Chapter 1
1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Word of Jehovah came through the mouth of [the Prophet] JeremiJah to awaken the spirit of King Cyrus. 2 Then he sent a written proclamation throughout his kingdom that said, ‘This is what Cyrus the king of Persia has decreed: All the kingdoms of the earth have been given to me by Jehovah the God of heaven, and He told me to build a Temple to Him in Jerusalem of Judea. 3 Who of you are His people? His God Jehovah is now with him; so let him [return to Jerusalem] and build a Temple for the God of Israel, for He is the God in Jerusalem. 4 So, all the Judeans should leave the places where they’ve been staying and take up a collection of silver and gold, as well as things from among their belongings and their cattle, [to rebuild] the Temple of God in Jerusalem.’
5 Then the family heads of Judah and BenJamin, and the Priests and Levites – everyone whose spirit God had awakened to go and build a Temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem – got up and left. 6 And all those who were [living among] them filled their hands with silver, gold, belongings, cattle, and gifts, in addition to their own offerings. 7 Then King Cyrus brought out the things from the Temple of Jehovah that NebuChadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his god, 8 and he sent them by the hand of his Royal Treasurer MithraDates, who counted everything and gave it to SasaBasar, the ruler of Judah. 9 And this is what was sent:
· Thirty wine-chillers of gold
· Thirty wine-chillers of silver
· Twenty-nine sacrificial knives
· Thirty gold washbasins
· 10 Four-hundred-and-ten double-silver items
· A thousand other items
· 11 And a total of five-thousand-four-hundred smaller things of silver and gold.
SasaBasar took it all from Babylon to Jerusalem for the resettlement.
Chapter 2
1 These are the ones who returned from Babylon to resettle Judah and Jerusalem [whose families] had been relocated by NebuChadnezzar (the king of Babylon)… each returned to his own city. 2 Those who returned with ZerubBabel were JoShua, NehemiJah, SeraiJah, ReElaiJah, MardecAi, BilShan, MizPar, BigVai, Rehum, and BaAna.
In numbers, the people of Israel included 3 two-thousand, one-hundred-and-seventy-two from Parosh; 4 three-hundred-and-seventy-two from ShephatiJah; 5 seven-hundred-and-seventy-five from Arah; 6 two-thousand, eight-hundred-and-twelve from Pahath Moab (descendants of JoShua and JoAb); 7 a thousand, two-hundred-and-fifty-four from Elam; 8 nine-hundred-and-forty-five from ZatTu; 9 seven-hundred-and-sixty from ZacCai; 10 six-hundred-and-forty-two from Bani; 11 six-hundred-and-twenty-three from BaeAi; 12 a thousand, two-hundred-and-twenty from AzGad; 13 six-hundred-and-sixty-six from AdoniKam; 14 two-thousand, fifty-six from BigVai; 15 four-hundred-and-fifty-four from Adin; 16 ninety-eight from Ater (descendants of HezekiJah); 17 three-hundred-and-twenty-three from BezAi; 18 a hundred-and-twelve from JoRah; 19 two-hundred-and-twenty-three from Hashum; 20 ninety-five from GibBar; 21 a hundred-and-twenty-three from BethLehem; 22 fifty-six from NetoPhah; 23 a hundred-and-twenty-eight from AnaThoth; 24 forty-three from AzMaveth; 25 seven-hundred-and-forty-three from Kariath Jiarim, Chaphira, and BeerOth; 26 six-hundred-and-twenty-one from Rama and GabaA; 27 a hundred-and-twenty-two men of MichMash; 28 two-hundred-and-twenty-three men of BethEl; 29 fifty-two from Nebo; 30 a hundred-and-fifty-six from MagBish; 31 a thousand, two-hundred-and-fifty-four from Elam; 32 three-hundred-and-twenty from Harim; 33 seven-hundred-and-twenty-five from Lod, Hadid, and Ono; 34 three-hundred-and-forty-five from Jericho; 35 three-thousand, six-hundred-and-thirty from SenaAh; 36 nine-hundred-and-seventy-three priests of the house of JoShua from JedaiJah; 37 a thousand, fifty-two from ImMer; 38 a thousand, two-hundred-and-forty-seven from Pashur; 39 a thousand and seven from Harim.
40 There were seventy-four Levites who were descendants of JoShua and KadmiEl from HoDaviJah; 41 a hundred-and-twenty-eight singers from the family of Asaph; 42 a hundred-and-thirty-nine gatekeepers from of ShalLum, Ater, Telmon, AkKub, HatiTa, and ShobAi; 43 then there were the Nethinim from Siha, HaSupha, TabaOth, 44 Keros, SiaHa, Padon, 45 LebanAh, HagAbah, AkKub, 46 HagAb, ShalmAi, Hanan, 47 GidDel, Gahar, ReaJah, 48 Rezin, and twelve from Nekoda and GazZam; 49 and from Uzza, PaseAh, BesAi, 50 AsNah, Mehunim, Nephousim, 51 BakBuk, HakUpha, HarHur, 52 BazLuth, MehiDa, HarSha, 53 Barkos, Sisera, ThamAh, 54 NeziJah, HatiPha; 55 and descendants of the servants of Solomon from SotAi. From SopherEth there were: Peruda 56 of JaAlah, DarKon, GidDel, 57 ShephatiJah, HatTil, PocherEth, Zebaim, and Ami.
58 Altogether, there were three-hundred-and-ninety-two Nethinim and descendants of the servants of Solomon.
59 Those who came from TelMelah, TelHarsa, Cherub, AdDan, and ImMer were unable to report on their houses and children… that is, if they even are Israelites.
60 There were six-hundred-and-fifty-two from TobiJah and NekoDa.
61 And the information on the priests from HabaiJah, Koz, and BarZillAi who married women from BarZillAi (in Gilead) [used to] be in the records there, 62 but when they went looking for their genealogical records, they couldn’t find them, so they were suspended from the priesthood. 63 For, AtherSastha said to them: ‘You may not eat from the Holy of Holies until a Priest returns from the Lights and Perfections (Urim and Thumim?) to [tell us what to do].
64 Altogether, there were forty-two-thousand, three-hundred-and-sixty who returned, 65 plus seven-thousand, three-hundred-and-thirty-seven male and female servants, and two-hundred male and female singers. 66 They brought back seven-hundred-and-thirty-six horses, two-hundred-and-forty-five mules, 67 four-hundred-and-thirty-five camels, and six-thousand, seven-hundred-and-twenty burros.
68 The family heads who went to the Temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem that were willing and able to contribute to its reconstruction, contributed 69 sixty-one-thousand gold coins and five-thousand silver coins, plus a hundred outfits for the Priests, which they gave to the treasury. 70 However, the Priests, Levites, [dedicated] people, singers, gatekeepers, and Nethinim went and lived in their own cities, as did all Israel.
Chapter 3
1 Well it was the seventh month, and the sons of Israel were in their cities, but then the people were brought together into Jerusalem as one man. 2 And JoShua (the son of JoZadak), his brothers the priests, and ZerubBabel (the son of ShealtiEl) and his brothers, got up and built an Altar to the God of Israel, on which to offer whole-burnt offerings (as it was written in the Law of Moses, the man of God). 3 They prepared the Altar in a [special] place, because they were afraid of the people in the land, and they brought the whole-burnt offerings to Jehovah from morning until evening.
