⁵ Yet the elders of the Jews were dealt with kindly, for the providence of the Lord was over the captives;^(A)

⁸ Let it be fully known to our lord the king that, when we went to the region of Judea and entered the city of Jerusalem, we found the elders of the Jews, who had been in exile, building in the city of Jerusalem a great new house for the Lord, of hewn stone, with costly timber laid in the walls.^(A)

²⁶ So Darius^[a] commanded Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phoenicia and Sathrabuzanes and their associates and those who were appointed as local rulers in Syria and Phoenicia to keep away from the place and to permit Zerubbabel, the servant of the Lord and governor of Judea, and the elders of the Jews to build this house of the Lord on its site.^(A)

¹⁶ They called together all the elders of the town, and all their young men and women ran to the assembly. They set Achior in the midst of all their people, and Uzziah questioned him about what had happened.

² supervised the holy work with very great care, assisting the elders of the Jews and the chief officers of the temple.^(A)

¹³ with the elders and judges of each place, until we are freed from the wrath of the Lord over this matter.”