Ezra 6 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Then Darius the king gave an order and a search was made in the house of the records, where the things of value were stored up in Babylon.
1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon, was searched.
2 And at Achmetha, in the great house of the king in the land of Media, they came across a roll, in which this statement was put on record:
2 A scroll was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, and in it this was written for a record:
3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made an order: In connection with the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be put up, the place where they make offerings, and let the earth for the bases be put in place; let it be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide;
3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning God’s house at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid, with its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits;
4 With three lines of great stones and one line of new wood supports; and let the necessary money be given out of the king's store-house;
4 with three courses of great stones and a course of new timber. Let the expenses be given out of the king’s house.
5 And let the gold and silver vessels from the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple at Jerusalem to Babylon, be given back and taken again to the Temple at Jerusalem, every one in its place, and put them in the house of God.
5 Also let the gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple which is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again to the temple which is at Jerusalem, everything to its place. You shall put them in God’s house.
6 So now, Tattenai, ruler of the land across the river, and Shethar-bozenai and your people the Apharsachites across the river, keep far from that place:
6 Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, you must stay far from there.
7 Let the work of this house of God go on; let the ruler of the Jews and their responsible men put up this house of God in its place.
7 Leave 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 in its place.
8 Further, I give orders as to what you are to do for the responsible men of the Jews in connection with the building of this house of God: that from the king's wealth, that is, from the taxes got together in the land over the river, the money needed is to be given to these men readily, so that their work may not be stopped.
8 Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses must be given with all diligence to these men, that they not be hindered.
9 And whatever they have need of, young oxen and sheep and lambs, for burned offerings to the God of heaven, grain, salt, wine, and oil, whatever the priests in Jerusalem say is necessary, is to be given to them day by day regularly:
9 That which they have need of, including young bulls, rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings to the God of heaven; also wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail,
10 So that they may make offerings of a sweet smell to the God of heaven, with prayers for the life of the king and of his sons.
10 that they may offer sacrifices of pleasant aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.
11 And I have given orders that if anyone makes any change in this word, one of the supports is to be pulled out of his house, and he is to be lifted up and fixed to it; and his house is to be made waste for this;
11 I have also made a decree that whoever alters this message, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened on it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
12 And may the God who has made it a resting-place for his name send destruction on all kings and peoples whose hands are outstretched to make any change in this or to do damage to this house of God at Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given this order, let it be done with all care.
12 May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who stretch out their hand to alter this, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree. Let it be done with all diligence.
13 Then Tattenai, the ruler across the river, and Shethar-bozenai and their people, because of the order given by King Darius, did as he had said with all care.
13 Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and their companions did accordingly with all diligence, because Darius the king had sent a decree.
14 And the responsible men of the Jews went on with their building, and did well, helped by the teaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. They went on building till it was complete, in keeping with the word of the God of Israel, and the orders given by Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, king of Persia.
14 The elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 And the building of this house was complete on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the rule of Darius the king.
15 This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
16 And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of those who had come back, kept the feast of the opening of this house of God with joy.
16 The children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.
17 And they gave as offerings at the opening of this house of God a hundred oxen, two hundred sheep, four hundred lambs; and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, being the number of the tribes of Israel.
17 They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they put the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their order, for the worship of God at Jerusalem; as it is recorded in the book of Moses.
18 They set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
19 And the children of Israel who had come back kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
19 The children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
20 For the priests and the Levites had made themselves clean together; they were all clean: and they put the Passover lamb to death for all those who had come back, and for their brothers the priests and for themselves.
20 Because the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. They killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.
