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¹ Then Daryavesh the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Bavel. ² There was found at Achmeta, in the palace that is in the province of Madai, a scroll, and therein was thus written for a record: ³ In the first year of Koresh the king, Koresh the king made a decree: Concerning the house of God at Yerushalayim, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let the foundations of it be strongly laid; the height of it sixty cubits, and the breadth of it sixty cubits; ⁴ with three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house. ⁵ Also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nevukhadnetztzar took forth out of the temple which is at Yerushalayim, and brought to Bavel, be restored, and brought again to the temple which is at Yerushalayim, everyone to its place; and you shall put them in the house of God. ⁶ Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shetar-Bozenai, and your companions the Afarsekhi, who are beyond the River, be you far from there: ⁷ let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Yehudim and the Zakenim of the Yehudim build this house of God in its place. ⁸ Moreover I make a decree what you shall do to these Zakenim of the Yehudim for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses be given with all diligence to these men, that they be not hindered. ⁹ That which they have need of, both young bulls, and rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings to the God of heaven; [also] wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the Kohanim who are at Yerushalayim, let it be given them day by day without fail; ¹⁰ that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons. ¹¹ Also I have made a decree, that whoever shall alter this word, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this: ¹² and the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who shall put forth their hand to alter [the same], to destroy this house of God which is at Yerushalayim. I Daryavesh have made a decree; let it be done with all diligence.

¹³ Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shetar-Bozenai, and their companions, because that Daryavesh the king had sent, did accordingly with all diligence. ¹⁴ The Zakenim of the Yehudim built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zekharyah the son of `Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the mitzvah of the God of Yisra'el, and according to the decree of Koresh, and Daryavesh, and Artachshasta king of Paras. ¹⁵ This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Daryavesh the king. ¹⁶ The children of Yisra'el, the Kohanim, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy. ¹⁷ They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin-offering for all Yisra'el, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Yisra'el. ¹⁸ They set the Kohanim in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Yerushalayim; as it is written in the book of Moshe. ¹⁹ The children of the captivity kept the Pesach on the fourteenth [day] of the first month. ²⁰ For the Kohanim and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure: and they killed the Pesach for all the children of the captivity, and for their brothers the Kohanim, and for themselves. ²¹ The children of Yisra'el who had come again out of the captivity, and all such as had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, ate, ²² and kept the feast of matzah seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Ashshur to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Yisra'el.