en-v0.1→en-v0.2-dev·#1cb49a8c317bContribute to en-v0.2

Ezra 5:1-17 — Tattenai's Letter to Darius

Ezra.5.1-17

¹At that time, the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. ²Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to rebuild the House of God which is in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them. ³At that time Tattenai, the governor of Beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: 'Who issued you a decree to rebuild this house and to finish this structure?' ⁴Then we told them in this way what the names of the men constructing this building were. ⁵But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report could go to Darius, and then a written reply be returned concerning this. ⁶This is the copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of Beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his associates the Apharsachites, who were Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. ⁷They sent a report to him, and thus it was written in it: To Darius the king: All peace. ⁸Let it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the House of the great God. It is being built with large stones, and timber is being placed in the walls. This work is being done diligently and is prospering in their hands. ⁹Then we asked those elders, and spoke to them in this way: 'Who issued you a decree to rebuild this house and to finish this structure?' ¹⁰We also asked them their names, in order to inform you, so that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head. ¹¹And in this way they returned an answer to us, saying: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. ¹²'But because our fathers angered the God of heaven, He handed them over into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and exiled the people to Babylon. ¹³'However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king issued a decree to rebuild this House of God. ¹⁴'And also the gold and silver vessels of the House of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought to the temple of Babylon—these Cyrus the king took out from the temple of Babylon, and they were given to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. ¹⁵'And he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and deposit them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the House of God be rebuilt on its site.” ¹⁶'Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the House of God which is in Jerusalem; and from that time until now it has been under construction, and it is not finished.' ¹⁷And now, if it seems good to the king , let a search be made in the royal archives storehouse that is there in Babylon, to see whether there is a decree issued by Cyrus the king to rebuild this House of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his decision concerning this matter.

Translation Notes

4/11/2026

💡 Read the current translation below. If you have suggestions, comment by verse.

📚 Reference Translations

🔬 Exegesis Resources