Bible in a Year.

On day 269, Ezra 5-6 records the completion of the temple's rebuilding and the people's celebration. Zechariah 4-6 presents symbolic visions encouraging faith and perseverance. Proverbs 20:8-11 reinforces principles of justice, integrity, and righteous conduct, guiding the believer's behavior in their daily and community life.

Chapter 5

1. Now Aggeus the prophet, and Zacharias the son of Addo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judea and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel.

2. Then rose up Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Josue the son of Josedec, and began to build the temple of God in Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God helping them.

3. And at the same time came to them Thathanai, who was governor beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and their counsellors: and said thus to them: Who hath given you counsel to build this house, and to repair the walls thereof?

4. In answer to which we gave them the names of the men who were the promoters of that building.

5. But the eye of their God was upon the ancients of the Jews, and they could not hinder them. And it was agreed that the matter should be referred to Darius, and then they should give satisfaction concerning that accusation.

6. The copy of the letter that Thathanai governor of the country beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and his counsellors the Arphasachites, who dwelt beyond the river, sent to Darius the king.

7. The letter which they sent him, was written thus: To Darius the king all peace.

8. Be it known to the king, that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which they are building with unpolished stones, and timber is laid in the walls: and this work is carried on diligently, and advanceth in their hands.

9. And we asked those ancients, and said to them thus: Who hath given you authority to build this house, and to repair these walls?

10. We asked also of them their names, that we might give thee notice: and we have written the names of the men that are the chief among them.

11. And they answered us in these words, saying: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building a temple that was built these many years ago, and which a great king of Israel built and set up.

12. But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he delivered them into the hands of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon the Chaldean: and he destroyed this house, and carried away the people to Babylon.

13. But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, king Cyrus set forth al decree, that this house of God should be built.

14. And the vessels also of gold and silver of the temple of God, which Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, and had brought them to the temple of Babylon, king Cyrus brought out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sassabasar, whom also he appointed governor,

15. And said to him: Take these vessels, and go, and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.

16. Then came this same Sassabasar, and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it is in building, and is not yet finished.

17. Now therefore if it seem good to the king, let him search in the king's library, which is in Babylon, whether it hath been decreed by Cyrus the king, that the house of God in Jerusalem should be built, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

Chapter 6

1. Then king Darius gave orders, and they searched in the library of the books that were laid up in Babylon,

2. And there was found in Ecbatana, which is a castle in the province of Media, a book in which this record was written.

3. In the first year of Cyrus the king: Cyrus the king decreed, that the house of God should be built, which is in Jerusalem, in the place where they may offer sacrifices, and that they lay the foundations that may support the height of threescore cubits, and the breadth of threescore cubits,

4. Three rows of unpolished stones, and so rows of new timber: and the charges shall be given out of the king's house.

5. And also let the golden and silver vessels of the temple of Cod, which Nabuchodonosor took out of the temple of Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, be restored, and carried back to the temple of Jerusalem to their place, which also were placed in the temple of God.

6. Now therefore Thathanai, governor of the country beyond the river, Stharbuzanai, and your counsellors the Apharsachites, who are beyond the river, depart far from them,

7. And let that temple of God be built by the governor of the Jews, and by their ancients, that they may build that house of God in its place.

8. I also have commanded what must be done by those ancients of the Jews, that the house of God may be built, to wit, that of the king's chest, that is, of the tribute that is paid out of the country beyond the river, the charges be diligently given to those men, lest the work be hindered.

9. And if it shall be necessary, let calves also, and lambs, and kids, for holocausts to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the custom of the priests that are in Jerusalem, be given them day by day, that there be no complaint in any thing.

10. And let them offer oblations to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his children.

11. And I have made a decree: That ii any whosoever, shall alter this commandment, a beam be taken from his house. and set up, and he be nailed upon it, and his house be confiscated.

12. And may the God, that hath caused his name to dwell there, destroy all kingdoms, and the people that shall put out their hand to resist, and to destroy the house of God, that is in Jerusalem. I Darius have made the decree, which I will have diligently complied with.

13. So then Thathanai, governor of the country beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and his counsellors diligently executed what Darius the king had commanded.

14. And the ancients of the Jews built and prospered according to the prophecy of Aggeus the prophet, and of Zacharias the son of Addo: and they built and finished, by the commandment of the God of Israel, and by the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes kings of the Persians.

15. And they were finishing this house of God, until the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.

16. And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity kept the dedication of the house of God with joy.

17. And they offered at the dedication of the house of God, a, hundred calves, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and for a sin offering for all Israel twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

18. And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses over the works of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

19. And the children of Israel of the captivity kept the phase, 0 on the fourteenth day of the first month.

20. For all the priests and the Levites were purified as one man: all were clear to kill the phase for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and themselves.

