The Daily Audio Bible

3 And when the seventh month was come, and the sons of Israel were in their cities. And the people was gathered as one man into Jerusalem. (And when the seventh month had come, with all the Israelites in their cities, then the people gathered together as one person in Jerusalem.)

² And Joshua, the son of Jozadak, rose up, and his brethren, (the) priests, and Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and his brethren, and they builded the altar of God of Israel for to offer thereupon burnt sacrifices, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. (And Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, rose up, and his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and his kinsmen, and they rebuilt the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt sacrifices upon, as it is written in the Law of Moses, the man of God.)

³ And they setted the altar upon his foundaments, while the peoples of (the) lands by compass made them afeared; and they offered upon that altar burnt sacrifices to the Lord in the morrowtide and eventide. (And they put the altar on its foundation, or on its base, for the peoples of the lands all about had made them afraid; and they offered on that altar burnt sacrifices to the Lord in the morning and in the evening.)

⁴ And they made the solemnity of tabernacles, as it is written, and they offered burnt sacrifice(s) each day by order, by the work of the day commanded in his day. (And they kept the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt sacrifices in order, as the custom of each day required.)

⁵ And after this they offered the continual burnt sacrifice, both in calends and in all solemnities of the Lord, that were hallowed, and in all, in which (a) gift was offered to the Lord by free will. (And in addition to this, they offered the continual burnt sacrifices that were ordained, and the sacrifices, or the offerings, on calends, that is, on the first day of the month, and at all the Feasts to honour the Lord, as well as all the freewill offerings, or gifts, that were given to the Lord.)

⁶ In the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt sacrifice(s) to the Lord; certainly the temple of God was not founded yet. (On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer the burnt sacrifices to the Lord, even though the foundation of the Temple of God had not yet been laid.)

⁷ But they gave money to the hewers of stone(s), and to the layers of stone(s), and they gave meat, and drink, and oil, to men of Sidon, and to men of Tyre, that they should bring cedar trees from the Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, by that that Cyrus, king of Persia, had commanded to them. (And they gave money to the stone-cutters, and to the stone-layers, and they gave food, and drink, and oil, to men of Sidon, and to men of Tyre, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon over the sea to Joppa, as Cyrus, the king of Persia, had commanded them.)

⁸ And in the second year of their coming to the temple of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and others of their brethren, priests and deacons, and all that came from the captivity into Jerusalem, began the work of God’s temple; and they ordained deacons, from twenty years and above, for to hasten the work of the Lord; (And so in the second year of their coming back to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and others of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites, and all who came back from the captivity to Jerusalem, began work on God’s Temple; and they ordained the Levites, from twenty years of age and older, to oversee, or to supervise, the work of the Lord;)

⁹ and Joshua stood, and his sons, and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, and the sons of Judah together, as one man, to be busy over them that made the work in the temple of God; and the sons of Henadad, (with) their sons, and their brethren, (the) deacons. (and Jeshua, and his sons, and his kinsmen, and Kadmiel, and his sons, the sons of Judah/the sons of Hodaviah, all stood together as one person, to oversee those who did the work in the Temple of God; and they were helped by the sons of Henadad, with their sons, and their kinsmen, the Levites.)

¹⁰ Therefore when the temple of the Lord was founded of stone-layers, (the) priests stood in their ornaments with trumps, and (the) deacons, the sons of Asaph, stood singing in cymbals, for to praise God, by the hand, or ordinance, of David, king of Israel. (And so when the stone-layers laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord, the priests, wearing their adornments, stood blowing trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, stood singing with cymbals, to praise God, in the manner ordained by David, the king of Israel.)

¹¹ And they sang together in hymns and acknowledging to the Lord, (singing,) For he is good, for his mercy is without end upon Israel. And all the people cried with [a] great cry, in praising the Lord, for the temple of the Lord was founded. (And they sang together with hymns and thanksgiving to the Lord, singing, For he is good, and his mercy is upon Israel forevermore. And all the people cried out with a great shout, praising the Lord, for the foundation of the Temple of the Lord had been laid.)

