Darius

1Some people nearby did not like Judah and Benjamin. They heard that the people who had come home from far away were building a temple. This one was for the LORD, the God of Israel.

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;

NoteA temple is a special building where people came to worship God. These people had been taken far away to another country. Now they were back home in their own land.

2So they came to Zerubbabel and to the leaders of the families. They said, "Let us build with you. We look for your God, just like you do. We have brought gifts to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here."

Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

NoteBringing gifts to God meant giving him animals and grain. Assyria was a strong country with a big army. Its kings moved whole groups of people away from their homes.

3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel said no. They said, "You have no part in building a house for our God. We will build it ourselves for the LORD, the God of Israel. King Cyrus of Persia told us to do it."

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

NoteCyrus was the king of Persia, a very large and powerful country. He was the one who let these people go home and build again.

4So the people of that land tried to stop them. They made the people of Judah lose heart and feel afraid to build.

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

Note"The people of that land" were folks living nearby. Some had moved in while the Jews were away. To "lose heart" means to feel too sad and tired to keep going.

5They paid officials to work against them and spoil their plans. They kept doing this all through the time of King Cyrus of Persia. It went on until Darius became king of Persia.

And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

NoteThey gave money to important men so they would speak against the builders. Kings listened to men like that. Cyrus and Darius were both kings of Persia, one after the other.

24So the work on God's house in Jerusalem stopped. It stayed stopped until the second year that Darius was king of Persia.

Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

NoteThe building stopped for a very long time, about sixteen years. Darius became king of Persia later, after other kings.

1Two prophets spoke to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. Their names were Haggai and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. They spoke in the name of the God of Israel.

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 the God of Israel, even unto them.

NoteA prophet is a person who tells others what God says. Judah was the land around the city of Jerusalem. The Jews were the people who lived there.

2So Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak got up. They began to build God's house in Jerusalem again. God's prophets were right there helping them.

Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.

NoteGod's house means the temple, the building where people worshiped God. It had been knocked down many years before this. That is why they were building it again.

3Just then Tattenai came to see them. He was the governor of the land west of the Euphrates River. Shethar-bozenai and their helpers came too. They asked, "Who told you that you could build this temple and finish this wall?"

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?

NoteA governor is a leader who rules a land for a king. The Euphrates is a very big river far east of Jerusalem. Tattenai was in charge of all the land on the near side of it.

4They also asked, "What are the names of the men doing this building work?"

Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?

NoteAsking for names was a serious thing. If the king was angry, those men could get in trouble.

5But God was watching over the leaders of the Jews. So no one made them stop working. The question went to King Darius instead. Later a letter came back with his answer.

But the eye of their God 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.

NoteDarius was the king of Persia, a huge kingdom far away. Judah was one small part of his kingdom. So he could decide what happened there.

6Here is the letter that was sent to King Darius. It came from Tattenai, the governor of the land west of the river. Shethar-bozenai and their helpers, the officials there, sent it too.

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:

NoteOfficials are men with important jobs helping the king rule.

7This is what the letter said: "To King Darius. We wish you every peace.

They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.

Note"All peace" was a polite way to begin a letter. It is like saying, "I hope you are well."

8"The king should know that we went to the province of Judah. We went to the house of the great God. The people are building it with big stones. They are setting wooden beams into the walls. The work is going well and moving fast.

Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.

NoteA province is one part of a big kingdom. Beams are long, heavy pieces of wood. They help hold a building up.

9"So we asked their leaders this question: "Who told you that you could build this temple and finish these walls?"

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 too, so we could write them down for you. That way you would know who their leaders are.

We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.

11"This is the answer they gave us: "We serve the God of heaven and earth. We are building the temple again. It was built many years ago by a great king of Israel, who finished it.

And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.

NoteThe great king of Israel was Solomon. He built the first temple hundreds of years earlier.

12"But our fathers made the God of heaven angry. So he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar knocked down this temple. He took the people away to Babylon.

But after that our fathers had provoked the God 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.

Note"Our fathers" means the people who lived long before them. Babylon was a strong country far to the east. Its army beat Judah and knocked the temple down. Then it made the people leave home and live in Babylon.

13"But in his first year as king, Cyrus king of Babylon gave an order. He said this house of God should be built again.

But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

NoteLater on, Cyrus beat Babylon and became king of it too. When a king gave an order, it was written down and kept. Everyone had to obey it.

14"Nebuchadnezzar had taken the gold and silver dishes from God's house in Jerusalem. He had put them in the temple in Babylon. King Cyrus took them back out again. He gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he made governor.

And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, 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;

NoteThese gold and silver bowls and cups were used in worship at the temple. Nebuchadnezzar had put them in the house of his own god.

15"Cyrus said to him, "Take these bowls and cups. Carry them to the temple in Jerusalem. And let God's house be built again on the same spot."

And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.

16"So Sheshbazzar came and laid the base of God's house in Jerusalem. From that time until now, people have been building it. But it is still not finished."

Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.

NoteThe base of a building is called the foundation. It is the strong bottom part the rest sits on.

17"So now, if it pleases the king, please have someone look. Search the king's records kept in Babylon. See if King Cyrus really did give this order to build God's house in Jerusalem. Then send us word about what you decide."

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 God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

NoteKings kept their old orders written down and stored away. The room where they kept them was like a library.

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

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.

