The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And Ieshua stood with his sonnes, and his brethren, and Kadmiel with his sonnes, and the sonnes of Iudah together to set forward ye workemen in the house of God, and the sonnes of Henadad with their sonnes, and their brethren the Leuites.

And when the builders layed the foundation of the Temple of the Lord, they appoynted the Priestes in their apparel with trumpets, and the Leuites the sonnes of Asaph with cymbales, to prayse the Lord, after the ordinance of Dauid King of Israel.

Thus they sang when they gaue prayse, and when they gaue thankes vnto the Lord, For he is good, for his mercie endureth for euer toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shoute, when they praysed the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was layed.

Many also of the Priests and the Leuites and the chiefe of the fathers, ancient men which had seene the first house, (when the foundation of this house was layed before their eyes) wept with a loud voyce, and many shouted aloud for ioy,

So that the people coulde not discerne the sound of the shoute for ioy, from the noyse of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loude crie, and the noyse was heard farre off.

Bvt the aduersaries of Iudah and Beniamin heard, that the children of the captiuitie builded the Temple vnto the Lord God of Israel.

And they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chiefe fathers, and sayd vnto them, We wil builde with you: for we seeke the Lord your God as ye do, and we haue sacrificed vnto him since the time of Esar Haddon king of Asshur, which brought vs vp hither.

Then Zerubbabel, and Ieshua, and the rest of the chiefe fathers of Israel, sayde vnto them, It is not for you, but for vs to buyld the house vnto our God: for we our selues together wil buylde it vnto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded vs.

Wherefore the people of the land discouraged the people of Iudah, and troubled them in buylding,

And they hired counsellers against them, to hinder their deuise, all the dayes of Cyrus King of Persia, euen vntill the reigne of Darius King of Persia.

And in the reigne of Ahashuerosh (in the beginning of his reigne) wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem.

And in the daies of Artahshashte, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions wrote when it was peace, vnto Artahshashte king of Persia, and the writing of the letter was the Aramites writing, and the thing declared was in the language of the Aramites.

Rehum the chancelour, and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Ierusalem to Artahshashte the King, in this sort.

Then wrote Rehum the chauncelour, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions Dinaie, and Apharsathcaie, Tarpelaie, Apharsaie, Archeuaie, Bablaie, Shushanchaie, Dehaue, Elmaie,

And the rest of the people whom the great and noble Asnappar brought ouer, and set in the cities of Samaria, and other that are beyonde the Riuer and Cheeneth.

This is the copie of the letter that they sent vnto King Artahshashte, THY SERVANTS the men beyond the Riuer and Cheeneth, salute thee.

Be it knowen vnto the King that ye Iewes, which came vp from thee to vs, are come vnto Ierusalem (a citie rebellious and wicked) and buylde, and lay the foundations of the walles, and haue ioyned the foundations.

Be it knowen nowe vnto the King, that if this citie be built, and the foundations of the walles layed, they will not giue tolle, tribute, nor custome: so shalt thou hinder the Kings tribute.

Nowe therefore because wee haue bene brought vp in the Kings palace, it was not meete for vs to see the Kings dishonour: for this cause haue we sent and certified the King,

That one may searche in the booke of the Chronicles of thy fathers, and thou shalt finde in the booke of the Chronicles, and perceiue that this citie is rebellious and noysome vnto Kings and prouinces, and that they haue moued sedition of olde time, for the which cause this citie was destroyed.

Wee certifie the King therefore, that if this citie be buylded, and the foundation of the walles layd, by this meanes the portion beyonde the Riuer shall not be thine.

The King sent an answere vnto Rehum the Chauncelour, and Shimshai the Scribe, and so the rest of their companions that dwelt in Samaria, and vnto the other beyond the Riuer, Shelam and Cheeth.

The letter which yee sent vnto vs, hath bene openly read before me,

And I haue commanded and they haue searched, and founde, that this citie of olde time hath made insurrection against kings, and hath rebelled, and rebellion hath bene committed therein.

There haue bene mightie kings also ouer Ierusalem, which haue ruled ouer all beyonde the Riuer, and tolle, tribute, and custome was giuen vnto them.

Make ye now a decree, that those men may cease, and that the citie be not buylt, till I haue giuen another commandement.

Take heede nowe that ye fayle not to doe this: why should domage grow to hurt the King?

When the copie of king Artahshashtes letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went vp in all the haste to Ierusalem vnto the Iewes, and caused them to cease by force and power.

Then ceased the worke of the house of God, which was in Ierusalem, and did stay vnto the second yeere of Darius King of Persia.

Then Haggai a Prophet and Zechariah the sonne of Iddo a Prophet prophecied vnto the Iewes that were in Iudah, and Ierusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, euen vnto them.

Then Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel, and Ieshua the sonne of Iozadak arose, and began to builde the house of God at Ierusalem, and with them were the Prophetes of God, which helped them.

At the same time came to them Tatnai, which was captaine beyonde the Riuer, and Shether-boznai and their companions, and sayd thus vnto them, Who hath giuen you commandement to buylde this house, and to lay the foundations of these walles?

