20. So Sheshbazzar came and laid its foundation, and construction has continued from then until the present, but the Temple is still not finished.’
21. “Now, if it please Your Majesty, have a search made in the royal records in Babylon
22. to find whether or not the building of this Temple in Jerusalem had the approval of emperor Cyrus, and then, if it please Your Majesty, inform us what your will is in this matter.”
23. So Darius the emperor ordered a search to be made in the royal records that were kept in Babylon. It was, however, in the fortress of Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found, containing the following record:
24. “In the first year of his reign Cyrus the emperor ordered the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, where sacrifices are continually offered.
25. The Temple is to be 27 metres high and 27 metres wide. The walls must be built with one layer of new local wood on top of every three layers of shaped stone. All expenses are to be paid by the royal treasury.
26. Also the gold and silver utensils which King Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon from the Temple in Jerusalem are to be returned to their proper place in the Jerusalem Temple.”
27. Then Darius gave strict orders to Sisinnes, governor of Greater Syria and Phoenicia, Shethar Bozenai, their fellow-officials, and the local officials to stay away from Jerusalem and let Zerubbabel, the servant of the Lord and governor of Judah, and the other Jewish leaders rebuild the Temple of the Lord where it stood before.
28. “And I also command,” he continued, “that it be completely rebuilt and that, until it is finished, every effort be made to help the Jews who have returned from exile.