5But when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah 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,H5029H2292H5029H2148H1247H5714H5013H5922H3062H3061H3390H8036H426H3479H59222Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak began to rebuild God's house in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, helping them.H116H6966H2217H1247H7598H3443H1247H3136H8271H1124H1005H426H3390H5974H5029H426H55833At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues came to the Jews and asked, "Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?"H2166H858H8674H6347H5675H5103H8370H3675H560H3652H5922H4479H7761H2942H1124H1836H1005H3635H1836H8464They also asked them, "What are the names of the workers who are constructing this building?"H116H560H3660H4479H581H8036H1400H1124H1836H11475But God was watching over the Jewish elders. These men wouldn't stop them until a report was sent to Darius, so that they could receive written instructions about this [matter].H5870H426H1934H5922H7868H3062H3809H989H1994H989H5705H2941H1946H1868H116H8421H5407H5922H1836
The Letter to Darius
6This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius.H6573H104H8674H6347H5675H5103H8370H3675H671H5675H5103H7972H5922H1868H44307They sent him a report, written as follows: To King Darius: All greetings.H7972H6600H5922H1459H3790H1836H1868H4430H3606H80018Let it be known to the king that we went to the house of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being built with cut stones, and its beams are being set in the walls. This work is being done diligently and succeeding through the people's efforts.H1934H3046H4430H236H4083H3061H1005H7229H426H1124H1560H69H636H7761H3797H1791H5673H5648H629H6744H30289So we questioned the elders and asked, "Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?"H116H7593H479H7868H560H3660H4479H7761H2942H1124H1836H1005H3635H1836H84610We also asked them for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.H7593H8036H638H3046H3790H8036H1400H721711This is the reply they gave us: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.H3660H8421H6600H560H586H1994H5649H426H8065H772H1124H1005H1934H1124H1836H7690H8140H6928H7229H4430H3479H1124H363512But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He handed them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.H3861H4481H2H7265H426H8065H7265H3052H1994H3028H5020H4430H895H3679H5642H1836H1005H1541H5972H1541H89513However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, he issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.H1297H2298H8140H3567H4430H895H4430H3567H7761H2942H1124H1836H1005H42614He also took from the temple in Babylon the gold and silver articles of God's house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and carried [them] to the temple in Babylon. He released them from the temple in Babylon to a man named Sheshbazzar, the governor by the appointment of King Cyrus.H3984H638H1768H1722H3702H1005H426H5020H5312H4481H1965H3390H2987H1965H895H1994H3567H4430H5312H4481H1965H895H3052H8036H8340H7761H634715He told him, 'Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its [original] site.'H560H5376H412H3984H236H5182H1994H1965H3390H1005H426H1124H5922H87016Then this same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of God's house in Jerusalem. It has been under construction from that time until now, yet it has not been completed.H116H858H1791H8340H3052H787H1005H426H3390H4481H116H5705H3705H1124H3809H800017So if it pleases the king, let a search of the royal archives in Babylon be conducted [to see] if it is true that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Let the king's decision regarding [this matter] be sent to us.H3705H2006H2869H5922H4430H1240H4430H1596H1005H8536H895H2006H383H2942H7761H4481H3567H4430H1124H1791H1005H426H3390H4430H7972H7470H5922H1836
Prayer Tents is a Christian mission organization that serves Christians around the world and their local bodies to make disciples ("evangelize") more effectively in their communities. Prayer Tents provides resources to enable Christians to form discipleship-focused small groups and make their gatherings known so that other "interested" people may participate and experience Christ in their midst. Our Vision is to make disciples in all nations through the local churches so that anyone seeking God can come to know Him through relationships with other Christians near them.
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