Ezra 6:13-17

The Temple Is Finally Dedicated

6:13 Then Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues acted accordingly – with precision, just as Darius the king had given instructions. ¹  6:14 The elders of the Jews continued building and prospering, while at the same time ²  Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo continued prophesying. They built and brought it to completion by the command of the God of Israel and by the command of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 6:15 They finished this temple on the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth ³  year of the reign of King Darius.

6:16 The people ⁴  of Israel – the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles ⁵  – observed the dedication of this temple of God with joy. 6:17 For the dedication of this temple of God they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

[6:13]  ¹ tn Aram “sent.”

[6:14]  ² tn Aram “in” or “by,” in the sense of accompaniment.

[6:15]  ³ sn The sixth year of the reign of Darius would be ca. 516 B.C.

[6:16]  ⁴ tn Aram “sons of.”

[6:16]  ⁵ tn Aram “sons of the exile.”