¹² But because our ancestors angered^(A) the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.^(B)

¹³ “However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree^(C) to rebuild this house of God. ¹⁴ He even removed from the temple^[a] of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple^[b] in Babylon.^(D) Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar,^(E) whom he had appointed governor, ¹⁵ and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’

¹⁶ “So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God^(F) in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”

¹⁷ Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives^(G) of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

Memorandum:

³ In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:

Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid.^(B) It is to be sixty cubits^[a] high and sixty cubits wide, ⁴ with three courses^(C) of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury.^{(D) 5} Also, the gold^(E) and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.^(F)

⁶ Now then, Tattenai,^(G) governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai^(H) and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. ⁷ Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.

⁸ Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:

Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury,^(I) from the revenues^(J) of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. ⁹ Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings^(K) to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, ¹⁰ so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.^(L)

¹¹ Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled^(M) on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble.^{(N) 12} May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there,^(O) overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.

I Darius^(P) have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.

¹² Artaxerxes, king of kings,^(G)

To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:

Greetings.

¹³ Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. ¹⁴ You are sent by the king and his seven advisers^(H) to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. ¹⁵ Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given^(I) to the God of Israel, whose dwelling^(J) is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶ together with all the silver and gold^(K) you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem.^(L)

⁶ These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles^(A) whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,