Ezra 6-10Digging for Spiritual Gems: (8 min.)

POINT VM – Ezr 9:1, 2—How serious a threat was intermarriage with “the peoples of the lands”? (w06 1/15 20 _1)

9:1, 2—How serious a threat was intermarriage with the people of the land? The restored nation was to be the guardian of Jehovah’s worship until the coming of the Messiah. Intermarriage with other inhabitants was a real threat to true worship. Because some had formed marriage alliances with the idol-worshipping people, the entire nation might eventually be assimilated into the pagan nations. Pure worship could have vanished from the face of the earth. To whom, then, would the Messiah come? No wonder Ezra was stunned at seeing what had taken place!

Esd 10:3 — Ezr 10:3—Why were the children sent away along with the wives? (w06 1/15 20 _2)

10:3, 44—Why were the children put away along with the wives? If the children had stayed behind, the likelihood that the dismissed wives would return on account of them would have increased. Moreover, little children generally require the care of their mother.

What does this week’s Bible reading teach me about Jehovah?*** w12 5/15 p. 4 pars. 6-7 Do You Really Appreciate God’s Gift of Marriage? ***

Centuries later, Ezra the priest declared: “You yourselves have acted unfaithfully in that you gave a dwelling to foreign wives so as to add to the guiltiness of Israel.” (Ezra 10:10) And the apostle Paul told fellow Christians: “A wife is bound during all the time her husband is alive. But if her husband should fall asleep in death, she is free to be married to whom she wants, only in the Lord.”—1 Cor. 7:39.

7 If a dedicated servant of Jehovah married an unbeliever, this would be an act of disobedience to God. The Israelites of Ezra’s day acted unfaithfully by giving “a dwelling to foreign wives,” and it would be wrong to try to water down the plain

statements of the Scriptures. (Ezra 10:10; 2 Cor. 6:14, 15) A Christian who marries an unbeliever is not exemplary and lacks real appreciation for God’s gift of marriage. Entering such a union after baptism can cost one some privileges among God’s people. And it would be illogical to expect blessings while admitting in prayer, ‘Jehovah, I deliberately disobeyed you, but please bless me anyway.’

*** w02 7/1 p. 20 Is Your Teaching Effective? ***Just as the farmer first prepares the soil by

using a plow before sowing seed, Ezra prayerfully prepared his heart to receive the word of God. (Ezra 10:1) In other words, he ‘inclined his heart’ to Jehovah’s teaching.—Proverbs 2:2.

Similarly, the Bible states that King Jehoshaphat “prepared [his] heart to search for the true God.” (2 Chronicles 19:3) In contrast, a generation of Israel “who had not prepared their heart” is described as “stubborn and rebellious.” (Psalm 78:8) Jehovah sees “the secret person of the heart.” (1 Peter 3:4) Yes, “he will teach the meek ones his way.” (Psalm 25:9) How important it is, therefore, that teachers today follow Ezra’s example by first prayerfully bringing their heart into the proper condition!

*** w02 12/1 p. 30 Strengthen Your Hands ***The Jews in Ezra’s day needed to strengthen their hands in order to complete the

reconstruction of Jehovah’s temple in Jerusalem. How were their hands strengthened? The account says: “They went on to hold the festival of unfermented cakes seven days with rejoicing; for Jehovah caused them to rejoice, and he had turned the heart of the king of Assyria around toward them to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of the true God, the God of Israel.” (Ezra 6:22) Clearly, it was by his active force that Jehovah roused “the king of Assyria” to allow God’s people to return, and He moved the spirit of the people, so that they finished the work they had begun.

Similarly, Jehovah strengthens our hands to preach the good news of the Kingdom. (Matthew 24:14) He does so by ‘equipping us with every good thing to do his will.’ (Hebrews 13:21) He has put in our hands tools of the highest quality.

