1Then Darius the King commanded and he read in the books that are in the house of treasure there in Babel. 2And he found in Khematha, the city that is in the city Media, one scroll, and thus was written in the inside of the scroll: 3“In the year one of King Kurash, the King established a law and commanded them that in the house of God that is in Jerusalem a place of sacrifice shall be built in which they sacrifice, and its foundations were laid; its height sixty cubits and its width, twenty cubits. 4A square of three stones and a door of new wood; also the expense is given from the house of the King. 5Also the vessels of gold and of silver of the house of God which Nebukadnetsar brought forth from the temple that is in Jerusalem and took them to Babel were given, and they came to their place to the temple which is in Jerusalem to their places, and they were gathered into the house of God.”

6Therefore Tatni, the Ruler of the Crossing of the River, and Ashtanbuzan and his companions, the Rulers of the Crossing of the River, being distant from there 7Leave the ministry of the house of God alone so that the Jews will perform it, and the captivity of the Jews of the house of God will be built on its place. 8And the law is set before me. But why do you contend with the captivity of those Jews to build the house of God, whose expense will be paid from the wealth of the King and the tax of the Crossing of the River, and it will be given to these men, and they shall not stop the work? 9And anything that they need, give to them, and you shall not deprive them of male offspring of bulls, or rams or lambs for burnt offering to the God of Heaven. They shall be bringing them wheat and salt, wine and oil, just as the Priests command in Jerusalem, every day by day, and they shall not deviate. 10And they shall be bringing offerings to the God of Heaven and praying for the King and his children. 11And the law is set before me, that every man who will change this word, wood shall be torn out from his house and they shall make for him a cross and they shall crucify him upon it, and his house will be given for plunder because of this. 12And God whose name we have found shall dwell there, and every King and a people who will stretch his hand to change or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem, I, Darius, I have established the law that he will be quickly destroyed.”

13Then Tatni, the Ruler of the Crossing of the River, and Ashtanbuzan and his companions, the thing that he sent according to the law, they did quickly. 14And the captives of Judea worked, and they lifted up the head by the prophecy of Khaggi the Prophet, and of Zekaryah, son of Adu, and they built and they finished by the law of the God of Israel and by the law of Kurash and of Darius and by the law of Artakhshesht, King of Persia. 15And this house was finished in the third day in the month Adar; this is the sixth year for the kingdom of King Darius.

16And the children of Israel, the Priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of Yehuda made a feast for this household of the house of this God in joy. 17And they offered for the festival of the household of God a hundred bulls and two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve kids of goats, to forgive the sins of the children of Israel, by the number of the tribes of Israel. 18And they appointed the Priests in their service and the Levites in their service over the work of the house of God which is in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Law of Moshe.

19And the children of the captivity made Passover on the fourteenth in the first month. 20Because the Priests and the Levites were purified as one, and all of them were cleansed, and at Passover all the children of captivity killed lambs, also for their brothers the Priests, also for themselves. 21And the children of Israel who came up from the captivity of Babel ate, everyone who had separated from the abominations of the Gentiles of the land to pray before LORD JEHOVAH, God of Israel. 22They made the feast of unleavened bread seven days in joy, because LORD JEHOVAH gave them joy, and he turned the heart of the King of Assyria to them to strengthen their hands in the works of the house of LORD JEHOVAH, God of Israel.