Chapter 5.
Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Idar, prophesied unto
the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel,
even unto them.
Then rose up Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Josedach,
and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem.
And with them were the prophets of God helping them.
At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river,
and Sheetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath
commanded you to build this house and to make up this wall?
Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make
this building?
But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not
cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius.
And then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.
The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river,
and Sheetharboznai, and his companions the Pharsakites, which were on this side the
river, sent unto Darius the king.
They sent a letter unto him wherein was written thus, Unto Darius the king all
peace.
Be it known unto the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the house
of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the
walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.
Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this
house, and to make up these walls?
We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the
men that were the chief of them.
And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of
heaven and earth, and build the house that was built these many years ago,
which a great king of Israel built and set up.
But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath.
He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon,
the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, the same king Cyrus made a decree
to build this house of God, and the vessels also of gold and silver of the
house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem,
and brought them into the temple of Babylon.
Those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered
unto one whose name was Shesh-baza, whom he had made governor, and said unto
him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem,
and let the house of God be built in his place.
Then came the same Shesh-baza, and laid the foundation of the house of
God which is in Jerusalem.
And since that time, even until now, hath it been in building, and yet it is
not finished.
Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the
king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree
was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the
king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.