The Angel who redeemed me from all evil, May He bless the boys, and may they be called by my name, and by the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac. May they multiply to a multitude in the midst of the land.”
Among the sons of the kohanim it was found that the following had married foreign women: The sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah.
They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordechai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of men of the people of Israel:
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the House of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them supporting them.
Therefore thus says Adonai: “If you return, I will restore you, you will stand before Me. If you extract the precious from the worthless, you will be as My mouth. Let them turn to you, but you must not turn to them.
Yet they will be ministers in My Sanctuary, overseers of the gates of the House and ministering in the House. They will slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people. They will stand before them to minister to them.
So the Levitical kohanim, the sons of Zadok who kept charge of My Sanctuary when Bnei-Yisrael wandered from Me, will draw near to Me to minister to Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me the fat and the blood”—it is declaration of Adonai.
In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of Adonai came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol :
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol , and all the remnant of the people, heeded the voice of Adonai their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, since Adonai their God had sent him. So the people revered Adonai.
But now, Zerubbabel, chazak!”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol , and all people of the land, chazak!”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“and work! For I am with you!”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
Listen well, Joshua kohen gadol , both you and your companions seated before you, because they are men who are a sign—behold, I will bring forth My servant the Branch.
“Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. Suddenly He will come to His Temple —the Lord whom you seek— and the Messenger of the covenant —the One whom you desire— behold, He is coming,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
At that time Adonai set the tribe of Levi apart to carry the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai, to stand before Adonai to serve Him and to pronounce blessings in His Name—as is the case to this day.