Ezra 6

Ezra 6:1

Thus King Darius ordered a search of the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon.

Ezra 6:1 · BSB

laid up Chal , made to descend

Ezra 6:2

And a scroll was found in the fortress of Ecbatana, in the province of Media, with the following written on it: Memorandum:

Ezra 6:2 · BSB

at Achmetha or , at Ecbatana , or , in a coffer , אחמתא [Strong's H712] , probably from the Persian Mx , kham , "a house for a summer residence ," with a prefix , א , aleph , and the Chaldee termination )t , tha , most likely denotes Ecbatana , as the Vulgate and Josephus read , the summer residence of the Persian monarchs. It was situated in a mountainous region at the foot of mount Orontes , or Jasonius , according to Ammianus , on the southern confines of Media and Persia , and according to Pliny , 750 miles from Seleucia the Great , 20 miles from the Caspian passes , 450 miles from Susa , and the same from Gaze Atropatene , and in lat. 37 degrees 45 min. , long. 88 degrees , according to Ptolemy. The building of the city is ascribed to Semiramis by Diodorus , but to Deioces by Eusebius (in Chron. Ezra 1 . 1) , and Herodotus , who states that it was surrounded by seven walls , strong and ample , built in circles one within another , rising each above each by the height of their respective battlements; each being distinguished by a different colour , the first white , the second black , the third purple , the fourth blue , the fifth orange , the sixth plated with silver , and the seventh with gold. The largest of these was nearly the extent of Athens , i.e. , 200 furlongs , according to Dion Chrysostom; but Diodorus Siculus states the circumference of Ecbatana to be 250 furlongs. Within the inner circle stood the king's palace and the royal treasury , so much celebrated for its splendour and riches by Polybius. It is highly probable , as D'Anville and Major Rennel suppose , that the present Hamadan , whose ruins attest its former splendour , occupies the site of Ecbatana. It is situated in Al Gebal , at the foot of the lofty mountain Alwend , about 80 leagues from Ispahan , and also from Bagdad.

Ezra 6:3

In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its foundations be firmly laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide,

Ezra 6:3 · BSB

Ezra 6:4

with three layers of cut stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury.

Ezra 6:4 · BSB

Ezra 6:5

Furthermore, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, must also be returned to the temple in Jerusalem and deposited in the house of God.

Ezra 6:5 · BSB

brought Chal , go

Ezra 6:6

Therefore Darius decreed: To Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates and officials in the region: You must stay away from that place!

Ezra 6:6 · BSB

Ezra 6:7

Leave this work on the house of God alone. Let the governor and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its original site.

Ezra 6:7 · BSB

Ezra 6:8

I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered.

Ezra 6:8 · BSB

I make a decree Chal , by me a decree is made

Ezra 6:9

Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given to them daily without fail.

Ezra 6:9 · BSB

Ezra 6:10

Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.

Ezra 6:10 · BSB

Ezra 6:11

I also decree that if any man interferes with this directive, a beam is to be torn from his house and raised up, and he is to be impaled on it. And his own house shall be made a pile of rubble for this offense.

Ezra 6:11 · BSB

hanged Chal , destroyed

Ezra 6:12

May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence.

Ezra 6:12 · BSB

Ezra 6:13

In response, Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed.

Ezra 6:13 · BSB

Ezra 6:14

So the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

Ezra 6:14 · BSB

commandment Chal , decree

Ezra 6:15

And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

Ezra 6:15 · BSB

am 3489 , bc 515

Ezra 6:16

Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

Ezra 6:16 · BSB

Ezra 6:17

For the dedication of the house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel.

Ezra 6:17 · BSB

Ezra 6:18

They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

Ezra 6:18 · BSB

Ezra 6:19

On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles kept the Passover.

Ezra 6:19 · BSB

Ezra 6:20

All the priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their priestly brothers, and for themselves.

Ezra 6:20 · BSB

Ezra 6:21

The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.

Ezra 6:21 · BSB

Ezra 6:22

For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

Ezra 6:22 · BSB