1   In ^note the first yeere of the reigne of Cyrus king of the Persians, to fulfill the worde of the Lorde by the mouth of Ieremias,

2   The Lord raised vp the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians, and he made proclamati&obar; throughout all his kingdome, euen by expresse letters,

3   Saying, Thus sayth Cyrus king of the Persians, The Lord of Israel, euen the most high Lorde, hath made me king ouer the whole world,

4   And he hath commanded me to build him an house in Ierusalem, which is in Iudea.

5   If there be any therfore of you of his people, let the Lord, eu&ebar; his Lord be with him, and let him goe vp to Ierusalem, which is in Iudea, and builde the house of the Lord of Israel: he is þe; Lord which dwelleth in Ierusalem.

6   All they then that dwell in the places rounde about, those, I say, that are in his place, let th&ebar; helpe him with gold and siluer,

7   With giftes, with horses and cattell, and other things, which shall bee brought, according to the vowes into the Temple of the Lord, which is in Ierusalem.

8   ¶2; Then arose the chiefe of the families of Iudea, and of the tribe of Beniamin, and the Priestes and Leuites, and all whose minde the Lorde had moued to go vp, and builde an house to the Lorde in Ierusalem.

9   And those that were about them, helped them in all things with siluer and gold, horses, and cattel, and with diuers vowes of many whose mindes were stirred vp.

10   Also king Cyrus brought out the holy vessels of the Lorde, which Nabuchodonosor had caried out of Ierusalem, and had consecrated them in the Temple of his idoles.

11   Nowe when Cyrus king of the Persians had brought them out, he deliuered them to Mithridates his treasurer,

12   By whome they were giuen to ^note Abassar the gouernour of Iudea.

13   Whereof this was the number: a thousande golden cups, & a thousand siluer cups, basins of siluer for the sacrifices, nine and twentie viols, of gold thirtie, and of siluer two thousande, foure hundreth and ten, and a thousand other vessels.

14   So all the vessels of golde and siluer, which they caried away, were fiue thousande, foure hundreth, threescore and nine.

15   They were brought by Sanabasser with th&ebar; of the captiuitie of Babylon to Ierusalem.

16   ¶2; But ^note in the time of Artaxerxes king of the Persians ^note Belemus, and Mithridates, and Tabellius, and Rathumus, and Beeltethmus, and ^note Semellius the secretarie, and others which were ioyned to these, dwelling in Samaria and in other places, wrote vnto him this Epistle here following against them, that dwelt in Iudea and Ierusalem, To The King Artaxerxes Ovr Lord,

17   Thy seruants, Rathumus the writer of things that come to passe, and Semellius the secretary, and the rest of their counsel, and the iudges which are in Coelosyria and Phenice.

18   Be it now therfore knowen to our Lord the king, that the Iewes which came vp from you, are come to vs into Ierusalem, that rebellious & wicked citie, and builde the market places, and make vp the walles thereof, and lay the foundations of the Temple.

19   Therfore if this citie be built, and the walles bee finished, they will not onely not indure to pay tribute, but will also resist kings.

20   And because the things pertaining to þe; Temple, go forward, we thought it not meete to passeouer such a thing,

21   But to declare it to our Lord the King, that if it bee thy pleasure, it may bee sought out in the bookes of thy fathers,

22   And thou shalt finde in the Chronicles the writings concerning these things, and shalt knowe that this citie did alwayes rebell, and did trouble both kings and cities,

23   And that the Iewes are rebellious, raysing alwayes warres therein: for the which cause also this citie was made desolate.

24   Nowe therefore, O lord the king, we declare it, that if this citie bee built and the walles thereof repaired, you shall haue no more passage into Coelosyria, nor Phenice.

25   ¶2; Th&ebar; the king wrote againe to Rathumus, that wrote the things that came to passe, and to Beeltethmus, & to Samellius the secretarie, and to the rest of those that were ioyned with them, and to the dwellers of Samaria, Syria and Phenice, these things that followe.

26   I haue read the Epistle, which you sent to me: therefore I c&obar;manded, that it should be sought out, and it was founde, that this citie hath alwayes practised against Kings,

27   And that the men thereof were giuen to rebellion and warres, and how that mightie kings and fierce haue reigned in Ierusalem, which tooke tribute of Coelosyria, and Phenice.

28   Now therefore I haue commanded to forbid these men to build vp the citie, and that it be taken heede that no more be done,

29   And that those wicked things, which should molest the king, go not forward.

30   Then when Rathumus, and Semellius the secretarie and the rest, which were ioyned with them, had read the thinges, which king Artaxerxes had written, they moued their tents with speede to Ierusalem with horses and men in aray,

31   And began to let them which built, so that the building of the Temple in Ierusalem ceased vnto the second yeere of the reigne of Darius king of the Persians.

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