Olam 2

Rebuilding under Haggai and Zechariah accoding to decree of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes (Ezra 6:1-15)

(Ezra 6:1-15)

It was then that DARIUS the king put an order through, and they made an investigation in the house of the records of the treasures deposited there in Babylon.

2 And at ECBATANA, in the fortified place that was in the jurisdictional district of MEDIA, there was found a scroll, and the memorandum to this effect was written within it:

3 “In the FIRST YEAR of CYRUS the king, CYRUS the king put an order through concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as the place where they are to offer sacrifices, and its FOUNDATIONS are to be fixed, its height being sixty cubits, its width sixty cubits, 4 with three layers of stones rolled [into place] and one layer of timbers; and let the expense be given from the king’s house. 5 And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God that NEBUCHADNEZZAR took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon be returned, that they may reach the temple that is in Jerusalem at its place and be deposited in the house of God.

6 “Now Tattenai the governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues, the lesser governors that are beyond the River, keep your distance from there. 7 Let the work on that house of God alone. The governor of the Jews and the older men of the Jews will rebuild that house of God upon its place.

8 And by me an order has been put through as to what you will do with these older men of the Jews, for rebuilding that house of God; and from the royal treasury of the tax beyond the River the expense will promptly be given to these able-bodied men without cessation. 9 And what is needed, young bulls as well as rams and lambs for the burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine and oil, just as the priests that are in Jerusalem say, let there be given them continually day by day without fail; 10 that they may continually be presenting soothing offerings to the God of the heavens and praying for the life of the king and his sons.

11 And by me an order has been put through that, as for anybody that violates this decree, a timber will be pulled out of his house and he will be impaled upon it, and his house will be turned into a public privy on this account. 12 And may the God who has caused his name to reside there overthrow any king and people that thrusts his hand out to commit a violation and destroy that house of God, which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, do put through an order. Let it be done promptly.”

13 Then Tattenai the governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues, just as DARIUS the king had sent [word], so they did promptly. 14 And the older men of the Jews were building and

making progress under the prophesying of HAGGAI the prophet and ZECHARIAH the grandson of Iddo, and they built and finished [it] due to the order of the God of Israel and due to the order of CYRUS and DARIUS and ARTAXERXES the king of Persia.

15 And they completed this house by the THIRD DAY of the lunar month ADAR, that is, in the SIXTH YEAR of the reign of DARIUS the king.