3By the seventh month the people of Israel were all settled in their towns. Then they all assembled in Jerusalem,H7637H2320H5060H1121H3478H5892H5971H622H259H376H33892and Joshua son of Jehozadak, his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, together with his relatives, rebuilt the altar of the God of Israel, so that they could burn sacrifices on it according to the instructions written in the Law of Moses, the man of God.H6965H3442H1121H3136H251H3548H2216H1121H7597H251H1129H4196H430H3478H5927H5930H3789H8451H4872H376H4303Even though the returning exiles were afraid of the people who were living in the land, they rebuilt the altar where it had stood before. Then they began once again to burn on it the regular morning and evening sacrifices.H3559H4196H4350H367H5971H776H5927H5930H3068H5930H1242H61534They celebrated the Festival of Shelters according to the regulations; each day they offered the sacrifices required for that day;H6213H2282H5521H3789H3117H3117H5930H4557H4941H1697H3117H31175and in addition they offered the regular sacrifices to be burned whole and those to be offered at the New Moon Festival and at all the other regular assemblies at which the LORD is worshiped, as well as all the offerings that were given to the LORD voluntarily.H310H8548H5930H2320H4150H3068H6942H5068H5071H30686Although the people had not yet started to rebuild the Temple, they began on the first day of the seventh month to burn sacrifices to the LORD.H259H3117H7637H2320H2490H5927H5930H3068H3245H1964H3068H3245
The Rebuilding of the Temple Begins
7The people gave money to pay the stonemasons and the carpenters and gave food, drink, and olive oil to be sent to the cities of Tyre and Sidon in exchange for cedar trees from Lebanon, which were to be brought by sea to Joppa. All this was done with the permission of Emperor Cyrus of Persia.H5414H3701H2672H2796H3978H4960H8081H6722H6876H935H730H6086H3844H3220H3305H7558H3566H4428H65398So in the second month of the year after they came back to the site of the Temple in Jerusalem, they began work. Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the rest of their people, the priests, and the Levites, in fact all the exiles who had come back to Jerusalem, joined in the work. All the Levites twenty years of age or older were put in charge of the work of rebuilding the Temple.H8145H8141H935H1004H430H3389H8145H2320H2490H2216H1121H7597H3442H1121H3136H7605H251H3548H3881H935H7628H3389H5975H3881H6242H8141H1121H4605H5329H4399H1004H30689The Levite Jeshua and his sons and relatives, and Kadmiel and his sons (the clan of Hodaviah ) joined together in taking charge of the rebuilding of the Temple. (They were helped by the Levites of the clan of Henadad.)H5975H3442H1121H251H6934H1121H1121H3063H259H5329H6213H4399H1004H430H1121H2582H1121H251H388110When the builders started to lay the foundation of the Temple, the priests in their robes took their places with trumpets in their hands, and the Levites of the clan of Asaph stood there with cymbals. They praised the LORD according to the instructions handed down from the time of King David.H1129H3245H1964H3068H5975H3548H3847H2689H3881H1121H623H4700H1984H3068H3027H1732H4428H347811They sang the LORD's praises, repeating the refrain: "The LORD is good, and his love for Israel is eternal." Everyone shouted with all their might, praising the LORD, because the work on the foundation of the Temple had been started.H6030H1984H3034H3068H2896H2617H5769H3478H5971H7321H1419H8643H1984H3068H3245H1004H3068H324512Many of the older priests, Levites, and heads of clans had seen the first Temple, and as they watched the foundation of this Temple being laid, they cried and wailed. But the others who were there shouted for joy.H7227H3548H3881H7218H1H2205H7200H7223H1004H3245H1004H3245H5869H1058H1419H6963H7227H8643H7311H805713No one could distinguish between the joyful shouts and the crying, because the noise they made was so loud that it could be heard for miles.H5971H5234H6963H8643H8057H6963H1065H5971H5971H7321H1419H8643H6963H8085H7350
Prayer Tents is a Christian mission organization that serves Christians around the world and their local bodies to make disciples ("evangelize") more effectively in their communities. Prayer Tents provides resources to enable Christians to form discipleship-focused small groups and make their gatherings known so that other "interested" people may participate and experience Christ in their midst. Our Vision is to make disciples in all nations through the local churches so that anyone seeking God can come to know Him through relationships with other Christians near them.
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