1   Then, in accordance with the orders of King Darius, Sisinnes, governor-general of Coele-syria and Phoenicia, with Sathrabuzanes and their colleagues, 2   carefully supervised the sacred works, co-operating with the elders of the Jews and the temple officers. 3   With the encouragement of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, good progress was made with the sacred works, 4   and they were finished by

The temple rebuilt the ordinance of the Lord God of Israel and with the approval of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 5   It was on the twenty-third of Adar in the sixth year of King Darius that the house was completed. 6   The Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the former exiles who had joined them carried out the directions in the book of Moses. 7   For the dedication of the temple of the Lord they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, 8   and twelve goats for the sin of all Israel corresponding to the twelve patriarchs of Israel. 9   The priests and the Levites in their vestments stood family by family to preside over the services of the Lord God of Israel according to the book of Moses. The door-keepers took their stand at every gateway.

10   The Israelites who had returned from exile kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. The priests and the Levites were purified together; 11   not all the returned exiles were purified with the priests, but ^note the Levites were. 12   They slaughtered the Passover victims for all the returned exiles and for their brother priests and for themselves. 13   All those Israelites participated who had returned from exile and had segregated themselves from the abominations of the peoples of the land to seek the Lord. 14   They kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days, rejoicing before the Lord; 15   for he had changed the policy of the Assyrian king towards them and strengthened them for the service of the Lord the God of Israel.

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