4 Thereafter, they observed the holiday of the Tents, following the written instructions, and offered whole-burnt offerings each day for the number of days that they understood were required. 5 And thereafter, they continued the sacrifice of the whole-burnt offerings during the New Moons and on all the holy celebrations of Jehovah… as well as the bringing of free-will offerings to the Lord.
6 It was on the first day of the seventh month that they started sacrificing the whole-burnt offerings to Jehovah, but the foundation for His Temple hadn’t been laid yet. 7 So they paid the quarry workers and the laborers, and offered food, drink, and olive oil to the Sidonians and the people of Tyre, to get them to transport cedar wood from Lebanon across the sea to Joppa, as it had been decreed by Cyrus, the king of Persia.
8 Then, when they came to the Temple of Jehovah God in Jerusalem in the second year and the second month, ZerubBabel (the son of ShealtiEl), JoShua (the son of JoZadek), the rest of their brothers among the Priests and Levites, as well as everyone else who had left their captivity and come to Jerusalem, assigned the Levites who were twenty-years and older to ensure the success of those who were doing the work on the Temple of Jehovah. 9 So JoShua and his sons, and his brother KadmiEl and his sons (who were all Judeans) were put in charge of those who were doing the work at the Temple of God, along with the sons of HenAdad and their brothers the Levites.
10 And when they laid the foundation to the Temple of Jehovah, the Priests put on their robes and got their trumpets, and the Levites (the descendants of Asaph) picked up their cymbals to praise Jehovah with [the songs] of David the king of Israel. 11 Then they praised and acknowledged before Jehovah that He is good, and that His mercy would be upon Israel through the ages. And all the people were shouting and praising Jehovah together, as the groundwork for the Temple of Jehovah was started. 12 And while many of the Priests, Levites, family heads, and elders stood watching the groundwork for the Temple being done before their eyes, they wept at the great sound, and many started shouting happily, making the sound even louder. 13 And soon it became difficult to distinguish the difference between the sound of people shouting in joy and the sounds of the weeping. For the sounds of the cheering and weeping could be heard for [miles].
Chapter 4
1 Well, when the people who opposed Judah and BenJamin heard that those who had returned were building a Temple to Jehovah the God of Israel, 2 they approached ZerubBabel and the family heads and said to them, ‘You should allow us to build the Temple with you, so we can also ask [for things] from your God; for we’ve been offering sacrifices to Him since the time of EsarHaddon the king of Assyria, who brought us here.’
3 But ZerubBabel, JoShua, and the rest of the family heads of Israel replied, ‘It isn’t up to us to decide if you can help us build a Temple to Jehovah the God of Israel, because we were told to do it by Cyrus the king of Persia.’
4 Well thereafter, the people of the land did whatever they could to weaken the people of Judah and to impede the construction project. 5 And they hired representatives against them to go to Cyrus (the king of Persia) and to the kingdom of Darius (the king of the [Medes]) to get the proclamation revoked. 6 Then, at the beginning of the reign of AhasuErus (Xerxes), they wrote a letter against the people who were living in Judah and Jerusalem. 7 And it was in the days of [his son] ArthaSastha (ArtaXerxes) that MithraDates, TabeEl, and his fellow servants wrote to ArthaSastha (the king of Persia). It was written in Syrian, so his tax collector had to translate it.
8 Then Lord Rehum wrote a letter against Jerusalem (through his scribe ShimShai) to King ArthaSastha, saying, 9 ‘This is what our lord, Judge Rehum, the Scribe ShimShai, the rest of our fellow servants (the Dinaites, ApharSathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Sousanchites, Dehavites, Elamites) 10 and all the other nations who were resettled in the cities of Samaria and across the river by the great and esteemed Asnapper (AshurBanipal) have to say…’ 11 Then they wrote this to King ArthaSastha: ‘From your servants on the other side of the river; 12 We wish to inform the king that the Judeans you sent among us have come to Jerusalem (an apostate and wicked city), where they’ve raised a foundation and they’re getting ready to build the walls. 13 We want the king to know that if that city should be rebuilt and its walls erected, they will stop paying their tolls and taxes, and treat the king wickedly! 14 Now, we don’t want to see such indecent treatment of the king, so we’ve sent [this letter] to let the king know what is happening.
15 ‘Now, you should examine the records of your ancestors; for then you will know that [Jerusalem] is an apostate city that treats kings badly, and that they’ve been escaping and rebelling through the ages… and that’s why the city was destroyed. 16 So, we want the king to know that the city should not be rebuilt and its walls [should not be] made ready.
17 ‘From us on the other side of the river, to the king. From Lord Rehum, ShimShai the scribe, and the rest of their fellow servants who live in Samaria and across the river. We wish you Peace.’
18 [Then the king replied], ‘I just called the tax collector before me that you sent to us, 19 and I’ve issued a decree. After examining [the records], this is what I found: That city has for a fact rebelled against the kings through the ages, and all sorts of uprisings and defections have happened there, 20 for they used to have strong kings who ruled over Jerusalem all the way to the other side of the river, [and they] used to collect their own taxes and tolls.
21 ‘So now, pass a decree that those men should stop their work, so that city will never be rebuilt again! 22 I appreciate the way you followed the decree, and you weren’t wrong [to write me], so that the power of the kings won’t be lost to evil deeds.’
23 Then King ArthaSastha’s tax collector read [the letter] in the presence of Lord Rehum, the scribe ShimShai, and his fellow servants, and they quickly went to Jerusalem [and throughout] Judah with their army and cavalry, and forced them to stop the work. 24 So, construction on the Temple of God in Jerusalem stopped, and it remained unfinished until the second year of the reign of Darius the king of Persia.
Chapter 5
1 Then the Prophets HagGai and ZechariJah (the son of IdDo) [each] spoke prophecies about the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the Name of the God of Israel, 2 and ZerubBabel (the son of ShealtiEl) and JoShua (the son of JoZadak) stood up and started building the Temple of God in Jerusalem once again, and the Prophets of God came to help them.
3 Then TatNai (the vassal king on the other side of the river) and ShetharBozNai and their fellow servants came to them and asked, ‘By whose decree are you building this Temple; where did you get the money; 4 and what are the names of the men who are rebuilding this city?’
5 Well, the eyes of God had seen the captivity of Judah, and He didn’t make them stop working on the Temple until the decree was carried to Darius by his tax collector. 6 Then this letter of explanation was sent to King Darius by TatNai (the vassal king from the other side of the river), ShetharBozNai, and their fellow servants (who were ApharSachaeans that lived on the other side of the river):
7 ‘To Darius the king;
‘May you have peace in everything.
8 ‘Let it be known to the king that we went into Judea, to the Temple of the great God, and found it being rebuilt with the best of stone, and with timbers being inserted into the walls; and we found the workmanship to be well done and proceeding well under them. 9 So we asked the elders there, by whose decree this Temple was being built, who was providing the money for the construction, 10 and what their names were, so we could send [this information] on to you. 11 And this was their reply.
‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we’re rebuilding the Temple that was built here many years ago by a great king of Israel, and who prepared it for them. 12 But when our ancestors made the God of heaven angry, He handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean king of Babylon, so this Temple was allowed to rest, and the people were resettled in Babylon.
