The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NLT. Switch to the NLT to read along with the audio.
24 So the work on the ·Temple [L house] of God in Jerusalem ·stopped [came to a standstill] until the second year Darius was king of Persia.
Tattenai’s Letter to Darius
5 The prophets Haggai and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo [C a grandson; Zech. 1:1], prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel [3:2] and Jeshua son of Jozadak [3:2] started working again to rebuild the ·Temple [L house] of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were there, ·helping [supporting] them.
3 At that time Tattenai, the governor of Trans-Euphrates [C provinces west of the Euphrates River], and Shethar-Bozenai, and their ·fellow workers [colleagues] went to ·the Jews [L them] and asked, “Who gave you ·permission [authority; a decree] to rebuild this ·Temple [L house] and ·fix these walls [complete this structure]?” 4 They also asked, “What are the names of the men working on this building?” 5 But their God was watching over the elders of the Jews. The builders were not stopped until a report could go to King Darius [C 522–486 bc] and his ·written answer [reply; decision] could be received.
6 This is a copy of the ·letter [document] that was sent to King Darius by Tattenai, the governor of Trans-Euphrates [C provinces west of the Euphrates River], Shethar-Bozenai, and the other important officers of Trans-Euphrates. 7 This is what was ·said [written] in the report they sent to him:
To King Darius.
·Greetings. May you have peace [L All peace].
8 King Darius, ·you should know [may it be known] that we went to the ·district [province] of Judah where the ·Temple [L house] of the great God is. The people are building that ·Temple [L house] with ·large [prepared; cut; L stones of rolling] stones, and they are putting ·timbers [beams] in the walls. They are working ·very hard [energetically; diligently] and ·are building very fast [successfully; are prospering].
9 We asked their elders, “Who gave you ·permission [authority; a decree] to rebuild this ·Temple [L house] and ·these walls [this structure]?” 10 We also asked for their names, and we wrote down the names of their leaders so ·you would know who they are [as to inform you].
11 This is the answer they gave to us: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the ·Temple [L house] that a great king of Israel [C Solomon] built and finished many years ago [C tenth century bc; 1 Kin. 7–8]. 12 But our ·ancestors [fathers] made the God of heaven angry, so he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean [C the leading tribe of Babylon], who destroyed this ·Temple [L house] and ·took [deported] the people to Babylon ·as captives [into exile].
13 “Later, in the first year Cyrus was king of Babylon [C he was a Persian king but had multiple titles, including this one], he ·gave a special order [issued a decree] for this ·Temple [L house] of God to be rebuilt. 14 Cyrus brought out from the temple in Babylon the gold and silver ·bowls and pans [vessels; utensils] that came from the Temple of God. Nebuchadnezzar had taken them from the Temple in Jerusalem and had ·put them in [brought them to] the temple in Babylon.
“Then King Cyrus gave them to Sheshbazzar, his appointed governor [C of Judah; 1:8]. 15 Cyrus said to him, ‘Take these gold and silver ·bowls and pans [vessels; utensils; 1:7], and ·put [deposit] them back in the Temple in Jerusalem and rebuild the ·Temple [L house] of God ·where it was [on its original site].’ 16 So Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the ·Temple [L house] of God in Jerusalem. From that day until now the work has been going on, but it is not yet finished.”
17 Now, if the king wishes, let a search be made in the royal ·records [archives; L treasure house] of Babylon. See if King Cyrus gave an order to rebuild this ·Temple [L house] in Jerusalem. Then let the king write us and tell us what he has decided concerning this matter.
The Order of Darius
6 So King Darius ·gave an order [issued a decree] to search the ·records [archives] kept in the treasury in Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in Ecbatana, ·the capital city [or a fortress in the province] of Media [C a major component of the Persian empire in the Zagros mountains, south of the Caspian Sea]. This is what was written on it:
·Note [Memorandum]:
3 King Cyrus ·gave an order [issued a decree] about the ·Temple [L house] of God in Jerusalem in the first year he was king [1:2–4]. This was the order:
“Let the ·Temple [L house] be rebuilt as a place to ·present [offer] sacrifices. Let its foundations be ·laid [or retained]; it should be ·ninety feet [L 60 cubits] high and ·ninety feet [L 60 cubits] wide. 4 It must have three layers of large stones ·and then one [for every] layer of timbers. The costs should be paid from the king’s treasury. 5 The gold and silver ·utensils [articles; vessels] from the ·Temple [L house] of God should be returned and put back in their places. Nebuchadnezzar took them from the Temple in Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon [Dan. 1:1–3], but they are to be put back in the ·Temple [L house] of God in Jerusalem.”
