THE BOOK OF EZRA

 

Ezra Chapter 5

1 ¶ Then the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the grandson of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, whose Spirit was upon them.

2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, rose up and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and God’s prophets were with them helping them.

3 ¶ At that time Tatnai, the governor on this side the Euphrates, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, came to them and asked them, Who has commanded you to build this house, and to restore this wall?

4 They also asked, What are the names of the men who are building this structure?

5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they could not make them stop, until the matter came to Darius: and he sent back an answer by return letter regarding this matter.

6 This is a copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who were on this side the river, sent to Darius the king:

7 The letter they sent to him, had this written in it; To Darius the king, peace in every way.

8 Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the temple of the great God, that is being built with huge stones, and with beams laid in the walls, this work is being done diligently, and successfully in their hands.

9 Then we asked those elders, Who authorized you to build this house, and to restore these walls?

10 We also asked their names, so that we might record the names of their leaders and notify you.

11 And they replied, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and rebuild the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

12 But after our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.

13 But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, king Cyrus gave orders to rebuild this house of God.

14 Cyrus also removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver vessels belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and placed in the temple of Babylon. And he delivered them to a man, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;

15 And said to him, Take these vessels, go, take them to the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.

16 Then this Sheshbazzar, came and laid the foundation for the house of God that is in Jerusalem: and from that time until now it has been under construction, and yet it is not finished.

17 So now, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the royal archives, that are at Babylon, to see if it is true, that king Cyrus issued a decree to build this temple of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send us his decision concerning this matter.