: the sons of Bethlomon, an hundred twenty and three: 18They of Netophah, fifty and five: they of , an hundred fifty and eight: they of Bethsamos, forty and two: 19They of Kiriathiarius, twenty and five: they of Caphira and Beroth, seven hundred forty and three: they of Pira, seven hundred: 20They of Chadias and Ammidoi, four hundred twenty and two: they of Cirama and Gabdes, six hundred twenty and one: 21They of Macalon, an hundred twenty and two: they of Betolius, fifty and two: the sons of Nephis, an hundred fifty and six: 22The sons of Calamolalus and Onus, seven hundred twenty and five: the sons of Jerechus, two hundred forty and five: 23The sons of Annas, three thousand three hundred and thirty. 24The priests: the sons of Jeddu, the son of among the sons of Sanasib, nine hundred seventy and two: the sons of Meruth, a thousand fifty and two: 25The sons of Phassaron, a thousand forty and seven: the sons of Carme, a thousand and seventeen. 26The : the sons of Jessue, and Cadmiel, and Banuas, and Sudias, seventy and four. 27The singers: the sons of , an hundred twenty and eight. 28The porters: the sons of Salum, the sons of Jatal, the sons of , the sons of Dacobi, the sons of Teta, the sons of Sami, in all an hundred thirty and nine. 29The servants of : the sons of , the sons of Asipha, the sons of Tabaoth, the sons of Ceras, the sons of Sud, the sons of Phaleas, the sons of Labana, the sons of Graba, 30The sons of Acua, the sons of Uta, the sons of Cetab, the sons of Agaba, the sons of Subai, the sons of Anan, the sons of Cathua, the sons of Geddur, 31The sons of Airus, the sons of Daisan, the sons of Noeba, the sons of Chaseba, the sons of , the sons of Azia, the sons of , the sons of Azare, the sons of Bastai, the sons of Asana, the sons of Meani, the sons of Naphisi, the sons of Acub, the sons of Acipha, the sons of , the sons of Pharacim, the sons of Basaloth, 32The sons of Meeda, the sons of Coutha, the sons of Charea, the sons of Charcus, the sons of Aserer, the sons of Thomoi, the sons of Nasith, the sons of Atipha. 33The sons of the servants of : the sons of Azaphion, the sons of Pharira, the sons of Jeeli, the sons of Lozon, the , the sons of Sapheth, 34The sons of Hagia, the sons of Pharacareth, the sons of Sabi, the sons of Sarothie, the sons of Masias, the sons of Gar, the sons of Addus, the sons of Suba, the sons of Apherra, the sons of Barodis, the sons of Sabat, the sons of Allom. 35All the ministers of , and the sons of the servants of , were three hundred seventy and two. 36These came up from Thermeleth and Thelersas, Charaathalar leading them, and Aalar; 37Neither could they shew their families, nor their stock, how they were of Israel: the sons of Ladan, the son of , the sons of Necodan, six hundred fifty and two. 38And of the priests that usurped the office of the priesthood, and were not found: the sons of Obdia, the sons of Accoz, the sons of Addus, who married Augia one of the daughters of Barzelus, and was named after his name. 39And when the description of the kindred of these men was sought in the register, and was not found, they were removed from executing the office of the priesthood: 40For unto them said Nehemias and Atharias, that they should not be partakers of the things, till there arose up an clothed with doctrine and truth. 41So of Israel, from them of twelve years old and upward, they were all in number forty thousand, beside menservants and womenservants two thousand three hundred and sixty. 42Their menservants and handmaids were seven thousand three hundred forty and seven: the singing men and singing women, two hundred forty and five: 43Four hundred thirty and five camels, seven thousand thirty and six horses, two hundred forty and five mules, five thousand five hundred twenty and five used to the . 44And certain of the chief of their families, when they came to of that is in , to set up the house again in his own place according to their ability, 45And to give into the of the works a thousand pounds of gold, five thousand of silver, and an hundred priestly vestments. 46And so dwelt the priests and the and the people in , and in the country, the singers also and the porters; and all Israel in their villages. 47But when the seventh month was at hand, and when the were every man in his own place, they came all together with one consent into the open place of the first which is toward the east. 48Then stood up the son of , and his brethren the priests and the son of , and his brethren, and made ready the of the of Israel, 49To offer burnt upon it, according as it is expressly commanded in the book of the . 