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JULY 22
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concerning this matter. This is a copy of the 17 Now therefore, if it seems good to the
letter that Tattenai sent: king, let a search be made in the king’s
treasure house, which is there in
The governor of the region beyond the Babylon, whether it is so that a decree
River, and Shethar-Boznai, and his was issued by King Cyrus to build this
companions, the Persians who were in house of God at Jerusalem, and let the
the region beyond the River, to Darius king send us his pleasure concerning
the king.
this matter.
7 (They sent a letter to him, in which was writ-
ten thus) Then King Darius issued a decree, and a
6 search was made in the archives, where
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To Darius the king: the treasures were stored in Babylon. And at
Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province
All peace.
of Media, a scroll was found, and in it a record
8 Let it be known to the king that we went was written thus:
into the province of Judea, to the temple 3 In the first year of King Cyrus, King
of the great God, which is being built Cyrus issued a decree concerning the
with heavy stones, and timber is being house of God at Jerusalem: “Let the
laid in the walls; and this work goes on house be rebuilt, the place where they
diligently and prospers in their hands.
offered sacrifices; and let the
9 Then we asked those elders, and spoke foundations of it be firmly laid, its
thus to them: “Who commanded you to height sixty cubits and its width sixty
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build this temple and to finish these cubits, with three rows of heavy stones
walls?” We also asked them their and one row of new timber. Let the
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names to inform you, that we might expenses be paid from the king’s
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write the names of the men who were treasury. Also let the gold and silver
chief among them. articles of the house of God, which
And thus they returned us an answer,
11 Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple
saying: “We are the servants of the which is in Jerusalem and brought to
God of heaven and earth, and we are Babylon, be restored and taken back to
rebuilding the temple that was built the temple which is in Jerusalem, each
many years ago, which a great king to its place; and deposit them in the
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of Israel built and completed. But house of God”—
because our fathers provoked the God 6 Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of
of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the region beyond the River, and
the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Shethar-Boznai, and your companions
Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed the Persians who are beyond the River,
this temple and carried the people away keep yourselves far from there. Let
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to Babylon. However, in the first year of the work of this house of God alone; let
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Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus the governor of the Jews and the
issued a decree to build this house of elders of the Jews build this house of
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God. Also, the gold and silver articles of God on its site.
the house of God, which
Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the 8 Moreover I issue a decree as to what
temple that was in Jerusalem and carried you shall do for the elders of these
into the temple of Babylon—those King Jews, for the building of this house of
Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon, God: Let the cost be paid at the king’s
and they were given to one named expense from taxes on the region beyond
Sheshbazzar, whom he had made the River; this is to be given immediately
governor. And he said to him, ‘Take to these men, so that they are not
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these articles; go, carry them to the hindered. And whatever they need—
temple site that is in Jerusalem, and let young bulls, rams, and lambs for the
the house of God be rebuilt on its former burnt offerings of the God of heaven,
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site.’ Then the same Sheshbazzar came wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to
and laid the foundation of the house of the request of the priests who are in
God which is in Jerusalem; but from that Jerusalem—let it be given them day by
time even until now it has been under day without fail, that they may offer
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construction, and it is not finished.” sacrifices of sweet aroma to the God of
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