Amen. Let's stand for the reading of God's Word. We continue our series this morning through the

Book of Ezra. Our text is Ezra chapter 6 verses 13 through 22. Again, that's Ezra chapter 6 versus 13 through

22. I'll read our text in its entirety. When I finish reading the text, I'm going to say,

this is the word of the Lord, at which point I would appreciate very much if you would respond

by saying, thanks be to God. One final time, our text for today is the Book of Ezra, chapter 6,

verses 13 through 22. The Bible says this. Then according to the words sent by Darius the king,

Tattani, the governor of the province beyond the

river, Shathar, Bosani, and their associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had

ordered. And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai,

the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Edo. They finished their building by decree

of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Arctic Xerxes, king of Persia. And this house

was finished on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

And the people of Israel, the priest and Levites,

and the rest of the returned exiles celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

They offered at the dedication of this house of God of 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as

sin offering for all of Israel, male goats, according to the number

of the tribes of Israel, and they set the priest in their divisions and the Levites in their

divisions for the service of God at Jerusalem as it is written in the book of Moses.

On the 14th day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover, for the

priest and the Levites had purified themselves together. All of them were clean. So they slaughtered

the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.

It was eaten by all the people of Israel who had returned

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