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Ezra 6
New English Translation

Darius Issues a Decree

6 So Darius the king issued orders, and they searched in the archives[a] of the treasury which were deposited there in Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in the citadel[b] of Ecbatana which is in the province of Media, and it was inscribed as follows:

“Memorandum: 3 In the first year of his reign,[c] King Cyrus gave orders concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: ‘Let the temple be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered. Let its foundations be set in place.[d] Its height is to be 90 feet and its width 90 feet,[e] 4 with three layers of large stones[f] and one[g] layer of timber. The expense is to be subsidized[h] by the royal treasury.[i] 5 Furthermore, let the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, be returned and brought to their proper place in the temple in Jerusalem. Let them be deposited in the temple of God.’

6 “Now Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials of Trans-Euphrates—all of you stay far away from there. 7 Leave the work on this temple of God alone.[j] Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple of God in its proper place.

8 “I also hereby issue orders as to what you are to do with those elders of the Jews in order to rebuild this temple of God. From the royal treasury, from the taxes of Trans-Euphrates, the complete costs are to be given to these men so that there may be no interruption of the work.[k] 9 Whatever is needed—whether oxen or rams or lambs for burnt offerings for the God of heaven or wheat or salt or wine or oil, as required by[l] the priests who are in Jerusalem—must be given to them daily without any neglect, 10 so that they may be offering incense to the God of heaven and may be praying for the good fortune of the king and his family.[m]

11 “I hereby give orders that if anyone changes this directive a beam is to be pulled out from his house and he is to be raised up and impaled[n] on it, and his house is to be reduced[o] to a rubbish heap[p] for this indiscretion.[q] 12 May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow any king or nation[r] who reaches out[s] to cause such change so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them be carried out with precision!”

The Temple Is Finally Dedicated

13 Then Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues acted accordingly—with precision, just as Darius the king had given instructions.[t] 14 The elders of the Jews continued building and prospering, while at the same time[u] Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo continued prophesying. They built and brought it to completion by the command of the God of Israel and by the command of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 They finished this temple on the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth[v] year of the reign of King Darius.

16 The people[w] of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles[x]—observed the dedication of this temple of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of this temple of God they offered 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and 12 male goats for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 They appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their divisions over the worship of God at Jerusalem, in accord with[y] the book of Moses. 19 [z] The exiles[aa] observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 The priests and the Levites had purified themselves, every last one,[ab] and they all were ceremonially pure. They sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their colleagues[ac] the priests, and for themselves. 21 The Israelites who were returning from the exile ate it, along with all those who had joined them[ad] in separating themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel. 22 They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had given them joy and had changed the opinion[ae] of the king of Assyria[af] toward them so that he assisted them[ag] in the work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 6:1 tn Aram “the house of the archives.”
  2. Ezra 6:2 tc The translation reads בִירְתָא (birtaʾ, citadel”) rather than the reading בְּבִירְתָא (beviretaʾ, “in the citadel”) found in the MT. The MT probably experienced dittography here.
  3. Ezra 6:3 tn Aram “In the first year of Cyrus the king.”
  4. Ezra 6:3 tn Aram “raised”; or perhaps “retained” (so NASB; cf. NLT), referring to the original foundations of Solomon’s temple.
  5. Ezra 6:3 tc The Syriac Peshitta reads “20 cubits” here, a measurement probably derived from dimensions given elsewhere for Solomon’s temple. According to 1 Kgs 6:2 the dimensions of the Solomonic temple were as follows: length, 60 cubits; width, 20 cubits; height, 30 cubits. Since one would expect the dimensions cited in Ezra 6:3 to correspond to those of Solomon’s temple, it is odd that no dimension for length is provided. The Syriac has apparently harmonized the width dimension provided here (“20 cubits”) to that given in 1 Kgs 6:2.tn Aram “Its height 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about 18 inches (45 cm) long.
  6. Ezra 6:4 tn Aram “stones of rolling.”
  7. Ezra 6:4 tc The translation follows the LXX reading חַד (khad, “one”) rather than the MT חֲדַת (khadat, “new”). If the MT reading “new” is understood to mean freshly cut timber that has not yet been seasoned it would seem to be an odd choice for construction material.
  8. Ezra 6:4 tn Aram “let be given.”
  9. Ezra 6:4 tn Aram “house.”
  10. Ezra 6:7 tc For the MT reading “the work on this temple of God” the LXX reads “the servant of the Lord Zurababel” [= Zerubbabel].
  11. Ezra 6:8 tn The words “of the work” are not in the Aramaic, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  12. Ezra 6:9 tn Aram “according to the word of.”
  13. Ezra 6:10 tn Aram “for the life of the king and his sons.”
  14. Ezra 6:11 sn The practice referred to in v. 11 has been understood in various ways: hanging (cf. 1 Esd 6:32 and KJV); flogging (cf. NEB, NLT); impalement (BDB 1091 s.v. זְקַף; HALOT 1914 s.v. מחא hitpe; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The last seems the most likely.
  15. Ezra 6:11 tn Aram “made.”
  16. Ezra 6:11 tn Aram “a dunghill.”
  17. Ezra 6:11 tn Aram “for this.”
  18. Ezra 6:12 tn Aram “people.”
  19. Ezra 6:12 tn Aram “who sends forth his hand.”
  20. Ezra 6:13 tn Aram “sent.”
  21. Ezra 6:14 tn Aram “in” or “by,” in the sense of accompaniment.
  22. Ezra 6:15 sn The sixth year of the reign of Darius would be ca. 516 b.c.
  23. Ezra 6:16 tn Aram “sons of.”
  24. Ezra 6:16 tn Aram “sons of the exile.”
  25. Ezra 6:18 tn Aram “according to the writing of.”
  26. Ezra 6:19 sn At this point the language of the book reverts from Aramaic (4:8-6:18) back to Hebrew. Aramaic will again be used in Ezra 7:12-26.
  27. Ezra 6:19 tn Heb “the sons of the exile.” So also in v. 20.
  28. Ezra 6:20 tn Heb “as one.” The expression is best understood as referring to the unity shown by the religious leaders in preparing themselves for the observance of Passover. On the meaning of the Hebrew phrase see DCH 1:182 s.v. אֶחָד 3b. See also HALOT 30 s.v. אֶחָד 5.
  29. Ezra 6:20 tn Heb “brothers.”
  30. Ezra 6:21 tn Heb “who had separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to them.”
  31. Ezra 6:22 tn Heb “heart.”
  32. Ezra 6:22 sn The expression “king of Assyria” is anachronistic, since Assyria fell in 612 b.c., long before the events of this chapter. Perhaps the expression is intended subtly to contrast earlier kings of Assyria who were hostile toward Israel with this Persian king who showed them favor.
  33. Ezra 6:22 tn Heb “to strengthen their hands.”
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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.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 6:3 That is, about 90 feet or about 27 meters
  2. Ezra 6:17 Or purification offering
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