Israel

Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

For the dedication of the house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel.

For the dedication of the house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel.

The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.

For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

…this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.

This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel:

Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

…and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.

And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah—a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men;

Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and a sin offering of 12 male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD.

Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and a sin offering of 12 male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD.

After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.

Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering.

O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You.”

Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the land, yet in spite of this, there is hope for Israel.

So Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said. And they took the oath.

Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel.

…accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. This is the count of the men of Israel:

The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove that their families were descended from Israel:

At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

…for the showbread, for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings, for the Sabbath offerings, for the New Moons and appointed feasts, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the duties of the house of our God.

So in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside daily portions for the Levites, and the Levites set aside daily portions for the descendants of Aaron.

As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.

Did not your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”

Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.

Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When the LORD restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When the LORD restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!

Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All descendants of Jacob, honor Him! All offspring of Israel, revere Him!

Redeem Israel, O God, from all its distress.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

“Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!

O LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, rouse Yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah

…the earth shook and the heavens poured down rain before God, the One on Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.

Bless God in the great congregation; bless the LORD from the fountain of Israel.

Ascribe the power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose strength is in the skies.

O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

May those who hope in You not be ashamed through me, O Lord GOD of Hosts; may those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel.

So I will praise You with the harp for Your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to You with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.

A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A song. God is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel.

For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children,

Therefore the LORD heard and was filled with wrath; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and His anger flared against Israel,

God’s anger flared against them, and He put to death their strongest and subdued the young men of Israel.

Again and again they tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

He drove out nations before them and apportioned their inheritance; He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

On hearing it, God was furious and rejected Israel completely.

…from tending the ewes He brought him to be shepherd of His people Jacob, of Israel His inheritance.

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph. Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth

For this is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!

But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.

If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,

…saying, “Come, let us erase them as a nation; may the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

Surely our shield belongs to the LORD, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel.

He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.

He brought Israel out with silver and gold, and none among His tribes stumbled.

Egypt was glad when they departed, for the dread of Israel had fallen on them.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah!

When Israel departed from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,

Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel His dominion.

O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield.

The LORD is mindful of us; He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron;

Let Israel say, “His loving devotion endures forever.”

Behold, the Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

…where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

A song of ascents. Of David. If the LORD had not been on our side—let Israel now declare—

But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.

…that you may see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!

A song of ascents. Many a time they have persecuted me from my youth—let Israel now declare—

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is loving devotion, and with Him is redemption in abundance.

And He will redeem Israel from all iniquity.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, both now and forevermore.

For the LORD has chosen Jacob as His own, Israel as His treasured possession.

He gave their land as an inheritance, as a heritage to His people Israel.

O house of Israel, bless the LORD; O house of Aaron, bless the LORD;

…and brought Israel out from among them His loving devotion endures forever.

…and led Israel through the midst, His loving devotion endures forever.

…a heritage to His servant Israel. His loving devotion endures forever.

The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel.

He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and judgments to Israel.

He has raised up a horn for His people, the praise of all His saints, of Israel, a people near to Him. Hallelujah!

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.

These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,

I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage, escorted by sixty of the mightiest men of Israel.

The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”

Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who act corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.

Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will be relieved of My foes and avenge Myself on My enemies.

For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of His delight. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard a cry of distress.

…to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!”