⁵ They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans^(A) throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.^(B)

Rebuilding of the Temple Resumed

²⁴ Now the construction of God’s house in Jerusalem had stopped and remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.^(A)

⁵ But God was watching^[a] over^(A) the Jewish elders. These men wouldn’t stop them until a report was sent to Darius, so that they could receive written instructions about this matter.

The Letter to Darius

⁶ This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius. ⁷ They sent him a report, written as follows:

To King Darius:

All greetings.

Darius’s Search

6 King Darius gave the order, and they searched^(A) in the library of Babylon in the archives.^[a](B)

¹² May the God who caused his name to dwell there^(A) overthrow any king or people who dares^[a] to harm or interfere with this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out diligently.

¹³ Then Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues^(B) diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed. ¹⁴ So the Jewish elders continued successfully with the building under the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo.^(C) They finished the building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus,^(D) Darius, and King Artaxerxes^(E) of Persia. ¹⁵ This house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar^(F) in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.