¶ Then the prophets, Haggai¹ the prophet, and Zechariah² the son of Iddo³, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name⁴ of the God of Israel, even unto them.

Then rose up⁵ Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua⁶ 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.

¶ At the same time came to them Tatnai⁸, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you⁹ to build this house, and to make up this wall?

Then said we unto them after this manner, What are¹⁰ the names of the men that make this building¹¹?

But the eye¹² of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they¹³ could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned¹⁴ answer by letter concerning this matter.

The copy¹⁵ of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites¹⁶, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:

They sent a letter unto him, wherein¹⁸ was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.

Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province¹⁹ of Judea, to the house of the great God²⁰, which is builded with great stones²¹, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.

Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded²² you to build this house, and to make up these walls?

¶ We asked²³ their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.

And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are²⁴ the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great²⁵ king of Israel builded and set up.

But after²⁶ that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave²⁷ them into the hand²⁸ of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.

²⁹But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

And the vessels³⁰ 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 king³¹ take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar³², whom³³ he had made governor³⁴;

And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house³⁵ of God be builded in his place.

Then came the same Sheshbazzar³⁶, and laid³⁷ 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 finished³⁸.

Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be³⁹ search made in the king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree⁴⁰ 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.