‏ Ezra 6

Darius Finds Cyrus’ Decree

1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and a asearch was conducted in the
Lit house of the books
archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon.
2And in
Aram Achmetha
Ecbatana, in the fortress which is din the province of Media, a scroll was found; and the following was written in it: “Memorandum--
3 eIn the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let the
Lit house
temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt, and let
Or perhaps offerings by fire be offered
its foundations be repaired, its height being
About 90 ft. or 27 m
sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits,
4 iwith three layers of large stones and
As in LXX; Aram a layer of new timber
one layer of timber. And the cost is to be paid from the
Lit king’s house
royal treasury.
5Also lthe gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to 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 as for you, nTattenai, governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and
Aram their
your colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River,
Lit be distant
stay away from there.
7Leave that work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild that house of God on its site. 8Furthermore, qI issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of that house of God: the full cost is to be paid to those people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and that without interruption. 9And whatever is needed, bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem order, it is to be given to them daily without fail, 10so that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and rpray for the lives of the king and his sons. 11And I issued a decree that sany person who violates this decree, a timber shall be pulled out of his house and he shall be impaled on it; and this house shall be turned into a refuse heap on account of this. 12May the God who uhas caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who
Lit sends his hand
attempts to
Or violate
change it, so as to destroy that house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree; it is to be carried out with all diligence!”

The Temple Completed and Dedicated

13 Then xTattenai, the governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had
Lit sent
ordered.
14And zthe elders of the Jews
Lit were building and succeeding
were successful in building through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And
Lit built and finished
they finished building following the command of the God of Israel and the decree acof Cyrus, adDarius, and aeArtaxerxes king of Persia.
15Now this
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.

16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the
Lit sons of the exile
exiles, ajcelebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
17They offered for the dedication of this temple of God a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel aktwelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18Then they appointed the priests to altheir divisions and the Levites in amtheir sections for the service of God in Jerusalem, anas it is written in the Book of Moses.

The Passover Held

19 aoThe exiles held the Passover on apthe fourteenth of the first month. 20 aqFor the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then arthey slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. 21And the sons of Israel who returned from exile and asall those who had separated themselves from atthe impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the Lord God of Israel, ate the Passover. 22And authey held the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the Lord had made them happy, and avhad turned the heart of awthe king of Assyria toward them to
Lit strengthen their hands
encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
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