Ezra 6

1Then King Darius issued an order, and a search was made in the archives where the treasures were stored in Babylon. 2A scroll was found in the fortress at Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written in it: “Memorandum:

3In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered, and let its foundations be laid firmly. Its height shall be about 90 feet and its width about 90 feet, 4with three layers of large stones and one layer of new timber. The cost is to be paid from the royal treasury. 5Also, the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be given back and taken to the temple in Jerusalem, each to its proper place. You shall put them in the house of God.”

6“Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and your colleagues, the officials of the province Beyond the River: keep away from there. 7Let the work on this house of God go on. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. 8Moreover, I issue a decree about what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in rebuilding this house of God: the cost is to be paid to these men in full from the royal revenue, from the taxes of the province Beyond the River, so that the work will not stop. 9Whatever is needed, whether young bulls, rams or lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, or wheat, salt, wine or oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, must be given to them every day without fail, 10so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11I also decree that if anyone alters this order, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he is to be impaled on it, and his house is to be made a rubbish heap for this offense. 12May the God who has made his name dwell there overthrow any king or people who reaches out a hand to change this or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be carried out with all diligence.”

13Then Tattenai, governor of Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out with diligence what King Darius had ordered. 14So the elders of the Jews went on building and made good progress, encouraged by the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished the building by the command of the God of Israel and by the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15This house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16Then the Israelites, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the returned exiles celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17For the dedication of this house of God they offered 100 bulls, 200 rams and 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. 18They appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

19On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles celebrated the Passover. 20The priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests and for themselves. 21The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to join them in seeking the LORD, the God of Israel. 22For seven days they joyfully celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the LORD had filled them with joy and had changed the attitude of the king of Assyria toward them, so that he supported them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.