The Daily Audio Bible
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Cyrus’s Proclamation
1 (A)Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he (B)sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:
2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and (C)He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; (D)He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 Every survivor, at whatever place he may [a]live, let the men of [b]that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’”
Holy Vessels Restored
5 Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, (E)even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. 6 All those about them [c](F)encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering. 7 (G)Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the Lord, (H)which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods; 8 and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to (I)Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. 9 Now this was their number: 30 (J)gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 [d]duplicates; 10 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles. 11 All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Number of Those Returning
2 (K)Now these are the [e]people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city. 2 [f]These came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, [g]Seraiah, [h]Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, [i]Mispar, Bigvai, [j]Rehum and Baanah.
The number of the men of the people of Israel: 3 the sons of Parosh, 2,172; 4 the sons of Shephatiah, 372; 5 the sons of (L)Arah, 775; 6 the sons of (M)Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812; 7 the sons of Elam, 1,254; 8 the sons of Zattu, 945; 9 the sons of Zaccai, 760; 10 the sons of [k]Bani, 642; 11 the sons of Bebai, 623; 12 the sons of Azgad, 1,222; 13 the sons of (N)Adonikam, 666; 14 the sons of Bigvai, 2,056; 15 the sons of Adin, 454; 16 the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, 98; 17 the sons of Bezai, 323; 18 the sons of [l]Jorah, 112; 19 the sons of Hashum, 223; 20 the sons of [m]Gibbar, 95; 21 the [n]men of (O)Bethlehem, 123; 22 the men of Netophah, 56; 23 the men of Anathoth, 128; 24 the sons of [o]Azmaveth, 42; 25 the sons of [p]Kiriath-arim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743; 26 the sons of (P)Ramah and Geba, 621; 27 the men of Michmas, 122; 28 the men of Bethel and Ai, 223; 29 the sons of Nebo, 52; 30 the sons of Magbish, 156; 31 the sons of the other Elam, 1,254; 32 the sons of Harim, 320; 33 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 725; 34 the [q]men of (Q)Jericho, 345; 35 the sons of Senaah, 3,630.
Priests Returning
36 (R)The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973; 37 the sons of (S)Immer, 1,052; 38 (T)the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; 39 the sons of (U)Harim, 1,017.
Levites Returning
40 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of [r]Hodaviah, 74. 41 The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. 42 The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, in all 139.
43 The (V)temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, 44 the sons of Keros, the sons of [s]Siaha, the sons of Padon, 45 the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, 46 the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shalmai, the sons of Hanan, 47 the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, 48 the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, 49 the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, 50 the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of [t]Nephisim, 51 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 52 the sons of [u]Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 53 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, 54 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
55 The sons of (W)Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of [v]Hassophereth, the sons of [w]Peruda, 56 the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 57 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of [x]Ami.
58 All the (X)temple servants and the sons of (Y)Solomon’s servants were 392.
59 Now these are those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, [y]Addan and Immer, but they were not able to [z]give evidence of their fathers’ households and their [aa]descendants, whether they were of Israel: 60 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 652.
Priests Removed
61 Of the sons of the priests: the sons of [ab]Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of (Z)Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and he was called by their name. 62 These searched among their ancestral registration, but they could not be located; (AA)therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood. 63 The [ac]governor said to them (AB)that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood up with (AC)Urim and Thummim.
64 The whole assembly [ad]numbered 42,360, 65 besides their male and female servants [ae]who numbered 7,337; and they had 200 (AD)singing men and women. 66 Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; 67 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.
68 Some of the heads of fathers’ households, when they arrived at the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to [af]restore it on its foundation. 69 According to their ability they gave (AE)to the treasury for the work 61,000 gold drachmas and 5,000 silver minas and 100 priestly [ag]garments.
70 (AF)Now the priests and the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.
The Wisdom of God
18 For the word of the cross is (A)foolishness to (B)those who [a]are perishing, but to us who [b]are being saved it is (C)the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“(D)I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”
20 (E)Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of (F)this age? Has not God (G)made foolish the wisdom of (H)the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God (I)the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, (J)God was well-pleased through the (K)foolishness of the [c]message preached to (L)save those who believe. 22 For indeed (M)Jews ask for [d]signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach [e](N)Christ crucified, (O)to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles (P)foolishness, 24 but to those who are (Q)the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (R)the power of God and (S)the wisdom of God. 25 Because the (T)foolishness of God is wiser than men, and (U)the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For [f]consider your (V)calling, brethren, that there were (W)not many wise according to [g]the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but (X)God has chosen the foolish things of (Y)the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of (Z)the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of (AA)the world and the despised God has chosen, (AB)the things that are not, so that He may (AC)nullify the things that are, 29 so that (AD)no [h]man may boast before God. 30 But [i]by His doing you are in (AE)Christ Jesus, who became to us (AF)wisdom from God, [j]and (AG)righteousness and (AH)sanctification, and (AI)redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “(AJ)Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit
2 And when I came to you, brethren, I (AK)did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you (AL)the [k]testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except (AM)Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in (AN)weakness and in (AO)fear and in much trembling, 4 and my [l]message and my preaching were (AP)not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of (AQ)the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not [m]rest on the wisdom of men, but on (AR)the power of God.
7 (A)Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and (B)answer me.
8 When You said, “(C)Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, (D)I shall seek.”
9 (E)Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in (F)anger;
You have been (G)my help;
(H)Do not abandon me nor (I)forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10 [a]For my father and (J)my mother have forsaken me,
But (K)the Lord will take me up.
11 (L)Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a (M)level path
Because of [b]my foes.
12 Do not deliver me over to the [c](N)desire of my adversaries,
For (O)false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as (P)breathe out violence.
13 [d]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the (Q)goodness of the Lord
In the (R)land of the living.
14 (S)Wait for the Lord;
Be (T)strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.