Ezra:4-7
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Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel ;
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Then they came to Zerubbabel ,
and to the chief of the fathers ,
and said unto them ,
Let us build with you :
for we seek your God ,
as ye do ;
and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur ,
which brought us up hither .
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But Zerubbabel ,
and Jeshua ,
and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel ,
said unto them ,
Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God ;
but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel ,
as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us .
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Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah ,
and troubled them in building ,
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And hired counsellors against them ,
to frustrate their purpose ,
all the days of Cyrus king of Persia ,
even until the reign of Darius king of Persia .
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And in the reign of Ahasuerus ,
in the beginning of his reign ,
wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem .
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And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam ,
Mithredath ,
Tabeel ,
and the rest of their companions ,
unto Artaxerxes king of Persia ;
and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue ,
and interpreted in the Syrian tongue .
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Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort :
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Then wrote Rehum the chancellor ,
and Shimshai the scribe ,
and the rest of their companions ;
the Dinaites ,
the Apharsathchites ,
the Tarpelites ,
the Apharsites ,
the Archevites ,
the Babylonians ,
the Susanchites ,
the Dehavites ,
and the Elamites ,
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And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over ,
and set in the cities of Samaria ,
and the rest that are on this side the river ,
and at such a time .
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This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him ,
even unto Artaxerxes the king ;
Thy servants the men on this side the river ,
and at such a time .
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Be it known unto the king ,
that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem ,
building the rebellious and the bad city ,
and have set up the walls thereof ,
and joined the foundations .
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Be it known now unto the king ,
that ,
if this city be builded ,
and the walls set up again ,
then will they not pay toll ,
tribute ,
and custom ,
and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings .
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Now because we have maintenance from the king '
s palace ,
and it was not meet for us to see the king '
s dishonour ,
therefore have we sent and certified the king ;
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That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers :
so shalt thou find in the book of the records ,
and know that this city is a rebellious city ,
and hurtful unto kings and provinces ,
and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time :
for which cause was this city destroyed .
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We certify the king that ,
if this city be builded again ,
and the walls thereof set up ,
by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river .
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Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor ,
and to Shimshai the scribe ,
and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria ,
and unto the rest beyond the river ,
Peace ,
and at such a time .
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The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me .
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And I commanded ,
and search hath been made ,
and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings ,
and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein .
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There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem ,
which have ruled over all countries beyond the river ;
and toll ,
tribute ,
and custom ,
was paid unto them .
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Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease ,
and that this city be not builded ,
until another commandment shall be given from me .
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Take heed now that ye fail not to do this :
why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings ?
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Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes '
letter was read before Rehum ,
and Shimshai the scribe ,
and their companions ,
they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews ,
and made them to cease by force and power .
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Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem .
So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia .
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Then the prophets ,
Haggai the prophet ,
and Zechariah the son of Iddo ,
prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel ,
even unto them .
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Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel ,
and Jeshua the son of Jozadak ,
and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem :
and with them were the prophets of God helping them .
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At the same time came to them Tatnai ,
governor on this side the river ,
and Shetharboznai ,
and their companions ,
and said thus unto them ,
Who hath commanded you to build this house ,
and to make up this wall ?
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Then said we unto them after this manner ,
What are the names of the men that make this building ?
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But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews ,
that they could not cause them to cease ,
till the matter came to Darius :
and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter .
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The copy of the letter that Tatnai ,
governor on this side the river ,
and Shetharboznai ,
and his companions the Apharsachites ,
which were on this side the river ,
sent unto Darius the king :
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They sent a letter unto him ,
wherein was written thus ;
Unto Darius the king ,
all peace .
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Be it known unto the king ,
that we went into the province of Judea ,
to the house of the great God ,
which is builded with great stones ,
and timber is laid in the walls ,
and this work goeth fast on ,
and prospereth in their hands .
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Then asked we those elders ,
and said unto them thus ,
Who commanded you to build this house ,
and to make up these walls ?
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We asked their names also ,
to certify thee ,
that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them .
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And thus they returned us answer ,
saying ,
We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth ,
and build the house that was builded these many years ago ,
which a great king of Israel builded and set up .
