Historical
The Scroll with Cyrus’ Decree Is Found
6 Then King Darius issued a decree, and a (A)search was made in the [a]archives, where the treasures were deposited in Babylon. 2 And in [b]Ecbatana in the fortress, which is (B)in the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows:
“Memorandum—
3 (C)In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree:
‘Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let that house, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be [c]retained, its height being [d]60 cubits and its width 60 cubits;
5 And also let (E)the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and [g]brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall deposit them in the house of God.’
6 “Now (F)Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the [h]River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, [i]keep away from there.
7 Leave that work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild that house of God in its designated place.
8 Moreover, (G)I issue a decree concerning what you shall do for those elders of Judah in the rebuilding of that house of God: the full cost is to be given to those people from the royal treasury out of the tribute of the provinces beyond the River, and that without negligence.
9 Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, according to what the priests in Jerusalem say, it is to be given to them daily without negligence,
10 that they may bring sweet-smelling sacrifices near to the God of heaven and (H)pray for the life of the king and his sons.
11 And I issued a decree that (I)any man who violates this edict, a timber shall be pulled out from his house and he shall be impaled on it and (J)his house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this.
12 May the God who (K)has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who [j]stretches out his hand to change it, so as to destroy that house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be done with all diligence!”
The Dedication of the House of God
13 Then (L)Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent. 14 And (M)the elders of the Jews were building and succeeding through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. So they built and completed it according to the decree of the God of Israel and the decree (N)of Cyrus, (O)Darius, and (P)Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 And this house was brought to completion [k]on the third day of the (Q)month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the [l]exiles, (R)celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They brought near for the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel (S)12 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 Then they appointed the priests to (T)their sections and the Levites in (U)their divisions for the service of God [m]in Jerusalem, (V)as it is written in the book of Moses.
Passover Celebrated
19 (W)And the exiles celebrated the Passover on (X)the fourteenth of the first month. 20 (Y)For the priests and the Levites had cleansed themselves together; all of them were clean. Then (Z)they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. 21 Then the sons of Israel who returned from exile and (AA)all those who had separated themselves from (AB)the uncleanness of the nations of the land to join them, to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, ate the Passover. 22 And (AC)they celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with gladness, for Yahweh had caused them to be glad and (AD)had turned the heart of (AE)the king of Assyria toward them to [n]strengthen them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
Ezra Goes Up from Babylon to Jerusalem
7 (AF)Now after these things, in the reign of (AG)Artaxerxes king of Persia, there went up Ezra 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 Aaron the chief priest. 6 This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a (AH)scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which Yahweh, the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all [o]he requested (AI)because the hand of Yahweh his God was upon him. 7 (AJ)And some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first of the first month [p]he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, (AK)because the good hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to [q]study the law of Yahweh and to practice it, and (AL)to teach His statute and judgment in Israel.
The King’s Decree on Behalf of Ezra
11 Now this is the copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, [r]learned in the words of the commandments of Yahweh and His statutes to Israel:
12 “[s]Artaxerxes, (AM)king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now—
13 (AN)I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who freely offer to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
14 Forasmuch as you are sent from before the king and his (AO)seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand,
15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, (AP)whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,
16 and (AQ)all the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along (AR)with the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who (AS)offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem;
17 with this money, therefore, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, (AT)with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and (AU)bring them near to the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
18 And whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God.
19 Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.
20 The rest of the needs for the house of your God, which may fall upon you to provide, (AV)provide for it from the royal treasury.
21 “So I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the [t]River, that whatever Ezra the priest, (AW)the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may ask of you, it shall be done with all diligence,
22 even up to [u]100 talents of silver, [v]100 kors of wheat, [w]100 baths of wine, [x]100 baths of oil, and salt without written order.
23 Whatever is [y]decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, (AX)so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons.
24 We also make known to you that (AY)it is not allowed to [z]impose tribute, custom, or toll (AZ)on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, (BA)appoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the River, even all those who know the laws of your God; and to anyone who does not know the laws, you shall (BB)make them known.
26 (BC)Whoever will not do the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be done to him with all diligence, whether for death or for [aa]banishment or for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment.”
Yahweh Put This in the King’s Heart
27 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of our fathers, (BD)who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem, 28 and (BE)has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to (BF)the hand of Yahweh my God upon me, and I gathered [ab]chief men from Israel to go up with me.
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