1 Esdras 5

¹And there prophesied Aggæus the Prophet, and Zacharias the son of Addo, prophesying to the Jews, that were in Jewry and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel.

²Then rose up Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Josue the son of Josedec, and began to build the temple of God in Jerusalem, and with them the Prophets of God helping them.

³But at the same time there came to them Thathanai, who was Prince beyond the River, and Stharbuzanai, and their counsellers: and said thus to them: Who hath given you counsel to build this house, and to repair the walls?

⁴Whereto we answered them, what the names were of the men that were authors of that building.

⁵And the eye of their God was set upon the ancients of the Jews, and they could not inhibit them. And it pleased them that the matter should be referred to Darius, and then they would satisfy against that accusation.

⁶The copy of the epistle, which Thathanai Prince of the country beyond the River sent, and Stharbuzanai, and his counsellers the Arphasacheites, which were beyond the River, to Darius the king.

⁷The word, which they sent him, was written thus: To Darius the king all peace.

⁸Be it known to the king, that we went to Jury, the province, to the house of the great God, which is in building with stone unpolished, and timber is put in the walls: and that work is in building diligently, and groweth in their hands.

⁹We therefore demanded of those ancients, and thus we said to them: Who hath given you authority to build this house, and to repair these walls?

¹⁰Yea and their names we asked of them, that we might certify thee: and we writ the names of those men, that are the chief amongst them.

¹¹And they answered us these words, saying: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we do build a temple, that was built these many years before, and which a great king of Israel built and set up.

¹²But after that our fathers provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he delivered them into the hands of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon the Chaldee: this house also he destroyed, and his people he transported into Babylon.

¹³But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, Cyrus the king put forth an edict, that this house of God should be built.

¹⁴For the vessels also of the temple of God, of gold and of silver, which Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and had carried them into the temple of Babylon, Cyrus the king brought forth out of the temple of Babylon, and they were given to Sassabasar so called, whom also he appointed the chief,

¹⁵and said to him: Take these vessels, and go, and put them in the temple, that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in his place.

¹⁶Then therefore came this Sassabasar, and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem, & from that time until now it is in building, & is not yet finished.

¹⁷Now therefore if it seem good to the king, let him search in the king's library, which is in Babylon, whether it hath been commanded by Cyrus the king, that the house of God in Jerusalem should be built, and let him send the king's pleasure concerning this thing unto us.