The altar is set up.

1 ¶ And when the seventhº monthº was come,ºª and the childrenº of Israelº [were] in the cities,º the peopleº gathered themselves togetherºª as oneº manº to² Jerusalem.º 2 Then stood upºª Jeshuaº the sonº of Jozadak,º and his brethrenº the priests,º and Zerubbabelº the sonº of Shealtiel,º and his brethren,º and buildedºª² the altarº of the Godº of Israel,º to offerºª burnt offeringsº thereon,² as [it is] writtenºª in the lawº of Mosesº the manº of God.º 3 And they setºª the altarº upon² his bases;º for² fearº [was] upon² them because of the peopleº² of those countries:º and they offeredºª burnt offeringsº thereon² unto the LORD,º [even] burnt offeringsº morningº and evening.º

Offerings frequented.

4 They keptºª also² the feastº of tabernacles,º as [it is] written,ºª and [offered] the dailyº burnt offeringsº by number,º according to the custom,º as the dutyº of every dayº required;¹ 5 And afterwardº [offered] the continualº burnt offering,º both of the new moons,º and of all² the set feastsº of the LORDº that were consecrated,ºª and of every one² that willingly offeredºª a freewill offeringº unto the LORD.º 6 From the first¹ dayº²² of the seventhº monthº beganºª they to offerºª burnt offeringsº unto the LORD.º But the foundationºª of the templeº of the LORDº was not² [yet] laid.¹ª

Workmen prepared.

7 They gaveºª moneyº also unto the masons,ºª and to the carpenters;º and meat,º and drink,º and oil,º unto them of Zidon,º and to them of Tyre,º to bringºª cedarº treesº from² Lebanonº to² the seaº of Joppa,º according to the grantº that they had of Cyrusº kingº of Persia.º

The foundations of the Temple are laid in great joy and mourning.

8 ¶ Now in the secondº yearº of their comingºª unto² the houseº of Godº at Jerusalem,º in the secondº month,º beganºª Zerubbabelº the sonº of Shealtiel,º and Jeshuaº the sonº of Jozadak,º and the remnantº of their brethrenº the priestsº and the Levites,º and all² they that were come² out¹ª of the captivityº² unto Jerusalem;º and appointedºª² the Levites,º from twenty¹ years¹ oldº²²² and upward,º to set² forward¹ª² the workº of the houseº of the LORD.º 9 Then stoodºª Jeshuaº [with] his sonsº and his brethren,º Kadmielº and his sons,º the sonsº of Judah,º together,º to set² forward¹ª² the workmenººª in the houseº of God:º the sonsº of Henadad,º [with] their sonsº and their brethrenº the Levites.º 10 And when the buildersºª laid the foundationºª of² the templeº of the LORD,º they setºª the priestsº in their apparelºª with trumpets,º and the Levitesº the sonsº of Asaphº with cymbals,º to praiseºª² the LORD,º after² the ordinanceº of Davidº kingº of Israel.º 11 And they sang together by courseºª in praisingºª and giving thanksºª unto the LORD;º because² [he is] good,º for² his mercyº [endureth] for everº toward² Israel.º And all² the peopleº shoutedºª with a greatº shout,º when they praisedºª the LORD,º because² the foundation¹ª of the house¹ of the LORD¹ was laid.ºª²² 12 But manyº of the priestsº² and Levitesº and chiefº of the fathers,º [who were] ancient men,º that² had seenºª² the firstº house,º when the foundation¹ª of this house¹ was laidºª²² before their eyes,º weptºª with a loudº voice;º and manyº shouted¹ aloudºª²² for joy:º 13 So that the peopleº could not² discernºª the noiseº of the shoutº of joyº from the noiseº of the weepingº of the people:º for² the peopleº shoutedºª with a loudº shout,º and the noiseº was heardºª afar off.º²²