Then sayde we vnto them after this maner, What are the names of the men that buylde this buylding?

But the eye of their God was vpon the Elders of the Iewes, that they coulde not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they answered by letters thereunto.

The copie of the letter, that Tatnai captaine beyond the Riuer, and Shether-boznai and his companions, Apharsechaie, (which were beyond the Riuer) sent vnto King Darius.

They sent a letter vnto him, wherein it was written thus, VNTO DARIVS the king, all peace.

Be it knowen vnto the King, that we went into the prouince of Iudea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and beames are layde in the walles, and this worke is wrought speedily, and prospereth in their hands.

Then asked we those Elders, and sayd vnto them thus, Who hath giuen you commandement to buylde this house, and to lay the foundation of these walles?

We asked their names also, that we might certifie thee, and that we might write the names of the men that were their rulers.

But they answered vs thus, and sayd, We are the seruants of the God of heauen and earth, and buylde the house that was buylt of olde and many yeeres ago, which a great King of Israel builded, and founded it.

But after that our fathers had prouoked the God of heauen vnto wrath, he gaue them ouer into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel the Caldean, and he destroyed this house, and caryed the people away captiue vnto Babel.

But in the first yere of Cyrus King of Babel, King Cyrus made a decree to buylde this house of God.

And the vessels of golde and siluer of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar tooke out of the Temple, that was in Ierusalem, and brought them into the Temple of Babel, those did Cyrus the king take out of the Temple of Babel, and they gaue them vnto one Sheshbazzar by his name, whome he had made captaine.

And he sayde vnto him, Take these vessels and goe thy way, and put them in the Temple that is in Ierusalem, and let the house of God be buylt in his place.

Then came the same Sheshbazzar and layde the foundation of the house of God, which is in Ierusalem, and since that time euen vntill nowe, hath it bene in buylding, yet is it not finished.

Nowe therefore if it please the King, let there be searche made in the house of the Kings treasures, which is there in Babel, whether a decree hath bene made by King Cyrus, to build this house of God in Ierusalem, and let the King send his minde concerning this.

Then King Darius gaue commandement, and they made search in the librarie of the treasures, which were there layd vp in Babel.

And there was founde in a coffer (in the palace that was in the prouince of the Medes) a volume, and therein was it thus written, as a memoriall,

IN THE FIRST yeere of King Cyrus, King Cyrus made a decree for the house of God in Ierusalem, Let the house be buylt, euen the place where they offred sacrifices, and let the walles thereof be ioyned together: let the height thereof be three score cubites, and the breadth thereof three score cubites,

Three orders of great stones, and one order of timber, and let the expenses be giuen of the Kings house.

And also let them render the vessels of the house of God (of golde and siluer, which Nebuchadnezzar tooke out of the Temple, which was in Ierusalem, and brought vnto Babel) and let him goe vnto the Temple that is in Ierusalem to his place, and put them in the house of God.

Therefore Tatnai captaine beyond the Riuer, and Shethar Boznai, (and their companions Apharsecaie, which are beyonde the Riuer) be ye farre from thence.

Suffer ye the worke of this house of God, that the captaine of the Iewes and the Elders of the Iewes may buylde this house of God in his place.

For I haue giuen a commandement what ye shall doe to the Elders of these Iewes, for the buylding of this house of God, that of the reuenues of the King, which is of the tribute beyonde the Riuer, there be incontinently expenses giuen vnto these men that they cease not.

And that which they shall haue neede of, let it be giuen vnto them day by day, whether it be yong bullockes, or rammes, or lambes for the burnt offrings of the God of heauen, wheate, salt, wine, and oyle, according to the appoyntment of the Priestes that are in Ierusalem, that there bee no fault,

That they may haue to offer sweete odours vnto the God of heauen, and praye for the Kings life, and for his sonnes.

And I haue made a decree, that whosoeuer shall alter this sentence, the wood shall be pulled downe from his house, and shall be set vp, and he shalbe hanged thereon, and his house shalbe made a dunghill for this.

And the God that hath caused his Name to dwell there, destroy all Kings and people that put to their hand to alter, and to destroy this house of God, which is in Ierusalem. I Darius haue made a decree, let it be done with speede.

Then Tatnai the captaine beyond the Riuer, and Shethar Boznai and their companions, according to that which Darius had sent, so they did speedily.

So the Elders of the Iewes builded, and they prospered by the prophecying of Haggai the Prophet, and Zechariah the sonne of Iddo, and they buylded and finished it, by the appoyntment of the God of Israel, and by the commandement of Cyrus and Darius, and Artahshashte king of Persia.

And this house was finished the thirde day of the moneth Adar, which was the sixt yeere of the reigne of King Darius.

And the children of Israel, the Priestes, and the Leuites, and the residue of the children of the captiuitie kept the dedication of this house of God with ioy,

And offred at the dedication of this house of God an hundreth bullockes, two hundreth rams, foure hundreth lambes, and twelue goates, for the sinne of all Israel, according to the nomber of the tribes of Israel.

And they set the Priests in their order, and the Leuites in their courses ouer the seruice of God in Ierusalem, as it is written in the booke of Moses.

