King Cyrus' Order Is Rediscovered
1 King Darius ordered someone to go through the old records kept in Babylonia. 2 Finally, a scroll was found in Ecbatana, the capital of Media Province, and it said:
This official record will show 3 that in the first year Cyrus was king, he gave orders to rebuild God's temple in Jerusalem, so that sacrifices and offerings could be presented there. It is to be built 27 meters high and 27 meters wide, 4 with one row of wooden beams for each three rows of large stones. The royal treasury will pay for everything. 5 Then the gold and silver things that Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple and brought to Babylonia are to be returned to their proper places.
King Darius Orders the Work To Continue
6 King Darius sent this message:
Governor Tattenai of Western Province and Shethar Bozenai, you and your advisors must stay away from the temple. 7 Let the Jewish governor and leaders rebuild it where it stood before. And stop slowing them down!
8 Starting at once, I am ordering you to help the leaders by paying their expenses from the tax money collected in Western Province. 9 And don't fail to let the priests in Jerusalem have whatever they need each day so they can offer sacrifices to the God of heaven. Give them young bulls, rams, sheep, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil. 10 I want them to be able to offer pleasing sacrifices to God and to pray for me and my family.
11 If any of you don't obey this order, a wooden beam will be taken from your house and sharpened on one end. Then it will be driven through your body, and your house will be torn down and turned into a garbage dump. 12 I ask the God who is worshiped in Jerusalem to destroy any king or nation who tries either to change what I have said or to tear down his temple. I, Darius, give these orders, and I expect them to be followed carefully.
The Temple Is Dedicated
13 Governor Tattenai, Shethar Bozenai, and their advisors carefully obeyed King Darius. 14 With great success the Jewish leaders continued working on the temple, while Haggai and Zechariah encouraged them by their preaching. And so, the temple was completed at the command of the God of Israel and by the orders of kings Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes of Persia. 15 On the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of the rule of Darius, the temple was finished.
16 The people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and everyone else who had returned from exile were happy and celebrated as they dedicated God's temple. 17 One hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs were offered as sacrifices at the dedication. Also twelve goats were sacrificed as sin offerings for the twelve tribes of Israel. 18 Then the priests and Levites were assigned their duties in God's temple in Jerusalem, according to the instructions Moses had written.
The Passover
19 Everyone who had returned from exile celebrated Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 The priests and Levites had gone through a ceremony to make themselves acceptable to lead in worship. Then some of them killed Passover lambs for those who had returned, including the other priests and themselves.
21 The sacrifices were eaten by the Israelites who had returned and by the neighboring people who had given up the sinful customs of other nations in order to worship the Lord God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated the Festival of Thin Bread. Everyone was happy because the Lord God of Israel had made sure that the king of Assyria would be kind to them and help them build the temple.
Dārija rīkojums
1 Tad ķēniņš Dārijs deva pavēli, un tika pārmeklēts Bābeles grāmatu nams, kurā glabāja dārgumus. 2 Ahmeta pilī Mēdijas pavalstī atrada kādu rulli, un tā rakstos bija rakstīts:
3 “Ķēniņa Kīra pirmajā valdīšanas gadā ķēniņš Kīrs deva pavēli, ka Jeruzālemes Dieva nams jāuzceļ par vietu, kur upurēt, un jāatjauno tā pamati, lai tie ir sešdesmit elkoņu augsti un sešdesmit elkoņu plati. 4 Trīs rindas lielu akmeņu un viena rinda baļķu – izdevumus apmaksās ķēniņa nams. 5 Arī Dieva nama zelta un sudraba traukus, ko Nebūkadnecars paņēma no Jeruzālemes tempļa un aizveda uz Bābeli, lai ved atpakaļ uz Jeruzālemes templi un novieto savā vietā Dieva namā.
6 Tādēļ jūs, Viņpusupes pārvaldnieki Tatnaj, Šētar-Boznaj un jūsu biedri, kas esat no Viņpusupes, turieties pa gabalu un 7 nekavējiet Dieva nama darbus, lai jūdu pārvaldnieki un jūdu vecajie uzceļ Dieva namu savā vietā! 8 Un vēl es pavēlu to, kas jums jādara jūdu vecajiem: lai uzceltu Dieva namu, visi izdevumi, kas šiem vīriem rodas, jāmaksā no ķēniņa mantas, no Viņpusupes apgabala nodevām. Nekavējiet tos! 9 Visu, kas tiem vajadzīgs upuriem debesu Dievam, – jaunus vēršus, aunus vai jērus, kviešus, sāli, vīnu vai eļļu, kā noteikts Jeruzālemes priesteriem, lai dod tiem ik dienas, bez pārtraukuma. 10 Viņi lai pienes upurus debesu Dievam un lūdz par ķēniņa un viņa dēlu dzīvību! 11 Un vēl es pavēlu, lai ikvienu, kurš šo rīkojumu sagroza, piesit pie baļķa, kas izrauts no viņa mājas, – lai pakar un tā namu lai padara par mēslu kaudzi! 12 Dievs, kura vārds tur mīt, lai gāž katru ķēniņu un tautu, kas grib sagrozīt šo pavēli un izpostīt Jeruzālemes Dieva namu! Es, Dārijs, esmu pavēlējis to darīt tieši tā!”
Tempļa pabeigšana un iesvētīšana
13 Tad Viņpusupes pārvaldnieks Tatnajs, Šētar-Boznajs un viņu biedri darīja tieši tā, kā ķēniņš Dārijs tiem bija pavēlējis. 14 Un Jūdas vecajie turpināja celt, un tiem veicās, kā pravieši Hagajs un Zeharja, Ido dēls, bija pravietojuši – viņi to cēla un pabeidza pēc Israēla Dieva pavēles un pēc Persijas ķēniņu Kīra, Dārija un Artakserksa pavēles. 15 Namu pabeidza līdz adāra mēneša trešajai dienai, ķēniņa Dārija sestajā valdīšanas gadā. 16 Tad Israēla dēli, priesteri, levīti un pārējie no gūsta pārnākušie priecīgi rīkoja svētkus Dieva namam. 17 Viņi veltīja Dieva namam simts vēršu, divi simti aunu, četri simti jēru un divpadsmit āžu visa Israēla upurim par grēkiem – pēc Israēla cilšu skaita. 18 Tie iecēla priesterus viņu kārtā un levītus viņu kārtā, lai tie kalpotu Dievam Jeruzālemē, kā rakstīts Mozus grāmatā.
Pashas svētki
(5Moz 16:1–8)19 Pirmā mēneša četrpadsmitajā dienā no gūsta pārnākušie svinēja Pashas svētkus. 20 Tāpēc priesteri un levīti kopīgi šķīstījās – visi bija šķīsti! Viņi kāva Pashas jēru visiem no gūsta pārnākušajiem, saviem brāļiem priesteriem un sev. 21 No gūsta pārnākušie Israēla dēli ēda kopā ar visiem, kas bija nošķīrušies no tās zemes nešķīstajām tautām, lai meklētu Kungu, Israēla Dievu. 22 Viņi svinēja ar prieku Neraudzētās maizes svētkus septiņas dienas, jo Kungs bija viņus iepriecinājis un noskaņojis labvēlīgi pret viņiem Asīrijas ķēniņu, lai stiprinātu viņu rokas Israēla Dieva nama darbos.