50And there were gathered unto them out of the other nations of the land, and they erected the upon his own place, because all the nations of the land were at enmity with them, and oppressed them; and they offered according to the time, and burnt offerings to both morning and evening. 51Also they held the , as it is commanded in , and offered daily, as was meet: 52And after that, the continual oblations, and the of the , and of the new moons, and of all feasts. 53And all they that had made any to began to offer to from the first day of the seventh month, although of was not yet built. 54And they gave unto the masons and carpenters money, meat, and drink, with cheerfulness. 55Unto them of Zidon also and they gave carrs, that they should bring cedar trees from Libanus, which should be brought by floats to the haven of , according as it was commanded them by king of the . 56And in the second year and second month after his coming to of at began the son of , and the son of , and their brethren, and the priests, and the , and all they that were come unto out of : 57And they laid the foundation of the house of in the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come to and . 58And they appointed the from twenty years old over the works of . Then stood up , and his sons and brethren, and Cadmiel his brother, and the sons of Madiabun, with the sons of Joda the son of Eliadun, with their sons and brethren, all , with one accord setters forward of the business, labouring to advance the works in the house of . So the workmen built of . 59And the priests stood arrayed in their vestments with musical instruments and ; and the the sons of had cymbals, 60Singing songs of , and praising , according as the king of Israel had ordained. 61And they sung with loud voices songs to the of , because his mercy and is for ever in all Israel. 62And all the people sounded , and shouted with a loud voice, singing songs of unto for the rearing up of the . 63Also of the priests and , and of the chief of their families, the ancients who had seen the former house came to the building of this with weeping and great crying. 64But many with and joy shouted with loud voice, 65Insomuch that the might not be heard for the weeping of the people: yet sounded marvellously, so that it was heard afar off. 66Wherefore when the of the tribe of Judah and heard it, they came to know what that noise of should mean. 67And they perceived that they that were of did build unto of Israel. 68So they went to and , and to the chief of the families, and said unto them, We will build together with you. 69For we likewise, as ye, do your , and do unto him from the days of Azbazareth the king of the , who brought us hither. 70Then and and the chief of the families of Israel said unto them, It is not for us and you to build together an house unto our . 71We ourselves alone will build unto of Israel, according as the king of the hath commanded us. 72But the heathen of the land lying heavy upon the inhabitants of , and holding them strait, hindered their building; 73And by their secret plots, and popular persuasions and commotions, they hindered the finishing of the building all the time that king lived: so they were hindered from building for the space of two years, until the reign of Darius.
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · The Persian return, 539 BC to 332 BC ›
Persia takes Babylon and reverses its policy, sending exiled peoples home to rebuild their temples. Judah returns as a small province, rebuilding under imperial permission rather than independence.
- Persia
- The largest empire the world had yet seen, from the Indus to the Aegean, run through provinces, a royal road, and a postal system. Its policy on conquered peoples was to send them home and fund their temples, in exchange for loyalty and prayers for the king. The Cyrus Cylinder states the policy in Cyrus's own words, and Ezra opens with the same policy applied to Judah.
- Judah
- A small, poor province called Yehud, a fraction of the old kingdom, with a rebuilt temple that made the people who remembered the first one weep. No king, and no prospect of one. Leadership passes to priests and scribes, which shapes everything afterward.
- Greece
- Persia and Greece collide at Marathon and Salamis, Persia loses, and Athens spends the following decades on the Parthenon, tragedy, and Socrates. Herodotus writes the first history in order to explain that war. Then Plato and Aristotle, whose vocabulary the church will still be using at Nicaea eight centuries later.
- Further afield
- Rome throws out its kings and becomes a republic. In India and China this is the age of the Buddha's early followers and of Confucian teaching taking hold. More of what the world still thinks with was invented in this era than in almost any other.