Ezra 6

Ezra · Chapter 6

Ezra 6:18

1Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.2And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written:3In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;4With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house:5And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.6Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:7Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.8Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.9And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:10That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.11Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.12And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.13Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.14And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.15And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.16And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,17And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.18And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.19And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.20For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.21And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,22And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
18And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Aramaic words

This passage was written in Aramaic, the common language of the Babylonian and Persian empires, which the Jews of the exile also spoke. It uses the same alphabet as Hebrew.

EnglishAramaicSay itStrong'sMeaning
and they appointedוַהֲקִ֨ימוּva-ha-KI-muH6966I
to stand: rise

קוּם (qum) : rise/get_going 1) to arise, stand 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to arise from 1a2) to come on the scene (fig) 1a3) to arise (out of inaction) 1a4) to stand 1a5) to endure 1b) (Pael) to set up, establish 1c) (Aphel) 1c1) to set up 1c2) to lift up 1c3) to establish 1c4) to appoint 1d) (Hophal) to be made to stand

priests theכָהֲנַיָּ֜אkha-ha-nai-YA'H3549
priest

כָּהֵן (ka.hen) priest Aramaic of ko.hen (כֹּהֵן "priest" H3548)

in divisions theirבִּפְלֻגָּתְה֗וֹןbif-lu-ga-te-HONH6392
division

פְּלֻגָּה (pe.lug.gah) division, section Aramaic of pe.lug.gah (פְּלֻגָּה "division" H6391)

and Levites theוְלֵוָיֵא֙ve-le-va-YE'H3879
Levite

לֵוָי (le.vi) A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.34; son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812); brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Judah (H3063), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783); half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); father of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115) Aramaic of le.vi (לֵוִי "Levi" H3878) § Levite, of Levi "joined to" 1) the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah …

in classes theirבְּמַחְלְקָ֣תְה֔וֹןbe-mach-le-KA-te-HONH4255
class

מַחְלְקָה (mach.le.qah) 1) class, division 1a) of priests and Levites

overעַל־'al-H5922
since

עַל (al) 1) upon, over, on account of, above, to, against 1a) upon, over, on account of, regarding, concerning, on behalf of 1b) over (with verbs of ruling) 1c) above, beyond (in comparison) 1d) to, against (of direction)

[the] service ofעֲבִידַ֥ת'a-vi-DATH5673
service

עֲבִידָה (a.vi.dah) 1) work, service, ritual, worship 1a) work, administration 1b) ritual, service

the Godאֱלָהָ֖א'e-la-HA'H0426
god

אֱלָהּ (e.lah) 1) god, God 1a) god, heathen deity 1b) God (of Israel)

whichדִּ֣יdiH1768
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

[is] in Jerusalemבִירוּשְׁלֶ֑םvi-ru-she-LEMH3390
Jerusalem

יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם (ye.ru.sha.lem) Aramaic of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389) § Jerusalem = "teaching of peace" the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split

according to [the] writing ofכִּכְתָ֖בkikh-TAVH3792
inscription

כְּתָב (ke.tav) 1) a writing 1a) writing, inscription 1b) written decree, written requirement

[the] book ofסְפַ֥רse-FARH5609
scroll

סְפַר (se.phar) scroll, book Aramaic of se.pher (סֵ֫פֶר ": document" H5612A)

Mosesמֹשֶֽׁה׃ פmo-SHEHH4873
Moses

מֹשֶׁה (mo.sheh) A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.10; son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115); brother of: Aaron (H0175) and Miriam (H4813); married to Zipporah (H6855); father of: Gershom (H1647) and Eliezer (H0461H); also called Manasseh at Jdg.18.30(?) Aramaic of mo.sheh (מֹשֶׁה "Moses" H4872) § Moses = "drawn" the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.