¹² Also full many of the priests, and of the deacons, and the princes of (the) fathers, and the elder men, that had seen the former temple, when it was founded, and (now) saw this temple before their eyes, wept with great voice, and many men crying in great gladness raised up the voice; (And a great many of the priests, and the Levites, and the leaders of the families of the tribes, and the elders, who had seen the first Temple, and now saw the foundation for this Temple laid before their eyes, wept with a great wailing, and many others raised up their voices, and shouted with great gladness;)

¹³ and no man might know the voice of cry of the men being glad, and the voice of weeping of the people; for the people cried together with [a] great cry, and the voice of them was heard afar. (and no one could distinguish between the sound of the people being glad, and the sound of the people weeping; for the people cried out with such a great shout, or with such noise, and their sound was heard afar off.)

4 And the enemies of Judah and of Benjamin heard, that the sons of (the) captivity builded a temple to the Lord God of Israel;

² and they came to Zerubbabel, and to the princes of (the) fathers, and said to them, Build we with you, for so as ye do, we seek your God (and they came to Zerubbabel, and to the leaders of the families, and said to them, Let us build with you, for we seek your God, as ye do); lo! we have offered sacrifices (to him) from the days of Esarhaddon, king of Assur, that brought us hither into this land.

³ And Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the other princes of the fathers of Israel, said to them, It is not to us and to you, that we build an house to our God; but we us-selves alone shall build an house to the Lord our God, as Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us. (And Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the other leaders of the families of the tribes of Israel, said to them, It is of no concern to thee, that we build a House for our God; yea, we shall build by ourselves the House for the Lord our God, as Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.)

⁴ And it was done, that the people of the land hindered the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building. (And then it was done, that the people of the land hindered the hands of the people of Judah, and made them afraid to continue building.)

⁵ And they hired counsellors against the Jews, that they should destroy the counsel, or purpose, of the Jews, in all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, and unto the realm of Darius, king of Persia. (And they bribed court officials to work against the Jews, in all the days of Cyrus, the king of Persia, and into the reign of Darius, the king of Persia.)

⁶ And in the realm of Ahasuerus, he is (also) called Artaxerxes, in the beginning of his realm, they writed accusing against the dwellers of Judah and of Jerusalem; (And then in the kingdom of Ahasuerus, who is also called Artaxerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote accusations against the inhabitants of Judah and of Jerusalem;)

⁷ and in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam wrote, and Mithredath, and Tabeel, and others, that were in the counsel of them, to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. And the epistle of accusing was written in the language of Syria, and it was read in the word of Syria. (yea, in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, and Mithredath, and Tabeel, and their counsellors, or their officials, wrote to Artaxerxes, the king of Persia. And their letter of accusation was written in the Aramaic language, and it was read aloud in Aramaic.)

⁸ Rehum, B’el T’em, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote such an epistle from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, [on this manner]; (And Rehum, the chancellor, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, also wrote a letter from Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, in this manner;)

⁹ Rehum, B’el T’em, and Shimshai, the scribe, and [the] other counsellors of them (From Rehum, the chancellor, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their counsellors, or their officials), (the) Dinaites, Apharsathchites, and Tarpelites, Apharistes, Archevites, men of Babylon, Susanchites, Dehavites, (and) men of Elam,

¹⁰ and others of heathen men, which the great and glorious Asnapper translated, and made them to dwell in the cities of Samaria, and in other countries beyond the flood, in peace. (and others of the heathen, whom the great and glorious Asnapper carried off captive, and made them live in the cities of Samaria, and in other places in the province west of the Euphrates River, peace to you.)

¹¹ This is the exemplar of the epistle, that they sent to the king. To Artaxerxes, king, thy servants, men beyond the flood, say health to thee. (This is the text of the letter that they sent to the king. To King Artaxeres, from thy servants, we men here in the province west of the Euphrates River, who desire good health and prosperity for thee.)

