Ezra 6
1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the
archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
2 And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of
Media, a roll, and therein was thus written for a record:
3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning
the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be builded, the place where they
offer sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height
thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;
4 with three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber: and let the
expenses be given out of the king's house.
5 And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which
Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought
unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at
Jerusalem, every one to its place; and thou shalt put them in the house of God.
6 Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your
companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, be ye far from thence:
7 let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the
elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.
8 Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to 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 be given with all diligence unto these men, that they
be not hindered.
9 And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs,
for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven; [also] wheat, salt, wine, and oil,
according to the word of the priests that are at Jerusalem, let it be given them
day by day without fail;
10 that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor unto the God of heaven, and
pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.
11 Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let a beam
be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened thereon; and
let his house be made a dunghill for this:
12 and the God that hath caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and
peoples that shall put forth their hand to alter [the same], to destroy this
house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done
with all diligence.
13 Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their
companions, because that Darius the king had sent, did accordingly with all
diligence.
14 And the elders of the Jews builded and prospered, through the prophesying of
Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded and finished
it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the
decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in
the sixth year of the reign 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 this house of God with joy.
17 And they offered at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks,
two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin-offering for all Israel,
twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their
courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the
book of Moses.
19 And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth [day]
of the first month.
20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them
were pure: and they killed the passover for all the children of the captivity,
and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
21 And the children of Israel that were come again out of the captivity, and all
such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the nations of
the land, to seek Jehovah, the God of Israel, did eat,
22 and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for Jehovah had
made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to
strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.