Chronological
4 Now the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity built the Temple to the LORD God of Israel.
2 And they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief fathers, and said to them, “We will build with you. For we seek the LORD your God like you; and we have sacrificed to Him since the time of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”
3 Then Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief fathers of Israel said to them, “It is not for you but for us to build the House to our God. For we ourselves together will build it to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”
4 Therefore, the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.
5 And they hired counselors against them to hinder their plans all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius, king of Persia.
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus (in the beginning of his reign) they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 And in the days of Artachshashta, when it was peace, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. And the writing of the letter was in the Aramites’ writing. And the thing declared was in the language of the Aramites.
8 Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote a letter of this type to Artaxerxes the king, against Jerusalem.
9 Then, Rehum the chancellor wrote, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions Dinai and Apharsathcai, Tarpelai, Persia, Archevai, Bablai, Shushanchai, Dehave, Elamai,
10 and the rest of the people whom the great and noble Osnapper brought over and set in the cities of Samaria, and others who are beyond the River and Cheeneth.
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent to King Artaxerxes, “THY SERVANTS, the men beyond the River and Cheeneth:
12 “Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem (a rebellious and wicked city). And they build and lay the foundations of the walls and have joined the foundations.
13 “Be it known now to the king that if this city is built, and the foundations of the walls laid, they will give neither toll, tribute nor custom. So shall they hinder the king’s tribute.
14 “Now therefore, since we have been brought up in the palace, it was not right for us to see the king’s dishonor. For this reason, we have sent and informed the king,
15 “so that one may search in the Book of the Chronicles of your fathers, and you shall find in the Book of the Chronicles and perceive that this city is rebellious and noisome to kings and provinces, and that they have incited sedition in former times, for which reason this city was destroyed.
16 “We inform the king that if this city is built, and the foundation of the walls laid, by this means the portion beyond the River shall not be yours.”
17 The king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe and to the rest of their companions who dwelt in Samaria, and to the others beyond the River (Shelam and Cheeth).
18 “The letter which you sent to us has been openly read before me.
19 “And I have commanded, and they have searched, and found, that this city has made insurrection against kings in former times and has rebelled. And rebellion has been committed in it.
20 “Also, there have been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all beyond the River. And toll, tribute and custom were given to them.
21 “Now make a decree that those men may cease, and that the city not be built until I have given commandment.
22 “Be careful now that you do not fail to do this. Why should damage grow to hurt the king?”
23 When the copy of King Artaxerxes’s letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up quickly to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and made them cease by force and power.
24 Then the work of the House of God which was in Jerusalem ceased. And it ceased until the second year of Darius, king of Persia.
5 Then Haggai, a Prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, a Prophet, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the Name of the God of Israel to them.
2 Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, arose and began to build the House of God at Jerusalem, and with them the Prophets of God, who helped them.
3 At the same time, Tattenai came to them (who was captain beyond the River) and Shethar-Boznai and their companions, and said thus to them, “Who has given you commandment to build this House, and to lay the foundations of these walls?”
4 Then we said to them after this manner, “What are the names of the men who build this building?”
5 But the Eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so that they could not make them stop until the matter came to Darius. And then they answered by letters about it.
6 The copy of the letter that Tattenai, captain beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai and his companions, Persians, (who were beyond the river) sent to King Darius
7 (they sent a letter to him in which it was written): “TO DARIUS the king, all peace.
8 “Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the House of the great God, which is built with great stones. And beams are laid in the walls. And this work is wrought speedily and prospers in their hands.
9 “Then asked we those elders, and said to them thus, ‘Who has given you commandment to build this House, and to lay the foundation of these walls?’
10 “We also asked their names so that we might inform you, and so that we might write the names of the men who were their rulers.
11 “But they answered us thus, and said, ‘We are the servants of the God of Heaven and Earth, and build the House that was built of old, many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and founded.
12 ‘But after our fathers had provoked the God of Heaven to wrath, He gave them over into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, the Chaldean. And he destroyed this house and carried the people away captive to Babel.
