Then the prophets, Ḥaggay the prophet, and Zekharya the son of ῾Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Yehuda and Yerushalayim in the name of the God of Yisra᾽el, even to them.

And [(in the second year of Darius)] Chaggai the prophet and Zecharyah the son of Iddo the prophet prophesied to the Jews in Judaea and in Jerusalem in the name of the G-d of Israel concerning them [(to build the Temple even without the authorization of Darius)].

Then rose up Zerubbavel the son of She᾽alti᾽el, and Yeshua the son of Yożadaq, and began to build the house of God which is at Yerushalayim: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.

Then arose Zerubavel the son of She'altiel and Yeshua the son of Yotzadak, and they began to build the house of G-d in Jerusalem; and with them, the prophets of G-d assisted them.

At the same time came to them Tattenay, governor on this side of the river, and Shetar-bozenay, and their companions, and said thus to them, Who has commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?

At that time there came to them Tatnai, the governor of this side of the river and Shethar-boznai and their confederates, and thus did they say to them: "Who authorized you to build this house and to found these walls?"

We then spoke to them after this manner: What are the names of the men who are engaged on this building?

Then, thus did they [(Tatnai, etc.)] say to them: "What are the names of the men building this house?"

But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Daryavesh: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.

And the eye of their G-d was upon the elders of the Jews, and they [granted their request and] did not stop them [from building] until the matter could be referred to Darius, when they [(the Jews)] would reply to it [(to Darius's)] answer.

The copy of the letter that Tattenay, governor on this side of the river, and Shetar-bozenay, and his companions the Afarsekhites, who were on this side of the river, sent to Daryavesh the king:

The text of the letter to King Darius which was sent by Tatnai, the governor of this side of the river and Shethar-boznai and his confederates, the Afarsachites on this side of the river:

they sent a letter to him, and in it was written thus; To Daryavesh the king, all peace.

[This is] what was sent to him, and thus was it written therein: "To Darius the king, all peace [unto him].

Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of Yehuda, to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goes on with diligence, and prospers in their hands.

Let it be known to the king that we have gone to [the land of] Judah, to the province of the Temple of the great G-d, and it is being built of marble stone with wood placed in the walls [(to reinforce the building)], and this work is proceeding hastily and is prospering in their hands.

Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?

Then [(when we saw the building)], we asked these elders as follows: Who authorized you to build this house and to found these walls?

We asked their names also, to make known to thee, that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.

And we also asked them for their names to apprise you [of them] by writing the names of the men who are at their head.

And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Yisra᾽el did build and set up.

And they answered us as follows: "We are the servants of the G-d of heaven and earth, and we are [re] building the house which had been built many years before this, which a great king in Israel [(Solomon)] had built and completed.

But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to anger, he gave them into the hand of Nevukhadneżżar the king of Bavel, the Kasdian, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Bavel.

But now, because our fathers had angered the G-d of heaven, He delivered them into the hand of Nevuchadnezzar, king of Bavel, the Kasdian, and he destroyed that house and exiled the people to Bavel.

But in the first year of Koresh the king of Bavel the same king Koresh made a decree to build this house of God.

But in the first year of Koresh, king of Bavel, King Koresh ordered this house of G-d to be rebuilt.

And also the vessels of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nevukhadneżżar took out of the temple that was in Yerushalayim, and brought into the temple of Bavel, these did Koresh the king take out of the temple of Bavel, and they were delivered to one, whose name was Sheshbażżar, whom he had made governor;

And also the vessels of the house of G-d, of gold and of silver, which Nevuchadnezzar had taken from the sanctuary in Jerusalem and brought to his sanctuary in Bavel, King Koresh took out of the sanctuary of [the king of] Bavel, and gave to him called Sheshbatzar [(Daniel)], whom he had appointed governor.

and he said to him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Yerushalayim, and let the house of God be built on its place.

And he [(Koresh)] said to him: Take these vessels and go and take them down to the sanctuary in Jerusalem, and let the house of G-d be built on its site.

Then came the same Sheshbażżar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Yerushalayim: and since that time even until now it has been in building, and it is still not finished.

Then, this Sheshbatzar came and laid the foundation of the house of G-d in Jerusalem. And from then until now, it has been [in the process of being] built, and has not [yet] been completed.

Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Bavel, whether it be so, that a decree was made by Koresh the king to build this house of God at Yerushalayim, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

And now, if it is good in [the eyes of] the king, let [the thing] be searched out in the treasure house of the king there in Bavel, whether [or not] it was ordained by King Koresh to build this house of G-d in Jerusalem, and let the king send us his will on this matter."