Ezra 6

VIN^{(i) 1} Then king Darius gave orders, and they searched in the library of the books that were laid up in Babylon, ² A scroll was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, and in it this was written for a record: ³ In the first year of king Cyrus, king Cyrus made a decree [concerning] the house of God at Jerusalem: Let the house be built for a place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be solidly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits, ⁴ with three layers of great stones and a layer of timber. Let the new expenses be paid from the house of the king. ⁵ Also, let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylonia, be returned and brought to the temple in Jerusalem to its place. Put them in the house of God." ⁶ Now you, Tattenai viceroy Beyond-the Stream, Shethar-Bozenai, and you, their colleagues, the officials of Beyond-the-Stream, stay away from there. ⁷ let alone the work of this house of God, let the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build this house of God on its place. ⁸ Moreover I make a decree what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses must be given with all diligence to these men, that they not be hindered. ⁹ And that which they need, both young bulls and rams and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of Heaven; wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as say the priests in Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail, ¹⁰ so that they may offer sacrifices of sweet odor to the God of Heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons. ¹¹ And I have given orders that if anyone makes any change in this word, one of the supports is to be pulled out of his house, and he is to be lifted up and fixed to it; and his house is to be made waste for this; ¹² May the God who has set his name there overthrow any king or people who sets his hand to alter or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, issue forth a decree. Let it be done with diligence." ¹³ Because of what King Darius had mandated, Tattenai, the Trans-Euphrates Governor, Shethar-boznai, and their colleagues carried out his orders quickly. ¹⁴ So the elders of the Jews were building and prospering, through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building by the command of the God of Israel and by the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia. ¹⁵ The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar during the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. ¹⁶ And the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. ¹⁷ They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁸ And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their separate orders, for the services of God in Jerusalem, according to the writing of the Book of Moses ¹⁹ On the fourteenth day of the first month the returned exiles observed the Passover feast. ²⁰ for the priests and the Levites, had purified themselves, as one man, all of them, were pure,—so they slaughtered the passover for all the Sons of the Exile, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. ²¹ So the Israelites who had returned from captivity ate the Passover with all who had consecrated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land in order to seek the LORD God of Israel. ²² They joyfully kept the feast of unleavened bread for seven days. the LORD filled them with joy by turning the heart of the king of Assyria to them to give them help in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.