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Chapter 6 |
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1 | Then Darius the king made a decree, and
search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in
Babylon. |
| 2
| And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in
the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written:
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| 3 | In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a
decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the
place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be
strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof
threescore cubits; |
| 4 | With three rows of great stones, and a row of
new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house: |
| 5 |
And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which
Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought
unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at
Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.
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| 6 | Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and
your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from
thence: |
| 7 |
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 his place.
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| 8 | Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews
for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the
tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they
be not hindered. |
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9 | And that which they have need of, both young
bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven,
wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which
are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail: |
| 10 | That
they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for
the life of the king, and of his sons. |
| 11 | Also I have made a decree,
that whosoever shall alter this word, 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 | And the God that hath caused his name to
dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter
and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a
decree; let it be done with speed. |
| 13 | Then Tatnai, governor on this
side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which
Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily. |
| 14 | And the
elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of
Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and
finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according
to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
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| 15 | And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which
was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. |
| 16 | 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 |
And offered at the dedication of this house of God an 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 | And they
set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the
service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of
Moses. |
| 19
| And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon
the fourteenth day of the first month. |
| 20 | For the priests and the
Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover
for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and
for themselves. |
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21 | And the children of Israel, which were come again
out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the
filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did
eat, |
| 22 |
And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy:
for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria
unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God
of Israel. |