13 ‘But in the first year of Cyrus (the king [who conquered] the Babylonians), he issued a decree to rebuild this Temple of God, 14 and to return the items of gold and silver to the Temple of God that NebuChadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and carried to his own temple in Babylon.
15 ‘So, King Cyrus had these things taken from the temple in Babylon, and he gave them to SheshBazzar his royal treasurer, and told him to go and return it all to the Temple of God in Jerusalem, so it could be rebuilt in the place where it once stood. 16 Then SheshBazzar went to Jerusalem and laid the Temple foundation, which has been under construction since that time, but it isn’t finished yet.
17 ‘Now, if the king approves, send someone to the treasury in the king’s temple in Babylon to see if King Cyrus issued such a decree to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And when the king finds out, may he send a reply to us.’
Chapter 6
1 Then, after examining the library at the treasury in Babylon, King Darius issued a decree. 2 For in the city of AchMetha, in the palace of the Medes, he found a scroll with a record that was written in the first year of King Cyrus, where he rendered a decree concerning the Temple of God in Jerusalem. 3 It said: ‘Allow a Temple to be built where they will offer sacrifices! Let them set in place the foundations. [The building] must be a hundred feet high, and a hundred feet wide. 4 It should be made with three layers of fortified stones and a layer of fortified lumber. And it is granted that the expense [of this construction] will be paid for by the palace of the king.
5 ‘Also, the items of gold and silver that were taken from the Temple of God by Nebuchadnezzar, should be taken from his temple and returned to the one in Jerusalem… it should be taken from Babylon and transported to the Holy Place in Jerusalem, the Temple of God.’
6 So, [the king] told King TatNai, ShetharBozNai, and his fellow servants (the ApharSachites from the other side of the river) to leave that place, in order to allow the work on the Temple of God [to be completed], 7 and [not to bother] the elders and those who were directing the work of the Judeans, so they could rebuild [the Temple] where it used to be. 8 [He said]: ‘It is my decree through the elders of those Judeans, to build the Temple of God using tax money from the [vassal] kings on the other side of the river. The expenses must be carefully calculated and then paid to those men, so the work doesn’t stop.
9 ‘Also, where they are lacking enough male calves, rams, and lambs for their whole-burnt offerings to the God of heaven; or of wheat, salt, wine, or olive oil… whatever the Priests in Jerusalem need must be given to them each day. There must be no arguing; whatever they ask for 10 should be provided, so a pleasant aroma may be offered to the God of heaven, and so that prayers may be offered on behalf of the king and his sons.
11 ‘This decree has come from me, and any man who challenges what I’ve said will have his house demolished and its boards placed upright; then he will be impaled on top of them, and everything in his house will be looted. 12 May the God who camps and puts His Name there wipe out any people and their kings who raise a hand against, or change, or hide the Temple of God in Jerusalem. For I Darius have rendered this decree after thoughtful consideration… may it be.’
13 Then TatNai (the vassal king) from the other side of the river, and ShetharBozNai and his fellow servants, did exactly as they were told, because of what King Darius said. 14 So the Judean elders kept on building, and they were blest, just as the Prophets HagGai and ZechariJah (the son of IdDo) foretold. They rebuilt and got everything ready, following the instructions of the God of Israel and by the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and ArthaSastha (ArtaXerxes), the kings of the Persians.
15 Well, they had finished the Temple by the third day of the month of Adar, which was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 16 So the sons of Israel, the Priests, the Levites, and all the rest who had returned in the resettlement, joyfully declared a holiday of rededication of the Temple of God. 17 And this is what they offered for the rededication: A hundred calves, a hundred rams, two-hundred lambs, and four-hundred winter-yearling goats as sin offerings for all Israel, which they did twelve times (for the number of the tribes of Israel). 18 They also reestablished the divisions of the Priests, and they distributed the duties at the Temple of God in Jerusalem among the Levites, just as it was written in the book of Moses.
19 Thereafter, those who had returned observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, 20 for by then, all the Priests had been purified and all the Levites were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover for those who had returned, and for their brothers the Priests. 21 Then all the sons of Israel (who had returned and separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations, so they could ask things from Jehovah the God of Israel) ate the Passover. 22 And they also joyfully observed the holiday of Yeast-free Bread for seven days, because Jehovah made them happy.
Thereafter, even the king of Assyria assisted them by providing [workers] for the Temple of the God of Israel.
Chapter 7
1 It was during the reign of ArthaSastha (ArtaXerxes) the king of Persia, that Ezra (the son of SeraiJah, the son of AzariJah, the son of HilkiJah, 2 the son of ShalLum, the son of Zadok, the son of AhiTob, 3 the son of AmariJah, the son of AzariJah, the son of MeraiOth, 4 the son of ZerahiJah, the son of UzZi, the son of BukKi, 5 the son of AbiShua, the son of Phinehas, the son EliEzer, the son of Aaron the first Priest) returned from Babylon. 6 He was a Scribe who was well versed in the Law that Jehovah the God of Israel gave to Moses. And because the hand of his God Jehovah was with him, the king gave him everything that he was looking for.
7 Then the sons of Israel, the Priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, 8 and the Nethinim returned to Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the reign of King ArthaSastha. 9 It was on the first day of the first month that he arranged for the return from Babylon, and it was on the first day of the fifth month that [Ezra] came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him.
10 Now, Ezra had prepared his heart to search the Law of Jehovah and to practice and teach all its regulations and decisions in Israel. 11 And King ArthaSastha gave a copy of the following edict to the Priest Ezra, who was the Scribe of the scroll of the words of the Commandments of Jehovah… along with his orders to Israel.
[The decree said]: 12 ‘ArthaSastha (the king of kings) to the Priest Ezra, the Scribe of the Law of the God of heaven;
13 ‘May my reply to this matter be initiated, for I’ve sent a decree that tells everyone in my kingdom among the people of Israel (and their Priests and Levites) who wish to return to Jerusalem with you, may go there. 14 And here before the king and his seven advisors, we are sending you to oversee Judea and Jerusalem with the Law of their God, 15 and to carry to the Temple of Jehovah gold and silver that the king and his counselors are willing to donate to the God of Israel who camps in Jerusalem. 16 And all the silver and gold that you can find in Babylon may be offered, in addition to whatever the people may wish to offer to the Temple of God in Jerusalem.
17 ‘Now, for everyone who is willing to go, you must (by this edict) arrange for them to bring with them calves, rams, lambs, sacrifices, and drink offerings, to be offered at the Altar of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 Also, carry along anything that you and your brothers see you [will need] in addition to the silver and gold. Do whatever pleases your God!
19 ‘Carry with you the items that were given to you for the services at the Temple of God, and bring them before your God in Jerusalem. 20 Also, carry along anything else that you see you will need for your God from the treasury in the king’s palace.
21 ‘I, King ArthaSastha, have also sent a decree regarding the treasuries that are on the other side of the river, so that whatever Ezra the Priest and Scribe of the Law of the God of heaven asks of them, they must readily obey. 22 They must give you three-tons of silver, six-hundred bushels of wheat, six-hundred gallons of wine, six-hundred gallons of olive oil, and salt (no amount was recorded). 23 Whatever is in the decree of the God of heaven must be given to the Temple of the God of heaven!
