1 T hen King Darius decreed, and a search was made in Babylonia in the house where the treasured records were stored.

Then king Darius gave orders, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.

2 A nd at Ecbatana in the capital in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was recorded:

And there was found at Achmetha in the fortress that is in the province of Media a roll, and therein was a record thus written:

3 I n the first year of King Cyrus, made a decree: Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let the house, the place where they offer sacrifices, be built, and let its foundations be strongly laid, its height and its breadth each 60 cubits,

In the first year of king Cyrus, king Cyrus made a decree the house of God at Jerusalem: Let the house be built for a place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be solidly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits,

4 W ith three courses of great stones and one course of new timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury.

three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber; and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:

5 A lso let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple in Jerusalem, each put in its place in the house of God.

and also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again to the temple that is at Jerusalem, in their place; and thou shalt put in the house of God.

6 N ow therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates, the Apharsachites who are the River, keep far away from there.

Therefore Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-boznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:

7 L eave the work on this house of God alone; let the governor and the elders of the Jews build this house of God on its site.

let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.

8 M oreover, I make a decree as to what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God: the cost is to be paid in full to these men at once from the king’s revenue, the tribute of the province the River, that they may not be hindered.

Moreover, I give orders what ye shall do to these elders of the Jews, for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, of the tribute beyond the river, expenses be diligently given to these men, that they be not hindered.

9 A nd all they need, including young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests at Jerusalem, let it be given them each day without fail,

And that which they have need of, both young bullocks and rams and lambs, for the burnt-offerings to the God of the heavens, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests that are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail;

10 T hat they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.

that they may present sweet odours to the God of the heavens, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.

11 A lso I make a decree that whoever shall change or infringe on this order, let a beam be pulled from his house and erected; then let him be fastened to it, and let his house be made a dunghill for this.

Also I have given order that whosoever shall alter this rescript, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon, and let his house be made a dunghill for this.

12 M ay the God Who has caused His Name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who put forth their hands to alter this or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be executed speedily and exactly.

And the God that has caused his name to dwell there overthrow every king and people that shall put forth their hand to alter to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have given order; let it be done diligently.

13 T hen Tattenai, governor of the province this side of the River, with Shethar-bozenai and their associates, diligently did what King Darius had decreed.

Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, because of that which king Darius had sent, did so diligently.

14 A nd the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished their building as commanded by the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

And the elders of the Jews built; and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and completed according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

15 A nd this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.

16 A nd the Israelites—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles—celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy;

17 T hey offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 young bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and, for a sin offering for all Israel, 12 he-goats, according to the number of Israel’s tribes.

and they presented at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

18 A nd they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

And they set the priests in their classes, and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem: as it is written in the book of Moses.

19 T he returned exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

And the children of the captivity held the passover upon the fourteenth of the first month.

20 F or the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they killed the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their brother priests, and for themselves.

For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves as one: they were all pure; and they killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

21 I t was eaten by the Israelites who had returned from exile and by all who had joined them and separated themselves from the pollutions of the peoples of the land to seek the Lord, the God of Israel.

And the children of Israel that were come back out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek Jehovah the God of Israel, did eat;

22 T hey kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he strengthened their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

and they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; for Jehovah had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.