Historical
3 2 They build the Altar of God. 6 They offer to the Lord. 7 They prepare for the Temple, 11 And sing unto the Lord.
1 And when the [a]seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in their cities, the people assembled themselves as one man unto Jerusalem.
2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the Priests, and Zerubbabel the [b]son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and built the Altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God,
3 And they set the Altar upon [c]his bases (for fear was among them, because of the people of those countries) therefore they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt offerings in the morning, and at even.
4 They kept also the feast of the Tabernacles, as it is written, and they burnt offering (A)daily, by number according to the custom day by day,
5 And afterward [d]the continual burnt offering, both in the new months and in all the feast days that were consecrated unto the Lord, and in all the oblations willingly offered unto the Lord.
6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord: but the foundation of the Temple of the Lord was not laid.
7 They gave money also unto the masons, and to the workmen, and meat and drink, and oil unto them of Zidon and of Tyre, to bring them cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea unto [e]Japho, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.
8 ¶ And in the second year of their coming unto the house of God in Jerusalem, in the [f]second month began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the Priests, and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem, and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above, to set forward the work of the house of the Lord.
9 And Jeshua [g]stood with his sons, and his brethren, and Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God, and the sons of Henadad with their sons, and their brethren the Levites.
10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord, they appointed the Priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, (B)after the ordinance of David king of Israel.
11 Thus they sang when they gave praise, and when they gave thanks unto the Lord, For he is good, for his mercy endureth forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
12 Many also of the Priests and the Levites and the chief of the fathers, ancient men which had seen the first house, (when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes) [h]wept with a loud voice, and many shouted aloud for joy,
13 So that the people could not discern the sound of the shout for joy, from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud cry, and the noise was heard far off.
4 2 The building of the Temple is hindered, and how, 11 Letters to Artaxerxes, and the answer.
1 But [i]the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard, that the children of the captivity built the Temple unto the Lord God of Israel.
2 And they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief fathers, and said unto them, We will build with you: for we seek the Lord your God as ye do, and we have sacrificed unto him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, which brought us up hither.
3 Then Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief fathers of Israel said unto them, It is not for you, but for us to build the house unto our God: [j]for we ourselves together will build it unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
4 Wherefore the people of the land [k]discouraged the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.
5 And they [l]hired counselors against them, to hinder their devise all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 And in the reign of [m]Ahasuerus (in the beginning of his reign) wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 And in the days of [n]Artachshashta, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions wrote when it was peace, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter was the Aramites writing, and the thing declared was in the language of the Aramites.
8 Rehum the [o]chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, in this sort.
9 Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions [p]Dinai, and Apharsathcai, Tarpelai, Persia, Archevai, Bablai, Shushanchai, Dehave, Elamai,
10 And the rest of the people whom the great and noble [q]Osnapper brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and other that are beyond the [r]River and [s]Cheeneth.
11 ¶ This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto King Artaxerxes, THY SERVANTS the men beyond the River and Cheeneth, salute thee.
12 Be it known unto the King that the Jews, which came up from thee to us, are come unto Jerusalem (a city rebellious and wicked) and build, and lay the foundations of the walls, and have joined the foundations.
13 Be it known now unto the king, that if this city be built, and the foundations of the walls laid, they will not give toll, tribute, nor [t]custom: so shalt thou hinder the king’s tribute.
14 Now therefore because [u]we have been brought up in the King’s palace, it was not meet for us to see the King’s dishonor: for this cause have we sent and certified the King,
15 That one may search in the book of the Chronicles of thy fathers, and thou shalt find in the book of the Chronicles, and perceive that this city is rebellious and noisome unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition of old time, for the which cause this city was destroyed.
16 We certify the king therefore, that if this city be built, and the foundation of the walls laid, by this means the portion beyond the River shall not be thine.
17 ¶ The King sent an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwelt in Samaria, and unto the other beyond the River, [v]Shelam and [w]Cheeth.
18 ¶ The letter which ye sent unto us, hath been openly read before me,
19 And I have commanded and they have searched, and found, that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and hath rebelled, and rebellion hath been committed therein.
20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all beyond the River, and toll, tribute and custom was given unto them.
21 Make ye now a decree that those men may cease, and that the city be not built, till I have given another commandment.
22 Take heed now that ye fail not 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 in all the haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and power.
24 Then [x]ceased the work of the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, and did stay unto the second year of Darius king of Persia.
5 1 Haggai and Zechariah do prophesy. 3 The work of the Temple goeth forward contrary to the mind of Tattenai. 6 His letters to Darius.
1 Then [y](C)Haggai a Prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo a Prophet prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah, and Jerusalem, in the Name of the God of Israel, even unto 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 were the Prophets of God, which [z]helped them.
3 ¶ At the same time came to them Tattenai which was captain beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath given you commandment to build this house, and to lay the foundations of these walls?
4 [aa]Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that build this building?
5 But the [ab]eye of their God was upon the Elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they answered by letters thereunto.
6 The copy of the letter, that Tattenai captain beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai and his companions, Persians, (which were beyond the river) sent unto King Darius.
7 They sent a letter unto him, wherein it was written thus, UNTO DARIUS the king, all peace.
8 Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is built with [ac]great stones, and beams are laid in the walls, and this work is wrought speedily, and prospereth in their hands.
9 Then asked we those Elders, and said unto them thus, Who hath given you commandment to build this house, and to lay the foundation of these walls?
10 We asked their names also that we might certify thee, and that we might write the names of the men that 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 and many years ago, which a [ad]great king of Israel (D)built, and founded it.
12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, (E)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 unto Babel.
13 But in the [ae]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 them into the Temple of Babel, those did Cyrus the king take out of the Temple of Babel, and they gave them unto one [af]Sheshbazzar by his name, whom he had made captain.
15 And he said unto him, Take these vessels and go thy way, and put them in the Temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in his place.
16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar and laid the foundation of the house of God, which is in Jerusalem, and since that time even until now, hath it been in building, yet is it not finished.
17 Now therefore if it please the king, let there be search made in the house of the king’s [ag]treasures, which is there in Babel, whether a decree hath been made by king Cyrus, to build this house of God in Jerusalem, and let the King send his mind concerning this.
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