1 At|strong="H0426" that|strong="H1768" time the|strong="H5922" prophets Haggai|strong="H2292" and|strong="H3061" Zechariah|strong="H2148" son|strong="H1247" of|strong="H0426" Iddo|strong="H5714" began to|strong="H5922" prophesy in|strong="H0426" the|strong="H5922" name|strong="H8036" of|strong="H0426" God|strong="H0426". They|strong="H1768" encouraged the|strong="H5922" Jews|strong="H3062" in|strong="H0426" Judah|strong="H3061" and|strong="H3061" Jerusalem|strong="H3390".
2 So|strong="H0116" Zerubbabel|strong="H2217" son|strong="H1247" of|strong="H0426" Shealtiel|strong="H7598" and|strong="H1005" Jeshua|strong="H3443" son|strong="H1247" of|strong="H0426" Jozadak again started working on the|strong="H0116" Temple|strong="H1005" in|strong="H0426" Jerusalem|strong="H3390". All of|strong="H0426" God’s prophets|strong="H5029" were|strong="H1768" with|strong="H5974" them and|strong="H1005" were|strong="H1768" supporting|strong="H5583" the|strong="H0116" work.
3 At that|strong="H2942" time|strong="H2166" Tattenai|strong="H8674" was|strong="H2942" the|strong="H5675" governor|strong="H6347" of|strong="H1005" the|strong="H5675" area west of|strong="H1005" the|strong="H5675" Euphrates River|strong="H5103". Tattenai|strong="H8674", Shethar Bozenai, and|strong="H3652" the|strong="H5675" men with|strong="H5922" them|strong="H0560" went|strong="H0858" to|strong="H5922" Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and|strong="H3652" the|strong="H5675" others who|strong="H4479" were building|strong="H1124". Tattenai|strong="H8674" and|strong="H3652" the|strong="H5675" people with|strong="H5922" him asked|strong="H0560" Zerubbabel and|strong="H3652" the|strong="H5675" people with|strong="H5922" him, “Who|strong="H4479" gave|strong="H0560" you|strong="H5922" permission to|strong="H5922" rebuild|strong="H1124" this|strong="H1836" Temple|strong="H1005" and|strong="H3652" repair it|strong="H5922" like new?”
4 They|strong="H0116" also|strong="H3660" asked|strong="H0560" Zerubbabel, “What|strong="H4479" are|strong="H1768" the|strong="H0116" names|strong="H8036" of|strong="H8036" the|strong="H0116" men|strong="H1400" who|strong="H1768" are|strong="H1768" working on this|strong="H1836" building|strong="H1124"?”
5 But|strong="H0116" God|strong="H0426" was|strong="H1934" watching|strong="H5870" over|strong="H5922" the|strong="H0116" Jewish|strong="H3062" leaders. The|strong="H0116" builders didn’t have|strong="H1934" to|strong="H5922" stop|strong="H0989" working until|strong="H5705" a|strong="H5705" report could be|strong="H0426" sent to|strong="H5922" King Darius|strong="H1868". They|strong="H0116" continued|strong="H1934" working until|strong="H5705" the|strong="H0116" king sent his|strong="H5922" answer back.
6 Tattenai|strong="H8674" the|strong="H5675" governor|strong="H6347" of|strong="H4430" the|strong="H5675" area west of|strong="H4430" the|strong="H5675" Euphrates River|strong="H5103", Shethar Bozenai, and|strong="H4430" the|strong="H5675" important people with|strong="H5922" them sent|strong="H7972" a|strong="H7972" letter|strong="H0104" to|strong="H5922" King|strong="H4430" Darius|strong="H1868".
7 This|strong="H1836" is a|strong="H7972" copy of|strong="H4430" that|strong="H4430" letter:
8 King|strong="H4430" Darius, you|strong="H1768" should|strong="H4430" know|strong="H3046" that|strong="H1768" we|strong="H1768" went|strong="H0236" to|strong="H3046" the|strong="H1768" province|strong="H4083" of|strong="H0426" Judah|strong="H3061". We|strong="H1768" went|strong="H0236" to|strong="H3046" the|strong="H1768" Temple|strong="H1005" of|strong="H0426" the|strong="H1768" great|strong="H7229" God|strong="H0426". The|strong="H1768" people in|strong="H0426" Judah|strong="H3061" are|strong="H1768" building|strong="H1124" that|strong="H1768" Temple|strong="H1005" with|strong="H1124" large|strong="H7229" stones|strong="H0069". They|strong="H1768" are|strong="H1768" putting big wooden timbers|strong="H0636" in|strong="H0426" the|strong="H1768" walls|strong="H3797". The|strong="H1768" work|strong="H5673" is|strong="H1768" being done|strong="H5648" with|strong="H1124" much care|strong="H0629" and|strong="H4430" the|strong="H1768" people of|strong="H0426" Judah|strong="H3061" are|strong="H1768" working very hard. They|strong="H1768" are|strong="H1768" building|strong="H1124" very fast; it will|strong="H1768" soon|strong="H1768" be|strong="H0426" done|strong="H5648".
9 We|strong="H0116" asked|strong="H7593" their leaders some questions about the|strong="H0116" work they|strong="H0116" are doing. We|strong="H0116" asked|strong="H7593" them|strong="H0560", “Who|strong="H4479" gave|strong="H0560" you permission to|strong="H0560" rebuild|strong="H1124" this|strong="H1836" temple|strong="H1005" and|strong="H1005" repair it like new?”
