The Scroll with Cyrus’ Decree Is Found
Then King Darius issued a decree, and a asearch was made in the archives, where the treasures were deposited in Babylon. 2 And in Ecbatana in the fortress, which is ain the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: “Memorandum—
3 aIn the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree:
‘Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let that house, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be retained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits;
4 awith three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. And let the cost be given from the royal treasury.
5 And also let athe gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall deposit them in the house of God.’
6 “Now aTattenai, governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, keep away from there.
7 Leave that work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild that house of God in its designated place.
8 Moreover, aI issue a decree concerning what you shall do for those elders of Judah in the rebuilding of that house of God: the full cost is to be given to those people from the royal treasury out of the tribute of the provinces beyond the River, and that without negligence.
9 Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, according to what the priests in Jerusalem say, it is to be given to them daily without negligence,
10 that they may bring sweet-smelling sacrifices near to the God of heaven and apray for the life of the king and his sons.
11 And I issued a decree that aany man who violates this edict, a timber shall be pulled out from his house and he shall be impaled on it and bhis house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this.
12 May the God who ahas caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who stretches out his hand to change it, so as to destroy that house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be done with all diligence!”
The Dedication of the House of God
13 Then aTattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent. 14 And athe elders of the Jews were building and succeeding through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. So they built and completed it according to the decree of the God of Israel and the decree bof Cyrus, cDarius, and dArtaxerxes king of Persia. 15 And this house was brought to completion on the third day of the amonth Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles, acelebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They brought near for the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel a12 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 Then they appointed the priests to atheir sections and the Levites in btheir divisions for the service of God in Jerusalem, cas it is written in the book of Moses.
Passover Celebrated
19 aAnd the exiles celebrated the Passover on bthe fourteenth of the first month. 20 aFor the priests and the Levites had cleansed themselves together; all of them were clean. Then bthey slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. 21 Then the sons of Israel who returned from exile and aall those who had separated themselves from bthe uncleanness of the nations of the land to join them, to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, ate the Passover. 22 And athey celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with gladness, for Yahweh had caused them to be glad and bhad turned the heart of cthe king of Assyria toward them to strengthen them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.