Chapter 5

Temple Work Resumed

1 When the prophets, aHaggai the prophet and bZechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them,

2 then aZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and bthe prophets of God were with them supporting them.

3 At that time aTattenai, the governor of the province beyond the 1River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, “bWho issued you a decree to rebuild this 2temple and to finish this structure?”

4 aThen we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building.

5 But athe eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report could come to Darius, and then a written reply be returned concerning it.

Adversaries Write to Darius

6 This is the copy of the letter which aTattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues bthe officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king.

7 They sent a report to him in which it was written thus: “To Darius the king, all peace.

8 “Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and 1beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands.

9 “Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?’

10 “We also asked them their names so as to inform you, and that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head.

11 “Thus they 1answered us, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, awhich a great king of Israel built and finished.

12 ‘But abecause our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, bHe gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

13 ‘However, ain the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus bissued a decree to rebuild this house of God.

14 ‘Also athe gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple 1in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and they were given to one bwhose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor.

15 ‘He said to him, “Take these utensils, go and deposit them in the temple 1in Jerusalem and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place.”

16 ‘Then that Sheshbazzar came and alaid the foundations of the house of God 1in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been under construction and it is bnot yet completed.’

17 “Now if it pleases the king, alet a search be conducted in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, if it be that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his decision concerning this matter.”

Chapter 6

Darius Finds Cyrus’s Decree

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

2 In 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;

4 awith 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 1River, 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,

10 that 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!”

The Temple Completed and Dedicated

13 Then aTattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent.

14 And athe elders of the Jews 1were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And 2they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree bof Cyrus, cDarius, and dArtaxerxes king of Persia.

15 This 1temple was completed 2on the third day of the amonth Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the 1exiles, acelebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

17 They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel a12 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel.

18 Then they appointed the priests to atheir divisions and the Levites in btheir orders for the service of God 1in Jerusalem, cas it is written in the book of Moses.

The Passover Observed

19 aThe exiles observed the Passover on bthe fourteenth of the first month.

20 aFor the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then bthey slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

21 The sons of Israel who returned from exile and aall those who had separated themselves from bthe impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the Lord God of Israel, ate the Passover.

22 And athey observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice, and bhad turned the heart of cthe king of Assyria toward them to 1encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Chapter 7

Ezra Journeys from Babylon to Jerusalem

1 aNow after these things, in the reign of bArtaxerxes king of Persia, there went up Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,

2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,

3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,

4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,

5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest.

6 This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a ascribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all 1he requested bbecause the hand of the Lord his God was upon him.

7 aSome of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

9 For on the first of the first month 1he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, abecause the good hand of his God was upon him.

10 For Ezra had set his heart to 1study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and ato teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

King’s Decree on Behalf of Ezra

11 Now this is the copy of the decree which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, 1learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel:

12 “1Artaxerxes, aking of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now

13 aI have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.

14 “Forasmuch as you are sent 1by the king and his aseven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand,

15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, awhose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

16 with aall the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along bwith the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who coffered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem;

17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs, awith their grain offerings and their drink offerings and boffer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

18 “Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God.

19 “Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.

20 “The rest of the needs for the house of your God, for which you may have occasion to provide, aprovide for it from the royal treasury.

21 “I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the 1River, that whatever Ezra the priest, athe scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently,

22 even up to 100 talents of silver, 100 1kors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt 2as needed.

23 “Whatever is 1commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, aso that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons.

24 “We also inform you that ait is not allowed to 1impose tax, tribute or toll bon any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim or servants of this house of God.

25 “You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, aappoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the River, even all those who know the laws of your God; and you may bteach anyone who is ignorant of them.

26 “aWhoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for 1banishment or for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment.”

The King’s Kindness

27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, awho has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to adorn the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem,

28 and ahas extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to bthe hand of the Lord my God upon me, and I gathered 1leading men from Israel to go up with me.