Rebuilding the House of God Begins Again

1And the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.

3At that time Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the [†]River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, “Who issued you a decree to rebuild this house and to complete this structure?” 4Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were rebuilding this building. 5But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report could come to Darius, and then a document be returned concerning this.

Tattenai and Others Write to King Darius

6This is the copy of the letter which Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. 7They sent word to him in which it was written thus: “To Darius the king, all peace. 8Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, and it is being built with huge stones, and timber is being put within the walls; and that work is going on with all diligence and is succeeding in their hands. 9Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this house and to complete this structure?’ 10And we also asked them their names in order to make known to you, and that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head. 11Thus they responded with a word to us, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed. 12But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and took the people away into exile in Babylon. 13However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple [†]in Jerusalem and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took out from the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. 15He said to him, “Take these articles, go and deposit them in the temple [†]in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place.” 16Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God [†]in Jerusalem; and from then until now it is being rebuilt, and it is not yet finished.’ 17So now if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, if it be that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild that house of God in Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his will concerning this matter.”