\v 1 In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, Yahweh fulfilled his word that came from the mouth of Jeremiah, and stirred Cyrus's spirit. Cyrus's voice went out over his entire kingdom. This is what was written and spoken:
\v 2 "Cyrus, king of Persia, says: Yahweh, God of Heaven, gave me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he appointed me to build for him a house in Jerusalem in Judah.
\v 3 Whoever is from his people (may his God be with him) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.
\v 4 People of any part of the kingdom where survivors of that land are living as foreigners should provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, as well as a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem."
\v 5 Then the heads of the ancestors' clans of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and Levites, and everyone whose spirit God stirred to go and build the house of Yahweh, which is in Jerusalem, arose.
\v 7 Cyrus king of Persia also released the objects belonging to the house of Yahweh that Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and put in his own gods' houses.
\v 1 These are the people in the province who went up from the captivity of King Nebuchadnezzar, who had exiled them in Babylon, the people who returned to each of their cities of Jerusalem and in Judah.
\v 61 Also, from the priest's descendants: the descendants of Habaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (who took his wife from the daughters of Barzillai of Gilead and was called by their name).
\v 68 When they went to the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem, the chief patriarchs offered freewill gifts to build the house of God, to put it back on its foundation.
\v 69 They gave according to their ability to the work fund: sixty-one thousand gold darics, five thousand silver minas, and one hundred priestly tunics.
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\v 70 So the priests and Levites, the people, the temple singers and gatekeepers, and those assigned to serve in the temple inhabited their cities. All the people in Israel were in their cities.
\v 2 Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brothers rose up and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
\v 3 Then they established the altar on its stand, for terror was on them because of the people of the land. They offered burnt offerings to Yahweh at dawn and evening.
\v 4 They also observed the Festival of Shelters as it is written and offered burnt offerings day by day according to the decree, each day's duty on its day.
\v 5 Accordingly, there were daily burnt offerings, offerings for the new moons, and offerings for all the fixed feasts of Yahweh that had been consecrated, as well as freewill offerings from all those who offered them to Yahweh.
\v 6 They began to offer up burnt offerings to Yahweh on the first day of the seventh month, although the temple had not been founded.
\v 7 So they gave silver to the stoneworkers and craftsmen, and they gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so they would bring cedar trees by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized for them by Cyrus, king of Persia.
\v 8 Then in the second month of the second year after they came to the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and those who came from captivity back to Jerusalem began the work. They assigned the Levites twenty years old and older to oversee the work of the house of Yahweh.
\v 9 Jeshua and his sons and brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons (who were descendants of Hodaviah), and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers-all of them were Levites-joined together in overseeing those working on the house of God. \f + \ft There are some textual issues here regarding the phrase \fqa the sons of Judah \fqa* or \fqa the descendants of Hodaviah \fqa* and other matters. \f*
\v 10 The builders laid a foundation for the temple of Yahweh. This enabled the priests to stand in their garments with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, to praise Yahweh with cymbals, just as the hand of David, king of Israel had commanded.
\v 11 They sang with praise and thankfulness to Yahweh, "He is good! His covenant faithfulness to Israel endures forever." All the people cried out with a great shout of joy in praise of Yahweh because the temple's foundations had been laid.
\v 12 But many of the priests, Levites, and chief patriarchs, those who were old and had seen the first house, when this house's foundations were laid before their eyes, wept loudly. But many people had shouts of joy with gladness and an excited sound.
\v 13 As a result, people were not able to distinguish the joyful and glad sounds from the sound of people weeping, for the people were crying out with great joy, and the sound was heard from far away.
\v 1 Now some enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people who had been exiled were now building a temple for Yahweh, the God of Israel.
\v 2 So they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of their ancestors' clans. They said to them, "Let us build with you, for, like you, we seek your God and have sacrificed to him since the days when Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, brought us to this place."
\v 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of their ancestors' clans said, "It is not you, but we who must build the house of our God, for it is we who will build for Yahweh, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded."
