IN the first year of Koresh king of the Persians, that the Word of Yahuah might be accomplished, that he had promised by the mouth of Yirmeyahu;
Yahuah raised up the ruach of Koresh the king of the Persians, and he made proclamation through all his kingdom, and also by writing,
Saying, Thus says Koresh king of the Persians; Yahuah of Yashar'el, El Elyon Yahuah, has made me king of the whole world,
And commanded me to build him a house at Yerushalayim in Yahudah.
If therefore there be any of you that are of his people, let Yahuah, even his Adonai, be with him, and let him go up to Yerushalayim that is in Yahudah, and build the house of Yahuah of Yashar'el: for he is Yahuah that dwells in Yerushalayim.
Whosoever then dwell in the places about, let them help him, those, I say, that are his neighbors, with gold, and with silver,
With gifts, with horses, and with cattle, and other things, which have been set forth by vow, for the Temple of Yahuah at Yerushalayim.
Then the chief of the families of Yahudah and of the tribe of Binyamiyn stood up; the priests also, and the Leviyiym, and all they whose mind Yahuah had moved to go up, and to build a house for Yahuah at Yerushalayim,
And they that dwelt round about them, and helped them in all things with silver and gold, with horses and cattle, and with very many free gifts of a great number whose minds were stirred up thereto.
King Koresh also brought forth the holy vessels, which Nevukadne'tstsar had carried away from Yerushalayim, and had set up in his temple of idols.
Now when Koresh king of the Persians had brought them forth, he delivered them to Mithredath his treasurer:
And by him they were delivered to Sheshbatstsar the governor of Yahudah.
'And this was the number of them; A thousand golden cups, and a thousand of silver, censers of silver twenty nine, vials of gold thirty, and of silver two thousand four hundred and ten, and a thousand other vessels.
So all the vessels of gold and of silver, which were carried away, were five thousand four hundred threescore and nine.
These were brought back by Sheshbatstsar, together with them of the captivity, from Babel to Yerushalayim.
But in the time of Artachshashta king of the Persians, Bishlam, and Mithredath, and Tave'el, and Rechum, and Be'elte'em, and Shimshai the secretary, with others that were in commission with them, dwelling in Shomeron and other places, wrote unto him against them that dwelt in Yahudah and Yerushalayim these cepheriym following;
To King Artachshashta our adoniy, Your servants, Rechum the storywriter, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their council, and the judges that are in Celo Aram and Phoenicia.
Be it now known to the adoniy and king, that the Yahudiym that are up from you to us, being come into Yerushalayim, that rebellious and wicked city, do build the marketplaces, and repair the walls of it and do lay the foundation of the Temple.
Now if this city and the walls thereof be made up again, they will not only refuse to give tribute, but also rebel against kings.
And forasmuch as the things pertaining to the Temple are now in hand, we think it meet not to neglect such a matter,
But to speak unto our adoniy the king, to the intent that, if it be your pleasure it may be sought out in the cepheriym of your fathers:
And you shall find in the chronicles what is written concerning these things, and shall understand that that city was rebellious, troubling both kings and cities:
And that the Yahudiym were rebellious, and raised always wars therein; for the which cause even this city was made desolate.
Wherefore now we do declare unto you, O adoniy the king, that if this city be built again, and the walls thereof set up anew, you shall from henceforth have no passage into Celo Aram and Phoenicia.
Then the king wrote back again to Rechum the storywriter, to Be'elte'em, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest that were in commission, and dwellers in Shomeron and Aram and Phoenicia, after this manner;
I have read the cepher which ye have sent unto me: therefore I commanded to make diligent search, and it has been found that that city was from the beginning practicing against kings;
And the men therein were given to rebellion and war: and that mighty kings and fierce were in Yerushalayim, who reigned and exacted tributes in Celo Aram and Phoenicia.
Now therefore I have commanded to hinder those men from building the city, and heed to be taken that there be no more done in it;
And that those wicked workers proceed no further to the annoyance of kings,
Then King Artachshashta his cepheriym being read, Rechum, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest that were in commission with them, removing in haste toward Yerushalayim with a troop of horsemen and a multitude of people in battle array.
And began to hinder the builders; and the building of the Temple in Yerushalayim ceased until the second year of the reign of Dareyavesh king of the Persians.