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Ezra 3: Rebuilding the Temple – Clear & Engaging Audio Bible Reading | The Israelites’ Unity, Altar Reconstruction, and Joyful Celebration

Listen to this clear and engaging audio recording of Ezra 3 and witness the rebuilding of the temple by the Israelites. Experience the unity and determination of the people to reconstruct the altar and restore worship of the Lord, following decades of exile. Immerse yourself in their joyful celebration, as they offer various offerings and sacrifices to God. Perfect for study, reflection, or meditation, dive into this powerful chapter and let the Scriptures come alive.

EZRA 3 (NIV)

1 When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,
the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem.

2 Then Joshua son of
Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his
associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt
offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the
man of God.

3 Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the
altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both
the morning and evening sacrifices.

4 Then in accordance with what is written,
they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt
offerings prescribed for each day.

5 After that, they presented the regular
burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the
appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill
offerings to the Lord.

6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to
offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple
had not yet been laid.

7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink
and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar
logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.

8 In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of
God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the
rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from
the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty
years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord.

9
Joshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of
Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all
Levites—joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.

10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the
priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of
Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by
David king of Israel.

11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:
“He is good;
his love toward Israel endures forever.”
And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the
foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

12 But many of the older priests
and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when
they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted
for joy.

13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the
sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was
heard far away.