\v 5 They also bribed counselors to frustrate their plans. They did this during all of Cyrus's days and into the reign of Darius king of Persia.
\v 6 Then at the beginning of Ahasuerus's \f + \ft Also known as \fqa Xerxes \fqa* . \f* reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
\v 7 It was during the days of Artaxerxes that Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their associates wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.
\v 9 Then Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and their other associates, who were judges and other officers in the government, the Persians, men from Uruk \f + \ft Some modern English translations read, \fqa Erech \fqa* . \f* and Babylon, and the men from Susa (that is, the Elamites)—they wrote a letter—
\v 10 and they were joined by the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal exiled and forced to settle in Samaria, along with the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River.
\v 12 Let the king know that the Jews who went from you have come against us in Jerusalem to build a rebellious city. They have completed the walls and repaired the foundations.
\v 13 Now let the king know that if this city is built and the wall is completed, they will not give any tribute, taxes, or tolls, and that will harm the treasury of the kings.
\v 14 Surely because we have eaten the palace salt, it is not fitting for us to see any dishonor happen to the king. It is because of this that we are sending this to inform to the king
\v 15 to search your father's record books and to learn that this is a rebellious city that will harm kings and provinces. It has caused many problems to the kings and provinces. It has been a center for rebellion from long ago. It was for this reason that the city was destroyed.
\v 17 So the king sent out a reply to Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and their associates in Samaria and the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River: "May peace be yours.
\v 19 So a decree was issued by me, and they searched and found that for a long time that city has risen up against kings, and rebellion and revolt have been made in it.
\v 20 Mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and had power over everything in the Province Beyond the River. Tribute, taxes, and tolls were paid to them.
\v 23 When King Artaxerxes's decree was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went out quickly to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop building.
\v 1 Then Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied in the name of the God of Israel to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem.
\v 2 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God in Jerusalem with the prophets who supported them.
\v 3 Then Tattenai the governor of the Province Beyond the River, Shethar-Bozenai, and his associates came and said to them, "Who gave you a decree to build this house and complete these walls?"
\v 4 They also said, "What are the names of the men building this building?"
\v 5 But God's eye was on the Jewish elders and their enemies did not stop them. They were waiting for a letter to be sent to Darius and for a decree to be returned to them concerning this.
\v 6 This is a copy of the letter of Tattenai, governor of the Province Beyond the River, and Shethar-Bozenai and his associates in the Province Beyond the River, which they sent to Darius the king.
\v 8 Let the king know that we went to the province of Judah to the house of the great God. It is being built with large stones and timbers set in the walls. This work is being done thoroughly and is prospering in their hands.
\v 9 We asked the elders, 'Who issued you a decree to build this house and these walls?'
\v 10 We also asked them their names to make them known to you; so the names of the men who were at their head are written down.
\v 11 This is how they answered us; they said, 'We are servants of the one who is the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding this house that had been built many years ago when the great king of Israel built it and completed it.
\v 12 However, when our ancestors enraged the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and took the people into exile in Babylon.
\v 13 Nevertheless, in the first year when Cyrus was king of Babylon, Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild the house of God.
\v 14 King Cyrus also returned the gold and silver objects belonging to the house of God that Nebuchadnezzar had brought from the temple in Jerusalem to the temple in Babylon. He restored them to someone named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor.
\v 17 Now if it pleases the king, may it be investigated in the house of archives in Babylon if a decree from King Cyrus was issued to build this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send his decision to us.
\v 3 "In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus issued a decree about the house of God in Jerusalem: 'Let the house be rebuilt as a place for sacrifice, let its foundations be laid, let its height be sixty cubits, and its width sixty cubits,
\v 4 with three rows of large stones and a row of new timber, and let the cost be paid by the king's house.
\v 5 Now bring back the gold and silver objects belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon from the temple in Jerusalem and send them back to the temple in Jerusalem. You are to put them in the house of God.'
\v 6 Now Tattenai, governor of the Province Beyond the River, Shethar-Bozenai, and your associates who are in the Province Beyond the River, keep away!