*** w01 10/1 pp. 9-10 par. 9 Imitate Jehovah When Training Your Children ***9 Jehovah God warned the Israelites of the

consequences of bad associations. (Numbers 25:1-18; Ezra 10:10-14) Associating with the wrong crowd is also a common peril today. (1 Corinthians 15:33) Christian parents do well to imitate Jehovah in this regard. A 15-year-old girl named Lisa became interested in a boy who did not share her family’s moral and spiritual values. “My parents immediately noticed a change in my attitude and showed concern,” relates Lisa. “At times they corrected me, and at other times they tenderly encouraged me.” They sat down with Lisa and listened patiently, thus helping her to deal with what they discerned to be the underlying problem—the desire to be accepted by her peers.

*** w95 3/15 p. 14 par. 15 Learning to Find Enjoyment in the Fear of Jehovah ***15 This was not due to any failure on Jehovah’s part. Jehovah did, indeed, take steps

to put the fear of God in the hearts of his people. By the mercy that he showed in delivering them from Babylon and restoring them to their homeland, he gave them every reason to view him with profound reverence. God reinforced all of that with reminders, counsel, and reproof by means of the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi; by Ezra, who was sent to them as a teacher; by means of Governor Nehemiah; and by God’s own Son himself. At times the people listened. They did so when they rebuilt Jehovah’s temple at the urging of Haggai and Zechariah and when they sent away foreign wives in the days of Ezra. (Ezra 5:1, 2; 10:1-4) But more often they did not obey. They were not consistent about paying attention; they did not continue to be receptive to counsel; they did not keep their hearts open. The Israelites were not cultivating godly fear, and as a result, it was not a powerful motivating force in their lives.—Malachi 1:6; Matthew 15:7, 8.

*** w76 8/15 p. 496 par. 20 Jehovah, a Helper Without Equal ***20 Others similarly witnessed the effects that God’s active force had on the minds and

hearts of persons in authority. Ezra the priest made the following acknowledgment regarding the support of Persian King Artaxerxes (Longimanus) for beautifying the temple at Jerusalem: “Blessed be Jehovah the God of our forefathers, who has put such a thing into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of Jehovah, which is in Jerusalem! And toward me he has extended loving-kindness before the king and his counselors and as respects all the mighty princes of the king.” (Ezra 7:27, 28) Note that God’s spirit evidently also moved the king’s counselors and high-ranking princes to be favorably inclined toward Ezra’s undertaking.

What points from this week’s Bible reading can I use in the field ministry?

*** w12 1/15 pp. 31-32 Preserving Gems From Our Past ***Archival research has long played a role in the

outworking of Jehovah’s purpose. When opposers tried to stop work on the temple in Jerusalem, for instance, an official search of records in the archives at the Median capital of Ecbatana brought to light a document issued by King Cyrus authorizing such construction. (Ezra 6:1-4, 12) Thus, the temple was rebuilt in harmony with God’s will. Archival sources were also used by the Gospel writer Luke, who “traced all things from the start with accuracy.”—Luke 1:1-4.

The Governing Body is keenly interested in our theocratic history. In commenting on the need to preserve, document, and pass on our spiritual heritage, one member of the Governing Body said, “To know where we are going, we have to know where we have come from.” To that end, Writing Archives was recently set up at world headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, and is under the direction of the Writing Committee.

*** w09 9/15 pp. 12-13 pars. 5-7 Be Obedient and Courageous as Christ Was ***Of course, when no sacrifice, pain, or

inconvenience is involved, obedience is easier. But how do we respond when there is a conflict between our desire to be obedient and “the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes”? These negative forces arise from our imperfection as well as from the influence of “the spirit of the world” around us, and they are very powerful. (1 John 2:16; 1 Cor. 2:12) To resist them, we must ‘prepare our heart’ before we are faced with a crisis or temptation and determine

that we will obey Jehovah, come what may. (Ps. 78:8) We have many Biblical examples of those who were successful because they did prepare their heart.—Ezra 7:10; Dan. 1:8.

