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 were who were making this building.

5. But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not 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 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 that 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 has it been in building, 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 of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter."

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

2. 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:

3. 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, and its width sixty cubits;

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

5. 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.

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

7. 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.

8. Moreover I make a decree 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.

9. 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;

10. 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.

11. 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.

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

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

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

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

20. 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.

21. 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,

22. 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.

1. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that The LORD's word by Jeremiah's mouth might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

2. "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of The LORD, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.

4. Whoever is left, in any place where he lives, let the men of his place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, besides the freewill offering for God's house which is in Jerusalem.'"

5. Then the heads of fathers' households of Judah and Benjamin, the priests, and the Levites, all whose spirit God had stirred to go up rose up to build The LORD's house which is in Jerusalem.

6. All those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.

7. Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of The LORD's house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods;

8. even those, Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

9. This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives,

10. thirty bowls of gold, four hundred ten silver bowls of a second sort, and one thousand other vessels.

11. All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

In the eighth month, in the second year of DARIUS, The LORD's word came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,