The Enemies Try to Stop the Rebuilding of the Lord’s House |
Ezra 5:1-17 The Book of Ezra in [Smaller Chunks] |
Then, the prophets: Haggai & Zechariah, [Iddo’s] son, prophesied even to the Jews [who] were in Judah & Jerusalem in the Name of the God of Israel. |
Then, Zerubbabel, [Shealtiel’s] son & Jeshua, [a.k.a. Joshua, Jozadak’s] son, rose up & began to [rebuild] the house of God [in] Jerusalem: with [God’s] prophets helping them. |
At the same time, Tatnai, governor on this side of the [Euphrates] River & Shethar Boznai & their companions came & said [this] to them, Who has commanded you to [rebuild] this house & [put] up this wall? Then we said to them, What are the names of the men [who are constructing] this building? |
But the eye of their God was upon the [Jews’] elders, [so] they couldn’t [make them stop, until] the matter came to Darius. And then, they returned [an] answer by letter, [about] this matter. |
The copy of the letter sent to king Darius, [by:] Tatnai, governor on this side [of] the [Euphrates] River, Shethar Boznai & his companions: the Apharsachites, which were on this side of the river. |
[In] the letter they sent to him was written [this,] All peace [be to] king Darius. The king [should know] that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is [being rebuilt with large] stones & timber is laid in the walls & the work goes [quickly] & their hands prosper. |
[When] we asked those elders & said [this] to them, Who commanded you to [rebuild] this house & to [put] up these walls? We also asked their names, [so] we might write the names of the [leaders] of the men & [inform] you. |
And they [replied,] We are the servants of the [Lord] God of heaven & earth & [have rebuilt] the house that the great king [Solomon] of Israel [built] many years ago. |
But after that, our [forefathers] provoked the God of heaven [to anger] & He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, [Babylon’s] king, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house & carried the people away into Babylon. |
[2 Kings 17:9-12 And the [people] of Israel secretly did those things that weren’t right, against the Lord, their God & they built [themselves] high places in all their cities, from the Tower of the Watchman to the fenced city. And they [put up for themselves] images & groves in every high hill & under every green tree. |
And they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen, whom the Lord carried away before them & [they formed] wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger; for they served idols, where the Lord had said to them, You shall not do this thing.] |
But in the 1st year of king Cyrus of Babylon, [king Cyrus] made a decree to [rebuild] this house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar [had taken] the vessels of gold & silver [from] the temple of [God’s] house in Jerusalem & brought them into the temple in Babylon. |
King Cyrus [took those] out of the temple of Babylon & they were delivered to Sheshbazzar, whom [Cyrus] had made governor. And said to him, Take these vessels & go carry them to the temple [site] that is in Jerusalem & let [God’s] house be [rebuilt] in this place. |
Then, Sheshbazzar came & laid the foundation of [God’s] house, which is in Jerusalem. And since that time even until now, it [has continued being rebuilt] & isn’t finished yet. |
Therefore, now, if it [seems] good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there [in] Babylon, to [see] whether it [is] so, that a decree was made [by] king Cyrus to [rebuild God’s] house in Jerusalem. And let the king send to us [his response about] this matter, at his pleasure. |
[Ezra 6:3 In the 1st year of king Cyrus, this same Cyrus made a decree [about] the house of God in Jerusalem, Let the house be [rebuilt,] the place where they offer sacrifices & [its] foundations, should be strongly laid. [It should be] 60 cubits [high] 60 cubits wide.] |