6 One way to prepare our heart is by diligently studying the Scriptures and Bible-based publications. Imagine yourself in the following situation. Suppose it is your evening for personal study. You have just prayed for Jehovah’s spirit to help you to apply what you learn from his Word. You have plans to watch a particular movie on TV the next evening. You have heard that it received favorable reviews; yet you also know that it contains some immorality and violence.

7 You ponder Paul’s counsel at Ephesians 5:3: “Let fornication and uncleanness of every sort or greediness not even be mentioned among you, just as it befits holy people.” You also recall Paul’s advice at Philippians 4:8. (Read.) As you weigh this inspired counsel, you ask yourself, ‘If I deliberately expose my heart and mind to such programs, am I following Jesus’ example of strict obedience to God?’ What will you do? Will you go ahead and watch that movie anyway?

*** w09 11/15 p. 11 par. 23 Enrich Your Prayers Through Bible Study ***In certain prayers, you can praise Jehovah as Jeremiah did. (Jer. 32:16-19) If you are

seeking a marriage mate, studying the prayer found in Ezra chapter 9, coupled with personal entreaty, can strengthen your determination to obey God by ‘marrying only in the Lord.’—1 Cor. 7:39; Ezra 9:6, 10-15.

*** w08 9/15 pp. 13-14 Increase in Accurate Knowledge With “Eagerness of Mind” ***

Regarding your study periods, follow the example of Ezra, the ancient servant of God who “prepared his heart to consult the law of Jehovah.” (Ezra 7:10) How can you do so? You can create an environment conducive to study. Then, sit down and pray to Jehovah for his direction and wisdom. (Jas. 1:5) Ask yourself, ‘What do I expect to learn during this study period?’ As you read, be on the lookout for key ideas. You may want to make a note of these or mark portions that you especially want to remember. Consider how you could use the material when preaching, when making decisions, or when encouraging fellow believers. Near the end of your study period, briefly review what you have covered. That will enable you to retain what you have learned.

*** w06 1/15 p. 19 pars. 4-6 Highlights From the Book of Ezra ***5:1-7; 6:1-12. Jehovah can maneuver matters for the success of his people.

6:14, 22. Zealously sharing in Jehovah’s work brings his approval and blessing.

6:21. Witnessing the progress of Jehovah’s work moved Samaritans who then lived in the Jewish homeland and returnees who had succumbed to pagan influences to make needed changes in their lives. Should we not enthusiastically participate in our God-assigned work, including the Kingdom-proclamation work?

7:10. As a diligent student and effective teacher of God’s Word, Ezra set an example for us. He prayerfully prepared his heart to consult the Law of Jehovah. As he consulted it, Ezra gave his utmost attention to what Jehovah was saying. Ezra applied what he learned and exerted himself in teaching others.

7:13. Jehovah wants willing servants.

7:27, 28; 8:21-23. Ezra gave credit to Jehovah, made sincere entreaty to him before making a long and dangerous trip to Jerusalem, and was willing to risk personal safety for the sake of God’s glory. He thus set a fine example for us.

9:2. We must take seriously the admonition to marry “only in the Lord.”—1 Corinthians 7:39.

9:14, 15. Bad associations can lead to Jehovah’s disapproval.

10:2-12, 44. The people who had taken foreign wives humbly repented and corrected their erroneous ways. Their attitude and action were exemplary.

*** w06 4/1 p. 5 Understanding the Bible—What Will Help You? ***Ezra, an ancient leader of

God’s people, “prepared his heart to consult the law of Jehovah.” (Ezra 7:10) Is there some way that we can prepare our heart? Yes. We can begin by adopting a proper view of the Scriptures. To fellow Christians, the apostle Paul wrote: “When you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but, just as it truthfully is, as the word of God.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13) Though men were used to write the Scriptures, what they wrote was from Jehovah. Recognition of that vital fact will make us more

receptive to what we read.—2 Timothy 3:16.

