11 But they answered us thus, and said, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was built of old and many years ago, which a [a]great king of Israel (A)built, and founded it.

12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, (B)he gave them over into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people away captive unto Babel.

13 But in the [b]first year of Cyrus king of Babel, King Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 5:11 To wit, Solomon.
  2. Ezra 5:13 Read Ezra 1:1, 2.

11 This is the answer they gave us:

“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple(A) that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our ancestors angered(B) the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.(C)

13 “However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree(D) to rebuild this house of God.

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