And the childre of the captiuitie kept the Passeouer on ye fourtenth day of the first moneth.

(For the Priests and the Leuites were purified altogether) and they killed the Passeouer for all the children of the captiuitie, and for their brethren the Priests, and for themselues.

So the children of Israel which were come againe out of captiuitie, and all such as had separated themselues vnto them, from the filthines of the Heathen of the land, to seeke the Lord God of Israel, did eate,

And they kept ye feast of vnleauened bread seuen dayes with ioy: for the Lord had made them glad, and turned the heart of the King of Asshur vnto them, to incourage them in the worke of the house of God, euen the God of Israel.

Now after these things, in the reigne of Artahshashte King of Persia, was Ezra the sonne of Seraiah, the sonne of Azariah, the sonne of Hilkiah,

The sonne of Shallum, the sonne of Zadok, the sonne of Ahitub,

The sonne of Amariah, the sonne of Azariah, the sonne of Meraioth,

The sonne of Zeraiah, the sonne of Vzzi, the sonne of Bukki,

The sonne of Abishua, the sonne of Phinehas, the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron, the chiefe Priest.

This Ezra came vp from Babel, and was a Scribe prompt in the Lawe of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had giuen, and the King gaue him all his request according to the hande of the Lord his God which was vpon him.

And there went vp certaine of the children of Israel, and of the Priests, and the Leuites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims vnto Ierusalem, in the seuenth yere of King Artahshashte.

And hee came to Ierusalem in the fift moneth, which was in the seuenth yeere of the King.

For vpon the first day of the first moneth began he to goe vp from Babel, and on the first day of the fift moneth came he to Ierusalem, according to the good hande of his God that was vpon him.

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seeke the Lawe of the Lord, and to doe it, and to teach the precepts and iudgements in Israel.

And this is the copie of the letter that King Artahshashte gaue vnto Ezra the Priest and scribe, euen a writer of the words of the commadements of ye Lord, and of his statutes ouer Israel.

ARTAHSHASHTE King of Kings to Ezra the Priest and perfite scribe of the Lawe of the God of heauen, and to Cheeneth.

I haue giuen commandement, that euery one, that is willing in my kingdome of the people of Israel, and of the Priestes, and Leuites to goe to Ierusalem with thee, shall goe.

Therefore art thou sent of the King and his seuen counsellers, to enquire in Iudah and Ierusalem, according to the lawe of thy God, which is in thine hand,

And to carry the siluer and the gold, which the King and his cousellers willingly offer vnto the God of Israel (whose habitation is in Ierusalem)

And all the siluer and gold that thou canst finde in all the prouince of Babel, with the free offring of the people, and that which the Priestes offer willingly to the house of their God which is in Ierusalem,

That thou mayest bye speedily with this siluer, bullocks, rammes, lambes, with their meate offrings and their drinke offrings: and thou shalt offer them vpon the altar of the house of your God, which is in Ierusalem.

And whatsoeuer it pleaseth thee and thy brethren to do with the rest of the siluer, and gold, doe ye it according to the will of your God.

And the vessels that are giuen thee for the seruice of the house of thy God, those deliuer thou before God in Ierusalem.

And the residue that shall be needeful for the house of thy God, which shall be meete for thee to bestowe, thou shalt bestowe it out of the Kings treasure house,

And I King Artahshashte haue giuen commandemet to all the treasurers which are beyond the Riuer, that whatsoeuer Ezra the Priest and Scribe of the Law of the God of heauen shall require of you, that it be done incontinently,

Vnto an hundreth talents of siluer, vnto an hundreth measures of wheate, and vnto an hundreth baths of wine, and vnto an hundreth baths of oyle, and salt without writing.

Whatsoeuer is by the commandement of the God of heauen, let it be done speedily for the house of the God of heauen: for why should he be wroth against the realme of the King, and his children?

And we certifie you, that vpon any of the Priestes, Leuites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or Ministers in this house of God, there shall no gouernour laye vpon them tolle, tribute nor custome.

And thou Ezra (after the wisedome of thy God, that is in thine hand) set iudges and arbiters, which may iudge all the people that is beyond the Riuer, euen all that knowe the Lawe of thy God, and teach ye them that know it not.

And whosoeuer will not doe the Lawe of thy God, and the Kings lawe, let him haue iudgement without delay, whether it be vnto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which so hath put in the Kings heart, to beautifie the house of the Lord that is in Ierusalem,

And hath enclined mercy toward me, before the King and his counsellers, and before all the Kings mightie Princes: and I was comforted by the hand of the Lord my God which was vpon me, and I gathered the chiefe of Israel to goe vp with me.

These are now the chiefe fathers of them, and the genealogie of them that came vp with mee from Babel, in the reigne of King Artahshashte.

Of the sonnes of Phinehas, Gershom: of the sonnes of Ithamar, Daniel: of the sonnes of Dauid, Hattush:

Of the sonnes of Shechaniah, of the sonnes of Pharosh, Zechariah, and with him the count of the males, an hundreth and fiftie.

Of the sonnes of Pahath Moab, Elihoenai, the sonne of Zerahiah, and with him two hundreth males.