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1. So King Darius gave an order to search the writings of the kings before him. The writings were kept in Babylon in the same place the money was kept.
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1. Then H116 Darius H1868 the king H4430 made H7761 a decree H2942 , and search was made H1240 in the house H1005 of the rolls H5609 , where H1768 H8536 the treasures H1596 were laid up H5182 in Babylon H895 .
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2. A scroll was found in the fortress of Ecbatana. (Ecbatana is in the province of Media.) This is what was written on that scroll: Official Note:
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2. And there was found H7912 at Achmetha H307 , in the palace H1001 that H1768 is in the province H4083 of the Medes H4076 , a H2298 roll H4040 , and therein H1459 was a record H1799 thus H3652 written H3790 :
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3. During the first year that Cyrus was king, he gave an order about the Temple of God in Jerusalem. The order said: Let the Temple of God be rebuilt. It will be a place to offer sacrifices. Let its foundations be built. The Temple must be 60 cubits high and 60 cubits wide.
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3. In the first H2298 year H8140 of Cyrus H3567 the king H4430 the same Cyrus H3567 the king H4430 made H7761 a decree H2942 concerning the house H1005 of God H426 at Jerusalem H3390 , Let the house H1005 be built H1124 , the place H870 where H1768 they offered H1684 sacrifices H1685 , and let the foundations H787 thereof be strongly laid H5446 ; the height H7314 thereof threescore H8361 cubits H521 , and the breadth H6613 thereof threescore H8361 cubits H521 ;
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4. Its wall will be in layers that have three rows of large stones and one row of wooden timbers. The cost of building the Temple must be paid for from the king's treasury.
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4. With three H8532 rows H5073 of H1768 great H1560 stones H69 , and a row H5073 of H1768 new H2323 timber H636 : and let the expenses H5313 be given H3052 out of H4481 the king H4430 's house H1005 :
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5. Also, the gold and silver things from God's Temple must be put back in their places. Nebuchadnezzar took them from the Temple in Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon. They must be put back in God's Temple.
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5. And also H638 let the golden H1722 and silver H3702 vessels H3984 of the house H1005 of God H426 , which H1768 Nebuchadnezzar H5020 took forth H5312 out of H4481 the temple H1965 which H1768 is at Jerusalem H3390 , and brought H2987 unto Babylon H895 , be restored H8421 , and brought again H1946 unto the temple H1965 which H1768 is at Jerusalem H3390 , every one to his place H870 , and place H5182 them in the house H1005 of God H426 .
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6. Now then, I, Darius, order you Tattenai, governor of the area west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar Bozenai, and all the officials living in that province, to stay away from Jerusalem.
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6. Now H3705 therefore , Tatnai H8674 , governor H6347 beyond H5675 the river H5103 , Shethar H8370 -boznai , and your companions H3675 the Apharsachites H671 , which H1768 are beyond H5675 the river H5103 , be H1934 ye far H7352 from H4481 thence H8536 :
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7. Don't bother the workers. Don't try to stop the work on this Temple of God. Let the Jewish governor and the Jewish leaders rebuild it. Let them rebuild God's Temple in the same place it was in the past.
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7. Let the work H5673 of this H1791 house H1005 of God H426 alone H7662 ; let the governor H6347 of the Jews H3062 and the elders H7868 of the Jews H3062 build H1124 this H1791 house H1005 of God H426 in H5922 his place H870 .
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8. Now I give this order. You must do this for the Jewish leaders building God's Temple: The cost of the building must be fully paid from the king's treasury. The money will come from the taxes collected from the provinces in the area west of the Euphrates River. Do these things quickly, so the work will not stop.
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8. Moreover I make H7761 a decree H2942 what H3964 H1768 ye shall do H5648 to H5974 the elders H7868 of these H479 Jews H3062 for the building H1124 of this H1791 house H1005 of God H426 : that of the king's goods H4481 H5232 H4430 , even of H1768 the tribute H4061 beyond H5675 the river H5103 , forthwith H629 expenses H5313 be H1934 given H3052 unto these H479 men H1400 , that H1768 they be not H3809 hindered H989 .
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9. Give them anything they need. If they need young bulls, rams, or male lambs for sacrifices to the God of Heaven, give these things to them. If the priests of Jerusalem ask for wheat, salt, wine, and oil, give these things to them every day without fail.
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9. And that H4100 which they have need of H2818 , both young H1123 bullocks H8450 , and rams H1798 , and lambs H563 , for the burnt offerings H5928 of the God H426 of heaven H8065 , wheat H2591 , salt H4416 , wine H2562 , and oil H4887 , according to the appointment H3983 of the priests H3549 which H1768 are at Jerusalem H3390 , let it be H1934 given H3052 them day H3118 by day H3118 without H1768 H3809 fail H7960 :
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10. Give them to the Jewish priests so that they may offer sacrifices that please the God of Heaven. Give these things so that the priests may pray for me and my sons.
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10. That H1768 they may H1934 offer H7127 sacrifices of sweet savors H5208 unto the God H426 of heaven H8065 , and pray H6739 for the life H2417 of the king H4430 , and of his sons H1123 .
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11. Also, I give this order: If anyone changes this order, a wooden beam must be pulled from their house and pushed through their body. Then their house must be destroyed until it is only a pile of rocks.
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11. Also I have made H7761 a decree H2942 , that H1768 whosoever H3606 H606 H1768 shall alter H8133 this H1836 word H6600 , let timber H636 be pulled down H5256 from H4481 his house H1005 , and being set up H2211 , let him be hanged H4223 thereon H5922 ; and let his house H1005 be made H5648 a dunghill H5122 for H5922 this H1836 .
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12. God put his name there in Jerusalem. May God defeat any king or other person who tries to change this order. If anyone tries to destroy this Temple in Jerusalem, may God destroy that person. I, Darius, have ordered it. This order must be obeyed quickly and completely.
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12. And the God H426 that H1768 hath caused his name H8036 to dwell H7932 there H8536 destroy H4049 all H3606 kings H4430 and people H5972 , that H1768 shall put H7972 to their hand H3028 to alter H8133 and to destroy H2255 this H1791 house H1005 of God H426 which H1768 is at Jerusalem H3390 . I H576 Darius H1868 have made H7761 a decree H2942 ; let it be done H5648 with speed H629 .
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13. So Tattenai the governor of the area west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai, and the men with them obeyed King Darius' order. They obeyed the order quickly and completely.
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13. Then H116 Tatnai H8674 , governor H6347 on this side H5675 the river H5103 , Shethar H8370 -boznai , and their companions H3675 , according to H6903 that which H1768 Darius H1868 the king H4430 had sent H7972 , so H3660 they did H5648 speedily H629 .
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14. So the Jewish leaders continued to build. They were successful as Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo encouraged them. They finished building the Temple. This was done to obey the command of the God of Israel. It was also done to obey the orders of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia.
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14. And the elders H7868 of the Jews H3062 built H1124 , and they prospered H6744 through the prophesying H5017 of Haggai H2292 the prophet H5029 and Zechariah H2148 the son H1247 of Iddo H5714 . And they built H1124 , and finished H3635 it , according H4481 to the commandment H2941 of the God H426 of Israel H3479 , and according to H4481 the commandment H2942 of Cyrus H3567 , and Darius H1868 , and Artaxerxes H783 king H4430 of Persia H6540 .
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15. The Temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar. That was in the sixth year of the rule of King Darius.
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15. And this H1836 house H1005 was finished H3319 on H5705 the third H8532 day H3118 of the month H3393 Adar H144 , which H1768 was in the sixth H8353 year H8140 of the reign H4437 of Darius H1868 the king H4430 .
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16. Then the Israelites celebrated the dedication of God's Temple with much happiness. The priests, the Levites, and all the other people who came back from captivity joined in the celebration.
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16. And the children H1123 of Israel H3479 , the priests H3549 , and the Levites H3879 , and the rest H7606 of the children H1123 of the captivity H1547 , kept H5648 the dedication H2597 of this H1836 house H1005 of God H426 with joy H2305 ,
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17. This is the way they dedicated God's Temple: They offered 100 bulls, 200 rams, and 400 male lambs. And they offered twelve male goats for all Israel for a sin offering. That is one goat for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
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17. And offered H7127 at the dedication H2597 of this H1836 house H1005 of God H426 a hundred H3969 bullocks H8450 , two hundred H3969 rams H1798 , four H703 hundred H3969 lambs H563 ; and for a sin offering H2409 for H5922 all H3606 Israel H3479 , twelve H8648 H6236 he goats H6841 H5796 , according to the number H4510 of the tribes H7625 of Israel H3479 .
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18. Then they chose the priests in their groups and the Levites in their groups to serve in God's Temple in Jerusalem. They did these things as it is written in the Book of Moses.
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18. And they set H6966 the priests H3549 in their divisions H6392 , and the Levites H3879 in their courses H4255 , for H5922 the service H5673 of God H426 , which H1768 is at Jerusalem H3390 ; as it is written H3792 in the book H5609 of Moses H4873 .
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19. On the fourteenth day of the first month, the Jews who came back from captivity celebrated the Passover.
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19. And the children H1121 of the captivity H1473 kept H6213 H853 the passover H6453 upon the fourteenth H702 H6240 day of the first H7223 month H2320 .
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20. The priests and Levites made themselves pure. They all made themselves clean and ready to celebrate the Passover. The Levites killed the Passover lamb for all the Jews who came back from captivity. They did that for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.
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20. For H3588 the priests H3548 and the Levites H3881 were purified H2891 together H259 , all H3605 of them were pure H2889 , and killed H7819 the passover H6453 for all H3605 the children H1121 of the captivity H1473 , and for their brethren H251 the priests H3548 , and for themselves.
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21. So all the Israelites who came back from captivity ate the Passover meal. Other people washed themselves and made themselves pure from the unclean things of the people living in that country. These pure people also shared in the Passover meal. They did this so that they could go to the Lord, the God of Israel, for help.
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21. And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 , which were come again H7725 out of captivity H4480 H1473 , and all H3605 such as had separated themselves H914 unto H413 them from the filthiness H4480 H2932 of the heathen H1471 of the land H776 , to seek H1875 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 , did eat H398 ,
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22. They celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread with much joy for seven days. The Lord made them very happy because he had changed the attitude of the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria had helped them do the work on God's Temple.
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22. And kept H6213 the feast H2282 of unleavened bread H4682 seven H7651 days H3117 with joy H8057 : for H3588 the LORD H3068 had made them joyful H8055 , and turned H5437 the heart H3820 of the king H4428 of Assyria H804 unto H5921 them , to strengthen H2388 their hands H3027 in the work H4399 of the house H1004 of God H430 , the God H430 of Israel H3478 .
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