*** w06 4/15 p. 21 pars. 6-7 “I Am With You People” ***6 Initial enthusiasm for the temple work waned. The

Jews turned to personal interests. However, in 520 B.C.E., 16 years after the foundation of the temple was laid, Jehovah raised up Haggai and Zechariah to stir up the people to renew the work on the temple. (Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1) Roused by God’s messengers and having clear evidence of Jehovah’s backing, the Jews resumed the work on the temple and completed it in 515 B.C.E.—Ezra 6:14, 15.

7 Do you know the significance of all of this for us? We have work to do in connection with the preaching of the “good news of the kingdom.” (Matthew 24:14) That work took on special emphasis after World War I. Just as the ancient Jews were released from literal captivity in Babylon, so Jehovah’s modern-day people were freed from captivity to Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion. God’s anointed ones applied themselves to the work of preaching, teaching, and directing people to true worship. That work continues today on an even greater scale, and you may be sharing in it. Now is the time for it to be done, for the end of this wicked system is just ahead! This God-ordained work must continue until Jehovah intervenes in human affairs at the “great tribulation.” (Matthew 24:21) That will clear away wickedness and allow true worship to flourish fully on earth.

*** w01 10/15 p. 20 pars. 11-12 Acquire a Heart Agreeable to Jehovah ***11 The figurative heart can be likened to soil in which the seed of the truth can be

planted. (Matthew 13:18-23) Literal soil is usually cultivated to ensure the healthy growth of the crop. Similarly, the heart should be prepared, or made ready, so that it is more receptive to the Word of God. Ezra the priest “prepared his heart to consult the law of Jehovah and to do it.” (Ezra 7:10) How may we prepare our heart?

12 An excellent preparation of the heart when we consult God’s Word is heartfelt prayer. Christian meetings of true worshipers open and close with prayer. How appropriate that we begin each period of personal Bible study with a sincere prayer and then maintain a prayerful attitude during our study!

*** w00 3/1 p. 29 Searching for Jehovah With a Prepared Heart ***ISRAELITE priest Ezra was an outstanding researcher, scholar, copyist, and teacher

of the Law. For Christians today he is also a fine example of whole-souled service. How so? In that he maintained his godly devotion even while living in Babylon, a city filled with false gods and demon worship.

Ezra’s godly devotion did not just happen. He worked at it. Indeed, he tells us that he “had prepared his heart to consult the law of Jehovah and to do it.”—Ezra 7:10.

Like Ezra, Jehovah’s people today want to do all that Jehovah asks of them while living in a world that is hostile to true worship.

*** w00 10/1 pp. 14-15 par. 8 Study—Rewarding and Enjoyable ***8 Yes, our love for Jehovah’s Word should come from our heart, the seat of emotion.

We should take pleasure in lingering over certain passages that we have just read. We should muse over deep spiritual thoughts, become absorbed in them, and meditate on them. This requires quiet reflection and prayer. Like Ezra, we need to prepare our hearts for the reading and study of God’s Word. Of him it is written: “Ezra himself had prepared his heart to consult the law of Jehovah and to do it and to teach in Israel regulation and justice.” (Ezra 7:10) Note the triple purpose of Ezra’s preparing his heart: to study, to make personal application, and to teach. We should follow his example.

*** w99 1/15 p. 19 par. 14 Lift Up Loyal Hands in Prayer ***14 To receive God’s forgiveness, confession to him must be coupled with contrition and

“fruits that befit repentance.” (Luke 3:8; Job 42:1-6; Isaiah 66:2) In Ezra’s day, a repentant attitude was accompanied by an effort to right the wrong by dismissing the foreign wives. (Ezra 10:44; compare 2 Corinthians 7:8-13.) If we are seeking God’s forgiveness for serious wrongdoing, let us make confession in humble prayer and produce fruits befitting repentance. A repentant spirit and a desire to right the wrong would also move us to seek the spiritual help of Christian elders.—James 5:13-15.

