Emily: welcome to immerse: the daily bible reading experience.
Day 300 and 49
The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a
temple to the Lord, the God of Israel.
So they approached Abel and the other leaders and said, let us build with you,
for we worship your God just as you do.
We have sacrificed to him ever since.
King Isar, Hadden of Assia brought us here.
But Sable, JE and the other leaders of Israel replied, you
may have no part in this work.
We alone will build the temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.
Just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us, then the local residents tried to
discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work.
They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans.
This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia, and lasted until
King Arias of Persia took the throne.
Years later, wind Xerxes began his reign.
The enemies of Judah wrote a letter of accusation against the
people of Judah and Jerusalem.
Even later, during the reign of King Artis Xerxes of Persia, the enemies of Judah
led by Bili myth, RDA and Tabul sent a letter to Artis Xerxes in the Aramaic
language, and it was translated for the King Reim, the governor, and Shishi,
the court secretary wrote the letter.
Telling King Art Es about the situation in Jerusalem.
They greeted the king for all their colleagues, the judges and local
leaders, the people of Taral, the Persians, the Babylonians, and
the people of I, Iraq and Suse.
That is Elam.
They also sent greetings from the rest of the people whom the great and Noble Asher
Bpol had deported and relocated in Samaria and throughout the neighboring lands of
the province, west of the Euphrates River.
This is a copy of their letter.
To King Artis Xes from your loyal subjects in the province west of
the Euphrates River, the king should know that the Jews who came here to
Jerusalem from Babylon are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city.
They have already laid the foundation and will soon finish its walls, and the
king should know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed,
it will be much to your disadvantage.
For the Jews will then refuse to pay their tribute customs and tolls to you.
Since we are your loyal subjects and do not want to see the king
dishonored in this way, we have sent the king this information.
We suggest that a search be made in your ancestors' records, where
you will discover what a rebellious city this has been in the past.
In fact, it was destroyed because of its long and troublesome history
of revolt against the kings and countries who controlled it.
We declare to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are
completed, the province west of the Euphrates River will be lost to you.
Then King Artis iis sent this reply to re him the Governor Shishi, the
court secretary and their colleagues living in Samaria and throughout the
province, west of the Euphrates River.
Greetings, the letter you sent has been translated and read to me.
I ordered a search of the records and have found that Jerusalem has indeed been a
hotbed of insurrection against many kings.
In fact, rebellion and revolt are normal there.
Powerful kings have ruled over Jerusalem and the entire province
west of the Euphrates River, receiving tribute, customs and tolls.
Therefore, issue orders to have these men stop their work, that city must not
be rebuilt, accepted my express command.
Be diligent and don't neglect this matter for we must not permit the
situation to harm the king's interests.
When this letter from King Arteris was read to Reim Shishi and their
colleagues, they hurried to Jerusalem.
Then with a show of strength, they forced the Jews to stop building.
So the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped, and it remained
at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Dar a Persia.
At that time, the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, son of Ito, prophesied
to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem.
They prophesied in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.
Sable son of Alial and Je son of Jeh Dak responded by starting again
to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem and the prophets of God
were with them and helped them.
But tatai governor of the province, west of the Euphrates River.
And shear Bazani and their colleague soon arrived in Jerusalem and asked,
who gave you permission to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?
They also asked for the names of all the men working on the temple, but because
their God was watching over them, the leaders of the Jews were not prevented
from building until a report was sent to Darris and he returned his decision.
This is a copy of the letter that Tatai the Governor, Shehar Bai, and the other
officials of the province, west of the Euphrates River, sent to King Darras.
To King Darras.
Greetings, the king should know that we went to the construction
site of the temple of the Great God in the province of Judah.
It is being rebuilt with specially prepared stones and timber
is being laid in its walls.
The work is going forward with great energy and success.
We asked the leaders who gave you permission to rebuild this temple
and restore this structure, and we demanded their names so that we
could tell you who the leaders were.
This was their answer.
We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the
temple that was built here many years ago by a great king of Israel, but because our
ancestors angered the God of heaven, he abandoned them to King ne ezr of Babylon.
