Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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Work on the Temple Begins Again
(Ezra 5.1–17)
1 In the second year of the reign
of Emperor Darius, the two
prophets, Haggai and Zechariah son
of Iddo, began to speak in the name
of the Lord God of Israel to the Jews
who lived in Judah and Jerusalem. note
2 When Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel
and Joshua son of Jehozadak heard
their messages, they began to rebuild
the Temple in Jerusalem, and
the two prophets helped them. note
3 Almost at once Governor Sisinnes
of Greater Syria and Phoenicia,
with Shethar Bozenai and their fellow
officials, came to Jerusalem and
demanded:
4 “Who gave you orders
to build this Temple and complete
this roof and everything else? Who
is doing this work?”
5 But the Lord
was with the people who had returned
from exile and was watching
over the Jewish leaders,
6 and they
were allowed to continue building
until Emperor Darius could be informed
and his reply received.
7 Here is the report that the Persian
officials sent to the emperor:
8 “To Emperor Darius, greetings.
8 “Your Majesty should know
that we went to Judah and to Jerusalem
and there we found the
leaders of the Jews who have returned
from exile
9 building a
large new Temple for the Lord
with expensive, shaped stone
blocks and with wooden beams
set in the walls.
10 The work is
being done rapidly and is moving
ahead steadily; yet they are taking
great care and doing their
work beautifully.
11 “We then asked the leaders
of the people to tell us who had
given them orders to rebuild the
Temple and lay the foundations
for the buildings.
12 We also
asked them who their leaders
were and demanded a list of
their names, so that we could inform
you.
13 “They answered, ‘We are
servants of the Lord who created
heaven and earth.
14 This
Temple was built and equipped
many years ago by a very powerful
king of Israel.
15 But because
our ancestors sinned
against Israel's Lord in heaven
and made him angry, he let
them be conquered by King
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, a
king of the Chaldean dynasty.
16 The Temple was demolished
and burned, and the people were
taken into exile in Babylonia. note
17 Then, in the first year of his
reign as emperor of Babylonia,
Cyrus issued orders for the Temple
to be rebuilt. note
18 He gave back
the sacred gold and silver utensils
which Nebuchadnezzar had
taken from the Temple in Jerusalem
and had placed in his own
temple in Babylon. Emperor Cyrus
turned these utensils over to
Zerubbabel and the governor,
Sheshbazzar.
19 The Emperor
told Sheshbazzar to take them
and return them to the Temple
in Jerusalem, and to rebuild the
Temple where it had stood before.
20 So Sheshbazzar came
and laid its foundation, and construction
has continued from
then until the present, but the
Temple is still not finished.’
21 “Now, if it please Your Majesty,
have a search made in the
royal records in Babylon
22 to
find whether or not the building
-- --
of this Temple in Jerusalem had
the approval of Emperor Cyrus,
and then, if it please Your Majesty,
inform us what your will is
in this matter.”
Emperor Cyrus' Order Is Rediscovered
(Ezra 6.1–5)
23 So Emperor Darius ordered a
search to be made in the royal records
that were kept in Babylon. It
was, however, in the fortress of Ecbatana
in the province of Media that
a scroll was found, containing the
following record:
24 “In the first year of his reign
Emperor Cyrus ordered the rebuilding
of the Temple in Jerusalem,
where sacrifices are continually
offered.
25 The Temple is
to be 90 feet high and 90 feet
wide. The walls must be built
with one layer of new local
wood on top of each three layers
of shaped stone. All expenses
are to be paid by the royal treasury.
26 Also the gold and silver
utensils which King Nebuchadnezzar
brought to Babylon from
the Temple in Jerusalem are to
be returned to their proper place
in the Jerusalem Temple.”
Emperor Darius Orders the
Work to Continue
(Ezra 6.6–12)
27 Then Emperor Darius gave strict
orders to Sisinnes, governor of
Greater Syria and Phoenicia, Shethar
Bozenai, their fellow officials,
and the local officials to stay away
from Jerusalem and let Zerubbabel,
the servant of the Lord and governor
of Judah, and the other Jewish leaders
rebuild the Temple of the Lord
where it stood before.
28 “And I also
command,” he continued, “that it be
completely rebuilt and that, until it
is finished, every effort be made to
help the Jews who have returned
from exile.
29 From the taxes received
in Greater Syria and Phoenicia
a contribution shall be made on a
regular basis to these men, payable
to Governor Zerubbabel, for bulls,
sheep, and lambs to be used in their
sacrifices to the Lord.
30 In the same
way, each year and without further
question, wheat, salt, wine, and olive
oil are to be supplied, according to
the daily needs indicated by the
priests.
31 This must be done so that
they can make wine offerings to God
Most High for me and my children
and pray for his blessing on our
lives.”
32 He also gave these orders:
“If anyone disobeys the commands
as written above or fails to carry
them out, he is to be hanged on a
wooden beam taken from his own
house, and his property is to be
turned over to the emperor.
33 May
the Lord who is worshiped at Jerusalem
destroy any king or nation
that tries to stop the work or damage
the Temple there.
34 I, Emperor
Darius, issue the command that
these orders be carried out in every
detail.”
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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