were the PROPHETS of GOD HELPING them.

8 Go up to the Mountain, and bring Wood, and build the House; and I will take Pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, faith the LORD. Zechariah i. 1 In the eighth Month, in the fecond Year of Darius, came the Word of the LORD unto Zechariah the Prophet, faying,

12 Then the Angel of the LORD answered and faid, O Lord of Hofts, how long wilt thou not have Mercy on Jerufalem, and on the Cities of Judah, against which thou haft had Indignation these threescore and ten Years.

16 Therefore thus faith the LORD, I am returned to Jerufalem with Mercies: my House shall be built in it faith the LORD of Hofts, and a Line shall be stretched forth upon Jerufalem.

CHAP. VI.

1 Darius advanceth the Building. 13 The Temple is finished. 16 The Feast of the Dedication, 19 And of the Pallover.

1 HEN Darius the King made a Decree, and

Ver. Search was made in the Houfe of the Rolls,

where the Treasurers were laid up in Babylon.

2 And there was found at Achmetha, in the Province of the Medes, a Roll, and therein was a RECORD thus writ

ten:

3 In the first Year of Cyrus, the King made a DECREE concerning the Houfe of GOD at JERUSALEM: Let the HOUSE be builded, the Place where they offered Sacrifice, and let the Foundation thereof be strongly laid, the Height thereof threefcore Cubits, and the Breadth thereof threefcore Cubits.

4 With three Rows of great Stones, and a Row of new Timber: and let the Expences be given out of the King's House.

5 And alfo let the golden and filver Veffels of the House of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the Temple which is at Jerufalem, and brought into Babylon, be restored, and brought again into the Temple which is at Jerufalem, every one to his Place, and place them in the House of GOD.

6 Now therefore Tatnai, Governor beyond the River, Shethar-boznai, and your Companions the Apharfachites, which are beyond the River, be ye far from thence.

7 Let the Work of the Houfe of GoD alone, let the Governor of the Jews build this Houfe of GOD in this Place. 8 Moreover, I make a DECREE, what ye fhall do to the

Elders

Elders of thefe Jews, for the building of this House of God, that of the King's Goods, even of the Tribute beyond the River, forthwith Expences be given unto these Men, that they be not hindred.

9 And that which they have need of, both young Bul locks, and Rams, and Lambs, for the Burnt offerings of the GOD of HEAVEN, Wheat, Salt, Wine, and Oyl, according to the Appointment of the Priefts, which are at Jerufalem, let it be given them Day by Day without fail:

10 That they may offer Sacrifices of sweet Savours unte the GoD of Heaven, and PRAY for the LIFE of the KING, and of his Sons.

11 Alfo I have made a Decree, that whofoever fhall alter this Word, let Timber be pulled down from his Houfe, and being fet up, let him be hanged thereon, and let his House be made a Dunghil for this.

12 And the GOD that hath caufed his Name to dwell there, deftroy all KINGS, and PEOPLE that fhall put to their Hand, to alter and to destroy this Houfe of GOD which is at Jerufalem: I DARIUS have made a DECREE, let it be done with Speed.

13 Then Tatnai, Shethar-boznai, and their Companions, according to that which Darius the King had fent, so they did fpeedily.

14 And the Elders of the Jews builded, and they profpered through the Prophefying of Haggai, and Zechariah, and they builded and finished it, according to the Commandment of the GOD of Ifrael, and according to the Commandment of Cyrus and Darius, and Artaxerxes King of Perfia.

15 And this Houfe was finished on the third Day of the Month Adar, which was in the fixth Year of the Reign of Darius the King.

16 And the Children of Ifrael, the Priefts and the Levites, and the Reft of the Children of the Captivity, kept the Dedication of this Houfe of GOD with Joy,

18 And they fet the Priests in their Divifions, and the Levites in their Courfes, for the Service of GOD, which is at Jerufalem; as it is written in the Book of Mofes.

21 And the Children of Ifrael which were come again out of Captivity, and all fuch as had feparated themselves unto them from the Filthinefs of the Heathen of the Land, to feck the LORD GOD of Ifrael, did eat,

22 And kept the Feast of unleavened Bread feven Days with Joy for the LORD had made them joyful: and turned the Heart of the King of Affyria unto them, to strengthen their Hands in the Work of the Houfe of GOD, the GOD of Ifrael.

CHA P. VII.

1 Ezra goeth up to Jerufalem. 11 The gracious Commiffion of Artaxerxes to him. 27 Ezra bleffeth God for his Favour.

Ver. 1 NOW after thefe Things, in the Reign of Artax

erxes King of Perfia, Ezra, whofe Defcent is reckoned from Aaron the High Priest.

2 The Son of Shallum, the Son of Zadock, the Son of Ahitub,

3 The Son of Amariah, the Son of Azariah, the Son of Meraioth,

4 The Son of Zerahiah, the Son of Uzzi, the Son of Bukki,

6 This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a ready Scribe in the Law of Mofes: and the King granted him all his Request, according to the Hand of the LORD his GOD upon him.

