The Daily Audio Bible
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24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
5 Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel [did they prophesy] to them.
2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, who helped them.
3 At that time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus to them: Who gave you orders to build this house and to complete this wall?
4 And they said to them after this manner: What are the names of the men that build this building?
5 But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease till the matter came to Darius; and then they returned answer by letter concerning it.
6 The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who were on this side the river, sent to Darius the king.
7 They sent a report to him in which was written thus: To Darius the king, all peace!
8 Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work is being carried on with diligence, and prospers in their hand.
9 Then asked we those elders: thus we said to them, Who gave you orders to build this house and to complete this wall?
10 We asked their names also, to inform thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.
11 And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of the heavens and the earth, and build the house that was built these many years ago; and a great king of Israel built and completed it.
12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of the heavens to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people away unto Babylon.
13 But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, king Cyrus gave orders to build this house of God.
14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was at Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those did king Cyrus take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sheshbazzar by name, whom he had appointed governor.
15 And he said to him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is at Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.
16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and since that time even until now has it been in building, and it is not completed.
17 And now, if it seem good to the king, let search be made in the king's treasure-house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that orders were given by king Cyrus to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
6 Then king Darius gave orders, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
2 And there was found at Achmetha in the fortress that is in the province of Media a roll, and therein was a record thus written:
3 In the first year of king Cyrus, king Cyrus made a decree [concerning] the house of God at Jerusalem: Let the house be built for a place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be solidly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits,
4 [with] three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber; and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:
5 and also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again to the temple that is at Jerusalem, in their place; and thou shalt put [them] in the house of God.
6 Therefore Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-boznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:
7 let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.
8 Moreover, I give orders what ye shall do to these elders of the Jews, for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, of the tribute beyond the river, expenses be diligently given to these men, that they be not hindered.
9 And that which they have need of, both young bullocks and rams and lambs, for the burnt-offerings to the God of the heavens, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests that are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail;
10 that they may present sweet odours to the God of the heavens, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.
11 Also I have given order that whosoever shall alter this rescript, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon, and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
12 And the God that has caused his name to dwell there overthrow every king and people that shall put forth their hand to alter [or] to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have given [this] order; let it be done diligently.
13 Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, because of that which king Darius had sent, did so diligently.
14 And the elders of the Jews built; and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and completed [it] according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.
16 And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy;
17 and they presented at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they set the priests in their classes, and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem: as it is written in the book of Moses.
19 And the children of the captivity held the passover upon the fourteenth of the first month.
20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves as one [man]: they were all pure; and they killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
21 And the children of Israel that were come back out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek Jehovah the God of Israel, did eat;
22 and they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; for Jehovah had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
5 Who then is Apollos, and who Paul? Ministering servants, through whom ye have believed, and as the Lord has given to each.
6 *I* have planted; Apollos watered; but God has given the increase.
7 So that neither the planter is anything, nor the waterer; but God the giver of the increase.
8 But the planter and the waterer are one; but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are God's fellow-workmen; ye are God's husbandry, God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which has been given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation, but another builds upon it. But let each see how he builds upon it.
11 For other foundation can no man lay besides that which [is] laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any one build upon [this] foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw,
13 the work of each shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare [it], because it is revealed in fire; and the fire shall try the work of each what it is.
14 If the work of any one which he has built upon [the foundation] shall abide, he shall receive a reward.
15 If the work of any one shall be consumed, he shall suffer loss, but *he* shall be saved, but so as through [the] fire.
16 Do ye not know that ye are [the] temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 If any one corrupt the temple of God, *him* shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are *ye*.
18 Let no one deceive himself: if any one thinks himself to be wise among you in this world, let him become foolish, that he may be wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; for it is written, He who takes the wise in their craftiness.
20 And again, [The] Lord knows the reasonings of the wise that they are vain.
21 So that let no one boast in men; for all things are yours.
22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or [the] world, or life, or death, or things present, or things coming, all are yours;
23 and *ye* [are] Christ's, and Christ [is] God's.
A Psalm of David.
29 Give unto Jehovah, ye sons of the mighty ones, give unto Jehovah glory and strength;
2 Give unto Jehovah the glory of his name; worship Jehovah in holy splendour.
3 The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth,—Jehovah upon great waters.
4 The voice of Jehovah is powerful; the voice of Jehovah is full of majesty.
5 The voice of Jehovah breaketh cedars; yea, Jehovah breaketh the cedars of Lebanon:
6 And he maketh them to skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young buffalo.
7 The voice of Jehovah cleaveth out flames of fire.
8 The voice of Jehovah shaketh the wilderness; Jehovah shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve, and layeth bare the forests; and in his temple doth every one say, Glory!
10 Jehovah sitteth upon the flood; yea, Jehovah sitteth as king for ever.
11 Jehovah will give strength unto his people; Jehovah will bless his people with peace.
26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
27 Man's spirit is the lamp of Jehovah, searching all the inner parts of the belly.
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