Ezr 6 | EngLXX | STEP | Then Darius the king made a decree, and caused a search to be made in the record-offices,where the treasure is stored in Babylon.

‏ Ezra 6

1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and caused a search to be made in the record-offices,where the treasure is stored in Babylon. 2 And there was found in the city, in the palace, a volume, and this was the record writtenin it. 3 In the first year of king Cyrus, Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the holy houseof God that was in Jerusalem,saying,Let the house be built, and the place where they sacrifice the sacrifices. (Also heappointed its elevation, in height sixty cubits; its breadthwas of sixty cubits.) 4 Andlet there be three strong layers of stone, and one layer of timber; and the expense shall bepaid out of the house of the king. 5 And the silver and the gold vessels of the house of God, which Nabuchodonosor carriedoff from the house that was in Jerusalem, and carried to Babylon, let them even be given, and be carriedto the temple that is in Jerusalem, and put in the place where they were set in the house of God. 6 Now, you⌃ rulers beyond the river, Satharbuzanai, and their fellow-servants the Apharsachaeans,whoare on the other side of the river, givethese things, keeping far from that place. 7 Now let alone the work of the house of God: let the rulers of the Jews and the eldersof the Jews build that house of God on its place. 8 Also a decree has been made by me, if haply you⌃ may do somewhat in concert with the eldersof the Jews for the building of that house of God: to wit, out of the king's property,even the tributes beyond the river, let there be money to defray the expenses carefully grantedto those men, so that they be not hindered. 9 And whatever needthere may be, you⌃ shall give both the young of bulls and rams, and lambs for whole burnt offeringsto the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, oil:—let it be given them according to the word of the prieststhat are in Jerusalem, day by day whatever they shall ask; 10 that they may offer sweet savours to the God of heaven, and that they may pray for thelife of the king and his sons. 11 And a decree has been made by me, that every man who shall alter this word, timber shallbe pulled down from his house, and let him be lifted up and slain upon it, and his house shall be confiscated. 12 And may the God whose name dwells there, overthrow every king and people who shall stretchout his hand to alter or destroy the house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree;let it be diligentlyattended to. 13 Then Thanthanai the governor on this side beyond the river, Satharbuzanai, and his fellow-servants,according to that which king Darius sent, so they did diligently. 14 And the elders of the Jews and the Levites built, at the prophecy of Aggaeus the prophet,and Zacharias the son of Addo: and they built up, and finishedit, by the decree of the God of Israel, and by the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Arthasastha,kings of the Persians. 15 And they finished this house by the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth yearof the reign of Darius the king. 16 And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the childrenof the captivity, kept the dedication of the house of God with gladness. 17 And they offered for the dedication of the house of God a hundred calves, two hundredrams, four hundred lambs, twelve kids of the goats for a sin-offering for all Israel, according to thenumber of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their separate orders,for the services of God in Jerusalem, according to the writing of the book of Moses. 19 And the children of the captivity kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the firstmonth. 20 For the priests and Levites were purified, all were clean to a man, and they killed thepassover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. 21 And the children of Israel ate the passover,even they that were of the captivity, and every one who separated himself to them from theuncleanness of the nations of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel. 22 and they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with gladness, because the Lordmade them glad, and he turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in theworks of the house of the God of Israel.