Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is the last chapter
in the book of Job, chapter 42, as well as the
first two chapters of the book of Ezra. The book
of Job, chapter 42. Then Job answered the Lord
and said, I know that you can do everything,
and that no purpose of yours can be withheld
from you. You asked, Who is this who hides counsel
without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what
I did not understand, things too wonderful for
me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and
let me speak. You said I will question you, and
you shall answer me. I have heard of you by the
hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.
Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and
ashes. And so it was, after the Lord had spoken
these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz
the Temnite, My wrath is aroused against you
and your two friends, for you have not spoken
of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now
therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and
seven rams. Go to my servant Job, and offer up
for yourselves a burnt offering. And my servant
Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him,
lest I deal with you according to your folly,
because you have not spoken of me what is right,
as my servant Job has. So Eliphaz the Temnite,
and Bildad the Shuite, and Zophar the Nematite,
went and did as the Lord commanded them, for
the Lord had accepted Job. And the Lord restored
Job's losses when he prayed for his friends.
Indeed, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he
had before. Then all his brothers, all his sisters,
and all those who had been his acquaintances
before came to him and ate food with him in his
house. And they consoled him and comforted him
for all the adversity that the Lord had brought
upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver
and each a ring of gold. Now the Lord blessed
the latter days of Job. more than his beginning.
For he had 14 ,000 sheep, 6 ,000 camels, 1 ,000
yoke of oxen, and 1 ,000 female donkeys. He also
had seven sons and three daughters. And he called
the name of the first, Jemima, the name of the
second, Kitsia, and the name of the third, Karenhapuk.
In all the land were found no women so beautiful
as the daughters of Job. And their father gave
them an inheritance among their brothers. After
this, Job lived 140 years and saw his children
and grandchildren for four generations, so Job
died old and full of days. Now in the first year
of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the
Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled,
the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king
of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout
all his kingdom. and also put it in writing,
saying, Where he dwells, let the men of his place
help him with silver and gold, with goods and
livestock, besides the freewill offerings for
the house of God which is in Jerusalem. Then
heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin.
and the priests and the Levites, with all whose
spirit God had moved, arose to go up and build
the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem.
And all those who were around them encouraged
them with articles of silver and gold, with goods
and livestock, and with precious things, besides
all that was willingly offered. King Cyrus also
brought out the articles of the house of the
Lord. which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem
and put in the temple of his gods. And Cyrus,
king of Persia, brought them out by the hand
of Metridat, the treasurer, and counted them
out to Shejbazar, the prince of Judah. This is
the number of them. 30 gold platters, 1 ,000
silver platters, 29 knives, 30 gold basins, 410
silver basins of a similar kind, and 1 ,000 other
articles. All the articles of gold and silver
were 5 ,400. All these Sheshbazar took with the
captives who were brought from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Chapter 2 Now these are the people of the province
who came back from the captivity, of those who
had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the
king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon,
and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone
to his own city. Those who came with Zerubbabel,
were Jeshua, Nehemiah, Sariah, Realiah, Mordecai,
Bilshan, Misbar, Begvei, Rehum, and Banna. The
number of the men of the people of Israel. The
people of Parosh, 2 ,172. The people of Shephatia,
372. The people of Ara, 775. The people of Pahat,
Moab. Of the people of Jeshua and Joab, 2 ,812.
The people of Elam, 1 ,254. The people of Zatu,
945. The people of Zakai, 760. The people of
Bani, 642. The people of Bebai, 623. The people
of Asgad, 1 ,000. 222. The people of Adonikam,
666. The people of Begvei, 2056. The people of
Adin, 454. The people of Atar of Hezekiah, 98.
The people of Bezei, 323. The people of Jorah,
112. The people of Hashum, 223. The people of
Gebar, 95. The people of Bethlehem, 123. The
men of Netopha, 56. The men of Anatoth, 128.
The people of Asmavet, 42. The people of Kirjas,
Arim, Shephira, and Berod, 743. The people of
Ramah and Geba, 621. The men of Mikmas, 122.
The men of Bethel and Ai, 223. The people of
Nebo, 52. The people of Magbish, 156. The people
of the other Elam, 1254. The people of Harim,
320. The people of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725.
The people of Jericho, 345. The people of Sinai,
The Levites, the sons of Jeshua and Kadmion,
of the sons of Hudavia, 74. The singers, the
sons of Asaph, 128. The sons of the gatekeepers,
the sons of Shalom, the sons of Atar, the sons
of Talmon, the sons of Akub, the sons of Hatita,
and the sons of Shubai, 139 in all. The Nethinim,
the sons of Zihah, the sons of Hasufa, the sons
of Tabawut, the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha,
the sons of Padun, the sons of Libana, the sons
of Hagaba, the sons of Akub. the sons of Hagab,
the sons of Shalmei, the sons of Hanan, the sons
of Gidel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reah,
the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nikoda, the sons
of Gazam, the sons of Uzzah, the sons of Passiah,
the sons of Bisei, the sons of Asnah, the sons
of Bonim, the sons of Nifusim, the sons of Bakbuk,
the sons of Hakufa, the sons of Harhur, the sons
of Bazlut. the sons of Mahida, the sons of Harsha,
the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons
of Tama, the sons of Niziah, and the sons of
Hatipha, the sons of Solomon's servants, the
sons of Sotei, the sons of Soferet, the sons
of Peruda, the sons of Jala, the sons of Darkon,
the sons of Gidel, the sons of Shephatia, the
sons of Hatil, the sons of Pokereth of Zebaim,
and the sons of Ammi. All the Nethanim and the
children of Solomon's servants were 392. And
these were the ones who came up from Tel -Mela,
Tel -Harsha, Sherub, Adan, and Emer. But they
could not identify their father's house or their
genealogy, whether they were of Israel, the sons
of Deliah, the sons of Tobiah, and the sons of
Nekodah, 652. And of the sons of the priests,
the sons of Hebiah, the sons of Koz, and the
sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters
of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and was called by
their name. These sought their listing among
those who were registered by genealogy, but they
were not found. Therefore they were excluded
from the priesthood as defiled. And the governor
said to them that they should not eat of the
most holy things till a priest could consult
with the Urim and Tummim. The whole assembly
together was 42 ,360, besides their male and
female servants, of whom there were 7 ,337, and
they had 200 men and women singers. Their horses
were 736, their mules 245, their camels 435,
and their donkeys 6 ,720. Some of the heads of
the fathers' houses, when they came to the house
of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem, offered freely
for the house of God to erect it in its place.
According to their ability, they gave to the
treasury for the work 61 ,000 gold drachmas,
5 ,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly garments.
So the priests and the Levites, some of the people,
the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim,
dwelt in their cities, and all Israel, I hope
you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did,
and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow
to continue on our journey. God bless you and
have a great day.