The Daily Audio Bible

²⁴ Then the ^[a]work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. It was suspended until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Temple Work Resumed

5 Now when the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, the son (grandson) of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, whose Spirit was over them, ² then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel [heir to the throne of Judah] and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God [Haggai and Zechariah] were with them, supporting and encouraging them.^(A)

³ At that time Tattenai, the governor of the province ^[b]on the west side of the [Euphrates] River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and said, “Who ^[c]issued you a decree and authorized you to rebuild this temple and to restore this wall (shrine)?” ⁴ Then, accordingly, we told them the names of the men who were reconstructing this building. ⁵ But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so they [Tattenai and the others] did not stop them until a report could come before Darius, and then an answer was returned by letter concerning it.

Adversaries Write to Darius

⁶ This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of the province west of the [Euphrates] River, and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the officials who were west of the River, sent to Darius the king. ⁷ They sent a report to him in which it was written: “To Darius the king, all peace. ⁸ Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, with beams laid in the walls; and this work goes on with diligence and care and is succeeding in their hands. ⁹ Then we asked those elders, ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?’ ¹⁰ We also asked them their names so that we might notify you, and so that we might record the names of the men ^[d]in charge. ¹¹ They replied, ‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are rebuilding the temple which was erected many years ago, which a ^[e]great king of Israel built and finished. ¹² But because our fathers provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and exiled the people to Babylon. ¹³ But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, [the same] King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. ¹⁴ Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and had brought into the temple of Babylon, King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and had them given to a man whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. ¹⁵ And Cyrus said to him, “Take these utensils, go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.” ¹⁶ Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been under construction and is not yet completed.’ ¹⁷ So now, if it pleases the king, let a search be conducted in the king’s treasure house [in the royal archives] there in Babylon to see if it is true that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send us his decision concerning this matter.”

Darius Finds Cyrus’ Decree

6 Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was conducted in Babylon in the archives where the treasures [and records] were stored. ² In Ecbatana in the fortress (palace) in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was recorded: “Memorandum— ³ In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let the temple (house), the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be strongly laid, its height and its width each 60 cubits, ⁴ with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. ⁵ Also let the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought back to their [proper] places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.’

⁶ “Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province ^[f]west of the [Euphrates] River, Shethar-bozenai and your associates, the officials who are west of the River, keep far away from there. ⁷ Leave the work on this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site. ⁸ Also, I issue a decree as to what you are to do for these Jewish elders for the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the River, and that without delay. ⁹ Whatever is needed, including young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, according to the request of the priests at Jerusalem, let it all be given to them daily without fail, ¹⁰ so that they may offer pleasing (sweet-smelling) sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. ¹¹ I have also issued a decree that if there is any man who violates this edict, a beam of timber shall be pulled from his house [and set up]; then he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be turned into a refuse heap for this [violation]. ¹² May the God who has caused His ^[g]Name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts to alter this command, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree; let it be carried out quickly and with due diligence.”

The Temple Completed and Dedicated

¹³ Then Tattenai, governor of the province west of the [Euphrates] River, with Shethar-bozenai and their associates carried out the decree with due diligence, just as King Darius had sent and commanded. ¹⁴ And the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building as commanded by the God of Israel and in accordance with the decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia. ¹⁵ This temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the ^[h]sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

¹⁶ And all Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the [former] exiles—celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. ¹⁷ They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and, as a sin offering for all Israel, 12 male goats, according to the number of Israel’s tribes. ¹⁸ Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their orders for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

The Passover Observed

¹⁹ The [former] exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth [day] of the first month. ²⁰ For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were [ceremonially] clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. ²¹ The Passover was eaten by the sons (descendants) of Israel (Jacob) who returned from exile and by all those who had separated themselves from the [ceremonial] uncleanness of the nations of the land to join them, in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. ²² They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice and had turned the heart of ^[i]the king of Assyria toward them, so that he encouraged them and strengthened their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Just servants through whom you believed [in Christ], even as the Lord appointed to each his task. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was causing the growth. ⁷ So neither is the one who plants nor the one who waters anything, but [only] God who causes the growth. ⁸ He who plants and he who waters are one [in importance and esteem, working toward the same purpose]; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers [His servants working together]; you are God’s cultivated field [His garden, His vineyard], God’s building.^(A)

¹⁰ According to the [remarkable] grace of God which was given to me [to prepare me for my task], like a skillful master builder I laid a foundation, and now another is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it, ¹¹ for no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one’s work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person’s work.^{(B) 14} If any person’s work which he has built [on this foundation, that is, any outcome of his effort] remains [and survives this test], he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ But if any person’s work is burned up [by the test], he will suffer the loss [of his reward]; yet he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has barely escaped] through fire.^(C)

^16 [a]Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys the temple of God [corrupting it with false doctrine], God will destroy the destroyer; for the temple of God is holy (sacred), and that is what you are.

¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [discarding his worldly pretensions and acknowledging his lack of wisdom], so that he may become [truly] wise.^{(D) 19} For the wisdom of this world is foolishness (absurdity, stupidity) before God; for it is written [in Scripture], “[He is] The one who catches the wise and clever in their craftiness;”^{(E) 20} and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the [humanly] wise, that they are useless.”^{(F) 21} So let no one boast in men [about their wisdom, or of having this or that one as a leader]. For all things are yours, ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter) or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things are yours, ²³ and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.