5
1 Now
the prophets, Haggai
the prophet and
Zechariah the son
of Iddo,
prophesied to the
Jews who were
in Judah and
Jerusalem. They
prophesied to them
in the name
of the God of
Israel.
2 Then
Zerubbabel the son
of Shealtiel, and
Jeshua the son
of Jozadak rose up
and began to
build God’s house
which is at
Jerusalem; and
with them were
the prophets
of God, helping
them.
3 At the same
time Tattenai, the
governor beyond
the River, came to
them, with Shetharbozenai
and their companions,
and asked them, “Who
gave you a
decree to build
this house and
to finish
this wall?”
4 They
also asked for the
names of the
men who were making
this building.
5 But the
eye of their God
was on the
elders of the
Jews, and
they didn’t make
them cease until
the matter should come
to Darius, and
an answer should
be returned by
letter concerning
it.
6 The
copy of the letter
that Tattenai, the
governor beyond
the River,
and Shetharbozenai, and
his companions
the Apharsachites who
were beyond the
River, sent to
Darius the
king follows.
7 They
sent a letter
to him, in
which was written:
To Darius the
king, all peace.
8 Be
it known to
the king that
we went into the
province of Judah,
to the house
of the great God,
which is being
built with
great stones and timber
is laid in
the walls. This
work goes on with diligence
and prospers in their
hands.
9 Then we
asked those elders,
and said to them
thus, “Who gave you
a decree to
build this house,
and to finish
this wall?”
10 We
asked them their
names also, to
inform you that
we might write the
names of the
men who were at
their head.
11 Thus
they returned us
answer, saying, “We
are the servants
of the God of
heaven and earth
and are building
the house that
was built these
many years ago,
which a great
king of Israel
built and finished.
12 But
after our fathers
had provoked
the God of heaven
to wrath, he
gave them into
the hand of
Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon, the
Chaldean, who
destroyed this
house and carried
the people away
into Babylon.
13 But
in the first
year of Cyrus
king of Babylon,
Cyrus the king
made a decree
to build this
house of God.
14 The
gold and silver
vessels of God’s
house, which
Nebuchadnezzar took
out of the
temple that was
in Jerusalem and
brought into the
temple of Babylon,
those Cyrus the
king also took
out of the
temple of Babylon,
and they were
delivered to one
whose name was
Sheshbazzar, whom
he had made
governor.
15 He said
to him, ‘Take
these vessels, go,
put them in
the temple that
is in Jerusalem,
and let God’s house
be built in its
place.’
16 Then
the same
Sheshbazzar came
and laid
the foundations of God’s
house which is
in Jerusalem.
Since that time
even until now
it has been being
built, and yet it
is not completed.
17 Now
therefore, if
it seems good to
the king, let
a search be
made in the
king’s treasure
house, which is
there at Babylon,
whether it is
so that a
decree was made
by Cyrus the
king to build
this house of God
at Jerusalem; and
let the king
send his pleasure
to us concerning
this matter.”