Ezra 5
5At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.H5029H2292H5029H2148H1247H5714H5013H5922H3062H3061H3390H8036H426H3479H59222Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadak responded by starting again to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them and helped them.H116H6966H2217H1247H7598H3443H1247H3136H8271H1124H1005H426H3390H5974H5029H426H55833But Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues soon arrived in Jerusalem and asked, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?"H2166H858H8674H6347H5675H5103H8370H3675H560H3652H5922H4479H7761H2942H1124H1836H1005H3635H1836H8464They also asked for the names of all the men working on the Temple.H116H560H3660H4479H581H8036H1400H1124H1836H11475But because their God was watching over them, the leaders of the Jews were not prevented from building until a report was sent to Darius and he returned his decision.H5870H426H1934H5922H7868H3062H3809H989H1994H989H5705H2941H1946H1868H116H8421H5407H5922H18366This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor, Shethar-bozenai, and the other officials of the province west of the Euphrates River sent to King Darius.H6573H104H8674H6347H5675H5103H8370H3675H671H5675H5103H7972H5922H1868H44307"To King Darius. Greetings.H7972H6600H5922H1459H3790H1836H1868H4430H3606H80018"The king should know that we went to the construction site of the Temple of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being rebuilt with specially prepared stones, and timber is being laid in its walls. The work is going forward with great energy and success.H1934H3046H4430H236H4083H3061H1005H7229H426H1124H1560H69H636H7761H3797H1791H5673H5648H629H6744H30289"We asked the leaders, 'Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?'H116H7593H479H7868H560H3660H4479H7761H2942H1124H1836H1005H3635H1836H84610And we demanded their names so that we could tell you who the leaders were.H7593H8036H638H3046H3790H8036H1400H721711"This was their answer: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the Temple that was built here many years ago by a great king of Israel.H3660H8421H6600H560H586H1994H5649H426H8065H772H1124H1005H1934H1124H1836H7690H8140H6928H7229H4430H3479H1124H363512But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he abandoned them to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who destroyed this Temple and exiled the people to Babylonia.H3861H4481H2H7265H426H8065H7265H3052H1994H3028H5020H4430H895H3679H5642H1836H1005H1541H5972H1541H89513However, King Cyrus of Babylon, during the first year of his reign, issued a decree that the Temple of God should be rebuilt.H1297H2298H8140H3567H4430H895H4430H3567H7761H2942H1124H1836H1005H42614King Cyrus returned the gold and silver cups that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of Babylon. These cups were taken from that temple and presented to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom King Cyrus appointed as governor of Judah.H3984H638H1768H1722H3702H1005H426H5020H5312H4481H1965H3390H2987H1965H895H1994H3567H4430H5312H4481H1965H895H3052H8036H8340H7761H634715The king instructed him to return the cups to their place in Jerusalem and to rebuild the Temple of God there on its original site.H560H5376H412H3984H236H5182H1994H1965H3390H1005H426H1124H5922H87016So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. The people have been working on it ever since, though it is not yet completed.'H116H858H1791H8340H3052H787H1005H426H3390H4481H116H5705H3705H1124H3809H800017"Therefore, if it pleases the king, we request that a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to discover whether King Cyrus ever issued a decree to rebuild God's Temple in Jerusalem. And then let the king send us his decision in this matter."H3705H2006H2869H5922H4430H1240H4430H1596H1005H8536H895H2006H383H2942H7761H4481H3567H4430H1124H1791H1005H426H3390H4430H7972H7470H5922H1836
Ezra 6
6So King Darius issued orders that a search be made in the Babylonian archives, which were stored in the treasury.H116H1868H4430H7761H2942H1240H1005H5609H8536H1596H5182H895 2But it was at the fortress at Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found. This is what it said.H7912H307H1001H4083H4076H2298H4040H1459H1799H3652H3790 3"Memorandum: "In the first year of King Cyrus's reign, a decree was sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem. "Let the Temple be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices, using the original foundations. Its height will be ninety feet, and its width will be ninety feet.H2298H8140H3567H4430H3567H4430H7761H2942H1005H426H3390H1005H1124H870H1684H1685H787H5446H7314H8361H521H6613H8361H521 4Every three layers of specially prepared stones will be topped by a layer of timber. All expenses will be paid by the royal treasury.H8532H5073H1560H69H5073H2323H636H5313H3052H4481H4430H1005 5Furthermore, the gold and silver cups, which were taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple of God in Jerusalem, must be returned to Jerusalem and put back where they belong. Let them be taken back to the Temple of