*** w99 3/15 p. 15 par. 21 Pay Constant Attention to Your Teaching ***21 Genuine enthusiasm comes from being firmly convinced that our Bible students

need to hear what we have to say. Let us never view any teaching assignment as routine. The scribe Ezra certainly paid attention to his teaching in this regard. He “prepared his heart to consult the law of Jehovah and to do it and to teach in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10) We should do likewise by preparing thoroughly and reflecting on the importance of the material. Let us pray to Jehovah to fill us with faith and conviction. (Luke 17:5) Our enthusiasm can help Bible students to develop a real love for the truth. Of course, paying attention to our teaching may involve using specific teaching techniques. Our next article will discuss some of these.

*** w92 4/15 pp. 14-15 par. 15 Jehovah’s Provision, the “Given Ones” ***15 The Nethinim were a group who had non-Israelite origins and who were privileged to

minister with the Levites. Recall the Canaanites from Gibeon who became “gatherers of wood and drawers of water for the assembly and for Jehovah’s altar.” (Joshua 9:27) Probably some of their descendants were among the Nethinim returning from Babylon, as well as others who had been added as Nethinim during David’s reign and at other times. (Ezra 8:20) What did the Nethinim do? The Levites were given to help the priests, and thereafter the Nethinim were given to help the Levites. Even for circumcised foreigners, this was a privilege.

*** w91 7/15 p. 29 Why Be Clothed With Humility? ***Humility helps us to obtain divine guidance. Jehovah sent an angel to Daniel with a

vision because that prophet humbled himself before God when searching for guidance and understanding. (Daniel 10:12) When Ezra was about to lead Jehovah’s people out of Babylon with much gold and silver for beautifying the temple in Jerusalem, he proclaimed a fast so that they could humble themselves before God. The result? Jehovah protected them from enemy assault during the dangerous trip. (Ezra 8:1-14, 21-32) Like Daniel and

Ezra, let us display humility and seek Jehovah’s guidance instead of trying to fulfill God-given duties in our own wisdom and might.

*** w89 9/15 p. 24 par. 17 Be Obedient to Those Taking the Lead ***17 To illustrate: The elders may urge a Christian to follow the Bible’s counsel to marry

“only in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:39; Deuteronomy 7:3, 4) They may point out that marrying an unbaptized person can lead to serious problems, even as King Solomon erred gravely by taking foreign wives, who inclined his heart toward false gods and away from Jehovah. (1 Kings 11:1-6) The elders may also explain that Ezra had Jewish men put away their pagan wives, and Nehemiah said that those marrying unbelievers were ‘committing great badness in acting unfaithfully against God.’ (Nehemiah 13:23-27; Ezra 10:10-14; see The Watchtower, March 15, 1982, page 31; November 15, 1986, pages 26-30.) Blessings and the satisfaction of pleasing Jehovah result from applying such Scriptural counsel given by loving elders.

*** w89 11/1 pp. 21-22 par. 17 Do Not Yoke Yourselves With Unbelievers ***17 What about situations in which a brother or a sister married an unbeliever, and now

both of them are serving Jehovah? Still, Jehovah’s principles were violated. Does the end justify the means? Illustrating God’s view of those who ignore his counsel is the case of the Jews returning from Babylonian captivity. When some took pagan wives, Bible writers Ezra and Nehemiah pulled no punches in condemning their actions. Those Jews “acted unfaithfully,” committed a “great badness,” and incurred “guiltiness.” (Ezra 10:10-14; Nehemiah 13:27) Something else to consider: When we ignore God’s counsel, we may wound ourselves spiritually, scarring our conscience. One sister whose unbelieving husband eventually became a believer said: ‘I am still dealing with the emotional scars. I can’t tell you how awful I feel when others point to us and say, “But it worked for them.”’

