Ezra 6:8-22 ▼

8 I hereby decree what you⁺ must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered.

9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem (city of peace)—must be given to them daily without fail.

10 Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.

11 I also decree that if any man interferes with this directive, a beam is to be torn from his house and raised up, and he is to be impaled on it. And his own house shall be made a pile of rubble for this offense \shall be made a dunghill because of this/.

12 May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem (city of peace). I, Darius (lord), have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence.

13 In response, Tattenai (gift) the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai (star of splendor), and their associates diligently carried out what King Darius (lord) had decreed.

14 So the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai (festive) the prophet and Zechariah (YHWH remembers) son of Iddo (His witness). They finished building according to the command of the God of Israel (he wrestles with God) and the decrees of Cyrus (possess the furnace), Darius (lord), and Artaxerxes (I will make the spoiled to boil), kings of Persia (pure / splendid).

15 And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar (February and March), in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius (lord).

16 Then the people of Israel (he wrestles with God)—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

17 For the dedication of the house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel (he wrestles with God) of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel.

18 They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem (city of peace), according to what is written in the Book of Moses (drawn out).

19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles kept the Passover.

20 All the priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their priestly brothers, and for themselves.

21 The Israelites (God prevails) who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples (nations) of the land to seek the LORD, the God {YHWH Elohe} of Israel.

22 For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD {YHWH} had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria (a step) toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God {Elohim} of Israel (he wrestles with God).