Quotes About Faith

So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

In his first year, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.

and instructed, ëTake these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.í

So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been under construction, but it has not yet been completed.”

with three layers of cut stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury.

Leave this work on the house of God alone. Let the governor and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its original site.

Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given to them daily without fail.

May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence.

So the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles kept the Passover.

Many years later, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—

He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him.

I hereby decree that any volunteers among the Israelites in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may go up with you to Jerusalem.

together with all the silver and gold you may find in all the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem.

With this money, therefore, you are to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem.

You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God.

You must deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God.

And if anything else is needed for the house of your God that you may have occasion to supply, you may pay for it from the royal treasury.