Ezra 5

1 The letter which they sent him, was written thus: To Darius the king all peace. 2 Be it known to the king, that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which they are building with unpolished stones, and timber is laid in the walls: and this work is carried on diligently and advanceth in their hands. 3 And we asked those ancients, and said to them thus: Who hath given you authority to build this house, and to repair these walls? 4 We asked also of them their names, that we might give thee notice: and we have written the names of the men that are the chief among them. 5 And they answered us in these words, saying: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building a temple that was built these many years ago, and which a great king of Israel built and set up. 6 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he delivered them into the hands of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon the Chaldean: and he destroyed this house, and carried away the people to Babylon. 7 But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, king Cyrus set forth a decree, that this house of God should be built. 8 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the temple of God, which Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, and had brought them to the temple of Babylon, king Cyrus brought out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sassabasar, whom also he appointed governor, 9 And said to him: Take these vessels, and go, and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place. 10 Then came this same Sassabasar, and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it is in building, and is not yet finished. 11 Now therefore if it seem good to the king, let him search in the king’s library, which is in Babylon, whether it hath been decreed by Cyrus the king, that the house of God in Jerusalem should be built, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter. 13 Then king Darius gave orders, and they searched in the library of the books that were laid up in Babylon, 14 And there was found in Ecbatana, which is a castle in the province of Media, a book in which this record was written. 15 In the first year of Cyrus the king: Cyrus the king decreed, that the house of God should be built, which is in Jerusalem, in the place where they may offer sacrifices, and that they lay the foundations that may support the height of threescore cubits, and the breadth of threescore cubits, 16 Three rows of unpolished stones, and so rows of new timber: and the charges shall be given out of the king’s house. 17 And also let the golden and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nabuchodonosor took out of the temple of Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, be restored, and carried back to the temple of Jerusalem to their place, which also were placed in the temple of God.