New Living Translation

New King James Version

At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.

1

Restoration of the Temple Resumed

Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.

2

Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadaka responded by starting again to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them and helped them.

2

So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of [a]Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.

3

But Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River,b and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues soon arrived in Jerusalem and asked, “Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?”

3

At the same time Tattenai the governor of the region beyond [b]the River and Shethar-Boznai and their companions came to them and spoke thus to them: “Who has commanded you to build this [c]temple and finish this wall?”

4

They also asked forc the names of all the men working on the Temple.

4

Then, accordingly, we told them the names of the men who were constructing this building.

5

But because their God was watching over them, the leaders of the Jews were not prevented from building until a report was sent to Darius and he returned his decision.

5

But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so that they could not make them cease till a report could go to Darius. Then a written answer was returned concerning this matter.

6

Tattenai’s Letter to King Darius

This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor, Shethar-bozenai, and the other officials of the province west of the Euphrates River sent to King Darius:

6

This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai sent:
The governor of the region beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai, and his companions, the Persians who were in the region beyond the River, to Darius the king.

7

“To King Darius. Greetings.

7

(They sent a letter to him, in which was written thus.)
To Darius the king:
All peace.

8

“The king should know that we went to the construction site of the Temple of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being rebuilt with specially prepared stones, and timber is being laid in its walls. The work is going forward with great energy and success.

8

Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the [d]temple of the great God, which is being built with [e]heavy stones, and timber is being laid in the walls; and this work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands.

9

“We asked the leaders, ‘Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?’

9

Then we asked those elders, and spoke thus to them: “Who commanded you to build this temple and to finish these walls?”

10

And we demanded their names so that we could tell you who the leaders were.

10

We also asked them their names to inform you, that we might write the names of the men who were chief among them.

11

“This was their answer: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the Temple that was built here many years ago by a great king of Israel.

11

And thus they returned us an answer, saying: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the [f]temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed.

12

But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he abandoned them to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,d who destroyed this Temple and exiled the people to Babylonia.

12

But because our fathers provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and carried the people away to Babylon.

13

However, King Cyrus of Babylon,e during the first year of his reign, issued a decree that the Temple of God should be rebuilt.

13

However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to build this [g]house of God.

14

King Cyrus returned the gold and silver cups that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of Babylon. These cups were taken from that temple and presented to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom King Cyrus appointed as governor of Judah.

14

Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem and carried into the temple of Babylon — those King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.

15

The king instructed him to return the cups to their place in Jerusalem and to rebuild the Temple of God there on its original site.

15

And he said to him, ‘Take these articles; go, carry them to the temple site that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its former site.’

16

So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. The people have been working on it ever since, though it is not yet completed.’

16

Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem; but from that time even until now it has been under construction, and it is not finished.”

17

“Therefore, if it pleases the king, we request that a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to discover whether King Cyrus ever issued a decree to rebuild God’s Temple in Jerusalem. And then let the king send us his decision in this matter.”

17

Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send us his pleasure concerning this matter.

Parallel

New Living Translation

New King James Version

Ezra 5

Ezra 5