Ezra 3:12 nasb — Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept w…

NASB

"Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,"

— Ezra 3:12, NASB

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Ezra 3:12 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:”

  • ASV

    “But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, the old men that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: ”

  • WEB

    “But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' [houses], the old men who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:”

  • NET

    “Many of the priests, the Levites, and the leaders– older people who had seen with their own eyes the former temple while it was still established– were weeping loudly, and many others raised their voice in a joyous shout.”

  • DRB

    “But many of the priests and the Levites, and the chief of the fathers and the ancients that had seen the former temple; when they had the foundation of this temple before their eyes, wept with a loud voice: and many shouting for joy, lifted up their voice.”

  • BBE

    “But a number of the priests and Levites and the heads of families, old men who had seen the first house, when the base of this house was put down before their eyes, were overcome with weeping; and a number were crying out with joy:”

  • KJVA

    “But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:”

Ezra 3 — Context

9

Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers stood united with Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brothers the Levites, to oversee the workmen in the temple of God.

10

Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD according to the directions of King David of Israel.

11

They sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, "For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

12

Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,

13

so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.

Ezra 3:12 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Ezra 3:12 say?
Ezra 3:12 in the NASB reads: “Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,”
Where is Ezra 3:12 in the Bible?
Ezra 3:12 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Ezra, chapter 3, verse 12.
Who wrote Ezra?
Ezra is traditionally attributed to Ezra (traditional). It was written c. 457–440 BC.
What is the book of Ezra about?
Ezra records the return of Judah from Babylonian exile in two waves — first under Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple, and second under Ezra himself to restore the Law. It is a story of restored worship and renewed obedience.
What are the major themes of Ezra?
Ezra explores themes including Return, Rebuilding the Temple, Restoration, Reform, Repentance. These themes shape the meaning and context of Ezra 3:12.
What translation should I read Ezra 3:12 in?
Ezra 3:12 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Ezra 3:12?
Ezra 3:12 reads (NASB): “Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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