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1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.

2 And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written:

3 In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;

4 With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:

5 And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.

6 Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:

7 Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.

8 Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.

9 And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:

10 That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.

11 Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.

12 And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.

13 Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.

14 And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

16 And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.

17 And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

18 And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.

19 And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.

20 For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

21 And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat,

22 And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

<html><b>Then</b> then when the letter reached Darius’s hand. <b>gave an order</b> The king ordered the matter. <b>and they searched</b> They searched in the library where the archives were stored in Babylon.</html>

<html><b>And there was found in a pouch</b> And a text of one scroll was found there in an אַחְמְתָא. So did the interpreters interpret, that it is a receptacle made for letters, written sheets and books, and they established it from the root of (Gen. 21:14): “a skin of water (וְחֵמַת מַיִם),” and the “aleph” in the word is not a radical, like the rest of the Aramaic language. <b>in the citadel</b> in that citadel that was in the province of Media. <b>and so was written</b> and so was written therein its memorandum.</html>

<html><b>the House of God in Jerusalem</b> regarding the House of God in Jerusalem; what should be with it? “The House should be built.” <b>a place where they offer up sacrifices</b> which is a place where they offer up sacrifices. <b>and its walls should be founded</b> Aram. וְאֻשּׁוֹהִי. And its walls should be founded, like (4:12): “and its walls (וְאֻשַּׁיָא) they have joined.” <b>its height sixty cubits</b> the height of the House was sixty cubits, and sixty cubits was its width.</html>

<html><b>rows</b> Aram. נִדְבָּכִין, an expression for walls. The walls were of marble. <b>marble</b> Aram. גְּלָל (marmre in Old French). <b>and a row</b> and a wall of new wood from within, in the manner of the building of the Temple that Solomon built. <b>and the expenditures</b> And the expenditures for the needs of the House and for the other matters pertaining to the House shall be given them from the royal palace.</html>

<html><b>And also the vessels of</b> and also the sacred vessels of the House of God, of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon. <b>let them be given over</b> [as translated,] let them be given over. <b>and brought</b> which he brought. <b>and brought</b> Let all this work be brought to the Temple that is in Jerusalem, to its place. <b>and it shall be deposited</b> And it shall be deposited in the House of the Holy One, blessed be He.</html>

<html><b>Now, Tattenai</b> This is the reply with which Darius answered Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai. <b>who are on the other side of the river</b> to the side of the land of Israel, which is the other side of the river to those in Babylon <b>distance yourselves from there</b> Distance yourselves from the building of the Temple, so that you do not disturb the workers.</html>

<html><b>this</b> [as translated,] this. <b>the governors of the Jews</b> The rulers of the Jews shall do this thing. <b>and to the elders of the Jews</b> And to the elders of the Jews I command. <b>this House of God</b> [as translated,] this House of God.</html>

<html><b>And from me shall be issued an order</b> And from me this command will go forth. <b>regarding what you shall do</b> regarding that building, the work that you shall do with these elders of the Jews to build the House of the Holy One, blessed be He. <b>and from the king’s property</b> And from the king’s property they shall make ths building. <b>from the taxes of the other side of the river</b> from the taxes of the other side of the river, which belong to the king. <b>taxes</b> Aram. מִדַּת, tax, like (4:13): “the king’s due (מִנְדָּה), the head tax, or the meal tax.” <b>quickly</b> Aram. אָסְפַּרְנָא. The building shall quickly be built; esploytosemant in Old French. <b>The expenses shall be given</b> The expenses shall be given to these men so that they should not idle from their work.</html>

<html><b>And what they require</b> and what they are concerned about. <b>and young bulls</b> young bulls, rams and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven. <b>wheat</b> for fine flour. <b>salt</b> for sacrifices. <b>wine</b> for libations. <b>and oil</b> for the meal-offerings. When the priests who are in Jerusalem will say [what they need], that shall be given to them the requirements of each day on its day. <b>without delay</b> Aram. דִּי לָא שָּׁלוּ (son destorber in Old French).</html>

<html><b>That they should</b> in order that they should offer up pleasing sacrificing to the God of the heavens, and that they should pray for the life of the king and his children.</html>

<html><b>And an order is issued by me</b> And a command is issued by me, along with the issue of a word regarding any person who disobeys this word. <b>shall be torn</b> Aram. יִתְנְסַח. The beams of his house shall be destroyed. יִתְנְסַח is like (Deut. 28:63): “and you shall be uprooted (וְנִסַחְתֶּם) from the land.” <b>and a gallows upon which to place him</b> And a gallows upon which to hang him shall be [raised up] high, so that he be hanged upon the gallows. <b>and his house shall be made a dungheap</b> and his house shall be made a dungheap because of this. נְוָלוּ connotes filth and excrement.</html>

<html><b>the Book of Law</b> [as translated,] the Book of Law. <b>will cast down</b> will cast down and destroy any such king and any such people that will stretch forth a hand to lay waste and destroy His house that is in Jerusalem. <b>have issued an edict</b> I have issued a command concerning this matter, that the building be constructed swiftly. Until here is Darius’s reply.</html>

<html><b>as was said</b> [as translated,] as was said. <b>acted swiftly</b> [as translated,] acted swiftly.</html>

<html><b>And the elders of the Jews</b> And the elders of the Jews were building and succeeding in their work, according to the prophecy of Haggai and Zechariah, and they built and founded the building by the command of the God of Israel and by the authorization of Cyrus, the first king of Persia, in whose days the laying of the foundation was commenced, and by the authorization of this Darius, the king of Persia. <b>and Artaxerxes</b> He is Darius, but he was called Artaxerxes because of the province and the kingdom, for all kings of Persia were thus named just as all the kings of Egypt were called Pharaoh.</html>

<html><b>And the completion of this House</b> And the end of the completion of this House was until the third day of the month of Adar, which is the sixth year of King Darius; hence the building of the House took four years.</html>

<html><b>And they offered up for the dedication</b> They offered up for the dedication of this House these sacrifices, and it was a temporary ruling.</html>

<html><b>Now they set up the priests in their divisions</b> for the priests were divided in their service and the Levites in their watches.</html>

<html><b>the Passover [offering]</b> Now Israel made the Passover offering on this fourteenth of Nissan, which followed this Adar, when the building was completed.</html>

<html><b>and for themselves</b> Heb. וְלָהֶם, lit. and for them, and for themselves.</html>

<html><b>and whoever separated</b> They are the proselytes, who were separated from the defilement of the nations to cleave to Israel.</html>

<html><b>and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them</b> And the Holy One, blessed be He, turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward the Israelites who were dwelling under his dominion in the land of Assyria, to strengthen them and to assist in the work of the building.</html>