EZRA CHAPTER 1 - 5

THE BOOK OF EZRA

While Ezra is traditionally considered one with Nehemiah, the fact that Ezra 2 is repeated in Nehemiah 7 suggests to many that they were originally distinct writings. Traditionally, Ezra is thought to be the author and editor of the sources he makes use of. The book is thought by traditionalists to have been written between 456 and 444 B.C.E.

The first six chapters refer to the reigns of Cyrus (539-530) and Darius I (522-486). The last chapters (as well as 4:7-23) refer to the reign of Artaxerxes I (465-423). Nothing in the book refers to the interim period of 515-457, during which time the book of Esther is set. The jostling for power on the part of the Jews within the wide stretch of the Persian empire is the background of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther, as well as Tobit and Judith, less historically-based and more imaginative writings. Scholars prefer, however, to see Ezra and Nehemiah as priestly writings within the same tradition as the two books of Chronicles. Thus the priestly tradition bridges the subjects of the preceding volume in this series, with other models of approach to post-exilic problems.

Ezra is the first book in the canon to present itself as post-exilic, although most scholars consider Enoch and Jubilees to be late writings. The Hebrew Scriptures can be roughly divided into writings that assume the theocratical system of patriarchs, judges, and kings, and writings that provide models for living the law of God under hostile regimes, governments that do not in principle recognize the binding validity of divine law.

The model that Ezra proposes is an assumed accommodation to imperial government in view of taking advantage of its resources and facilities to re-establish the seat of the theocracy and its temple worship. The idea of theocracy under the imperial umbrella is ingenious and fascinating. It is not simple, however, and the background of the Persian court and its interests is projected on the land and people surrounding Jerusalem. In the end, one must surmise that Persia is playing different groups off against each other for its own interests, specifically the Jews and Samaritans.

As such, all of the post-exilic prophets are extremely relevant to contemporary faith, giving as they do various models of survival and influence within regimes that are potentially at cross-purposes with the life of faith.

EZRA 1

1 In the first year of Cyrus king
Of Persia, then the word of YHWH
By Jeremiah’s mouth rung true,
YHWH stirred up the spirit to wing
Of Cyrus king of Persia, so
He made a proclamation go
Throughout all his kingdom, also
In writing, saying, 2 “Thus says Cyrus
King of Persia (and not to tire us):
‘All the kingdoms of the earth YHWH
The God of heaven has been true
To give me, and commanded me
To build Him a house faithfully
At Jerusalem in Judah.
3 ‘Who’s among you of His folk’s draw?
May his Ælohim be with him,
And get him to Jerusalem
Which is in Judah, and to build
The house of YHWH Israel’s God filled
(He is Ælohim), who indeed
Is in Jerusalem decreed.
4 ‘And who is left in any place
Where he dwells, let men of his place
Help him with silver and with gold,
With goods and livestock from the fold,
Besides the freewill offerings for
The house of Ælohim, its store,
Which in Jerusalem is told.’”

Your servant Cyrus, My Beloved, who reigned
Over the Persian conquered lands, sustained
Your law and love in many ways, but best
Because he ordained that Your land in rest
Should see the rising of the temple halls
That fell at Nebuchadnezzar’s high calls.
Although the king gives the command, just wait
To see how many come to storm the gate,
Pretending to be servants of the king,
And yet just out to punish righteous wing.
Beloved, today as I stand on the shore
Of frozen lake and look upon the door
Of heaven and sky to see the rosy tint
On morning, I retreat into Your glint.

