Ezr 5:1Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.
Ezr 5:2Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God, which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.
Ezr 5:3At the same time Tattenai the governor beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their companions came to them and spoke to them in this way, Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this wall?
Ezr 5:4Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were constructing this building.
Ezr 5:5But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them, until a report went to Darius; and then an answer was returned by letter concerning it.
Ezr 5:6This is the copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his companions the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king;
Ezr 5:7They sent a report to him in which was written as follows, To Darius the king, all peace.
Ezr 5:8Let it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with large stones, and timber is being laid in the walls; and this work is being conducted with diligence and prospers in their hands.
Ezr 5:9Then we asked those elders, speaking to them in this way, Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this wall?
Ezr 5:10We also asked them their names in order to inform you, so that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head.
Ezr 5:11And they returned us an answer in this way, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
Ezr 5:12But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to anger, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried the people away to Babylon.
Ezr 5:13But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, King Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.
Ezr 5:14And also the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;
Ezr 5:15And he said to him, Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place.
Ezr 5:16Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God, which is in Jerusalem; and since that time even until now it has been under construction and has not yet been finished.
Ezr 5:17Now therefore if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, to see whether it is the case that a decree was made by King Cyrus for the building of this house of God in Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this.
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