Ezra 5:1-13

1Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak1 rose up and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them.

3At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates,2 Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

4They also asked,3 “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?”

5But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they were not stopped until a report was sent to Darius and written instructions about this matter were returned.

6This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius. 7The report they sent him read as follows:

To King Darius:

All peace.

8Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. The people are rebuilding it with large stones and placing timbers in the walls. This work is being carried out diligently and is prospering in their hands.

9So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

10We also asked for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders4 for your information.

11And this is the answer they returned:

“We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed. 12But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean who destroyed this temple and carried away the people to Babylon.

13In the first year of his reign, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.