Ezra 6 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Darius Finds Cyrus’ Decree

1 Then ^H116 King ^H4430 Darius ^H1868 issued ^H7761 a decree ^H2942, and a search ^H1240 was conducted ^H1240 in the [fn]archives ^H1005 H5609, where ^H1768 H8536 the treasures ^H1596 were stored ^H5182 in Babylon ^H895.

2 And in [fn]Ecbatana ^H307, in the fortress ^H1001 which ^H1768 is in the province ^H4083 of Media ^H4076, a scroll ^H4040 was found ^H7912; and the following ^H3652 was written ^H3790 in it: “Memorandum ^H1799— 3 In the first ^H2298 year ^H8140 of King ^H4430 Cyrus ^H3567, Cyrus ^H3567 the king ^H4430 issued ^H7761 a decree ^H2942: ‘Concerning the house ^H1005 of God ^H426 in Jerusalem ^H3390, let the [fn]temple ^H1005, the place ^H870 where ^H1768 sacrifices ^H1685 are offered ^H1684, be rebuilt ^H1124, and let [fn]its foundations ^H787 be repaired ^H5446, its height ^H7314 being [fn]sixty ^H8361 cubits ^H521 and its width ^H6613 sixty ^H8361 cubits ^H521, 4 with three ^H8532 layers ^H5073 of large ^H1560 stones ^H69 and [fn]one layer ^H5073 of timber ^H636. And the cost ^H5313 is to be paid ^H3052 from the [fn]royal ^H4430 treasury ^H1005. 5 Also ^H638 the gold ^H1722 and silver ^H3702 utensils ^H3984 of the house ^H1005 of God ^H426, which ^H1768 Nebuchadnezzar ^H5020 took ^H5312 from the temple ^H1965 in Jerusalem ^H3390 and brought ^H2987 to Babylon ^H895, are to be returned ^H8421 and [fn]brought ^H1981 to their places ^H870 in the temple ^H1965 in Jerusalem ^H3390; and you shall put ^H5182 them in the house ^H1005 of God ^H426.’

6 “Now ^H3705 as for you, Tattenai ^H8674, governor ^H6347 of the province beyond ^H5675 the Euphrates River ^H5103, Shethar-bozenai ^H8370, and [fn]your colleagues ^H3675, the officials ^H671 of the provinces beyond ^H5675 the River ^H5103, [fn]stay ^H7352 away ^H7352 from there ^H8536. 7 Leave ^H7662 that ^H1791 work ^H5673 on the house ^H1005 of God ^H426 alone ^H7662; let the governor ^H6347 of the Jews ^H3062 and the elders ^H7868 of the Jews ^H3062 rebuild ^H1124 that ^H1791 house ^H1005 of God ^H426 on its site ^H870. 8 Furthermore, I issue ^H7761 a decree ^H2942 concerning what ^H4101 H1768 you are to do ^H5648 for these ^H479 elders ^H7868 of Judah ^H3062 in the rebuilding ^H1124 of that ^H1791 house ^H1005 of God ^H426: the full ^H629 cost ^H5313 is to be paid ^H3052 to those ^H479 people ^H1400 from the royal ^H4430 treasury ^H5232 out of the taxes ^H4061 of the provinces beyond ^H5675 the Euphrates River ^H5103, and that without ^H3809 interruption ^H989. 9 And whatever ^H4101 is needed ^H2819, bulls ^H8450 H1123, rams ^H1798, and lambs ^H563 for burnt ^H5928 offerings ^H5928 to the God ^H426 of heaven ^H8065, and wheat ^H2591, salt ^H4416, wine ^H2562, and anointing ^H4887 oil ^H4887, as the priests ^H3549 in Jerusalem ^H3390 order ^H3983, it is to be given ^H3052 to them daily ^H3118 without ^H3809 fail ^H7960, 10 so that they may offer ^H7127 acceptable ^H5208 sacrifices ^H5208 to the God ^H426 of heaven ^H8065 and pray ^H6739 for the lives ^H2417 of the king ^H4430 and his sons ^H1123. 11 And I issued ^H7761 a decree ^H2942 that any ^H3606 person ^H606 who ^H1768 violates ^H8133 this ^H1836 decree ^H6600, a timber ^H636 shall be pulled ^H5256 out ^H5256 of his house ^H1005 and he shall be impaled ^H2211 H4223 on it; and his house ^H1005 shall be turned ^H5648 into a refuse ^H5122 heap ^H5122 on account ^H5922 of this ^H1836. 12 May the God ^H426 who ^H1768 has caused His name ^H8036 to dwell ^H7932 there ^H8536 overthrow ^H4049 any ^H3606 king ^H4430 or people ^H5972 who ^H1768 [fn]attempts ^H7972 H3028 to [fn]change ^H8133 it, so as to destroy ^H2255 that house ^H1005 of God ^H426 in Jerusalem ^H3390. I, Darius ^H1868, have issued ^H7761 this decree ^H2942; it is to be carried ^H5648 out ^H5648 with all ^H629 diligence ^H629!”

