1Then Daryavesh the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Bavel. 2And there was found at Ahmeta, in the palace that is in the province of Madai, a roll, and therein was thus written, “A record.”
3“In the first year of Koresh the king, Koresh the king made a decree: ‘Concerning Beit HaElohim at Yerushalayim, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof sixty cubits, and the breadth thereof sixty cubits; 4with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber, and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house; 5and also let the gold and silver vessels of Beit HaElohim, which Nevukhadnetzar took forth out of the Heikhal which is at Yerushalayim, and brought unto Bavel, be restored, and brought back unto the temple which is at Yerushalayim, every one to its place, and you shall put them in Beit HaElohim.’ 6Now therefore, Tatenai, governor beyond the River, Shetar Bozenai, and your companions the Afaresakhites, who are beyond the River, be far from there; 7let the work of this house of Elohim alone; let the governor of the Yehudim and the elders of the Yehudim build this Beit HaElohim in its place. 8Moreover I make a decree concerning what you shall do to these elders of the Yehudim for the building of this Beit HaElohim; that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses be given with all diligence unto these men, that they be not hindered. 9And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for Olot to the Elohim of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the Kohanim that are at Yerushalayim, let it be given them day by day without fail; 10that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor unto the Elohim of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons. 11Also I have made a decree, that whoever shall alter this word, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this; 12and may the Elohim that has caused His Name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples, that shall put forth their hand to alter the same, to destroy this house of Elohim which is at Yerushalayim. I Daryavesh have made a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”
13Then Tatenai, the governor beyond the River, Shetar Bozenai, and their companions, because that Daryavesh the king had thus sent, acted with all diligence. 14And the elders of the Yehudim built and prospered, through the prophesying of Khagai HaNavi and Zekhar-Yah Ben Ido. And they built and finished it, according to the Mitzvah of Elohei Yisra’el, and according to the decree of Koresh, and Daryavesh, and Artakhshastah king of Paras. 15And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Daryavesh the king.
16And B’nei Yisra’el, the Kohanim and the Levi’im, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this Beit HaElohim with joy. 17And they offered at the dedication of this house of Elohim a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a Khatat for all Yisra’el, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Yisra’el. 18And they set the Kohanim in their divisions, and the Levi’im in their courses, for the service of Elohim, which is at Yerushalayim; as it is written in Sefer Moshe.
19And the children of the captivity kept the Pesakh upon the fourteenth day of the first khodesh. 20For the Kohanim and the Levi’im had purified themselves together; all of them were pure; and they killed the Pesakh lamb for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the Kohanim, and for themselves. 21And B’nei Yisra’el, that were come back out of the captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek יהוה Elohei Yisra’el, did eat, 22and kept Khag Matzot seven days with joy; for יהוה had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Ashur unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of Beit HaElohim, Elohei Yisra’el.
אבֵּאדַיִן דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא שָׂם טְעֵם; וּבַקַּרוּ בְּבֵית סִפְרַיָּא דִּי גִנְזַיָּא מְהַחֲתִין תַּמָּה בְּבָבֶל. בוְהִשְׁתְּכַח בְּאַחְמְתָא בְּבִירְתָא דִּי בְּמָדַי מְדִינְתָּא מְגִלָּה חֲדָה; וְכֵן כְּתִיב בְּגַוַּהּ דִּכְרוֹנָה.
