1And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. 2Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.3.2 Jeshua: also called, Joshua3.2 Zerubbabel: Gr. Zorobabel3.2 Shealtiel: Gr. Salathiel 3And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening. 4They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;3.4 as the duty…: Heb. the matter of the day in his day 5And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD. 6From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.3.6 the foundation…: Heb. the temple of the LORD was not yet founded 7They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.3.7 carpenters: or, workmen
8¶ Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD. 9Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.3.9 Judah: also called, Hodaviah3.9 together: Heb. as one 10And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. 11And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: 13So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.
重建祭壇
1到了七月，以色列人已安居各城，他們萬眾一心地聚集在耶路撒冷。 2約薩達的兒子耶書亞及其他祭司、撒拉鐵的兒子所羅巴伯及其親屬，一起重新築造以色列上帝的祭壇，為要照上帝的僕人摩西在律法書上的記載在壇上獻燔祭。 3他們雖然懼怕當地的居民，還是在原來的根基上重建祭壇，並早晚在上面向耶和華獻燔祭。 4他們照律法書的記載守住棚節，每天按規定的數目獻上燔祭。 5之後，他們獻上日常的燔祭，並在朔日3·5 「朔日」即每月初一。和耶和華所定的一切節期獻祭，又向耶和華獻上自願獻的祭。 6儘管耶和華殿的根基還沒有立好，從七月一日起，他們就開始向耶和華獻燔祭。 7他們付給石匠和木匠銀子，並經波斯王塞魯士批准，供給泰爾人和西頓人食物、酒和油，換取他們把香柏木從黎巴嫩經海路運到約帕。
開始重建聖殿
8在回到耶路撒冷上帝殿的第二年二月，撒拉鐵的兒子所羅巴伯、約薩達的兒子耶書亞及其祭司和利未親族，以及所有從流亡之地回到耶路撒冷的人，開始重建耶和華的殿，並派二十歲以上的利未人做督工。 9何達威雅3·9 「何達威雅」希伯來文是「猶大」，參考2·40。的後裔，即耶書亞及其子孫和弟兄、甲篾及其子孫，與利未人希拿達的子孫及其弟兄同心協力地監督在上帝殿裡做工的人。
10工人立耶和華殿的根基時，祭司身穿禮服拿著號角，利未人亞薩的子孫拿著鈸各就各位，照以色列王大衛所定的規矩讚美耶和華。 11他們彼此唱和，讚美、稱謝耶和華，說：
「祂是美善的，
因為祂向以色列人永施慈愛！」
所有人都高聲歡呼讚美耶和華，因為耶和華殿的根基已經立好。 12許多曾見過舊殿的年長的祭司、利未人和族長看見這殿的根基，不禁放聲大哭，也有很多人高聲歡呼。 13人們無法分辨是痛哭聲還是歡呼聲，因為眾人都大聲呼喊，聲音傳到遠處。
