Ezra 5–6

Temple Restoration Resumed

5Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah^a and in Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. ²Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak set out and began to build the house of God that is in Jerusalem. And with them the prophets of God were helping them.

³At the same time Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: “Who issued you all a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?” ⁴Then we^b asked them this: “What are the names of the men who are building this building?” ⁵And the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report came to Darius, and then answer was received.

⁶The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his associates the envoys who were in the province Beyond the River sent to Darius the king. ⁷They sent to him the report in which was written as follows:^c “To Darius the king, all peace. ⁸May it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, the house of the great God. It is being built with stone blocks and timber is being put in the walls. This work is being done with diligence and is making progress in their hands. ⁹Then we asked those elders and said this to them, ‘Who issued forth to you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?’ ¹⁰We also asked them their names to make them known to you, that we might write down the name of their leaders.^{d 11}And this is the answer they returned to us: ‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building the house that was built formerly many years ago, which a great king of Israel had built and finished. ¹²But because our ancestors^e angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of the Chaldean King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia. ¹³But in the first year of King Cyrus of Babylon’s reign he issued forth a decree to build this house of God. ¹⁴Also, the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took away from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylonia, King Cyrus removed them from the temple in Babylonia and they were given to Sheshbazzar, whom he appointed governor. ¹⁵He said to him, ‘Take these vessels. Go put them in the temple in Jerusalem and let the house of God be built on its site.’ ¹⁶Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem. And from that time until now it is being built, but not yet finished.’ ¹⁷And now, if it seems good for the king, let it be investigated in the house of the treasury of the king in Babylonia to see if a decree was issued forth from King Cyrus to build this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send to us his desire on this matter.”

Darius’ Search for the Decree

6Then King Darius issued forth a decree, and they searched the house of the treasury of scrolls being stored in Babylonia. ²But it was in Ecbatana in the province of Media, in the citadel, that a certain scroll had written on it, “A record. ³In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued forth a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem. Let the house be built, the place where sacrifices are offered and let its foundations be raised. Its height shall be sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, ⁴with three layers of great stones and a layer of timber. Let the new expenses be paid from the house of the king. ⁵Also, let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylonia, be returned and brought to the temple in Jerusalem to its place. Put them in the house of God.”

The Decree of Darius

⁶“Now then, Tattenai governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates, the envoys who are in the province Beyond the River—keep far away from there. ⁷Leave this work of the house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God on its site. ⁸And I issue forth a decree for what you should do for these elders of the Jews to build this house of God. The full expense will be paid to these men from the riches of the king from the taxes of the province Beyond the River, without delay. ⁹Whatever may be needed—young bulls,^a young rams, sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil for the priests in Jerusalem—let it be given to them day by day with no negligence, ¹⁰that they may offer incense offerings to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his children. ¹¹Furthermore, I issue forth a decree that if any person violates this decree, let a beam be pulled out from his house and let him be impaled on it. And let his house be made a pile of rubble on account of this. ¹²May the God who has set his name there overthrow any king or people who sets his hand to alter or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, issue forth a decree. Let it be done with diligence.”

Temple is Dedicated and Completed

¹³Then Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates consequently did with diligence what Darius the king ordered. ¹⁴So the elders of the Jews were building and prospering, through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building by the command of the God of Israel and by the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia. ¹⁵This house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

¹⁶And the Israelites,^b the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles^c celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. ¹⁷And they offered during the dedication of this house of God one hundred young bulls, two hundred young rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering for Israel according to the number of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁸Then they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their sections for the work of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

The Celebration of Passover

¹⁹On the fourteenth day of the first month the returned exiles observed the Passover feast. ²⁰For the priests and Levites together had consecrated themselves; all of them were clean. And they slaughtered the Passover sacrifice for all of the returned exiles, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. ²¹The Israelites^d who returned from the exile and all those who separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the earth to seek Yahweh the God of Israel, ate. ²²With joy they celebrated the festival of unleavened bread for seven days, because Yahweh had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them in order to help them with the work of their hands on the house of the God of Israel.