21 And the children of Israel, who had come back, and all those who were joined to them, after separating themselves from the evil ways of the people of the land to become the servants of the Lord, the God of Israel, took food together,
21 The children of Israel who had returned out of the captivity, and all who had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, ate,
22 And kept the feast of unleavened bread for seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them full of joy, by turning the heart of the king of Assyria to them to give them help in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
22 and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; because Yahweh had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God, the God of Israel’s house.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Darius
King of Persia who searched the archives, found Cyrus’s decree, ordered Tattenai to leave the work alone and funded it; the temple was finished in his sixth year.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 4:5; Ezra 5:6; Ezra 6:1
Haggai
Prophet who, with Zechariah, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem and helped Zerubbabel and Jeshua as the temple was rebuilt. The word of the LORD came through him in the…
Cited in the guide: Ezra 5:1; Ezra 6:14; Haggai 1:1
Iddo
Named as the father of Berechiah and grandfather of the prophet Zechariah.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 5:1; Ezra 6:14; Zechariah 1:1
Shethar-bozenai
Associate of Tattenai who joined in questioning the Jews and writing to Darius.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 5:3; Ezra 5:6; Ezra 6:13
Tattenai
Persian governor who questioned the Jews about the rebuilding and wrote to Darius; Darius ordered him to leave the work alone, and he diligently complied.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 5:3; Ezra 5:6; Ezra 6:6
Zechariah
The prophet, son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, to whom the word of the LORD came in the eighth month of Darius's second year. Ezra 5:1 and 6:14 call him 'son of Iddo'; Zechariah…
Cited in the guide: Ezra 5:1; Ezra 6:14; Zechariah 1:1
Cross references (22)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ezra 5:17; Proverbs 25:2; Ezra 4:15; Jeremiah 36:2–4; Revelation 5:1
- 2 2 Kings 17:6
- 3 Revelation 21:16; 2 Chronicles 36:22; 1 Kings 6:2–3; 2 Chronicles 3:3–4; 2 Chronicles 2:6
- 4 1 Kings 6:36; Psalm 68:29; Psalm 72:10; Ezra 7:20–23; Isaiah 60:6–10
- 5 Ezra 5:14; Daniel 5:2; 2 Kings 25:14–15; 2 Chronicles 36:6–7; Jeremiah 27:16
- 6 Ezra 5:3; Proverbs 21:30; Romans 8:31; Acts 4:26–28; Ezra 5:6
- 7 Acts 5:38–39
- 8 Ezra 6:4; Ezra 7:15–22; Haggai 2:8; Ezra 4:20–21; Ezra 4:16
- 9 Psalm 50:9–13; Leviticus 1:10; Exodus 29:38–42; Leviticus 9:2; Leviticus 1:3–5
- 10 1 Timothy 2:1–2; Jeremiah 29:7; Ezra 7:23; Ephesians 5:2; Genesis 8:21
- 11 Daniel 3:29; Ezra 7:26; Daniel 2:5; Esther 5:4; 2 Kings 9:37
- 12 1 Kings 9:3; Deuteronomy 12:5; Deuteronomy 12:11; Exodus 20:24; Psalm 132:13–14
- 13 Ezra 4:9; Ezra 4:23; Ezra 5:6; Esther 6:11; Job 5:12–13
- 14 Ezra 7:1; Ezra 5:13; Ezra 4:24–5:2; Ezra 6:12–13; Ezra 1:1–4
- 15 Esther 3:7; Esther 9:21; Esther 3:13; Esther 9:19; Esther 9:1
- 16 2 Chronicles 7:5; 1 Kings 8:63; Philippians 4:4; Ezra 6:22; Psalm 122:1
- 17 Ezra 8:35; 2 Chronicles 29:21–23; Revelation 7:4–8; 2 Chronicles 29:31–35; 2 Chronicles 7:5
- 18 Numbers 3:6; 2 Chronicles 35:4–5; 1 Chronicles 24:1; Numbers 8:9–26; 1 Chronicles 23:1–26
- 19 Exodus 12:6–36; Joshua 5:10; 2 Chronicles 30:1–27
- 20 2 Chronicles 35:11; 2 Chronicles 29:34; Hebrews 7:27; 2 Chronicles 30:15–17; Exodus 12:21
- 21 Ezra 9:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Isaiah 52:11; Ezra 9:1; Exodus 12:47–49
- 22 2 Chronicles 30:21; Proverbs 21:1; Ezra 1:1; 2 Chronicles 35:17; Proverbs 16:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences