The most trusted ones were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were the seven officials of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and occupied the highest positions in the kingdom.
I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For he is the living God, and he endures for ever; his kingdom will never be destroyed, and his dominion has no end.
When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. ‘Daniel, servant of the living God,’ the king said, ‘has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to rescue you from the lions? ’
I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles #– #the contribution for the house of our God that the king, his counsellors, his leaders, and all the Israelites who were present had offered.
and who has shown favour to me before the king, his counsellors, and all his powerful officers. So I took courage because I was strengthened by the hand of the Lord my God, , and I gathered Israelite leaders to return with me.
May the God who caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who dares to harm or interfere with this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out diligently.
Let it be known to the king that we went to the house of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being built with cut stones, and its beams are being set in the walls. This work is being done diligently and succeeding through the people’s efforts.
Any of his people among you, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.
I hereby issue a decree concerning what you are to do, so that the elders of the Jews can rebuild the house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men out of the royal revenues from the taxes of the region west of the River Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.
‘Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.