1 Esdras 2

In the first year of Cyrus, king of the Persians, this happened so that the word of the Lord would be carried out, which he had promised through the mouth of Jeremy.

1In the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, that the word of the Lord might be accomplished, that he had promised by the mouth of Jeremy;

Note"Jeremy" is the King James spelling of Jeremiah, the prophet who had said the exile in Babylon would last seventy years. The first year of Cyrus means his first year as ruler of Babylon, about 538 BC, shortly after the Persians took the city. 1 Esdras is a Greek retelling of material also found in Ezra, Nehemiah and 2 Chronicles, and its personal names have come through Greek, so many of them look unfamiliar compared with their forms elsewhere.

2The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of the Persians, and Cyrus made an announcement throughout his whole kingdom, and also put it in writing.

2The Lord raised up the spirit of Cyrus the king of the Persians, and he made proclamation through all his kingdom, and also by writing,

3It said: This is what Cyrus, king of the Persians, says. The Lord of Israel, the Most High Lord, has made me king of the whole world,

3Saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of the Persians; The Lord of Israel, the most high Lord, hath made me king of the whole world,

Note"King of the whole world" is the ordinary language of Persian royal proclamations, which claimed rule over all lands. Persian kings also customarily issued decrees for a conquered people in the name of that people's own god, which is why the decree here speaks in the name of the Lord of Israel.

4and has commanded me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judea.

4And commanded me to build him an house at Jerusalem in Jewry.

NoteThe King James "Jewry" is simply an older English word for Judea, the territory around Jerusalem. It does not mean a Jewish quarter of a town.

5So if there are any of you who belong to his people, may the Lord, that is, his Lord, be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord of Israel, for he is the Lord who lives in Jerusalem.

5If therefore there be any of you that are of his people, let the Lord, even his Lord, be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord of Israel: for he is the Lord that dwelleth in Jerusalem.

Note"Go up" is the standard idiom for travel to Jerusalem, which sits in hill country, so one goes up to it from any direction. It became the fixed term for returning from exile.

6Then whoever lives in the places nearby, let them help him (those, I say, who are his neighbors) with gold and with silver,

6Whosoever then dwell in the places about, let them help him, those, I say, that are his neighbours, with gold, and with silver,

NoteThe Greek of this verse is obscure and translations divide over it. The sense is either that the neighbors of a returning exile should help him, or that in each place the locals should supply the one going from among them.

7with gifts, with horses, and with cattle, and with the other things that have been promised by vow for the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem.

7With gifts, with horses, and with cattle, and other things, which have been set forth by vow, for the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem.

NoteA vow was a binding promise to give a specific thing to God. Goods promised this way were set apart from ordinary use and had to be handed over.

8Then the heads of the families of Judea and of the tribe of Benjamin stood up, and so did the priests and the Levites and everyone whose mind the Lord had stirred to go up and build a house for the Lord at Jerusalem.

8Then the chief of the families of Judea and of the tribe of Benjamin stood up; the priests also, and the Levites, and all they whose mind the Lord had moved to go up, and to build an house for the Lord at Jerusalem,

Note"Heads of the families" means the chiefs of the extended family groups into which the people were organized. Judah and Benjamin were the two tribes of the southern kingdom, the population that had been deported to Babylon. Priests were descendants of Aaron who served at the altar; Levites were the wider tribe of Levi, who did the supporting work of the temple: music, gatekeeping, slaughtering and carrying.

9And the people who lived around them helped them in everything, with silver and gold, with horses and cattle, and with very many free gifts from a great number of people whose minds were stirred to give.

9And they that dwelt round about them, and helped them in all things with silver and gold, with horses and cattle, and with very many free gifts of a great number whose minds were stirred up thereto.

10King Cyrus also brought out the holy vessels that Nabuchodonosor had carried away from Jerusalem and had set up in his temple of idols.

10King Cyrus also brought forth the holy vessels, which Nabuchodonosor had carried away from Jerusalem, and had set up in his temple of idols.

