Ezra 5:7-9

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised

⁷ they sent him a report, in which was written as follows: ‘To Darius the king, all peace! ⁸ May it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built of hewn stone, and timber is laid in the walls; this work is being done diligently and prospers in their hands. ⁹ Then we spoke to those elders and asked them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?”