Ezra Chapter 6

Ezra Chapter 6
1 Then king Darius gave commandment,
and they made search in the library of
the treasures, which were there laid up
in Babylon.
2 And there was found in a coffer (in the
palace that was in the province of the
Medes) a volume, and therein was it thus
written, as a memorial, 3 In the first year
of king Cyrus, king Cyrus made a decree
for the house of God in Jerusalem, Let
the house be built, even the place where
they offered sacrifices, and let the walls
thereof be joined together: let the height
thereof be threescore cubits, and the
breadth thereof threescore cubits, 4
Three orders of great stones, and one
order of timber, and let the expenses be
given of the king's house.
5 And also let them render the vessels of
the house of God (of gold and silver,
which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the
temple, which was in Jerusalem, and
brought unto Babylon) and let him go
unto the temple that is in Jerusalem to his
place and put them in the house of God.
6 Therefore Tatnai captain beyond the
river, and Shethar Boznai, (and their
companions Apharsecai, which are
beyond the river) be ye far from thence.
7 Suffer ye the work of this house of
God, that the captain of the Jews and the
elders of the Jews may build this house
of God in his place.
8 For I have given a commandment what
ye shall do to the elders of these Jews,
for the building of this house of God, that
of the revenues of the king, which is of
the tribute beyond the river, there be
incontinently expenses given unto these
men that they cease not.
9 And that which they shall have need
of, let it be given unto them day by day,
whether it be young bullocks, or rams, or
lambs for the burnt offerings of the God
of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil,
according to the appointment of the
priests that are in Jerusalem, that there
be no fault,
10 That they may have to offer sweet
odors unto the God of heaven, and pray
for the king's life, and for his sons.
11 And I have made a decree, that
whosoever shall alter this sentence, the
wood shall be pulled down from his
house, and shall be set up, and he shall
be hanged thereon, and his house shall
be made a dunghill for this. 12 And the
God that hath caused his name to dwell
there, destroy all kings and people that
put to their hand to alter, and to destroy
this house of God, which is in
Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree,
let it be done with speed. 13 Then Tatnai
the captain beyond the river, and Shethar
Boznai and their companions, according
to that which Darius had sent, so they
did speedily. 14 So the elders of the
Jews builded, and they prospered by the
prophesying of Haggai the prophet, and
Zechariah the son of Iddo, and they
builded and finished it, by the
appointment of the God of Israel, and by
the commandment of Cyrus and Darius,
and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 And this house was finished the third
day of the month Adar, which was the
sixth year of the reign of king Darius.
16 And the children of Israel, the priests,
and the Levites, and the residue 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
twelve goats, for the sin of all Israel,
according to the number of the tribes of
Israel.
18 And they set the priests in their order,
and the Levites in their courses over the
service of God in Jerusalem, as it is
written in the book of Moses. 19 And the
children of the captivity kept the
Passover on the fourteenth day of the
first month.
20 (For the priests and the Levites were
purified all together) and they killed the
Passover for all the children of the
captivity, and for their brethren the
priests, and for themselves.
21 So 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 they kept the feast of unleavened
bread seven days with joy: for the Lord
had made them glad, and turned the heart
of the king of Asshur [Assyria]
unto them, to encourage them in the work
of the house of God, even the God of
Israel.