And the Tirshatha will say to them, that they shall not eat from the holy of holies till there stood up a priest for Lights and Truth.

And the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin will hear that the sons of the captivity were building the temple to Jehovah God of Israel;

And the rest of the nations that the great and honored Asnapper carried into exile, and he caused them to dwell in the cities of Shomeron, and the rest beyond the river, and thus.

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

To be known to the king that the Jews who went up from with thee to us, came to Jerusalem, building the perverse and bad city, and they completed its wall, and they will repair its foundations.

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.

The epistle that ye sent to us being read distinctly before me.

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

At that time ceased the work of the house of God which is in Jerusalem. And it was ceasing even till two years to the kingdom of Darius king of Persia.

And the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judah and in Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, to them.

At that time rose up Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Josedek, and began to build the house of God that is in Jerusalem: and with them the prophets of God upholding to them.

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?

The copy of the epistle that Tatnai, prefect beyond the river, sent, and Shethar-Bozni and his colleagues, the Apharsachites, that were beyond the river to Darius the king:

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.

And also we asked their names for them to make known to thee that we shall write the name of the men that were among their heads.

And thus they returned us word, saying, We are the servants of the God of the heavens and the earth, and build the house that was built of old these many years, and a great king to Israel built and completed.

And also the vessels of the house of God of gold and of silver, that Nebuchadnezzar brought forth from the temple that is in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babel, Cyrus the king brought them forth from the temple of Babel, and they were given to Sheshbazzar his name that he set up prefect;

And he said to him, Lift up these vessels, go bring them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and the house of God shall be built upon its place.

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.

At that time Darius the king set up a decree, and they searched in the house of books, the treasures being deposited there in Babel.

And there was found in Achmetha in the fortress that in the Median province, one roll, and thus a record was written in its midst

In one year to Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king set a decree of the house of God in Jerusalem, The house shall be built, the place that they sacrificed sacrifices, and its foundations being erected; its height sixty cubits, and its breadth sixty cubits;

And also the vessels of the house of God of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar brought forth from the temple that is in Jerusalem, and brought to Babel, shall be restored, and shall go to the temple that is in Jerusalem, to its place, and be taken into the house of God.

Now Tatnai prefect beyond the river, Shethar-Bozni, and their colleagues the Apharsachites that are beyond the river, be ye far off from thence:

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 whatever being necessary, and the young of cattle and rams and lambs, for burnt-offerings to the God of the heavens, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the saying of the priests that are in Jerusalem, to be given to them day by day, not resting:

That therefore bringing near sweet odors to the God of the heavens, praying for the life of the king and his sons.

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.

Then Tatnai, prefect beyond the river Shethar-Boznai, and three colleagues, because of that Darius the king sent, thus they did speedily.

A decree was set from me that all being willing in my kingdom, from the people of Israel and his priests and Levites, to go to Jerusalem, shall go with thee.

For the cause that being sent from before the king and the seven counselors to seek concerning Judah and for Jerusalem, by the law of thy God that is in thy hand;

And to bring the silver and the gold that the king and his counselors gave willingly to the God of Israel, whom his dwelling in Jerusalem.

And all the silver and gold that thou shalt find in all the province of Babel, with the voluntary gifts of the people and the priests giving willingly to the house of their God that is in Jerusalem:

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 the vessels that are given to thee for the service of the house of thy God, restore before the God of Jerusalem.

And the rest being necessary for the house of thy God, that shall fall to thee to give thou shalt give from the house of the king's treasure.

And from me, I Arthasatha the king, a decree was set up to all the treasurers that are beyond the river, that all which Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of the heavens, shall ask of you, shall be done speedily'

Even to a hundred talents of silver, and even to a hundred cors of wheat, and even to a hundred baths of wine, and even to a hundred baths of oil, and salt that was not written.

All that from the decree of the God of the heavens shall be done diligently for the house of the God of the heavens: for why to be wrath upon the kingdom of the king and his sons?

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.

And thou Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God that is in thy hand, appoint judges and tribunals to be judging for all the people that are beyond the river, to all knowing the laws of thy God; and those not knowing ye shall cause to know.

And I shall weigh to them the silver and the gold, and the vessels of the oblation of the house of God, that the king and his counselors. and his chiefs and all Israel being found had lifted up

In number, in weight to all: and all the weight shall be written in that time.

And now ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, and ye shall not take their daughters to your sons, and ye shall not seek their peace and their good even forever, so that ye shall be strong and eat the good of the land, and cause to your sons to inherit even forever.