1Then King Darius ordered a search be made in the house of the archives, stored in the treasury in Babylon. 2And there was found at Achmetha, the fortress (palace) in the province of the Medes, a scroll, and in it was a record that read thus: 3“In the first year of King Cyrus, this same King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem: ‘Let the Temple be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid; its height sixty cubits, and its width sixty cubits; 4With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber; and let the expenses be paid out of the king's treasury. 5And, also, let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned to the Temple at Jerusalem, each to its place in the house of God.’

6Now, therefore, Tatnai, governor of the province west of the (Euphrates) river, and Shethar-bozenai, and you other officials, who are west of the river, stay far away from there. 7Let the work of this Temple of God alone; let the governor and the elders of the Jews build this Temple of God on its site. 8Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this Temple of God: that their expenses be fully paid to these men, out of the king's treasury, from the revenues beyond the river, so that the work is not hindered. 9And whatever they have need of - young bullocks, rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem, let it be given to them day by day without fail, 10That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor, pleasing to the God of heaven, and pray for the life and well-being of the king, and his sons. 11I further a decree that whoever alters this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and be set up, and let him be impaled on it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this. 12And may the God Who has caused His name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, who attempt to alter or destroy this Temple of God at Jerusalem. I, Darius, have decreed it. Let it be carried out with speed.”

13Then Tatnai, governor on the west side of the (Euphrates) river, Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, did according to what Darius, the king, had sent speedily. 14And the elders of the Jews continued to build, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, son of Iddo. And they built, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15And this Temple was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius, the king.

16And the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this Temple of God with joy, 17And they offered at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. 18And they installed the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.

19And the descendants of the captivity celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean, and killed the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren, the priests, and for themselves. 21And so the Israelites who had returned from captivity - all that had separated themselves from the filthiness of the pagan nations of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel - ate the Passover, 22And they kept the feast of unleavened bread for seven days with joy; for the LORD had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to favor them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.