CHAPTER 6
1 Forsooth in the second year of the realm of Darius, Haggai prophesied, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, a prophet, with Judea and in Jerusalem, in the name of the Lord God of Israel, upon them.
2 Then standing Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and Jeshua, the son of Josedek, they began to build up the house of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem; when there were nigh to them, prophets of the Lord, and helped them.
3 In that time came to them Sisinnes, the under-little-king of Syria and of Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes, and his fellows. And they said to them,
4 Who commanded to you, that ye build this house, and this roof, and many other things ye perform? and who be those builders [or the builders], that build up these things?
5 And the elder men of Israel had grace of the Lord, when the visitation of them was made upon them that were of the captivity;
6 and they were not hindered to build up, to the time that it were signified to Darius of all these things, and an answer were taken again.
7 This is the ensample of the letter, that Sisinnes, the under-little -king of Syria and of Phoenicia, and Sathra-buzanes, and their fellows, rulers in Syria and in Phoenicia, sent to the king. To king Darius, greetings.
8 All things be they known to the lord the king; forsooth when we came into the region of Judea, and went into Jerusalem, we found men
9 building a great house of God, and a temple of great polished stones, and of precious materials in the walls;
10 and those works busily in making, and to help, and to make welsome in the hands of them, and in all glory, full diligently to be performed.
11 Then we asked the elder men, saying, Who suffered you to build this house, and to build [or ‘found’] these works?
12 Therefore forsooth we asked them, that we might make known to thee the men, and the provosts, or reeves; and we asked them the writing of the names of the masters of the work.
13 And they answered to us, saying, We be servants of the Lord, that made both heaven and earth [or that made heaven and earth];
14 and this house was builded [or built] before these many years of the king of Israel, that was great, and a full strong king, and it was destroyed again[or full ended].
15 And for our fathers stirred and sinned against [the] God of Israel, he betook them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, king of Chaldees;
16 and they destroyed and burned up this house, and they brought the people made thrall [or captive] into Babylon.
17 In the first year reigning Cyrus, king of Babylon, king Cyrus wrote to build up this house;
18 and those holy golden vessels and silvern, that Nebuchadnezzar had borne away from the house of God, that is in Jerusalem, and had made sacred them in his temple, again king Cyrus brought them forth from the temple that was in Babylon, and they were betaken to Zerubbabel, and to Sanabassar, the under-little-king.
19 And it was commanded to them, that they offer these vessels, and they should lay them up in the temple, that was in Jerusalem, and to build up that temple of God in that place.
20 Then Sanabassar under-laid the foundaments of the house of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem; and from thence unto now is abuilding, and hath taken no full ending.
21 Now then, O king! if it is deemed of thee, that it be perfectly sought [or be it perfectly sought] in the king’s libraries of king Cyrus, that be in Babylon;
22 and if it were found in the counsel of king Cyrus, the making of the house of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem, to be begun, and if it shall be showed of the lord our king, write he to us of these things.
23 Then king Darius commanded to be inwardly sought in the libraries; and there was found in Ecbatana, a borough town, that is in the middle region, a place [or one place], in the which were written these things.
24 The first year reigning Cyrus king, Cyrus commanded to build up the house of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem, where they burned with continual fire;
25 whose height was made of sixty cubits, and the breadth of sixty cubits, squared with three polished stones, and with solar tree of the same region, and with one new solar; and costs to be given of the house of king Cyrus;
26 and the holy vessels of the house of the Lord, both golden and silvern, that Nebuchadnezzar bare away, that those [or they] be put thither into the house, that is in Jerusalem, where they were put.
27 And he commanded Sisinnes, the under-little-king of Syria and Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes, and his fellows, to do their business, and they that were in Syria and Phoenicia ordained rulers, that they should abstain them from the same place.
28 And I also commanded to make it up all, and I looked forth, that they help them that be of the captivity of Jews, unto the time that the temple of the house of the Lord be fully ended;
29 and a quantity to be given diligently to these men of the travail of the tributes of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, to the sacrifice of the Lord, to Zerubbabel, the prefect, to bulls, and wethers, and to lambs;
30 also forsooth both wheat, and salt, wine, and oil, busily by all years, as the priests, that be in Jerusalem, ordained to be fulfilled each day, without any delay;
31 also that there be offered offerings of liquors to the highest God, for the king, and for his children, and pray they for the life of them.
32 And be it announced, that whosoever over-pass anything of these things that be written, either despise, be there taken a tree of their own, and be they hanged thereon, and their goods be escheated to the king.
33 Therefore also the Lord, whose name is inwardly called there, outlaw he each king and folk, that stretch out their hand to offend [or to forfend], or to evil treat that house of the Lord, that is in Jerusalem.
34 I, king Darius, have made a decree, to be done as most diligently after these things.