Who destroyed this temple and exiled the people to Babylonia.
However, king Cyrus of Babylon during the first year of his reign issued a decree
that the temple of God should be rebuilt.
King Cyrus returned the gold and silver cups that Nebat Kidnapper had taken
from the temple of God and Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of Babylon.
These cups were taken from that temple and presented to a man named Shesh Baar, whom
King Cyrus appointed as governor of Judah.
The king instructed him to return the cops to their place in Jerusalem
and to rebuild the temple of God there on its original site.
So this Shesh Bazzar came and laid the foundations of the
Temple of God in Jerusalem.
The people have been working on it ever since.
No, it has not yet completed.
Therefore, it pleases the king.
We request that a search be made in the Royal archives of Babylon.
To discover whether King Cyrus ever issued a decree to rebuild God's temple
in Jerusalem, and then let the king send us his decision in this matter.
So King Darius issued orders that a search be made in the Babylonian archives,
which restored in the Treasury, but it was at the fortress of Ec, batna and the
province of media that a scroll was found.
This is what it said, memorandum.
In the first year of King Cyrus's reign, a decree was sent out concerning
the temple of God at Jerusalem.
Let the temple be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices
using the original foundations.
Its height will be 90 feet and its width will be 90 feet.
Every three layers of specially prepared stones will be
topped by a layer of timber.
All expenses will be paid by the Royal Treasury.
Furthermore, the gold and silver cups, which were taken to Babylon by
ne Nesser from the temple of God in Jerusalem, must be returned to Jerusalem
and put back where they belong.
Let them be taken back to the temple of God.
So King Doris sent this message Now, therefore, tatai Governor of the province,
west of the Euphrates River and Shehar Bozana, and your colleagues and other
officials west of the Euphrates River.
Stay away from there.
Do not disturb the construction of the temple of God.
Let it be rebuilt on its original site and do not hinder the governor of Judah
and the elders of the Jews in their work.
Moreover, I hereby decree that you are to help these elders of the Jews
as they rebuild this temple of God.
You must pay the full construction costs without delay from my taxes collected in
the province, west of the Euphrates River, so that the work will not be interrupted.
Give the priests in Jerusalem, whatever is needed in the way of
young bulls, rams, and male lambs for the burnt offerings presented to
the God of heaven and without fail.
Provide them with as much wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil as they need each day.
Then they will be able to offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray
for the welfare of the king and his sons.
Those who violate this decree in any way will have a beam pulled from their house.
Then they will be lifted up and impaled on it, and their house will
be reduced to a pile of rubble.
May the God who has chosen the city of Jerusalem as the place to honor his name
destroy any king or nation that violates this command and destroys this temple.
I dars have issued this decree.
Let it be obeyed with all diligence.
Patai governor of the province, west of the Euphrates River and shear
Boai, and their colleagues complied at once with the command of King Arias.
So the Jewish elders continued their work and they were greatly encouraged
by the preaching of the prophets.
Haggai and Zaria, son of Ito.
The temple was finally finished as had been commanded by the God of
Israel and decreed by Cyrus Dars and Artis Xerxes, the kings of Persia.
The temple was completed on March 12th during the sixth
year of King Darion's reign.
The temple of God was then dedicated with great joy by the people of Israel,
the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the people who had returned from
exile during the dedication ceremony for the Temple of God, 100 young Bulls, 200
rams, and 400 male lambs were sacrificed.
And 12 male goats were presented as a sin offering for the 12 tribes of Israel.
Then the priests and Levites were divided into their various divisions to serve
at the temple of God in Jerusalem.
As prescribed in the Book of Moses.
On April 21st, the returned exile celebrated Passover.
The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean.
They slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles for their
fellow priests and for themselves.
The Passover meal was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile
and by the others in the land who had turned from their corrupt practices to
worship the Lord, the God of Israel.
Then they celebrated the festival of unleavened bread for seven days.
There was great joy throughout the land because the Lord had caused the
King of Assyria to be favorable to them so that he helped them to rebuild
the Temple of God, the God of Israel.