God."H638H1722H3702H3984H1005H426H5020H5312H4481H1965H3390H2987H895H8421H1946H1965H3390H870H5182H1005H426 6So King Darius sent this message: "Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues and other officials west of the Euphrates River—stay away from there!H3705H8674H6347H5675H5103H8370H3675H671H5675H5103H1934H7352H4481H8536 7Do not disturb the construction of the Temple of God. Let it be rebuilt on its original site, and do not hinder the governor of Judah and the elders of the Jews in their work.H5673H1791H1005H426H7662H6347H3062H7868H3062H1124H1791H1005H426H5922H870 8"Moreover, I hereby decree that you are to help these elders of the Jews as they rebuild this Temple of God. You must pay the full construction costs, without delay, from my taxes collected in the province west of the Euphrates River so that the work will not be interrupted.H4481H7761H2942H3964H5648H5974H7868H479H3062H1124H1791H1005H426H4430H5232H1768H4061H5675H5103H629H5313H1934H3052H479H1400H3809H989 9"Give the priests in Jerusalem whatever is needed in the way of young bulls, rams, and male lambs for the burnt offerings presented to the God of heaven. And without fail, provide them with as much wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil as they need each day.H4101H2818H1123H8450H1798H563H5928H426H8065H2591H4416H2562H4887H3983H3549H3390H1934H3052H3118H3118H3809H7960 10Then they will be able to offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the welfare of the king and his sons.H1934H7127H5208H426H8065H6739H2417H4430H1123 11"Those who violate this decree in any way will have a beam pulled from their house. Then they will be tied to it and flogged, and their house will be reduced to a pile of rubble.H4481H7761H2942H3606H606H8133H1836H6600H636H5256H4481H1005H2211H4223H5922H1005H5648H5122H5922H1836 12May the God who has chosen the city of Jerusalem as the place to honor his name destroy any king or nation that violates this command and destroys this Temple."I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be obeyed with all diligence."H426H8036H7932H8536H4049H3606H4430H5972H7972H3028H8133H2255H1791H1005H426H3390H576H1868H7761H2942H5648H629 13Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues complied at once with the command of King Darius.H116H8674H6347H5675H5103H8370H3675H6903H1868H4430H7972H3660H5648H629 14So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia.H7868H3062H1124H6744H5017H2292H5029H2148H1247H5714H1124H3635H4481H2941H426H3479H2942H3567H1868H783H4430H6540 15The Temple was completed on March 12, during the sixth year of King Darius's reign.H1836H1005H3319H5705H8532H3118H3393H144H1932H8353H8140H4437H1868H4430 16The Temple of God was then dedicated with great joy by the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the people who had returned from exile.H1123H3479H3549H3879H7606H1123H1547H5648H2597H1836H1005H426H2305 17During the dedication ceremony for the Temple of God, 100 young bulls, 200 rams, and 400 male lambs were sacrificed. And 12 male goats were presented as a sin offering for the twelve tribes of Israel.H7127H2597H1836H1005H426H3969H8450H3969H1798H703H3969H563H2402H2409H5922H3606H3479H8648H6236H6841H5796H4510H7625H3479 18Then the priests and Levites were divided into their various divisions to serve at the Temple of God in Jerusalem, as prescribed in the Book of Moses.H6966H3549H6392H3879H4255H5922H5673H426H3390H3792H5609H4873 19On April 21 the returned exiles celebrated Passover.H1121H1473H6213H6453H702H6240H7223H2320 20The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.H3548H3881H2891H259H2889H7819H6453H1121H1473H251H3548 21The Passover meal was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile and by the others in the land who had turned from their immoral customs to worship the LORD, the God of Israel.H1121H3478H7725H1473H914H2932H1471H776H1875H3068H430H3478H398 22Then they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There was great joy throughout the land because the LORD had caused the king of Assyria to be favorable to them, so that he helped them to rebuild the Temple of God, the God of Israel.H6213H2282H4682H7651H3117H8057H3068H8055H5437H3820H4428H804H2388H3027H4399H1004H430H430H3478
Ezra 7
7Many years later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, there was a man named Ezra. He was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,H310H1697H4438H783H4428H6539H5830H1121H8304H1121H5838H1121H2518 2son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,H1121H7967H1121H6659H1121H285 3son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,H1121H568H1121H5838H1121H4812 4son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,H1121H2228H1121H5813H1121H1231 5son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest.H1121H50H1121H6372H1121H499H1121H175H7218H3548 6This Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel. He came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious hand of the LORD his God was on him.H5830H5927H894H4106H5608H8451H4872H3068H430H3478H5414H4428H5414H1246H3027H3068H430 7Some of the people of Israel, as well as some of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and