A   Notwithstandyng in the seconde yeare of the raygne of Darius, Aggeus ∧ Zachary the sonne of Addo prophecyed vpon them in Iewry ∧ Hierusal&ebar;, in the name of the God of Israel. Then Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel ∧ Iesua the sonne of Iosedec stode vp ∧ beg&abar;ne to buylde the house of the Lorde at Hierusal&ebar;, when the Prophetes of the Lorde helped th&ebar;. At the same time came Sysennes the vndershrief in Syria ∧ Phenices, with the landlordes ∧ hys companyons, ∧ sayde vnto them: Who hath bidd&ebar; ∧ c&obar;maunded you to buylde the house, to make the rofe ∧ all other thinges agayn? And who are the workem&ebar;, that buylde th&ebar;? Neuerthelesse the elders of the Iewes had suche grace of the Lorde, that they wolde not be let (though they were prouoked thereto) but buylded on still, vntill the time that kyng Darius were certefied therof ∧ an answere receyued from him. The letter that these men sent vnto kinge Darius, was after thys maner.

Sysennes the vndershrief in Syria ∧ Phenices, and the landlordes withe their companyons, whiche are head rulers in Syria and Phenyces, sende their salutacion vnto Darius the kynge. We certefye oure Lorde the kynge, that we came into the lande of Iewry ∧ went to Hierusalem: where we founde th&ebar; buylding the great house of God, ∧ the temple, with great costely fre stone ∧ with goodly timbre for the walles: yea, thei make great haste with the worke, and helpe one another, and it goeth forth prosperously in their handes, B   ∧ with great diligence and worshyp is it made. Then asked we the elders, who hadde c&obar;maunded th&ebar; to make vp the house and the buyldyng, and this we dyd to the intent that we might certefye the perfectly, ∧ write vnto the, the names of those that were the rulers of the worke, So thei gaue vs this aunswere we are the seruauntes of the Lorde, whyche made heau&ebar; and earth: ∧ as for this house, it hath bene buylded ∧ set vp afore tyme by the great ∧ mightye kynge of Israel. But when oure fathers prouoked God vnto wrath and synned agaynste the God of Israel, he gaue th&ebar; ouer into the power of Nabuchodonosor kynge of Babylon the kyng of the Caldees, whiche brake doune the house, ∧ brent it, and caried awaye the people prisoners vnto Babylon, ^note Neuerthelesse, in the fyrst yere that kynge Cyrus raygned at Babylon, Cyrus the kynge wrote ∧ commaunded to buyld vp thys house agayne: ∧ all the ornam&ebar;tes that Nabuchodonosor caried awaye fr&obar; Ierusal&ebar; vnto Babyl&obar;, ∧ appropriated vnto his awne temple: these brought Cyrus forth agayne, ∧ deliuered them to Zorobabel ∧ to Salmanasar the vndershrief, commaundynge them that they should bring those same ornam&ebar;tes agayn to Hierusalem into the temple, and to beginne from the tyme forth, to buyld the t&ebar;ple agayn in hys owne place. C   Then Salmanasar layed the foundacion of the Lordes house at Hierusalem, ∧ euer sence haue they builded, and yet is it not ended. And therfore O kynge, if thou thinkest it good, lette it be sought in the Lybraryes and rolles of kyng Cyrus: if it be fo&ubar;de then, that it is done with the co&ubar;sayl and consent of kyng Cyrus, and if oure lorde the kynge be so mynded, let him wryte vnto vs therof.

^noteThen c&obar;maunded king Darius, to seke in the Lybraries: and so at Egbathanis in a litle cytye in Medea there was founde such a writynge: In the fyrst yeare of the raygne of Cyrus, the same kyng Cyrus c&obar;ma&ubar;ded that the house of the Lord at Ierusal&ebar; should be buylded agayne (and odours to be made there c&obar;tinually vnto the Lord) whose heygth shalbe .x. cubites, ∧ the bredeth .xl. cubytes, ∧ iiij.square with thre hew&ebar; stones, with a loft of tymbre of the same co&ubar;tre, yea, with a new loft, and the exp&ebar;ses therof to be geu&ebar; of the house of kynge Cyrus. And the ornamentes of gold ∧ siluer, that Nabuchodonosor toke out of the house of the Lord at Ierusal&ebar;, shalbe set agayn in the temple at Ierusal&ebar;, where they were afore. Sysennes also the vndershriefe in Syria ∧ Phenices, the princes and their c&obar;panyons, ∧ the other that be head rulers in Syria and Phenyces, shall not medle nor haue any thyng to do with that place.

D   I Cyrus haue c&obar;maunded also, that they shal buylde the house of the Lord whole vp, and haue ordeyned th&ebar;, to helpe those that be come oute of captiuitie: tyll the house of the Lorde be finished: and out of the tribute and taxinge that is yearly raysed vp in Syria ∧ Phenices, diligently to geue them a certayne summe to the offeringe of the Lorde: and the same to be deliuered vnto Zorobabel the officer: that he therwithall may ordeyne oxen, rammes, lambes, ∧ corne, salt, wyne and oyle and that contynually euery yeare: after the expences which the priestes that be at Hierusal&ebar;, shew to be made daily: this shalbe geu&ebar; vnto th&ebar; without delaye that they may offer sacrifices daylye too the hyest God, for the kynge and for his seruauntes, and to praye for their lyues. Let it be proclaymed also on euery syde, that whosoeuer breaketh or despyseth thys commaundement of the kynge, shalbe h&abar;ged vp&obar; a galow (made of his awn good) and al his goodes shalbe seasoned vnto

the kyng. The Lord therfore (whose name is there called vpon) rote out and destroy al the kynges and people, that vndertake by violence to hynder the same, or too deale vncurteously with the house of the Lord at Hierusalem. I Darius the kynge haue ordeyned, that these thynges shalbe done wyth all dylygence.

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