Beginning
The Samaritans Stop the Work
4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people who returned from exile were building a temple for Yahweh Elohim of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families. They told them, “We want to help you build because we worship the same Elohim you worship. We have been sacrificing to him[a] since the time of King Esarhaddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of Israel’s families told them, “It isn’t right for your people and our people to build a temple for our Elohim together. We must build it alone for Yahweh Elohim of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia ordered us to do.”
4 Then the people of that region discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to continue building. 5 They bribed officials to keep the people of Judah from carrying out their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius of Persia.
6 When Xerxes began to rule, the enemies of Judah and Jerusalem wrote a letter in which they made an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their group wrote to him when Artaxerxes was king of Persia. The letter was written with the Aramaic script and translated into the Aramaic language.
8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote another letter against the people of Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes. 9 At that time, Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe were with the others of their group—the people from Denya, Partakka, Tarpel, Persia, Erech, Babylon, Susa, (that is, those of Elam), 10 and the rest of the people whom the great and noble Assurbanipal deported. (Assurbanipal settled them in the cities of Samaria and the rest of the lands west of the Euphrates River.) 11 This is the copy of the letter they sent to him:
To King Artaxerxes,
From your servants, the people west of the Euphrates:
12 Your Majesty, you should know that the Jews who came to us from you are now in Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are close to finishing the walls. The foundations are already in place. 13 You should also know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, the Jews will no longer pay taxes, fees, and tolls.
Ultimately, this will hurt the king’s income. 14 Now, because we are paid by your palace, it isn’t right for us to watch something happen that will dishonor the king. So we are sending this letter to inform you 15 that you should search the official records of your predecessors. You will find in those official records that this city has been rebellious and has been a threat to kings and provinces. This city has a history of rebelliousness. That’s why this city was destroyed. 16 We want the king to know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, you will have nothing left of your province west of the Euphrates River.
17 Then the king sent this reply:
To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their group living in Samaria, and to others west of the Euphrates River:
I wish you peace and prosperity!
18 The letter you sent me has been read word for word in my presence. 19 I gave the order, and a search was made. I discovered that this city has a long history of uprisings against kings. Its inhabitants are guilty of treason and rebellion. 20 Jerusalem has had powerful kings who have ruled the whole province west of the Euphrates. Taxes, fees, and tolls were paid to them. 21 So order these men to stop rebuilding. Keep this city from being rebuilt until I give the order. 22 Be careful not to neglect your duty in this matter. Why should I, the king, suffer any more harm?
23 Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and their group hurried to Jerusalem after hearing a copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter. They forced the Jews to stop rebuilding.
24 Then the work on Elah’s temple in Jerusalem was stopped. Nothing more was done until Darius’ second year as king of Persia.
Work Resumed on the Temple
5 The prophet Haggai and Zechariah, grandson of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of Israel’s Elah, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel, who was Shealtiel’s son, and Jeshua, who was Jozadak’s son, began to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem. Elah’s prophets were with them and supported them.
3 At the same time, Governor Tattenai from the province west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai, and their group went to the Jews and asked them, “Who gave you permission to rebuild this temple and finish its walls?” 4 They also asked the Jews for the names of the men who were working on this building.
5 But the leaders of the Jews were under Elah’s watchful eye. They couldn’t be stopped until Darius received a report and sent a reply to it.
Permission Requested from Darius
6 Here is a copy of the letter Governor Tattenai from the province west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai and his group (the Persians west of that river) sent to King Darius. 7 They sent him the following report:
To King Darius,
We wish you peace and prosperity in everything you do.
8 Your Majesty should know that we went to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great Elah. The temple is being built with large stones and with wooden beams laid in its walls. The builders are doing an excellent job and making rapid progress. 9 We asked their leaders the following question: “Who gave you permission to rebuild this temple and finish its walls?” 10 For your information, we also asked them for their names so that we would have a record of the men who were their leaders. 11 This was their reply to us:
“We are the servants of the Elah of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple that was originally built many years ago by a great king of Israel. 12 But because our ancestors made the Elah of heaven angry, he handed them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (a Chaldean). So Nebuchadnezzar destroyed this temple and deported its people to Babylon.
