6 And this is the content of the letter which was sent by Thaphnai, the governor of the region beyond the river, and by Shephar-boznai, with his companions the Athersechaeans, who were beyond the river, to king Darius.

7 And in the report which they sent unto him, this is what is written: To Darius the king, all peace!

8 Let it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God; and it is built of great stones, and the wood is put into the walls; and this work is carried out quickly and successfully in their hands.

9 Then we asked the elders, and said to them, 'Who has given you permission to build this house, and to finish these walls?'

10 And besides this, concerning their names, we have asked them, that we may let thee know, and write the names of those men who are chief with them.

11 And they answered us in these words, 'We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building a house which was built many years before,' and the great king of Israel built it, and completed it.

12 And when our fathers provoked the anger of the God of heaven, he delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean; and he destroyed this house, and carried the people to Babylon.

13 But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, king Cyrus gave permission to build this house of God;

14 And the vessels of the house of God, gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar brought out of the temple of Jerusalem, and carried to the temple of Babylon, Cyrus the king brought out of the temple of Babylon. And they gave them by name to Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor,

15 And he said to him, 'Take these vessels, go and take them to the temple of Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.'

16 Then that Sheshbazzar came, laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and since then it has been under construction, and it is not yet finished.

17 Therefore, if it pleases the king, let them search in the house of the king's treasures, there in Babylon, whether King Cyrus has given permission to build this house of God in Jerusalem, and let the king's will be sent to us about it.

Chapter 6

1 Then king Darius gave orders, and they searched in Babylon for the book depository, where they had deposited treasures.