5Then 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.H5029H2292H5029H2148H1247H5714H5013H5922H3062H3061H3390H8036H426H3479H59222So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of 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.H116H6966H2217H1247H7598H3443H1247H3136H8271H1124H1005H426H3390H5974H5029H426H55833At the same time Tattenai the governor of the region beyond the River and Shethar-Boznai and their companions came to them and spoke thus to them: "Who has commanded you to build this temple and finish this wall?"H2166H858H8674H6347H5675H5103H8370H3675H560H3652H5922H4479H7761H2942H1124H1836H1005H3635H1836H8464Then, accordingly, we told them the names of the men who were constructing this building.H116H560H3660H4479H581H8036H1400H1124H1836H11475But 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.H5870H426H1934H5922H7868H3062H3809H989H1994H989H5705H2941H1946H1868H116H8421H5407H5922H18366This 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.H6573H104H8674H6347H5675H5103H8370H3675H671H5675H5103H7972H5922H1868H44307They sent a letter to him, in which was written thus—To Darius the king: All peace.H7972H6600H5922H1459H3790H1836H1868H4430H3606H80018Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the temple of the great God, which is being built with heavy stones, and timber is being laid in the walls; and this work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands.H1934H3046H4430H236H4083H3061H1005H7229H426H1124H1560H69H636H7761H3797H1791H5673H5648H629H6744H30289Then we asked those elders, and spoke thus to them: "Who commanded you to build this temple and to finish these walls?"H116H7593H479H7868H560H3660H4479H7761H2942H1124H1836H1005H3635H1836H84610We also asked them their names to inform you, that we might write the names of the men who were chief among them.H7593H8036H638H3046H3790H8036H1400H721711And thus they returned us an answer, saying: "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed.H3660H8421H6600H560H586H1994H5649H426H8065H772H1124H1005H1934H1124H1836H7690H8140H6928H7229H4430H3479H1124H363512"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.H3861H4481H2H7265H426H8065H7265H3052H1994H3028H5020H4430H895H3679H5642H1836H1005H1541H5972H1541H89513"However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to build this house of God.H1297H2298H8140H3567H4430H895H4430H3567H7761H2942H1124H1836H1005H42614"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.H3984H638H1768H1722H3702H1005H426H5020H5312H4481H1965H3390H2987H1965H895H1994H3567H4430H5312H4481H1965H895H3052H8036H8340H7761H634715"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.'H560H5376H412H3984H236H5182H1994H1965H3390H1005H426H1124H5922H87016"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."H116H858H1791H8340H3052H787H1005H426H3390H4481H116H5705H3705H1124H3809H800017Now 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.H3705H2006H2869H5922H4430H1240H4430H1596H1005H8536H895H2006H383H2942H7761H4481H3567H4430H1124H1791H1005H426H3390H4430H7972H7470H5922H1836
Dublin, OH