6 Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates [C provinces west of the Euphrates River], Shethar-Bozenai, and ·all the officers of that area [their colleagues and officials of the Trans-Euphrates], stay away from there. 7 ·Do not bother [L Leave alone] the work on that ·Temple [L house] of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this ·Temple [L house] where it was before.
8 Also, I ·order you [issue a decree] to do this for those elders of the Jews who are ·building [rebuilding] this ·Temple [L house] of God: The cost of the building is to be fully paid from the royal treasury, from ·taxes [tribute] collected from Trans-Euphrates. Do this ·so the work will not stop [or without delay]. 9 Give those people anything they need—young bulls, ·male sheep [rams], or lambs for burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] to the God of heaven, or wheat, salt, wine, or olive oil. Give the priests in Jerusalem anything they ·ask for [require] every day without fail. 10 Then they may offer sacrifices ·pleasing [acceptable] to the God of heaven, and they may pray for the ·life [or welfare] of the king and his ·sons [family].
11 Also, I ·give this order [issue this decree]: If anyone ·changes [defies; violates] this ·order [decree], a wood beam is to be pulled from his house and ·driven through his body [or he will be hanged from/flogged on it]. Because of his crime, make his house a ·pile of ruins [or rubbish heap; dung hill]. 12 God has ·chosen Jerusalem as the place he is to be worshiped [L caused his name to reside there]. May he punish any king or ·person [or nation; L people] who ·tries [L reaches out his hand] to ·change [defy; violate] this ·order [decree] and destroy this ·Temple [L house] of God.
I, Darius, have ·given this order [issued this decree]. Let it be ·obeyed quickly and carefully [carried out with all diligence].
Completion of the Temple
13 So, Tattenai, the governor of Trans-Euphrates [C provinces west of the Euphrates River], Shethar-Bozenai, and their ·fellow workers [colleagues] carried out King Darius’ ·order [decree] ·quickly and carefully [with all diligence]. 14 The Jewish elders continued to build and ·were successful [prospered] because of the ·preaching [prophesying] of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a ·descendant [son; 5:1] of Iddo [C see the biblical books named for them]. They finished building the ·Temple [L house] as the God of Israel had commanded and as kings Cyrus [C ruled 559–529 bc, though 539 bc was the first year of his reign over the empire that included Babylon], Darius [C ruled 522–486 bc], and Artaxerxes of Persia [C ruled 485–465 bc] had ·ordered [decreed]. 15 The ·Temple [L house] was finished on the third day of the month of Adar [C March 12] in the sixth year Darius was king.
16 Then the people of Israel celebrated and ·gave [dedicated] the ·Temple [L house] to God to honor him. Everybody was happy: the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the ·Jews who had returned from captivity [exiles; L sons/people of the exile]. 17 They ·gave [dedicated] the ·Temple [L house] to God by offering a hundred bulls, two hundred ·male sheep [rams], and four hundred lambs as sacrifices. And as an ·offering to forgive the sins of [sin offering for or purification offering for; Lev. 4:3] all Israel, they offered twelve male goats, ·one goat for each tribe in [corresponding to the number of tribes of] Israel. 18 Then they ·put [installed; divided; appointed] the priests and the Levites into their ·separate groups [various divisions] to serve God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.
The Passover Is Celebrated
19 The ·Jews who returned from captivity [L sons/people of the exile] ·celebrated [observed] the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month [C April 21; Ex. 12:1–30, 43–51; Lev. 23:4–8; Num. 28:16–25; Deut. 16:1–18]. 20 The priests and Levites had ·made themselves clean [purified themselves]. Then the Levites ·killed [slaughtered; sacrified] the Passover lambs for all the ·people who had returned from captivity [exiles], for their ·relatives the [or fellow; L brothers the] priests, and for themselves. 21 So all the ·people [sons] of Israel who returned from ·captivity [exile] ·ate the Passover lamb [L ate]. So did the people who had ·given up the unclean ways of their non-Jewish neighbors [separated themselves from the impurity/pollution of the nations] in order to ·worship [seek] the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread [Ex. 12:17–20; 34:18]. The Lord had made them ·happy [rejoice] by ·changing the mind [turning the heart] of the king of Assyria [C a deliberate anachronism, since Assyria had fallen earlier in 612 bc] so that he helped them in the work on the ·Temple [L house] of the God of Israel.
