And after this the burnt-offerings of continuance, and for the new moons, and for all the appointments of Jehovah being consecrated, and for all giving willingly a voluntary gift to Jehovah.

And many of the priests and the Levites and heads of the fathers, old men, who saw the first house in this house being founded before their eyes, weeping with a great voice; and many with a shout in gladness to the lifting up the voice.

This the copy of the epistle that they sent to him to Arthasatha the king; thy servants the men beyond the river, and thus.

Now to be known to the king that if this city shall be built and the walls be completed, tribute, excise, and toll, they will not give, and in the end it will endamage the kings.

Now for the cause that we were salted with the salt of the temple, and not being fit to us to see the king's nakedness, for this we sent and made known to the king;

That it shall be sought in the book of the records of thy fathers: and thou wilt find in the book of the records, and thou wilt know that this city a city perverse and endamaging kings and provinces, and working rebellion in the midst of it from days forever: for this, this city was laid waste.

We making known to the king that if this city shall be built, and its walls be completed, for this cause a portion beyond the river shall not be to thee.

And a decree being set from me, and they sought and found that this city from days forever lifting itself up against kings, and perverseness and rebellion being made in it

Now set up a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city shall not be built till a decree shall be set up from me.

And be ye warned from doing wrong upon this: wherefore shall harm overtake to endamage the kings?

In that time came to them Tatnai, prefect beyond the river, and ShetharBozni and their colleagues, and thus they said to them, Who set up to you a decree to build this house, and to complete this wall?

Then thus said we to them, What are they the names of the men that build this building?

And the eye of their God was upon the captivity of the Jews, and they caused them not to cease till the account went to Darius: and then they will return a letter concerning this.

To be known to the king that we went to the Judah province, to the house of the great God; and it was building with stone of rolling, and wood being set up in the walls; and this work being diligently done, and prospering in their hands.

Then we asked these old men, thus we said to them, Who set to you a decree to build this house and to complete this wall?

Therefore after our fathers provoked to the God of the heavens to be angry, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel, the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and the people he carried away in exile to Babel.

But in one year to Cyrus the king of Babel, Cyrus the king set up a decree to build this house of God.

Then this Sheshbazzar came, he set the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem: and from that time even till now, being built and not finished.

And now if good to the king he shall seek in the house of the king's treasure there that is in Babel, if it be that from Cyrus the king a decree was set up to build this house of God in Jerusalem, and the king will send the will to us concerning this.

Leave to the works of this house of God: the prefect of the Jews and the old men of the Jews, they shall build this house of God upon its place.

And from me a decree was set up for that which ye shall do with the old men of these Jews for building this house of God: and the king's riches, that of the tribute beyond the river, expenses shall be speedily given to these men, not to be made to cease.

And from me a decree was set up that every man that shall change this word, wood shall be pulled down from his house, and being raised up he shall be fastened upon it; and his house shall be made a dung-hill for this.

And God who shall cause his name to dwell there shall cast down every king and people that shall send forth his hand to change, to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius set up a decree; it shall be done speedily.

And this house was finished even to the third day to the month Adar, which was the sixth year to the kingdom of Darius the king.

And the sons of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the sons of the exile, made the consecration of this house of God in gladness.

And they brought near to the consecration of this house of God a hundred oxen, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and he goats of the goats for sin, for all Israel twelve, for the number of the tribes of Israel.

This Ezra went up from Babel; and he a scribe skilled in the law of Moses which Jehovah God of Israel gave: and the king will give to him according to the hand of Jehovah upon him all his seeking.

And he will come to Jerusalem in the fifth month, this the seventh year to the king.

And this the copy of the epistle which king Arthasatha gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, the scribe of the words of the commands of Jehovah and of his laws upon Israel

For this cause speedily shalt thou buy with this silver, oxen, rams, lambs, with their gifts and their libations, and thou shalt bring them near upon the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem.

And making known to you that all the priests and Levites, the players, the porters, the Nethinims, and those serving this house of God, tribute, excise and toll, not being permitted to be lifted up upon them.

Praised be Jehovah the God of our fathers who gave according to this in the king's heart, to adorn the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem:

And we will fast and seek of our God concerning this; and he will be entreated for us.

For they took from their daughters to themselves and to their sons: and the holy seed mingled themselves with the people of the lands: and the hand of the chiefs and the prophets was the first in this transgression.

And in my hearing this word I rent my garment and my robe, and I shall pluck off from the hair of my head and my beard, and I shall sit down, being astonished.

From the days of our fathers we are in a great trespass even to this day; and in our iniquities we were given, we, our kings, our priests, into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder, and to shame of face as this day.

And now what shall we say, O our God, after this? for we forsook thy commands,

And after all coming upon us for our evil deeds, and in our great guilt, for thou our God didst withhold below our iniquities, and didst give to us an escaping according to this.

O Jehovah God of Israel, thou art just: for we remained an escaping as this day: behold us before thee in our guilts; for not to stand before thee for

And Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the sons of Elam, will answer and say to Ezra, We transgressed against our God, and we were dwelling with strange wives from the people of the land: and now there is hope to Israel concerning this.

And Ezra will rise and cause the chiefs to swear, the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to do according to this word. And they will swear.

But the people many, and a time of heavy showers, and no power to stand without, and the work not for one day, and not for two: for we many transgressing in this word.

And our chiefs to all the convocation shall stand now, and all who in our cities dwelt with strange wives, shall come at the appointed times, and with them the old men of city and city, and its judges, until the turning back the burning of the anger of our God from us even for this word.

But Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahaziah, son of Tikvah, stood upon this: and Meshullam and Sabbethai the Levite helped them.

And from the Levites: Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (this is Kelita) Pethahiah, Judah and Eleazar.