גבִּשְׁנַת חֲדָה לְכוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא כּוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא שָׂם טְעֵם בֵּית אֱלָהָא בִירוּשְׁלֶם בַּיְתָא יִתְבְּנֵא אֲתַר דִּי דָבְחִין דִּבְחִין וְאֻשּׁוֹהִי מְסוֹבְלִין; רוּמֵהּ אַמִּין שִׁתִּין פְּתָיֵהּ אַמִּין שִׁתִּין. דנִדְבָּכִין דִּי אֶבֶן גְּלָל תְּלָתָא וְנִדְבָּךְ דִּי אָע חֲדַת; וְנִפְקְתָא מִן בֵּית מַלְכָּא תִּתְיְהִב. הוְאַף מָאנֵי בֵית אֱלָהָא דִּי דַהֲבָה וְכַסְפָּא דִּי נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר הַנְפֵּק מִן הֵיכְלָא דִי בִירוּשְׁלֶם וְהֵיבֵל לְבָבֶל יַהֲתִיבוּן וִיהָךְ לְהֵיכְלָא דִי בִירוּשְׁלֶם לְאַתְרֵהּ וְתַחֵת בְּבֵית אֱלָהָא. וכְּעַן תַּתְּנַי פַּחַת עֲבַר נַהֲרָה שְׁתַר בּוֹזְנַי וּכְנָוָתְהוֹן אֲפַרְסְכָיֵא דִּי בַּעֲבַר נַהֲרָה רַחִיקִין הֲווֹ מִן תַּמָּה. זשְׁבֻקוּ לַעֲבִידַת בֵּית אֱלָהָא דֵךְ; פַּחַת יְהוּדָיֵא וּלְשָׂבֵי יְהוּדָיֵא בֵּית אֱלָהָא דֵךְ יִבְנוֹן עַל אַתְרֵהּ. חוּמִנִּי שִׂים טְעֵם לְמָא דִי תַעַבְדוּן עִם שָׂבֵי יְהוּדָיֵא אִלֵּךְ לְמִבְנֵא בֵּית אֱלָהָא דֵךְ; וּמִנִּכְסֵי מַלְכָּא דִּי מִדַּת עֲבַר נַהֲרָה אָסְפַּרְנָא נִפְקְתָא תֶּהֱוֵא מִתְיַהֲבָא לְגֻבְרַיָּא אִלֵּךְ דִּי לָא לְבַטָּלָא. טוּמָה חַשְׁחָן וּבְנֵי תוֹרִין וְדִכְרִין וְאִמְּרִין לַעֲלָוָן לֶאֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא חִנְטִין מְלַח חֲמַר וּמְשַׁח כְּמֵאמַר כָּהֲנַיָּא דִי בִירוּשְׁלֶם לֶהֱוֵא מִתְיְהֵב לְהֹם יוֹם בְּיוֹם דִּי לָא שָׁלוּ. ידִּי לֶהֱוֹן מְהַקְרְבִין נִיחוֹחִין לֶאֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא; וּמְצַלַּיִן לְחַיֵּי מַלְכָּא וּבְנוֹהִי. יאוּמִנִּי שִׂים טְעֵם דִּי כָל אֱנָשׁ דִּי יְהַשְׁנֵא פִּתְגָמָא דְנָה יִתְנְסַח אָע מִן בַּיְתֵהּ וּזְקִיף יִתְמְחֵא עֲלֹהִי; וּבַיְתֵהּ נְוָלוּ יִתְעֲבֵד עַל דְּנָה. יבוֵאלָהָא דִּי שַׁכִּן שְׁמֵהּ תַּמָּה יְמַגַּר כָּל מֶלֶךְ וְעַם דִּי יִשְׁלַח יְדֵהּ לְהַשְׁנָיָה לְחַבָּלָה בֵּית אֱלָהָא דֵךְ דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם; אֲנָה דָרְיָוֶשׁ שָׂמֶת טְעֵם אָסְפַּרְנָא יִתְעֲבִד.
יגאֱדַיִן תַּתְּנַי פַּחַת עֲבַר נַהֲרָה שְׁתַר בּוֹזְנַי וּכְנָוָתְהוֹן: לָקֳבֵל דִּי שְׁלַח דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא כְּנֵמָא אָסְפַּרְנָא עֲבַדוּ. ידוְשָׂבֵי יְהוּדָיֵא בָּנַיִן וּמַצְלְחִין בִּנְבוּאַת חַגַּי נְבִיָּאה וּזְכַרְיָה בַּר עִדּוֹא; וּבְנוֹ וְשַׁכְלִלוּ מִן טַעַם אֱלָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִטְּעֵם כּוֹרֶשׁ וְדָרְיָוֶשׁ וְאַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא מֶלֶךְ פָּרָס. טווְשֵׁיצִיא בַּיְתָה דְנָה עַד יוֹם תְּלָתָה לִירַח אֲדָר דִּי הִיא שְׁנַת שֵׁת לְמַלְכוּת דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא.
טזוַעֲבַדוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּהֲנַיָּא וְלֵוָיֵא וּשְׁאָר בְּנֵי גָלוּתָא חֲנֻכַּת בֵּית אֱלָהָא דְנָה בְּחֶדְוָה. יזוְהַקְרִבוּ לַחֲנֻכַּת בֵּית אֱלָהָא דְנָה תּוֹרִין מְאָה דִּכְרִין מָאתַיִן אִמְּרִין אַרְבַּע מְאָה; וּצְפִירֵי עִזִּין לחטיא (לְחַטָּאָה) עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּרֵי עֲשַׂר לְמִנְיָן שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. יחוַהֲקִימוּ כָהֲנַיָּא בִּפְלֻגָּתְהוֹן וְלֵוָיֵא בְּמַחְלְקָתְהוֹן עַל עֲבִידַת אֱלָהָא דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם: כִּכְתָב סְפַר מֹשֶׁה.
יטוַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי הַגּוֹלָה אֶת הַפָּסַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן. ככִּי הִטַּהֲרוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם כְּאֶחָד כֻּלָּם טְהוֹרִים; וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ הַפֶּסַח לְכָל בְּנֵי הַגּוֹלָה וְלַאֲחֵיהֶם הַכֹּהֲנִים וְלָהֶם. כאוַיֹּאכְלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַשָּׁבִים מֵהַגּוֹלָה וְכֹל הַנִּבְדָּל מִטֻּמְאַת גּוֹיֵ הָאָרֶץ אֲלֵהֶם לִדְרֹשׁ לַיהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. כבוַיַּעֲשׂוּ חַג מַצּוֹת שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בְּשִׂמְחָה: כִּי שִׂמְּחָם יהוה וְהֵסֵב לֵב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר עֲלֵיהֶם לְחַזֵּק יְדֵיהֶם בִּמְלֶאכֶת בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 