Ezra 5 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Rebuilding the House of God Begins Again

1 And the prophets ^H5029, Haggai ^H2292 the prophet ^H5029 and Zechariah ^H2148 the son ^H1247 of Iddo ^H5714, prophesied ^H5029 to the Jews ^H3062 who ^H1768 were in Judah ^H3061 and Jerusalem ^H3390 in the name ^H8036 of the God ^H426 of Israel ^H3479, who was over ^H5922 them.

2 Then ^H116 Zerubbabel ^H2217 the son ^H1247 of Shealtiel ^H7598 and Jeshua ^H3443 the son ^H1247 of Jozadak ^H3136 arose ^H6966 and began ^H8271 to rebuild ^H1124 the house ^H1005 of God ^H426 which ^H1768 is in Jerusalem ^H3390; and the prophets ^H5029 of God ^H426 were with them supporting ^H5583 them.

3 At that time ^H2166 Tattenai ^H8674, the governor ^H6347 of the province beyond ^H5675 the [fn]River ^H5103, and Shethar-bozenai ^H8370 and their colleagues ^H3675 came ^H858 to them and spoke ^H560 to them thus ^H3652, “Who ^H4479 issued ^H7761 you a decree ^H2942 to rebuild ^H1124 this ^H1836 house ^H1005 and to complete ^H3635 this ^H1836 structure ^H846?” 4 Then ^H116 we told ^H560 them accordingly ^H3660 what ^H4479 the names ^H8036 of the men ^H1400 were who ^H1768 were rebuilding ^H1124 this ^H1836 building ^H1147. 5 But the eye ^H5870 of their God ^H426 was on the elders ^H7868 of the Jews ^H3062, and they did not stop ^H989 them until ^H5705 a report ^H2942 could come ^H1981 to Darius ^H1868, and then ^H116 a document ^H5407 be returned ^H8421 concerning ^H5922 this.

Tattenai and Others Write to King Darius

6 This is the copy ^H6573 of the letter ^H104 which ^H1768 Tattenai ^H8674, the governor ^H6347 of the province beyond ^H5675 the River ^H5103, and Shethar-bozenai ^H8370 and his colleagues ^H3675 the officials ^H671, who ^H1768 were beyond ^H5675 the River ^H5103, sent ^H7972 to Darius ^H1868 the king ^H4430.

7 They sent ^H7972 word ^H6600 to him in which it was written ^H3790 thus ^H1836:

“To Darius ^H1868 the king ^H4430, all ^H3606 peace ^H8001.

8 Let it be ^H3046 known ^H3046 to the king ^H4430 that we have gone ^H236 to the province ^H4083 of Judah ^H3061, to the house ^H1005 of the great ^H7229 God ^H426, and it ^H1932 is being built ^H1124 with huge ^H1560 stones ^H69, and timber ^H636 is being put ^H7761 within the walls ^H3797; and that ^H1791 work ^H5673 is going ^H5648 on with all ^H629 diligence ^H629 and is succeeding ^H6744 in their hands ^H3028.

9 Then ^H116 we asked ^H7593 those ^H479 elders ^H7868 and said ^H560 to them thus ^H3660, ‘Who ^H4479 issued ^H7761 you a decree ^H2942 to rebuild ^H1124 this ^H1836 house ^H1005 and to complete ^H3635 this ^H1836 structure ^H846?’

10 And we also ^H638 asked ^H7593 them their names ^H8036 in order to make ^H3046 known ^H3046 to you, and that ^H1768 we might write ^H3790 down ^H3790 the names ^H8036 of the men ^H1400 who ^H1768 were at their head ^H7217.

11 Thus ^H3660 they responded ^H8421 with a word ^H6600 to us, saying ^H560,

‘We are the servants ^H5649 of the God ^H426 of heaven ^H8065 and earth ^H772, and are rebuilding ^H1124 the house ^H1005 that was built ^H1124 many ^H7690 years ^H8140 ago ^H6928, which a great ^H7229 king ^H4430 of Israel ^H3479 built ^H1124 and completed ^H3635.

12 But because ^H4481 H1768 our fathers ^H2 had provoked ^H7265 the God ^H426 of heaven ^H8065 to ^H7265 wrath ^H7265, He gave ^H3052 them into the hand ^H3028 of Nebuchadnezzar ^H5020 king ^H4430 of Babylon ^H895, the Chaldean ^H3779, who destroyed ^H5642 this ^H1836 house ^H1005 and took ^H1541 the people ^H5972 away ^H1541 into exile ^H5972 in Babylon ^H895.

13 However ^H1297, in the first ^H2298 year ^H8140 of Cyrus ^H3567 king ^H4430 of Babylon ^H895, King ^H4430 Cyrus ^H3567 issued ^H7761 a decree ^H2942 to rebuild ^H1124 this ^H1836 house ^H1005 of God ^H426.

14 Also ^H638 the gold ^H1722 and silver ^H3702 utensils ^H3984 of the house ^H1005 of God ^H426, which ^H1768 Nebuchadnezzar ^H5020 had taken ^H5312 from the temple ^H1965 [fn]in Jerusalem ^H3390 and brought ^H2987 them to the temple ^H1965 of Babylon ^H895, these ^H1994 King ^H4430 Cyrus ^H3567 took ^H5312 out ^H5312 from the temple ^H1965 of Babylon ^H895, and they were given ^H3052 to one whose name ^H8036 was Sheshbazzar ^H8340, whom ^H1768 he had appointed ^H7761 governor ^H6347.

15 He said ^H560 to him, “Take ^H5376 these ^H429 articles ^H3984, go ^H236 and deposit ^H5182 them in the temple ^H1965 [fn]in Jerusalem ^H3390, and let the house ^H1005 of God ^H426 be rebuilt ^H1124 in its place ^H870.”

16 Then ^H116 that Sheshbazzar ^H8340 came ^H858 and laid ^H3052 the foundations ^H787 of the house ^H1005 of God ^H426 [fn]in Jerusalem ^H3390; and from then ^H116 until ^H5705 now ^H3705 it is being ^H1124 rebuilt ^H1124, and it is not yet finished ^H8000.’

17 So now ^H3705 if ^H2006 it seems ^H2869 good ^H2869 to the king ^H4430, let a search ^H1240 be made ^H1240 in the king’s ^H4430 treasure ^H1596 house ^H1005, which ^H1768 is there ^H8536 in Babylon ^H895, if ^H2006 it be that a decree ^H2942 was issued ^H7761 by King ^H4430 Cyrus ^H3567 to rebuild ^H1124 that ^H1791 house ^H1005 of God ^H426 in Jerusalem ^H3390; and let the king ^H4430 send ^H7972 to us his will ^H7470 concerning ^H5922 this ^H1836 matter.”