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Ezra 6
International Standard Version
Ezra 6
International Standard Version
King Darius Verifies the Decree
6 Then King Darius issued an order to search the Hall of Records where the Babylonian archives were stored. 2 The following was found written on a scroll in Ecbatana at the summer[a] palace of the province of Media:
3 Date: First year of Cyrus the King
From: King Cyrus
Subject: The Temple of God in Jerusalem
Let the Temple be rebuilt where they offered sacrifices. Let the foundations thereof be laid with a height of 60 cubits[b] and a width of 60 cubits,[c] 4 constructed[d] with three layers of foundation[e] stone interlaced with a row of new timber, the expenses for which are to be paid from the king’s treasury.
5 Furthermore, let the gold and silver utensils from the Temple of God (that Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple in Jerusalem and carried off to Babylon) be brought back to the Temple at Jerusalem and restored to their respective places in the Temple of God.
King Darius Confirms the Decree
6 To: Tattenai, Trans-Euphrates Governor, Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues living beyond the Euphrates[f] River.
Stay away from there!
7 Leave the work on this Temple of God alone!
Let the Jewish governor and the Jewish leaders build this Temple of God on its site.
8 Furthermore, I hereby decree what you are to do for the Jewish leaders who are building this Temple of God: you are to pay the expenses of these men out of the king’s assets from taxes collected[g] beyond the River so that they are not hindered.
9 And be sure that you don’t fail to provide their daily needs—including young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of Heaven, along with wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as the priests in Jerusalem tell you— 10 so they may approach the God of Heaven with fragrant sacrifices and pray for the life of this king and his sons.
11 I hereby also decree that whoever shall alter the wording of this edict, let his residence be torn down for timber to build a gallows,[h] hang[i] him on it, and turn his home into an outhouse. 12 And may the God who causes his Name to rest there destroy any king or people who might attempt[j] to destroy this Temple of God in Jerusalem.
I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be carried out quickly.
13 Because of what King Darius had mandated, Tattenai, the Trans-Euphrates Governor, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues carried out his orders quickly.
Progress and Completion
14 And so the Jewish leaders continued their building, and prospered because of the prophecies of Haggai the prophet and Iddo’s son Zechariah. They completed the rebuilding in accordance with the commandment from the God of Israel and the edicts of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, king of Persia. 15 The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar during the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 The Israelis—the priests, the descendants of Levi, and the other related descendants who had returned from captivity—celebrated with joy at the dedication of the Temple of God. 17 At the dedication offering of the Temple of God, they presented 100 bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs, along with a sin offering of twelve male goats for the entire nation of Israel according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 Furthermore, they established the priests in their divisions and the descendants of Levi in their positions for the service of God conducted at Jerusalem, as is proscribed in the Book of Moses.
The First Post-Captivity Passover(A)
19 [k]The former exiles[l] observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month 20 because the priests and descendants of Levi had purified themselves together—all of them were pure—and they killed the Passover lamb[m] for every former exile,[n] for their relatives the priests, and for themselves.
21 So the Israelis who had returned from captivity ate the Passover with all who had consecrated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. 22 Then they observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the Lord had made them glad, turning the heart of the king of Assyria toward them and strengthening them for their work on the Temple of God, the God of Israel.
Footnotes
- Ezra 6:2 The Aram. lacks summer
- Ezra 6:3 I.e. about 90 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
- Ezra 6:3 I.e. about 90 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
- Ezra 6:4 The Aram. lacks constructed
- Ezra 6:4 Lit. heavy
- Ezra 6:6 The Aram. lacks Euphrates
- Ezra 6:8 The Aram. lacks collected
- Ezra 6:11 The Aram. lacks a gallows
- Ezra 6:11 Or impale
- Ezra 6:12 Lit. shall put their hand out
- Ezra 6:19 At this point, the text of MT reverts to Heb.
- Ezra 6:19 Lit. The sons of the captivity
- Ezra 6:20 The Heb. lacks lamb
- Ezra 6:20 Lit. for all of the sons of the captivity
Ezra 6
New International Version
Ezra 6
New International Version
The Decree of Darius
6 King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives(A) stored in the treasury at Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:
3 In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid.(B) It is to be sixty cubits[a] high and sixty cubits wide, 4 with three courses(C) of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury.(D) 5 Also, the gold(E) and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.(F)
6 Now then, Tattenai,(G) governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai(H) and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. 7 Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
8 Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:
Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury,(I) from the revenues(J) of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings(K) to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.(L)
11 Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled(M) on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble.(N) 12 May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there,(O) overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I Darius(P) have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
Completion and Dedication of the Temple
13 Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates(Q) carried it out with diligence. 14 So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching(R) of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus,(S) Darius(T) and Artaxerxes,(U) kings of Persia. 15 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.(V)
16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication(W) of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of this house of God they offered(X) a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering[b] for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they installed the priests in their divisions(Y) and the Levites in their groups(Z) for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.(AA)
The Passover
19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.(AB) 20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered(AC) the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. 21 So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves(AD) from the unclean practices(AE) of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord,(AF) the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(AG) because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude(AH) of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
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New International Version (NIV) 
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