Ezra 5

Thomson^{(i) 1} When Aggaius the prophet and Zacharias the son of Addo prophesied against the Jews who were in Juda and Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel against them; ² then arose Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Jesus son of Josedek, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God helping them. ³ At that time Thanthani the chief governor on this side the river, and Satharbouzani, and their fellow servants, came to them and spoke to them in terms to this effect, Who hath ordered you to build this house, and renew this theatrical entertainment? ⁴ And they said to them, What are the names of the men who are building this city? ⁵ Now the eyes of God were on the captivity of Juda, so that they did not cause them to stop until the matter was laid before Darius. So there was sent to the collector of the tribute, touching this affair, the substance of a letter, ⁶ which Thanthani the chief governor on this bank of the river, and Satharbouzani, and their fellow servants the Apharsachaians who were on this bank of the river, should send to king Darius. ⁷ They sent to him a verbal message, and by him the following letter was written: ⁸ To Darius the king, all peace. Be it known to the king, that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which they are building with choice stones. Timbers are actually laid in the walls, and the work is going on fast and prospereth in their hands; ⁹ We then questioned the elders and said to them, Who hath given you orders to build this house, and renew this theatrical entertainment? ¹⁰ We then asked their names that we might acquaint thee, that we might transmit to thee in writing the names of their principal men. ¹¹ Thereupon they answered us to this effect saying, We are the servants of the God of the heaven and the earth, and we are rebuilding his house which was built many years ago. A great king of Israel actually built it and fitted it up for them; ¹² but when our fathers provoked to wrath the God of heaven, he delivered them into the hands of Nabuchodonosar king of Babylon the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and removed the people to Babylon. ¹³ But in the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt: ¹⁴ and the vessels of gold and silver belonging to this house of God which Nabuchodonosar had taken from this house in Jerusalem and put in the king's temple, these Cyrus the king caused to be brought out of the king's temple and gave them to Sabanasar the treasurer who was over the treasure, ¹⁵ and said to him, Take all these vessels and go and deposit them in the house at Jerusalem, in their places. ¹⁶ At that time Sabanasar himself came and laid the foundation of this house of God at Jerusalem; and from that time till now it hath been a building, and is not yet finished. ¹⁷ Now therefore if it seemeth good to the king, let search be made in the treasury of the king of Babylon, that thou mayst know whether a decree hath been made by Cyrus the king, to rebuild this house of God at Jerusalem: and let the king, when informed touching this matter, send to us.