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          DASV: Ezra 5    

1 Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo,
prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in
the name of the God of Israel who was over them.
2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of
Jozadak, got up and began to rebuild the temple of God in
Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them helping them.

3 At the same time Tattenai, the governor of the region west
of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai and their
associates came to them and asked them, "Who gave you
permission to rebuild this temple, and to finish this structure?"
4 They also asked, "What are the names of the men building
this building?"
5 But their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they
would not stop until a report came to Darius, and then the
response was returned by letter concerning it.

6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the
province west of the Euphrates River and Shethar-bozenai, and his
associates the officials of the region west of the Euphrates River,
sent to Darius the king.
7 They sent a letter to him as follows: "To Darius the king,
all peace.
8 Let it be known to the king, that we went into the province of
Judah, to the temple of the great God. It is being rebuilt with
large stones and with timber laid in its walls. This work is
proceeding with diligence and success in their hands.
9 We asked those elders, 'Who gave you permission to build this
temple, and to finish this structure?'
10 We also asked for their names, so that we might write down the
names of their leaders in order to inform you.
11 This was their response, 'We are the servants of the God of
heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple that was built
so many years ago by a great king of Israel who built and
finished it.
12 But after that our forefathers provoked the God of heaven to wrath,
so he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,
the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple, and exiled the people
to Babylon.
13 But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king
made a decree to rebuild this temple of God.
14 Even the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God which
Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem and
brought into the temple of Babylon, these items Cyrus the king
took out of the temple of Babylon, and delivered to a man by the
name of Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed as governor.
15 Cyrus told him, "Take these vessels, go, put them in the
temple in Jerusalem, and let the temple of God be rebuilt
on its original site."
16 Then this same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of
the temple of God in Jerusalem. Since that time even until
now it has been under construction although it has not been
completed yet.'
17 Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search
be made in the king's royal archives that are there in
Babylon whether this is so, that a decree was made by Cyrus
the king to rebuild this temple of God in Jerusalem. Then
let the king send us what he wishes us to do concerning
this matter."

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