the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of the Persians, and he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also by writing, 3 saying, “Cyrus king of the Persians says: The Lord of Israel, the Most High Lord, has made me king of the whole world, 4 and commanded me to build him a house at Jerusalem that is in Judea. 5 If therefore there are any of you that are of his people, let the Lord, even his Lord, be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord of Israel. He is the Lord who dwells in Jerusalem. 6 Therefore, of those who dwell in various places, let those who are in his own place help each one with gold, with silver, 7 with gifts, with horses, and cattle, beside the other things which have been added by vow for the temple of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.
8 Then the chief of the families of Judah and of the tribe of Benjamin stood up, with the priests, the Levites, and all whose spirit the Lord had stirred to go up, to build the house for the Lord which is in Jerusalem. 9 Those who lived around them helped them in all things with silver and gold, with horses and cattle, and with very many gifts that were vowed by a great number whose minds were so moved.
10 King Cyrus also brought out the holy vessels of the Lord, which Nabuchodonosor had carried away from Jerusalem and had stored in his temple of idols. 11 Now when King Cyrus of the Persians had brought them out, he delivered them to Mithradates his treasurer, 12 and by him they were delivered to †Sanabassar the governor of Judea. 13 This was the number of them: one thousand gold cups, one thousand silver cups, twenty-nine silver censers, thirty gold bowls, two thousand and four hundred and ten silver bowls, and one thousand other vessels. 14 So all the vessels of gold and of silver were brought up, even five thousand and four hundred and seventy-nine, 15 and were carried back by Sanabassar, together with the returning exiles, from Babylon to Jerusalem.
16 *In the time of King Artaxerxes of the Persians, Belemus, Mithradates, Tabellius, ‡Rathumus, Beeltethmus, and §Samellius the scribe, with their other associates, dwelling in Samaria and other places, wrote to him against those who lived in Judea and Jerusalem the following letter:
17 “To King Artaxerxes our Lord, from your servants, Rathumus the recorder, Samellius the scribe, and the rest of their council, and the judges who are in Coelesyria and Phoenicia: 18 Let it now be known to our lord the king, that the Jews that have come up from you to us, having come to Jerusalem, are building that rebellious and wicked city, and are repairing its marketplaces and walls, and are laying the foundation of a temple. 19 Now if this city is built and its walls are finished, they will not only refuse to give tribute, but will even stand up against kings. 20 Since the things pertaining to the temple are now in hand, we think it appropriate not to neglect such a matter, 21 but to speak to our lord the king, to the intent that, if it is your pleasure, search may be made in the books of your ancestors. 22 You will find in the chronicles what is written concerning these things, and will understand that that city was rebellious, troubling both kings and cities, 23 and that the Jews were rebellious, and kept starting wars there in the past. For this cause, this city was laid waste. 24 Therefore now we do declare to you, O lord the king, that if this city is built again, and its walls set up again, you will from then on have no passage into Coelesyria and Phoenicia.”
25 Then the king wrote back again to Rathumus the recorder, Beeltethmus, Samellius the scribe, and to the rest that of their associates who lived in Samaria, Syria, and Phoenicia, as follows:
26 “I have read the letter which you have sent to me. Therefore I commanded to make search, and it has been found that that city of old time has fought against kings, 27 and the men were given to rebellion and war in it, and that mighty and fierce kings were in Jerusalem, who reigned and exacted tribute in Coelesyria and Phoenicia. 28 Now therefore I have commanded to prevent those men from building the city, and heed to be taken that there be nothing done contrary to this order, 29 and that those wicked doings proceed no further to the annoyance of kings.” 30 Then King Artaxerxes, his letters being read, Rathumus, and Samellius the scribe, and the rest of their associates, went in haste to Jerusalem with cavalry and a multitude of people in battle array, and began to hinder the builders. So the building of the temple in Jerusalem ceased until the second year of the reign of King Darius of the Persians.
3
1 Now King Darius made a great feast for all his subjects, for all who were born in his house, for all the princes of Media and of Persia, 2 and for all the local governors and captains and governors who were under him, from India to Ethiopia, in the one hundred and twenty seven provinces. 3 They ate and drank, and when they were satisfied went home. Then King Darius went into his bedchamber slept, but awakened out of his sleep.
4 Then the three young men of the bodyguard, who guarded the king, spoke one to another: 5 “Let every one of us state what one thing is strongest. King Darius will give he whose statement seems wiser than the others great gifts and great honours in token of victory. 6 He shall be clothed in purple, drink from gold cups, sleep on a gold bed, and have a chariot with bridles of gold, a fine linen turban, and a chain around his neck. 7 He shall sit next to Darius because of his wisdom, and shall be called cousin of Darius.”
8 Then they each wrote his sentence, sealed them, and laid them under King Darius’ pillow, 9 and said, “When the king wakes up, someone will give him the writing. Whoever the king and the three princes of Persia judge that his sentence is the wisest, to him shall the victory be given, as it is written.” 10 The first wrote, “Wine is the strongest.” 11 The second wrote, “The king is strongest.” 12 The third wrote, “Women are strongest, but above all things Truth is the victor.”
13 Now when the king woke up, they took the writing and gave it to him, so he read it. 14 Sending out, he called all the princes of Persia and of Media, the local governors, the captains, the governors, and the chief officers 15 and sat himself down in the royal seat of judgement; and the writing was read before them. 16 He said, “Call the young men, and they shall explain their own sentences. So they were called and came in. 17 They said to them, “Explain what you have written.”
Then the first, who had spoken of the strength of wine, began 18 and said this: “O sirs, how exceedingly strong wine is! It causes all men who drink it to go astray. 19 It makes the mind of the king and of the fatherless child to be the same, likewise of the bondman and of the freeman, of the poor man and of the rich. 20 It also turns every thought into cheer and mirth, so that a man remembers neither sorrow nor debt. 21 It makes every heart rich, so that a man remembers neither king nor local governor. It makes people say things in large amounts. 22 When they are in their cups, they forget their love both to friends and kindred, and before long draw their swords. 23 But when they awake from their wine, they don’t remember what they have done. 24 O sirs, isn’t wine the strongest, seeing that it forces people to do this?” And when he had said this, he stopped speaking.
4
1 Then the second, who had spoken of the strength of the king, began to say, 2 “O sirs, don’t men excel in strength who rule over the sea and land, and all things in them? 3 But yet the king is stronger. He is their lord and has dominion over them. In whatever he commands them, they obey him. 4 If he tells them to make war the one against the other, they do it. If he sends them out against the enemies, they go, and conquer mountains, walls, and towers. 5 They kill and are killed, and don’t disobey the king’s commandment. If they win the victory, they bring everything to the king—all the plunder and everything else. 6 Likewise for those who are not soldiers, and don’t have anything to do with wars, but farm, when they have reaped again that which they had sown, they bring some to the king and compel one another to pay tribute to the king. 7 He is just one man! If he commands people to kill, they kill. If he commands them to spare, they spare. 8 If he commands them to strike, they strike. If he commands them to make desolate, they make desolate. If he commands to build, they build. 9 If he commands them to