The Book of Ezra

Then Darius the king made a decree, and they searched in the house of the scrolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.

And there was found in Achmetha, in the palace that [is] in the province of the Medes, a scroll. And in it [was] a record written thus:

In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king placed a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: let the house be built, the place where they offered sacrifices and let the foundations of it be strongly laid. Its height [shall be] sixty cubits; its breadth sixty cubits;

[with] three layers of rolling stones, and a layer of new timber. And let the expenses be given out of the king's house.

And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, that Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, be given back and go to the temple in Jerusalem, to their place. And put them in the house of God.

Now, Tatnai, governor of [the province] Beyond the River, Shetharboznai, and your associates, the officials who are Beyond the River, you be far from there.

Let the work of this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build this house of God in its place.

Also I make a decree as to what you shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of that house of God, that the exact expense be given to these men from the king's property, out of the tax Beyond the River, so that they may not have to cease working.

And that which they need, both young bulls and rams and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of Heaven; wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as say the priests in Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail,

so that they may offer sacrifices of sweet odor to the God of Heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.

And may the God who has caused His name to dwell there destroy any kings and people who shall put their hand to change [or] to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have placed a decree. Let it be done exactly.

Then Tatnai, governor of [the province] Beyond the River, Shetharboznai, and their associates exactly did so, according to that which Darius the king had sent.

And the elders of the Jews were building. And they were succeeding through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built, and finished, according to the commandment of the God of Israel and according to the command of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes the king of Persia.

And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.