EZRA
Ezra 6 ©
King Darius causes search to be made according to the command of king Cyrus, v. 1. Which being found, the king sends a very strict command to his governor, and to all his council, not only not to hinder the Jews but to help and assist them in all manner of ways, as well in the building of the temple as in necessaries requisite for the worship of God, v. 2, etc. The governor obeys this command, and so the temple is finished and dedicated, 13. Moreover, the passover feast is kept with joy, 19.
THEN1 Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the 2house of the rolls,a where the 3treasures were laid up in 4Babylon.
And there was found at 5Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a 6roll, and therein was a record thus written:7
In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, 8the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be 9strongly laid; the height thereof 10threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;
With three rows of 11great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:
And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which 12is at Jerusalem, every one 13to his place, and 14place them in the house of God.
Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the 15river, Shethar-boznai, and 16your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, 17be ye far from thence:
18Let 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 his place.
Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not 19hindered.
And that which they have 20need of, both 21young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:
That they may offer sacrifices of 22sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.
Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this 23word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be 24hanged thereon; and let his house be made a 25dunghill for this.
And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put tob their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.
¶Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, according 26to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.
And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of 27Cyrus, and 28Darius, and 29Artaxerxes king of Persia.
And this house was finished on the third day of the month 30Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
¶And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the 31dedication of this house of God with joy,
And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
And they set the priests in their 32divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; 33asc it is written in the book of Moses.
And the children of the captivity kept the passoverd upon the fourteenth day of the 34first month.
For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and 35killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and 36all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to 37seek the LORD God of Israel, did 38eat,
And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of 39Assyria unto them, to strengthen their 40hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.