Ezra 5

Matthew^{(i) 1} The Prophetes, Aggeus & Zachari the sonne of Ado, prophecied vnto the Iewes that were in Iuda and Ierusalem, in the name of the God of Israel. ² Then gat vp Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel, and Iesua the sonne of Iosedec, and beganne to buylde the house of God at Ierusalem, and wyth them the Prophetes of God whyche helped them. ³ At the same tyme came to them Thathanai the captayne on thys syde the water, and Starbuzanai, and their councelers, & sayde thus vnto them. Who hath commaunded you to buylde this house, and to make vp the walles therof? ⁴ Then tolde we them the names of the men, that made this buylding. ⁵ But the eye of their God came vpon the Elders of the Iewes, that they coulde not cause them to cease, tyl the matter was brought before Darius, and tyl they had answered by letters therunto. ⁶ This is the copy of the letter that Thathanai the captayne on this syde the water, and Stharbuzanai, and their counselers of Apharsach (which were on thys side the water) sent vnto king Darius. ⁷ And this is the entent of the wordes that they sent vnto hym: Vnto Darius the kynge, All peace. ⁸ Be it knowne vnto the kynge, that we came into Iewri to the house of the great God, whyche is buylded with rouge stone, and beames are layed in the walles, and the worcke goeth fast forth and prospered in their handes. ⁹ We asked therfore the Elders and sayde vnto them: Who hath commaunded you to buylde thys house and to make vp the walles therof? ¹⁰ We asked their names also, that we might certyfye the, and haue wrytten the names of the men that were their rulers. ¹¹ But they answered vs with these wordes, and sayd: We are the seruauntes of the God of heauen and earth, & buylde the house that was buylded many yeares a go whyche a greate kynge of Israel buylded and set vp. ¹² And after oure fathers had prouoked the God of heauen vnto wrath, he gaue them ouer into the hand of Nabuchodonozor the kyng of Babilon the Caldee, whiche brake doune thys house, & caried the people away vnto Babilon. ¹³ But in the fyrst yeare of Cyrus the king of Babilon, the same kynge Cyrus commaunded to build this house of God, ¹⁴ for the vesselles of gould & siluer in the house of God, which Nabuchodonozor toke oute of the temple at Ierusalem, & brought them into the temple at Babilon, those dyd Cyrus the kinge take out of the temple at Babilon, & deliuered them vnto Sasbazar by name, whom he made captaine ¹⁵ and said vnto him. Take these vesselles, go thy waye, and bringe them vnto the temple at Ierusalem, and let the house of God be buylded in hys place. ¹⁶ Then came the same Sasbazar and layde the foundacyon of the house of God at Ierusalem. Sence that tyme hath it bene in buyldinge, and yet is it not fynyshed. ¹⁷ Yf it please the kynge now, let there be search made in the kynges treasure house which is at Babylon, whether it haue bene kynge Cyrus commaundement, that the house of God at Ierusalem should be builded: & send vs the kinges minde concernynge the same.