1 N ow the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, Whose was upon them.

Now the men who spoke for God, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, spoke for God to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They spoke in the name of the God of Israel Who was over them.

2 T hen rose up Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak and began to build the house of God in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began to build again the house of God in Jerusalem. The men who spoke for God were with them and helped them.

3 T hen Tattenai, governor on the west side of the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their companions came to them and said, Who authorized you to build this house and to restore this wall?

Then Tattenai, the leader over the land on the other side of the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their friends, came to them and said, “Who told you to build on this house and to finish the building?”

4 T hen we told them the names of the men who were building this building.

They also asked, “What are the names of the men who are building this building?”

5 B ut the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so the enemy could not make them stop until the matter came before Darius and an answer was returned by letter concerning it.

But the eye of their God was on the leaders of the Jews. They did not stop them until a letter was sent to Darius about it, and a written answer received from him.

6 T his is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor on this side of the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the Apharsachites who were on this side of the River, sent to Darius the king.

This is what was said in the letter sent to King Darius from Tattenai, the leader over the land on the other side of the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his important friends.

7 T hey wrote: To Darius the king: All peace.

It said: “To Darius the king, all peace.

8 B e it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, with timber laid in the walls; this work goes on with diligence and care and prospers in their hands.

Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the land of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with very large stones, and heavy pieces of wood are being laid in the walls. This work is being done with much care and is going well in their hands.

9 T hen we asked those elders, Who authorized you to build this house and restore these walls?

We asked those leaders, ‘Who told you to build this house of worship and to finish the building?’

10 W e asked their names also, that we might record the names of the men at their head and notify you.

We also asked them their names, that we might write down the names of their leaders and let you know.

11 T hey replied, We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, rebuilding the house which was erected and finished many years ago by a great king of Israel.

They answered, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are building again the house of God that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

12 B ut after our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried the people away into Babylon.

But because our fathers had made the God of heaven angry, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed this house of God, and carried the people away to Babylon.

13 B ut in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, the same King Cyrus made a decree to rebuild this house of God.

But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus told us to build again this house of God.

14 A nd the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and delivered to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.

Nebuchadnezzar had taken the gold and silver objects of the house of God from the house in Jerusalem, and brought them to the house of worship at Babylon. But King Cyrus took them from the house of worship at Babylon and they were given to Sheshbazzar, whom he had chosen as leader over the land.

15 A nd King Cyrus said to him, Go, take these vessels to Jerusalem and carry them into the temple, and let the house of God be built upon its site.

He said to him, “Go, take these objects to Jerusalem and carry them into the place of worship. And let the house of God be built again in its place.”

16 T hen came this Sheshbazzar and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem; and since that time until now it has been in the process of being rebuilt and is not completed yet.

Then Sheshbazzar came and began building the house of God in Jerusalem. The building has been going on from then until now, and it is not yet finished.’

17 S o now, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon to see if it is true that King Cyrus issued a decree to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.

So now, if it pleases the king, have men look through the books kept there in Babylon to see if King Cyrus had told them to build again this house of God at Jerusalem. Let the king send us word on what is decided about this.”