5 Then up rose the head fathers of
Judah and Benjamin for love,
And the priests and the Levites, too,
With all whose spirit Ælohim
Had raised up to go build in crew
The house of YHWH, which is in dream
Land of Jerusalem in view.
6 And all the ones about them came
To strengthen their hands with the claim
Of silver vessels, and with gold,
With provisions and with beasts told,
And precious things as well as all
That was willingly offered tall.
7 Also Cyrus the king brought out
The vessels of YHWH’s house which stout
Nebuchadnezzar had brought down
From Jerusalem and with frown
Placed in house of his gods’ renown.
8 Even those did Cyrus the king
Of Persia and by the hand bring
Of Mithredath the treasure chief,
And counted them to Sheshbazzar
Who was the prince of Judah’s star.
9 And this is how many in brief
There were: thirty chargers of gold
A thousand of silver unsold,
And twenty-nine knives sharp and cold.
10 Thirty basins of gold and yet
Silver basins in second store
Amounting in all up to four
Hundred and ten, and pots to get
Up to a thousand once they’re set.
11 All the vessels of gold and more
Of silver, five thousand and four
Hundred. All these things Sheshbazzar
Brought up along out of the far
Captivity, that were brought out
Of Babylon to come about
Jerusalem to stand and shout.

The faith of Judaism that came out
Of Persia was an essay without doubt
To cause dissention on the farther shore
So Persian kings could be sure of the chore.
Samaritans might well be planning such
Rebellion in that far-off land of much,
And setting there another brood to make
A competition for religion’s sake
In just what might by factions strengthen king.
The Jewish sort is just a Persian fling,
But those sweet, secret politics remain
And set the world in factions, some insane,
Even today around the city grim
That is Jerusalem, the bright and trim.

EZRA 2

1 These are the people of the state
That went up out of prison’s fate,
Of those who’d been taken away
When Nebuchadnezzar in sway
As king of Babylon had done
Taking them all to Babylon,
They came back to Jerusalem
And Judah every one to hem
Of his own city under sun,
2 Who came with Zerubbabel were
Jeshua, Nehemiah fer,
Seraiah, Reelaiah and yet
Mordecai, Bilshan, and the set
Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum Baanah.
The number of the men in awe
Of the folk of Israel to draw.
3 The children of Parosh were two
Thousand one hundred seventy-two.
4 The children of Shephatiah,
Three hundred seventy-two in paw.
5 The children of Arah alive,
Seven hundred seventy-five.
6 The children of Pahathmoab,
Of sons of Jeshua, Joab,
Two thousand eight hundred and twelve.
7 The children of Elam to delve,
One thousand two hundred fifty
And four to top menagerie.

The sons of Jeshua: that lovely name
Has been born since the time of Moses’ fame
To give the world the hope that You became
Salvation for all time above the flame
Of this world’s fast oppression of the poor.
The name’s attached to every portraiture
Of cross, of temple cleansing and the mount
Of his transfiguration in account.
The name’s attached to hundreds more, and yet
The most famous of all was one to get
A place under the sun long after this
Man Jeshua sent sons abroad to kiss
The threshold of Jerusalem and build
A temple there and with Your glory filled.

8 The children of Zattu alive,
Add to nine hundred forty-five.
9 The children of Zaccai unmixty
Add up to seven hundred sixty.
10 The children of Bani in view
Are six hundred and forty-two.
11 The children of Bebai set free
Make six hundred and twenty-three.
12 The children of Azgad in pew,
Thousand two hundred twenty-two.
13 The children of Adonikam,
Six hundred sixty-six, no scam.
14 The children of Bigvai, no tricks,
Add to two thousand fifty-six.

Adonikam, my lord arises on
The gloried lights of the awaited dawn
To travel westward in the hope and sound
That Abraham himself once heard and found.
From Babylon and the fair Persian state,
Most beautiful of countries risen late,
The soul still turns towards the desert land
And tramples bruising rocks upon the sand
To find the barren heights of Sinai and
The wells of my Medina and the grand
Halls of the poor, proud Makkah, and with eye
Upon its fading justice under sky,
Jerusalem, unfaithful year by year,
And still the jewelled city to appear.

15 The children of Adin in store
Add to four hundred fifty-four.
16 Hezekiah’s children of Ater
Were ninety-eight and none came later.
17 The children of Bezai to be
At least three hundred twenty-three.
18 The children of Jorah to delve
Add up to one hundred and twelve.
19 The children of Hashum to see
Were just two hundred twenty-three.
20 The children of Gibbar to strive
Make up the number ninety-five.
21 The children of Bethlehem be
Just one hundred and twenty-three.

