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Ezra 6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ezra 6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Darius’s Search
6 King Darius gave the order, and they searched(A) in the library of Babylon in the archives.[a](B) 2 But it was in the fortress of Ecbatana in the province of Media(C) that a scroll was found with this record written on it:
3 In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree(D) concerning the house of God in Jerusalem:
Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its original foundations be retained.[b] Its height is to be 90 feet[c] and its width 90 feet,[d][e](E) 4 with three layers of cut[f] stones and one of timber.(F) The cost is to be paid from the royal treasury.(G) 5 The gold and silver articles of God’s house that Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon must also be returned. They are to be brought to the temple in Jerusalem where they belong[g] and put into the house of God.(H)
Darius’s Decree
6 Therefore, you must stay away from that place, Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and your[h] colleagues, the officials in the region.(I) 7 Leave the construction of the house of God alone. Let the governor(J) and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its original site.
8 I hereby issue a decree concerning what you must do, so that the elders of the Jews can rebuild the house of God:
The cost is to be paid in full to these men out of the royal revenues(K) from the taxes of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that the work will not stop. 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, or wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—let it be given to them every day without fail,(L) 10 so that they can offer sacrifices of pleasing aroma to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.(M)
11 I also issue a decree concerning any man who interferes with this directive:
Let a beam be torn from his house and raised up; he will be impaled on it, and his house will be made into a garbage dump because of this offense.(N) 12 May the God who caused His name to dwell there(O) overthrow any king or people who dares[i] to harm or interfere with this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out diligently.
13 Then Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues(P) diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed. 14 So the Jewish elders continued successfully with the building under the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo.(Q) They finished the building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus,(R) Darius, and King Artaxerxes(S) of Persia. 15 This house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar[j](T) in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
Temple Dedication and the Passover
16 Then the Israelites, including the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of God’s house they offered 100 bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs, as well as 12 male goats(U) as a sin offering for all Israel—one for each Israelite tribe. 18 They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the book of Moses.(V)
19 The exiles(W) observed the Passover(X) on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 All of the priests and Levites were ceremonially clean, because they had purified themselves. They killed the Passover lamb for themselves, their priestly brothers, and all the exiles.(Y) 21 The Israelites who had returned from exile(Z) ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the Gentiles of the land[k](AA) in order to worship Yahweh, the God of Israel. 22 They observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days(AB) with joy, because the Lord had made them joyful, having changed the Assyrian king’s attitude toward them, so that he supported them[l] in the work on the house of the God of Israel.(AC)
Footnotes
- Ezra 6:1 Lit Babylon where the treasures were stored
- Ezra 6:3 Lit be brought forth
- Ezra 6:3 Lit 60 cubits
- Ezra 6:3 Lit 60 cubits
- Ezra 6:3 A copyist seemingly overlooked the term for length and inadvertently read the 60 cubits for height and width. Like Solomon’s temple, this temple was probably 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
- Ezra 6:4 Or huge
- Ezra 6:5 Lit Jerusalem, to its place,
- Ezra 6:6 Lit their
- Ezra 6:12 Lit who stretches out its hand
- Ezra 6:15 = February–March
- Ezra 6:21 Lit land to them
- Ezra 6:22 Lit their hands
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.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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