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Then stood Ieshua, with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sonnes, the sonnes of Iudah together, to set forward the workemen in the house of God: the sonnes of Henadad, with their sonnes and their brethren the Leuites.

Now when the aduersaries of Iudah and Beniamin, heard that the children of the captiuitie builded the Temple vnto the Lord God of Israel:

Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chiefe of the fathers, and said vnto them, Let vs build with you, for wee seeke your God, as yee doe, and we doe sacrifice vnto him, since the dayes of Esar-Haddon king of Assur, which brought vs vp hither.

But Zerubbabel and Ieshua, and the rest of the chiefe of the fathers of Israel, said vnto them, You haue nothing to doe with vs, to build an house vnto our God, but we our selues together will build vnto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the King of Persia hath commanded vs.

Then ceased the woorke of the house of the God, which is at Ierusalem. So it ceased, vnto the second yeere of the reigne of Darius king of Persia.

Then the Prophets, Haggai the Prophet, and Zechariah the sonne of Iddo, prophesied vnto the Iewes that were in Iudah and Ierusalem, in the Name of the God of Israel, euen vnto them.

Then rose vp Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel, and Ieshua the sonne of Iozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Ierusalem: and with them were the Prophets of God helping them.

But the eye of their God was vpon the Elders of the Iewes, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answere by letter concerning this matter.

Be it knowen vnto the king, that we went into the prouince of Iudea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, & timber is laied in the wals, and this worke goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.

And thus they returned vs answere, saying, We are the seruants of the God of heauen and earth, and build the house that was builded these many yeeres agoe, which a great King of Israel builded, and set vp.

But after that our fathers had prouoked the God of heauen vnto wrath: he gaue them into the hande of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Caldean, who destroyed this house, and caried the people away into Babylon.

But in the first yere of Cyrus the king of Babylon, the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

And the vessels also of golde and siluer of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar tooke out of the Temple that was in Ierusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were deliuered vnto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whome he had made gouernour:

And said vnto him, Take these vessels, goe, carie them into the temple that is in Ierusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.

Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God, which is in Ierusalem. And since that time, euen vntill now, hath it bin in building, & yet it is not finished.

Now therefore, if it seeme good to the king, let there be search made in the kings treasure house which is there at Babylon, whether it be so that a decree was made of Cyrus the king, to build this house of God at Ierusalem: and let the king send his pleasure to vs concerning this matter.

In the first yeere of Cyrus the king, the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Ierusalem: Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof of be strongly laid, the height therof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubites:

And also let the golden, and siluer vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar tooke foorth out of the temple which is at Ierusalem, and brought vnto Babylon, be restored, and brought againe vnto the temple which is at Ierusalem, euery one to his place, and place them in the house of God.

Let the worke of this house of God alone, let the gouernour of the Iewes, and the elders of the Iewes, build this house of God in his place.

Moreouer I make a decree, what ye shall doe to the Elders of these Iewes, for the building of this house of God: that of the kings goods, euen of the tribute beyond the riuer, forthwith expences be giuen vnto these men, that they be not hindered.