Ezra 03 The foundations of the temple are laid

 Ezra 03

The foundations of the temple are laid

8 In the second year of their coming to the house of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jehozadak, and their brothers, the priests and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, began to carry out the work on the house of the Lord.

9 Then Jeshua and his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, stood up as one man to oversee those who were doing the work on the house of God, the sons of Henadad and their sons and their brothers, the Levites.

10 When the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, then the priests stood dressed and with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with psalteries, to praise the Lord, according to the order established by David king of Israel.

11 And they sang in turn, praising and making merry to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with great joy, when they praised the Lord for the foundation of the house of the Lord.

12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, who were old, who had seen the first house on its foundation, when they saw this house before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; but many lifted up their voices with joy and gladness.

13 So that the voice of joy could not be distinguished from the voice of the people's weeping, for the people shouted with such great joy that their voices could be heard from afar.