In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he caused it to be proclaimed throughout all his empire, yea and by writing also, saying,

In the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem: and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and above, to see that the work of the house of the LORD went forward.

Then ceased the work of the house of God at Jerusalem, and continued so unto the second year of Darius king of Persia.

But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, the same king Cyrus commanded to build this house of God -

"In the first year of king Cyrus, commanded the same king Cyrus to build the house of God at Jerusalem, in the place where the sacrifice is made, and to lay the foundation to bear threescore cubits height, threescore cubits breadth,

And the house was finished the third day of the month Adar, even in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.

And there went up certain of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and of the Levites, of the singers, of the porters, and of the Nethinims; unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.

And they came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, that is the seventh year of the king.