The children of Hashum in retinue,
The name of entourage come into view,
Reminds me that the tongue, ancient Hebrew,
Contains much of the Arabic names too.
Hashum as seen two thousand years ago
Extends a hand to greet his brothers’ row
Who all go by the name Hashim and know
No other god but You beneath the stew.
Beloved, the joys of Hashum in the wake
Of kings in their parade and for Your sake
Still light the sky beside the Gulf and make
The ancient faith glow brighter on that shore.
I join hands with Hashum and to the core
We turn returning to Your faith in store.

22 Fifty-six men of Netophah,
23 One hundred twenty-eight in paw
The men of Anathoth to draw.
24 The people of Azmaveth true
Add up in all to forty-two.
25 The fold of Kirjath-arim be
Along with Chephira, Beeroth,
Seven hundred and forty-three.
26 Folk of Ramah and Geba both
Come to six hundred twenty-one.
27 The men of Michmas, when they’ve done,
Make one hundred twenty-two won.
28 The men of Bethel and Ai,
Two hundred twenty-three to cry.

The men of Ai once came out to fight
Your cohorts under Joshua in sight
Of Jericho still burning in the night.
Despite their single victory and loss
To Israel because of golden cross,
They fell to be renewed by those You chose
To fill that place with holy heart and nose.
After the centuries’ vicissitudes,
The times of peace, the years of family feuds,
The wanderings, the hard captivity
In Babylon and Persia, to be free
They came back to Ai and Bethel too,
To Bethlehem, Jerusalem to see
The house of God still shining in the dew.

29 The folk of Nebo, fifty-two;
30 The folk of Magbish, in one crew
One hundred fifty-six in view.
31 The folk of the second Elam,
One thousand two hundred to cram
And fifty-four. 32 And Harim’s folk,
Three hundred twenty more to stoke.
33 The people of Lod, Hadid, and
Ono, seven hundred twenty-five.
34 The people of Jericho’s land
Come to three hundred forty-five.
35 The people of Senaah, at three
Thousand six hundred and thirty.

I guess that Maghish is a place, not man,
A place where crystal waters or the span
Of crystal rock shows to the eye that waits
Upon that sacred home, within its gates
Enfolding all the hope the captive mates
After their journey find in Palestine.
The bright and shining word, no doubt in meaning
Quite different from the sound I hear in screening,
No matter what it means, no matter which
It refers to, a man, a town, a ditch,
To hearts returning becomes bright and fair.
I too, Beloved, look round me everywhere
And see Your presence turn the fetid air
To sweet perfumes, create gems out of pitch.

36 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah,
And of the house of Jeshua,
Nine hundred seventy-three paw.
37 The sons of Immer, one thousand
And fifty-two on every hand.
38 The sons of Pashhur, one thousand
Two hundred forty-seven spanned
39 The sons of Harim, one thousand
And seventeen. 40 The Levites: sons
Of Jeshua and Kadmiel’s buns,
Of sons of Hodaviah more,
They all come up to seventy-four.
41 The singers: the sons of Asaph,
One hundred and twenty-eight laugh.
42 The sons of the doorkeepers later,
The sons of Shallum, sons of Ater,
The sons of Talmon, sons of Akkub,
The sons of Hatita for back-up,
The sons of Shobai in their stall,
One hundred thirty-nine in all.

Of singers and doorkeepers there’s no lack
In those captives who got up to come back.
The sons of Asaph in the generations
Of exile in the wakened eastern nations
Remembered daily, week by week, to sing
The temple songs that flew from David’s wing.
Their faithfulness was great, despite the fact
The temple lay in ruins by the act
Of earthly kings. Today, Beloved, I too
Sing those same songs of David to be true
To tabernacle spent, threadbare in view,
Abandoned by the false descendant crew.
Beloved, though no one now loves David here,
I join his voice to come before Your ear.

