1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the house of the scrolls, where the treasures were stored in Babylon.2 And at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found, and in it a record was written thus:3 In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits,4 with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid out of the king’s house.5 Also let the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and taken back to the temple in Jerusalem, each to its place; and deposit them in the house of God.6 Now therefore, Tatnai, governor of the region beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai, and your associates the Persians who are beyond the River, keep yourselves far from there.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 on its place.8 Moreover I issue a decree as to what you shall do for the elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God: Let the king’s riches from the tribute of the region beyond the River be diligently given to these men for their expenses, so that they are not hindered.9 And whatever they need; young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of Heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the command of the priests who are in Jerusalem; let it be given them day by day without fail,10 that they may offer sacrifices of soothing aroma unto the God of Heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his sons.11 Also I issue a decree that whoever alters this edict, let a timber be pulled from his house and erected, and let him be hanged on it; and let his house be made a refuse heap for this.12 And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, issue a decree; let it be done diligently.13 Then Tatnai, governor of the region beyond the River, Shethar-Boznai, and their associates diligently did according to what King Darius had sent.14 So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.15 And the house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.16 Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the sons of the captivity, carried out the dedication of this house of God with joy.17 And they offered at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.18 They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.19 And the sons of the captivity observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.20 For the priests and the Levites were purified together; all of them were pure. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the sons of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.21 Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land in order to seek Jehovah the God of Israel.22 And they observed 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 toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

1 Thanne kyng Darius comaundide, and thei rekenyden in the biblet of bokis, that weren kept in Babiloyne.2 And o book was foundun in Egbatanys, which is a castel in the prouynce of Medena, and sich a sentence of the kyng was writun therynne.3 In the first yeer of kyng Cirus, Cirus the kyng demyde, that, `Goddis hows, which is in Jerusalem, schulde be bildid in the place where thei offren sacrifices, and that thei sette foundementis supportynge the heiythe of sixti cubitis, and the lengthe of sixti cubitis, thre ordris of stonys vnpolischid,4 and so ordris of newe trees. Sotheli costis schulen be youun of the kyngis hows.5 But also the goldun and siluerne vessels of Goddis temple, whiche Nabugodonosor took fro the temple of Jerusalem, and brouyte tho in to Babiloyne, be yoldun, and borun ayen in to the temple of Jerusalem, and in to her place, whiche also be set in the temple of God.6 Now therfor Tathannai, duyk of the cuntrei which is biyende the flood, and Starbusannai, and youre counseleris, Arphasacei, that ben byyende the flood, departe ye fer fro hem;7 and suffre ye, that thilke temple of God be maad of the duyk of Jewis, and of the eldre men of hem; and that thei bilde that hows of God in his place.8 But also it is comaundid of me, that that bihoueth to be maad of tho preestis of Jewys, that the hows of God be bildid, that is, that costis be youun bisili to tho men of the arke of the kyng, that is, of tributis, that ben youun of the contrei biyende the flood, lest the werk be lettid.9 That if it be nede, yyue thei bothe calues, and lambren, and kidis in to brent sacrifice to God of heuene; wheete, salt, and wyn, and oile, bi the custom of preestis that ben in Jerusalem, be youun to hem bi ech dai, that no pleynt be in ony thing.10 And offre thei offryngis to God of heuene; and preye thei for the lijf of the kyng and of hise sones.11 Therfor the sentence is set of me, that if ony man chaungith this comaundement, a tre be takun of his hows, and be reisid, and be he hangid therynne; sotheli his hows be forfetid.12 Forsothe God, that makith his name to dwelle there, distrie alle rewmes and puple, that holdith forth her hond to impugne and destrie thilke hows of God, which is in Jerusalem. I Darius haue demyd the sentence, which Y wole be fillid diligentli.13 Therfor Tathannai, duyk of the `cuntrei biyende the flood, and Starbusannai, and hise counseleris, diden execucioun, `ether filliden, so diligentli, bi that that kyng Darius hadde comaundid.14 Sotheli the eldre men of Jewis bildiden, and hadden prosperite, bi the profesie of Aggey, the profete, and of Zacarie, the sone of Ado; and thei bildiden, and maden, for God of Israel comaundide, and for Cirus, and Darius, and Artaxerses, kyngis of Persis, comaundiden;15 and thei performyden this hows of God `til to the thridde dai of the monethe Adar, which is the sixte yeer of the rewme of king Darius.16 Forsothe the sones of Israel, the preestis and dekenes, and the othere of the sones of transmygracioun, `that is, that camen fro transmigracioun, `ether caitifte, maden the halewyng of Goddis hows in ioie;17 and offriden, `in the halewyng of Goddis hows, an hundrid caluys, twei hundryd wetheris, foure hundrid lambren, twelue buckis of geet for the synne of al Israel, bi the noumbre of lynagis of Israel.18 And thei ordeyneden preestis in her ordris, and dekenes in her whilis, on the werkis of God in Jerusalem, as it is writun in the book of Moises.19 Forsothe the sones of transmygracioun maden pask, in the fourtenthe dai of the firste monethe.20 For the preestis and dekenes as o man weren clensid, alle weren clene for to offre pask to alle the sones of transmygracioun, and to her britheren preestis, and to hem silf.21 And the sones of Israel eeten, that turneden ayen fro transmygracioun, and ech man eet, that hadde departid hym silf fro al the defoulyng of hethene men of the lond, for to seke the Lord God of Israel.22 And thei maden solempnyte of therf looues seuene daies in gladnesse; for the Lord hadde maad hem glad, and hadde turned the herte of the kyng of Assur to hem, that he wolde helpe `her hondis in the werk of the hows of the Lord God of Israel.