Ezra 6

The Decree of Darius

1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and t search was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored. 2 And in Ecbatana, the capital that is u in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was written: "A record. 3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. Its height shall be sixty cubits 1 and its breadth sixty cubits, 4 v with three layers of great stones and one layer of timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. 5 And also w let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You shall put them in the house of God."

6 "Now therefore, x Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, y and your associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away. 7 Let the work on this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. 8 Moreover, z I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. 9 And whatever is needed - bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require - let that be given to them day by day without fail, 10 that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven a and pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11 Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and b his house shall be made a dunghill. 12 May the God c who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence."

The Temple Finished and Dedicated

13 Then, according to the word sent by Darius the king, x Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had ordered. 14 d And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and e by decree of Cyrus and f Darius and g Artaxerxes king of Persia; 15 and this house was finished on the third day of the h month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

16 And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the i dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel j 12 male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they set the priests k in their divisions and the Levites l in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, m as it is written in the Book of Moses.

Passover Celebrated

19 n On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover. 20 o For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. p So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. 21 It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and q also by every one who had joined them and separated himself r from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread s seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful t and had turned the heart of u the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

  1. Cross References
    Ezra 5:17
    Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.
  2. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:6
    In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
  3. Cross References
    1 Kings 6:36
    He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone and one course of cedar beams.
  4. Cross References
    Ezra 1:7 - 8
    Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods.
    Ezra 5:14
    And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
  5. Cross References
    Ezra 5:3
    At the same time Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: "Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?
    Ezra 5:6
    This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the governors who were in the province Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king.
  6. Cross References
    Ezra 5:6
    This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the governors who were in the province Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king.
  7. Cross References
    Ezra 7:13
    I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
    Ezra 7:21
    And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence.
  8. Cross References
    Jeremiah 29:7
    But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
    1 Timothy 2:2
    For kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
  9. Cross References
    Daniel 2:5
    The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins.
    Daniel 3:29
    Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.
  10. Cross References
    1 Kings 9:3
    And the Lord said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.
  11. Cross References
    Ezra 6:6
    Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away.
  12. Cross References
    Ezra 5:1 - 2
    Now the prophets, Haggai 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.
  13. Cross References
    Ezra 6:3
    In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. Its height shall be sixty cubits and its breadth sixty cubits.
    Ezra 1:1
    In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
    Ezra 5:13
    However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt.
  14. Cross References
    Ezra 6:12
    May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.
    Ezra 4:24
    Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
  15. Cross References
    Ezra 7:1
    Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah.
  16. Cross References
    Esther 3:7
    In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
  17. Cross References
    1 Kings 8:63
    Solomon offered as peace offerings to the Lord 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.
    2 Chronicles 7:5
    King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
  18. Cross References
    Ezra 8:35
    At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord.
  19. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 24:1
    The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
    2 Chronicles 35:5
    And stand in the Holy Place according to the groupings of the fathers' houses of your brothers the lay people, and according to the division of the Levites by fathers' household.
  20. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:6
    And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
  21. Cross References
    Numbers 3:6
    Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.
    Numbers 8:9
    And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel.
  22. Cross References
    Exodus 12:6
    And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
  23. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 30:15
    And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the Lord.
  24. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 35:11
    And they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests threw the blood that they received from them while the Levites flayed the sacrifices.
  25. Cross References
    Nehemiah 9:2
    And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
    Nehemiah 10:28
    The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding.
    Ezra 9:1
    After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
  26. Cross References
    Ezra 9:11
    Which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness.
  27. Cross References
    Exodus 12:15
    Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.
    Exodus 13:6
    Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord.
    2 Chronicles 30:21
    And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might to the Lord.
    2 Chronicles 35:17
    And the people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days.
  28. Cross References
    Ezra 7:27
    Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem.
    Proverbs 21:1
    The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord ; he turns it wherever he will.
  29. Cross References
    Nehemiah 13:6
    While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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