\v 8 I am issuing a decree that you must do this for these Jewish elders who build this house of God: Funds from the king's tribute beyond the River will be used to pay these men so they do not have to stop their work.
\v 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, or lambs for the burnt offerings to the God of Heaven, grain, salt, wine, or oil according to the command of the priests in Jerusalem—give these things to them every day without fail.
\v 11 I have issued a decree that if anyone violates this decree, a beam must be pulled from his house and he must be impaled on it. His house must then be turned into a rubbish heap because of this.
\v 12 May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to violate this decree, or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, hereby issue this decree. Let it be done with diligence!"
\v 13 Then because of the decree sent by Darius the king, Tattenai, the governor of the Province Beyond the River, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates, did everything that King Darius had ordered.
\v 14 So the Jewish elders built and prospered under the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, the descendant of Iddo. They completed their buildings according to the decree of the God of Israel and by the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes the king of Persia.
\v 17 They offered one hundred bulls, one hundred rams, and four hundred lambs for the dedication of the house of God. Twelve male goats were also offered as a sin offering for all Israel, one for each tribe in Israel.
\v 20 The priests and Levites all purified themselves; all of them were clean. Then they slaughtered the Passover sacrifices for all those who had been in exile, including themselves.
\v 21 The Israelite people who ate some of the Passover meat were those who had returned from exile and had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land and sought Yahweh, the God of Israel.
\v 22 They joyfully celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days, for Yahweh had brought them joy and turned the heart of Assyria's king to strengthen their hands in the work of his house, the house of the God of Israel.
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\v 1 Now after this, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra came up from Babylon. Ezra's ancestors were Seraiah, Azariah, Hilkiah,
\v 2 Shallum, Zadok, Ahitub,
\v 3 Amariah, Azariah, Meraioth,
\v 4 Zerahiah, Uzzi, Bukki,
\v 5 Abishua, Phinehas, Eleazar, who was son of Aaron the high priest.
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\v 6 Ezra came up from Babylon and he was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses that Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given. The king gave him anything he asked since the hand of Yahweh was with him.
\v 7 Some of the descendants of Israel and the priests, Levites, temple singers, gatekeepers, and those assigned to serve in the temple also went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
\v 9 He left Babylon on the first day of the first month. It was on the first day of the fifth month that he arrived in Jerusalem, since the good hand of God was with him.
\v 11 This was the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, the scribe of the words of the commandments of Yahweh, and of his statutes for Israel.
\v 13 I hereby issue a decree that anyone from the people of Israel in my kingdom—along with their priests and Levites—who desires to go to Jerusalem may go with you.
\v 14 I, the king, and my seven counselors, send you all out to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand.
\v 16 Freely give all the silver and gold that you find in the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offerings that the people and the priests have willingly offered for the house of God in Jerusalem.
\v 17 So use this money to buy in full the oxen, rams and lambs, and grain offerings and drink offerings. Offer them on the altar that is in the house of your God in Jerusalem.
\v 21 I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue a decree to all the treasurers in the Province Beyond the River, that anything that Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, asks from you should be given in full,
\v 23 Anything that comes from the decree of the God of Heaven, do it with devotion for his house. For why should his wrath come upon the kingdom of the king and his sons?
\v 24 We are informing them that there is no authority to impose any tribute or taxes or tolls on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, or on the people assigned to the service of the temple and servants of the house of this God.
\v 25 Ezra, with the wisdom that God has given you, you must appoint judges and magistrates to judge all the people in the Province Beyond the River, and to serve all who know the laws of your God. You must also teach those who do not know the law.
\v 26 As for whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king—let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether death or banishment or confiscation of his goods or imprisonment.
\v 28 and who extended covenant faithfulness to me before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. I have been strengthened by the hand of Yahweh my God, and I gathered prominent men from Israel to go with me.
\v 1 These are the leaders of their ancestors' families, and this is the genealogy of those who left Babylon with me during the reign of King Artaxerxes.
