²⁴ Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

¹⁵ on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.

⁹ For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.”

Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

³ So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”

The Decree of Darius

6 Then King Darius issued a decree, ^(A)and a search was made in the ^[a]archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon.

⁵ But ^(A)the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so that they could not make them cease till a report could go to Darius. Then a ^(B)written answer was returned concerning this matter.

¹⁸ Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but ^(A)Satan hindered us.