43 The Nethinim: sons of Ziha,
As well as sons of Hasupha,
The sons of Tabbaoth, 44 and the sons
Of Keros, sons of Siaha, sons
Of Padon, 45 as well as the sons
Of Lebanah, Hagabah’s sons,
At last the many sons of Akkub,
46 To catch up with the sons of Hagab,
The sons of Shalmai, sons of Hanan,
47 The sons of Giddel, for the canon
The sons of Gahar, of Reaiah,
48 The sons of Rezin, to go higher
The sons of Nekoda, the sons
Of Gazzam, 49 and then Uzza’s sons,
The sons of Paseah, the sons
Of Besai, 50 and Asnah’s sons too,
The sons of Meunim, the crew
Of Nephusim, 51 sons of Bakbuk,
The sons of Hakupha, no crook,
The sons of Harhur, 52 the sons too
Of Bazluth, Mehida’s fair crew,
The sons of Harsha, 53 Barkos’ sons,
The sons of Sisera, the sons
Of Tamah, 54 the sons of Neziah,
And sons of Hatipha for fire.

I wonder if the name Hatipha came
From one kidnapped in captivity’s blame
And taken off to Babylon to live
And propagate a house and then to give
That name to all descendants, so they’d know
That he was seized and had to make a show
Of living satisfied beneath the glow
Of tyranny. Beloved, it may be so.
The sons of Hatipha, one quickly taken
From truth into the land of egg and bacon,
Return to kosher life and land to tell
Your praises among faithful Israel.
I have been seized, Beloved, and taken up
To quaff the silver liquid from Your cup.

55 The sons of Solomon's servants:
The sons of Sotai come to dance,
The sons of Sophereth, the sons
Of Peruda, 56 the sons by tons
Of Jaala, the sons of Darkon,
The sons of Giddel, 57 the sons drawn
From Shephatiah, the sons of
Hattil, as well as the sons of
Pochereth of Zebaim, and sons
Of Ami. 58 All the Nethinim
And children of Solomon's dream
Servants: three hundred ninety-two,
All clean and straight sitting in pew.

Sons of Darkon, who knows what story lies
Behind that strange name that in word implies
A leather shield, if Arabic relay
The meaning of the word in which I stray.
Does leather shield protect the son from being
Taken into captivity and seeing
Great Babylon fall before all the hordes
Of Persians following their dark warlords?
It seems not, my Beloved, and yet a shield
I need here in this life of silver field.
Shield me from hate and from hateful desires,
Shield me from my own self and from the fires
Of sacrifice to other gods, but let
My soul above Your shield at last be met.

59 And these were the ones who came from
Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, and rum
Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but
They could not find ancestral what
Or place upon the family tree,
Lacking their genealogy,
Whether they were of Israel’s free.
60 The sons of Delaiah, the sons
Of Tobiah, as well as sons
Of Nekoda, six hundred and
Fifty-two in that sorry band.
61 And of the sons of priests: the sons
Of Habaiah, of Koz the sons,
And sons of Barzillai, who took
A wife of daughters of no crook
Barzillai the Gileadite, and
Was called by their name and their band.
62 These sought their listing among those
Who were registered in their rows,
But they were not found; therefore they
Were unclean from the priestly way.
63 The chief told them they should not eat
Most holy things upon the beat
Before a priest enquired of such
From Urim and Thummin in touch.
64 The whole assembly there together
Was forty-two thousand of feather,
And three hundred and sixty much,
65 Besides their man and maid employed,
Of whom were seven thousand joyed
And three hundred and thirty-seven;
And they had two hundred from heaven,
Men and women singers uncloyed.

The sons of Nekoda were never found
Among the lists of priests and once renowned.
Nekoda I suppose means spotted one,
Covered with vowel signs and the dots undone
That represent the melodies to sing
When opening Your Word, cantillating.
What spots made Nekoda to share
A name that later rose into the air
In technical term for the holy Writ?
Spotted like leopard or peppered a bit,
The father of these lost ones waits to see
What Urim and Thummin reveal to be.
Beloved, write my name on Your divine heart
And never, never let it come to part.

