Ezra 5
5:1And Haggai the prophet prophesied, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, a prophecy over the Jews, of the ones in Judah and in Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, over them.
5:2Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, and they began to build the house of God, the one in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God to help them.
5:3At that same time there came upon them Tatnai chief ruler on the other side of the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their fellow-servants, and of such he said to them, Who ordained to you a decree to build this house, and to ready this expense?
5:4Then they said to them, What are the names of the men building this city?
5:5But the eyes of God became upon the captivity of Judah, and they did not cause them to cease work until the decree was carried to Darius. And then it was given to the tribute-gatherer concerning this.
5:6The explanation by letter which was sent by Tatnai the chief ruler on the other side of the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their fellow-servants -- Apharsachites, the ones on the other side of the river, to Darius the king.
5:7They sent a word to him, and thus was written in it, To Darius the king, all peace.
5:8Let it be known to the king! that we went into Judea, the place for the house of the great God, and it is being built with the choice stones; and timber is inserted in the walls, and that work is fittingly done, and the way is prospering in their hands.
5:9Then we asked those elders, and thus we said to them, Who rendered to you a decree to build this house, and the bestowing of this expense to ready it?
5:10And we asked of them their names, to make known to you, so as to write to you the names of the men of their rulers.
5:11And such a word they answered to us, saying to us, We are menservants of the God of the heaven and of the earth, and we are building the house which was built many years before this, and a great king of Israel built it, and readied it for them.
5:12But from when our fathers provoked to anger the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and this house he caused to rest, and the people he resettled in Babylon.
5:13But in the first year of Cyrus the king of the Babylonians, Cyrus the king rendered a decree to build this house of God.
5:14And the items of the house of God, the ones of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar brought forth from the house, of the one in Jerusalem, and carried them into the temple of the king, the one in Babylon -- Cyrus the king brought them forth from the temple, of the one in Babylon, and gave them to Sheshbazzar, to the treasurer, to the one over the treasury.
5:15And he said to him, These items take and go! Put them in the house in Jerusalem! And the house of God -- let it be built in its place!
5:16Then that Sheshbazzar came and put down the foundations of the house of God, the one in Jerusalem. And from then until now it is being built, and was not finished.
5:17And now if for the king it seems good, let it be overseen in the house of the treasury of the king there in Babylon! so as to know that if from king Cyrus a decree was rendered to build the house of God, that one in Jerusalem. And the king knowing concerning this, let him send forth a reply to us!