Ezra 5

1 And Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied a prophecy to the Jews who were in Judah and in Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel over them. [a] 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

3 At that same time Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, came upon them, and Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow servants, and they said this to them: “Who gave you the order to build this house and to furnish these supplies?” [b] 4 Then they said this to them: “What are the names of the men who are building this city?” [c] 5 But the eyes of God were on the exiles of Judah, and they did not stop them, until the order was carried to Darius. And then it was sent to the tribute-collector concerning this. [d]

6 The copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow servants the Apharsachites who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. [e] 7 They sent him a report, and this is what was written in it: “To Darius the king, all peace. 8 Let it be known to the king that we went into the land of Judah, to the house of the great God; and it is being built with choice stones, and timber is being laid in the walls, and that work is going forward well and prospering in their hands. 9 Then we asked those elders, and this is what we said to them: ‘Who gave you the order to build this house and to furnish these supplies?’ 10 And we asked them their names, to make them known to you, so as to write down for you the names of the men who are their leaders.

11 And they answered us this word, saying: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and of earth, and we are building the house that was built many years before this, and a great king of Israel built it and finished it — [f] 12 for them. But when our fathers provoked the God of heaven to anger, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, and he pulled this house down and carried the people away to Babylon. 13 But in the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king gave the order that this house of God should be built. 14 And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar carried out of the house that was in Jerusalem and carried away into the temple of the king — those Cyrus the king brought out of the temple of the king and gave to Sheshbazzar the keeper of the treasure, who was over the treasury, [g] 15 and he said to him, “Take all the vessels and go, put them in the house that is in Jerusalem, in their own place.” 16 Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem; and from that time until now it has been building, and it is not finished.’

17 And now, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the treasure house of the king of Babylon, so that you may know whether an order was given by Cyrus the king to build that house of God that is in Jerusalem; and when the king knows about this, let him send word to us.” [h]