NoteDarius was the king of Persia, a very large empire. Persia ruled Babylon and many other lands at this time. Kings kept written records of every order they gave.

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

And 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:

NoteA scroll was a long sheet rolled up like a paper towel roll. People unrolled it to read it. Media was one of the lands the Persian kings ruled.

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.

In 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;

NoteCyrus was the king of Persia before Darius. He was the one who first let the Jewish people go home. God's house means the temple. That was the one special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God. A sacrifice was an animal given to God as a gift. A cubit was about as long as a grown-up's arm from elbow to fingers. That is about eighteen inches. Sixty cubits is about ninety feet, as tall as a big tree.

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.

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

NoteThe king's treasury was the room where he kept his gold and silver.

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.

And 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.

NoteNebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon long before this. His army broke into Jerusalem and took the temple's gold and silver away.

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.

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

NoteA governor was a man the king picked to rule one part of his empire. The river here is the Euphrates, a very big river. Jerusalem was west of it.

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

Let 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.

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.

Moreover 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.

NoteTaxes are money people must pay to the king each year.

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.

And 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:

NoteA burnt offering was an animal burned on a stone table as a gift to God. Rams are grown male sheep.

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

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

NoteThe King James says the sacrifices had "sweet savours." That means the smoke smelled good as it rose up. It was a way of saying the gift made God glad.

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.

Also 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.

NoteA beam is a long, heavy piece of wood that holds a house up.

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.

And 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.

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.

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

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

And 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.

NoteA prophet was someone who told people what God said. Haggai and Zechariah spoke to the workers and kept them going.

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

And 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.

NoteAdar was the last month of their year. It came near the end of our winter, around February and March.

1Darius was the king. In his second year, on the first day of the sixth month, God spoke. He gave his message to Haggai, a prophet, someone who tells people what God says. The message was for Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor, the leader of Judah. It was also for Joshua son of Josedech, the high priest, the chief priest.

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,

NoteDarius was king of Persia, a huge and powerful country far away. Judah was a small land that his kingdom ruled. A governor was the leader put in charge of a land like Judah. Priests were the men who helped people worship God at his house. The high priest was the one in charge of all the other priests. The sixth month came near the end of summer.

2The LORD, who leads heaven's armies, said this. "These people say it is not yet time to build my house again."

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.

NoteThe King James says "the LORD of hosts." Hosts is an old word for armies. God's house means the temple in Jerusalem. It was the special building where people came to worship God. Years before, an enemy army burned it down. The people were carried far away to another country. Now they had come home, but the temple was still a pile of stones.

3Then the LORD spoke again through Haggai the prophet. This is what he said.

Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

4"Is it time for you to live in your nice wooden houses? My house is still a pile of ruins."

Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?

NoteThe King James says "cieled houses." That means walls lined with smooth wooden boards. Wood like that cost a lot of money. Only a finished, comfortable house had it.

5So the LORD, who leads heaven's armies, says this. "Think carefully about how you are living."

Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

6"You plant many seeds, but you gather only a little food. You eat, but you are still hungry. You drink, but you are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but you never get warm. You earn money, and it slips through a bag full of holes."

Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

NotePeople carried their coins in a small cloth bag. They tied the bag to their belt. A bag with holes in it lost every coin.

7The LORD, who leads heaven's armies, says it again. "Think carefully about how you are living."

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

8"Go up into the hills. Bring back wood. Build my house. Then I will be happy with it, and people will honor me," says the LORD.

Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

NoteThere were no stores that sold wood. You walked up into the hills and cut down trees. Then you carried the logs all the way back.

9"You hoped for a big harvest. It turned out small. What you brought home, I blew away. Why? says the LORD, who leads heaven's armies. Because my house is still in ruins. Meanwhile each of you runs to your own house."

Ye looked for much, and lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

NoteA hot wind could dry a crop or blow the grain away. Here God says he was the one doing the blowing.

10"That is why the sky above you holds back its dew. That is why the ground holds back its crops."

Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

NoteIn that land almost no rain fell during the summer. Dew is the water that wets plants during the night. Farmers there needed that dew very much.

11"I called for a long time with no rain. It came on the fields and the hills. It came on the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil. It came on everything the ground grows. It came on people and on farm animals. It came on all the work your hands do."

And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

NoteThe King James word "corn" means grain, like wheat or barley. It does not mean yellow corn on a cob. Grain, wine, and olive oil were the three main foods there.

12Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Josedech, the high priest, listened. So did all the people who were left. They obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet. The LORD their God had sent him. And the people showed deep respect for the LORD.

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

Note"The remnant of the people" means the ones who were left. Many had died, and many stayed in the faraway country. Only a small group came home to Judah. The word "fear" here does not mean being scared. It means deep respect for someone very great.

13Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave the LORD's message to the people. He said, "I am with you," says the LORD.

Then spake Haggai the LORD’s messenger in the LORD’s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.

14So the LORD stirred up the hearts of the people to work. He stirred up Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah. He stirred up Joshua son of Josedech, the high priest. He stirred up all the people who were left. They came and began working on the house of the LORD, who leads heaven's armies, their God.

And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

NoteTo stir up someone's spirit means to make them want to act. The people had felt tired and slow about the work. Now they were ready to begin.

15This was on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. It was the second year that Darius was king.

In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

NoteThis was twenty-three days after Haggai's first message. The people started the work very quickly.