⁵ and they bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

Paul before Felix at Caesarea

24 Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, and they reported their case against Paul to the governor.^{(A) 2} When Paul^[a] had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

“Because of you, most excellent Felix, we have long enjoyed peace, and reforms have been made for this people because of your foresight. ³ In every way and everywhere we welcome this with utmost gratitude.^{(B) 4} But, to detain you no further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness. ⁵ We have, in fact, found this man a pestilent fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.^{[b](C) 6} He even tried to profane the temple, so we seized him.^{[c](D) 8} By examining him yourself you will be able to learn from him concerning everything of which we accuse him.”

⁹ The Jews also joined in the charge by asserting that all this was true.^(E)

Paul’s Defense before Felix

¹⁰ When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied:

“I cheerfully make my defense, knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this people.^{(F) 11} As you can find out, it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem.^{(G) 12} They did not find me disputing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd either in the synagogues or throughout the city.^{(H) 13} Neither can they prove to you the charge that they now bring against me.^{(I) 14} But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors, believing everything laid down according to the law or written in the prophets.^{(J) 15} I have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a resurrection of both^[d] the righteous and the unrighteous.^{(K) 16} Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience toward God and all people.^{(L) 17} Now after some years I came to bring alms to my people and to offer sacrifices.^{(M) 18} While I was doing this, they found me in the temple completing the rite of purification, without any crowd or disturbance.^{(N) 19} But there were some Jews from Asia—they ought to be here before you to make an accusation, if they have anything against me.^{(O) 20} Or let these men here tell what crime they had found when I stood before the council, ²¹ unless it was this one sentence that I called out while standing before them, ‘It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’ ”^(P)

²² But Felix, who was rather well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing with the comment, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” ²³ Then he ordered the centurion to keep him in custody but to let him have some liberty and not to prevent any of his friends from taking care of his needs.^(Q)

Paul Held in Custody

²⁴ Some days later when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak concerning faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ And as he discussed justice, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present; when I have an opportunity, I will send for you.”^{(R) 26} At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul, and for that reason he used to send for him very often and converse with him.

²⁷ After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and since he wanted to grant the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.^(S)

Psalm 2

God’s Promise to His Anointed

⁵ But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report reached Darius and then answer was returned by letter in reply to it.^(A)

⁶ The copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates the envoys who were in the province Beyond the River sent to King Darius;^{(B) 7} they sent him a report in which was written as follows: “To Darius the king, all peace! ⁸ May it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built of hewn stone, and timber is laid in the walls; this work is being done diligently and prospers in their hands. ⁹ Then we spoke to those elders and asked them, ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?’^{(C) 10} We also asked them their names, for your information, so that we might write down the names of the men at their head. ¹¹ This was their reply to us: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.^{(D) 12} But because our ancestors had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia.^{(E) 13} However, King Cyrus of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt.^{(F) 14} Moreover, the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem and had brought into the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.^{(G) 15} He said to him, “Take these vessels; go and put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.” ¹⁶ Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been under construction, and it is not yet finished.’^{(H) 17} And now, if it seems good to the king, have a search made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by King Cyrus for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. Let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.”^(I)

The Decree of Darius

6 Then King Darius made a decree, and they searched the archives where the documents were stored in Babylon.^{(J) 2} But it was in Ecbatana, the capital in the province of Media, that a scroll was found on which this was written: “A record. ³ In the first year of his reign, King Cyrus issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices are offered and burnt offerings are brought;^[a] its height shall be sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits,^{(K) 4} with three courses of hewn stones and one course of timber; let the cost be paid from the royal treasury.^{(L) 5} Moreover, let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God that Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon be restored and brought back to the temple in Jerusalem, each to its place; you shall put them in the house of God.”^(M)

⁶ “Now you, Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and you, their associates, the envoys in the province Beyond the River, keep away;^{(N) 7} let the work on this 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, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God: the cost is to be paid to these people, in full and without delay, from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province Beyond the River. ⁹ Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests in Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail, ¹⁰ so that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his children.^{(O) 11} Furthermore, I decree that, if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of the house of the perpetrator, who then shall be impaled on it. The house shall be made a dunghill.^{(P) 12} May the God who has established his name there overthrow any king or people who shall put forth a hand to alter this or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”^(Q)

Completion and Dedication of the Temple

¹³ Then, according to the word sent by King Darius, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what King Darius had ordered.^{(R) 14} So the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of the prophet Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished their building by command of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia,^{(S) 15} and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

¹⁶ The people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.^{(T) 17} They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.^{(U) 18} Then they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.^(V)

²⁴ At that time the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped and was discontinued until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.