Ezra 6

¹Thus King Darius ordered a search of the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon. ²And a scroll was found in the fortress of Ecbatana, in the province of Media, with the following written on it: Memorandum: ³In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its foundations be firmly laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, ⁴with three layers of cut stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury. ⁵Furthermore, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, must also be returned to the temple in Jerusalem and deposited in the house of God. ⁶Therefore Darius decreed: To Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates and officials in the region: You must stay away from that place! ⁷Leave this work on the house of God alone. Let the governor and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its original site. ⁸I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered. ⁹Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given to them daily without fail. ¹⁰Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons. ¹¹I also decree that if any man interferes with this directive, a beam is to be torn from his house and raised up, and he is to be impaled on it. And his own house shall be made a pile of rubble for this offense. ¹²May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence. ¹³In response, Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed. ¹⁴So the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. ¹⁵And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. ¹⁶Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. ¹⁷For the dedication of the house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel. ¹⁸They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses. ¹⁹On the fourteenth dayבְּאַרְבָּעָ֥הbə·’ar·bā·‘āh — The number four; a group of fourH702 — Full Word Study → of the firstהָרִאשֽׁוֹן׃hā·ri·šō·wn — First, foremost, or former; earliest in time or orderH7223 — Full Word Study → monthלַחֹ֥דֶשׁla·ḥō·ḏeš — A month; lunar period; new moonH2320 — Full Word Study →, the exilesבְנֵי־ḇə·nê- — Son; descendant; member of a groupH1121 — Full Word Study → keptוַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּway·ya·‘ă·śū — to do, make, or accomplish; to act or performH6213 — Full Word Study → the Passoverהַפָּ֑סַחhap·pā·saḥ — PassoverH6453 — Full Word Study →. ²⁰Allכֻּלָּ֣םkul·lām — All, every, whole, totalityH3605 — Full Word Study → the priestsהַכֹּהֲנִ֧יםhak·kō·hă·nîm — priest; one who serves in God's sanctuaryH3548 — Full Word Study → and Levitesוְהַלְוִיִּ֛םwə·hal·wî·yim — Joined, AttachedH3881 — Full Word Study → had purified themselvesהִֽטַּהֲר֞וּhiṭ·ṭa·hă·rū — to be clean, purify, make pureH2891 — Full Word Study → and were ceremonially cleanטְהוֹרִ֑יםṭə·hō·w·rîm — Ritually or morally pure; cleanH2889 — Full Word Study →. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lambהַפֶּ֙סַח֙hap·pe·saḥ — PassoverH6453 — Full Word Study → for allלְכָל־lə·ḵāl — All, every, whole, totalityH3605 — Full Word Study → the exilesבְּנֵ֣יbə·nê — Son; descendant; member of a groupH1121 — Full Word Study →, for their priestlyהַכֹּהֲנִ֖יםhak·kō·hă·nîm — priest; one who serves in God's sanctuaryH3548 — Full Word Study → brothersוְלַאֲחֵיהֶ֥םwə·la·’ă·ḥê·hem — Male sibling; brother; kinsmanH251 — Full Word Study →, and for themselves. ²¹The Israelitesבְנֵֽי־ḇə·nê- — Son; descendant; member of a groupH1121 — Full Word Study → who had returnedהַשָּׁבִים֙haš·šā·ḇîm — to turn back, return, restoreH7725 — Full Word Study → from exileמֵֽהַגּוֹלָ֔הmê·hag·gō·w·lāh — captivity, exile, deportationH1473 — Full Word Study → ate itוַיֹּאכְל֣וּway·yō·ḵə·lū — to eat, consume, devourH398 — Full Word Study →, together with allוְכֹ֗לwə·ḵōl — All, every, whole, totalityH3605 — Full Word Study → who had separated themselvesהַנִּבְדָּ֛לhan·niḇ·dāl — To separate, divide, or distinguishH914 — Full Word Study → from the uncleannessמִטֻּמְאַ֥תmiṭ·ṭum·’aṯ — Uncleanness, impurity, filthH2932 — Full Word Study → of the peoplesגּוֹיֵֽ־gō·w·yê- — Nation; a people or ethnic groupH1471 — Full Word Study → of the landהָאָ֖רֶץhā·’ā·reṣ — Land, earth, or countryH776 — Full Word Study → to seekלִדְרֹ֕שׁliḏ·rōš — to seek, inquire, search diligentlyH1875 — Full Word Study → the LORDלַֽיהוָ֖הYah·weh — The LORD; God's covenant nameH3068 — Full Word Study →, the Godאֱלֹהֵ֥י’ĕ·lō·hê — God, the divine beingH430 — Full Word Study → of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃yiś·rā·’êl — God prevailsH3478 — Full Word Study →. ²²For sevenשִׁבְעַ֥תšiḇ·‘aṯ — The number seven; sevenfoldH7651 — Full Word Study → daysיָמִ֖יםyā·mîm — day; time; period; ageH3117 — Full Word Study → they keptוַיַּֽעֲשׂ֧וּway·ya·‘ă·śū — to do, make, or accomplish; to act or performH6213 — Full Word Study → the Feastחַג־ḥaḡ- — Appointed feast or festival celebrationH2282 — Full Word Study → of Unleavened Breadמַצּ֛וֹתmaṣ·ṣō·wṯ — Unleavened bread; bread made without yeastH4682 — Full Word Study → with joyבְּשִׂמְחָ֑הbə·śim·ḥāh — Joy, gladness, rejoicingH8057 — Full Word Study →, becauseכִּ֣י׀kî — because, since, that (conjunction/reason marker)H3588 — Full Word Study → the LORDיְהוָ֗הYah·weh — The LORD; God's covenant nameH3068 — Full Word Study → had made them joyfulשִׂמְּחָ֣םśim·mə·ḥām — To rejoice, be glad, make merryH8055 — Full Word Study → and turnedוְֽהֵסֵ֞בwə·hê·sêḇ — to turn, surround, go aroundH5437 — Full Word Study → the heartלֵ֤בlêḇ — Heart; the center of emotion, will, and intellectH3820 — Full Word Study → of the kingמֶֽלֶךְ־me·leḵ- — A male ruler or sovereign who governs a nation or kingdomH4428 — Full Word Study → of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר֙’aš·šūr — Assyria, ancient empireH804 — Full Word Study → toward themעֲלֵיהֶ֔ם‘ă·lê·hem — upon, over, against; concerningH5921 — Full Word Study → to strengthenלְחַזֵּ֣קlə·ḥaz·zêq — To strengthen, make firm, establishH2388 — Full Word Study → their handsיְדֵיהֶ֔םyə·ḏê·hem — hand; power, strength, controlH3027 — Full Word Study → in the workבִּמְלֶ֥אכֶתbim·le·ḵeṯ — Work, labor, occupation; manufactured goods or craftH4399 — Full Word Study → on the houseבֵּית־bêṯ- — A house; dwelling place; household; familyH1004 — Full Word Study → of the Godהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםhā·’ĕ·lō·hîm — God, the divine beingH430 — Full Word Study → of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃פyiś·rā·’êl — God prevailsH3478 — Full Word Study →.