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.

²² In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the heads of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded while Darius the Persian ruled.

Command to Rebuild the Temple

1 In the second year of King Darius,^[a](A) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet^(B) Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,^(C) the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:^(D)

¹⁵ on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.

From Deprivation to Blessing

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: