The Book of Ezra

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 6 -

So King Darius ordered an investigation in the house of archives in Babylon.

In the fortified city of Ecbatana in Media a scroll was found; this was its record:

“In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus issued a decree about the house of God in Jerusalem: ’Let the house be rebuilt as a place for sacrifice, let its foundations be laid, let its height be sixty cubits, and its width sixty cubits,

with three rows of large stones and a row of new timber, and let the cost be paid by the king’s house.

Now bring back the gold and silver objects belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon from the temple in Jerusalem and send them back to the temple in Jerusalem. You are to put them in the house of God.’

Now Tattenai, the governor of the Province Beyond the River, Shethar Bozenai, and associates who are in the Province Beyond the River, keep away!

Leave the work of this house of God alone. The governor and Jewish elders will build this house of God at that place.

I am ordering that you must do this for these Jewish elders who build this house of God: Funds from the king’s tribute beyond the River will be used to pay these men so they do not have to stop their work.

Whatever is needed-young bulls, rams, or lambs for the burnt offerings to the God of Heaven, grain, salt, wine, or oil according to the command of the priests in Jerusalem-give these things to them every day without fail.

Do this so they will bring the offering in to the God of Heaven and pray for me, the king, and my sons.

I am ordering that if anyone violates this decree, a beam must be pulled from his house and he must be impaled on it. His house must then be turned into a rubbish heap because of this.

May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree, or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, am ordering this. Let it be done with diligence!”

The Temple Completed

Then because of the decree sent by Darius the king, Tattenai, the governor of the Province Beyond the River, and Shethar Bozenai and his associates, did everything that King Darius had ordered.

So the Jewish elders built in the way that Haggai and Zechariah had instructed by prophesying. They built it according to the decree of the God of Israel and Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

The house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of King Darius’ reign.

Dedication of the Temple

The Israelite people, priests, Levites, and the rest of the captives celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

They offered one hundred bulls, one hundred rams, and four hundred lambs for the dedication of God’s house. Twelve male goats were also offered as a sin offering for all Israel, one for each tribe in Israel.

They also assigned the priests and Levites to work divisions for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it was written in The Book of Moses.

The Returned Exiles Keep the Passover

So those who had been in exile celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

The priests and Levites all purified themselves and slaughtered the Passover sacrifices for all those who had been in exile, including themselves.

The Israelite people who ate some of the Passover meat were those who had returned from exile and had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the people of the land and sought Yahweh, the God of Israel.

They joyfully celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days, for Yahweh had brought them joy and turned the heart of Assyria’s king to strengthen their hands in the work of his house, the house of the God of Israel.

Then Darius the king made a decree, and the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon, was searched.

A scroll was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, and in it this was written for a record:

In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning God’s house at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid, with its height sixty cubits(a) and its width sixty cubits;

with three courses of great stones and a course of new timber. Let the expenses be given out of the king’s house.

Also let the gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple which is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again to the temple which is at Jerusalem, everything to its place. You shall put them in God’s house.

Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, you must stay far from there.

Leave the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.

Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses must be given with all diligence to these men, that they not be hindered.

That which they have need of, including young bulls, rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings to the God of heaven; also wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail,

that they may offer sacrifices of pleasant aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.

I have also made a decree that whoever alters this message, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened on it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.

May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who stretch out their hand to alter this, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree. Let it be done with all diligence.

The Temple Completed

Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and their companions did accordingly with all diligence, because Darius the king had sent a decree.

The elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

Dedication of the Temple

The children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.

They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

They set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

The Returned Exiles Keep the Passover

The children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

Because the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. They killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.

The children of Israel who had returned out of the captivity, and all who had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, ate,

and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; because the LORD had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God, the God of Israel’s house.

Footnotes

(a)6:3 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.