Ezra

Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.

1So King Darius gave an order. Workers searched the room in Babylon where old records were kept.

2And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written:

2They found a scroll at Achmetha, a fort in the land of Media. This is what it said:

3In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;

3In King Cyrus's first year, he gave an order about God's house in Jerusalem. He said to build it again as a place to offer sacrifices. Its base was to be laid strong. It was to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide.

NoteA cubit was about 18 inches, so sixty cubits is around 90 feet.

4With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house:

4It was to have three layers of big cut stones and one layer of new wood. The king's treasury would pay for it all.

5And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.

5Also, the gold and silver bowls from God's house must be returned. Nebuchadnezzar had taken them from Jerusalem to Babylon. Each one must go back to its own place in God's house.

6Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:

6So Darius wrote back: Tatnai, you rule the land west of the river. You and Shetharboznai and your fellow officers must stay away from that place.

7Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.

7Leave the work on God's house alone. Let the Jewish governor and the Jewish leaders build it where it stood before.

8Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.

8Here is my order about the Jewish leaders who are building God's house. Pay their costs in full from the king's money. Use the taxes from the land west of the river. Do this so the work is not slowed down.

9And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:

9Give them whatever they need each day, without fail. That means young bulls, rams, and lambs to burn as offerings to the God of heaven. It also means wheat, salt, wine, and oil. Give whatever the priests in Jerusalem ask for.

10That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.

10Then they can offer sacrifices that please the God of heaven. And they can pray for the king and his sons to live well.

11Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.

11I also order this. If anyone changes this command, a beam will be pulled from his house. He will be lifted up and put to death on it. His house will be torn into a pile of rubble.

12And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.

12God has chosen to make his name known in that place. May God bring down any king or people who tries to change this order or wreck God's house in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given this order. Carry it out quickly.

Note"Put to their hand" in the old wording just means to try or to take action against it.

13Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.

13So Tatnai the governor, Shetharboznai, and their fellow officers obeyed. They did exactly what King Darius had sent word to do, and they did it quickly.

14And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

14The Jewish leaders kept building, and the work went well. Two prophets helped them, Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. They finished the house as the God of Israel commanded. They also followed the orders of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

15And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

15The house was finished on the third day of the month Adar. That was in the sixth year that King Darius ruled.

16And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,

16Then the people of Israel held a happy celebration for God's house. The priests, the Levites, and everyone else who came home from exile joined in.

17And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

17At that celebration they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs. They also offered twelve male goats as a sin offering for all Israel. That was one goat for each family group of Israel.

18And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.

18They put the priests into their groups and the Levites into their turns. Each group had its own job in God's house in Jerusalem. They did it just as the book of Moses says.

19And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.

19The people who had come home from exile kept the Passover. It was the fourteenth day of the first month.

20For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

20The priests and Levites had all washed and made themselves clean. Then they killed the Passover lambs for everyone who came home from exile. They did it for the priests and for themselves too.

21And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,

21The people of Israel who came back from exile ate the meal. Others ate with them too. These were people who had turned away from the unclean ways of their neighbors. They wanted to follow the LORD, the God of Israel.

22And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

22For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy. The LORD had made them glad. He had also turned the king's heart toward them. So the king helped them with the work on the house of the God of Israel.

NoteThe chapter says "king of Assyria," an older name for the land the Persian kings now ruled. It means Darius.