13 ‘But in the first year of Cyrus, king of Babel, King Cyrus made a decree to build this House of God.
14 ‘And the vessels of gold and silver of the House of God which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babel—Cyrus the king took those out of the temple of Babel and gave them to Sheshbazzar by name, whom he had made captain.
15 ‘And he said to him, “Take these vessels and go your way, and put them in the Temple that is in Jerusalem. And let the House of God be built in its place.”
16 ‘Then, the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the House of God, which is in Jerusalem. And since that time until now, it has been under construction. It is not finished yet.’
17 “Now therefore, if it pleases the king, let there be a search made in the house of the king’s treasures which is there in Babel, to find whether a decree has been made by King Cyrus to build this House of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send his pleasure concerning this.”
6 Then King Darius gave commandment. And they searched in the library of the treasures which were laid up there in Babel.
2 And a volume was found in a coffer (in the palace that was in the province of the Medes). And a memorial was written in it:
3 “IN THE FIRST year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus made a decree for the House of God in Jerusalem: ‘Let the House be built, the place where they offered Sacrifices. And let its walls be joined together. Let its height be sixty cubits, and its width sixty cubits,
4 ‘with three rows of great stones, and one row of timber. And let the expenses be given from the king’s house.
5 ‘And also let them render the vessels of the House of God (from gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple which was in Jerusalem and brought to Babel). And let each go to the Temple in Jerusalem to its place and put it in the House of God.’
6 “Therefore Tattenai, captain beyond the river, and Shethar-Boznai, (and their companions, Apharsecai, who are beyond the River) stay far from there.
7 “Allow the work of this House of God, so that the captain of the Jews and the elders of the Jews may build this House of God in its place.
8 “For I have given a commandment as to what you shall do for the elders of these Jews for the building of this House of God: that the revenue of the king which is from the tribute beyond the River shall immediately be given for these men’s expenses, so that they do not cease.
9 “And that which they shall have need of, let it be given to them day by day, whether it be young bulls, or rams, or lambs for the Burnt Offerings of the God of Heaven, or wheat, salt, wine and oil, according to the appointment of the priests who are in Jerusalem, without fail,
10 “so that they may have sweet odors to offer to the God of Heaven, and pray for the king’s life and for his sons.
11 “And I have made a decree that whoever shall alter this edict shall have the wood pulled down from his house. And it shall be set up, and he shall be hanged on it. And his house shall be made a dunghill for this.
12 “And may the God Who has caused His Name to dwell there destroy all kings and people who make it their intention to alter and to destroy this House of God, which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have made a decree. Let it be done with speed.”
13 Then Tattenai, the captain beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai and their companions, did according to that which Darius had sent, speedily.
14 So the elders of the Jews built. And they prospered by the prophesying of Haggai the Prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, by the appointment of the God of Israel, and by the commandment of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes, king of Persia.
15 And this House was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity kept the dedication of this House of God with joy,
17 and offered one hundred bulls at the dedication of this House of God, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve goats, for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they set the priests in their order, and the Levites in their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.
19 And the children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month,
20 for the priests and the Levites were purified altogether. And they killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren, the priests, and for themselves.
21 So, the children of Israel who had come back out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate.
22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy. For the LORD had made them glad and turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to encourage them in the work of the House of God, the God of Israel.
137 We sat by the rivers of Babel; and there we wept when we remembered Zion.
2 We hung our harps upon the willows, in the midst thereof.
3 Those who led us into captivity required songs and glee from us when we had hung up our harps, saying, “Sing us the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing a song of the LORD in a strange land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget,
6 if I do not remember you. Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not prefer Jerusalem to my chief joy.
7 Remember the children of Edom, O LORD, on the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it! Raze it to the foundation thereof!”
8 O Daughter of Babel, worthy to be destroyed. Blessed is he who rewards you as you have served us.
9 Blessed is he who takes and dashes your children against the stones. A Psalm of David
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