Then King
Darius
issued
a decree
, and asearch
was made
in the 1archives
, where
the treasures
were stored
in Babylon
.
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
--
" 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
;
awith three layers
of huge
stones
and 1one layer
of timbers
. And let the cost
be paid
from the 2royal
treasury
.
`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
.'
"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
.
"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
.
"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
.
"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
,
that they may offer 1acceptable
sacrifices
to the God
of heaven
and apray
for the life
of the king
and his sons
.
"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
.
"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
!"
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
.
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
.
This 1temple
was completed
2on the third
day
of the amonth
Adar
; it was the sixth
year
of the reign
of King
Darius
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
aThe exiles observed
the Passover
on bthe fourteenth
of the first
month
.
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.
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.
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
.