2. Then Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, and Jeshua, Jozadak’s son, went up and began to build the Lord’s house in Jerusalem, assisted by the Lord’s prophets.
3. At the same time, Sisinnes, the commander of Syria and Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes and their associates came to them and said,
4. "By whose order are you building this house and this roof and finishing all the other things? Who are the builders who are doing all of these things?"
5. Yet the elders of the Judeans enjoyed the gracious protection of the Lord on the exiles,
6. and they weren’t prevented from building until Darius could be informed about them and return an answer.
7. Here is a copy of the letter that Sisinnes, the commander of Syria and Phoenicia, Sathrabuzanes, and their associates, the local officials in Syria and Phoenicia, wrote to Darius:
8. To King Darius. Greetings.Our master the king, may you know that when we came to the country of Judea and entered the city of Jerusalem, we found the elders of the Jews, who had been in captivity, building in the city of Jerusalem a large new house for the Lord, of polished stone with costly beams set in the walls.
9. These projects are proceeding swiftly, and the overall work is succeeding. They are completing it with brillance and precision.
10. So we asked these elders, "By whose command are you building this house and laying the foundations of this project?"
11. In order that we might inform you, we questioned them about who the leaders are and demanded a list of the names of the troublemakers.
12. They told us, "We are the servants of the Lord who created the heaven and the earth.
13. The house was built many years before by a great and mighty king of Israel, and it was finished.
14. But when our ancestors angrily sinned against the Lord of Israel who is in heaven, God gave them over into the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, king of the Chaldeans;