| Former half | Relation | Latter half |
| 1 Reign of Josiah (1:1-31) the grouping of the ancestral houses, before the people, to make the offering to the Lord as it is written in the book of Moses; (1:11) | The book of Moses | 13 Ezra reads the law of the people (9:37-55) they told Ezra the chief priest and reader to bring the law of Moses that had been given by the Lord God of Israel. (9:39) |
| 2 The last kings of Judah (1:32-55) he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (1:39) | Evildoing | 12 The expulsion of foreign wives (8:65-9:36) they and their descendants have married the daughters of these people, and the holy race has been mixed with the alien peoples of the land (8:70) |
| 3 Cyrus permits the exiles to return (2:1-14) Permission of Cyrus | Permission of kings | 11 Ezra arrives in Jerusalem (8:1-64) Permission of Artaxerxes |
| 4 Opposition to rebuilding Jerusalem (2:15-25) your servants the recorder Rehum and the scribe Shimshai and the other members of their council, and the judges in Coelesyria and Phoenicia (2:17) | The people of Coelesyria and Phoenicia | 10 The passover (7:1-15) Sisinnes the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes, and their associates (7:1) |
| 5 The debate of the three bodyguards (3:1-4:63) King Darius got up and kissed him, and wrote letters for him to all the treasurers and governors and generals and satraps, that they should give safe conduct to him and to all who were going up with him to build Jerusalem (4:47) | Help of Darius | 9 Official permission granted (6:1-33) Darius commanded Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes, and their associates, and those who were appointed as local rulers in Syria and Phoenicia, to keep away from the place (6:27) |
| 6 List of the returning exiles (5:1-45) they were excluded from serving as priests (5:39) | Refusal | 8 Interference of enemies (5:63-70) You have nothing to do with us in building the house for the Lord our God (5:70) |