¹⁹ And I made a decree, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city from of old has risen against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.

^7 (A)And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, ^(B)he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.

^13 (A)And he took one of the royal offspring^{[a] (B)}and made a covenant with him, ^(C)putting him under oath (^(D)the chief men of the land he had taken away), ¹⁴ that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and keep his covenant that it might stand. ^15 (E)But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors ^(F)to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. ^(G)Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he ^(H)break the covenant and yet escape?

^16 (I)“As I live, declares the Lord God, surely ^(J)in the place where the king dwells ^(K)who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die. ^17 (L)Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, ^(M)when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives. ¹⁸ He despised the oath in breaking the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and did all these things; he shall not escape. ¹⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head.

¹⁷ Therefore, if it seems good to the king, ^(A)let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.”

The Decree of Darius

6 Then Darius the king made a decree, and ^(B)search was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored. ² And in Ecbatana, the citadel that is ^(C)in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was written: “A record.

¹⁵ in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste.

²⁰ For because of the anger of the Lord it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence.

^(A)And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

¹⁴ then you shall inquire and make search and ask ^(A)diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you,