EZR-5:1 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the

son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that [were] in Judah and

Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, [even] unto them.

EZR-5:2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua

the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which

[is] at Jerusalem: and with them [were] the prophets of God

helping them.

EZR-5:3 At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this

side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and

said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house,

and to make up this wall?

EZR-5:4 Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the

names of the men that make this building?

EZR-5:5 But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews,

 that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came

to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning

this [matter].

EZR-5:6 The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this

side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the

Apharsachites, which [were] on this side the river, sent unto

Darius the king:

EZR-5:7 They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus;

Unto Darius the king, all peace.

EZR-5:8 Be it known unto the king, that we went into the

province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is

builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and

this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.

EZR-5:9 Then asked we those elders, [and] said unto them thus,

Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these

walls?

EZR-5:10 We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we

might write the names of the men that [were] the chief of them.

EZR-5:11 And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the

servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house

that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of

Israel builded and set up.

EZR-5:12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of

heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar

the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and

carried the people away into Babylon.

EZR-5:13 But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon [the

same] king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

EZR-5:14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of

God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that [was] in

Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those

did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they

were delivered unto [one], whose name [was] Sheshbazzar, whom he

had made governor;

EZR-5:15 And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them

into the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, and let the house of God

be builded in his place.

EZR-5:16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the

foundation of the house of God which [is] in Jerusalem: and

since that time even until now hath it been in building, and

[yet] it is not finished.

EZR-5:17 Now therefore, if [it seem] good to the king, let there

be search made in the king's treasure house, which [is] there at

Babylon, whether it be [so], that a decree was made of Cyrus the

king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king

send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

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