7 A copy of the letter which Tatenay, governor of Aram and Foinikai, and Shetar-Bozenay, with their companions, the rulers in Aram and Foinikai, wrote and sent to Dareyavesh:

8 “To King Dareyavesh, greetings. Let it be fully known to our lord the king, that having come into the country of Yehudah (Judea), and entered into the city of Yerushalem, we found in the city of Yerushalem the elders of the Yehudim that were of the captivity 9 building a great new house for the master of hewn and costly stones, with timber laid in the walls. 10 Those works are being done with great speed. The work goes on prosperously in their hands, and it is being accomplished with all glory and diligence. 11 Then asked we these elders, saying, ‘By whose authority are you building this house and laying the foundations of these works?’ 12 Therefore, to the intent that we might give knowledge to you by writing who were the leaders, we questioned them, and we required of them the names in writing of their principal men. 13 So they gave us this answer, ‘We are the servants of the master who made heaven and earth. 14 As for this house, it was built many years ago by a great and strong king of Yisrael (Israel), and was finished. 15 But when our fathers sinned against the master of Yisrael who is in heaven, and provoked him to wrath, he gave them over into the hands of King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) of Bavel, king of the Kasdim (Chaldeans). 16 They pulled down the house, burnt it, and carried away the people captive to Bavel. 17 But in the first year that Koresh (Cyrus) reigned over the country of Bavel, King Koresh wrote that this house should be rebuilt. 18 The holy vessels of gold and of silver that Nevukadnetsar had carried away out of the house at Yerushalem (Jerusalem) and had set up in his own temple, those King Koresh brought out of the temple in Bavel, and they were delivered to Zorobabel and to Sheshebatsar[fn] the governor, 19 with commandment that he should carry away all these vessels, and put them in the temple at Yerushalem, and that the master’s temple should be built on its site. 20 Then Sheshebatsar, having come here, laid the foundations of the master’s house which is in Yerushalem. From that time to this we are still building. It is not yet fully completed.’ 21 Now therefore, if it seems good, Oh king, let a search be made amongst the royal archives of our lord the king that are in Bavel. 22 If it is found that the building of the house of the master which is in Yerushalem has been done with the consent of King Koresh, and it seems good to our lord the king, let him send us directions concerning these things.”