\v 10 Of the descendants of Bani, \f + \ft The name \fqa Bani \fqa* was missing in the ancient Hebrew copies, but was restored from the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew copies. \f* Shelomith son of Josiphiah and with him were listed 160 males.
\v 14 Of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur and with him were listed seventy males.
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\v 15 I gathered the travelers at the canal that goes to Ahava, and we camped there three days. I examined the people and priests, but could not find any descendants of Levi there.
\v 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, and Elnathan and Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam—who were leaders—and for Joiarib and Elnathan—who were teachers.
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\v 17 Next I sent them to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives, the temple servants living in Kasiphia, that is, to send to us servants for the house of God.
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\v 18 So they sent us by our God's good hand a man named Sherebiah, a prudent man. He was a descendant of Mahli son of Levi son of Israel. He came with eighteen sons and brothers.
\v 20 Of those assigned to serve in the temple, whom David and his officials gave to serve the Levites: 220, each of them assigned by name.
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\v 21 Then I proclaimed a fast at the Ahava Canal to humble ourselves before God, to seek a straight path from him for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.
\v 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for an army or horsemen to protect us against enemies along the way, since we had said to the king, 'The hand of our God is on all who seek him for good, but his might and wrath are on all who forget him.'
\v 24 Next I selected twelve men from the priestly officials: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers.
\v 25 I weighed out for them silver, gold, and the objects and offerings for the house of God that the king, his counselors and officials, and all Israel had freely offered.
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\v 26 So I weighed into their hand 650 talents of silver, one hundred talents of silver objects, one hundred talents of gold,
\v 27 twenty gold bowls that were together valued at one thousand darics, and two well-polished bronze vessels as precious as gold.
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\v 28 Then I said to them, "You are consecrated to Yahweh, and these objects also, and the silver and gold are a freewill offering to Yahweh, the God of your ancestors.
\v 29 Watch over them and keep them until you weigh them out before the priestly officials, Levites, and leaders of the ancestors' clans of Israel in Jerusalem in the rooms of the house of God."
\v 30 The priests and the Levites accepted the weighed silver, gold, and the objects in order to take them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.
\v 31 We went out from the Ahava Canal on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us; he protected us from the hand of the enemy and the ones who wished to ambush us along the road.
\v 32 So we entered Jerusalem and stayed there for three days.
\v 33 Then on the fourth day the silver, gold, and objects were weighed out in the house of our God, into the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah the priest. With him were Eleazar son of Phinehas, Jozabad son of Jeshua, and Noadiah son of Binnui the Levite.
\v 34 The number and weight of everything was determined. All the weight was written down at that time.
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\v 35 The ones who came back from the captivity, the people of exile, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all of Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering. All were a burnt offering for Yahweh.
\v 36 Then they gave the king's decrees to the king's high officials and the governors in the Province Beyond the River, and they helped the people and the house of God.
\v 1 When these things were done, the officials approached me and said, "The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands and their abominations: Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
\v 2 For they have taken some of their daughters and sons, and have mixed the holy people with the peoples of the lands, and the leaders and officials have been first in this faithlessness."
\v 4 All those who trembled at the words of the God of Israel about the faithlessness of the exiles gathered to me while I was sitting devastated until the evening offering.
\v 5 But at the evening offering I arose from my position of humiliation in my torn clothes and robe, and knelt down and spread my hands to Yahweh my God.
\v 6 I said, "My God, I am ashamed and disgraced to raise my face to you, for our iniquities increase over our head, and our guilt grows to the heavens.
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\v 7 From the days of our ancestors until now we have been in great guilt. In our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests were given into the hand of kings of this world, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder and ashamed faces, as we are today.
\v 8 Yet now for a short time, mercy from Yahweh our God has come to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a foothold in his holy place. This was for our God to enlighten our eyes and to give us a little relief in our slavery.
