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Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Yerushalayim, in the second month, began Zerubbavel the son of She'alti'el, and Yeshua the son of Yotzadak, and the rest of their brothers the Kohanim and the Levites, and all those who were come out of the captivity to Yerushalayim, and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of the house of the LORD.

Then stood Yeshua with his sons and his brothers, Kadmi'el and his sons, the sons of Yehudah, together, to have the oversight of the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brothers the Levites.

Now when the adversaries of Yehudah and Binyamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Yisra'el;

then they drew near to Zerubbavel, and to the heads of fathers' [houses], and said to them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Ashshur, who brought us up here.

But Zerubbavel, and Yeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' [houses] of Yisra'el, said to them, You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, as king Koresh the king of Paras has commanded us.

Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Yerushalayim; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Daryavesh king of Paras.

Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zekharyah the son of `Iddo, prophesied to the Yehudim who were in Yehudah and Yerushalayim; in the name of the God of Yisra'el [prophesied they] to them.

Then rose up Zerubbavel the son of She'alti'el, and Yeshua the son of Yotzadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Yerushalayim; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

But the eye of their God was on the Zakenim of the Yehudim, and they did not make them cease, until the matter should come to Daryavesh, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it.

Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of Yehudah, to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.

Thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and eretz, and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Yisra'el built and finished.

But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nevukhadnetztzar king of Bavel, the Kasdai, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Bavel.

But in the first year of Koresh king of Bavel, Koresh the king made a decree to build this house of God.

The gold and silver vessels also of the house of God, which Nevukhadnetztzar took out of the temple that was in Yerushalayim, and brought into the temple of Bavel, those did Koresh the king take out of the temple of Bavel, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbatztzer, whom he had made governor;

and he said to him, Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Yerushalayim, and let the house of God be built in its place.

Then came the same Sheshbatztzer, and laid the foundations of the house of God which is in Yerushalayim: and since that time even until now has it been in building, and yet it is not completed.

Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure-house, which is there at Bavel, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Koresh the king to build this house of God at Yerushalayim; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

In the first year of Koresh the king, Koresh the king made a decree: Concerning the house of God at Yerushalayim, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let the foundations of it be strongly laid; the height of it sixty cubits, and the breadth of it sixty cubits;

Also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nevukhadnetztzar took forth out of the temple which is at Yerushalayim, and brought to Bavel, be restored, and brought again to the temple which is at Yerushalayim, everyone to its place; and you shall put them in the house of God.

let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Yehudim and the Zakenim of the Yehudim build this house of God in its place.