When the Foundation Finally Went Down.

וַיִּגַּע֙ הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בֶּעָרִ֑ים ס וַיֵּאָסְפ֥וּ הָעָ֛ם כְּאִ֥ישׁ אֶחָ֖ד אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ ס

When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem.

וַיָּקָם֩ יֵשׁ֨וּעַ בֶּן־יֽוֹצָדָ֜ק וְאֶחָ֣יו הַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים וּזְרֻבָּבֶ֤ל בֶּן־שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל֙ וְאֶחָ֔יו וַיִּבְנ֕וּ אֶת־מִזְבַּ֖ח אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לְהַעֲל֤וֹת עָלָיו֙ עֹל֔וֹת כַּכָּת֕וּב בְּתוֹרַ֖ת מֹשֶׁ֥ה אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

[2] Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.

וַיָּכִ֤ינוּ הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ עַל־מְכ֣וֹנֹתָ֔יו כִּ֚י בְּאֵימָ֣ה עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם מֵעַמֵּ֖י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת ׳וַיַּעַל׳ ״וַיַּעֲל֨וּ״ עָלָ֤יו עֹלוֹת֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה עֹל֖וֹת לַבֹּ֥קֶר וְלָעָֽרֶב׃

[3] They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord , burnt offerings morning and evening.

וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֛וּ אֶת־חַ֥ג הַסֻּכּ֖וֹת כַּכָּת֑וּב וְעֹלַ֨ת י֤וֹם בְּיוֹם֙ בְּמִסְפָּ֔ר כְּמִשְׁפַּ֖ט דְּבַר־י֥וֹם בְּיוֹמֽוֹ׃

[4] And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required,

וְאַחֲרֵיכֵ֞ן עֹלַ֤ת תָּמִיד֙ וְלֶ֣חֳדָשִׁ֔ים וּלְכָל־מוֹעֲדֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה הַמְקֻדָּשִׁ֑ים וּלְכֹ֛ל מִתְנַדֵּ֥ב נְדָבָ֖ה לַיהוָֽה׃

[5] and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord , and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord .

מִיּ֤וֹם אֶחָד֙ לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י הֵחֵ֕לּוּ לְהַעֲל֥וֹת עֹל֖וֹת לַיהוָ֑ה וְהֵיכַ֥ל יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֥א יֻסָּֽד׃

[6] From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord . But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid.

וַיִּ֨תְּנוּ־כֶ֔סֶף לַחֹצְבִ֖ים וְלֶחָרָשִׁ֑ים וּמַאֲכָ֨ל וּמִשְׁתֶּ֜ה וָשֶׁ֗מֶן לַצִּֽדֹנִים֙ וְלַצֹּרִ֔ים לְהָבִיא֩ עֲצֵ֨י אֲרָזִ֤ים מִן־הַלְּבָנוֹן֙ אֶל־יָ֣ם יָפ֔וֹא כְּרִשְׁי֛וֹן כּ֥וֹרֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרַ֖ס עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ פ

[7] So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia.

וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית לְבוֹאָ֞ם אֶל־בֵּ֤ית הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם בַּחֹ֖דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֑י הֵחֵ֡לּוּ זְרֻבָּבֶ֣ל בֶּן־שְׁ֠אַלְתִּיאֵל וְיֵשׁ֨וּעַ בֶּן־יֽוֹצָדָ֜ק וּשְׁאָ֥ר אֲחֵיהֶ֣ם׀ הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֗ם וְכָל־הַבָּאִים֙ מֵהַשְּׁבִ֣י יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וַיַּעֲמִ֣ידוּ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֗ם מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה לְנַצֵּ֖חַ עַל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת בֵּית־יְהוָֽה׃ פ

[8] Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord .

וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד יֵשׁ֡וּעַ בָּנָ֣יו וְ֠אֶחָיו קַדְמִיאֵ֨ל וּבָנָ֤יו בְּנֵֽי־יְהוּדָה֙ כְּאֶחָ֔ד לְנַצֵּ֛חַ עַל־עֹשֵׂ֥ה הַמְּלָאכָ֖ה בְּבֵ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים ס בְּנֵי֙ חֵֽנָדָ֔ד בְּנֵיהֶ֥ם וַאֲחֵיהֶ֖ם הַלְוִיִּֽם׃

[9] And Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together supervised the workmen in the house of God, along with the sons of Henadad and the Levites, their sons and brothers.

וְיִסְּד֥וּ הַבֹּנִ֖ים אֶת־הֵיכַ֣ל יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּעֲמִידוּ֩ הַכֹּהֲנִ֨ים מְלֻבָּשִׁ֜ים בַּחֲצֹֽצְר֗וֹת וְהַלְוִיִּ֤ם בְּנֵֽי־אָסָף֙ בַּֽמְצִלְתַּ֔יִם לְהַלֵּל֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה עַל־יְדֵ֖י דָּוִ֥יד מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

[10] And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord , the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord , according to the directions of David king of Israel.

וַֽ֠יַּעֲנוּ בְּהַלֵּ֨ל וּבְהוֹדֹ֤ת לַֽיהוָה֙ כִּ֣י ט֔וֹב כִּֽי־לְעוֹלָ֥ם חַסְדּ֖וֹ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְכָל־הָעָ֡ם הֵרִיעוּ֩ תְרוּעָ֨ה גְדוֹלָ֤ה בְהַלֵּל֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה עַ֖ל הוּסַ֥ד בֵּית־יְהוָֽה׃ ס

[11] And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord , “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord , because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

וְרַבִּ֡ים מֵהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְהַלְוִיִּם֩ וְרָאשֵׁ֨י הָאָב֜וֹת הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר רָא֜וּ אֶת־הַבַּ֤יִת הָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ בְּיָסְד֔וֹ זֶ֤ה הַבַּ֙יִת֙ בְּעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔ם בֹּכִ֖ים בְּק֣וֹל גָּד֑וֹל וְרַבִּ֛ים בִּתְרוּעָ֥ה בְשִׂמְחָ֖ה לְהָרִ֥ים קֽוֹל׃

[12] But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy,

וְאֵ֣ין הָעָ֗ם מַכִּירִים֙ ק֚וֹל תְּרוּעַ֣ת הַשִּׂמְחָ֔ה לְק֖וֹל בְּכִ֣י הָעָ֑ם כִּ֣י הָעָ֗ם מְרִיעִים֙ תְּרוּעָ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֔ה וְהַקּ֥וֹל נִשְׁמַ֖ע עַד־לְמֵרָחֽוֹק׃ פ

[13] so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away.