Beginning

Chapter 4

Samaritan Interference. ¹ When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were in the process of building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, ² they approached Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the heads of families and said: “Let us assist you as you build, for we reverence your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of King Esarhaddon of Assyria who brought us here.”

³ However, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of Israelite families replied: “You shall have no share in the building of the house for our God. We alone shall build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia has commanded us.”

⁴ As a result, the people who lived around them became determined to discourage the people of Judah and to make them fearful of continuing to build. ⁵ Moreover, they also bribed officials to frustrate the plans of the people of Judah. This continued during the remaining years of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and into the reign of King Darius of Persia.^[a]

Later Hostility.^{[b] 6} At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, the people of the land drew up an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. ⁷ And later, in the days of Artaxerxes of Persia, Mithredath joined Tabeel and their other associates in writing a letter to the king in Aramaic and then translated.

⁸ After that, Rehum the governor and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes denouncing Jerusalem as follows:

⁹ “From Rehum the governor and Shimshai the secretary, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the envoys, the officials, the magistrates, and the governors over the men from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, and Babylon, the Elamites in Susa, and ¹⁰ all the other peoples whom the great and illustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled, in the city of Samaria and in the rest of the province of West-of-Euphrates.”^[c]

¹¹ This is a copy of the letter that they sent to him: “To King Artaxerxes, from your servants, the people of the province of Trans-Euphrates: ¹² The king has the right to know that the Jews who came up from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem and are in the process of rebuilding this rebellious and wicked city. They have restored the walls and are repairing the foundations. ¹³ Now we wish to inform the king that if the city is rebuilt and the walls are restored, they will refuse to pay tribute, taxes, or tolls, causing the royal revenues to be sharply reduced.

¹⁴ “Now, because we share the salt of the palace,^[d] we know that it is not right for us to witness the king’s dishonor. We therefore are sending this information to the king ¹⁵ in order that a search may be made in the archives of your ancestors. In those archives you will discover that this is a rebellious city greatly troublesome to kings and provinces, and that sedition has been stirred up within its walls from the earliest times. That is why this city was destroyed. ¹⁶ Therefore, we wish to inform you, O king, that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are raised up again, you will be left without any territory in Trans-Euphrates.”

¹⁷ The king sent this reply: “To Rehum the governor, to Shimshai the secretary, and to the rest of their associates who reside in Samaria and in the province of West-of-Euphrates: Greetings!

¹⁸ “The letter you have sent to us has now been accurately translated and been read in my presence. ¹⁹ When an inquiry was made at my command, it was discovered that this city has frequently risen up against the kings in the past, and that revolt and rebellion were more than an occasional occurrence. ²⁰ In addition, powerful kings have reigned in Jerusalem and exercised authority over the entire province of West-of-Euphrates while exacting tribute, taxes, and tolls.

²¹ “Therefore, now give orders that these men must cease their work, and make it clear that this city is not to be rebuilt until I issue a decree to that effect. ²² And take care that you do not act negligently in this regard, lest the damage increase, to the detriment of the royal house.”

²³ As soon as the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read before Rehum the governor, Shimshai the secretary, and their colleagues, they traveled immediately to Jerusalem and compelled the Jews by force of arms to stop their work.

²⁴ Rebuilding of the Temple. Work on the house of God in Jerusalem then ceased, and it so remained until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.^[e]

Chapter 5

¹ Afterward, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.^{[f] 2} Thereupon Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, began again to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, giving them support.

³ At that time Tattenai, the governor of West-of-Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates came to them and asked: “Who has given you the authority to rebuild this house and complete this structure? ⁴ What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?” ⁵ However, the eyes of their God continued to watch over the elders of the Jews, and they were not forced to stop until a report could reach Darius and an official reply could then be sent back in regard to this matter.

⁶ This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates sent to King Darius. ⁷ This is the written report that they forwarded to him:

“To King Darius: Our sincere greetings. ⁸ Let it be known to your majesty that we went to the province of Judah and visited the house of the great God. It is being rebuilt with massive stones, and beams of timber are being laid in the walls. The work is being done diligently, and significant progress has been made.

⁹ “We then questioned the elders, asking them: ‘Who gave you permission to build this house and to finish this structure?’ ¹⁰ We also asked them their names for your information so that we could record the names of those who were their leaders.

¹¹ “They gave us this answer: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are in the process of rebuilding the house that was erected many years ago, a house that a great king of Israel had built and completed. ¹² But because our ancestors provoked the wrath of the God of heaven, he delivered them into the power of Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldean king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

¹³ “ ‘However, King Cyrus of Babylon,^[g] in the first year of his reign, issued a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. ¹⁴ Moreover, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had removed from the temple of Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, King Cyrus in turn removed from the temple of Babylon and ordered them to be delivered into the hands of a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. ¹⁵ He said to him: “Take these vessels. Go forth and deposit them in the temple of Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original 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 completed.’ ¹⁷ Now, if it pleases the king, order that a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to ascertain whether a decree was issued by King Cyrus for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. Then ask the king to convey his decision on this matter to us.”

Chapter 6

The Decree of Darius.^{[h] 1} After that, King Darius issued an order to search the archives where the documents were stored in Babylon. ² Eventually in the fortress of Ecbatana,^[i] a scroll was discovered with the following text:

³ “In the first year of his reign, King Cyrus issued this decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered and burnt offerings are presented. Its height shall be sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, ⁴ with three layers of massive stones and one layer of timber. The cost is to be defrayed by the royal treasury.

