The Decree of Darius

1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and ^tsearch was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored. 2 And in Ecbatana, the citadel that is ^uin the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was written: “A record. 3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. Its height shall be sixty cubits¹ and its breadth sixty cubits, 4 ^vwith three layers of great stones and one layer of timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. 5 And also ^wlet the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You shall put them in the house of God.”

6 “Now therefore, ^xTattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, ^yand your² associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away. 7 Let the work on this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. 8 Moreover, ^zI make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. 9 And whatever is needed—bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail, 10 that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven ^aand pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11 Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and ^bhis house shall be made a dunghill. 12 May the God ^cwho has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”

The Temple Finished and Dedicated

13 Then, according to the word sent by Darius the king, ^xTattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had ordered. 14 ^dAnd the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and ^eby decree of Cyrus and ^fDarius and ^gArtaxerxes king of Persia; 15 and this house was finished on the third day of the ^hmonth of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

16 And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the ⁱdedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel ^j12 male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they set the priests ^kin their divisions and the Levites ^lin their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, ^mas it is written in the Book of Moses.

Passover Celebrated

19 ⁿOn the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover. 20 ^oFor the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. ^pSo they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. 21 It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and ^qalso by every one who had joined them and separated himself ^rfrom the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread ^sseven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful ^tand had turned the heart of ^uthe king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Ezra Sent to Teach the People

1 Now after this, ^vin the reign of ^vArtaxerxes king of Persia, ^wEzra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest— 6 this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe ^xskilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, ^yfor the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

7 And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and ^zsome of the priests and ^aLevites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple ^bservants. 8 And Ezra³ came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, ^cfor the good hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it ^dand to ^eteach his statutes and rules in Israel.

11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel: 12 “Artaxerxes, ^fking of kings, to Ezra the priest, the ^gscribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace.^{4 h}And now 13 ⁱI make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 For you are sent by the king ^jand his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand, 15 and also to carry the silver and gold that the king ^jand his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, ^kwhose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 ^lwith all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and ^mwith the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem. 17 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and ⁿyou shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. 19 The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you to provide, you may provide it out of the king’s treasury.

21 “And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, 22 up to 100 talents⁵ of silver, 100 cors⁶ of wheat, 100 baths⁷ of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 23 Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons. 24 We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose ^otribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, ^pappoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. ^qAnd those who do not know them, you shall teach. 26 Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment.”

27 ^rBlessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, ^swho put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, 28 ^tand who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Teaching About Divorce

1 ^zAnd he left there and went ^ato the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

2 And Pharisees came up and in order ^bto test him asked, ^c“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, ^d“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^ehardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But ^ffrom the beginning of creation, ‘God made them ^gmale and female.’ 7 ^h‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,¹ 8 and ⁱthe two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 ^jWhat therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, ^k“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and ^lif she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Let the Children Come to Me

13 ^mAnd they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples ⁿrebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ^o“Let the children come to me; ^pdo not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 ^qTruly, I say to you, whoever does not ^rreceive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And ^she took them in his arms and blessed them, ^tlaying his hands on them.

The Rich Young Man

17 ^uAnd as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and ^vknelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to ^winherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ^x‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, ^yall these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, ^zlooking at him, ^aloved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, ^bsell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have ^ctreasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 ^dDisheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus ^elooked around and said to his disciples, ^f“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter ^gthe kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples ^hwere amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, ⁱ“Children, ^jhow difficult it is² to enter ^gthe kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter ^gthe kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,³ “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus ^klooked at them and said, ^l“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, ^mwe have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, ⁿthere is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and ^ofor the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold ^pnow in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, ^qwith persecutions, and in ^rthe age to come eternal life. 31 But ^smany who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

32 ^tAnd they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and ^uJesus was walking ahead of them. And ^vthey were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, ^wwe are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will ^xcondemn him to death and ^ydeliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will ^zmock him and ^aspit on him, and flog him and kill him. And ^bafter three days he will rise.”

The Request of James and John

35 ^cAnd James and John, ^dthe sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us ^ewhatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, ^f“What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us ^gto sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, ^hin your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, ⁱ“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able ^jto drink the cup that I drink, or ^kto be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, ^l“The cup that I drink ^myou will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, ⁿyou will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, ^obut it is for those for whom it has been ^pprepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 ^qAnd Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles ^rlord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But ^sit shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,⁴ 44 and whoever would be first among you must be ^tslave⁵ of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but ^uto serve, and ^vto give his life as a ransom for ^wmany.”

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

46 ^xAnd they came to Jericho. And ^yas he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, ^za blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was ^aJesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many ^brebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, ^c“Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” 50 And throwing off his ^dcloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, ^e“What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, ^f“Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; ^gyour faith has ^hmade you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.