1 Then the second, that had spoken of the strength of the sovereign, began to speak:
2 “O you men, do not men who reign over sea and land and all in them excel in strength?
3 “And yet the sovereign is mightier; for he is master of all these, and rules over them, and whatever he commands them they do.
4 “If he commands them to fight, one against the other, they do it; if he sends them out against their enemies, they go, and tear down mountains, walls and towers.
5 “They slay and are slain, but do not disobey the sovereign’s command. If they overcome, they bring all to the sovereign, as well the spoil, and all other matters.
6 “Likewise for those who are not soldiers, and have naught to do with wars, but are farmers; when they have reaped again that which they had sown, they bring it to the sovereign, and compel one another to pay tribute to the sovereign.
7 “And yet he is but one man. If he commands to kill, they kill; if he commands to spare, they spare;
8 “If he commands to smite, they smite; if he commands to destroy, they destroy; if he commands to build, they build;
9 if he commands to cut down, they cut down; if he commands to plant, they plant.
10 “So all his people and his armies obey him; furthermore he lies down, he eats and drinks, and takes his rest,
11 and these keep watch around about him, neither may anyone depart, and do his own business, nor do they disobey him in any matter.
12 “O you men, how should not the sovereign be mightiest, when he is obeyed in such a way?” And he kept silent.
13 Then the third, who had spoken of women, and of the truth – this was Zerubbaḇel – began to speak:
14 “O you men, it is not the great sovereign, nor the crowd of men, neither is it wine that excels. Who is it then that rules them, or has the rulership over them? Are they not women?
15 “Women have borne the sovereign and all the people that reign by sea and land.
16 “Even from them they have come, and they nourished those who planted the vineyards, from where the wine comes.
17 “These also make garments for men; these bring esteem to men, and without women, men cannot be.
18 “Indeed, and if men have gathered together gold and silver, or any other luxury, do they not love a woman who is lovely in appearance and loveliness?
19 “And letting all those go, do they not gape, and even with open mouth fix their eyes fast on her; and do not all men have more desire for her than for silver or gold, or any luxury whatever?
20 “A man leaves his own father who raised him, and his own land, and clings to his wife.
21 “He does not remain, and remembers neither father, nor mother, nor land, to spend his life with his wife.
22 “By this you also must know that women have rule over you. Do you not labour and toil, and bring and give all to the woman?
23 Indeed, a man takes his sword, and goes his way to rob and to steal, to sail over the sea and upon rivers,
24 and faces a lion, and goes in the darkness; and when he has stolen, plundered, and robbed, he brings it to his love.
25 “Therefore a man loves his wife better than father or mother.
26 “Indeed, there are many that have lost their minds for women, become servants for their sakes.
27 “Many also have perished, have strayed, and sinned, for women.
28 “And now do you not believe me? Is not the sovereign great in his power? Do not all countries fear to touch him?
29 “Yet I saw him and Apamĕ the sovereign’s concubine, the daughter of the admirable Bartakos, sitting at the right hand of the sovereign,
30 and taking the crown from the sovereign’s head, and putting it upon her own head; she also struck the sovereign with her left hand.
31 “And yet for all this the sovereign gaped and gazed upon her with open mouth. If she laughed at him, he laughed also; but if she took any displeasure in him, the sovereign was eager to flatter, that she might be reconciled to him again.
32 “O you men, how could it be but women are strongest, seeing they do this?”
33 Then the sovereign and the princes looked at each other, so he began to speak of the truth:
34 “O you men, are not women strong? Great is the earth, high is the shamayim, swift is the sun in its course, for it makes the circuit of the shamayim, and follows its course again to its own place in one day.
35 “Is He who makes these not great? Therefore the truth is great, and stronger than all.
36 “All the earth calls upon the truth, and the shamayim baraḵ it. All works shake and tremble at it, and there is no unrighteousness with it.
37 “Wine is wicked, the sovereign is wicked, women are wicked, all the children of men are wicked, and such are all their wicked works and there is no truth in them, and in their unrighteousness they shall also perish.
38 “As for the truth, it endures, and is always strong; it lives and overcomes forever.
39 “With her there is no partiality or preference; but she does that which is righteous, and refrains from all unrighteousness and wickedness; and all men approve of her works.
40 “Nor is there any unrighteousness in her judgment; but she is the strength, reign, power, and excellence, of all ages. Baruḵ be the Elohim of truth.”
41 And with that he remained silent. And all the people then shouted, and said, “Great is Truth, and strongest of all!”
42 Then the sovereign said to him, “Ask what you would, more than what is appointed in the writing, and we shall give it to you, because you have been found wisest; and you shall sit next me, and shall be called my relative.”
43 Then he said to the sovereign, “Remember your vow to build Yerushalayim, which you swore in the day when you came to your reign,
44 and to send all the vessels that were taken away from Yerushalayim, which Koresh put aside, when he vowed to destroy Baḇel, and to send them there again.
45 “You have also vowed to rebuild the Hĕyḵal, which the Eḏomites burned when Yahuḏah was laid waste by the Kasdites.
46 “And now, O master the sovereign, this is that which I require, and which I desire from you, and this is the princely kindness proceeding from yourself: I desire therefore that you fulfill the vow, the works of which you have vowed with your own mouth to the Sovereign of the shamayim.”
47 Then Dareyawesh the sovereign stood up, and kissed him, and wrote letters for him to all the treasurers and viceroys and captains and governors, that they should safely transfer both he, and all those who would go up with him to rebuild Yerushalayim.
48 He also wrote letters to the viceroys that were in Koĕlĕ-Suria and Phoinikĕ, and to those in Leḇanon, that they should bring cedar wood from Leḇanon to Yerushalayim, and that they should build the city with him.
49 And he wrote for all the Yahuḏim that went out of his reign up into Yahuḏah, concerning their freedom, that no officer, no ruler, no viceroy, nor treasurer, should forcibly enter into their doors;
50 and that all the land which they hold should be free without tribute; and that the Eḏomites should give up the villages of the Yahuḏim which they held;
51 even that there should be given twenty kiḵars yearly toward the building of the Hĕyḵal, until the time that it was built;
52 and another ten kiḵars yearly, to maintain the burnt offerings on the altar every day, for they had a Command to offer seventeen;
53 and that all those who went from Baḇel to build the city should have freedom, they as well as their descendants, and all the kohenim that went away.
54 He also wrote concerning their support, and the garments of the kohenim in which they serve;
55 and also for the support of the Lĕwites to be given to them until the day that the House was finished, and Yerushalayim built up.
56 And he commanded to give land and wages to all who guarded the city.
57 He also sent away all the vessels from Baḇel that Koresh had put aside; and all that Koresh had commanded to be given, he also commanded the same to be done, and sent to Yerushalayim.
58 Now when the young man went out, he lifted up his face to the shamayim toward Yerushalayim, and praised the Sovereign of the shamayim,
59 and said, “From You comes deliverance, from You comes wisdom, and Yours is the esteem, and I am Your servant.
60 “Baruḵ are You, who has given me wisdom; for I give thanks to You, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 of our fathers.”
61 And so he took the letters, and went out, and came to Baḇel, and told all his brothers,
62 and they praised the Elohim of their fathers, because He had given them release and freedom
63 to go up, and to build Yerushalayim, and the Hĕyḵal which is called by His name. And they feasted with musical instruments and gladness seven days.