Ezra 6:1-15

The Decree of Darius

1Then Darius the king made a decree, and asearch was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored. 2And in Ecbatana, the citadel that is bin the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was written: “A record. 3In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. Its height shall be sixty cubits
A  cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
and its breadth sixty cubits,
4 dwith three layers of great stones and one layer of timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. 5And also elet the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You shall put them in the house of God.”

6“Now therefore, fTattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, gand your
Aramaic their
associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away.
7Let the work on this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. 8Moreover, iI make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. 9And whatever is neededbulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail, 10that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven jand pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and khis house shall be made a dunghill. 12May the God lwho has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”

The Temple Finished and Dedicated

13Then, according to the word sent by Darius the king, mTattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had ordered. 14 nAnd the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and oby decree of Cyrus and pDarius and qArtaxerxes king of Persia; 15and this house was finished on the third day of the rmonth of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

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