‘Be very careful, for any attempt against the Temple of the God of heaven at any time will bring [my] rage upon the king of that kingdom and upon his sons.
24 ‘And let it be made known that in regard to all the Priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, and officials at the Temple of God; no one is authorized to impose any sort of tax or toll on them.
25 And you, O Ezra; use the wisdom of God that has been placed in your hands to appoint scribes, as well as judges who know the Laws of your God, to judge all the people on the other side of the river and to teach them to those who don’t know them! 26 Then you must decide whether any person who doesn’t diligently obey the Laws of God and the laws of the king must be killed, exiled, taught, fined, or locked in prison.’
27 Praise Jehovah the God of our ancestors, who put it into the heart of the king to glorify the Temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem this way; 28 and that the eyes of the king, his advisors, and his leading men have looked so mercifully upon me; and that the good hand of my God Jehovah has strengthened me, so I could gather all the leaders of Israel to return with me!
Chapter 8
1 Now, these are the heads of families and the genealogies of those who came with me from the kingdom of ArthaSastha (ArtaXerxes), the king over Babylon.
2 From the descendants of Phinehas
there was Gersom;
From the descendants of Ithamar
there was DaniEl;
From the descendants of David there was HatTush;
3 From the descendants of ShechaniJah and the sons of PharOsh there was ZechariJah, and with him were a
hundred-and-fifty who could trace their genealogies.
4 From the descendants of PahathMoab there was ElihoEnai (the son of ZerehiJah)
and two-hundred males with him;
5 From the descendants of ShechaniJah there was AziEl and three hundred males who came with him;
6 From the descendants of Adin there was Ebed (the son of JoNathan) and fifty males who came with
him;
7 From the descendants of Elam there was IsaiJah (the son of AthaliJah) and
seventy males who came with him;
8 From the descendants of ShephatiJah there was ZebadiJah (the son of MichaEl) and
eighty males who came with him;
9 From the descendants of JoAb there was ObadiJah (the
son of JehiEl) and two-hundred-and-eighteen males
that came with him;
10 From the descendants of ShelomIth there was JosephiJa and a hundred-and-sixty males that came with him;
11 From the descendants of BebAi there was ZechariJah
(the son of BebAi) and twenty-eight males who came with
him;
12 From the descendants of AzGad there was JoHanan (the son of HakKatan) and
a hundred-and-ten males that came with him;
13 From the descendants of AdoniKam (the latter) there
was EliPhelet, JeiEl,
and ShemaiJah, and sixty males who came with them;
14 From the descendants of BigVai there was UthAi and ZaboUd, and seventy
males who came with them.
15 I gathered them by the river that flows past Evi, where we camped for three days. But then I noticed that there were no Priests or Levites to be found among the people. 16 So I sent [a message] to EliEzer, AriEl, ShemaiJah, ElNathan, JaRib ElNatham, Nathan, ZechariJah, and MeshulLam (their leaders), and to JoiArib and ElNathan (their supervisors), 17 and told them to go see IdDo, the ruler of the area of CasiPhiJa. Then I told them to tell IdDo and their brothers the Nethinim (who were the treasurers of CasiPhiJa), to send us officials and singers for the Temple of our God. 18 And because the hand of our God was good to us, a very wise man from among the sons of MahLi (a descendant of Levi, the son of Israel) was sent to us, along with SherEbiJah and his sons and family (some eighteen people). 19 There were also HashAbiJah and JeShaiJah from the family line of Merari and their families and sons (some twenty people).
20 From the Nethinim, who David appointed in charge over the services for the Levites, there were two-hundred-and-twenty who were all [chosen by] name.
21 Then I called for a fast there at the River Ahava, to humble ourselves before our God, and to seek a straight way from Him for ourselves, our children, and our possessions, 22 because I was ashamed to ask the king for troops and cavalry to protect us from our enemies along the way; for we had told the king: ‘The hand of our God is with all those who search for good things from Him, and His might and rage is upon all those who abandon Him.’
23 So, we fasted and looked to our God about this matter, and He listened to us. 24 Then I selected twelve of the leaders among the Priests, and ten from among their brothers of SherEbiJah and HashAbiJa, 25 and I assigned them [to guard] the silver, gold, and the items of the first-fruits that were dedicated to the Temple of our God by the king, his counselors, his governors, and by all the people of Israel. 26 I handed over to their charge twenty-five tons of silver, four-tons of items made of silver, three-tons of gold, and 27 a thousand gold bowls weighing twenty pounds each, plus many different items of shiny, high-quality brass that were as good as gold.
28 Then I said to them, ‘You are holy to Jehovah God, and these items of silver and gold are holy, for they are voluntary offerings to Jehovah, the God of our ancestors. 29 So, stay alert and watch over them until we can hand them over to the Chief Priests, the Levites, and the heads of the families in Jerusalem, for the places of worship in the Temple of Jehovah!’
30 Well, the Priests and Levites weighed the silver, gold, and other items before they carried them to Jerusalem and to the Temple of our God. 31 Then we got up and left the River Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, and headed toward Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, for He protected us from our enemies and other people along the way.
32 Well, when we got to Jerusalem, we just [rested up] for three days. 33 Then on the fourth day, we put the silver, gold, and other items for the Temple of our God into the hands of MeremOth (the son of UriJah) the High Priest, EliEzer (the son of Phinehas), JoZabad (the son of JoShua), and NoAdiJah (the son of BinNai the Levite). 34 Then they weighed and recorded everything once again.
35 All those who traveled with us to return from their captivity, brought whole-burnt offerings to the God of Israel… twelve calves, one for each of the tribes of Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve winter-yearling goats for the sin offering. It was all to be sacrificed as whole-burnt offerings to Jehovah.
36 Then, following the mandate that was given by the king and his administrators, the vassal kings on the other side of the river glorified the people and the Temple of God.
Chapter 9
1 After that, the leaders came to me and pointed out that we had not yet separated the people of Israel, as well as the Priests and Levites, from the peoples of the lands and the disgusting things of the Canaanites, Hittites, Pherezites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Moserites, and Amorites. 2 For [many] had taken their daughters [as wives] for themselves and for their sons. So, the seed of what is holy had become mixed with the peoples of the lands… and even the governors and generals had become involved in this breach-of-contract.
3 Well when I heard about this, I ripped my clothes and underwear, and I was so furious that I ripped hair from my head and beard, then I had to sit down to calm myself. 4 And all who were there then gathered around me, and they all started trembling because of what the God of Israel had said about a breach-of-contract in the resettlement [of our people].
So, I just sat there calming myself until [it came time for] the evening sacrifice. 5 Then I got up (after feeling so ashamed and ripping my clothes and underwear) and got down on my knees, and spread my arms toward my God Jehovah, 6 and said: ‘Lord, I’m ashamed… I’m too ashamed to stand up and face You, O my God, because we’re in over our heads with lawbreaking; and our errors are so bad that they reach into the heavens. 7 Why, from the time of our ancestors to this day, we’ve been guilty of great sins. And it’s because of our lawbreaking that we, our kings, and our Priests were handed over to the kings of the nations to be killed with swords and carried off into captivity… we were seized, and our faces have been shamed, to this day.
