Ezra 6:1–12

Darius Finds Cyrus’s Decree

¹Then King Darius issued a decree, and ^asearch was made in the ¹archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon.

²In ¹Ecbatana in the fortress, which is ^ain the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: “Memorandum—

³“^aIn the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the ¹temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be ²retained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits;

^4awith three layers of huge stones and ¹one layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the ²royal treasury.

⁵‘Also let ^athe gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and ¹brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.’

⁶“Now therefore, ^aTattenai, governor of the province beyond the ¹River, Shethar-bozenai and ²your colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, ³keep away from there.

⁷“Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site.

⁸“Moreover, ^aI issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay.

⁹“Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be given to them daily without fail,

¹⁰that they may offer ¹acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and ^apray for the life of the king and his sons.

¹¹“And I issued a decree that ^aany man who violates this edict, a timber shall be drawn from his house and he shall be impaled on it and ^bhis house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this.

¹²“May the God who ^ahas caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who ¹attempts to change it, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be carried out with all diligence!”