1 Esdras 6

Revised Standard Version

Work on the Temple Begins Again

6 Now in the second year of the reign of Darius, the prophets Haggai and Zechari′ah the son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews who were in Judea and Jerusalem; they prophesied to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. ² Then Zerub′babel the son of She′altiel and Jeshua the son of Jo′zadak arose and began to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, with the help of the prophets of the Lord who were with them.

³ At the same time Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phoenic′ia and Sathrabuzanes and their associates came to them and said, ⁴ “By whose order are you building this house and this roof and finishing all the other things? And who are the builders that are finishing these things?” ⁵ Yet the elders of the Jews were dealt with kindly, for the providence of the Lord was over the captives; ⁶ and they were not prevented from building until word could be sent to Darius concerning them and a report made.

⁷ A copy of the letter which Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phoenic′ia, and Sathrabuzanes, and their associates the local rulers in Syria and Phoenic′ia, wrote and sent to Darius:

⁸ “To King Darius, greeting. Let it be fully known to our lord the king that, when we went to the country of Judea and entered the city of Jerusalem, we found the elders of the Jews, who had been in captivity, ⁹ building in the city of Jerusalem a great new house for the Lord, of hewn stone, with costly timber laid in the walls. ¹⁰ These operations are going on rapidly, and the work is prospering in their hands and being completed with all splendor and care. ¹¹ Then we asked these elders, ‘At whose command are you building this house and laying the foundations of this structure?’ ¹² And in order that we might inform you in writing who the leaders are, we questioned them and asked them for a list of the names of those who are at their head. ¹³ They answered us, ‘We are the servants of the Lord who created the heaven and the earth. ¹⁴ And the house was built many years ago by a king of Israel who was great and strong, and it was finished. ¹⁵ But when our fathers sinned against the Lord of Israel who is in heaven, and provoked him, he gave them over into the hands of Nebuchadnez′zar king of Babylon, king of the Chalde′ans; ¹⁶ and they pulled down the house, and burned it, and carried the people away captive to Babylon. ¹⁷ But in the first year that Cyrus reigned over the country of Babylonia, King Cyrus wrote that this house should be rebuilt. ¹⁸ And the holy vessels of gold and of silver, which Nebuchadnez′zar had taken out of the house in Jerusalem and stored in his own temple, these Cyrus the king took out again from the temple in Babylon, and they were delivered to Zerub′babel and Sheshbazzar^[a] the governor ¹⁹ with the command that he should take all these vessels back and put them in the temple at Jerusalem, and that this temple of the Lord should be rebuilt on its site. ²⁰ Then this Sheshbazzar,^[b] after coming here, laid the foundations of the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, and although it has been in process of construction from that time until now, it has not yet reached completion.’ ²¹ Now therefore, if it seems wise, O king, let search be made in the royal archives of our lord^[c] the king that are in Babylon; ²² and if it is found that the building of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was done with the consent of King Cyrus, and if it is approved by our lord the king, let him send us directions concerning these things.”

Official Permission Granted

²³ Then Darius commanded that search be made in the royal archives that were deposited in Babylon. And in Ecbat′ana, the fortress which is in the country of Media, a scroll^[d] was found in which this was recorded: ²⁴ “In the first year of the reign of Cyrus, King Cyrus ordered the building of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, where they sacrifice with perpetual fire; ²⁵ its height to be sixty cubits and its breadth sixty cubits, with three courses of hewn stone and one course of new native timber; the cost to be paid from the treasury of Cyrus the king; ²⁶ and that the holy vessels of the house of the Lord, both of gold and of silver, which Nebuchadnez′zar took out of the house in Jerusalem and carried away to Babylon, should be restored to the house in Jerusalem, to be placed where they had been.”

²⁷ So Darius^[e] commanded Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phoenic′ia, and Sathrabuzanes, and their associates, and those who were appointed as local rulers in Syria and Phoenic′ia, to keep away from the place, and to permit Zerub′babel, the servant of the Lord and governor of Judea, and the elders of the Jews to build this house of the Lord on its site. ²⁸ “And I command that it be built completely, and that full effort be made to help the men who have returned from the captivity of Judea, until the house of the Lord is finished; ²⁹ and that out of the tribute of Coelesyria and Phoenic′ia a portion be scrupulously given to these men, that is, to Zerub′babel the governor, for sacrifices to the Lord, for bulls and rams and lambs, ³⁰ and likewise wheat and salt and wine and oil, regularly every year, without quibbling, for daily use as the priests in Jerusalem may indicate, ³¹ in order that libations may be made to the Most High God for the king and his children, and prayers be offered for their life.”

³² And he commanded that if any should transgress or nullify any of the things herein written,^[f] a beam should be taken out of his house and he should be hanged upon it, and his property should be forfeited to the king.

³³ “Therefore may the Lord, whose name is there called upon, destroy every king and nation that shall stretch out their hands to hinder or damage that house of the Lord in Jerusalem.

³⁴ “I, King Darius, have decreed that it be done with all diligence as here prescribed.”