1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and AEzra 5:17search was made in the 1Lit house of the booksarchives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. 2 In 1Aram AchmethaEcbatana in the fortress, which is A2 Kin 17:6in the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: “Memorandum— 3  “AEzra 1:1; 5:13In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the 1Lit housetemple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be 2Or fixed, laidretained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits; 4 A1 Kin 6:36with three layers of huge stones and 1So Gr; Aram a layer of new timberone layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the 2Lit king’s houseroyal treasury. 5  ‘Also let AEzra 1:7; 5:14the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and 1Lit gobrought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.’

6 “Now therefore, AEzra 5:3; 6:13Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the 1I.e. Euphrates River, and so throughout the chRiver, Shethar-bozenai and 2Aram theiryour colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the 1I.e. Euphrates River, and so throughout the chRiver, 3Lit be distantkeep away from there. 7  “Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. 8  “Moreover, AEzra 6:4; 7:14-22I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay. 9  “Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be given to them daily without fail, 10 that they may offer 1Lit pleasing; or sweet-smelling sacrificesacceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and AEzra 7:23; Jer 29:7; 1 Tim 2:1, 2pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11  “And I issued a decree that AEzra 7:26any man who violates this edict, a timber shall be drawn from his house and he shall be impaled on it and BDan 2:5; 3:29his house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this. 12  “May the God who ADeut 12:5, 11; 1 Kin 9:3has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who 1Lit sends his handattempts to change it, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be carried out with all diligence!”

13 Then AEzra 6:6Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent. 14 And AEzra 5:1, 2the elders of the Jews 1Lit were building and succeedingwere successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And 2Lit built and finishedthey finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree BEzra 1:1; 5:13of Cyrus, CEzra 4:24; 6:12Darius, and DEzra 7:1Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 This 1Lit housetemple was completed 2Lit untilon the third day of the AEsth 3:7month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the 1Lit sons of the captivityexiles, A1 Kin 8:63; 2 Chr 7:5celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel AEzra 8:3512 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 Then they appointed the priests to A1 Chr 24:1; 2 Chr 35:5their divisions and the Levites in B1 Chr 23:6their orders for the service of God 1Lit which is inin Jerusalem, CNum 3:6; 8:9as it is written in the book of Moses.

19 AEzra 1:11The exiles observed the Passover on BEx 12:6the fourteenth of the first month. 20 A2 Chr 29:34; 30:15For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then B2 Chr 35:11they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. 21 The sons of Israel who returned from exile and ANeh 9:2; 10:28all those who had separated themselves from BEzra 9:11the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the Loʀᴅ God of Israel, ate the Passover. 22 And AEx 12:15they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Loʀᴅ had caused them to rejoice, and BEzra 7:27; Prov 21:1had turned the heart of CEzra 1:1; 6:1the king of Assyria toward them to 1Lit strengthen their handsencourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.