\v 9 For we are slaves, but our God has not forgotten us but has extended covenant faithfulness to us. He has done this in the sight of the king of Persia in order to give us new strength, so we could rebuild the house of our God and raise its ruins. He did this so that he could give us a wall of safety in Judah and Jerusalem.
\v 10 But now, our God, what can we say after this? We have forgotten your commands,
\v 11 the commands that you gave to your servants the prophets, when you said, "This land that you are entering to possess is an unclean land. It is contaminated by the people of the lands with their abominations. They have filled it from one end to the other with their uncleanness.
\v 12 So now, do not give your daughters to their sons; do not take their daughters for your sons, and do not seek their ongoing peace and welfare, so that you will be strong and eat the good of the land, so you will cause your children to possess it for all time."
\v 13 Yet after everything that came on us for our evil practices and our great guilt—since you, our God, have held back what our iniquities deserve and left us an escaped remnant—
\v 14 should we again break your commandments and make mixed marriages with these abominable people? Will you not be angry and annihilate us so there will be no remnant, no one to escape?
\v 15 Yahweh, God of Israel, you are righteous, for we have remained as an escaped remnant to this day. Look! We are here before you in our guilt, for there is no one who can stand before you because of this.
\v 1 As Ezra prayed and confessed, he wept and threw himself down before the house of God. A very great assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered to him, for the people were weeping very greatly.
\v 2 Shekaniah son of Jehiel of the descendants of Elam said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.
\v 3 So now let us make a covenant with our God to send out all the women and their children according to the Lord's instructions and the instructions of those who tremble at the commandments of our God, and let it be done according to the law.
\v 4 Arise, for this thing is for you to carry out, and we are with you. Be strong and do this."
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\v 5 So Ezra rose and made the priestly officials, the Levites, and all of Israel promise to act in this way. So they all took a solemn oath.
\v 6 Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went to the rooms of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He did not eat any bread or drink any water, since he was mourning concerning the faithlessness of those who had been in captivity.
\v 8 Anyone who did not come in three days according to the instructions from the officials and elders—all of his possessions would be forfeited, and he himself would be excluded from the great assembly of the people who had come back from exile.
\v 9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem in three days. It was the ninth month and the twentieth day of the month. All the people sat in the square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rains.
\v 12 All the assembly answered in a loud voice, "We will do as you have said.
\v 13 However, there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We have no strength to stand outside, and this is not only one or two days of work, since we have greatly transgressed in this matter.
\v 14 So let our officials represent all the assembly. Let all in our cities who have married foreign women come at an appointed time that will be appointed by the city elders and the city judges until the raging wrath of our God goes away from us."
\v 16 So the people who returned from exile did this. Ezra the priest selected men, the leaders in their ancestors' clans and houses—all of them by name, and they investigated the matter on the first day of the tenth month.
\v 17 By the first day of the first month they had finished discovering which men had lived with foreign women.
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\v 18 Among the descendants of the priests there were those who had lived with foreign women. Among the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers there were Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
\v 19 So they determined to send their wives away. Since they were guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt.
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\v 20 Among the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
\v 25 Among the rest of the Israelites—among the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah. \f + \ft Instead of the second occurrence of \fqa Malkijah \fqa* , some modern translations substitute \fqa Hashabiah \fqa* . \f*
\v 29 Among the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal Jeremoth. \f + \ft Instead of \fqa Bani \fqa* , some modern translations have \fqa Bigvai \fqa* . \f*
\v 38 Among the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, \f + \ft Instead of \fqa Among the descendants of Binnui: Shimei \fqa* , some modern translations have \fqa Bani, Binnui, Shimei \fqa* . \f*
\v 40 Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai, \f + \ft Instead of \fqa Maknadebai \fqa* , some modern translations have \fqa Among the descendants of Zaccai \fqa* . \f*
\v 44 All of these had taken foreign wives and had children with some of them. \f + \ft Instead of \fqa and had children with some of them \fqa* , some modern translations have \fqa but sent them away with their children \fqa* . \f*
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