66 Their horses were seven hundred
And thirty-six, their mules that sped
Were two hundred and forty-five,
67 Their camels four hundred alive
And thirty-five, and their donkeys
Six thousand seven hundred please
And twenty. 68 Some ancestral chiefs,
When they came to YHWH’s house of griefs
There in Jerusalem, donated
For Ælohim’s house built instated,
69 As much as each one could, they gave
To the storehouse for the work brave
Sixty-one thousand drams of gold,
Five thousand silver minas told,
And one hundred priestly robes’ fold.
70 So the priests and the Levites and
The folk, the singers, and the band
Of the gatekeepers, and kiddies
Called Nethinim, lived in cities,
And all Israel in their cities.

Why are the Nethinim mentioned again
Along with Levite singers and the men
Who keep the gates? I wonder with what grace
This lengthy chapter comes before my face.
I touch the names and find them all aglow
And yet there are so many things to know
And not revealed. The Nethinim, the sons
Of gift, it seems, are mentioned in their tons.
Beloved, I walk the sacred aisles of stone
Reverberating with the trees alone
That form the pillars of my temple here,
And long to know the many that appear
In holiness before Your righteous throne.
And still I wait sitting upon my gear.

EZRA 3

1 And when the seventh month had come,
The children of Israel in sum
Were in the towns, the people came
Together as one man in name
Into Jerusalem of fame.
2 And Jeshua Jozadak’s son
And his brothers the priests for fun,
Zerubbabel Shealtiel’s son
And his brothers, got up and built
The altar of Ælohim’s lilt
In Israel, to offer burnt
Offerings on it, as it is learnt
In the Law of Moses the man
Of Ælohim as bright as can.
3 Though fear had come upon them for
The folk of those countries before,
They set the altar on its feet,
And offered burnt offerings in treat
To YHWH, the morning and the eve
In sacrifices for reprieve.
4 They kept the Feast of Tabernacles
Too, as it’s written, with its snackles
Of daily burnt offerings in count
Required by ordinance amount
For each day. 5 After that they gave
The regular burnt offering wave,
And those for the months’ first day and
All the appointed feasts at hand
Of YHWH that were set apart and
Of everyone who willingly
Offered to YHWH an offering free.
6 From the seventh month’s first day they
Began to sacrifice that way
To YHWH, although the temple base
Of YHWH was not yet put in place.
7 They also gave payment to those
Masons and carpenters they chose,
And food, and drink, and oil to folk
Of Sidon and Tyre to bring yoke
Of cedar logs from Lebanon
To the sea, to Joppa, anon
By the leave they had from the king
Of Persia, Cyrus by naming.

Nobody thought to ask why workers long
Past did not come in droves to a bee’s song
And volunteer their labour to Your tent
To patch the base and raise a rafter bent.
Today they always advertise for all
To work free building up the kingdom hall,
But in those ancient times the work was paid
To every mason, carpenter waylaid.
Beloved, the days when masons worked abroad
From hand to mouth for the day’s wages laud
Are passed. Those men without their wages’ sum
Would have died of their hunger on the bum.
It’s only now that people are so rich
That they can take a day out of the pitch.