*** w81 9/1 pp. 23-24 par. 10 Repentance Leading Back to God ***10 We can learn from Ezra’s example. He clearly showed the Jews their error. This

was not primarily to shame them, but to get them to stop, to touch their heart, to move them to hate the wrong and to repent. They needed to make confession to Jehovah and to act in accord therewith by doing what they could to undo their wrong. (Ezra 10:7-14) Similarly, the committee handling a case of gross sin wants to help the wrongdoer to see the gravity of the wrong and to sense in his heart the need to repent.—Isa. 1:18.

*** w79 12/15 p. 4 When Was Jesus Born? ***Wintertime does not suit the circumstances of Jesus’ birth 30 years earlier in

Bethlehem. The cold rainy season for Palestine begins in late October and lasts several months. By December Bethlehem, like neighboring Jerusalem, experiences frequent frost at night. And how cold could it be? Concerning Judean King Jehoiakim, we read: “The king was sitting in the winter house, in the ninth month [Chislev, corresponding to November-December], with a brazier burning before him.” (Jer. 36:22) He needed such heat to keep warm. Moreover, in postexilic Jerusalem, the people Ezra assembled in the open during that same winter month were “shivering because of the matter [then under consideration] and on account of the showers of rain.” (Ezra 10:7, 9, 13) It is noteworthy that the next month, Tebeth (December-January), saw the lowest temperatures of the year, with occasional snow in the highlands.

*** g 12/13 p. 11 Jesus ***WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS The Bible does not state the date on which Jesus was born.

However, it does say that at the time of Jesus’ birth, “there were .  . . shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks.” (Luke 2:8) It is very unlikely that those shepherds would have kept their flocks outside at night during December and January. Why?

The area where Jesus was born experiences some of its coldest weather during December and January. Regarding that time of year, the Bible reports that people were “shivering . . . on account of the showers of rain.” (Ezra 10:9, 13; Jeremiah 36:22) That would have been no time of year for shepherds to be “living out of doors” with their flocks.

*** g 2/11 pp. 16-17 A Book You Can Trust—Part 4 ***In fact, Cyrus ordered that funds for temple reconstruction “be given from the king’s

house,” says Ezra 6:3, 4. This amazing statement harmonizes with secular history. “It was a consistent policy of Persian kings to help restore sanctuaries in their empire,” says the book Persia and the Bible.

The Bible tells us that opposers of the Jews later wrote to Darius the Great (also called Darius I) challenging the Jews’ claim that Cyrus had authorized the reconstruction of the temple. Darius commanded that a search be made for the original written decree. The outcome? A scroll containing Cyrus’ decree was found at Ecbatana, the capital. In response, Darius wrote: “I, Darius, do put through an order. Let it [temple reconstruction] be done promptly.” Opposition to the work then ceased.—Ezra 6:2, 7, 12, 13.

Secular history supports these details. For one thing, Ecbatana was the summer residence of Cyrus, and he may have issued his decree from there. Also, archaeological discoveries show that Medo-Persian kings took a keen interest in religious matters affecting their realm and wrote letters to resolve disputes.

*** g 11/07 p. 12 How the Bible Came to Us ***Many Israelites loved to read the Scriptures, recognizing them to be God’s Word.

Thus, the copying of the text was done with extreme care by highly trained scribes. One God-fearing scribe named Ezra is referred to as “a skilled copyist in the law of Moses, which Jehovah the God of Israel had given.” (Ezra 7:6) The Masoretes, who copied the Hebrew Scriptures, or “Old Testament,” between the sixth and tenth centuries C.E., even counted the letters in the text to avoid errors. Such meticulous copying helped to ensure both the accuracy of the text and the survival of the Bible itself despite desperate and persistent attempts by enemies to destroy it.

*** g97 1/22 pp. 11-12 Should I Confess My Sin? ***Yet another obstacle to confession is shame and embarrassment. The faithful scribe

Ezra had not committed the sins himself, but when he confessed the sins of his fellow Jews, he said: “I do feel ashamed and embarrassed to raise my face to you, O my God.” (Ezra 9:6) Really, it is healthy to feel shame when you have done wrong. It indicates that your conscience is still functioning. And in time those feelings of shame will subside. Andrew put it this way: “It is extremely difficult and embarrassing to confess. But to know that Jehovah will forgive in a large way is a relief.”

