Ezra 6
Expanded Bible
The Order of Darius
6 So King Darius ·gave an order [issued a decree] to search the ·records [archives] kept in the treasury in Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in Ecbatana, ·the capital city [or a fortress in the province] of Media [C a major component of the Persian empire in the Zagros mountains, south of the Caspian Sea]. This is what was written on it:
·Note [Memorandum]:
3 King Cyrus ·gave an order [issued a decree] about the ·Temple [L house] of God in Jerusalem in the first year he was king [1:2–4]. This was the order:
“Let the ·Temple [L house] be rebuilt as a place to ·present [offer] sacrifices. Let its foundations be ·laid [or retained]; it should be ·ninety feet [L 60 cubits] high and ·ninety feet [L 60 cubits] wide. 4 It must have three layers of large stones ·and then one [for every] layer of timbers. The costs should be paid from the king’s treasury. 5 The gold and silver ·utensils [articles; vessels] from the ·Temple [L house] of God should be returned and put back in their places. Nebuchadnezzar took them from the Temple in Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon [Dan. 1:1–3], but they are to be put back in the ·Temple [L house] of God in Jerusalem.”
6 Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates [C provinces west of the Euphrates River], Shethar-Bozenai, and ·all the officers of that area [their colleagues and officials of the Trans-Euphrates], stay away from there. 7 ·Do not bother [L Leave alone] the work on that ·Temple [L house] of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this ·Temple [L house] where it was before.
8 Also, I ·order you [issue a decree] to do this for those elders of the Jews who are ·building [rebuilding] this ·Temple [L house] of God: The cost of the building is to be fully paid from the royal treasury, from ·taxes [tribute] collected from Trans-Euphrates. Do this ·so the work will not stop [or without delay]. 9 Give those people anything they need—young bulls, ·male sheep [rams], or lambs for burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] to the God of heaven, or wheat, salt, wine, or olive oil. Give the priests in Jerusalem anything they ·ask for [require] every day without fail. 10 Then they may offer sacrifices ·pleasing [acceptable] to the God of heaven, and they may pray for the ·life [or welfare] of the king and his ·sons [family].
11 Also, I ·give this order [issue this decree]: If anyone ·changes [defies; violates] this ·order [decree], a wood beam is to be pulled from his house and ·driven through his body [or he will be hanged from/flogged on it]. Because of his crime, make his house a ·pile of ruins [or rubbish heap; dung hill]. 12 God has ·chosen Jerusalem as the place he is to be worshiped [L caused his name to reside there]. May he punish any king or ·person [or nation; L people] who ·tries [L reaches out his hand] to ·change [defy; violate] this ·order [decree] and destroy this ·Temple [L house] of God.
I, Darius, have ·given this order [issued this decree]. Let it be ·obeyed quickly and carefully [carried out with all diligence].
Completion of the Temple
13 So, Tattenai, the governor of Trans-Euphrates [C provinces west of the Euphrates River], Shethar-Bozenai, and their ·fellow workers [colleagues] carried out King Darius’ ·order [decree] ·quickly and carefully [with all diligence]. 14 The Jewish elders continued to build and ·were successful [prospered] because of the ·preaching [prophesying] of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a ·descendant [son; 5:1] of Iddo [C see the biblical books named for them]. They finished building the ·Temple [L house] as the God of Israel had commanded and as kings Cyrus [C ruled 559–529 bc, though 539 bc was the first year of his reign over the empire that included Babylon], Darius [C ruled 522–486 bc], and Artaxerxes of Persia [C ruled 485–465 bc] had ·ordered [decreed]. 15 The ·Temple [L house] was finished on the third day of the month of Adar [C March 12] in the sixth year Darius was king.
16 Then the people of Israel celebrated and ·gave [dedicated] the ·Temple [L house] to God to honor him. Everybody was happy: the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the ·Jews who had returned from captivity [exiles; L sons/people of the exile]. 17 They ·gave [dedicated] the ·Temple [L house] to God by offering a hundred bulls, two hundred ·male sheep [rams], and four hundred lambs as sacrifices. And as an ·offering to forgive the sins of [sin offering for or purification offering for; Lev. 4:3] all Israel, they offered twelve male goats, ·one goat for each tribe in [corresponding to the number of tribes of] Israel. 18 Then they ·put [installed; divided; appointed] the priests and the Levites into their ·separate groups [various divisions] to serve God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.
The Passover Is Celebrated
19 The ·Jews who returned from captivity [L sons/people of the exile] ·celebrated [observed] the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month [C April 21; Ex. 12:1–30, 43–51; Lev. 23:4–8; Num. 28:16–25; Deut. 16:1–18]. 20 The priests and Levites had ·made themselves clean [purified themselves]. Then the Levites ·killed [slaughtered; sacrified] the Passover lambs for all the ·people who had returned from captivity [exiles], for their ·relatives the [or fellow; L brothers the] priests, and for themselves. 21 So all the ·people [sons] of Israel who returned from ·captivity [exile] ·ate the Passover lamb [L ate]. So did the people who had ·given up the unclean ways of their non-Jewish neighbors [separated themselves from the impurity/pollution of the nations] in order to ·worship [seek] the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread [Ex. 12:17–20; 34:18]. The Lord had made them ·happy [rejoice] by ·changing the mind [turning the heart] of the king of Assyria [C a deliberate anachronism, since Assyria had fallen earlier in 612 bc] so that he helped them in the work on the ·Temple [L house] of the God of Israel.
Ezra 6
Amplified Bible
Darius Finds Cyrus’ Decree
6 Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was conducted in Babylon in the archives where the treasures [and records] were stored. 2 In Ecbatana in the fortress (palace) in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was recorded: “Memorandum— 3 In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let the temple (house), the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be strongly laid, its height and its width each 60 cubits, 4 with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. 5 Also let 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 brought back to their [proper] places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.’
6 “Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province [a]west of the [Euphrates] River, Shethar-bozenai and your associates, the officials who are west of the River, keep far away from there. 7 Leave the work on this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site. 8 Also, I issue a decree as to what you are to do for these Jewish elders for 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 west of the River, and that without delay. 9 Whatever is needed, including young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, according to the request of the priests at Jerusalem, let it all be given to them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer pleasing (sweet-smelling) sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11 I have also issued a decree that if there is any man who violates this edict, a beam of timber shall be pulled from his house [and set up]; then he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be turned into a refuse heap for this [violation]. 12 May the God who has caused His [b]Name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts to alter this command, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree; let it be carried out quickly and with due diligence.”
The Temple Completed and Dedicated
13 Then Tattenai, governor of the province west of the [Euphrates] River, with Shethar-bozenai and their associates carried out the decree with due diligence, just as King Darius had sent and commanded. 14 And the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building as commanded by the God of Israel and in accordance with the decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 This temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the [c]sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 And all Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the [former] exiles—celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and, as a sin offering for all Israel, 12 male goats, according to the number of Israel’s tribes. 18 Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their orders for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
The Passover Observed
19 The [former] exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth [day] of the first month. 20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were [ceremonially] clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. 21 The Passover was eaten by the sons (descendants) of Israel (Jacob) who returned from exile and by all those who had separated themselves from the [ceremonial] uncleanness of the nations of the land to join them, in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. 22 They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice and had turned the heart of [d]the king of Assyria toward them, so that he encouraged them and strengthened their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
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