8 In the second month of the year
Second of coming to appear
At the house of Ælohim at
Jerusalem, Zerubbabel
The son of Shealtiel, and that
Jeshua son of Jozadak,
And the rest of their brothers fell
The priests and the Levites on track,
And all those who had come out from
The captives of Jerusalem,
Began work and appointed such
Levites from twenty years old much
And above to oversee all
The work of the house of YHWH’s call.
9 Then Jeshua with his sons and
Brothers, Kadmiel with his band
Of sons, and the sons of Judah,
Arose as one to hold a paw
Over those working on the house
Of Ælohim: the sons to grouse
Of Henadad with their sons and
Their brothers the Levites in band.
10 When the builders laid the foundation
Of the temple of YHWH’s elation,
The priests stood in their priestly robes
With trumpets, though no astrolobes,
And the Levites, sons of Asaph,
With cymbals, to praise without gaff
YHWH, according to ordinance
Of David Israel’s king to dance.
11 And they sang antiphonally,
Praising and giving thanks in fee
To YHWH: "For He is good, mercy
From Him lasts forever to see
Toward Israel." Then all the folk
Shouted with a great shout for broke,
When they praised YHWH, for was the base
Foundation of YHWH’s house in place.
12 But many priests and Levites and
Chiefs ancestral of house and band,
Old men who had seen the first temple,
Wept with a loud voice when the stemple
Of this house rose before their eyes.
Yet many shouted joyous cries,
13 So that the folk could not tell which
Noise was the shout of joy in pitch
And which the weeping of the folk,
For the folk shouted loud for broke,
The sound was heard far off in stroke.

In every vision of the hopeful glade
Where I have moved and sung, and worked and laid
My head to sleep, I find there’s always choice
Either to weep aloud or then rejoice.
Some are resigned to will of God when things
Go bad and they are faced with questionings.
Some rage against the portals of the sky,
Some break their faith and some come to deny.
I do not bring an accusation strung
Against You, my Beloved, like Christian sung.
Instead I take up hand and heart and choose
Before the glories of the things I lose
And gain to find that You have made me so
That I can choose the way I wish to go.

EZRA 4

1 And when the foes of Judah and
Benjamin heard the captive band
Were building the temple of YHWH
Ælohim of Israel, 2 in crew
They came to Zerubbabel and
Ancestral chiefs, and said to them,
"Let us build with you, for in gem
We turn to your Ælohim just
As you; and we upon the dust
Have sacrificed to Him as long
As we’ve been here and since the days
Of Esarhaddon king to praise
Of Assyria, who brought us strong."
3 Zerubbabel and Jeshua
And the rest of the heads in awe
Of Israel’s ancestors told them,
"You cannot do a thing in hem
To help us build our Ælohim
A house, but we alone we deem
To build to YHWH the Ælohim
Of Israel, as King Cyrus
The king of Persia ordered us."
4 The people of the land essayed
To trouble Judah’s folk waylaid.
They hindered their building 5 and paid
People to keep them from their task
All Cyrus king of Persia’s bask,
Even until Darius’ reign,
The king of Persia to maintain.
6 In the reign of Ahasuerus,
In start of his reign not to clear us,
They wrote an accusation sent
Against Judah’s folk and the tent
Jerusalem as city bent.
7 In Artaxerxes’ times also,
Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel go,
And the rest of their friends wrote to
Artaxerxes the king of crew
Of Persians. And the letter then
Was written in the script of men,
Script Aramaic, and was wrought
In Aramaic tongue and plot.

The foes of Judah spend a weary dime
Having the legal face upon their crime.
Especially the governor is set
For juggling papers to see what he’ll get.
Outside the swallows in their swiftly curl
Enunciate the freedom of the churl
So evident in his conformity
Of legalize to sit under a tree.
From his name I’d think I would find mercy,
Justice and help, but that is par to be
Under the civil servants’ polished vests.
Did I not see the swallows make their nests
Around the Rum Kale, while Byzantine
Heroes were no longer there to be seen.

