Ezra 5

Temple Work Resumed

1When the prophets, 1Haggai the prophet and 2Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, 2then 3Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and 4the prophets of God were with them supporting them.

3At that time 5Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the 6River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, “7Who issued you a decree to rebuild this 8temple and to finish this structure?” 49Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building. 5But 10the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report could come to Darius, and then a written reply be returned concerning it.

Adversaries Write to Darius

6This is the copy of the letter which 11Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues 12the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. 7They sent a report to him in which it was written thus: “To Darius the king, all peace. 8Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and 13beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands. 9Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?’ 10We also asked them their names so as to inform you, and that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head. 11Thus they 14answered us, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, 15which a great king of Israel built and finished. 12But 16because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, 17He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. 13However, 18in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus 19issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14Also 20the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple 21in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and they were given to one 22whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. 15He said to him, “Take these utensils, go and deposit them in the temple 23in Jerusalem and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place.” 16Then that Sheshbazzar came and 24laid the foundations of the house of God 25in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been under construction and it is 26not yet completed.’ 17Now if it pleases the king, 27let a search be conducted in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, if it be that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his decision concerning this matter.”