Thus, saith Cyrus, king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth, hath Yahweh God of the heavens, given to me, - and, he himself, hath laid charge upon me, to build for him a house, in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, - and build the house of Yahweh God of Israel, (he, is God!) which is in Jerusalem;

And, whosoever is left, of all the places where he doth sojourn, let the men of his place uphold him, with silver and with gold, and with goods and with beasts, - along with a voluntary offering for the house of God, which is in Jerusalem.

Then arose the ancestral chiefs of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, - even every one whose spirit God had aroused, to go up to build the house of Yahweh, which was in Jerusalem;

And, King Cyrus, brought forth the utensils of the house of Yahweh, - which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth from Jerusalem, and put in the house of his gods: -

All the utensils, in gold and silver, were five thousand and four hundred, - the whole, did Sheshbazzar bring up with the upbringing of the exile, out of Babylon unto Jerusalem.

Now, these, are the sons of the province, who came up from among the captives of the exile, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon exiled to Babylon, - who came back unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his own city;

And, a portion of the ancestral chiefs, when they came to the house of Yahweh which was in Jerusalem, offered voluntarily for the house of God, to set it up on its basis.

But, when the seventh month was come, and the sons of Israel were in cities, then did the people gather themselves together as one man, unto Jerusalem.

Now, in the second year of their coming in unto the house of God, to Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak and the rest of their brethren - the priests and the Levites, and all that were come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, and stationed the Levites, of twenty years old and upwards, to preside over the work of the house of Yahweh.

And, in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation, against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

Rehum holder of judicial authority, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote a certain letter against Jerusalem, - to Artaxerxes the king, thus:

Be it known unto the king, - that, the Jews who came up from thee unto us, are come to Jerusalem, - the rebellious and wicked city, are they building, and, the walls, have they finished, and, the foundations, will they repair.

and, mighty kings, have there been over Jerusalem, and bearing rule everywhere Beyond the River, - and, tribute, excise, and toll, have been given to them.

Then, when, the copy of the letter of Artaxerxes the king, had been read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they journeyed in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and forbade them, with arm and force.

Then ceased the work of the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, - yea it did cease, until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Then were moved to prophesy, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo, the prophets, unto the Jews who were in Judaea and in Jerusalem, - in the name of the God of Israel, unto them.

Then arose - Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, - and, with them, were the prophets of God, strengthening them.

Moreover also, the utensils of the house of God, of gold and silver, which, Nebuchadnezzar, had brought forth out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, and had brought into the temple of Babylon, Cyrus the king, brought them forth, out of the temple of Babylon, - and they were delivered to one Sheshbazzar by name, whom he made, pasha;

and said to him - These utensils, take, go carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, - and let, the house of God, be built in its place.

Then, this Sheshbazzar, came, he laid the foundations of the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, - and, since then, even until now, it hath been in building, and is not finished.

Now, therefore, if, unto the king, it seem good, let search be made in the treasure-house of the king which is there, in Babylon, whether it be so, that, from Cyrus the king, issued an edict, to build this house of God, in Jerusalem, - and, the pleasure of the king concerning this, let him send unto us.

In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king, issued an edict, as to the house of God in Jerusalem, Let the house be built, the place where they used to offer sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be reared, - the height thereof, sixty cubits, the breadth thereof, sixty cubits;

Moreover also, the utensils of the house of God, of gold and silver, which, Nebuchadnezzar, took forth out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, let them again be taken to the temple which is in Jerusalem every one to its place, and lay them up in the house of God.

And, whatever may be the need - whether young bullocks or rams or lambs for ascending-sacrifices unto the God of the heavens, wheat, salt, wine or oil, according to the command of the priests who are in Jerusalem, - that it he given to them day by day, without fail;

and, the God who hath caused his Name to dwell there, destroy any king or people, who shall put forth their hand to alter to destroy this house of God, which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued an edict, forthwith, let it be done.

And they set up the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God, which was in Jerusalem, - as it is written, in the Book of Moses.

So then there came up some of the sons of Israel, and some of the priests and the Levites and the singers and the doorkeepers and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, - in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

And he entered Jerusalem, in the fifth month, - the same, was the seventh year of the king.

For, on the first of the first month, was a beginning made of coming up from Babylon, - and, on the first of the fifth month, entered he into Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

From me, is issued an edict, that, every one in my kingdom, of the people of Israel, and of their priests and the Levites, who is minded of his own freewill to go to Jerusalem, with thee, let him go.

Forasmuch as, from before the king and his seven counselors, thou art sent, to enquire concerning Judah and as to Jerusalem, - by the law of thy God which is in thy hand;

and to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, who, in Jerusalem, hath his habitation;

and all the silver and the gold, which thou shalt find, in all the province of Babylon, - with the freewill offering of the people and of the priests offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem,

therefore, with all diligence, shalt thou buy - with this silver - bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meal-offerings, and their drink-offerings, - and shalt offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem;

And, the utensils which are freely given to thee for the service of the house of thy God, put thou back, before the God of Jerusalem.

Blessed be Yahweh, God of our fathers, - who hath put the like of this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of Yahweh, which is in Jerusalem;

Watch and guard, until ye weigh them before the rulers of the priests and the Levites and the ancestral rulers of Israel, in Jerusalem, - in the chambers of the house of Yahweh.

So the priests and the Levites accepted the weight of the silver and the gold, and the utensils, - to bring to Jerusalem, unto the house of our God.

Then brake we up from the river of Ahava, on the twelfth of the first month, to journey unto Jerusalem, - and, the hand of our God, was upon us, and he delivered us from the grasp of the enemy and of the lier in wait, by the way.

So we came to Jerusalem, - and we rested there, three days.

For, bondmen, we are, but, in our bondage, hath our God not forsaken us, - but extended unto us lovingkindness before the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up on high the house of our God, to raise up the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

Then made they a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem, unto all the Sons of the Exile, to gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;

Then were gathered together all the men of Judah and Benjamin unto Jerusalem, within three days, the same, was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month, - and all the people remained in the broadway of the house of God, trembling concerning the thing, and because of the heavy rains.