| Chapter 6
|
| 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: |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
