Ezra and Nehemiah 5
1 And Haggai the prophet, and
Zacharias the son of Addo, prophesied a prophecy to
the Jews in Juda and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel,
even to them.
2 Then rose up Zorobabel the
son of Salathiel, and Jesus the son of Josedec, and
began to build the house of God that was in Jerusalem: and with them
were the prophets of God assisting them.
3 At the same time came there upon
them Thanthanai, the governor on this side the river, and Satharbuzanai, and
their fellow-servants, and spoke thus to them, Who has ordained a decree for
you to build this house, and to provide this
preparation? 4 Then they spoke thus to
them, What are the names of the men that build this city?
5 But the eyes of God were upon the
captivity of Juda, and they did not cause them to cease till the decree was
brought to Darius; and then was sent by the tribute-gatherer concerning this
6 the copy of a letter, which
Thanthanai, the governor of the part on this side the river, and
Satharbuzanai, and their fellow-servants the Apharsachæans who were on this
side of the river, sent to king Darius.
7 They sent an account to him, and
thus it was written in it:
All peace to king Darius. 8 Be it
known to the king, that we went into the land of Judea, to the house of the
great God; and it is building with choice stones, and they are laying timbers
in the walls, and that work is prospering, and goes on favourably in their
hands. 9 Then we asked those elders,
and thus we said to them, Who gave you the order to build this house, and to
provide this preparation?
10 And we asked them their names,
in order to declare them to
thee, so as to write to thee the names of their leading men.
11 And they answered us thus, saying,
We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth,
and we are building the house which had been built
many years before this, and a great king of Israel built it, and established
it for them. 12 But after that our
fathers provoked the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of
Nabuchodonosor the Chaldean, king of Babylon, and he destroyed this house, and
carried the people captive to Babylon.
13 And in the first year of king
Cyrus, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be built.
14 And the gold and silver vessels of
the house of God, which Nabuchodonosor brought out from the house that was in
Jerusalem, and carried them into the temple of the king, them did king Cyrus
bring out from the temple of the king, and gave them to Sabanasar the
treasurer, who was over the treasure;
15 and said to him, Take all the
vessels, and go, put them in the house that is in Jerusalem in their place.
16 Then that Sabanazar came, and laid
the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem: and from that time even
until now it has been building, and has not been finished.
17 And now, if it
seem good to the king, let search be made in the
treasure-house of the king at Babylon, that thou mayest know
if it be that a decree was made by king Cyrus to
build that house of God that was in Jerusalem, and let the king send to us
when he has learnt concerning this matter.