Opposition to Rebuilding the Temple

4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin^(A) heard that the returned exiles^[a](B) were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel,

Temple Dedication and the Passover

¹⁶ Then the Israelites, including the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

¹⁹ The exiles^(A) observed the Passover^(B) on the fourteenth day of the first month. ²⁰ All of the priests and Levites were ceremonially clean, because they had purified themselves. They killed the Passover lamb for themselves, their priestly brothers, and all the exiles.^(C)

⁷ They circulated a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather at Jerusalem.

¹⁶ The exiles did what had been proposed. The priest Ezra selected men^[a] who were family heads, all identified by name, to represent^[b] their ancestral families.^[c] They convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter,

Daniel before the King

¹³ Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles that my predecessor the king brought from Judah?^(A)