Ezra 5

5 ¹ Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of our Father, the God of Israel, over them. ² Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak rose and began rebuilding our Father's house in Jerusalem, the prophets of our Father with them, supporting them.

³ Then Tattenai, governor of Beyond-the-River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates came and asked, "Who authorized you to build this house and finish this structure?" ⁴ They also asked, "What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?" ⁵ But their Father's eye watched over the Jewish elders, so no one stopped them until the matter reached Darius and a written answer returned.

A Letter to King Darius

⁶ Copy of the letter Tattenai, governor of Beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai with his fellow officials of Beyond the River, sent to King Darius. ⁷ They sent him a report reading: To King Darius, complete peace.

⁸ Know, king: we went to Judah's province, to the great God's house. It's being built with huge stones, timber laid in the walls. The work proceeds diligently and thrives in their hands. ⁹ So we asked the elders, "Who authorized you to build this house and finish this structure?" ¹⁰ We also asked their names, to inform you, and to record the leaders' names. ¹¹ They answered us, "We are servants of our Father, the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house built and finished many years ago by a great king of Israel." ¹² But because our ancestors angered our Father, the God of heaven, he handed them to Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian, king of Babylon, who destroyed this house and exiled the people to Babylon. ¹³ But in Cyrus king of Babylon's first year, Cyrus the king decreed this house of our Father be rebuilt. ¹⁴ Cyrus the king also brought from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver vessels of the house of our Father that Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to the temple of Babylon. He gave them to one named Sheshbazzar, whom he appointed governor, ¹⁵ saying to him, "Take these vessels, go put them in Jerusalem's temple, and let God's house be rebuilt on its site." ¹⁶ Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of our Father's house in Jerusalem; from then until now it has been under construction, still unfinished.

¹⁷ So, if the king agrees, let a search be made in the royal records in Babylon, to see if King Cyrus ordered this house of God in Jerusalem rebuilt. Then let the king send us his decision on this matter.