8 ‘Now, O Jehovah our God; You’ve been lenient with us and allowed us to return [to our land] in order to teach us to rely on Your Holy Place, to open our eyes, and to put a little life into our service [to You]. 9 And because we are Your servants and we haven’t abandoned our service to our God, the kings of Persia have been merciful to us and given life to us, so we could return to our deserted [homes], and rebuild the Temple of our God, and to fence off Judah and Jerusalem.
10 ‘So, what can we say to our God after this? For, we’ve abandoned the Commandments 11 that You gave us through the hands of Your servants the Prophets, when You said, The land that you’re returning to as its heirs is a land in motion. For, the people who inhabited the land have been removed from it because of the disgusting things and the filth that spilled from their mouths. 12 So, don’t give your daughters to them; don’t take their daughters for your sons; and don’t expect peace with them through the ages. Rather, grow stronger, eat from the good of the land, and divide it among your sons through the age!’
13 ‘Now, after all the things that have happened to us because of the wickedness we’ve done, and because of all our great errors, You (our God) have [overlooked] our lawless actions and delivered us. 14 Then we turned around and disregarded Your commandments by creating alliances with the people of these lands through marriages. So, please don’t become angry with us and destroy us, so that no one is left.
15 ‘O Jehovah, the God of Israel, You are righteous, for you’ve preserved us to this day. And look, here we stand before You in our errors… and no one can stand before You like this.’
Chapter 10
1 Then Ezra prayed, confessed, and cried as he was falling [on his face] before the Temple of God. And a vast gathering of men, women, and young people from Israel joined him, and everyone started weeping bitterly. 2 Then one of them (ShechaniJah the son of JehiEl, a descendant of ElAm) said to Ezra: ‘We’ve broken our contract with our God by [taking] wives from the people of this land. So now; because of this thing, there’s no hope of Israel having an agreement with God. 3 But what if we make an agreement with our God to [give away] all the wives and all those who were born to us, so we can follow the counsel of Jehovah, and so that those of us who are trembling before our God can follow His commandments? If so, may it be!
4 ‘Now get up, because this matter also affects you! We are with you, so be strong enough to do whatever you must do!’
5 So, Ezra got up and made all the leaders, Priests, Levites, and all Israel swear to do what had been proposed. 6 Then he left from [his place] in front of the Temple of God and went into the treasury of JoHanan (the son of EliAshib), and started living there, refusing to eat any food or drink any water, as he mourned over the breach-of-contract by those who had returned to resettle [the land].
7 Well, this was reported throughout Judah, Jerusalem, and wherever the people had resettled, then they [were all called and told to] gather in Jerusalem. 8 For the governors and elders [decreed] that anyone who didn’t come within three days would have everything he owned destroyed, and he would be cut off from the gathering of those who had returned in the resettlement. 9 So, all the men of Judah and BenJamin gathered in Jerusalem for the three days.
So, in the ninth month, and on the twentieth day of the month, all the people assembled and sat down in the square before the Temple of God… and they were all shaking because of the seriousness of this matter. 10 Then Ezra (the Priest) stood up and said to them: ‘You have added to the sins of Israel and broken our contract by settling here with foreign wives. 11 Now, praise Jehovah the God of our ancestors, and do what is pleasing before Him… separate yourselves from the people of this land and from your foreign wives!’
12 Then the entire assembly shouted loudly, ‘We will do just as you said!’
13 Well, the crowd was huge and it was winter, so no one could just be thrown out [of their homes]; and the job couldn’t be done in just a day or two, for that would make all the wrongs worse. 14 [So, it was agreed that] the governors would call an assembly in the cities, and everyone who had married foreign wives would come there at a prearranged time to meet with the city elders and judges, so that God’s anger and rage over this matter could be removed from them.
15 Now, with the help of JoNathan (the son AsahEl) and JaHaziJah (the son of TikVah), and their assistants MeshulLam and the Levite ShabbethAi, 16 everyone who had returned in the resettlement did this. 16 So, the Priest Ezra and each of the heads of the family lines returned on the first day of the tenth month for the inquiry, 17 and the process of questioning all the men who had settled in with foreign wives lasted until the first day of the first month.
18 Well, it was found that among the Priests, those who had married foreign wives were the sons of JoShua (the son of JoZadek) and his brother MaAseiJah, and EliEzer, JaRib, and GedaliJah. 19 So they each gave their hand in a pledge to bring in their wives, along with a sin offering of a ram from among their sheep, to cover their errors.
20 Then, from among the sons of ImMer there was HanaNi and ZebadiJah, 21 and from the sons of Harim there was MaAseiJah, EliJah, ShemaiJah, JehiEl, and UzziJah. 22 From the sons of Phasur there was EliWenai, MaAseiJah, IshMaEl, NathaniEl, JoZabad, and ElAsah. 23 Among the Levites, there was JoZabad, Shemei, KelaiJah (also known as Kelita), PethAhiJah, Judah, and EliEzer. 24 Among the singers, there was EliAshib, and from among the gatekeepers, there was ShalLum, TelEm, and Uri.
25 From Israel there were the sons of Parosh; RamiJah, JeziJah, MalchiJah, MiAmin, EliEzer, MalchiJah, and BenaiJah. 26 From the sons of ElAm there was MattaniJah, ZechariJah, JehiEl, Abdi, JeremOth, and EliJah. 27 From the sons of ZatTu there was EliWenai, EliAshib, MatTaniJah, JeremOth, Zabad, and AziZa. 28 From the sons of BebAi there was JehoHanan, HaNaniJah, ZabBai, and AthLai. 29 From the sons of Bani there was MeshulLam, MalLuch, AdaiJah, JaShub, SheAl, and RamOth. 30 From the sons of PahathMoab there was Adna, ChelAl, BenaiJah, MaAseiJah, MatthaniJah, BezaleEl, BinNui, and Manasseh. 31 From the sons of Harim there was EliEzer, IshiJah, MalchiJah, ShemaiJah, and ShimeOn.
32 From BenJamin there was MalLuch and ShemariJah. 33 From the sons of Hashum there was MatTenai, MatTathAh, Zabad, EliPhelet, JeremAi, Manasseh, and Shimei. 34 From the sons of Bani were MaAdai, AmRam, Wel, 35 BenaiJah, BedeiJah, ChelLah, 36 VaniJah, MeremOth, EliAshib, 37 MattaniJah, and MattenAi.
38 There were also the sons of Bani, Shimei, 39 ShelemiJah, Nathan, AdaiJah, 40 MachNadebAi, SharAi, ShashAi, 41 AzareEl, ShelemiJah, ShemariJah, 42 ShalLum, AmariJah, and Joseph. 43 From the sons of Nebo there was JeiEl, MatithiJah, Zabad, Zebina, JaDau, JoEl, and BenaiJah.
44 They all took foreign wives for themselves who each gave birth to sons.
Notes
Anointing
At Exodus 29:29 we find that Aaron and his sons were to be ‘anointed’ as Priests to Jehovah, and that this action would make them ‘holy’ or clean. It also signified that they had been chosen to this office by God. And in Leviticus, when we read of the ‘anointed’ Priest, the reference seems to be to one of the Priests who has been chosen for the special office of what later became known as the High Priest, which gives credence to our translating Christos as Anointed One, rather than Christ, in the NT portion of this Bible.
