Ezra and Nehemiah 6
1 Then Darius the king made a decree,
and caused a search to be made in the record-offices, where the treasure is
stored in Babylon. 2 And there was
found in the city, in the palace, a volume, and this was the record written in
it.
3 In the first year of king Cyrus,
Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the holy house of God that was in
Jerusalem, saying, Let the house be built, and the
place where they sacrifice the sacrifices. (Also he appointed its elevation,
in height sixty cubits; its breadth was of sixty
cubits.) 4 And
let there be three strong layers of stone, and one
layer of timber; and the expense shall be paid out of the house of the king.
5 And the silver and the gold vessels
of the house of God, which Nabuchodonosor carried off from the house that was
in Jerusalem, and carried to Babylon, let them even be given, and be carried
to the temple that is in Jerusalem, and put in the place where they were set
in the house of God.
6 Now, ye rulers beyond the river,
Satharbuzanai, and their fellow-servants the Apharsachæans, who
are on the other side of the river, give
these things, keeping far from that place.
7 Now let alone the work of the house
of God: let the rulers of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build that house
of God on its place. 8 Also a decree
has been made by me, if haply ye may do somewhat in concert with the elders of
the Jews for the building of that house of God: to wit, out of the king's
property, even the tributes beyond the river, let
there be money to defray the expenses carefully granted to those men, so that
they be not hindered. 9 And whatever
need there may be, ye shall give both the young of
bulls and rams, and lambs for whole-burnt-offerings to the God of heaven,
wheat, salt, wine, oil:—let it be given them according to the word of the
priests that are in Jerusalem, day by day whatsoever they shall ask;
10 that they may offer sweet savours
to the God of heaven, and that they may pray for the life of the king and his
sons. 11 And a decree has been made
by me, that every man who shall alter this word, timber shall be pulled down
from his house, and let him be lifted up and slain upon it, and his house
shall be confiscated. 12 And may the
God whose name dwells there, overthrow every king and people who shall stretch
out his hand to alter or destroy the house of God which is in Jerusalem. I
Darius have made a decree; let it be diligently
attended to.
13 Then Thanthanai the governor on
this side beyond the river, Satharbuzanai, and his fellow-servants, according
to that which king Darius sent, so they did diligently.
14 And the elders of the Jews and the
Levites built, at the prophecy of Haggai the prophet, and Zacharias the son of
Addo: and they built up, and finished it, by the
decree of the God of Israel, and by the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and
Arthasastha, kings of the Persians.
15 And they finished this house by
the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth year of the reign of
Darius the king.
16 And the children of Israel, the
priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept
the dedication of the house of God with gladness.
17 And they offered for the
dedication of the house of God a hundred calves, two hundred rams, four
hundred lambs, twelve kids of the goats for a sin-offering for all Israel,
according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they set the priests in their
divisions, and the Levites in their separate orders, for the services of God
in Jerusalem, according to the writing of the book of Moses.
19 And the children of the captivity
kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
20 For the priests and Levites were
purified, all were clean to a man, and they slew the passover for all the
children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for
themselves. 21 And the children of
Israel ate the passover, even they that were of the
captivity, and every one who separated himself to them from the uncleanness of
the nations of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel.
22 And they kept the feast of
unleavened bread seven days with gladness, because the Lord made them glad,
and he turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their
hands in the works of the house of the God of Israel.