(Esdra 9:1, 2) 9 E appena queste cose furono finite, i principi mi si accostarono, dicendo: “Il popolo d’Israele e i sacerdoti e i leviti non si sono separati dai popoli dei paesi riguardo alle loro cose detestabili, cioè dai cananei, dagli ittiti, dai ferezei, dai gebusei, dagli ammoniti, dai moabiti, dagli egiziani e dagli amorrei. 2 Poiché hanno accettato alcune delle loro figlie per sé e per i loro figli; ed essi, il santo seme, si sono mescolati con i popoli dei paesi, e la mano dei principi e dei governanti delegati è stata la prima in questa infedeltà”.

(Esdra 10:3) 3 E ora concludiamo un patto col nostro Dio di mandare via tutte le mogli e quelli nati da esse, secondo il consiglio di Geova e di quelli che tremano al comandamento del nostro Dio, perché si faccia secondo la legge.

(Esdra 10:1) 10 Ora appena Esdra ebbe pregato ed ebbe fatto confessione mentre piangeva e giaceva prostrato davanti alla casa del [vero] Dio, quelli d’Israele si radunarono presso di lui, una congregazione molto grande, uomini e donne e fanciulli, poiché il popolo aveva pianto a dirotto.

(Esdra 10:10-14) 10 Alla fine Esdra il sacerdote si levò e disse loro: “Voi stessi avete agito con infedeltà in quanto avete dato dimora a mogli straniere così da aggiungere alla colpa d’Israele. 11 E ora fate confessione a Geova l’Iddio dei vostri antenati e fate ciò che gli piace e separatevi dai popoli del paese e dalle mogli straniere”. 12 A ciò tutta la congregazione rispose e disse ad alta voce: “Ci spetta di fare esattamente secondo la tua parola. 13 Comunque, la gente è molta, ed è la stagione dei rovesci di pioggia, e non è possibile restare fuori; e l’affare non richiederà un giorno o due, poiché noi ci siamo ribellati in grande misura in questa faccenda. 14 Ti preghiamo, dunque, agiscano i nostri principi come rappresentanti di tutta la congregazione; e, in quanto a tutti quelli delle nostre città che hanno dato dimora a mogli straniere, vengano nei tempi fissati, e insieme a loro gli anziani di ciascuna singola città e i suoi giudici, finché non abbiamo allontanato da noi l’ardente ira del nostro Dio, a causa di questa faccenda”.

(Esdra 9:6, 10-15) 6 E dicevo: “O mio Dio, in effetti provo vergogna e imbarazzo ad alzare la mia faccia a te, o mio Dio, poiché i nostri stessi errori si sono moltiplicati sulla nostra testa e la nostra colpa è divenuta grande fino ai cieli.

10 “E ora, o Dio nostro, che diremo dopo ciò? Poiché abbiamo lasciato i tuoi comandamenti, 11 che tu comandasti per mezzo dei tuoi servitori i profeti, dicendo: ‘Il paese in cui andate per prenderne possesso è un paese impuro a causa dell’impurità dei popoli dei paesi, a causa delle loro cose detestabili con le quali l’hanno riempito da un’estremità all’altra con la loro impurità. 12 E ora non date le vostre figlie ai loro figli, né accettate le loro figlie per i vostri figli; e a tempo indefinito non dovete operare per la loro pace e per la loro prosperità, affinché diveniate forti e certamente mangiate il buono del paese e in realtà [ne] prendiate possesso per i vostri figli a tempo indefinito’. 13 E dopo tutto ciò che è venuto su di noi per le nostre cattive opere e per la nostra grande colpa — poiché tu stesso, o Dio nostro, hai sottovalutato il nostro errore, e ci hai dato quelli che sono scampati come questi — 14 infrangeremo di nuovo i tuoi comandamenti e formeremo alleanze matrimoniali con i popoli di queste cose detestabili? Non ti adirerai tu oltremodo contro di noi così che non rimanga nessuno e nessuno scampi? 15 O Geova, Dio d’Israele, tu sei giusto, poiché noi siamo restati quale popolo scampato come in questo giorno. Ecco, siamo dinanzi a te nella nostra colpa, poiché è impossibile stare dinanzi a te a causa di ciò”.