The Greek word that we translated as anointed here is chriseis, which can also be translated as Christ (it’s just a conjugation of Christos), since christ and anointed both come from the same root, which is Greek for olive oil (it may also mean Judged, since the words are similar). So, Jesus wasn’t the first or the only one to be correctly referred to as a christ.
Why olive oil? Because, that substance was traditionally poured over the heads of those who God chose to be Priests and kings over Israel. However, at least in the case of Aaron and his sons, fragrant herbs were added to the oil to give it a pleasing odor. This is implied at Exodus 25:7, where the Israelites were asked to donate ‘fragrances for anointing oil.’ And we find the exact formula for the anointing oil at Exodus 30:34, where we read that it was to be made of ‘sixteen pounds of choice myrrh flowers, eight pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, eight pounds of sweet-smelling calamus, sixteen pounds of cassia (for the Holy Place), and a gallon of olive oil.’
The physical anointing with oil also appears to have pictured their receiving of God’s Holy Breath, making them ‘holy,’ which was an appropriate description for Jesus years later. And remember that both the ‘anointed’ priests and the kings pictured Jesus. So, the term christ is apropos.
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Bible Measurements
The most common unit for measuring length, height, and depth in the Bible is a cubit, which is the length of a man’s forearm. And of course, the lengths of forearms vary depending on the size of the person, so a cubit may be anywhere between eighteen and twenty-two inches. However to give you a better idea of the size and proportions of things in the Bible we have converted the units of measure to more familiar terms, such as feet and inches. And we have roughly averaged the sizes or lengths.
Also, some units of measure, such as a cor (about 32 bushels), hin, or bath (about 6 gallons), have been roughly estimated, since such terms are obsolete.
We have also dropped the obscure names of coins, since most readers have no idea of their value, and simply inserted the type of coin they are (gold, silver, or copper), and sometimes their size, to provide you some frame of reference.
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Breath
The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost – as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.
The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath are supposed to be ‘one’) is found at Matthew 28:19, which simply says that baptism should be done ‘in the name of’ (or, in recognition of) these three. All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is spurious (something that was added to the Bible). In fact, the reference to the Holy Breath at Matthew 28:19 may also be spurious, and if so, then there are no actual Bible references that mention God’s Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.
So to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is usually translated as breath here. The only exceptions would be in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits.’ Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, where the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit).
Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life.’ This phrase means more than just breathing, it refers to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life for all creature… it’s what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.
Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God’s Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ‘Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God’s Breath in this case, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and caused him to breathe… the Breath of Life.
It is interesting that at Genesis 6:4 God says, ‘I won’t allow them to keep My Breath (which allows them to flesh) throughout the [rest of] the age.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka.’
While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that he gave Adam. So, it appears as though what He was saying here is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as ‘My Breath,’ there may be a link implied between God’s Holy Breath and the breath of life.
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The Heavens or Sky, the Earth or the Land?
In both the Ancient Scriptures of Israel and in the Christian Era Scriptures, we find all the realm of creation divided into three entities; the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English we understand that there is a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In an ancient time God created the sky and the ground.’ This is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above, and the water.
At the time, there was no technical understanding of the earth as a planet, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space… it just wasn’t necessary back then. However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, translators must choose the proper words to provide the right nuances in English, so readers can grasp the proper meaning of each text.
This is why you’ll find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You’ll also find the Greek word ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at Romans 3:5, for example, are translated herein as, ‘The ancient earth and sky weren’t covered by water. However, (obeying God’s instructions) they stood together between the water [that was above and below].’
Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located ‘between the water.’ So, although other Bibles translated this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is to that portion of the heavens that are close to the earth, or the sky. Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘meek’ as inheriting the earth; since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth, we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not land or ground.
And finally, when it comes to the seas (gr. thalassa), there are already distinctions as to different types of waters in the Greek text. For instance, seas are called thalassa and rivers are called potamos (or ‘flowing’). However, notice (in Revelation 20: 13) how the resurrection of the dead is divided between those who died on land and those who were lost in the water, ‘The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things they did.’
We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ‘Then I saw a new earth and sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea.’
In the case of where EliJah was taken in a celestial chariot, most people think he was taken to (as their Bibles put it) ‘heaven,’ where he went to live with God. This isn’t true, because King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12). So, God had apparently used the celestial chariot to take him into the sky (the proper translation here), where he was then taken to another place here on the earth. For more information on this, see the linked document, ‘The Hereafter.’
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Proper Pronunciation of the Letters C and CH in Greek Words
One of the most mispronounced letters when
English-speaking people try to pronounce Greek or Hebrew names is the letter C
(or CH). There is no ‘soft C’ pronunciation, it is always a hard C (as in
Call), even when a CH is used (as in CHrist). So, the title Caesar was actually
pronounced more like Kaiser (as in German). And the faithful woman Priscilla
was called Prees-kee-la, as the town of
When it comes to less familiar names though, one might try
to pronounce them properly. Take for example, the name of the king of
The Greeks had two letters that they pronounced as a K. One looks like a K and is pronounced that way, with the tongue touching the roof of the mouth. The other (the one we render as C and CH in English) looks like an X and is pronounced like a K, but with the tongue touching the soft palate at the back of the mouth, which gives a breathier sound to the K. For example, say Christ and notice the part of your mouth that the tongue touches. Then say Kill and notice the difference. This is the difference between CH and K.
So, why did the Greeks have different letters for such a small variation in sound? This is because they had no alphabet until about the time of their classical poet, Homer. They then borrowed or adapted their alphabet from the Hebrews (if you could examine both alphabets from that period, you would see the similarities). And since Hebrew is a more guttural language, their letter, Cheth (where the Greeks got their letter for CH from) has a far more pronounced palate sound.
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Why Capitals in Bible Names?
You may have noticed that we have started putting some of the letters in Bible names in capital letters. For example, we’ve started spelling such names as Jonathan as JoNathan, Isaiah as IsaiJah, and Eliezer as EliEzer. Why? Well, partly to help with the correct pronunciations of the names, and partly to show some translating consistency.
We all know that the common English pronunciation of Jonathan (for example), is Jon-uh-thun. But did you know that the first part of the name (Io in Greek, Ieho in Hebrew) refers to the name Jehovah, and the second part of the Name (Nathan) means Gift? So the name was originally pronounced Ye-hoh-nuh-thahn.
In the case of names that end with an iah, as in Isaiah, the last part of the name often includes the name of God. Isaiah, for example, means Salvation [of] Jehovah, and it was originally pronounced Ee-sai-Yah. So, why have we substituted a capital ‘J’ for the letters ‘ie’ in both of the above cases? Well, we recognize that there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter ‘J’ in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, we have the choice of changing all names that start with ‘J’ (such as Jesus, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jeremiah, etc.) to start with the letters ‘Ie’, or for consistency, we can change all the ‘Ies’ into ‘Js’, which is what we have done.
Does this mean then that we are setting out a new rule for name spelling? Absolutely not, for centuries ago a Bible translator first established this rule when he spelled the name Eliou (Greek spelling, pronounced ay-lee-ou) and wrote it as EliJah, because this name is regarded as meaning ‘My God is Jehovah.’
Also notice that where a name ends with an iah, as in Jeremiah (Jehovah exalts), we have often spelled it iJah, because the i would typically be pronounced as a long e followed by a Y in Hebrew, and writing it without the i (as in JeremJah) misses this nuance. So we have rendered it JeremiJah, which is similar to the way it is often pronounced by modern-day Hebrew-speaking Jews, YeremiYah.
Another important word in names that we usually
capitalize is ‘El’ (from the Hebrew Elohe, or God). So EliEzer (which
people commonly pronounce Ee-lee-ay-zer and means God [has] Helped)
should actually be pronounced Ehlee-EhZer. The same is true for the letters
Ai, especially in the names of cities, because Ai in Hebrew
refers to the word city. So, AiLam probably meant the City of
Similar words, such as Bel (as in BelShazzar), Baal, and Beel, refer to ‘the Lord’ or ‘the God.’ Also, the letters ‘Ben’ and ‘Bar’ mean ‘the son of.’ ‘Beth’ means ‘the house of,’ ‘Beer’ refers to a ‘well,’ ‘Is’ or ‘Ish’ means ‘Man,’ etc.
Does this mean that we have put all the capitals in the right places? No, for we make no claim to Hebrew scholarship (all our translating here has been from Greek). So, what we are trying to do is provide a better understanding to how these names were pronounced by Greek-speaking Jews.
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House, Temple, or Palace?
hroughout the Bible, the Greek word that is used in most places to describe the Temple of Jehovah is Oikos (pronounced Oy-koss), or House. That is also true when it comes to describing the building where the king lived. However, for clarification we have usually chosen to translate the word as Temple when speaking of the place of worship of Jehovah, and as palace when speaking of the king’s house. We have done this because neither of these buildings were just regular houses, and the words Temple and palace better describe their appearance and use in contemporary American English.
There is a Greek word that means Temple iero, which was occasionally used to describe that place of worship. And another Greek word that is frequently used is naos (pronounced nah-oss), which means the place of the Gods or the Holy Place.
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Apostasy and Apostates
The Greek word apostasis (in its various conjugated forms) is used several times in the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT), and we find it used at 2 Chronicles 28:19, where we’ve rendered it as ‘turned away,’ because that’s what the term really means. It refers to a turning away from a righteous God-fearing way of life. For the Greek word (which we pronounce as apostasy in English) literally means ‘turn away from (apo)’ a ‘standing or state (stasis).’ So, it doesn’t refer to a disagreement over the way some doctrine is viewed.
Almost all Bible references to apostasy are speaking of a turning away from the way of Israelite life that is outlined in the Law. However, in the book of Job, the word apostate refers to being unfaithful to God, since Job lived before the Law.
There are just two places where this term (apostasy) is used in the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), at Acts 21:21 and at 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
At Acts 21:21 we find the only instance in the Bible where ‘Christians’ called another Christian (in this case, the Apostle Paul) an apostate. In view of what Jesus said at Matthew 5:22 and what was said about Jesus at Jude 9, calling anyone such a thing would be a very serious violation of Christian principles.
What led up to this outrageous accusation of apostasy against Paul? Since the Temple was still standing in Jerusalem and worship was still being conducted there, many Christian converts, while associating at Christian meetings, were also continuing in their traditional form of worship. And although there was nothing wrong with doing this, they were too closely tied to the Law of Moses (something that God had rejected) and a traditional Jewish way of life. This is why they became so opposed to Paul and his righteous ministry.
Notice that Paul was accused of ‘an apostasy against Moses.’ In other words, they were complaining that Paul had ‘turned back’ from living a life of following the Law of Moses... which he had, because that was no longer required of Christians.
However, as a part of being ‘everything to all people,’ Paul didn’t object or correct them, he meekly went to the Temple to perform meaningless acts that were still legal for Christians, so that he wouldn’t set a trap for those with weak consciences. Unfortunately, this led to his being mobbed, arrested, and eventually sent to Rome to appear before Caesar.
The only other places in the Christian Era Scriptures where the Greek word for apostasy is found, is where Jesus spoke of the Pharisees as giving their wives a ‘certificate of dismissal’ to divorce them (see Mark 10:4). The words translated certificate of dismissal, are biblion apostasiu, which literally mean ‘the little book of apostasy (or turning away).’
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Jehovah
Although there are no existing ancient Christian Era Scripture (New Testament) manuscripts that contain the full name Jehovah, there are four reasons why we (and other Bible scholars and translators) believe that it existed in the original text. They are:
1. The Name is found in many of the Hebrew Scripture texts that are quoted by Jesus and his disciples
2.
Jesus mentioned God’s having a Name in ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ and at John
3. The Name still appears in a combined form in Revelation where the word hallelujah is used (Hallel means praise, u implies second person, and Jah is a shortened form of Jehovah.)
4.
The fact that Christians who lived in
That the Name Jehovah (which means, He who Causes to Be, or, The Creator) was originally in the Bible, is documented in all ancient Hebrew texts. And it is most likely that the Septuagint translation which Jesus and his Apostles used (most quotations they gave seem to have come from an ancient Septuagint) carried that Name, but probably in the four Hebrew characters that represent the English consonants YHWH.
Notice this comment by Robert Hanhart, who contributed the Introduction to ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture.’ He stated therein that, ‘All Greek biblical texts of Jewish origin found to date, whether from pre-Christian or Christian times, transmit the name יהוה Jehovah not in the form κύριος [Lord] encountered in all the LXX [Septuagint] manuscripts of Christian origin, but in some form of the Tetragrammaton.’ (See: ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture,’ 2002, book, p.7, by Martin Hengel. Introduction by Robert Hanhart, published by Baker Academic. ISBN 0-8010-2790-X).
You will see how in the book of Isaiah, for example, God is often referred to in Greek as Kyrios ho Kyrios, or, Lord the Lord (see Isaiah 48:16 LXX). And these are obvious examples of texts where God’s Name was omitted, for such sentences should clearly read Jehovah the Lord, or Lord Jehovah.
Since the words God and Lord both seem to have been substituted in the text wherever God’s Name originally appeared, it is difficult to know where to reinsert the Name in place of the titles. We could refer to the Hebrew texts and insert it wherever the Name appears there, but that would be out of harmony with the purpose of presenting this translation of the Septuagint on its own merit. So, wherever the term the Lord appears in obvious reference to God, we have decided to insert the Name Jehovah.
The rule that other translators have adopted for inserting God’s Name is to simply use it wherever the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) appears in the oldest existing Hebrew texts (which aren’t that old). However, it can be proven that these texts and such insertions are unreliable. For example, there is the instance when Abraham was talking to three ‘men,’ one of whom he referred to as the Lord (יהוה). In this case, Abraham was obviously speaking to a messenger from God (likely His representative, Michael), because, as God told Moses, ‘No man can see God and live.’ So, in such instances we have left the term ‘Lord’ unchanged, because that is likely the actual word Abraham used.
Also, in the writings of many of the Prophets, you will notice that they were often spoken to by God’s messengers, who they referred to as the Lord. And these messengers (angels) thereafter went on to give them messages from Jehovah. For example, notice the wording of Jeremiah 2:1 as an example: ‘Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, Go and yell in the ears of Jerusalem! Tell them that Jehovah says …’ So, in this Bible you’ll see an interspersing of the term the Lord, when referring to the angel messenger, and Jehovah, when referring to God.
