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EZRA 6
The work is going forward with great energy
and success.
9 “We asked the leaders, ‘Who gave you
permission to rebuild this Temple and
restore this structure?’ 10 And we demanded
their names so that we could tell you who
the leaders were.
11 “This was their answer: ‘We are the
servants of the God of heaven and earth,
and we are rebuilding the Temple that
was built here many years ago by a great
king of Israel. 12 But because our ancestors
angered the God of heaven, he abandoned
them to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,*
who destroyed this Temple and exiled
the people to Babylonia. 13 However, King
Cyrus of Babylon,* during the first year
of his reign, issued a decree that the
Temple of God should be rebuilt. 14 King
Cyrus returned the gold and silver cups
that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from
the Temple of God in Jerusalem and had
placed in the temple of Babylon. These
cups were taken from that temple and
presented to a man named Sheshbazzar,
whom King Cyrus appointed as governor
of Judah. 15 The king instructed him to
return the cups to their place in Jerusalem
and to rebuild the Temple of God there on
its original site. 16 So this Sheshbazzar came
and laid the foundations of the Temple of
God in Jerusalem. The people have been
working on it ever since, though it is not
yet completed.’
17 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, we
request that a search be made in the royal
archives of Babylon to discover whether
King Cyrus ever issued a decree to rebuild
God’s Temple in Jerusalem. And then
let the king send us his decision in this
matter.”
Darius Approves the Rebuilding
So King Darius issued orders that a search
be made in the Babylonian archives,
which were stored in the treasury. 2 But it was
at the fortress at Ecbatana in the province of
Media that a scroll was found. This is what it
said:
6
“Memorandum:
3 “In the first year of King Cyrus’s reign,
a decree was sent out concerning the Temple
of God at Jerusalem.
“Let the Temple be rebuilt on the site
where Jews used to offer their sacrifices,
using the original foundations. Its height
will be ninety feet, and its width will
be ninety feet.* 4 Every three layers of
specially prepared stones will be topped
by a layer of timber. All expenses will be
paid by the royal treasury. 5 Furthermore,
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the gold and silver cups, which were taken
to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar from the
Temple of God in Jerusalem, must be
returned to Jerusalem and put back where
they belong. Let them be taken back to the
Temple of God.”
6 So
King Darius sent this message:
“Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the
province west of the Euphrates River,* and
Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues and
other officials west of the Euphrates River—
stay away from there! 7 Do not disturb the
construction of the Temple of God. Let it be
rebuilt on its original site, and do not hinder
the governor of Judah and the elders of the
Jews in their work.
8 “Moreover, I hereby decree that you
are to help these elders of the Jews as they
rebuild this Temple of God. You must pay
the full construction costs, without delay,
from my taxes collected in the province
west of the Euphrates River so that the
work will not be interrupted.
9 “Give the priests in Jerusalem whatever
is needed in the way of young bulls, rams,
and male lambs for the burnt offerings
presented to the God of heaven. And without
fail, provide them with as much wheat, salt,
wine, and olive oil as they need each day.
10 Then they will be able to offer acceptable
sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for
the welfare of the king and his sons.
11 “Those who violate this decree in
any way will have a beam pulled from
their house. Then they will be lifted up
and impaled on it, and their house will be
reduced to a pile of rubble.* 12 May the God
who has chosen the city of Jerusalem as the
place to honor his name destroy any king
or nation that violates this command and
destroys this Temple.
“I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it
be obeyed with all diligence.”
The Temple’s Dedication
13 Tattenai, governor of the province west of the
Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai and their
colleagues complied at once with the command
of King Darius. 14 So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai
and Zechariah son of Iddo. The Temple was
5:12 Aramaic Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean. 5:13 King Cyrus
of Persia is here identified as the king of Babylon because Persia
had conquered the Babylonian Empire. 6:3 Aramaic Its height
will be 60 cubits [27.6 meters], and its width will be 60 cubits. It is
commonly held that this verse should be emended to read: “Its
height will be 30 cubits [45 feet or 13.8 meters], its length will be
60 cubits [90 feet or 27.6 meters], and its width will be 20 cubits
[30 feet or 9.2 meters]”; compare 1 Kgs 6:2. The emendation
regarding the width is supported by the Syriac version.
6:6 Aramaic the province beyond the river; also in 6:6b, 8, 13.
6:11 Aramaic a dunghill.