Read the Bible

¹ Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zekharyah the son of `Iddo, prophesied to the Yehudim who were in Yehudah and Yerushalayim; in the name of the God of Yisra'el [prophesied they] to them. ² Then rose up Zerubbavel the son of She'alti'el, and Yeshua the son of Yotzadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Yerushalayim; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

³ At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetar-Bozenai, and their companions, and said thus to them, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall? ⁴ Then we told them after this manner, what the names of the men were who were making this building. ⁵ But the eye of their God was on the Zakenim of the Yehudim, and they did not make them cease, until the matter should come to Daryavesh, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it. ⁶ The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetar-Bozenai, and his companions the Afarsekhi, who were beyond the River, sent to Daryavesh the king; ⁷ they sent a letter to him, in which was written thus: To Daryavesh the king, all shalom. ⁸ Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of Yehudah, to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands. ⁹ Then asked we those Zakenim, and said to them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall? ¹⁰ We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at the head of them. ¹¹ Thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and eretz, and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Yisra'el built and finished. ¹² But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nevukhadnetztzar king of Bavel, the Kasdai, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Bavel. ¹³ But in the first year of Koresh king of Bavel, Koresh the king made a decree to build this house of God. ¹⁴ The gold and silver vessels also of the house of God, which Nevukhadnetztzar took out of the temple that was in Yerushalayim, and brought into the temple of Bavel, those did Koresh the king take out of the temple of Bavel, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbatztzer, whom he had made governor; ¹⁵ and he said to him, Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Yerushalayim, and let the house of God be built in its place. ¹⁶ Then came the same Sheshbatztzer, and laid the foundations of the house of God which is in Yerushalayim: and since that time even until now has it been in building, and yet it is not completed. 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 Bavel, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Koresh the king to build this house of God at Yerushalayim; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.