13 “However, in the first year of the reign of King Cyrus of Babylon, Cyrus gave permission for Elah’s temple to be rebuilt. 14 In addition, Cyrus took out of a temple in Babylon the gold and silver utensils that belonged to Elah’s temple. (Nebuchadnezzar had taken them out of Elah’s temple in Jerusalem and brought them into a temple in Babylon.) Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. 15 Cyrus told him, ‘Take these utensils. Place them in the temple in Jerusalem. Rebuild Elah’s temple on its original site.’ 16 Then Sheshbazzar laid the foundation of Elah’s temple in Jerusalem. The temple has been under construction from that time until now, but it still isn’t finished.”
17 If it pleases Your Majesty, allow someone to search the king’s archives in Babylon to determine whether King Cyrus gave permission for the temple of Elah to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then please send us Your Majesty’s decision on this matter.
King Darius Finds King Cyrus’ Memorandum
6 Then King Darius gave the order to search the library where the archives were stored in Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in the palace of Ecbatana, which is in the province of Media. This was written on it:
MEMORANDUM
3 Date: Cyrus’ first year as king
From: King Cyrus
Subject: Elah’s temple in Jerusalem.
The temple should be rebuilt as a place to offer sacrifices. Its foundation should be laid. It should be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide 4 with three rows of large stones and a row of wood. The king’s palace will pay for it. 5 In addition, Cyrus took out of a temple in Babylon the gold and silver utensils that belonged to Elah’s temple. (Nebuchadnezzar had taken them out of Elah’s temple in Jerusalem and brought them into a temple in Babylon.) They should be returned to their proper place in the temple in Jerusalem. You should put each one in Elah’s temple.
6 Governor Tattenai from the province west of the Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and those of your group (the Persians west of the river):
You must stay away from there. 7 Don’t interfere with the work on Elah’s temple. Let the governor of the Jews and the leaders of Judah rebuild Elah’s temple on its original foundation. 8 I am issuing this decree about how you must help the Jewish leaders rebuild Elah’s temple:
The cost for this should be paid out of the king’s own money from the taxes on the province west of the Euphrates. Full payment should be made to these men so that the work is not interrupted. 9 Also, whatever the priests in Jerusalem need for burnt offerings to the Elah of heaven—young bulls, rams, lambs, wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil—should be provided for them each day. Make sure that nothing is omitted. 10 Then they can offer sacrifices that please the Elah of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
11 I am also issuing a decree that if anyone tampers with my orders, that person should be impaled on a beam torn from his own house and his house should be turned into a pile of rubble.[b] 12 May the Elah whose name is worshiped there cause the downfall of each king and nation who tries to tamper with my orders or tries to destroy the temple of the Elah in Jerusalem.
I, Darius, have issued a decree. It’s to be carried out exactly as ordered.
13 Then Governor Tattenai from the province west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai, and their group did exactly what King Darius had ordered. 14 So the Jewish leaders continued to make progress because of the message from the prophet Haggai and Zechariah, the grandson of Iddo. They finished building as the Elah of Israel had ordered and as Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes (the kings of Persia) had ordered. 15 This temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of King Darius’ reign.
The Temple Is Completed and Dedicated
16 Then the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the others who had returned from exile celebrated at the dedication of Elah’s temple. 17 At the dedication of Elah’s temple, they sacrificed 100 bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs. They sacrificed 12 male goats as an offering for sin, one goat for each of the tribes of Israel.
18 The priests were assigned to their divisions and the Levites to their groups to lead the worship of Elah in Jerusalem by following the directions written in the Book of Moses.