(Esdra 6:1-12) 6 Fu allora che Dario il re emanò l’ordine, e fecero un’investigazione nella casa delle registrazioni dei tesori depositati là a Babilonia. 2 E a Ecbatana, nel luogo fortificato che era nel distretto giurisdizionale di Media, fu trovato un rotolo, e c’era scritta una memoria in questo senso: 3 “Nel primo anno di Ciro il re, Ciro il re emanò l’ordine riguardo alla casa di Dio a Gerusalemme: Sia riedificata la casa come posto in cui devono offrire sacrifici, e se ne devono fissare le fondamenta, essendo la sua altezza di sessanta cubiti, e la sua larghezza di sessanta cubiti, 4 con tre strati di pietre rotolate [sul posto] e uno strato di legname; e la spesa sia sostenuta dalla casa del re. 5 E anche i vasi d’oro e d’argento della casa di Dio che Nabucodonosor tolse dal tempio che era a Gerusalemme e portò a Babilonia siano restituiti, affinché pervengano al tempio che è a Gerusalemme al suo posto e siano depositati nella casa di Dio. 6 “Ora Tattenai governatore oltre il Fiume, Setar-Bozenai e loro colleghi, governatori minori che siete oltre il Fiume, statevene lontani di là. 7 Lasciate stare il lavoro di quella casa di Dio. Il governatore dei giudei e gli anziani dei giudei riedificheranno quella casa di Dio nel suo posto. 8 Ed è stato emanato da me un ordine in quanto a ciò che voi farete con questi anziani dei giudei, per riedificare quella casa di Dio; e dal tesoro reale delle tasse oltre il Fiume la spesa sarà prontamente data a questi uomini robusti senza cessazione. 9 E ciò che è necessario, sia giovani tori che montoni e agnelli per gli olocausti all’Iddio del cielo, frumento, sale, vino e olio, proprio come dicono i sacerdoti che sono a Gerusalemme, siano dati loro di continuo, di giorno in giorno, immancabilmente; 10 affinché presentino di continuo offerte concilianti all’Iddio dei cieli e preghino per la vita del re e dei suoi figli. 11 Ed è stato emanato da me l’ordine che, in quanto a chiunque violi questo decreto, sia tolta una trave dalla sua casa ed egli vi sia messo al palo, e la sua casa sia per questo trasformata in latrina pubblica. 12 E l’Iddio che ha fatto risiedere là il suo nome rovesci ogni re e popolo che stenda la sua mano per commettere violazione e distruggere quella casa di Dio, che è a Gerusalemme. Io, Dario, in effetti emano l’ordine. Sia eseguito prontamente”.

(Esdra 6:14, 22) 14 E gli anziani dei giudei edificavano e facevano progresso sotto il profetizzare di Aggeo il profeta e di Zaccaria nipote di Iddo, e [la] edificarono e [la] finirono a motivo dell’ordine dell’Iddio d’Israele e a motivo dell’ordine di Ciro e di Dario e di Artaserse re di Persia.

22 E continuarono a tenere la festa dei pani non fermentati per sette giorni con allegrezza; poiché Geova li fece rallegrare, ed egli aveva rivolto il cuore del re d’Assiria verso di loro per rafforzare le loro mani nel lavoro della casa del [vero] Dio, l’Iddio d’Israele.

(Esdra 7:13) 13 è stato da me emanato l’ordine che nel mio regno ognuno del popolo d’Israele e dei loro sacerdoti e leviti che vuole andare a Gerusalemme con te dovrebbe andare.