1Then King Darius issued a decree, and they searched in the house of the archives where the treasures were stored, there in Babylon.
2And there was found at Ecbatana, in the fortress that is in the province of Media, a scroll, and thus it was written within it, a record:
3In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered, and let its foundations be firmly laid; its height sixty cubits, its width sixty cubits,
4with three courses of dressed stone and one course of new timber; and let the cost be paid from the king’s house.
5And also let the vessels of the house of God, of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned, and let each go to the temple that is in Jerusalem, to its place; and you shall deposit them in the house of God.
6Now Tattenai, governor of Beyond-the-River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials who are in Beyond-the-River—keep away from there!
7Leave the work on that house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild that house of God on its site.
8And by me a decree is issued concerning what you shall do for these elders of the Jews toward rebuilding that house of God: from the king’s revenue, from the tribute of Beyond-the-River, the cost is to be paid to these men promptly, without interruption.
9And whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are in Jerusalem—let it be given to them day by day without fail,
10so that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
11And by me a decree is issued: that any person who alters this edict—let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and impaled on it, and let his house be made a dunghill because of this.
12And may the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who stretches out his hand to alter this, to destroy that house of God which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree; let it be done promptly.
13Then Tattenai, governor of Beyond-the-River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, because King Darius had sent word, acted accordingly, promptly.
14And the elders of the Jews were building and prospering through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They built and finished it by the command of the God of Israel and by the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15And this house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16And the sons of Israel—the priests and the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
17And they offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses for the service of God that is in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
19And the sons of the exile kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
20For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves as one; all of them were clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the sons of the exile, and for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.
21And the sons of Israel who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to join them, to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel.
22And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for Yahweh had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
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