The Scroll with Cyrus’ Decree is Found

1Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the [†]archives, where the treasures were deposited in Babylon. 2And in [†]Ecbatana in the fortress, which is in the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: “Memorandum— 3In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let that house, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be [†]retained, its height being [†]60 cubits and its width 60 cubits; 4with three layers of huge stones and [†]one layer of timbers. And let the cost be given from the [†]royal treasury. 5And also let the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and [†]brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall deposit them in the house of God.’

6“Now Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the [†]River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, [†]keep away from there. 7Leave that work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild that house of God in its designated place. 8Moreover, I issue a decree concerning what you shall do for those elders of Judah in the rebuilding of that house of God: the full cost is to be given to those people from the royal treasury out of the tribute of the provinces beyond the River, and that without negligence. 9Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, according to what the priests in Jerusalem say, it is to be given to them daily without negligence, 10that they may bring sweet-smelling sacrifices near to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11And I issued a decree that any man who violates this edict, a timber shall be pulled out from his house and he shall be impaled on it and his house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this. 12May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who [†]stretches out his hand to change it, so as to destroy that house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be done with all diligence!”

The Dedication of the House of God

13Then Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent. 14And the elders of the Jews were building and succeeding through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. So they built and completed it according to the decree of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15And this house was brought to completion [†]on the third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the [†]exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17They brought near for the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18Then they appointed the priests to their sections and the Levites in their divisions for the service of God [†]in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

Passover Celebrated

19And the exiles celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month. 20For the priests and the Levites had cleansed themselves together; all of them were clean. Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. 21Then the sons of Israel who returned from exile and all those who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to join them, to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, ate the Passover. 22And they celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with gladness, for Yahweh had caused them to be glad and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to [†]strengthen them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.