Ezra 6

1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and caused a search to be made in the record-offices, where the treasure is stored in Babylon.

Then Darius the king gave an order and a search was made in the house of the records, where the things of value were stored up in Babylon.

2 And there was found in the city, in the palace, a volume, and this was the record written in it.

And at Achmetha, in the great house of the king in the land of Media, they came across a roll, in which this statement was put on record:

3 In the first year of king Cyrus, Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the holy house of God that was in Jerusalem, [saying, ]Let the house be built, and the place where they sacrifice the sacrifices. (Also he appointed its elevation, in height sixty cubits; its breadth [was] of sixty cubits.)

In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made an order: In connection with the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be put up, the place where they make offerings, and let the earth for the bases be put in place; let it be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide;

4 And [let there be] three strong layers of stone, and one layer of timber; and the expense shall be paid out of the house of the king.

With three lines of great stones and one line of new wood supports; and let the necessary money be given out of the king's store-house;

5 And the silver and the gold vessels of the house of God, which Nabuchodonosor carried off from the house that was in Jerusalem, and carried to Babylon, let them even be given, and be carried to the temple that is in Jerusalem, and put in the place where they were set in the house of God.

And let the gold and silver vessels from the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple at Jerusalem to Babylon, be given back and taken again to the Temple at Jerusalem, every one in its place, and put them in the house of God.

6 Now, you rulers beyond the river, Satharbuzanai, and their fellow-servants the Apharsachaeans, who [are] on the other side of the river, give [these things], keeping far from that place.

So now, Tattenai, ruler of the land across the river, and Shethar-bozenai and your people the Apharsachites across the river, keep far from that place:

7 Now let alone the work of the house of God: let the rulers of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build that house of God on its place.

Let the work of this house of God go on; let the ruler of the Jews and their responsible men put up this house of God in its place.

8 Also a decree has been made by me, if haply you may do somewhat in concert with the elders of the Jews for the building of that house of God: to wit, out of the king's property, [even] the tributes beyond the river, let there be money to defray the expenses carefully granted to those men, so that they be not hindered.

Further, I give orders as to what you are to do for the responsible men of the Jews in connection with the building of this house of God: that from the king's wealth, that is, from the taxes got together in the land over the river, the money needed is to be given to these men readily, so that their work may not be stopped.

9 And whatever need [there may be], you shall give both the young of bulls and rams, and lambs for whole burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, oil: —let it be given them according to the word of the priests that are in Jerusalem, day by day whatever they shall ask;

And whatever they have need of, young oxen and sheep and lambs, for burned offerings to the God of heaven, grain, salt, wine, and oil, whatever the priests in Jerusalem say is necessary, is to be given to them day by day regularly:

10 that they may offer sweet savours to the God of heaven, and that they may pray for the life of the king and his sons.

So that they may make offerings of a sweet smell to the God of heaven, with prayers for the life of the king and of his sons.

11 And a decree has been made by me, that every man who shall alter this word, timber shall be pulled down from his house, and let him be lifted up and slain upon it, and his house shall be confiscated.

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 And may the God whose name dwells there, overthrow every king and people who shall stretch out his hand to alter or destroy the house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be diligently [attended to].

And may the God who has made it a resting-place for his name send destruction on all kings and peoples whose hands are outstretched to make any change in this or to do damage to this house of God at Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given this order, let it be done with all care.

13 Then Thanthanai the governor on this side beyond the river, Satharbuzanai, and his fellow-servants, according to that which king Darius sent, so they did diligently.

Then Tattenai, the ruler across the river, and Shethar-bozenai and their people, because of the order given by King Darius, did as he had said with all care.

14 And the elders of the Jews and the Levites built, at the prophecy of Aggaeus the prophet, and Zacharias the son of Addo: and they built up, and finished [it], by the decree of the God of Israel, and by the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Arthasastha, kings of the Persians.

And the responsible men of the Jews went on with their building, and did well, helped by the teaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. They went on building till it was complete, in keeping with the word of the God of Israel, and the orders given by Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, king of Persia.

15 And they finished this house by the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

And the building of this house was complete on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the rule of Darius the king.

16 And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of the house of God with gladness.

And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of those who had come back, kept the feast of the opening of this house of God with joy.

17 And they offered for the dedication of the house of God a hundred calves, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, twelve kids of the goats for a sin-offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

And they gave as offerings at the opening of this house of God a hundred oxen, two hundred sheep, four hundred lambs; and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, being 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.

And they put the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their order, for the worship of God at Jerusalem; as it is recorded in the book of Moses.

19 And the children of the captivity kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

And the children of Israel who had come back kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

20 For the priests and Levites were purified, all were clean to a man, and they killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

For the priests and the Levites had made themselves clean together; they were all clean: and they put the Passover lamb to death for all those who had come back, and for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

21 And the children of Israel ate the passover, [even] they that were of the captivity, and every one who separated himself to them from the uncleanness of the nations of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel.

And the children of Israel, who had come back, and all those who were joined to them, after separating themselves from the evil ways of the people of the land to become the servants of the Lord, the God of Israel, took food together,

22 and they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with gladness, because the Lord made them glad, and he turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the works of the house of the God of Israel.

And kept the feast of unleavened bread for seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them full of 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.