1. So Darius the emperor issued orders for a search to be made in the royal records that were kept in Babylon.
2. But it was in the city of Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found, containing the following record:
3. “In the first year of his reign Cyrus the emperor commanded that the Temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are made and offerings are burnt. The Temple is to be 27 metres high and 27 metres wide.
4. The walls are to be built with one layer of wood on top of every three layers of stone. All expenses are to be paid by the royal treasury.
5. 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.”
6. Then Darius sent the following reply:“To Tattenai, governor of West Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and your fellow-officials in West Euphrates.“Stay away from the Temple
7. and do not interfere with its construction. Let the governor of Judah and the Jewish leaders rebuild the Temple of God where it stood before.
8. I hereby command you to help them rebuild it. Their expenses are to be paid promptly out of the royal funds received from taxes in West Euphrates, so that the work is not interrupted.
9. Day by day, without fail, you are to give the priests in Jerusalem whatever they tell you they need: young bulls, sheep, or lambs to be burnt as offerings to the God of Heaven, or wheat, salt, wine, or olive oil.
10. This is to be done so that they can offer sacrifices that are acceptable to the God of Heaven and pray for his blessing on me and my sons.
11. I further command that if anyone disobeys this order, a wooden beam is to be torn out of his house, sharpened at one end, and then driven through his body. And his house is to be made a rubbish heap.
12. May the God who chose Jerusalem as the place where he is to be worshipped overthrow any king or nation that defies this command and tries to destroy the Temple there. I, Darius, have given this order. It is to be fully obeyed.”
13. Then Tattenai the governor, Shethar Bozenai, and their fellow-officials did exactly as the emperor had commanded.
14. The Jewish leaders made good progress with the building of the Temple, encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. They completed the Temple as they had been commanded by the God of Israel and by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, emperors of Persia.
15. They finished the Temple on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the emperor.
16. Then the people of Israel — the priests, the Levites, and all the others who had returned from exile — joyfully dedicated the Temple.