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But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath ,
he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon ,
the Chaldean ,
who destroyed this house ,
and carried the people away into Babylon .
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But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God .
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And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God ,
which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem ,
and brought them into the temple of Babylon ,
those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon ,
and they were delivered unto one ,
whose name was Sheshbazzar ,
whom he had made governor ;
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And said unto him ,
Take these vessels ,
go ,
carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem ,
and let the house of God be builded in his place .
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Then came the same Sheshbazzar ,
and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem :
and since that time even until now hath it been in building ,
and yet it is not finished .
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Now therefore ,
if it seem good to the king ,
let there be search made in the king '
s 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 Jerusalem ,
and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter .
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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 .
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Now after these things ,
in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia ,
Ezra the son of Seraiah ,
the son of Azariah ,
the son of Hilkiah ,
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The son of Shallum ,
the son of Zadok ,
the son of Ahitub ,
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The son of Amariah ,
the son of Azariah ,
the son of Meraioth ,
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The son of Zerahiah ,
the son of Uzzi ,
the son of Bukki ,
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The son of Abishua ,
the son of Phinehas ,
the son of Eleazar ,
the son of Aaron the chief priest :
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This Ezra went up from Babylon ;
and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses ,
which the LORD God of Israel had given :
and the king granted him all his request ,
according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him .
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And there went up some of the children of Israel ,
and of the priests ,
and the Levites ,
and the singers ,
and the porters ,
and the Nethinims ,
unto Jerusalem ,
in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king .
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And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month ,
which was in the seventh year of the king .
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For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon ,
and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem ,
according to the good hand of his God upon him .
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For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD ,
and to do it ,
and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments .
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Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest ,
the scribe ,
even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD ,
and of his statutes to Israel .
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Artaxerxes ,
king of kings ,
unto Ezra the priest ,
a scribe of the law of the God of heaven ,
perfect peace ,
and at such a time .
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I make a decree ,
that all they of the people of Israel ,
and of his priests and Levites ,
in my realm ,
which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem ,
go with thee .
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Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king ,
and of his seven counsellors ,
to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem ,
according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand ;
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And to carry the silver and gold ,
which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel ,
whose habitation is in Jerusalem ,
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And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon ,
with the freewill offering of the people ,
and of the priests ,
offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem :
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That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks ,
rams ,
lambs ,
with their meat offerings and their drink offerings ,
and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem .
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And whatsoever shall seem good to thee ,
and to thy brethren ,
to do with the rest of the silver and the gold ,
that do after the will of your God .
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The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God ,
those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem .
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And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God ,
which thou shalt have occasion to bestow ,
bestow it out of the king '
s treasure house .
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And I ,
even I Artaxerxes the king ,
do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river ,
that whatsoever Ezra the priest ,
the scribe of the law of the God of heaven ,
shall require of you ,
it be done speedily ,
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Unto an hundred talents of silver ,
and to an hundred measures of wheat ,
and to an hundred baths of wine ,
and to an hundred baths of oil ,
and salt without prescribing how much .
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Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven ,
let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven :
for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons ?
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Also we certify you ,
that touching any of the priests and Levites ,
singers ,
porters ,
Nethinims ,
or ministers of this house of God ,
it shall not be lawful to impose toll ,
tribute ,
or custom ,
upon them .
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And thou ,
Ezra ,
after the wisdom of thy God ,
that is in thine hand ,
set magistrates and judges ,
which may judge all the people that are beyond the river ,
all such as know the laws of thy God ;
and teach ye them that know them not .
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And whosoever will not do the law of thy God ,
and the law of the king ,
let judgment be executed speedily upon him ,
whether it be unto death ,
or to banishment ,
or to confiscation of goods ,
or to imprisonment .
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Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers ,
which hath put such a thing as this in the king '
s heart ,
to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem :
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And hath extended mercy unto me before the king ,
and his counsellors ,
and before all the king '
s mighty princes .
And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me ,
and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me .
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These are now the chief of their fathers ,
and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon ,
in the reign of Artaxerxes the king .