1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and they sought in the house of the scrolls of the treasuries placed there in Babylon, 2 and there has been found at Achmetha, in a palace that [is] in the province of Media, a scroll, and a record thus written within it [is]: 3 “In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king has made a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: let the house be built in the place where they are sacrificing sacrifices, and its foundations strongly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits; 4 three rows of rolled stones, and a row of new wood, and let the outlay be given out of the king’s house. 5 And also, the vessels of the house of God, of gold and silver, that Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, let be given back, and go to the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, [each] to its place, and put [them] down in the house of God. 6 Now Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, the Apharsachites, who [are] beyond the river, be far from here; 7 let alone the work of this house of God, let the governor of the Jews, and [the] elders of the Jews, build this house of God on its place. 8 And a decree is made by me concerning that which you do with [the] elders of these Jews to build this house of God, that of [the] riches of [the] king, that [are] of [the] tribute beyond [the] river, let the outlay be given speedily to these men, that they do not cease; 9 and what they are needing—both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs for burnt-offerings to the God of the heavens, wheat, salt, wine, and oil according to the saying of the priests who [are] in Jerusalem—let be given to them day by day without fail, 10 that they are bringing sweet savors near to the God of the heavens, and praying for the life of the king, and of his sons. 11 And a decree is made by me, that anyone who changes this thing, let wood be pulled down from his house, and being raised up, let him be struck on it, and let his house be made a dunghill for this. 12 And God, who caused His Name to dwell there, casts down any king and people that puts forth his hand to change, to destroy this house of God that [is] in Jerusalem; I Darius have made a decree; let it be done speedily.” 13 Then Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king has sent, so they have done speedily; 14 and [the] elders of [the] Jews are building and prospering through [the] prophecy of Haggai [the] prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo, and they have built and finished by [the] decree of [the] God of Israel, and by [the] decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 And this house has gone out until the third day of the month Adar, that is [in] the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. 16 And the sons of Israel have made, [and] the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the sons of the captivity, a dedication of this house of God with joy, 17 and have brought near for the dedication of this house of God: one hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and twelve young male goats for a sin-offering for all Israel according to the number of the tribes of Israel; 18 and they have established the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God that [is] in Jerusalem, as it is written in the scroll of Moses. 19 And the sons of the captivity make the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month, 20 for the priests and the Levites have been purified together—all of them [are] pure—and they slaughter the Passover for all the sons of the captivity, and for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. 21 And the sons of Israel, those returning from the captivity, and everyone who is separated from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to them, to seek to YHWH, God of Israel, eat, 22 and they make the Celebration of Unleavened Things seven days with joy, for YHWH made them to rejoice, and turned around the heart of the king of Asshur to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
Ezra · Literal Standard Version
Ezra 6 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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
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