Ezra 5 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Tattenai’s letter to Darius

5 Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

3 At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, ‘Who authorised you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?’ 4 They[a] also asked, ‘What are the names of those who are constructing this building?’ 5 But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.

6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. 7 The report they sent him read as follows:

To King Darius:

Cordial greetings.

8 The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.

9 We questioned the elders and asked them, ‘Who authorised you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?’ 10 We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

11 This is the answer they gave us:

‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

13 ‘However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14 He even removed from the temple[b] of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple[c] in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, 15 and he told him, “Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.”

16 ‘So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.’

17 Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 5:4 See Septuagint; Aramaic We.
  2. Ezra 5:14 Or palace
  3. Ezra 5:14 Or palace

You Might Also Like:

Ezra 5 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

5 And prophesied have the prophets, (Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo) unto the Jews who [are] in Judah and in Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel -- unto them. 2 Then have Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, risen, and begun to build the house of God, that [...
Read More

Ezra 5 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

5 Forsooth Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the prophet, the son of Iddo, prophesied, prophesying in the name of (the) God of Israel, to the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Then Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and Joshua, the son of Jozadak, rose up, and began to build (again) the temp...
Read More

Ezra 5 - World English Bible (WEB)

5 Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied to them in the name of the God of Israel. 2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build God’s house which ...
Read More

Ezra 5 - The Voice (VOICE)

The Jews cannot imagine that such opposition to their rebuilding exists within the very government sanctioning and financing their work. The support of a pagan government is not enough to enable and maintain the building of the Lord’s temple. While Darius struggles with political unrest throughout h...
Read More

Ezra 5 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Prophets Restart the Project5 Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the Ho...
Read More

Ezra 5 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Restoration of the Temple Resumed5 [a]Now the prophets, Hag′gai and Zechari′ah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 2 Then Zerub′babel the son of She-al′ti-el and Jeshua the son of Jo′zadak arose and began to re...
Read More

Ezra 5 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Restoration of the Temple Resumed5 Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechari′ah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 2 Then Zerub′babel the son of She-al′ti-el and Jeshua the son of Jo′zadak arose and began to rebuil...
Read More

Ezra 5 - Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

5 Then the nevi’im, Chaggai HaNavi, and Zecharyah ben Iddo, prophesied unto the Yehudim that were in Yehudah and Yerushalayim in the shem Elohei Yisroel, Who was [in authority] over them. 2 Then rose up Zerubavel ben Sh’altiel, and Yeshua ben Yotzadak, and began to build the Beis Elohim which is at ...
Read More

Ezra 5 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Restoration of the Temple Resumed5 Now the prophets, Haggai[a] and Zechariah son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set out to rebuild the house of God in J...
Read More

Ezra 5 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Restoration of the Temple Resumed5 Now the prophets, Haggai[a] and Zechariah son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set out to rebuild the house of God in J...
Read More

Ezra 5 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Restoration of the Temple Resumed5 Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo[a] prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.(A)2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set out to rebuild the house of God in Jeru...
Read More

Ezra 5 - New Living Translation (NLT)

5 At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 2 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadak[a] responded by starting again to rebuild the Temple of God in Jer...
Read More

Ezra 5 - New Life Version (NLV)

Work on the House of God Starts Again5 Now the men who spoke for God, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, spoke for God to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They spoke in the name of the God of Israel Who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began to ...
Read More

Ezra 5 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Restoration of the Temple Resumed(A)5 Then the prophet (B)Haggai and (C)Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 So (D)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of [a]Jozadak rose up ...
Read More

Ezra 5 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Tattenai’s letter to Darius5 Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of Go...
Read More

Ezra 5 - New International Version (NIV)

Tattenai’s Letter to Darius5 Now Haggai(A) the prophet and Zechariah(B) the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied(C) to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel(D) son of Shealtiel and Joshua(E) son of Jozadak set to work(F) to rebuil...
Read More

Ezra 5 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Tattenai’s Letter to King Darius5 Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They spoke to them in the name of the God of Israel. God had spoken to those prophets. Zechariah belonged to the family line of Iddo. 2 Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, began to wor...
Read More