8 Rehum commander and the scribe
Shimshai wrote letter and for bribe
Against Jerusalem and sent
To King Artaxerxes and lent:
9 From Rehum the commander and
From Shimshai the scribe, and the band
Of their friends, of the Dinaites,
The Apharsathchites, Tarpelites,
The folk of Persia and Erech
And Babylon and Shushan’s beck,
The Dehavites, the Elamites,
10 And the rest of the nations’s wights
Whom high and noble Osnapper
Took captive and removed to where
The cities of Samaria
And the rest on the other craw
Of the river, et cetera.
11 This is a copy of the brief
That they sent to him for relief:
“To King Artaxerxes from your
Servants, the men beyond the shore,
Et cetera. 12 “Let it be known
To the king that the Jews here shown
Came up from you, arrived to us
Into Jerusalem for fuss
Are building the wicked, rebellious
City, and make its walls to jelly us,
Repairing its foundations’ truss.
13 “So let it be known to the king
That if this city’s built to sing
And its walls finished, they will not
Pay tax, tribute, or custom aught,
And the king's store will lose a lot.
14 “Since we get our rate from the house
Royal, it was not right to douse
The king’s regard, so we have sent
To tell the king the thing we meant.
15 “Just take a look in record book
Of your ancestors who mistook
And you will find in record book
And know this city has a look
Rebellious, hostile to the kings
And countries with their rebellings
From the city in former times,
Which is why this town in its primes
Was destroyed. 16 “We inform the king
That if this city’s built and wing
Of its walls are finished, the end
Will be that you will have no friend
Beyond the river to attend.”

The record books are easy ways and guides.
They always transcribe words when taking sides.
The record book is sacred to the will
Of those who usurp power and lands to fill
The paunch with raunch of widow’s oil and bread
And send her out to scavenge here instead.
The record books are fine, and some are left
In baked clay tablets hidden in the cleft
Of tell and excavation, hear the song,
And know that record books too can be wrong.
Beloved, I too turn to the record books
And find the graven images and looks
The world in bright creation in my nooks
Brings to my wondering eyes and mind along.

17 The king replied: “To Rehum chief,
Shimshai the scribe, and to in brief
The rest of their friends who live in
Samaria, and to begin
Beyond the river: Peace, et al.
18 “The letter that you sent to call
On us has been read before me
And in translation faithfully.
19 “I gave command, and search was made,
And it was found this city strayed
In former times revolting fair
Against kings with rebellion’s share.
20 “There also have been mighty kings
Over Jerusalem, whose springs
Ruled all beyond the river there,
And gathered tribute to their share.
21 “So give the order to make cease
These men so as not to increase
This city until by command
Come straight from me and from my hand.
22 “Be sure you do not fail to do
Exactly what I tell you to.
Why should kings suffer from the view
Of further evil from the crew?”
23 Now when the copy of the brief
Of King Artaxerxes' relief
Was read before Rehum, Shimshai
The scribe, and their friends standing by,
They went up quickly to the town
Jerusalem against the Jews,
And by the force of arms abuse
And made them stop and threw them down.
24 And so the work upon the house
Of Allah then was there to douse
And stopped there in Jerusalem
Until the second year in hem
Of King Darius the Persian.

The letters that You send, Beloved, at hand
Of prophets and divine guides in the land
Are often used as some excuse to play
With guns and tanks instead of better way.
The letters that You send, Beloved, in beak
And claw upon the plain and mountain peak
Are often justifications we seek
Who ploy the claw in oppression today.
But I, Beloved, look on the revelation
Of nature and the sacred books in station
To tell me not to kill the neighbour nor
To steal his goods or batter down his door.
But I, Beloved, look to Your throne above
To judge the world and me in mercy’s love.

EZRA 5

1 Haggai the prophet, Zechariah
The son of Iddo, prophets-crier,
Were prophesying to the Jews
Who were in Judah and the mews
Of old Jerusalem, in name
Of Allah God of Israel’s fame.
2 Zerubbabel Shealtiel’s son
And Jeshua Jozadak’s son
Got up to build Allah's new house
There in Jerusalem to grouse,
And prophets of Allah with them
Helping them all with stratagem.
3 At the same time Tattenai chief
Beyond the river for relief
And Shethar-Boznai and their friends
Came to them and spoke to these ends:
"Who has commanded you to build
This temple and this wall fulfilled?"
4 So we told them all the men’s names
Who were building the house of fames.
5 But their Allah’s eye was upon
The elders of the Jews and spawn,
So they could not make them stop till
A report filled Darius’ bill.
A reply in writing came back
Concerning this issue and lack.

