the Messenger who has redeemed me from all evil – bless the youths! And let my name be called upon them, and the name of my fathers Aḇraham and Yitsḥaq. And let them increase to a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
And among the sons of the priests who had taken foreign women were found of the sons of Yĕshua son of Yotsaḏaq, and his brothers: Ma‛asĕyah, and Eli‛ezer, and Yariḇ, and Geḏalyah.
who came with Zerubbaḇel: Yĕshua, Neḥemyah, Serayah, Re‛ĕlayah, Mordeḵai, Bilshan, Mispar, Biḡwai, Reḥum, Ba‛anah. The number of the men of the people of Yisra’ĕl:
Then Zerubbaḇel son of She’alti’ĕl and Yĕshua son of Yotsaḏaq rose up and began to build the House of Elah which is in Yerushalayim. And the prophets of Elah were with them, helping them.
Therefore thus said יהוה, “If you turn back, then I shall bring you back. Before Me you shall stand. And if you take out the precious from the worthless, you shall become as My mouth. Let them return to you, but do not return to them.
“And they were attendants in My set-apart place, as gatekeepers of the house and attendants of the house, slaying the ascending offering and the slaughtering for the people, and standing before them to attend to them.
“But the priests, the Lĕwites, the sons of Tsaḏoq, who guarded the duty of My set-apart place when the children of Yisra’ĕl went astray from Me, they shall draw near to Me to serve Me, and shall stand before Me to bring to Me the fat and the blood,” declares the Master יהוה.
In the second year of Dareyawesh the sovereign, in the sixth new moon, on the first day of the new moon, the word of יהוה came by Ḥaggai the prophet to Zerubbaḇel son of She’alti’ĕl, governor of Yehuḏah, and to Yehoshua son of Yehotsaḏaq, the high priest, saying,
Then Zerubbaḇel son of She’alti’ĕl, and Yehoshua son of Yehotsaḏaq, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of יהוה their Elohim, and the words of Ḥaggai the prophet, as יהוה their Elohim had sent him. And the people feared the presence of יהוה.
And now, be strong, Zerubbaḇel,’ declares יהוה. ‘And be strong, Yehoshua, son of Yehotsaḏaq, the high priest. And be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares יהוה, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares יהוה of hosts –
And I said to the messenger who was speaking to me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that have scattered Yehuḏah, Yisra’ĕl, and Yerushalayim.”
Now listen, Yehoshua the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for they are men of symbol. For look, I am bringing forth My Servant – the Branch.
“See, I am sending My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Master you are seeking comes to His Hĕḵal, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. See, He is coming,” said יהוה of hosts.
At that time יהוה separated the tribe of Lĕwi to bear the ark of the covenant of יהוה, to stand before יהוה, to serve Him, and to bless in His Name, to this day.