2. Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak stood up with his brothers the priests, and ZERUBBABEL the son of Shealtiel and his brothers, and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

3. In spite of their fear because of the peoples of the surrounding lands, they set the altar on its base; and they offered burnt offerings on it to The LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening.

4. They kept the feast of tents, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the ordinance, as the duty of every day required;

5. and afterward the continual burnt offering, the offerings of the new moons, of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to The LORD.

6. From the first day of the seventh month, they began to offer burnt offerings to The LORD; but the foundation of The LORD's temple was not yet laid.

7. They also gave money to the masons, and to the carpenters. They also gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus King of Persia.

8. Now in the second year of their coming to God's house at Jerusalem, in the second month, ZERUBBABEL the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of The LORD's house.

2. they came near to ZERUBBABEL, and to the heads of fathers' households, and said to them, "Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."

3. But ZERUBBABEL, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' households of Israel, said to them, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to The LORD, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."

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.

12. Then ZERUBBABEL, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed The LORD, their God's voice, and the words of Haggai, the prophet, as The LORD, their God, had sent him; and the people feared The LORD.

13. Then Haggai, The LORD's messenger, spoke The LORD's message to the people, saying, "I am with you," says The LORD.

14. The LORD stirred up the spirit of ZERUBBABEL, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of Hosts, their God,