The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Ezra 05
1 Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet
and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and
Jerusalem. They prophesied to them in the
name of the God of Israel.
2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel,
and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up
and began to build God’s house which is
at Jerusalem; and with them were the
prophets of God, helping them.
3 At the same time Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, came to them,
with Shetharbozenai and their companions, and asked them, “Who gave you a
decree to build this house and to finish this
wall?”
4 They also asked for the names of the
men who were making this building.
5 But the eye of their God was on the
elders of the Jews, and they didn’t make
them cease untilthe matter should come to
Darius, and an answer should be returned
by letter concerning it.
6 The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the
governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites
who were beyond the River, sent to
Darius the king follows.
7 They sent a letter to him, in which was
written:To Darius the king, all peace.
8 Be it known to the king that we went
into the province of Judah, to the house
of the great God, which is being built
with great stones and timber is laid in
the walls. This work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.
9 Then we asked those elders, and said
to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to
build this house, and to finish this wall?”
10 We asked them their names also, to
inform you that we might write the names
of the men who were at their head.
11 Thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of
heaven and earth and are building the
house that was built these many years ago,
which a great king of Israel built and finished.
12 But after our fathers had provoked
the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them
into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this
house and carried the people away into
Babylon.
13 But in the first year of Cyrus king of
Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to
build this house of God.
14 The gold and silver vessels of God’s
house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out
of the temple that was in Jerusalem and
brought into the temple of Babylon, those
Cyrus the king also took out of the temple
of Babylon, and they were delivered to one
whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he
had made governor.
15 He said to him, ‘Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in
Jerusalem, and let God’s house be built in
its place.’
16 Then the same Sheshbazzar came
and laid the foundations of God’s house which is in Jerusalem. Since thattime even
until now it has been being built, and yet it
is not completed.
17 Now therefore, if it seems good to
the king, let a search be made in the
king’s treasure house, which is there at
Babylon, whether it is so that a decree
was made by Cyrus the king to build this
house of God at Jerusalem; and let the
king send his pleasure to us concerning
this matter.”