Darius Finds Cyrus’s Decree

6 Then King Darius issued a decree, and ^(A)search was made in the ^[a]archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. ² In ^[b]Ecbatana in the fortress, which is ^(B)in the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: “Memorandum— ^3 (C)In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the ^[c]temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be ^[d]retained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits; ^4 (D)with three layers of huge stones and ^[e]one layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the ^[f]royal treasury. ⁵ Also let ^(E)the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and ^[g]brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.’

⁶ “Now therefore, ^(F)Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the ^[h]River, Shethar-bozenai and ^[i]your colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the ^[j]River, ^[k]keep away from there. ⁷ Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. ⁸ Moreover, ^(G)I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay. ⁹ Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be given to them daily without fail, ¹⁰ that they may offer ^[l]acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and ^(H)pray for the life of the king and his sons. ¹¹ And I issued a decree that ^(I)any man who violates this edict, a timber shall be drawn from his house and he shall be impaled on it and ^(J)his house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this. ¹² May the God who ^(K)has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who ^[m]attempts to change it, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be carried out with all diligence!”

The Temple Completed and Dedicated

¹³ Then ^(L)Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent. ¹⁴ And ^(M)the elders of the Jews ^[n]were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And ^[o]they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree ^(N)of Cyrus, ^(O)Darius, and ^(P)Artaxerxes king of Persia. ¹⁵ This ^[p]temple was completed ^[q]on the third day of the ^(Q)month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

¹⁶ And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the ^[r]exiles, ^(R)celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. ¹⁷ They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel ^(S)12 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁸ Then they appointed the priests to ^(T)their divisions and the Levites in ^(U)their orders for the service of God ^[s]in Jerusalem, ^(V)as it is written in the book of Moses.

The Passover Observed

^19 (W)The exiles observed the Passover on ^(X)the fourteenth of the first month. ^20 (Y)For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then ^(Z)they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. ²¹ The sons of Israel who returned from exile and ^(AA)all those who had separated themselves from ^(AB)the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the Lord God of Israel, ate the Passover. ²² And ^(AC)they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice, and ^(AD)had turned the heart of ^(AE)the king of Assyria toward them to ^[t]encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

The Believer’s Rest

4 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have ^(A)come short of it. ² For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but ^(B)the word ^[a]they heard did not profit them, because ^[b]it was not united by faith in those who heard. ³ For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,

although His works were finished ^(D)from the foundation of the world. ⁴ For He has said ^(E)somewhere concerning the seventh day: “^(F)And God ^(G)rested on the seventh day from all His works”; ⁵ and again in this passage, “^(H)They shall not enter My rest.” ⁶ Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of ^(I)disobedience, ⁷ He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying ^[c]through David after so long a time just ^(J)as has been said before,

⁸ For ^(L)if ^[d]Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. ⁹ So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For the one who has entered His rest has himself also ^(M)rested from his works, as ^(N)God did from His. ¹¹ Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same ^(O)example of ^(P)disobedience. ¹² For ^(Q)the word of God is ^(R)living and ^(S)active and sharper than any two-edged ^(T)sword, and piercing as far as the division of ^(U)soul and ^(V)spirit, of both joints and marrow, and ^(W)able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And ^(X)there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are ^(Y)open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great ^(Z)high priest who has ^(AA)passed through the heavens, Jesus ^(AB)the Son of God, let us hold fast our ^(AC)confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have ^(AD)a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been ^(AE)tempted in all things as we are, yet ^(AF)without sin. ¹⁶ Therefore let us ^(AG)draw near with ^(AH)confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.