Ezra 6

1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and they sought in the house of the books of the treasuries placed there in Babylon,

Thus King Darius ordered that a search be made of the archives that were housed in the treasury of Babylon.

2 and there hath been found at Achmetha, in a palace that [is] in the province of Media, a roll, and a record thus written within it [is]:

But it was actually in the fortress of Ecbatana, in the province of Media, that a scroll was found, recording the following:

3 'In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king hath made a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: the house let be builded in the place where they are sacrificing sacrifices, and its foundations strongly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits;

In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree regarding God's Temple in Jerusalem: Let the Temple be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered, and make sure it has strong foundations are firm. Make it sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide,

4 three rows of rolled stones, and a row of new wood, and the outlay let be given out of the king's house.

with three layers of stone blocks and one of timber. Expenses are to be paid from the royal treasury.

5 'And also, the vessels of the house of God, of gold and silver, that Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, let be given back, and go to the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, [each] to its place, and put [them] down in the house of God.

In addition, the gold and silver items of God's Temple, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, must also be returned to the Temple in Jerusalem and placed there.

6 'Now, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, the Apharsachites, who [are] beyond the river, be ye far from hence;

These are my instructions to you, Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your fellow officials, and officials of the province: Stay far 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.

This work on God's Temple—leave it alone! Let the governor and leaders of the Jews continue with rebuilding this Temple of God on its original site.

8 'And by me is made a decree concerning that which ye do with the elders of these Jews to build this house of God, that of the riches of the king, that [are] of the tribute beyond the river, speedily let the outlay be given to these men, that they cease not;

Furthermore, this is my decree as to what you are to do for these Jewish leaders regarding the rebuilding of this Temple of God. The full expense involved is to be paid from royal income, the tribute of the province west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be delayed.

9 and what they are needing — both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil according to the saying of the priests who [are] in Jerusalem — let be given to them day by day without fail,

Provide whatever is needed by the priests in Jerusalem: young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil. Make sure to give them this each day without fail.

10 that they be bringing near sweet savours to the God of heaven, and praying for the life of the king, and of his sons.

In this way they can offer sacrifices that are acceptable to the God of heaven, and pray for the lives of the king and his sons.

11 'And by me is made a decree, that any one who changeth this thing, let wood be pulled down from his house, and being raised up, let him be smitten on it, and his house let be made a dunghill for this.

Further I declare that if any man interferes with this decree, a beam is to be ripped from his house and set in the ground, and he is to be impaled on top of it. His own house shall be turned into a pile of rubble for disobeying this decree.

12 And God, who caused His name to dwell there, doth cast down any king and people that putteth forth his hand to change, to destroy this house of God that [is] in Jerusalem; I Darius have made a decree; speedily let it be done.'

May God who chose the city of Jerusalem as the place where he would be honored, destroy any king or people who try to alter what I have said or who destroy this Temple. I, Darius, issue this decree. Let it be faithfully carried out.

13 Then Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king hath sent, so they have done speedily;

Tattenai, the governor of the province west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow officials faithfully carried out what King Darius had decreed.

14 and the elders of the Jews are building and prospering through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo, and they have built and finished by the decree of the God of Israel, and by the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

As a result the Jewish leaders continued building, and they were encouraged by the messages from Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, son of Iddo. They completed building the Temple following the command of the God of Israel, and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

15 And this house hath gone out till the third day of the month Adar, that is [in] the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

The Temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16 And the sons of Israel have made, [and] the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the sons of the captivity, a dedication of this house of God with joy,

Then the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of those who had returned from exile, all joyfully celebrated the dedication of the God's Temple.

17 and have brought near for the dedication of this house of God, bullocks a hundred, rams two hundred, lambs four hundred; and young he-goats for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve, according to the number of the tribes of Israel;

To dedicate God's Temple they sacrificed one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for the whole of Israel comprising twelve male goats, one for each Israelite tribe.

18 and they have established the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God that [is] in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

They organized the priests and Levites by their divisions to serve God in the Temple at Jerusalem, in accordance with the Book of Moses.

19 And the sons of the captivity make the passover on the fourteenth of the first month,

The exiles who had returned observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

20 for the priests and the Levites have been purified together — all of them [are] pure — and they slaughter the passover for all the sons of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

The priests and Levites had all purified themselves so that they were clean according to the ceremonial law. So they killed the Passover lamb for all the exiles who had returned, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.

21 And the sons of Israel, those returning from the captivity, and every one who is separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the land unto them, to seek to Jehovah, God of Israel, do eat,

The Passover was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and by those who had joined them and had rejected the pagan practices of the peoples of the land in order to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.

22 and they make the feast of unleavened things seven days with joy, for Jehovah made them to rejoice, and turned round the heart of the king of Asshur unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Then they observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. Everyone throughout the land was so happy because the Lord had made the king of Assyria favorable to them, helping them to rebuild the Temple of God, the God of Israel.