Book of Ezra•NIV

Outline

1. Cyrus’s Decree and the Return of Exiles from Babylon (1:1-2:70)
   1. The decree (1:1-4)
   2. The exiles respond to the decree (1:5-11)
   3. The exiles live again in their ancestral homes (2:1-70)
2. The Returned Exiles Rebuild the Temple on Its Original Site (3:1-6:22)
   1. The foundations of the temple are laid (3:1-13)
   2. Enemies stall the project by conspiring against it (4:1-24)
   3. The work is resumed, and local officials seek confirmation of Cyrus’s decree (5:1-17)
   4. King Darius discovers and reaffirms Cyrus’s decree, and the work is completed (6:1-22)
3. Ezra the Priest Comes to Jerusalem to Establish the Law of Moses (7:1-8:36)
   1. King Artaxerxes gives Ezra authority to establish the Mosaic law (7:1-28)
   2. Ezra journeys to Jerusalem with a new wave of returnees, bearing royal gifts for the temple (8:1-36)
4. Ezra Discovers and Confronts the Problem of Intermarriage (9:1-10:44)
   1. Ezra discovers the problem of marriage to idolaters, and prays (9:1-15)
   2. The people agree to dissolve the marriages (10:1-17)
   3. List of those who were implicated (10:18-44)