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Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Ezra 5:9

We asked those in charge to tell us who gave them permission to rebuild the temple.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Temple;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Temple, the Second;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Persia;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Government;   Leadership;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Darius;   Elder;   Ezra, Book of;   Government;   Nehemiah, Book of;   Sanhedrin;   Sheshbazzar;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Thessalonians Epistles to the;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Elder in the Old Testament;   Epistle;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Elder;   Government;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?”
Hebrew Names Version
Then asked we those Zakenim, and said to them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
King James Version
Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?
English Standard Version
Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus: ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?'
New Century Version
We asked their elders, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and these walls?"
New English Translation
We inquired of those elders, asking them, ‘Who gave you the authority to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?'
Amplified Bible
"Then we asked those elders, 'Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?'
New American Standard Bible
"Then we asked those elders and said to them as follows: 'Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?'
World English Bible
Then asked we those elders, and said to them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then asked we those Elders, and sayd vnto them thus, Who hath giuen you commandement to buylde this house, and to lay the foundation of these walles?
Legacy Standard Bible
Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this house and to complete this structure?'
Berean Standard Bible
So we questioned the elders and asked, "Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?"
Complete Jewish Bible
of their leaders. We asked them, ‘Who gave you permission to rebuild this house and finish this wall?'
Darby Translation
Then asked we those elders: thus we said to them, Who gave you orders to build this house and to complete this wall?
Easy-to-Read Version
We asked their leaders some questions about the work they are doing. We asked them, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this temple and repair it like new?"
George Lamsa Translation
Then we asked those elders and said to them thus: Who commanded you to build this house and to erect these walls?
Good News Translation
"We then asked the leaders of the people to tell us who had given them authority to rebuild the Temple and to equip it.
Lexham English Bible
Then we asked those elders and said this to them, ‘Who issued forth to you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?'
Literal Translation
Then we asked those elders, saying this to them, Who commanded you to rebuild this house, and to complete this structure?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Neuertheles we axed the Elders and sayde vnto them: Who hath comaunded you to buylde this house, and to make vp the walles therof?
American Standard Version
Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
Bible in Basic English
Then we said to the men responsible, who gave you authority for the building of this house and these walls?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then asked we the elders, and saide vnto them as it foloweth: Who commaunded you to builde this house, and to make vp the walles thereof?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus: Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
King James Version (1611)
Then asked we those Elders, and said vnto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make vp these walles?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Then we asked those elders, and thus we said to them, Who gave you the order to build this house, and to provide this preparation?
English Revised Version
Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor we axiden tho elde men, and thus we seiden to hem, Who yaf to you power to bilde this hows, and to restore these wallis?
Update Bible Version
Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
Webster's Bible Translation
Then we asked those elders, [and] said to them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to erect these walls?
New King James Version
Then we asked those elders, and spoke thus to them: "Who commanded you to build this temple and to finish these walls?"
New Living Translation
"We asked the leaders, ‘Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?'
New Life Bible
We asked those leaders, ‘Who told you to build this house of worship and to finish the building?'
New Revised Standard
Then we spoke to those elders and asked them, ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then asked we of these elders, thus, we said to them, - Who hath issued to you an edict, this house, to build, and, this wall, to complete?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And we asked those ancients, and said to them thus: Who hath given you authority to build this house, and to repair these walls?
Revised Standard Version
Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus, 'Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?'
Young's Literal Translation
Then we have asked of these elders, thus we have said to them, Who hath made for you a decree this house to build, and this wall to finish?
THE MESSAGE
We asked the leaders, "Who issued you the permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?" We also asked for their names so we could pass them on to you and have a record of the men at the head of the construction work.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, 'Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?'

Contextual Overview

3 Governor Tattenai of Western Province and his assistant Shethar Bozenai got together with some of their officials. Then they went to Jerusalem and said to the people, "Who told you to rebuild this temple? 4 Give us the names of the workers!" 5 But God was looking after the Jewish leaders. So the governor and his group decided not to make the people stop working on the temple until they could report to Darius and get his advice. 6 Governor Tattenai, Shethar Bozenai, and their advisors sent a report to Darius, 7 which said: King Darius, we wish you the best! 8 We went to Judah, where the temple of the great God is being built with huge stones and wooden beams set in the walls. Everyone is working hard, and the building is going up fast. 9 We asked those in charge to tell us who gave them permission to rebuild the temple. 10 We also asked for the names of their leaders, so that we could write them down for you. 11 They claimed to be servants of the God who rules heaven and earth. And they said they were rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago by one of Israel's greatest kings. 12 We were told that their people had made God angry, and he let them be captured by Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king who took them away as captives to Babylonia. Nebuchadnezzar tore down their temple,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Who commanded: Ezra 5:3, Ezra 5:4

Cross-References

Luke 3:37
Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalaleel, Kenan,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then asked we those elders,.... The elders of the province of Judea; the chief men of it:

who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? see Ezra 5:3.


 
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