5 ·Is Apollos important? No! [L What, then, is Apollos?] ·Is Paul important? No! [L And what is Paul?] We are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work the Lord gave us to do. 6 I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it. But God is the One who made it grow. 7 So the one who plants is not ·important [L anything], and the one who waters is not ·important [L anything], but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters ·have the same purpose [or are equal; L are one], and each will ·be rewarded [receive wages] for his own work. 9 We are ·God’s workers, working together [coworkers belonging to God; coworkers in God’s service]; you are God’s ·farm [field], God’s building.
10 ·Using [or Because of] the ·gift [grace] God gave me, I laid the foundation of that building like an ·expert [skilled; wise] builder. Others are building on that foundation, but ·all people [L each one] should be careful how they build on it. 11 The foundation that has already been laid is Jesus Christ, and no one can lay down any other foundation. 12 But if ·people [anyone; someone] build on that foundation, using gold, silver, ·jewels [precious stones], wood, ·grass [or hay], or straw, 13 their work will be ·clearly seen [or shown for what it is], because the ·day of judgment [L day] will make it ·visible [clear; obvious]. That day will ·appear [or reveal it; expose it] with fire, and the fire will test everyone’s work to show what sort of work it was. 14 If the ·building that has been put on the foundation [L work] still stands, the builder will get ·a reward [or wages]. 15 But if the ·building [L work] is burned up, the builder will ·suffer loss [or be fined; or be punished]. The builder will be saved, but it will be as one who escaped ·from a fire [L through fire].
16 Don’t ·you [you all; C the verb is plural] know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you [C just as God’s presence filled the tabernacle; Ex. 40:34–38]? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person, because God’s temple is holy ·and you are that temple [or and you are holy; L which is what you are].
18 Do not ·fool [deceive] yourselves. If you think you are wise in this ·world [age], you should become a fool so that you can become truly wise, 19 because the wisdom of this world is ·foolishness [folly] with God. [L For] It is written in the Scriptures, “He catches those who are wise in their own ·clever traps [craftiness; cunning; Job 5:13].” 20 ·It is also written in the Scriptures [L And again], “The Lord knows ·what wise people think [L the thoughts/reasoning/machinations of the wise]. He knows their thoughts are ·worthless [pointless; useless; futile; Ps. 94:11].” 21 So you should not ·brag [boast] about ·human leaders [L people]. All things belong to you: 22 Paul, Apollos, and ·Peter [L Cephas; C Peter’s name in Aramaic; see 1:12]; the world, life, death, the present, and the future—all these belong to you. 23 And you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
God in the Thunderstorm
A psalm of David.
29 ·Praise [T Ascribe to] the Lord, you ·angels [L sons of God; C God’s council];
·Praise the Lord’s [T Ascribe to the Lord] glory and power.
2 ·Praise the Lord for [T Ascribe to the Lord] the glory of his name;
worship the Lord ·because he is holy [L in the splendor of his holiness].
3 The Lord’s voice [C thunder] is heard over the ·sea [L waters; C a symbol of chaos].
The glorious God thunders;
the Lord thunders over the ·ocean [L many/mighty waters].
4 The Lord’s voice is powerful;
the Lord’s voice is ·majestic [splendid; awesome].
5 The Lord’s voice breaks the ·trees [L cedars];
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon [C the most famous cedar forests].
6 He makes the land of Lebanon dance like a calf
and ·Mount Hermon [L Sirion] jump like a baby bull.
7 The Lord’s voice ·makes the lightning flash [strikes with flashes of lightning].
8 The Lord’s voice shakes the ·desert [wilderness];
the Lord shakes the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Kadesh.
9 The Lord’s voice ·shakes the oaks [or makes the deer give birth]
and strips the ·leaves off the trees [L forests bare].
In his Temple everyone says, “Glory!”
10 The Lord ·controls [L is enthroned over] the flood [C controls chaos].
The Lord ·will be [L is enthroned as] King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
26 A wise king ·sorts out [winnows; scatters] the evil people,
and he ·punishes them as they deserve [L rolls a threshing sledge over them].
27 The lamp of the Lord looks deep inside people
and searches through ·their thoughts [L all their inner parts].
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.