NoteThe "holy vessels" are the gold and silver equipment used in worship at the Jerusalem temple. Nabuchodonosor is Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon, who captured Jerusalem and destroyed the temple in 587 or 586 BC and carried its furnishings off. Placing captured temple objects in the victor's own temple was standard practice, a public display that the winner's gods had won.

11Now when Cyrus, king of the Persians, had brought them out, he handed them over to Mithridates his treasurer,

11Now when Cyrus king of the Persians had brought them forth, he delivered them to Mithridates his treasurer:

12and through him they were handed over to Sanabassar, the governor of Judea.

12And by him they were delivered to Sanabassar the governor of Judea.

NoteSanabassar is the Greek form of the name Sheshbazzar. "Governor" is the Persian-appointed official in charge of a province, answerable to the king.

13This was the count of them: a thousand gold cups, and a thousand of silver, twenty-nine silver censers, thirty gold bowls, two thousand four hundred and ten silver bowls, and a thousand other vessels.

13And this was the number of them; A thousand golden cups, and a thousand of silver, censers of silver twenty nine, vials of gold thirty, and of silver two thousand four hundred and ten, and a thousand other vessels.

NoteA censer is a pan for burning incense. "Vials" in 1611 English means shallow bowls used for pouring, not small glass tubes. The parallel list in Ezra 1:9 to 11 gives a different set of figures.

14So all the vessels of gold and of silver that had been carried away came to five thousand four hundred and sixty-nine.

14So all the vessels of gold and of silver, which were carried away, were five thousand four hundred threescore and nine.

NoteIn the King James, "threescore" means sixty, so "five thousand four hundred threescore and nine" is 5,469. That total is exactly the sum of the items listed in the previous verse.

15These were brought back by Sanabassar, together with the people who had been in captivity, from Babylon to Jerusalem.

15These were brought back by Sanabassar, together with them of the captivity, from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Note"Them of the captivity" is the standard term for the people deported to Babylon and their descendants born there.

16But in the time of Artexerxes, king of the Persians, Belemus, Mithridates, Tabellius, Rathumus, Beeltethmus, and Semellius the secretary, along with others who held office with them and lived in Samaria and other places, wrote to him against the people living in Judea and Jerusalem. This is the letter they sent:

16But in the time of Artexerxes king of the Persians Belemus, and Mithridates, and Tabellius, and Rathumus, and Beeltethmus, and Semellius the secretary, with others that were in commission with them, dwelling in Samaria and other places, wrote unto him against them that dwelt in Judea and Jerusalem these letters following;

NoteArtexerxes is the King James spelling of Artaxerxes. The story here jumps out of chronological order: this complaint belongs to a reign later than that of Cyrus, and the chapter ends with Darius, who ruled before Artaxerxes. The same sequence appears in Ezra 4. Samaria was the administrative center of the province north of Judea, and officials based there had authority over the area. "In commission with them" means holding office alongside them.

17To King Artexerxes our lord, from your servants Rathumus the recorder, Semellius the scribe, the rest of their council, and the judges who are in Celosyria and Phenice.

17To king Artexerxes our lord, Thy servants, Rathumus the storywriter, and Semellius the scribe, and the rest of their council, and the judges that are in Celosyria and Phenice.

Note"Storywriter" translates the title of a royal official who kept the official record of events, something like a chronicler or recorder. Celosyria, literally "hollow Syria," is the inland valley region of Syria; Phenice is Phoenicia, the coastal strip of what is now Lebanon. Together they stand for the Persian province west of the Euphrates in which Judea lay.

18Let it now be known to our lord the king that the Jews who have come up from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem, that rebellious and wicked city, and are building its marketplaces, repairing its walls, and laying the foundation of the temple.

18Be it now known to the lord king, that the Jews that are up from you to us, being come into Jerusalem, that rebellious and wicked city, do build the marketplaces, and repair the walls of it and do lay the foundation of the temple.

Note"The Jews that are up from you to us" means those who have traveled from the king's own heartland, Babylon and Persia, into this western province.

19Now if this city and its walls are built up again, the people will not only refuse to pay tribute, but will also rebel against kings.

