Ezra

Ezra 6

1Darius, finding the decree of Cyrus, maketh a new decree for the advancement of the building. 13Tatnai and Shethar-boznai assisting according to the king's decree, the temple is finished. 16The feast of the dedication is kept, and the passover, with great joy.

1THEN ^aDarius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the ^1*rolls, where the treasures were ²laid up in Babylon.

a ch. 5.17.

2And there was found at ³Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a ^*roll, and therein was a record thus written:

3In the ^bfirst 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, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; ^cthe height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;

b ch. 1.1-4; 5.13-15. 2Ch. 36.23. Is. 44.28; 45.13. c Is. 60.12. Re. 21.16.

4With ^dthree rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and ^elet the expenses be given out of the king's house:

d 1Ki. 6.36. e ch. 7.20. Ps. 68.29. v.8. Is. 60.6,9. Hag. 2.8.

5And also ^flet 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 ⁴brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.

f ch. 1.7,8; 5.14. Je. 27.18-22. 2Ch. 36.8,18. Da. 1.2.

6^gNow therefore , Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-boznai, and your ⁵companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:

g Ps. 76.10. Pr. 21.1,30. Je. 5.22. Ro. 8.31. 2Ch. 4.17. ch. 5.3,6.

7Let 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.

8Moreover ⁶I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that ^hof the king's goods, even of the ⁱtribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not ⁷hindered.

h v.4. Ps. 68.29. Hag. 2.8. Is. 60.6,9. i ch. 4.13.

9And that which they have need of, ^jboth young 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:

j Le. 1-4. Nu. 15; 28; 29. 1Ch. 9.29; 12.40.

10That they may offer sacrifices ⁸of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and ^kpray for the life of the king, and of his sons.

k ch. 7.23. Je. 29.7. 1Ti. 2.2.

11Also I have made a decree, ^lthat whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, ⁹let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.

l ch. 7.26. Da. 3.28,29; 6.24,26.

12And the God that hath caused ^mhis name to dwell there ⁿdestroy all kings and people, that shall ^*put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I ^oDarius have made a decree; let it be done ^pwith speed.

m Ps. 78.68,69; 68.16; 132.13,14; 26.8; 76.1,2; 48.12. 2Ch. 6.6. 2Sa. 7.16. 1Ki. 9.3. n Ps. 5.10; 83.9-18; 92.9; 21.8-12; 68.12,30; 110.5,6. o Pr. 21.1. v.22. Es. 4.14. p v.13. Ec. 9.10. Ps. 119.59,60.

13¶Then ^qTatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, ^rso they did speedily.

q 2Ki. 17.24-34. ch. 4.9. Jn. 4.9. Lu. 9.52,53. r Es. 6.11. Job 5.12,13. Pr. 16.7. Ps. 18.44.

14And ^sthe elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the ^tprophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it , according to the ^ucommandment of the God of Israel, and according to the ^vcommandment of Cyrus, and ^wDarius, and ^xArtaxerxes king of Persia.

s ch. 3.8; 4.3. Zec. 4.6-9. t ch. 5.1,2. Hag. 1; 2. Zec. 1-14. 2Ch. 14.7. u Is. 44.28. Hag. 1.8. v Chald. decree, v.2-12. ch. 1.1; 5.13. w ch. 4.24. x ch. 7.1.

15And this house was finished on the third day of the month ^yAdar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

y Es. 3.7,13; 8.12.

16¶And ^zthe children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of ¹⁰the children of the captivity, kept the ^adedication of this house of God ^bwith joy,

z 1Ch. 22-27. ch. 2.64,70. a Nu. 7.10,88. 1Ki. 8.63. b ch. 3.11,12. 1Ch. 15.28. 2Ch. 7.10.

17And ^coffered 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.

c Nu. 7.1-88. 1Ki. 8.63; 18.31. ch. 8.35. 1Ch. 16.1. 2Ch. 29.22.

18And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; ¹¹as it is ^dwritten in the book of Moses.

d Nu. 3.6; 8.9. 1Ch. 24-26.

19And the children of the captivity ^ekept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.

e Ex. 12.2-49; 23.14,15; 34.18. De. 16.1,2,16. Le. 23.5. Nu. 9.2,3; 28.16. 1Co. 5.7,8. Jos. 5.10. 2Ch. 30; 35.

20For the priests and the Levites were ^fpurified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

f 2Ch. 29.34; 30.15; 35.11,14. He. 7.26,27. 1Pe. 2.9.

21And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all ^gsuch as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,

g ch. 9.11. Ps. 93.5. Ex. 12.47-49. Ro. 12.1,2. 2Co. 6.14-18. Phi. 2.15,16.

22And ^hkept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and ⁱturned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

h 2Ch. 30.21; 35.17. Ex. 12.15,18-20; 13.6,7; 23.15; 34.18. Le. 23.6-8. Nu. 28.17-25; 16.3,4. Jos. 5.11. 1Co. 5.7,8. 1Pe. 2.1,2. i Pr. 21.1. Jn. 19.11. ch. 9.9. v.3-13.