¹² Be it known to the king, that the Jews, which went up from thee, be come to us in Jerusalem, a rebel and full evil city, which they build (again), and they make the ground walls thereof, and they array the walls above. (Be it known to the king, that the Jews, who left thee, have come to us here in Jerusalem, yea, a rebellious and very evil city, which they now rebuild, and they have laid the foundations, and now raise up the walls on top of them.)

¹³ Now therefore be it known to the king, that if that city be builded (again), and the walls thereof be restored, they shall not give tribute, and toll, and annual rents, and this trespass, or harm, shall come to the king. (And so now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt, and its walls be restored, then they will not pay tribute, or taxes, or tolls, or annual rents, and that this harm shall come to the king.)

¹⁴ Therefore we be mindful of the salt, that is, of meats made savory with salt, that we ate in thy palace, and for we held it unleaveful to see the harms of the king (and for we found it unacceptable to see the king harmed in any way), therefore we have sent and told (this) to the king;

¹⁵ that thou account (for) and seek in the books of [the] stories of thy fathers, and thou shalt find (it) written in (the) chronicles, and (then) thou shalt know, that that city Jerusalem is a rebel city, and that it harmeth kings and provinces, and that battles be raised therein of eld days; wherefore also that city was destroyed. (and that if thou search in the books of the stories of thy fathers, thou shalt find it written in The Chronicles, and then thou shalt know, that this city Jerusalem hath long been a rebellious city, and that it harmeth kings and provinces, and that battles be raised up there from days of old, or the olden days; and for that reason the city was destroyed.)

¹⁶ We tell to the king, that if that city be builded (again), and the walls thereof be restored, thou shalt not have possession beyond the flood. (We say to the king, that if that city is rebuilt, and its walls be restored, then thou shalt not have power, or authority, in the province west of the Euphrates River.)

¹⁷ The king sent word to Rehum, B’el T’em, and to Shimshai, the scribe, and to others that were in the counsel of them, to the dwellers of Samaria, and to others beyond the flood, and said, Health and peace. (And the king sent word by a letter, saying, To Rehum, the chancellor, and to Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and to their counsellors, or to their officials, who be inhabitants of Samaria, and to the others who live throughout the province west of the Euphrates River, health and peace to all of you.)

¹⁸ The accusing (The accusation), which ye sent to us, was read openly before me;

¹⁹ and it was commanded of me, and they reckoned, and they found, that that city rebelleth of eld days against kings, and dissensions and battles be raised therein; (and I commanded that they search in The Chronicles, and indeed they found, that that city in days of old rebelled against kings, and dissensions and battles were raised up there;)

²⁰ for why there were in Jerusalem full strong kings, which also were lords of all the country that is beyond the flood; also those kings took tribute, and toll, and rents. (for there were very strong kings in Jerusalem, who were also lords of all the province that is west of the Euphrates River; and those kings took tribute, or taxes, and tolls, and rents.)

²¹ Now therefore hear ye the sentence, that ye forbid those men to build, and that that city be not builded (again), till if peradventure it be commanded of me. (And so now listen ye to my decree, which is, that ye forbid those men to continue to build, and that that city not be rebuilt, unless, and until, I command it to be done.)

²² See ye, that this behest be not fulfilled negligently, and evil increase little and little against (the) kings. (See ye, that this command be not carelessly fulfilled, for then evil would increase little by little against the king.)

²³ Therefore the exemplar of the commandment of king Artaxerxes was read before Rehum, B’el T’em, and Shimshai, the scribe, and their counsellors; and they went in haste into Jerusalem to the Jews, and they forbade them to build, with arm and might. (And so when the text of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, the chancellor, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their counsellors, or their officials, they went in haste to the Jews in Jerusalem, and with might and arms, or weapons, they forbade them to continue building.)

⁶ For we speak wisdom among perfect men, but not wisdom of this world, neither of princes of this world, that be destroyed;

⁷ but we speak the wisdom of God in mystery, which wisdom is hid; which wisdom God before-ordained before worlds into our glory [the which God before-ordained before worlds into our glory],

⁸ which none of the princes of this world knew; for if they had known, they should never have crucified the Lord of glory.

