Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the {Aramaic: books.}archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
And there was found at {That is, Ecbatana.}Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a roll, and therein was thus written for a record:
In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be builded, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;
with three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house.
And also let the gold 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 its place; and thou shalt put them in the house of God.
Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and {Aramaic: their.}your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, be ye far from thence:
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 its place.
Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses be given with all diligence unto these men, that they be not hindered.
And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven; also wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests that are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail;
that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.
Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this:
and the God that hath caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples that shall put forth their hand to alter the same, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with all diligence.
Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, {Or, because of that which &c.}because that Darius the king had sent, did accordingly with all diligence.
And the elders of the Jews builded and 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 decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
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.
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.
And they offered at the dedication of this house of God a 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.
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.
And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves {Hebrew; as one.}together; all of them were pure: and they killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
And the children of Israel that were come again out of the captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek Jehovah, the God of Israel, did eat,
and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for Jehovah had made them joyful, and had 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.
Querverweise zu Esra 6,8 Esra 6,8
with three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house.
Make ye now a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until a decree shall be made by me.
We certify the king that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, by this means thou shalt have no portion beyond the River.
Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid unto them.
But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease, till the matter should come to Darius, and then {Or, they returned answer}answer should be returned by letter concerning it.
and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
and all the silver and gold that thou shalt find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill-offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem;
therefore thou shalt with all diligence buy with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meal-offerings and their drink-offerings, and shalt offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
And whatsoever shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do ye after the will of your God.
And the vessels that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure-house.
And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers that are beyond the River, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence,
unto a hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred {Aramaic: cors.}measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
Because of thy temple at JerusalemKings shall bring presents unto thee.
Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds,The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples, {Or, Every one submitting himself with pieces of silver}Trampling under foot the pieces of silver: {Or, as otherwise read, Scatter thou}He hath scattered the peoples that delight in war.
Princes shall come out of Egypt; {Hebrew: Cush.}Ethiopia shall haste to stretch out her hands unto God.
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of hosts.