7 And there went up fome of the Children of Ifrael, and of the Priefts, and Levites, and Singers, and the Porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerufalem, in the feventh Year of Artaxerxes the King.

8 And he came to Jerufalem in the fifth Month, which was in the seventh Year of the King.

9 For upon the first Day of the first Month, began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first Day of the fifth Month, came he to Jerufalem, according to the good Hand of his GoD upon him.

10 For Ezra had PREPARED his HEART to SEEK the LAW of the LORD, and to DO IT, and to TEACH in Ifrael Statutes and Judgments.

11 Now this is the Copy of the Letter that the King Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra.

Iz Artaxerxes King of Kings, Unto Ezra the Priest, a Scribe of the Law of the GoD of HEAVEN, perfect PEACE, and at fuch a Time.

13 I make a DECREE, that all they of the People of If

Mmm m

rael,

rael, and of his Priefts, and Levites in my Realm, which are minded of their own free Will to go up to Jerufalem, go with thee.

14 Forasmuch as thou art fent of the King, and of his feven Counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerufalem, according to the Law of thy GOD which is in thine HAND.

15 And to carry the Silver and Gold, which the King and his Counsellors have freely offered unto the GoD of Ifracl, whofe Habitation is in Jerufalem.

16 And all the Silver and Gold that thou canst find in all the Province of Babylon, with the Free-will-offering of the People, and of the Priests, offering willingly for the House of their GOD, which is in Jerufalem.

17 That thou mayft buy fpeedily with this Money, Bullocks, Rams, Lambs, with their Meat-offerings, and their Drink-offerings, and offer them upon the Altar of the Houfe of your GoD which is in Jerufalem.

18 And whatsoever fhall feem good to thee, and to thy Brethren, to do with the reft of the Silver and Gold, that do after the Will of your GoD.

19 The Veffels alfo that are given thee, for the Service of the House of thy God, thofe DELIVER thou before the GOD of Jerufalem.

20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the House of thy GOD, which thou fhalt have Occafion to beftow, beftow it out of the King's Treasure House.

21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the King, do make a DECREE to all the Treasurers which are beyond the River, that what foever Ezra the Prieft, the Scribe of the Law of the GOD of HEAVEN, fhall require of you, it be done fpeedily;

22 Unto an hundred Talents of Silver, and to an hundred Measures of Wheat, and to an hundred Baths of Wine, and to an hundred Baths of Oyl, and Salt without prescri bing how much.

23 Whatsoever is COMMANDED by the GOD of HEAVEN, let it be diligently done, for the Houfe of the GoD of HEAVEN: for why fhould there be WRATH against the King and his Sons?.

24 Alfo we certify you, that touching any of the Priests and Levites, Singers, Porters, Nethinims, or Ministers of this Houfe of GOD, it fhall not be lawful to impofe Toll, Tribute, or Cuftom upon them.

25 And thou Ezra, after the WISDOM of thy God, that is in thine Hand, fet Magiftrates and Judges, which may judge all the People that are beyond the River, and all such as know the Laws of thy GOD; and TEACH ye them that know them not.

26 And whofoever will not do the Law of thy God, and the Law of the King, let Judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto DEATH, or to BANISHMENT, or to Confifcation of Goods, or to IMPRISON

MENT.

27 BLESSED be the LORD GOD of our Fathers, which hath put fuch a Thing as this in the King's HEART, to beautify the House of the LORD which is in Jerufalem.

28 And hath extended Mercy unto me, before the King, and his Counsellors, and before all the Kings mighty Princes: and I was ftrengthened as the Hand of the LORD my GOD was upon me, and I gathered together out of Ifrael,. chief Men to go up with me.

1 Ezra's Companions, who returned from Babylon. 15 He fendeth to Iddo for Minifters for the Temple. 21 He keepeth a Faft. 24 He committeth the Treasures to the Custody of the Priests. 31 From Ahava they come to Jerufalem. 33 The Treafure is weighed in the Temple. 36 The Commiffion is delivered.

Ver. 21

TH

HENI Ezra proclaimed a Faft at the River A-, hava, that we might AFFLICT ourselves before our GoD, to SEEK of him a right Way for us, and for our little ones, and for all Subftance.

22 For as I was afhamed to require of the King a Band of Soldiers and Horfemen, to help us against the Enemy in the Way: because we had spoken unto the King, faying, The HAND of our GoD is upon all them for GooD, that SEEK him, but his POWER and his WRATH is against all them that FORSAKE him.

23 So we fafted and BESOUGHT our GOD for this, and he was INTREATED of us.

24 Then I feparated twelve of the chief of the Priefts, Sherebiah, Hafhabiah, and ten of their Brethren with them. 25 And weighed unto them the Silver, and the Gold, Mmmm 2

and