2 Ezra 5

1Then Haggai the prophet and the prophet Zechariah the son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel over them.

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2At that time, 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.

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3At the same time, Tattenai the governor of the region beyond the River and Shethar-Boznai and their companions came there and spoke thus to them: 'Who commanded you to build this house and repair this wall?'

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4Then they said this to them, 'What are the names of the men, the ones building this city?'

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5But the eyes of God were upon the exiles of Judah, and they were unable to stop them till a report was taken to Darius. Then a written answer was returned concerning this matter.

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6This is a copy of the letter which Tattenai the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai, and their fellow servants the Apharsachites, the ones in the province beyond the River Jordan, sent to King Darius.

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7They sent a letter to him in which was written thus: All peace.

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8Let 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.

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9Then we asked those elders and spoke thus to them: 'Who commanded you to build this temple and to finish these walls?'

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10We also asked them their names to inform you, that we might write the names of the men who were chief among them.

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11And 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.

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12But 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.

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13However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to build this house of God.

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14Also, 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.

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15And 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.'

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16Then 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.'

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17Now 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.

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