Leave the work on this temple of God alone.<n id="1" /> Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple of God in its proper place.p>

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began<n id="1" /> to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.p>

Furthermore let the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, be returned and brought to their proper place in the temple in Jerusalem. Let them be deposited in the temple of God.&#8217;p>

<p class="bodytext">So the work on the temple of God in Jerusalem came to a halt. It remained halted until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.<n id="1" />p>

But in the first year of King Cyrus of Babylon,<n id="1" /> King Cyrus enacted a decree to rebuild this temple of God.

He said to him, &#8220;Take these vessels and go deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its proper location.&#8221;<n id="1" />

Then this Sheshbazzar went and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem. From that time to the present moment<n id="1" /> it has been in the process of being rebuilt, although it is not yet finished.&#8217;p>

<p class="bodytext">The people<n id="1" /> of Israel &#8211; the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles<n id="2" /> &#8211; observed the dedication of this temple of God with joy.

They appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their divisions over the worship of God at Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> in accord with<n id="2" /> the book of Moses.

Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones,<n id="1" /> and timbers are being placed in the walls. This work is being done with all diligence and is prospering in their hands.

In the first year of his reign,<n id="1" /> King Cyrus gave orders concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:<n id="2" /> &#8216;Let the temple be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered. Let its foundations be set in place.<n id="3" /> Its height is to be ninety feet and its width ninety<n id="4" /> feet,<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;I also hereby issue orders as to what you are to do with those elders of the Jews in order to rebuild this temple of God. From the royal treasury, from the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs are to be given to these men, so that there may be no interruption of the work.<n id="1" />

May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow any king or nation<n id="1" /> who reaches out<n id="2" /> to cause such change so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them be carried out with precision!&#8221;p>

For the dedication of this temple of God they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

Furthermore, be aware of the fact<n id="1" /> that you have no authority to impose tax, tribute, or toll on any of the priests, the Levites, the musicians, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or the attendants at the temple of this God.p>

Even the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and had brought to the palace<n id="1" /> of Babylon &#8211; even those things King Cyrus brought from the palace of Babylon and presented<n id="2" /> to a man by the name of Sheshbazzar whom he had appointed as governor.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Now if the king is so inclined,<n id="1" /> let a search be conducted in the royal archives<n id="2" /> there in Babylon in order to determine whether King Cyrus did in fact issue orders for this temple of God to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us a decision concerning this matter.&#8221;p>