Ezra:6
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Then Darius the king made a decree ,
and search was made in the house of the rolls ,
where the treasures were laid up in Babylon .
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And there was found at Achmetha ,
in the palace that is in the province of the Medes ,
a roll ,
and therein was a record thus written :
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In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem ,
Let the house be builded ,
the place where they offered sacrifices ,
and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid ;
the height thereof threescore cubits ,
and the breadth thereof threescore cubits ;
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With three rows of great stones ,
and a row of new timber :
and let the expenses be given out of the king '
s house :
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And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God ,
which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem ,
and brought unto Babylon ,
be restored ,
and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem ,
every one to his place ,
and place them in the house of God .
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Now therefore ,
Tatnai ,
governor beyond the river ,
Shetharboznai ,
and your companions the Apharsachites ,
which are beyond the river ,
be ye far from thence :
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Let 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 his place .
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Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God :
that of the king '
s goods ,
even of the tribute beyond the river ,
forthwith expenses be given unto these men ,
that they be not hindered .
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And that which they have need of ,
both young bullocks ,
and rams ,
and lambs ,
for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven ,
wheat ,
salt ,
wine ,
and oil ,
according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem ,
let it be given them day by day without fail :
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That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven ,
and pray for the life of the king ,
and of his sons .
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Also I have made a decree ,
that whosoever shall alter this word ,
let timber be pulled down from his house ,
and being set up ,
let him be hanged thereon ;
and let his house be made a dunghill for this .
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And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people ,
that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem .
I Darius have made a decree ;
let it be done with speed .
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Then Tatnai ,
governor on this side the river ,
Shetharboznai ,
and their companions ,
according to that which Darius the king had sent ,
so they did speedily .
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And the elders of the Jews builded ,
and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo .
And they builded ,
and finished it ,
according to the commandment of the God of Israel ,
and according to the commandment of Cyrus ,
and Darius ,
and Artaxerxes king of Persia .
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And 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 .
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And the children of Israel ,
the priests ,
and the Levites ,
and the rest of the children of the captivity ,
kept the dedication of this house of God with joy ,
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And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks ,
two hundred rams ,
four hundred lambs ;
and for a sin offering for all Israel ,
twelve he goats ,
according to the number of the tribes of Israel .
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And 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 .
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And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month .
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For the priests and the Levites were purified together ,
all of them were pure ,
and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity ,
and for their brethren the priests ,
and for themselves .
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And the children of Israel ,
which were come again out of captivity ,
and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land ,
to seek the LORD God of Israel ,
did eat ,
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And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy :
for the LORD had made them joyful ,
and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them ,
to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God ,
the God of Israel .