Temple servants, traveled up to Jerusalem with him in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes' reign.H5927H1121H3478H3548H3881H7891H7778H5411H3389H7651H8141H783H4428 8Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in August of that year.H935H3389H2549H2320H7637H8141H4428 9He had arranged to leave Babylon on April 8, the first day of the new year, and he arrived at Jerusalem on August 4, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.H259H7223H2320H3246H4609H894H259H2549H2320H935H3389H2896H3027H430 10This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the LORD and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.H5830H3559H3824H1875H8451H3068H6213H3925H3478H2706H4941 11King Artaxerxes had given a copy of the following letter to Ezra, the priest and scribe who studied and taught the commands and decrees of the LORD to Israel.H6572H5406H4428H783H5414H5830H3548H5608H5608H1697H4687H3068H2706H3478 12"From Artaxerxes, the king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the teacher of the law of the God of heaven. GreetingsH783H4430H4430H5831H3549H5613H1882H426H8065H1585H3706 13"I decree that any of the people of Israel in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may volunteer to return to Jerusalem with you.H4481H7761H2942H3606H4481H5972H3479H3549H3879H4437H5069H1946H3390H1946H5974 14I and my council of seven hereby instruct you to conduct an inquiry into the situation in Judah and Jerusalem, based on your God's law, which is in your hand.H1768H6903H3606H7972H4481H6925H4430H7655H3272H1240H5922H3061H3390H1882H426H3028 15We also commission you to take with you silver and gold, which we are freely presenting as an offering to the God of Israel who lives in Jerusalem.H2987H3702H1722H4430H3272H5069H426H3479H1768H4907H3390 16"Furthermore, you are to take any silver and gold that you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the voluntary offerings of the people and the priests that are presented for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem.H3606H3702H1722H7912H3606H4083H895H5974H5069H5972H3549H5069H1005H426H3390 17These donations are to be used specifically for the purchase of bulls, rams, male lambs, and the appropriate grain offerings and liquid offerings, all of which will be offered on the altar of the Temple of your God in Jerusalem.H3606H6903H7066H629H1836H3702H8450H1798H563H4504H5261H7127H1994H5922H4056H1005H426H3390 18Any silver and gold that is left over may be used in whatever way you and your colleagues feel is the will of your God.H4101H1768H3191H5922H252H5648H7606H3702H1722H5648H7470H426 19"But as for the cups we are entrusting to you for the service of the Temple of your God, deliver them all to the God of Jerusalem.H3984H3052H6402H1005H426H8000H6925H426H3390 20If you need anything else for your God's Temple or for any similar needs, you may take it from the royal treasury.H7606H2819H1005H426H5308H5415H5415H4481H4430H1596H1005 21"I, Artaxerxes the king, hereby send this decree to all the treasurers in the province west of the Euphrates River: 'You are to give Ezra, the priest and teacher of the law of the God of heaven, whatever he requests of you.H4481H576H783H4430H7761H2942H3606H1490H5675H5103H5831H3549H5613H1882H426H8065H7593H5648H629 22You are to give him up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil, and an unlimited supply of salt.H5705H3969H3604H3702H3969H3734H2591H3969H1325H2562H3969H1325H4887H4416H3809H3792 23Be careful to provide whatever the God of heaven demands for his Temple, for why should we risk bringing God's anger against the realm of the king and his sons?H3606H2941H4481H426H8065H149H5648H1005H426H8065H1768H4101H1934H7109H5922H4437H4430H1123 24I also decree that no priest, Levite, singer, gatekeeper, Temple servant, or other worker in this Temple of God will be required to pay tribute, customs, or tolls of any kind.'H3046H3606H3549H3879H2171H8652H5412H6399H1836H1005H426H3809H7990H7412H4061H1093H1983H5922 25"And you, Ezra, are to use the wisdom your God has given you to appoint magistrates and judges who know your God's laws to govern all the people in the province west of the Euphrates River. Teach the law to anyone who does not know it.H607H5831H2452H426H3028H4483H8200H1782H1934H1778H3606H5972H5675H5103H3606H3046H1882H426H3046H3046H3809 26Anyone who refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king will be punished immediately, either by death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment."H3606H3809H1934H5648H1882H426H1882H4430H1780H1934H5648H629H4481H2006H4193H2006H8332H2006H6065H5232H613 27Praise the LORD, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem!H1288H3068H430H1H5414H4428H3820H6286H1004H3068H3389 28And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles! I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the LORD my God was on me. And I gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem.H5186H2617H6440H4428H3289H4428H1368H8269H2388H3027H3068H430H6908H3478H7218H5927
Dublin, OH
responded by starting again to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them and helped them.H116