⁹ But as it is written, That eye saw not, nor ear heard, neither it ascended into the heart of man, what things God arrayed to them that love him [what things God made ready before to them that love him];

¹⁰ but God showed to us by his Spirit. For why the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

¹¹ And who of men knoweth, what things be of man, but the spirit of man that is in him? So [and] what things be of God, no man knoweth, but the Spirit of God.

¹² And we have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is of God, that we know what things be given to us of God.

¹³ Which things we speak also, not in wise words of man's wisdom, but in the doctrine of the Spirit, and make a likeness of spiritual things to ghostly men. [The which things we speak, not in taught words of man's wisdom, but in doctrine of the Spirit, comparisoning spiritual things to ghostly men.]

¹⁴ For a beastly man perceiveth not those things that be of the Spirit of God; for it is folly to him, and he may not understand, for it is examined ghostly [for it is examined, or assayed, ghostly].

¹⁵ But a spiritual man deemeth all things, and he is deemed of no man.

¹⁶ As it is written, And who knew the wit of the Lord, or who taught him? And we have the wit of Christ.

3 And I, brethren, might not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to fleshly men [but as to fleshly]; as to little children in Christ,

² I gave to you milk to drink, not meat; for ye might not yet understand, neither ye be able to now [but neither now soothly ye be able],

³ for yet ye be fleshly. For while envy and strife is among you, whether ye be not fleshly, and ye go after man?

⁴ For when some saith, I am of Paul, and another, But I am of Apollos [another forsooth, I am of Apollos], whether ye be not [fleshly] men?

28 To David. [The psalm to this David.] Lord, I shall cry to thee; my God, be thou not still from me, be thou not still any time from me; and I shall be made like to them, that go down into the pit. (The song of David. Lord, I shall cry to thee. My God, be thou not deaf to me, and never be thou silent with me; or I shall be made like those who go down into the pit.)

² Lord, hear thou the voice of my beseeching, while I pray to thee; while I raise mine hands to(ward) thine holy temple. (Lord, hear thou the words of my plea, when I pray to thee; when I raise up my hands toward thy holy Temple.)

³ Betake thou not me together with sinners; and lose thou not me with them that work wickedness. Which speak peace to their neighbour(s); but evils be in their hearts. (Take thou me not away with the sinners; and destroy thou me not with those who do evil. Yea, those who speak peacefully to their neighbours; but evil is in their hearts.)

⁴ Give thou to them after the works of them; and after the wickedness of their findings. Give thou to them after the works of their hands; yield thou their yielding to them. (Punish thou them according to their works; yea, according to the wickedness of their deeds. Punish thou them according to the works of their hands; give thou them their just reward.)

⁵ For they understood not the works of the Lord, and by the works of his hands thou shalt destroy them; and thou shalt not build them. (Because they do not respect the works of the Lord, or the works of his hands, he shall destroy them; and he shall not build them up again.)

⁶ Blessed be the Lord; for he heard the voice of my beseeching (for he heard the words of my plea).

⁷ The Lord is mine helper and my defender; and mine heart hoped in him, and I am helped. And my flesh flowered again; and (out) of my will I shall acknowledge to him. (The Lord is my helper and my defender; and my heart trusted him, and I was helped. And my heart full out joyed, or rejoiced; and I shall praise him with my song.)

⁸ The Lord is the strength of his people; and he is the defender of the savings of his christ (The Lord is the strength of his people; and he is the defender and the saviour of his anointed king/and he is the defender and the safe place, or the refuge, for his anointed king.)

⁹ Lord, make thou safe thy people, and bless thou thine heritage; and rule thou them, and enhance thou them till into without end. (Lord, save thou thy people, and bless thou thy inheritance; and rule thou over them, and lift thou them up, yea, take good care of them, forever.)

²⁴ The steps of man be (ad)dressed of the Lord; who forsooth of men may understand his way? (The steps of a person be directed by the Lord; for who can understand his own way?)

²⁵ (A) Falling of man is to make (an) avow to (the) saints, and (then) afterward to withdraw the vows.