1 ¶ Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son
of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that [were] in Judah and Jerusalem in the name
of Yahuah of YisraYAH, [even] unto them.
2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak,
and began to build the house of Yahuah which [is] at Jerusalem: and with them
[were] the prophets of Yahuah helping them.
3 ¶ At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and
Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded
you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
4 Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that
make this building?
5 But the eye of their Yahuah was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could
not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned
answer by letter concerning this [matter].
6 The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and
Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which [were] on this side
the river, sent unto Darius the king:
7 They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king,
all peace.
8 Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the
house of the great Yahuah, which is builded with great stones, and timber is
laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.
9 Then asked we those elders, [and] said unto them thus, Who commanded you to
build this house, and to make up these walls?
10 We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of
the men that [were] the chief of them.
11 And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of Yahuah of
heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago,
which a great king of YisraYAH builded and set up.
12 But after that our fathers had provoked Yahuah of heaven unto wrath, he gave
them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who
destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
13 But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon [the same] king Cyrus made
a decree to build this house of Yahuah.
14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of Yahuah, which
Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that [was] in Jerusalem, and brought them
into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of
Babylon, and they were delivered unto [one], whose name [was] Sheshbazzar, whom
he had made governor;
15 And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that
[is] in Jerusalem, and let the house of Yahuah be builded in his place.
16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation of the house of
Yahuah which [is] in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been
in building, and [yet] it is not finished.
17 Now therefore, if [it seem] good to the king, let there be search made in the
king's treasure house, which [is] there at Babylon, whether it be [so], that a
decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of Yahuah at Jerusalem,
and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.