1And Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, the prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and in Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.
2Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Yeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God helping them.
3At that time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their companions, and thus they said to them: "Who set for you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?"
4Then thus we said to them: "What are the names of the men who build this building?"
5But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease until the matter should go to Darius; and then they would return a letter concerning this.
6The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his companions the Apharsachites who were beyond the River sent to Darius the king;
7the report they sent to him; and thus was written in its midst: "To Darius the king, all peace.
8Be it known to the king that we went to Judah the province, to the house of the great God, and it is being built with great stones, and timber is being laid in the walls, and this work is being done diligently and prospers in their hand.
9Then we asked those elders, thus we said to them: 'Who set for you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?'
10And also we asked them their names, to make them known to you, that we might write the name of the men who were at their head.
11And thus they returned us word, saying: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we build the house that was built many years before this, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
12But because our fathers provoked the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and exiled the people to Babylon.
13But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.
14And also the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought them to the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he made governor;
15and he said to him: Take these vessels, go, deposit them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.
16Then that Sheshbazzar came, laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been being built, and it is not finished.'
17And now, if it be good to the king, let search be made in the house of the treasures of the king there which is in Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was set by Cyrus the king to build this house of God in Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this."