Probably the most striking and confusing reference to the Lord is found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth, and you made the heavens with your hands. But they’ll pass away while you still remain. For like clothes they will grow old. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them. Yes, you’re the one and your years will never expire.’
As you can see, the reference to the Lord here appears to be speaking of God (Jehovah). And if you go back to the scripture Paul was quoting (Psalm 102:25-27), you’ll see that it appears to be speaking of Jehovah there also from the context of the surrounding verses, and because the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) appears there in both the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts. Yet, the entire First Chapter of Hebrews is discussing Jesus and his special position before God. And Paul is clearly quoting Psalm 102:25-27 to make the point that Jesus made the heavens and the earth, that he will remain through the ages, and that he will eventually rebuild (repair) them after they grow old.
So, either Paul misapplied this scripture, which seems unlikely, or both Hebrew and Greek versions of Psalm 102 have been badly corrupted through the years, which our research proves is possible. As the result (because the answers are unclear), we have deviated from our rule of capitalizing the first letter of the words You and Your in many places in Psalm 102 and Hebrews 1, and from inserting the Name Jehovah where its use may be in doubt. However, this opens another can of worms, for it brings into question major portions of the Hebrew text and the use of the Tetragrammaton rule altogether.
It has also been suggested that since Jesus ‘shines with the same glory, is the exact image of His (God’s) being, and is responsible for everything that’s said through His power,’ as we were told at Hebrews 1:3, anything that is said about God also applies to Jesus.
Of course, the easy answer to why Paul used Psalm 102 in reference to Jesus, is because Jesus is actually Jehovah, as many theologians claim. But this is proven untrue by the other words in the same First Chapter of Hebrews. For notice the following verses:
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Hebrews 1:3 ‘He sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places.’
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Hebrews 1:4 ‘He has become so much greater than the [other] messengers [of God] and so different, that he has inherited a [special] name among them.’
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Hebrews 1:5 ‘For example, to which of His [other] messengers did He ever say, You’re my son. Today I’ve become your Father. Or, I will become his Father and he will become My son.’
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Hebrews 1:9 ‘You loved righteousness and hated wickedness. That’s why God (your God) anointed you with the oil of great joy among those who are your partners.’
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Hebrews 1:13 ‘And to which one of His messengers did He ever say, Sit here on My right until I set your enemies as a stool for your feet?’
(For more information on this subject, please see the linked document Who Was Jesus?)
The word that is translated lord (gr. kyrios) is found throughout the Bible in Greek texts and is usually used as a term of respect for men, such as a king, governor, or homeowner… and it is also frequently translated as master. So, whenever you see the term master used in the Bible, recognize that it is translated from the same Greek word as lord. And as translators, it’s easy to see how inappropriate it is to always refer to God as ‘the Lord.’ This was something that was started by later Jewish copyists, and the custom was adopted in English Bibles in the Fifteenth Century. Yet, even then the translators showed where God’s name once appeared in the Hebrew text by capitalizing all the letters, as in LORD (see Exodus 6:1). And in the King James Bible, the name Jehovah still does appear in four texts (see Exodus 6:3).
Some have objected to putting the name Jehovah
in the Greek text, for they say that that use of the Name would have
been offensive – and might have resulted in stoning – if
Jesus and his disciples had actually spoken it. Yet, the Name had to
be used when preaching to the Gentiles, or they simply wouldn’t have
known which Lord the disciples were talking about (remember, they
were polytheistic). And to call God the Lord when most gods
(and many men) were also called lord, would have been very confusing
to everyone that Jesus’ disciples preached to, both Jews and
Gentiles. So, we question whether the use of God’s Name was
considered as offensive prior to
The reason why the Name was removed from later copies of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel was because Jewish Scribes had become so awed with God’s Name that they refused to write it or say it, so, they started substituting the term ‘the Lord’ (the Master) wherever His Name was found. And since all existing versions of the Septuagint come from the Second Century or later, it isn’t surprising that God’s Name has been omitted from such modern texts. The fact that the name Jehovah was once there is well substantiated from ancient Bible manuscripts, both Hebrew and Greek. In fact, a verse in the Jewish Talmud claims that Jesus received his miraculous powers because he had sewn the Holy Name (Jehovah) into his skin, which indicates both their (his enemy’s) recognition of Jesus’ miraculous powers and the common view of God’s Name.
What about the Christian Era Scriptures?
Recognize the fact that most early Christian Congregations
(especially the one in
Perhaps Christians would more deeply appreciate the need to use the name Jehovah, rather than the title ‘Lord,’ when referring to God, if they understood that the term ‘the Lord’ in the language of the Canaanites was ‘Baal’ or ‘Beel.’ And the same term in modern-day Arabic is ‘Allah.’
Then, what of those who prefer a more exact Hebrew pronunciation of the Name (which is Yahweh, Yahwah, or Yehwah)? That is commendable if their reasons are consistent. For, if their concern is to properly pronounce Bible names (not a hatred for God’s name as it is pronounced in English), then they will also be found promoting the proper Hebrew pronunciation of His son’s name, Ieshuah, or Iehoshuah… or at least the proper pronunciation of his name in Greek, Iesous.
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Ages or Forever?
The Greek word aionos is what the English word
eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period. However,
there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are
age(s) or era(s). Please note that where the plural form of the
word (ages) is used, it refers to a long time, at least multiple
generations. However, where the singular form is used (age or era), this
appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or
era. And where the term ages of ages is used (such as at Ephesians
It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Hebrew Scriptures. So, this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.
Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3, ‘What will be the signs when you are near and this age will come to its conclusion?’
You can see that the word aionos obviously
doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean
world or system of things. It simply meant the age or the time before
the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when the
The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos, not aionos, for world or system of things.
The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says:
‘Long ago, O Lord, You laid the foundation of the earth and Your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but You will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [You would do to] a robe, You will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, You are the One, and Your years will never run out.’
The problem with most Bible translations is that when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So, the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular form (aioni, aiona, aionos, aionion, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.
Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; the one who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me will have life in this age. He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’
Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aionos (life age – singular), not zoe aionion (life ages – plural).
Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’
So, what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would
have everlasting life, but that they would (in their current life) be
considered among the living, not among the dead (see
Revelation
From consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life, the conclusion might be logically reached that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that (unlike those whom God considers to be ‘dead’) living people will receive ‘life in the age,’ meaning, they will be considered worthy of life by God during their lifetimes.
Two words imply infinity in the Bible. One is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus as having received it. The other Greek word, aidios, which is found at Romans 1:20 and at Jude 6, is used to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal.
For more information, select the linked documents, The Hereafter and Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?
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Foreign Wives and Children
While Ezra’s commandment for the people of Israel to send away their foreign wives and children may seem harsh and unreasonable, we want to understand that these wives weren’t proselytes of Judaism but worshipers of foreign gods, and that was the reason for Ezra’s concern. Through the ages, anyone who chose to join with Israel and to start worshiping Jehovah, was accepted as part of that nation; and there are many notable examples of this in the Bible. However, what had apparently happened after their restoration from Babylon, was that they were making marriage alliances with the pagan peoples of the land, which Jehovah forbade, and which was the sin of Solomon. So these pagans were ordered to return to the homes of their parents.
Also notice that kindness was shown to these wives and children, because time was allowed so as to not put them out in the cold, and many could well have been given some measure of the family inheritance when they left.
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