Temple Restoration Resumed

1 Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied concerning the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.

1 When the prophets, (A)Haggai the prophet and (B)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,

1 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.

1 But when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo(A) prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them,

1 At that time, the prophets Haggai and Iddo's son Zechariah prophesied specifically to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel.

2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

2 then (C)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and (D)the prophets of God were with them supporting them.

2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.

2 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak(B) began to rebuild God’s house in Jerusalem. The prophets of God(C) were with them, helping them.

2 So Shealtiel's son Zerubbabel and Jozadak's son Jeshua restarted construction of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were there supporting them.

3 At that time Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues came to them and asked, "Who gave you authority to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?"

3 At that time (E)Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the (a)River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, “(F)Who issued you a decree to rebuild this (b)temple and to finish this structure?”

3 At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?

3 At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues(D) came to the Jews and asked, “Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?”(a)(E)

3 Right about then, Trans-Euphrates Governor Tattenai, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues approached and challenged them. They asked, "Who authorized you to build this Temple and to reconstruct this wall?"

4 They also asked them, "What are the names of the men who are building this edifice?"

4 (G)Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building.

4 Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?

4 They also asked them, “What are the names of the workers(b) who are constructing this building?”

4 In answer, we responded with a list of the names of the men who were building the structure.

5 But God was watching over the elders of Judah, and they were not stopped until a report could be dispatched to Darius and a letter could be sent back concerning this.

5 But (H)the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report could come to Darius, and then a written reply be returned concerning it.

5 But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.

5 But God was watching(c) over(F) the Jewish elders. These men wouldn’t stop them until a report was sent to Darius, so that they could receive written instructions about this matter.

5 But God watched over the Jewish leaders, who could not be forced to stop working until Darius received a report and responded in reply.

The Letter To Darius

6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and his colleagues who were the officials of Trans-Euphrates sent to King Darius.

6 This is the copy of the letter which (I)Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues (J)the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king.

6 The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:

6 This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius.

6 Here is a copy of the letter that Trans-Euphrates Governor Tattenai, Shethar-bozenai, and his colleagues the Trans-Euphrates Persians sent to King Darius.

7 The report they sent to him was written as follows: "To King Darius: All greetings!

7 They sent a report to him in which it was written thus: “To Darius the king, all peace.

7 They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.

7 They sent him a report, written as follows: To King Darius: All greetings.

7 The letter sent to him was written like this: To: King Darius: Greetings!

8 Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones, and timbers are being placed in the walls. This work is being done with all diligence and is prospering in their hands.

8 Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and (c)beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands.

8 Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.

8 Let it be known to the king that we went to the house of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being built with cut(d) stones, and its beams are being set in the walls. This work is being done diligently and succeeding through the people’s efforts.(G)

8 This is to inform the king that we traveled to the Temple of the great God in the Judean province, which is being built with large stones and reinforced with wooden beams in its walls. The work proceeds diligently and is in capable hands.

9 We inquired of those elders, asking them, 'Who gave you the authority to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?'

9 Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?’

9 Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?

9 So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?”(e)

9 We asked the elders, "Who authorized you to build this Temple and to reinforce these walls?"

10 We also inquired of their names in order to inform you, so that we might write the names of the men who were their leaders.

10 We also asked them their names so as to inform you, and that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head.

10 We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.

10 We also asked them for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

10 We also asked them their names so that we could certify the identities of their leaders to you.

11 They responded to us in the following way: 'We are servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple which was previously built many years ago. A great king of Israel built it and completed it.

11 Thus they (d)answered us, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, (K)which a great king of Israel built and finished.

11 And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.

11 This is the reply they gave us: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.(H)

11 In answer they responded, "We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are rebuilding the Temple that was built many years ago by a great king of Israel.

12 But after our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he delivered them into the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and exiled the people to Babylon.

12 But (L)because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, (M)He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.

12 But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He handed them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.(I)

12 But because our predecessors provoked the God of Heaven to become angry, he handed them over to the control of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean who destroyed this Temple and transported the people to Babylon.

13 But in the first year of King Cyrus of Babylon, King Cyrus enacted a decree to rebuild this temple of God.

13 However, (N)in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus (O)issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.

13 But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

13 However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, he issued a decree to rebuild the house of God.(J)

13 "However, during King Cyrus' first year that same King Cyrus of Babylon issued a decree to reconstruct this Temple of God.

14 Even the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and had brought to the palace of Babylon -- even those things King Cyrus brought from the palace of Babylon and presented to a man by the name of Sheshbazzar whom he had appointed as governor.

14 Also (P)the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple (e)in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and they were given to one (Q)whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor.

14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;

14 He also took from the temple in Babylon the gold and silver articles of God’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and carried them to the temple in Babylon.(K) He released them from the temple in Babylon to a man named Sheshbazzar, the governor by the appointment of King Cyrus.(L)

14 He delivered into the care of Sheshbazzar (whom he appointed governor) the gold and silver utensils that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Jerusalem Temple and brought into the Babylonian temple.

15 He said to him, "Take these vessels and go deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its proper location."

15 He said to him, “Take these utensils, go and deposit them in the temple (f)in Jerusalem and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place.”

15 And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.

15 Cyrus told him, “Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.”(M)

15 "And Cyrus told him, "Take these utensils, go to Jerusalem, and carry them to the Temple, after the Temple of God has been built in its appropriate place.'

16 Then this Sheshbazzar went and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem. From that time to the present moment it has been in the process of being rebuilt, although it is not yet finished.'

16 Then that Sheshbazzar came and (R)laid the foundations of the house of God (g)in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been under construction and it is (S)not yet completed.’

16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.

16 Then this same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of God’s house in Jerusalem.(N) It has been under construction from that time until now,(O) yet it has not been completed.

16 "Then this very same Sheshbazzar arrived and laid the foundations for the Temple of God in Jerusalem. Since that time until now the Temple has been under construction and is not yet completed."

17 "Now if the king is so inclined, let a search be conducted in the royal archives there in Babylon in order to determine whether King Cyrus did in fact issue orders for this temple of God to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us a decision concerning this matter."

17 “Now if it pleases the king, (T)let a search be conducted in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, if it be that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his decision concerning this matter.”

17 Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

17 So if it pleases the king, let a search of the royal archives(f) in Babylon be conducted to see if it is true that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem.(P) Let the king’s decision regarding this matter be sent to us.(Q)

17 Accordingly, with your approval we suggest that a search be conducted within the king's treasury at Babylon to verify whether or not King Cyrus ever issued such a decree to reconstruct this Temple of God in Jerusalem. Then please notify us concerning the king's pleasure in this matter.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

King James Version Public Domain

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible