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1 And when the seventh month was come, and the Bnei Yisroel were in the towns, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Yerushalayim. 2 Then stood up Yeshua ben Yotzadak,* and his brethren the kohanim, and Zerubavel ben Sh'altiel, and his brethren, and built the Mizbe'ach Elohei Yisroel, to offer olot (burnt offerings) thereon, as it is written in the Torat Moshe Ish HaElohim. 3 And they set the Mizbe'ach upon its bases; despite their fear upon them because of the people of those lands, they offered olot (burnt offerings) thereon unto Hashem, even olot boker and erev. 4 They kept also the Chag HaSukkot, as it is written, and offered the daily olah by number, according to the mishpat, as the duty of every yom required; 5 And afterward offered the olat tamid, both of the chodeshim, and of all the Mo'adim of Hashem that were set apart as kodesh, and of every one that willingly offered a nedavah (freewill offering) unto Hashem. 6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer olot (burnt offerings) unto Hashem. But the Yesod (Foundation) of the Heikhal Hashem was not yet laid.
7 They gave kesef also unto the chotzvim (masons, stone-cutters), and to the charashim (craftsmen, carpenters); and food, and mishteh (drink), and shemen (oil), unto them of Tzidon, and to them of Tzor, to bring cedar trees from Levanon to the sea and on to Yafo, according to the rishyon (authorization, grant) that they had of Koresh Melech Paras (Persia). 8 Now in the second year of their coming unto the Beis HaElohim at Yerushalayim, in the second month, began Zerubavel ben Sh'altiel, and Yeshua ben Yotzadak, and the she'ar (remnant) of their brethren the kohanim and the Levi'im, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Yerushalayim; and appointed the Levi'im, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the melechet Beis Hashem(work of the construction of the Beis Hamikdash). 9 Then stood Yeshua with his banim and his brethren, Kadmiel and his banim, the Bnei Yehudah, together, to set forward the workmen in the Beis HaElohim; the Bnei Chenadad, with their banim and their brethren the Levi'im.
10 And when the Bonim (Builders) laid the foundation of the Heikhal Hashem, they set the kohanim in their robes with trumpets, and the Levi'im the Bnei Asaph with cymbals, to praise Hashem according to the instructions of Dovid Melech Yisroel. 11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto Hashem because He is good, for His chesed endureth forever toward Yisroel. And kol haAm shouted with a great shout, when they praised Hashem, because the foundation of the Beis Hashem was laid. 12 But many of the kohanim and Levi'im and chief of the avot, who were zekenim (ancient men), that had seen the Beis HaRishon,† when the foundation of this Beis‡ was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice, and many shouted aloud for simchah; 13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of simchah from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.
* 3:2 T.N. This man is the prophetic namesake of the coming Moshiach — see Zech 6:11-12 † 3:12 Beis HaMikdash of Sh'lomo ‡ 3:12 Hamikdash