Ezra 5:7-17

7They sent a report to him in which was written thus: To Darius the king, all peace! 8Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great 1God, which is being built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work is being carried on with diligence, and prospers in their hand. 9Then asked we those elders: thus we said to them, Who gave you orders to build this house and to complete this wall? 10We asked their names also, to inform thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them. 11And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the 2God of the heavens and the earth, and build the house that was built these many years ago; and a great king of Israel built and completed it. 12But after that our fathers had provoked the 3God of the heavens to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people away unto Babylon. 13But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, king Cyrus gave orders to build this house of 4God. 14And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of 5God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was at Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those did king Cyrus take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sheshbazzar by name, whom he had appointed governor. 15And he said to him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is at Jerusalem, and let the house of 6God be built in its place. 16Then came the same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation of the house of 7God which is at Jerusalem; and since that time even until now has it been in building, and it is not completed. 17And now, if it seem good to the king, let search be made in the king's treasure-house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that orders were given by king Cyrus to build this house of 8God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.