1 Now in the second year of the reign of Dareyawesh Ḥaggai and Zeḵaryah the son of Iddo, the neḇi’im, naḇa to the Yahuḏim in Yahuḏah and Yerushalayim in the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, which was upon them.
2 Then Zerubbaḇel the son of She’alti’ĕl stood up, and Yĕshua the son of Yotsaḏaq, and began to build the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 at Yerushalayim, assisted by the neḇi’im of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 who were with them.
3 At the same time Tattenai the governor of Suria came to them and Phoinikĕ, with Shethar-Bozenai and his companions, and said to them,
4 “By whose decree do you build this House and this roof, and doing all these other matters? And who are the workmen that perform these?”
5 Nevertheless the elders of the Yahuḏim obtained favour, because 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 had overseen the captivity;
6 and they were not hindered from building, until such time as word was given to Dareyawesh concerning them, and an answer received.
7 The copy of the letters which Tattenai, governor of Suria and Phoinikĕ, and Shethar-Bozenai, with their companions, rulers in Suria and Phoinikĕ, wrote and sent to Dareyawesh: To Sovereign Dareyawesh, greetings.
8 Let all matters be known to our master the sovereign, that having come into the land of Yahuḏah, and entered into the city of Yerushalayim we found in the city of Yerushalayim the elders of the Yahuḏim who were of the captivity
9 building a great and new House to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, of hewn and costly stones, and the timber already laid upon the walls.
10 And those works are done with great speed, and the work is prospering in their hands, and being done with all esteem and diligence.
11 Then we asked these elders, saying, “By whose command are you building this House, and laying the foundations of these works?”
12 Therefore with the purpose that we might make known to you in writing, we demanded of those who were the chief workers, and we required from them the names of their heads in writing.
13 So they gave us this answer, “We are the servants of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 who made the shamayim and earth.
14 “And as for this House, it was built many years ago by a great and strong sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, and was finished.
15 “But when our fathers provoked Elohim to wrath, and sinned against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 of Yisra’ĕl who is in the shamayim, He gave them over to the power of Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar sovereign of Baḇel, of the Kasdites;
16 who pulled down the House, and burned it, and carried away the people captive to Baḇel.
17 “But in the first year that Sovereign Koresh reigned over the land of Baḇel, Koresh the sovereign wrote to build up this House.
18 “And the qodesh vessels of gold and silver that Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar had carried away out of the House at Yerushalayim, and had put them in his own temple; these Koresh the sovereign brought out again from the temple at Baḇel, and they were delivered to Zerubbaḇel and to Shĕshbatstsar the ruler
19 with orders that he should take these same vessels, and put them in the Hĕyḵal at Yerushalayim; and that the Hĕyḵal of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 should be built in its place.
20 “Then the same Shĕshbatstsar, having come here, laid the foundations of the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 at Yerushalayim; and from that time to this, is still under construction; it is not yet fully complete.
21 “Now therefore, if it seems good to the sovereign, let a search be made among the records of Sovereign Koresh;
22 and if it is found that the building of the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 at Yerushalayim has been done with the consent of Sovereign Koresh, and if our master the sovereign approves, let him inform us of this.”
23 Then Sovereign Dareyawesh commanded to search among the records at Baḇel; and so at Aḥmetha the palace, which is in the land of Maḏai, there was found a scroll in which these matters were recorded.
24 In the first year of the reign of Koresh, Sovereign Koresh ordered that the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 at Yerushalayim should be built again, where they offer with continual fire;
25 the height of which shall be sixty ammah and the width sixty ammah, with three rows of hewn stones, and one row of new wood from the land; and the expenses of it to be given out of the house of Sovereign Koresh;
26 and that the qodesh vessels of the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, both of gold and silver, that Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar took out of the House at Yerushalayim, and brought to Baḇel, should be restored to the House at Yerushalayim, and be put in the place where they were before.
27 And he also commanded that Tattenai the governor of Suria and Phoinikĕ, and Shethar-Bozenai, and their companions, and those who were appointed rulers in Suria and Phoinikĕ, should bear in mind not to strive with the place, but allow Zerubbaḇel, the servant of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and governor of Yahuḏah, and the elders of the Yahuḏim, to build the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 in that place.
28 I have also commanded to have it built up complete again; and that they look diligently to help those who are of the captivity of the Yahuḏim, till the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 is finished;
29 and out of the tribute of Koĕlĕ-Suria and Phoinikĕ a portion diligently to be given to these men for the slaughterings of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, that is, to Zerubbaḇel the governor; for bulls and rams and lambs;
30 and also corn, salt, wine and oil, and continually every year without further question, what is required by the kohenim who are in Yerushalayim to be used daily;
31 that offerings may be made to the Most High Elohim for the sovereign and for his children, and that they may pray for their lives.
32 And he commanded that whoever would transgress, or even diminish any word spoken or written before, a timber should be taken out of his own house, and he be hanged upon it, and all his goods seized for the sovereign.
33 Therefore may 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, whose Name is called upon there, utterly destroy every sovereign and nation, that stretches out his hand to hinder or damage the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 in Yerushalayim.
34 I, Dareyawesh the sovereign have ordained that it be done according to these words with diligence.