Ezra 6

1 Thus King Darius ordered a search of the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon.

Then gave king Darius an order, that they should make search in the house of the books, where the treasures were laid up there in Babylon.

2 And a scroll was found in the fortress of Ecbatana, in the province of Media, with the following written on it: Memorandum:

And there was found at Achmetha, in the castle that is in the province of Media, a roll, and therein was thus written: A record.

3 In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its foundations be firmly laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide,

In the first year of king Cyrus, king Cyrus gave an order concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be built, the place where they used to offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid: its height shall be sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits,

4 with three layers of cut stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury.

With three rows of heavy stones, and a row of new timber; and let the expenses be given out of the king's house.

5 Furthermore, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, must also be returned to the temple in Jerusalem and deposited in the house of God.

And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took away out of the temple which is in Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought back unto the temple which is in Jerusalem, every one to its place, and let them be put in the house of God.

6 Therefore Darius decreed: To Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates and officials in the region: You must stay away from that place!

Now Thathnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-bozenai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the river, be ye far from there:

7 Leave this work on the house of God alone. Let the governor and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its original site.

Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God on its site.

8 I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered.

And by me is the order given what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God, that out of the king's property, arising out of the tax beyond the river, the expenses shall forthwith be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.

9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given to them daily without fail.

And what they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt-offerings unto the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the requirement of the priests who are a Jerusalem, shall be given unto them day by day, without fail.

10 Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.

That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savors unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.

11 I also decree that if any man interferes with this directive, a beam is to be torn from his house and raised up, and he is to be impaled on it. And his own house shall be made a pile of rubble for this offense.

Also is by me the order given, that if any man should alter this command, timber shall be pulled down from his house, and being set up, he shall be hanged thereon; and his house shall be made a dunghill for this.

12 May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence.

And may the God that causeth his name to dwell there cast down every king and people that will stretch forth their hand to alter, to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius have given the order: let it be done speedily.

13 In response, Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed.

Then did Thathnai the, governor on this aide of the river, Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, in accordance with what king Darius had sent, act in this manner speedily.

14 So the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

And the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of 'Iddo. And they built, and completed it, according to the order of the God of Israel, and according to the order of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes the king of Persia.

15 And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.

16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

Then celebrated the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the exile, the dedication of this house of God with joy;

17 For the dedication of the house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel.

And they offered for the dedication of this house of God one hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

18 They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

And they stationed the priests in their orders, and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God, which is in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles kept the Passover.

And the children of the exile prepared the passover-[sacrifice] on the fourteenth day of the first month.

20 All the priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their priestly brothers, and for themselves.

For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves, as one man were all of them clean; and they slaughtered the passover-sacrifice for all the children of the exile, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

21 The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.

And then did the children of Israel, who were returned out of the exile, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the uncleanness of the nations of the earth, to seek the Lord the God of Israel, eat thereof.

22 For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

And they celebrated the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; for the Lord had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Asshur toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.