Even You, my Beloved, come interfere
With correspondence and the legal gear,
Manipulating time and brief and fear
To let Your will be done on earth below.
Even You, My Beloved, join in the show
Of civil servant on the task to go
And find a way of artificial bent
To bring justice into a world unsent.
If I were You and sat upon a throne
Above the earth to hear the ardent groan
Of beast and flock, of king and god of stone,
I’d lend a hand directly to the true
That come on bended knee and before You
Petitioning a retributive crew.

6 This is a copy of the brief
That Tattenai sent to their grief:
The chief of beyond river’s land,
And Shethar-Boznai, and his band,
The Persians who’re beyond the river,
Unto Darius king long liver.
7 They sent a letter to him, in
Which was written thus to their sin.
“To Darius the king all peace.
8 “Let the king’s knowledge here increase,
That we went to Judea’s land,
To the temple of the great hand
Of Allah then being built there
With great stones, and with timber’s share
To lay the walls. And this work goes
On with success as they dispose.
9 “We asked those elders, telling them,
‘Who ordered you to build this gem
And finish off these temple walls?’
10 “We also asked their names in stalls
To let you know, so we could write
The names of the men chief in sight.”

Even the civil servants of a realm
Must play the game with fairness at the helm
When they provide a document and signed
To be a witness against dear and kind.
So Tattenai admits with hope and fear
What the Jews came to speak into his ear,
And has to direct king to the estate
In which lay temple treasures at the gate.
Beloved, I take my passport and the guessed
Visa to walk among the pure and blessed,
And find the customs party at the gate
Behind the queue where everyone is late.
After the mass of stamps and lack of smiles
I enter into grace of miles and miles.

11 “And so they replied and they said
‘We’re servants of Allah outspread
To heaven and earth, and we’re restoring
The temple years ago and flooring,
Which a great king of Israel built
And finished with cedar and gilt.
12 ‘Because our ancestors provoked
The Allah God of heaven stoked,
He gave them all into the hand
Of Nebuchadnezzar king’s band
Of Babylon, the Chaldean,
Who destroyed this temple and span
And took the folk to Babylon.
13 ‘However, in the first year’s dawn
Of Cyrus king of Babylon,
King Cyrus issued a decree
To build this house of God in fee.
14 ‘Also, the gold and silver things
Of the house of Ælohim’s wings,
Which Nebuchadnezzar had taken
From the temple that was unshaken
In Jerusalem and brought to
The temple of Babylon’s pew,
Those King Cyrus took from the store
Temple of Babylon in drawer,
And they were given into hand
Of one named Sheshbazzar to stand
As chief and govern there the land.
15 ‘And he said to him, “Take these pots,
And go and carry them in lots
To the house in Jerusalem,
And let the house of Allah's hem
Be rebuilt in its former dream.”
16 ‘Then the same Sheshbazzar came and
Laid the foundation there to stand
Of house Allah which is in
Jerusalem, but from that time
Even till now it’s uphill climb
To build and it’s not finished yet.
17 ‘So now, if it seem to the king
A good thing, let a search in string
Be made in the king's treasure house,
Which is in Babylon to dowse,
Whether or not that a decree
Was issued by King Cyrus’ see
To build this house of Allah free
Here at Jerusalem, and let
The king send us his pleasure set.’”

The temple that Solomon once built up
Emerged in gold and silver drinking cup.
More than hope itself, people looked upon
Pillar and cornice instead of the dawn
Letting in light from You to show the way
Entirely paved with gold of love to stay.
Remember, my Beloved, that every day
Enlarges on the temple and the sway
Sung in the Psalms of David’s simple lay
To drown with melody the drunken bray
Of the establishment set up to be
Right for the stone and steel that men can see.
Enough of temples built by human hands!
Deliver me from such creeds and their bands!”

AUTHOR: THOMAS G. MCELWAIN

Copyright © 2007 Adams & McElwain Publishers and Thomas McElwain First Published in two volumes, The Beloved and I 2005, and Led of the Beloved, 2006. Second Edition, 2010 Third and revised edition, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this verse commentary on the sacred Scriptures may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from publisher.

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