The Book of Ezra

O my God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God.

The Books of the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures)

Photo by Aviv Ben Or

Previous Book: 2 Chronicles  Next Book: Nehemiah

Language

Hebrew

People

King Cyrus

Ezra

Jeshua

Zerubbabel

Ahasuerus

Artaxerxes

Haggai

Zechariah

King Darius

Chapter 1	End of the Babylonian Captivity | Ezra 1
Chapter 2	List of the Returned Exiles | Ezra 2
Chapter 3	Worship Restored at Jerusalem & Foundation Laid for the Temple | Ezra 3
Chapter 4	Resistance to Rebuilding the Temple & Rebuilding of Jerusalem Opposed | Ezra 4
Chapter 5	Restoration of the Temple Resumed | Ezra 5
Chapter 6	Restoration of the Temple Resumed | Ezra 6
Chapter 7	The Coming and Work of Ezra & The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra | Ezra 7
Chapter 8	Heads of Families Who Returned with Ezra, Servants & Gifts for the Temple | Ezra 8
Chapter 9	Denunciation of Mixed Marriages & Ezra’s Prayer | Ezra 9
Chapter 10	The People’s Response & Foreign Wives and Their Children Rejected | Ezra 10

Highlights:

Completion and Dedication of the Temple

Ezra 6:13-18

13 Then, according to the word sent by King Darius, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what King Darius had ordered. 14 So the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of the prophet Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished their building by command of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia; 15 and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16 The people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 Then they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

Ezra’s Prayer

Ezra 9:5

5 At the evening sacrifice I got up from my fasting, with my garments and my mantle torn, and fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God, 6 and said,

“O my God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. 7 From the days of our ancestors to this day we have been deep in guilt, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as is now the case. 8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, who has left us a remnant, and given us a stake in his holy place, in order that he may brighten our eyes and grant us a little sustenance in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves; yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to give us new life to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judea and Jerusalem.

10 “And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land unclean with the pollutions of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations. They have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. 12 Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, 14 shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you destroy us without remnant or survivor? 15 O LORD, God of Israel, you are just, but we have escaped as a remnant, as is now the case. Here we are before you in our guilt, though no one can face you because of this.”

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