Ezra 5:8-11

8Your Majesty should know that we went to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The temple is being built with large stones and with wooden beams laid in its walls. The builders are doing an excellent job and making rapid progress.

9We asked their leaders the following question: “Who gave you permission to rebuild this temple and finish its walls?”

10For your information, we also asked them for their names so that we would have a record of the men who were their leaders.

11This was their reply to us: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple that was originally built many years ago by a great king of Israel.