"Forasmuchas you are sentby the kingand his sevencounselorsto inquireconcerningJudahand Jerusalemaccording to the lawof your Godwhichis in your hand,
Whoeverthere is among you of allHis people,may his Godbe with him! Let him goup to Jerusalemwhichis in Judahand rebuildthe houseof the LORD,the Godof Israel;He is the Godwhois in Jerusalem.
"Let it be knownto the kingthat we have goneto the provinceof Judah,to the houseof the greatGod,whichis being builtwith hugestones,and beamsare being laidin the walls;and thisworkis goingon with greatcareand is succeedingin their hands.
"May the Godwhohas caused His nameto dwellthereoverthrowanykingor peoplewhoattemptsto change[it], so as to destroythishouseof Godin Jerusalem.I, Darius,have issued[this] decree,let [it] be carriedout with alldiligence!"
"Moreover, I issuea decreeconcerning whatyou are to dofor theseeldersof Judahin the rebuildingof thishouseof God:the fullcostis to be paidto thesepeoplefrom the royaltreasuryout of the taxesof [the provinces] beyondthe River,and that withoutdelay.
and to bringthe silverand gold,whichthe kingand his counselorshave freelyofferedto the Godof Israel,whosedwellingis in Jerusalem,
and has extendedlovingkindnessto me beforethe kingand his counselorsand before allthe king'smightyprinces.Thus I was strengthenedaccording to the handof the LORDmy Godupon me, and I gatheredleadingmenfrom Israelto goup with me.
and I weighedout to them the silver,the goldand the utensils,the offeringfor the houseof our Godwhich the kingand his counselorsand his princesand allIsraelpresent[there] had offered.
and were closeto him: Carshena,Shethar,Admatha,Tarshish,Meres,Marsenaand Memucan,the sevenprincesof Persiaand Mediawho had accessto the king'spresenceand satin the firstplace in the kingdom--
To the lawand to the testimony!Ifthey do not speakaccording to thisword,it is becausethey havenodawn.
The kingansweredDanieland said,"Surelyyour Godis a Godof godsand a Lordof kingsand a revealerof mysteries,sinceyou have beenableto revealthismystery."
When he had comenearthe dento Daniel,he criedout with a troubledvoice.The kingspokeand saidto Daniel,"Daniel,servantof the livingGod,has your God,whomyou constantlyserve,beenableto deliveryou from the lions?"
"I makea decreethat in allthe dominionof my kingdommen are to fearand tremblebeforethe Godof Daniel;For He is the livingGodand enduringforever,And His kingdomis one whichwill not be destroyed,And His dominion[will be] forever.
"Take[an offering] from the exiles,from Heldai,Tobijahand Jedaiah;and you gothe samedayand enterthe houseof Josiahthe sonof Zephaniah,wherethey have arrivedfrom Babylon.
