the walls thereof; and the work is done by their hand.

And we asked the elders, saying thus unto them, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make the walls thereof?

And we asked their names, that we might know them unto thee, and have described the names of the men that were their rulers.

And they gave us these words in answer, saying: We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house which was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built, and set it up.

And when our fathers provoked God to anger from heaven, he delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon the Chaldean, who brake down this house, and carried the people away to Babylon.

But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon the same king commanded Cyrus to build this house of GOD.

For the vessels of gold and silver which were in the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple of Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, Cyrus the king took them out of the temple of Babylon, and gave them to Sheshbazzar by name, whom he made governor;

And said unto him, Take these vessels, and go, and bring them into the temple at Jerusalem, and build the house of God in his place.

And the same Sheshbazzar came, and laid the foundation of the house of God at Jerusalem.
Since that time they have been building, but it is not yet finished.

If it please the king therefore, let him search the king’s treasury, which is at Babylon, whether it be the commandment of Cyrus the king to build the house of God at Jerusalem; and send unto us the king’s opinion concerning it.
(Ezra)
Chapter 6
Completion and dedication of the temple.

Then Darius the king commanded that a search should be made in the king’s treasury, which was at Babylon.

And there was found at Ahmetha in the castle that is in Media a book, and there was a story written therein:

In the first year of Cyrus the king commanded Cyrus to build the house of God in Jerusalem in the place of sacrifice, and to lay the foundation thereof threescore cubits high, and threescore cubits broad,

And three walls of all manner of stone, and one wall of wood: and the food shall be of the king’s house.

And the vessels of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple of Jerusalem, and brought them to Babylon, shall be restored, and brought again into the temple of Jerusalem, into their place in the house of God.

Now therefore get thee far from them, thou, Thathnai, keeper of the land on the other side of the river, and Sthar-bosnai, and ye council of Apharsah, which are on the other side of the river.

Let them work in the house of God, that the governors of the Jews and their elders may build the house of God in his place.

Also it is commanded of me, what they shall do unto the elders of Judah to build the house of GOD; that they take of the king’s goods out of the rents that are beyond the river, with diligence, and give them unto the people, and not hinder them.

And if they have need of calves, or of lambs, or of goats, for a burnt offering unto the LORD
from heaven, or of wheat, or of salt, or of wine, or of oil, after the manner of the priests which are at Jerusalem, they shall give them their due daily; and it shall not be done unadvisedly,

That they may offer for a sweet savour unto God from heaven, and pray for the king’s life, and for his children.

This commandment is done of me. And whosoever shall change these words, of his house shall a beam be taken, and set up, and he shall be hanged thereon: and his house shall be condemned for the deed.

And let the God that dwelleth in heaven destroy all the kings and people that stretch forth his hand to change and to destroy the house of God which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have commanded this to be done diligently.

This was diligently done by Thathnai the governor on the other side of the river, and by Sthar-bosnai with their counsel, to whom Darius the king had sent.

And the ancients of the Jews built, and it came to pass by the prophecy of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, that they built, and set up according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darii, and Arthashta, kings of Persia;

And they finished the house until the third day of the month Adar, which was the sixth year of the reign of king Darii.

And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the prison, kept the dedication of the house of God with joy.

And they offered for the dedication of the house of God an hundred calves, and two hundred lambs, and four hundred kids of the goats, and twelve kids of the goats for a sin offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

And they set the priests in their charge, and the Levites in their charge, to minister unto God, which is in Israel, as it is written in the book of Moses.

And the children of the prison kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves, that they were all clean as one man: and they killed the passover for all the children of the prison, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

And the children of Israel, which were come again out of the prison, and all that were separated unto them from the uncleanness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat

And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with gladness: for the LORD had made them glad, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, that they might be strengthened in the work of the house of GOD, who is the God of Israel.
(Ezra)
Chapter 7
Ezra gets permission and promotion to order the service,

According to these acts in the kingdom of Arthahsashtas king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, went up from Babylon, 2. The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

The son of Seraiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bubi,

The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the chief priest, 6. Who was a skillful scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. And the king gave him all that he required, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and of the Levites, and of the singers, and of the porters, and of the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Arthashta the king.

And they came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which is the seventh year of the king.

For in the first day of the first month he was counselled to go up from Babylon; and in the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of God upon him.

For Ezra sent his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do and teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

And this is the substance of the letter which Arthaxerxes the king gave unto Ezra the priest the scribe, which was a teacher in the words of the LORD, and in his commandments concerning Israel:

Arthahsastha, king of kings, peace and salutation unto Ezra the priest and scribe in the law of GOD from heaven!

And it is commanded of me that all they that are of free will in my kingdom, of the people of Israel, and of the priests, and of the Levites, should go up to Jerusalem, that they should go with thee,

Sent by the king and the seven counsellors to visit Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of GOD, which is under thine hand,

And thou shalt take silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors shall freely give unto the God of Israel, whose tabernacle is at Jerusalem,

And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the country of Babylon, with that which the people and the priests freely give unto the house of GOD at Jerusalem.

Take all these, and buy diligently of the same money calves, and lambs, and he goats, and meat offering, and drink offerings, to offer upon the altar of the house of your God which is at Jerusalem.

And whatsoever it shall please thee and thy brethren to do with the rest of the money, do it according to the will of your God.

And the vessels which are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver them up before God in Jerusalem.

And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which it shall befall thee to spend, let it be given out of the king’s chamber.

I, king Arthahsastha, have commanded these things unto the treasurers on the other side of the river, that whatsoever Ezra shall require of you, the priest and scribe in