New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Ezra 5
1
The prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They spoke to them in the name of the God of Israel. He had spoken to those prophets. Zechariah belonged to the family line of Iddo.
People
2
Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, began to work. So did Jeshua, the son of Jehozadak. They began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were right there with them. They were helping them.
Reference
3
At that time Tattenai was governor of the land west of the Euphrates River. He and Shethar-Bozenai and their friends went to the Jews. They asked them, "Who authorized you to rebuild this temple? Who told you that you could make this building like new again?"
Reference
People
4
They also asked, "What are the names of the men who are putting up this building?"
5
But the God of the Jews was watching over their elders. So they didn't have to stop their work. First a report would have to be sent to Darius. Then they would have to receive his answer in writing.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 33:18
Psalm 34:15
Psalm 32:8
1 Peter 3:12
References God
Ezra 7:6
Ezra 7:28
Ezra 8:22
6
Here is a copy of the letter that was sent to King Darius. It was from Tattenai, the governor of the land west of the Euphrates. Shethar-Bozenai joined him in writing it. So did their friends. They were officials of that land.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezra 4:9
7
The report they sent to the king said, We are sending this letter to you, King Darius. We give you our most friendly greetings.
8
We want you to know that we went to the land of Judah. We went to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones. They are putting wooden beams in the walls. The people are working hard. The work is moving ahead very quickly under the direction of the people.
9
We asked the elders some questions. We said to them, "Who authorized you to rebuild this temple? Who told you that you could make this building like new again?"
10
We also asked them their names. We wanted to write down the names of their leaders for your information.
11
Here is the answer they gave us. They said, "We serve the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago. The great King Solomon built it and finished it.
12
But our people made the God of heaven angry. So he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar from Chaldea. He was king of Babylonia. He destroyed this temple. He forced the Jews to leave their own country. He took them away to Babylonia.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Kings 24:2
13
"But King Cyrus gave an order to rebuild this house of God. He gave it in the first year he was king of Babylonia.
14
He even removed some gold and silver articles from the temple of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had brought them there from the house of God in Jerusalem. He had taken them to the temple in Babylon. "Then King Cyrus brought them out. He gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar. Cyrus had appointed him as governor.
Reference
15
He told him, 'Take these articles with you. Go and put them in the temple in Jerusalem. Rebuild the house of God in the same place where it stood before.'
Summary of Ezra 5
Ezra Chapter 5 describes the revival of the Temple rebuilding project after a period of opposition and delay. The turning point came when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah began speaking to the Jewish community in the name of God. Their messages encouraged the people to stop allowing fear and political opposition to prevent the work. Zerubbabel, the governor, and Jeshua, the high priest, responded to the prophetic encouragement and resumed construction of the Temple.
The renewed construction quickly attracted the attention of Tattenai, the Persian governor of the region west of the Euphrates, together with Shethar-bozenai and other officials. They came to Jerusalem and questioned the Jewish leaders about who had authorized the rebuilding. Instead of immediately ordering the work to stop, however, the officials allowed construction to continue while they sent a formal report to King Darius.
The Jewish leaders explained their position clearly. They identified themselves as servants of the God of heaven and earth and explained that they were rebuilding the Temple that had once been constructed by a great king of Israel. They openly acknowledged that their ancestors had rebelled against God, resulting in the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the Temple and taken the people into exile, but the situation had changed when Cyrus conquered Babylon.
The leaders then appealed to the decree of Cyrus, who had authorized the Jewish exiles to return and rebuild the Temple. They specifically mentioned that Cyrus had ordered the sacred gold and silver vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar to be returned to Jerusalem. These vessels had been entrusted to Sheshbazzar, whom Cyrus appointed as governor. Sheshbazzar had brought the vessels to Jerusalem and laid the Temple's foundation.
The Jewish leaders therefore did not claim to be starting an unauthorized construction project. They argued that they were continuing a project that had already received royal authorization. Because the original decree was made years earlier, however, the Persian officials wanted confirmation from the royal archives.
The chapter ends with a formal request to Darius: search the records in Babylon and determine whether Cyrus had actually issued the decree. The Jewish leaders were willing to accept the king's decision once the historical record had been examined.
Ezra 5 is important because the restoration of the Temple was no longer based only on the determination of the Jewish community. Their case was now being tested through the official records of the Persian Empire. At the same time, the chapter emphasizes the role of God's prophets in renewing courage and action. What had previously stopped because of opposition began again because the people responded to God's message. The chapter ends with uncertainty, but the investigation would soon confirm that the rebuilding had indeed been authorized by Cyrus.
The renewed construction quickly attracted the attention of Tattenai, the Persian governor of the region west of the Euphrates, together with Shethar-bozenai and other officials. They came to Jerusalem and questioned the Jewish leaders about who had authorized the rebuilding. Instead of immediately ordering the work to stop, however, the officials allowed construction to continue while they sent a formal report to King Darius.
The Jewish leaders explained their position clearly. They identified themselves as servants of the God of heaven and earth and explained that they were rebuilding the Temple that had once been constructed by a great king of Israel. They openly acknowledged that their ancestors had rebelled against God, resulting in the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the Temple and taken the people into exile, but the situation had changed when Cyrus conquered Babylon.
The leaders then appealed to the decree of Cyrus, who had authorized the Jewish exiles to return and rebuild the Temple. They specifically mentioned that Cyrus had ordered the sacred gold and silver vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar to be returned to Jerusalem. These vessels had been entrusted to Sheshbazzar, whom Cyrus appointed as governor. Sheshbazzar had brought the vessels to Jerusalem and laid the Temple's foundation.
The Jewish leaders therefore did not claim to be starting an unauthorized construction project. They argued that they were continuing a project that had already received royal authorization. Because the original decree was made years earlier, however, the Persian officials wanted confirmation from the royal archives.
The chapter ends with a formal request to Darius: search the records in Babylon and determine whether Cyrus had actually issued the decree. The Jewish leaders were willing to accept the king's decision once the historical record had been examined.
Ezra 5 is important because the restoration of the Temple was no longer based only on the determination of the Jewish community. Their case was now being tested through the official records of the Persian Empire. At the same time, the chapter emphasizes the role of God's prophets in renewing courage and action. What had previously stopped because of opposition began again because the people responded to God's message. The chapter ends with uncertainty, but the investigation would soon confirm that the rebuilding had indeed been authorized by Cyrus.