21. And the children of Israel that were returned from captivity, and all that had separated themselves from the filthiness of the nations of the earth to them, to seek the Lord the God of Israel, did eat.

22. And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, that he should help their hands in the work of the house of the Lord the God of Israel.

Chapter 4

1. And the angel that spoke in me came again: and he waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.

2. And he said to me: What seest thou? And I said: I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, and its lamp upon the top of it: and the seven lights thereof upon it: and seven funnels for the lights that were upon the top thereof.

3. And two olive trees over it: one upon the right side of the lamp, and the other upon the left side thereof.

4. And I answered, and said to the angel that spoke in me, saying: What are these things, my lord?

5. And the angel that spoke in me answered, and said to me: Knowest thou not what these things are? And I said: No, my lord.

6. And he answered, and spoke to me, saying: This is the word of the Lord to Zorobabel, saying: Not with an army, nor by might, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

7. Who art thou, O great mountain, before Zorobabel? thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring out the chief stone, and shall give equal grace to the grace thereof.

8. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

9. The hands of Zorobabel have laid the foundations of this house, and his hands shall finish it: and you shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me to you.

10. For who hath despised little days? and they shall rejoice, and shall see the tin plummet in the hand of Zorobabel. These are the seven eyes of the Lord, that run to and fro through the whole earth.

11. And I answered, and said to him: What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick, and upon the left side thereof?

12. And I answered again, and said to him: What are the two olive branches, that are by the two golden beaks, in which are the funnels of gold?

13. And he spoke to me, saying: Knowest thou not what these are? And I said: No, my lord.

14. And he said: These are two sons of oil who stand before the Lord of the whole earth.

Chapter 5

1. And I turned and lifted up my eyes: and I saw, and behold a volume flying.

2. And he said to me: What seest thou? And I said: I see a volume flying: the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

3. And he said to me: This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the earth: for every thief shall be judged as is there written: and every one that sweareth in like manner shall be judged by it.

4. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts: and it shall come to the house of the thief, and to the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, with the timber thereof, and the stones thereof.

5. And the angel went forth that spoke in me, and he said to me: Lift up thy eyes, and see what this is, that goeth forth.

6. And I said: What is it? And he said: This is a vessel going forth. And he said: This is their eye in all the earth.

7. And behold a talent of lead was carried, and behold a woman sitting in the midst of the vessel.

8. And he said: This is wickedness. And he cast her into the midst of the vessel, and cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

9. And I lifted up my eyes and looked: and behold there came out two women, and wind was in their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a kite: and they lifted up the vessel between the earth and the heaven.

10. And I said to the angel that spoke in me: Whither do these carry the vessel?

11. And he said to me: That a house may be built for it in the land of Sennaar, and that it may be established, and set there upon its own basis.

Chapter 6

1. And I turned, and lifted up my eyes, and saw: and behold four chariots came out from the midst of two mountains: and the mountains were mountains of brass.

2. In the first chariot were red horses, and in the second chariot black horses.

3. And in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot grisled horses, and strong ones.

4. And I answered, and said to the an- gel that spoke in me: What are these, my lord?

5. And the angel answered, and said to me: These are the four winds of the heaven, which go forth to stand before the Lord of all the earth.

6. That in which were the black horses went forth into the land of the north, and the white went forth after them: and the grisled went forth to the land of the south.

7. And they that were most strong, went out, and sought to go, and to run to and fro through all the earth. And he said: Go, walk throughout the earth : and they walked throughout the earth.

8. And he called me, and spoke to me, saying: Behold they that go forth into the land of the north, have quieted my spirit in the land of the north.

9. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying :

10. Take of them of the captivity, of Holdai, and of Tobias, and of Idaias; thou shalt come in that day, and shalt go into the house of Josias, the son of Sophonias, who came out of Babylon.

11. And thou shalt take gold and silver: and shalt make crowns, and thou shalt set them on the head of Jesus the son of Josedec, the high priest.

12. And thou shalt speak to him, saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts, saying: BEHOLD A MAN, THE ORIENT IS HIS NAME: and under him shall he spring up, and shall build a temple to the Lord.

13. Yea, he shall build a temple to the Lord: and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit, and rule upon his throne: and he shall be a priest upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

14. And the crowns shall be to Helem, and Tobias, and Idaias, and to Hem, the son of Sophonias, a memorial in the temple of the Lord.

15. And they that are far off, shall come and shall build in the temple of the Lord: and you shall know that the Lord of hosts sent me to you. But this shall come to pass, if hearing you will hear the voice of the Lord your God.

8. The king, that sitteth on the throne of judgment, scattereth away all evil with his look.

9. Who can say: My heart is clean, I am pure from sin?

10. Diverse weights and diverse measures, both are abominable before God.

11. By his inclinations a child is known, if his works be clean and right.