Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesiedunto the Jewsthatwere in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, evenuntothem.
Thenrose 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 withthemwere the prophets of God helpingthem.
At the sametimecame to themTatnai, governor on thisside the river, and Shetharboznai, and theircompanions, and saidthusuntothem, Who hathcommanded you to buildthishouse, and to make up thiswall?
But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, thattheycould not causethem to cease, till the mattercame to Darius: and thentheyreturnedanswer by letterconcerningthismatter.
The copy of the letterthatTatnai, governor on thisside the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, whichwere on thisside the river, sentuntoDarius the king:
Be it knownunto the king, that we wentinto the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is buildedwithgreatstones, and timber is laid in the walls, and thisworkgoethfast on, and prospereth in theirhands.
And thustheyreturned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the housethat was buildedthesemanyyears ago, which a greatking of Israelbuilded and set up.
But afterthat our fathers had provoked the God of heavenuntowrath, he gavetheminto the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyedthishouse, and carried the peopleawayintoBabylon.
And the vesselsalso of gold and silver of the house of God, whichNebuchadnezzartook out of the templethat was in Jerusalem, and broughttheminto the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the kingtake out of the temple of Babylon, and theyweredeliveredunto one, whosename was Sheshbazzar, whom he had madegovernor;
Thencame the sameSheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and sincethattimeevenuntil now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.
Now therefore, if it seemgood to the king, let there be searchmade in the king’streasurehouse, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to buildthishouse of God at Jerusalem, and let the kingsend his pleasure to us concerningthismatter.