Ezra 6
Darius Finds Cyrus’s Decree
1Then King Darius issued a decree, and asearch was made in the ▼▼ Lit house of the books
archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. 2In ▼▼ Aram Achmetha
Ecbatana in the fortress, which is din the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: “Memorandum— 3 e“In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the ▼▼ Lit house
temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be ▼▼ Or fixed, laid
retained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits; 4 hwith three layers of huge stones and ▼▼ So Gr; Aram a layer of new timber
one layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the ▼▼ Lit king’s house
royal treasury. 5‘Also let kthe gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and ▼▼ Lit go
brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.’ 6“Now therefore, mTattenai, governor of the province beyond the ▼▼ I.e. Euphrates River, and so throughout the ch
River, Shethar-bozenai and ▼▼ Aram their
your colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the ▼▼ I.e. Euphrates River, and so throughout the ch
River, ▼▼ Lit be distant
keep away from there. 7“Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. 8“Moreover, rI issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay. 9“Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be given to them daily without fail, 10that they may offer ▼▼ Lit pleasing; or sweet-smelling sacrifices
acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and tpray for the life of the king and his sons. 11“And I issued a decree that uany man who violates this edict, a timber shall be drawn from his house and he shall be impaled on it and vhis house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this. 12“May the God who whas caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who ▼▼ Lit sends his hand
attempts to change it, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be carried out with all diligence!” The Temple Completed and Dedicated
13Then yTattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent. 14And zthe elders of the Jews ▼▼ Lit were building and succeeding
were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And ▼▼ Lit built and finished
they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree acof Cyrus, adDarius, and aeArtaxerxes king of Persia. 15This ▼▼ Lit house
temple was completed ▼▼ Lit until
on the third day of the ahmonth Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 16And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the ▼▼ Lit sons of the captivity
exiles, ajcelebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel ak12 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18Then they appointed the priests to altheir divisions and the Levites in amtheir orders for the service of God ▼▼ Lit which is in
in Jerusalem, aoas it is written in the book of Moses. The Passover Observed
19 apThe exiles observed the Passover on aqthe fourteenth of the first month. 20 arFor the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then asthey slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. 21The sons of Israel who returned from exile and atall those who had separated themselves from authe impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the Lord God of Israel, ate the Passover. 22And avthey observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice, and awhad turned the heart of axthe king of Assyria toward them to ▼▼ Lit strengthen their hands
encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
Copyright information for
NASB1995