⁵ “Furthermore, the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be given back. Each one is to be returned to its proper place in the temple in Jerusalem and deposited in the house of God.

⁶ “Now you, Tattenai, governor of West-of-Euphrates, and Shethar-bozenai, and your associates, the officials in West-of-Euphrates, keep away from that place. ⁷ Leave the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews alone so that they may continue to work on that house of God. They are to rebuild it on its former site.

⁸ “I have also issued a decree in regard to your dealings with the elders of the Jews to ensure the rebuilding of this house of God. Let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay, from the royal revenue, the taxes of West-of-Euphrates. ⁹ Whatever else is required—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to what the priests in Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail, ¹⁰ so that they may offer sacrifices that are acceptable to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.

¹¹ “Furthermore, I have issued a decree: if anyone disobeys this order, a beam shall be torn from his house. Then he is to be impaled on it, and his house is to be reduced to a pile of rubble. ¹² May the God who has established his name there overthrow every king or people who may presume to change or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be strictly obeyed.”

¹³ The Work Completed. Then Tattenai, the governor of West-of-Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates fully carried out the instructions sent to them by King Darius, ¹⁴ and the elders of the Jews continued to make good progress with the rebuilding. Supported by the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, they completed the reconstruction in accordance with the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the king of Persia.

¹⁵ This temple was completed on the twenty-third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. ¹⁶ The Israelites—the priests, the Levites, and the remainder of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. ¹⁷ For the dedication of this house of God they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs, and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁸ Then they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions for the service of God in Jerusalem, as prescribed in the Book of Moses.

¹⁹ The Passover. The exiles celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. ²⁰ For both the priests and the Levites had purified themselves, and they were all ceremonially clean. The Levites sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles who had returned, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.

²¹ Therefore, the Israelites who had returned from exile, as well as those who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel, ate the Passover lamb. ²² For seven days they joyfully celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice by making the king of Assyria change his attitude toward them, so that he supported them in their work on the house of God, the God of Israel.^[j]

The Deeds of Ezra^[k]

Chapter 7

Ezra the Scribe. ¹ After these occurrences, during the reign of Artaxerxes,^[l] king of Persia, Ezra, the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, ² son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, ³ son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, ⁴ son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, ⁵ son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of the high priest Aaron— ⁶ this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which was given by the Lord, the God of Israel, and the king granted him everything that he requested, since the hand of the Lord God was upon him.

⁷ Ezra was accompanied to Jerusalem by a number of Israelites, priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple slaves in the seventh year of the reign of King Artaxerxes. ⁸ Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king’s reign.

⁹ On the first day of the first month, Ezra had ordered the departure from Babylon, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, since the gracious hand of his God was upon him. ¹⁰ For he had devoted himself to the study and observance of the law of the Lord so as to put that law into practice and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.

¹¹ The Decree of Artaxerxes. This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest-scribe, a scholar in matters pertaining to the commandments and statutes of the Lord for Israel:^[m]

¹² “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest-scribe, a scholar versed in the commandments and statutes of the Lord for Israel. ¹³ I have issued a decree stating that any of the people of Israel in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who freely choose to go up to Jerusalem with you are free to do so. ¹⁴ For you are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries as to how the law of your God in which you are extremely knowledgeable is being followed in Judah and Jerusalem.

¹⁵ “You are also to convey the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have voluntarily offered to the God of Israel whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶ as well as all the silver and gold which you may receive throughout the province of Babylon and the voluntary offerings that have been freely contributed by the people and the priests for the house of their God in Jerusalem.

¹⁷ “You must spend this money with extreme care to purchase bulls, rams, and lambs, as well as the cereal offerings and libations, and sacrifice them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem. ¹⁸ As for the remainder of the silver and gold, you and your brothers may do whatever seems best to you. ¹⁹ In the presence of the God of Israel you are to deliver those vessels that have been given to you for the service of the house of your God. ²⁰ As for whatever else is required and you are obliged to supply for the needs of the house of your God, you may supply from the royal treasury.

²¹ “I, King Artaxerxes, have issued this decree to all the treasurers of West-of-Euphrates: Whatever the priest Ezra, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may request of you is to be provided to him exactly, ²² up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of oil, and unlimited amounts of salt. ²³ Let everything that the God of heaven commands be carried out exactly for the house of the God of heaven so that wrath may not be inflicted upon the realm of the king and his sons. ²⁴ We also wish to make clear to you that it is against the law to impose a tribute, tax, or toll on any priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple slaves, or other servants of this house of God.

²⁵ “As for you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God which you possess, you are to appoint magistrates and judges^[n] to administer justice to all the people in West-of-Euphrates—to all, that is, who know the laws of your God. Furthermore, you are to instruct all those who do not know these laws. ²⁶ Whoever refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king is to have judgment be strictly executed, whether the penalty be death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.”

²⁷ Ezra and His Companions. Then Ezra said: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has influenced the heart of the king in this way to glorify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, ²⁸ and who permitted me to be granted the faithful love of the king and his counselors and all the most powerful of the king’s officials. Because the hand of the Lord, my God was upon me, I assembled those Israelite leaders to accompany me.”^[o]