Hallelujah

Psalm 148

  ¹ Praise the Lord.

  Praise the Lord from the heavens;
   praise him in the heights above.
  ² Praise him, all his angels;
   praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
  ³ Praise him, sun and moon;
   praise him, all you shining stars.
  ⁴ Praise him, you highest heavens
   and you waters above the skies.

  ⁵ Let them praise the name of the Lord,
   for at his command they were created,
  ⁶ and he established them for ever and ever—
   he issued a decree that will never pass away.

¹⁷ ... “Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. ¹⁸ When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ ¹⁹ They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:

  “‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
   where all who had ships on the sea
   became rich through her wealth!
  In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’

  ²⁰ “Rejoice over her, you heavens!
   Rejoice, you people of God!
   Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
  For God has judged her
   with the judgment she imposed on you.”

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

²¹ Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:

  “With such violence
   the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
   never to be found again.
  ²² The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
   will never be heard in you again.
  No worker of any trade
   will ever be found in you again.
  The sound of a millstone
   will never be heard in you again.
  ²³ The light of a lamp
   will never shine in you again.
  The voice of bridegroom and bride
   will never be heard in you again.
  Your merchants were the world’s important people.
   By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
  ²⁴ In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,
   of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

  “Hallelujah!
  Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
   ² for true and just are his judgments.
  He has condemned the great prostitute
   who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
  He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

³ And again they shouted:

  “Hallelujah!
  The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”

⁴ The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

  “Amen, Hallelujah!”

⁵ Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

  “Praise our God,
   all you his servants,
  you who fear him,
   both great and small!”

⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

  “Hallelujah!
   For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
  ⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad
   and give him glory!
  For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
   and his bride has made herself ready.
  ⁸ Fine linen, bright and clean,
   was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

¹⁰ At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

The List of the Exiles Who Returned

⁴ Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. ⁵ So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:

⁶ These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, ⁷ in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):

The list of the men of Israel:

  ⁸ the descendants of Parosh 2,172
   ⁹ of Shephatiah 372
   ¹⁰ of Arah 652
   ¹¹ of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,818
   ¹² of Elam 1,254
   ¹³ of Zattu 845
   ¹⁴ of Zakkai 760
   ¹⁵ of Binnui 648
   ¹⁶ of Bebai 628
   ¹⁷ of Azgad 2,322
   ¹⁸ of Adonikam 667
   ¹⁹ of Bigvai 2,067
   ²⁰ of Adin 655
   ²¹ of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98
   ²² of Hashum 328
   ²³ of Bezai 324
   ²⁴ of Hariph 112
   ²⁵ of Gibeon 95

  ²⁶ the men of Bethlehem and Netophah 188
   ²⁷ of Anathoth 128
   ²⁸ of Beth Azmaveth 42
   ²⁹ of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743
   ³⁰ of Ramah and Geba 621
   ³¹ of Mikmash 122
   ³² of Bethel and Ai 123
   ³³ of the other Nebo 52
   ³⁴ of the other Elam 1,254
   ³⁵ of Harim 320
   ³⁶ of Jericho 345
   ³⁷ of Lod, Hadid and Ono 721
   ³⁸ of Senaah 3,930

³⁹ The priests:

  the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973
   ⁴⁰ of Immer 1,052
   ⁴¹ of Pashhur 1,247
   ⁴² of Harim 1,017

⁴³ The Levites:

  the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah) 74

⁴⁴ The musicians:

  the descendants of Asaph 148

⁴⁵ The gatekeepers:

  the descendants of
   Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 138

⁴⁶ The temple servants:

  the descendants of
   Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
   ⁴⁷ Keros, Sia, Padon,
   ⁴⁸ Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,
   ⁴⁹ Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
   ⁵⁰ Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
   ⁵¹ Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
   ⁵² Besai, Meunim, Nephusim,
   ⁵³ Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
   ⁵⁴ Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
   ⁵⁵ Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
   ⁵⁶ Neziah and Hatipha

  ⁵⁷ The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

  the descendants of
   Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
   ⁵⁸ Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
   ⁵⁹ Shephatiah, Hattil,
   Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon

  ⁶⁰ The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392

  ⁶¹ The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:

  ⁶² the descendants of
   Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 642

⁶³ And from among the priests:

  the descendants of
   Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter
    of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

⁶⁴ These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. ⁶⁵ The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

⁶⁶ The whole company numbered 42,360, ⁶⁷ besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers. ⁶⁸ There were 736 horses, 245 mules, ⁶⁹ 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

⁷⁰ Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. ⁷¹ Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. ⁷² The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.

⁷³ The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.

Ezra Reads the Law

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, 8 ¹ all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

² So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³ He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁴ Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵ Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. ⁶ Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

⁷ The Levites —Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. ⁸ They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁰ Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

¹¹ The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”

¹² Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

¹³ On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. ¹⁴ They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month ¹⁵ and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.

¹⁶ So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷ The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.

¹⁸ Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.