Editing Book of Ezra (section)

== Summary ==
The Book of Ezra consists of ten chapters: [[Ezra 1|chapters 1]]–6, covering the period from the decree of  [[Cyrus the Great in the Bible|Cyrus the Great]] to the dedication of the [[Second Temple]], are told in the third person. Chapters 7–10, dealing with the mission of Ezra, are told largely in the first person. The book contains several documents presented as historical inclusions, written in [[Aramaic]] while the surrounding text is in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] (1:2–4, 4:8–16, 4:17–22, 5:7–17, 6:3–5, 6:6–12, 7:12–26) <ref name="torrey">{{cite journal|last1=Torrey|first1=C. C.|title=The Aramaic Portions of Ezra|journal=The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures|date=April 1908|volume=24|issue=3|pages=209–281|doi=10.1086/369608|jstor=527607|s2cid=170235624 }}</ref>

;''Chapters 1–6 (documents included in the text in italics)''
* 1. ''Decree of Cyrus, first version'': [[Cyrus (Bible)|Cyrus]], inspired by God, returns the Temple vessels to [[Sheshbazzar]], "prince of [[Judea|Judah]]", and directs the Israelites to return to Jerusalem with him and rebuild the Temple.
* 2. 42,360 exiles, with men servants, women servants and "singing men and women", return from Babylon to Jerusalem and [[Judea|Judah]] under the leadership of [[Zerubbabel]] and [[Jeshua the High Priest]].
* 3. [[Jeshua the High Priest]] and Zerubbabel build the altar and celebrate the [[Feast of Tabernacles]]. In the second year the foundations of the Temple are laid and the dedication takes place with great rejoicing.
[[File:Schnorr von Carolsfeld Bibel in Bildern 1860 126.png|thumb|right|Ezra calls for the rebuilding of the temple in this 1860 woodcut by [[Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld]]]]
* 4. ''Letter of the [[Samaritans]] to Artaxerxes, and reply of Artaxerxes'': The "enemies of [[Judea|Judah]] and Benjamin" offer to help with the rebuilding, but are rebuffed; they then work to frustrate the builders "down to the reign of Darius." The officials of [[Samaria]] write to king Artaxerxes warning him that Jerusalem is being rebuilt, and the king orders the work to stop. The narrative then returns to the times of [[Darius the Great|Darius I]]. "Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia."
* 5. ''Tattenai's letter to Darius'': Through the exhortations of the prophets [[Haggai]] and [[Zechariah (Hebrew prophet)|Zechariah]], Zerubbabel and Joshua recommence the building of the Temple. [[Tatnai|Tattenai]], satrap over both [[Judea|Judah]] and [[Samaria]], writes to Darius warning him that Jerusalem is being rebuilt and advising that the archives be searched to discover the decree of Cyrus.
* 6. ''Decree of Cyrus, second version, and decree of Darius'': Darius finds the decree, directs Tattenai not to disturb the Jews in their work, and exempts them from tribute and supplies everything necessary for the offerings. The Temple is finished in the month of Adar in the sixth year of Darius, and the Israelites assemble to celebrate its completion.

;''Chapters 7–10''
* 7. ''Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra (Artaxerxes' rescript)'': King Artaxerxes is moved by God to commission Ezra "to inquire about [[Judea|Judah]] and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God" and to "appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God." Artaxerxes gives Ezra much gold and directs all Persian officials to aid him.
[[File:Schnorr von Carolsfeld Bibel in Bildern 1860 128.png|thumb|right|Ezra reads the Law in this 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld]]
* 8. Ezra gathers a large body of returnees and much gold and silver and precious vessels for the Temple and camps by a canal outside Babylon. There he discovers he has no Levites, and so sends messengers to gather some. The exiles then return to Jerusalem, where they distribute the gold and silver and offer sacrifices to God.
* 9. Ezra is informed that some of the Jews already in Jerusalem have married non-Jewish women. Ezra is appalled at this proof of sin, and prays to God: "O God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence."
* 10. Despite the opposition of some of their number, the Israelites assemble and send away their foreign wives and children.