Worship Restored at Jerusalem

3 And when the ^(A)seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. ² Then ^[a]Jeshua the son of ^(B)Jozadak^[b] and his brethren the priests, ^(C)and Zerubbabel the son of ^(D)Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is ^(E)written in the Law of Moses the man of God. ³ Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries, they set the altar on its ^[c]bases; and they offered ^(F)burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening burnt offerings. ^4 (G)They also kept the Feast of Tabernacles, ^(H)as it is written, and ^(I)offered the daily burnt offerings in the number required by ordinance for each day. ⁵ Afterwards they offered the ^(J)regular burnt offering, and those for New Moons and for all the appointed feasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and those of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to the Lord. ⁶ From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, although the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid. ⁷ They also gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and ^(K)food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to the sea, to ^(L)Joppa, ^(M)according to the permission which they had from Cyrus king of Persia.

Restoration of the Temple Begins

⁸ Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, ^(N)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of ^[d]Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work ^(O)and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above to oversee the work of the house of the Lord. ⁹ Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of ^[e]Judah, arose as one to oversee those working on the house of God: the sons of Henadad with their sons and their brethren the Levites.

¹⁰ When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, ^(P)the^[f] priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the ^(Q)ordinance^[g] of David king of Israel. ^11 (R)And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord:

Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

¹² But many of the priests and Levites and ^(U)heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, ¹³ so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.

The Plot Against Daniel

6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; ² and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. ³ Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, ^(A)because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. ^4 (B)So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. ⁵ Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

⁶ So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: ^(C)“King Darius, live forever! ⁷ All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have ^(D)consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. ⁸ Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the ^(E)law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[a]does not alter.” ⁹ Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

¹⁰ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open ^(F)toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees ^(G)three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

¹¹ Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. ^12 (H)And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”

The king answered and said, “The thing is true, ^(I)according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which ^[b]does not alter.”

¹³ So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, ^(J)who is ^[c]one of the captives from Judah, ^(K)does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

¹⁴ And the king, when he heard these words, ^(L)was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he ^[d]labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. ¹⁵ Then these men ^[e]approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is ^(M)the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

¹⁶ So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” ^17 (N)Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, ^(O)and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

Daniel Saved from the Lions

¹⁸ Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no ^[f]musicians were brought before him. ^(P)Also his sleep ^[g]went from him. ¹⁹ Then the ^(Q)king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. ²⁰ And when he came to the den, he cried out with a ^[h]lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, ^(R)has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, ^(S)“O king, live forever! ^22 (T)My God sent His angel and ^(U)shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”

²³ Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, ^(V)because he believed in his God.

Darius Honors God

²⁴ And the king gave the command, ^(W)and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, ^(X)their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.

^25 (Y)Then King Darius wrote:

²⁸ So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius ^(AE)and in the reign of ^(AF)Cyrus the Persian.