The Temple Completed and Dedicated

13 Then ^H116 Tattenai ^H8674, the governor ^H6347 of the province beyond ^H5675 the Euphrates River ^H5103, Shethar-bozenai ^H8370, and their colleagues ^H3675 carried ^H5648 out ^H5648 the decree with all ^H629 diligence ^H629, just ^H6903 as King ^H4430 Darius ^H1868 had [fn]ordered ^H7972.

14 And the elders ^H7868 of the Jews ^H3062 [fn]were successful ^H6744 in building ^H1124 through the prophecy ^H5017 of Haggai ^H2292 the prophet ^H5029 and Zechariah ^H2148 the son ^H1247 of Iddo ^H5714. And [fn]they finished ^H3635 building ^H1124 following ^H4481 the command ^H2942 of the God ^H426 of Israel ^H3479 and the decree ^H2942 of Cyrus ^H3567, Darius ^H1868, and Artaxerxes ^H783 king ^H4430 of Persia ^H6540. 15 Now this ^H1836 [fn]temple ^H1005 was completed ^H3319 [fn]on the third ^H8532 day ^H3118 of the month ^H3393 Adar ^H144; it was the sixth ^H8353 year ^H8140 of the reign ^H4437 of King ^H4430 Darius ^H1868.

16 And the sons ^H1123 of Israel ^H3479, the priests ^H3549, the Levites ^H3879, and the rest ^H7606 of the [fn]exiles ^H1123 H1547, celebrated ^H5648 the dedication ^H2597 of this ^H1836 house ^H1005 of God ^H426 with joy ^H2305. 17 They offered ^H7127 for the dedication ^H2597 of this ^H1836 temple ^H1005 of God ^H426 a hundred ^H3969 bulls ^H8450, two ^H3969 hundred ^H3969 rams ^H1798, four ^H702 hundred ^H3967 lambs ^H563, and as a sin ^H2409 offering ^H2409 for all ^H3606 Israel ^H3479 twelve ^H8648 H6236 male ^H6841 goats ^H5796, corresponding to the number ^H4510 of the tribes ^H7625 of Israel ^H3479. 18 Then they appointed ^H6966 the priests ^H3549 to their divisions ^H6392 and the Levites ^H3879 in their sections ^H4255 for the service ^H5673 of God ^H426 in Jerusalem ^H3390, as it is written ^H3792 in the Book ^H5609 of Moses ^H4873.

The Passover Held

19 The exiles ^H1121 H1473 held ^H6213 the Passover ^H6453 on the fourteenth ^H702 H6240 of the first ^H7223 month ^H2320.

20 For the priests ^H3548 and the Levites ^H3881 had purified ^H2891 themselves together ^H259; all ^H3605 of them were pure ^H2889. Then they slaughtered ^H7819 the Passover ^H6453 lambs for all ^H3605 the exiles ^H1121 H1473, both for their brothers ^H251 the priests ^H3548 and for themselves. 21 And the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 who returned ^H7725 from exile ^H1473 and all ^H3605 those who had separated ^H914 themselves from the impurity ^H2932 of the nations ^H1471 of the land ^H776 to join them, to seek ^H1875 the LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, ate ^H398 the Passover. 22 And they held ^H6213 the Feast ^H2282 of Unleavened ^H4682 Bread ^H4682 for seven ^H7651 days ^H3117 with joy ^H8057, because ^H3588 the LORD ^H3068 had made ^H8055 them happy ^H8055, and had turned ^H5437 the heart ^H3820 of the king ^H4428 of Assyria ^H804 toward ^H5921 them to [fn]encourage ^H2388 H3027 them in the work ^H4399 of the house ^H1004 of God ^H430, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478.