The Passover Is Celebrated
19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, those who had returned from exile celebrated the Passover. 20 Since the priests and Levites had cleansed themselves, all of them were now clean.[c] They killed the Passover lambs for all the people who had returned from exile, for the rest of the priests, and for themselves. 21 The lambs were eaten by the Israelites who had returned from exile and by all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of the non-Jews in the land to worship Yahweh Elohim of Israel. 22 So for seven days they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread because Yahweh had made them joyful. Yahweh had made the king of Assyria change his mind so that he supported the people in their work on the temple of Elohim, the Elohim of Israel.
Ezra’s Family Background
7 After these things, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra left Babylon.
Ezra was the son of Seraiah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Hilkiah, 2 who was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub, 3 who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth, 4 who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki, 5 who was the son of Abishua, who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazer, who was the son of Aaron (the first priest).
6 As a scribe, Ezra was an expert in Moses’ Teachings, which Yahweh Elohim of Israel had given. The king gave Ezra everything he requested because Yahweh his Elohim was guiding him.
7 Some Israelites (including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants) went to Jerusalem in Artaxerxes’ seventh year as king. 8 In that same year in the fifth month, Ezra arrived in Jerusalem. 9 He had left Babylon on the first day of the first month, and on the first day of the fifth month, he arrived in Jerusalem, since his Elohim was good to him. 10 Ezra was determined to study Yahweh’s Teachings, live by them, and teach their rules and regulations in Israel.
King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra
11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest and scribe, a man with a thorough knowledge of Yahweh’s commands and laws for Israel:
12 From: Artaxerxes, king of kings
To: Ezra the priest, a scribe for the Teachings of the Elah of Heaven:
I wish you peace and prosperity!
13 I have issued a decree that any Israelites who are in my kingdom and want to go with you to Jerusalem may go. This also includes the priests and Levites. 14 I, the king, and my seven advisers are sending you to evaluate the situation in Judah and Jerusalem on the basis of your Elah’s Teachings, which you hold in your hands. 15 Also, you must take the silver and gold that the king and his advisers willingly contributed to the Elah of Israel, the Elah whose temple is in Jerusalem. 16 Take any silver and gold that you find in the whole province of Babylon when you take the gifts contributed by the people and the priests. They willingly contributed these gifts for the temple of their Elah in Jerusalem. 17 You must use this money to buy bulls, rams, lambs, grain, and wine to offer on the altar of the temple of your Elah in Jerusalem. 18 You and your relatives may do whatever you think is right with the rest of the silver and gold. However, what you do must conform to the will of your Elah. 19 The utensils that have been given to you so that they can be used in your Elah’s temple must all be presented to the Elah of Jerusalem. 20 You may use the king’s treasury to pay for anything else that you must provide for your Elah’s temple.
21 I, King Artaxerxes, order all the treasurers in the province west of the Euphrates River to do exactly what Ezra the priest, a scribe for the Teachings of the Elah of Heaven, asks you to do. 22 You may give him up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 100 measures of wheat, 600 gallons of wine, 600 gallons of olive oil, and as much salt as he needs. 23 Whatever the Elah of heaven has commanded must be carried out in detail for the temple of the Elah of heaven. Why should Elah become angry with the king’s empire and his sons? 24 Furthermore, we are notifying you that you are forbidden to make any priest, Levite, singer, gatekeeper, servant, or worker in the temple of this Elah pay any taxes, fees, or tolls.
25 You, Ezra, using your Elah’s wisdom—the Teachings you hold in your hands—will appoint judges and administrators for all the people who know your Elah’s Teachings and live in the province west of the Euphrates River. In addition, you will teach anyone who doesn’t know the Teachings.
26 Whoever will not strictly follow your Elah’s Teachings and the king’s orders should be promptly exiled, have his goods confiscated, be imprisoned or be sentenced to die.
27 I, Ezra, said: Thanks be to Yahweh Elohim of our ancestors. He put this into the king’s mind to make Yahweh’s temple in Jerusalem beautiful. 28 He made the king, his advisers, and all the king’s powerful officials treat me kindly.
I was encouraged because Yahweh my Elohim was guiding me. So I gathered leaders in Israel to go with me.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.