1And Khaggi the Prophet and Zekaryah son of Adu the Prophet prophesied to the Jews that are in Jerusalem and in Judah in the name of the God of Israel concerning them. 2Then Zurbabeil, son of Shalathiel, arose, and Yeshua son of Yozedeq, and they began to build the house of God in Jerusalem, and with them the Prophets of God were helping them.

3But at that time Tatni, Ruler of the Crossing of the River, came against them, and Ashtanbuzan and those who were their equals, and thus they were saying to them and to the rest: “Who commanded you to build this house and erect this wall?” 4Then, according to the law, they said to them: “What are the names of these men who build this building?” 5And the eye of God was on the captivity of Yehuda, and they did not stop until the matter would go to Darius, and then an answer was returned about this.

6A copy of the letter which Tatni, the Ruler of the Crossing of the River, sent, and Ashtanbuzan and his companions of the Crossing of the River to King Darius. 7They sent him an answer, and thus was written in it: “To Darius the King, peace! 8But let the King know that we go to Judea to the city of the great God, and she is being built with great stones and many acacia wood beams were bound in its walls, and a great work is done there, and a great work is going up and is progressing to the summit by their hands. 9Then we asked those Elders and thus we said to them: ‘Who commanded you to build this house and to raise this wall?’ 10Also we asked them their names to notify you that we may write the names of the men who are among their Leaders. 11And thus an answer was returned and they were saying to us: “We are the Servants of the God of Heaven and Earth, and the building of this house that we are building was built many years before of the Kings of Israel, and their Princes finished it. 12But because our fathers angered the God of Heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebukadnetsar King the Chaldeans, and he destroyed this house and the people he led captive to Babel. 13However in the first year of Kurash King of Persia, Kurash the King appointed the law to build this house of God. 14Also vessels of gold and of silver of the house of God which King Nebukadnetsar had taken out from the temple that is in Jerusalem and took them to Babel to his temple, Kurash the King brought them out from the temple of Babel and gave them to him whose name is Shishmatsar, because he made him Ruler. 15And he said to him: ‘Take these vessels, go, carry and put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and this house will be built in its place.’ 16But Shishmatsar came and laid the foundation of the house in Jerusalem, and from then and unto now it is being built and is not finished.” 17Therefore if it is pleasing before the King, we shall search in the books that are in the house of treasure of the King of Babel. If they bring it and it was charged from Kurash the King that this house of God would be built in Jerusalem, he will send to us the pleasure of the King concerning this.