10 We|strong="H1768" also|strong="H0638" asked|strong="H7593" for|strong="H1768" their names|strong="H8036". We|strong="H1768" wanted to|strong="H8036" write|strong="H3790" down|strong="H3790" the|strong="H1768" names|strong="H8036" of|strong="H7217" their leaders so|strong="H1768" that|strong="H1768" you|strong="H1768" would know|strong="H3046" who|strong="H1768" they|strong="H1768" are|strong="H1768".
11 This|strong="H1836" is|strong="H1768" the|strong="H1768" answer|strong="H6600" they|strong="H3660" gave|strong="H0560" us|strong="H5649":
12 But|strong="H3861" our ancestors made the|strong="H1768" God|strong="H0426" of|strong="H0426" heaven|strong="H8065" angry, so|strong="H1768" God|strong="H0426" gave|strong="H3052" our ancestors to|strong="H4481" King|strong="H4430" Nebuchadnezzar|strong="H5020" of|strong="H0426" Babylon|strong="H0895". Nebuchadnezzar|strong="H5020" destroyed this|strong="H1836" Temple|strong="H1005", and|strong="H4430" he|strong="H1768" forced the|strong="H1768" people|strong="H5972" to|strong="H4481" go to|strong="H4481" Babylon|strong="H0895" as|strong="H1768" prisoners.
13 But|strong="H1297", in|strong="H0426" the|strong="H1768" first|strong="H2298" year|strong="H8140" that|strong="H1768" Cyrus|strong="H3567" was|strong="H4430" king|strong="H4430" of|strong="H0426" Babylon|strong="H0895", King|strong="H4430" Cyrus|strong="H3567" gave|strong="H7761" a|strong="H7761" special order for|strong="H1768" God’s Temple|strong="H1005" to|strong="H2942" be|strong="H0426" rebuilt|strong="H1124".
14 And|strong="H4430" Cyrus|strong="H3567" brought|strong="H2987" out from|strong="H4481" his|strong="H5020" false god’s temple|strong="H1005" in|strong="H0426" Babylon|strong="H0895" the|strong="H1768" gold|strong="H1722" and|strong="H4430" silver|strong="H3702" things that|strong="H1768" were|strong="H1768" taken|strong="H5312" from|strong="H4481" God’s Temple|strong="H1005" in|strong="H0426" the|strong="H1768" past. Nebuchadnezzar|strong="H5020" took|strong="H5312" them|strong="H1994" from|strong="H4481" the|strong="H1768" Temple|strong="H1005" in|strong="H0426" Jerusalem|strong="H3390" and|strong="H4430" brought|strong="H2987" them|strong="H1994" to|strong="H4481" his|strong="H5020" false god’s temple|strong="H1005" in|strong="H0426" Babylon|strong="H0895". Then|strong="H4430" King|strong="H4430" Cyrus|strong="H3567" gave|strong="H7761" those|strong="H1768" gold|strong="H1722" and|strong="H4430" silver|strong="H3702" things to|strong="H4481" Sheshbazzar|strong="H8340".” Cyrus|strong="H3567" chose Sheshbazzar|strong="H8340" to|strong="H4481" be|strong="H0426" governor|strong="H6347".
15 Then|strong="H1768" Cyrus said|strong="H0560" to|strong="H5922" Sheshbazzar, “Take|strong="H5376" these|strong="H0412" gold and|strong="H1005" silver things and|strong="H1005" put|strong="H5182" them|strong="H1994" back in|strong="H0426" the|strong="H5922" Temple|strong="H1005" in|strong="H0426" Jerusalem|strong="H3390". Rebuild|strong="H1124" God’s Temple|strong="H1005" in|strong="H0426" the|strong="H5922" same place|strong="H0870" it|strong="H5922" was|strong="H1768" in|strong="H0426" the|strong="H5922" past.”
16 So|strong="H0116" Sheshbazzar|strong="H8340" came|strong="H0858" and|strong="H1005" built|strong="H1124" the|strong="H0116" foundations|strong="H0787" of|strong="H0426" God’s Temple|strong="H1005" in|strong="H0426" Jerusalem|strong="H3390". From|strong="H4481" that|strong="H1768" day until|strong="H5705" now|strong="H3705", the|strong="H0116" work has|strong="H0426" continued, but|strong="H1768" it is|strong="H1768" not|strong="H3809" yet finished.
17 Now|strong="H3705", if|strong="H2006" it|strong="H2006" pleases|strong="H2869" the|strong="H5922" king|strong="H4430", please search|strong="H1240" the|strong="H5922" official records of|strong="H0426" the|strong="H5922" king|strong="H4430". See if|strong="H2006" it|strong="H2006" is|strong="H1768" true that|strong="H1768" King|strong="H4430" Cyrus|strong="H3567" gave|strong="H7761" an|strong="H7972" order to|strong="H5922" rebuild|strong="H1124" God’s Temple|strong="H1005" in|strong="H0426" Jerusalem|strong="H3390". And|strong="H4430" then|strong="H4430", sir, please send|strong="H7972" us a|strong="H7761" letter to|strong="H5922" let|strong="H3705" us know what|strong="H1768" you|strong="H1768" have|strong="H0383" decided to|strong="H5922" do|strong="H0383" about|strong="H5922" this|strong="H1836".