19Now if this city and the walls thereof be made up again, they will not only refuse to give tribute, but also rebel against kings.

NoteTribute is the tax a subject people paid to the imperial ruler. The argument is that a city with rebuilt walls can defend itself and so can refuse to pay.

20And since the work on the temple is now under way, we think it is right not to ignore such a matter,

20And forasmuch as the things pertaining to the temple are now in hand, we think it meet not to neglect such a matter,

Note"Meet" in the King James means fitting or proper.

21but to speak to our lord the king, so that, if it pleases you, a search may be made in the books of your ancestors.

21But to speak unto our lord the king, to the intent that, if it be thy pleasure it may be sought out in the books of thy fathers:

Note"The books of thy fathers" means the archives of previous kings, "fathers" here being predecessors on the throne rather than literal parents. Persian administration kept written records that officials could search on the king's order.

22You will find in the records what is written about these things, and you will understand that that city was rebellious, and troubled both kings and cities,

22And thou shalt find in the chronicles what is written concerning these things, and shalt understand that that city was rebellious, troubling both kings and cities:

23and that the Jews were rebellious and always started wars there. That is the reason this city was left in ruins.

23And that the Jews were rebellious, and raised always wars therein; for the which cause even this city was made desolate.

24So now we declare to you, O lord the king, that if this city is built again and its walls are set up anew, from then on you will have no way through into Celosyria and Phenice.

24Wherefore now we do declare unto thee, O lord the king, that if this city be built again, and the walls thereof set up anew, thou shalt from henceforth have no passage into Celosyria and Phenice.

NoteJudea sat astride the main routes running from the empire toward the Mediterranean coast and Egypt. The claim is that a fortified Jerusalem would close the king's access to the western provinces.

25Then the king wrote back to Rathumus the recorder, to Beeltethmus, to Semellius the scribe, and to the rest who held office with them and lived in Samaria and Syria and Phenice, in this way:

25Then the king wrote back again to Rathumus the storywriter, to Beeltethmus, to Semellius the scribe, and to the rest that were in commission, and dwellers in Samaria and Syria and Phenice, after this manner;

26I have read the letter you sent me. So I gave orders for a careful search to be made, and it has been found that from the beginning that city has plotted against kings,

26I have read the epistle which ye have sent unto me: therefore I commanded to make diligent search, and it hath been found that that city was from the beginning practising against kings;

Note"Practising against kings" in the King James means plotting or scheming against them.

27and that the men in it were given to rebellion and war, and that mighty and fierce kings were in Jerusalem, who ruled and collected tribute in Celosyria and Phenice.

27And the men therein were given to rebellion and war: and that mighty kings and fierce were in Jerusalem, who reigned and exacted tributes in Celosyria and Phenice.

NoteThe "mighty kings" who ruled in Jerusalem and collected tribute in the north and west refers to the earlier Israelite monarchy, above all David and Solomon, who were remembered as dominating territory well beyond Judea.

28So now I have given orders to stop those men from building the city, and to see to it that nothing more is done there,

28Now therefore I have commanded to hinder those men from building the city, and heed to be taken that there be no more done in it;

29and that those wicked workers go no further in troubling kings.

29And that those wicked workers proceed no further to the annoyance of kings,

NoteIn 1611 "annoyance" meant harm or injury, a far stronger word than it is today.

30Then, when King Artexerxes' letters had been read, Rathumus and Semellius the scribe and the rest who held office with them hurried toward Jerusalem with a troop of horsemen and a large crowd of people in battle formation, and began to stop the builders. And the building of the temple in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius, king of the Persians.

30Then king Artexerxes his letters being read, Rathumus, and Semellius the scribe, and the rest that were in commission with them, removing in haste toward Jerusalem with a troop of horsemen and a multitude of people in battle array, began to hinder the builders; and the building of the temple in Jerusalem ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

Note"In battle array" means drawn up in military formation, ready to fight. Darius I became king in 522 BC, so his second year is about 520 BC; the work on the temple was halted for years.