KJV ORIGINAL
And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
The governor told them that they should not eat the most sacred food until a priest could use the Urim and Thummim to seek God's guidance.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The writer is showing how the returning exiles waited for God's clear guidance through proper religious channels before making important decisions about who could serve as priests.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred when the Jewish exiles were returning from Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem around 538 BC. Some people claimed to be from priestly families but couldn't prove their ancestry with documentation. The Urim and Thummim were sacred objects used by the high priest to discern God's will, but they had been lost during the exile.
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