The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NLT. Switch to the NLT to read along with the audio.
24 Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. It was stopped until the second year of the rule of Darius king of Persia.
Work on the House of God Starts Again
5 Now the men who spoke for God, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, spoke for God to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They spoke in the name of the God of Israel Who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began to build again the house of God in Jerusalem. The men who spoke for God were with them and helped them. 3 Then Tattenai, the leader over the land on the other side of the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their friends, came to them and said, “Who told you to build on this house and to finish the building?” 4 They also asked, “What are the names of the men who are building this building?” 5 But the eye of their God was on the leaders of the Jews. They did not stop them until a letter was sent to Darius about it, and a written answer received from him.
6 This is what was said in the letter sent to King Darius from Tattenai, the leader over the land on the other side of the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his important friends. 7 It said: “To Darius the king, all peace. 8 Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the land of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with very large stones, and heavy pieces of wood are being laid in the walls. This work is being done with much care and is going well in their hands. 9 We asked those leaders, ‘Who told you to build this house of worship and to finish the building?’ 10 We also asked them their names, that we might write down the names of their leaders and let you know. 11 They answered, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are building again the house of God that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our fathers had made the God of heaven angry, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed this house of God, and carried the people away to Babylon. 13 But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus told us to build again this house of God. 14 Nebuchadnezzar had taken the gold and silver objects of the house of God from the house in Jerusalem, and brought them to the house of worship at Babylon. But King Cyrus took them from the house of worship at Babylon and they were given to Sheshbazzar, whom he had chosen as leader over the land. 15 He said to him, “Go, take these objects to Jerusalem and carry them into the place of worship. And let the house of God be built again in its place.” 16 Then Sheshbazzar came and began building the house of God in Jerusalem. The building has been going on from then until now, and it is not yet finished.’ 17 So now, if it pleases the king, have men look through the books kept there in Babylon to see if King Cyrus had told them to build again this house of God at Jerusalem. Let the king send us word on what is decided about this.”
Cyrus’ Book Found
6 Then King Darius had men look through the books which were kept in Babylon. 2 And in Ecbatana, the most important city in the land of Media, a book was found in which was written: 3 “In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king said that this was to be done about the house of God at Jerusalem: ‘Let the house of God, the place where burnt gifts are given in worship, be built again with a good base. It should be sixteen times taller than a man, and as wide as thirty long steps. 4 There should be three very large stones laid on the top of each other, and then one large piece of wood laid. Let it be paid for from the king’s money. 5 Let the gold and silver objects which Nebuchadnezzar took from the house of God in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon be returned to their places in the house of God in Jerusalem. You must put them in the house of God.’
6 “So now, Tattenai, leader over the land on the other side of the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your friends who are leaders in the lands on the other side of the River, stay away from there. 7 Leave this work on the house of God alone. Let the leaders of the Jews build this house of God again where it stood before. 8 Also, I am making it known what you are to do for these leaders of Judah for the building of this house of God. All of it is to be paid for from the king’s money out of the taxes from the lands on the other side of the River. And waste no time to get it to them. 9 Be sure to give them each day whatever is needed, young bulls, rams and lambs for a burnt gift to the God of heaven, and grain, salt, wine, and oil for pouring. 10 This is so they may give pleasing gifts in worship to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11 I here make it known that if anyone does not do what I say, a piece of wood will be taken from his house and he will be nailed on it. And his house will become a place to gather waste. 12 May the God Who has caused His name to be there take away the power of any king or people who will try to change what I have said, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have told this to you. Let it be done with much care.”
The House of God Is Set Apart for Use
13 Then Tattenai, the leader over the land on the other side of the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their friends obeyed the words of the king with much care, just as King Darius had told them. 14 The leaders of the Jews did well in building, through the words spoken by Haggai the man who spoke for God and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished building as they had been told to do by the God of Israel, and by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 The house of God was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the rule of King Darius.
16 The people of Israel, the religious leaders, the Levites, and the rest of the people who returned from Babylon, set apart this house of God with joy. 17 To set apart this house of God they gave 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs. For a sin gift for all Israel they gave twelve male goats, one for each number of the families of Israel. 18 Then they put the religious leaders and the Levites into groups by the work they were to do for God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
The Passover
19 The people who had returned from Babylon kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 For the religious leaders and the Levites had made themselves holy together. All of them were clean. Then they killed the Passover lamb for all the people, for their brothers the religious leaders, and for themselves. 21 It was eaten by the people of Israel who returned from Babylon and all those who had separated themselves from the sin of the nations of the land to join them and to look for the Lord God of Israel. 22 They kept the Special Supper of Bread Without Yeast for seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them very happy. He had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to give them strength in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
5 Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only servants owned by God. He gave us gifts to preach His Word. And because of that, you put your trust in Christ. 6 I planted the seed. Apollos watered it, but it was God Who kept it growing. 7 This shows that the one who plants or the one who waters is not the important one. God is the important One. He makes it grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters are alike. Each one will receive his own reward. 9 For we work together with God. You are God’s field.
You are God’s building also. 10 Through God’s loving-favor to me, I laid the stones on which the building was to be built. I did it like one who knew what he was doing. Now another person is building on it. Each person who builds must be careful how he builds on it. 11 Jesus Christ is the Stone on which other stones for the building must be laid. It can be only Christ. 12 Now if a man builds on the Stone with gold or silver or beautiful stones, or if he builds with wood or grass or straw, 13 each man’s work will become known. There will be a day when it will be tested by fire. The fire will show what kind of work it is. 14 If a man builds on work that lasts, he will receive his reward. 15 If his work is burned up, he will lose it. Yet he himself will be saved as if he were going through a fire.
16 Do you not know that you are a house of God and that the Holy Spirit lives in you? 17 If any man destroys the house of God, God will destroy him. God’s house is holy. You are the place where He lives.
18 Do not fool yourself. If anyone thinks he knows a lot about the things of this world, he had better become a fool. Then he may become wise. 19 The wisdom of this world is foolish to God. The Holy Writings say, “He is the One Who gets them in a trap when they use their own wisdom.” (A) 20 They also say, “The Lord knows how the wise man thinks. His thinking is worth nothing.” (B) 21 As a Christian, do not be proud of men and of what they can do. All things belong to you. 22 Paul and Apollos and Peter belong to you. The world and life and death belong to you. Things now and things to come belong to you. 23 You belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
The Voice of the Lord in the Storm
29 Give to the Lord, O sons of the powerful. Give to the Lord shining-greatness and strength. 2 Give to the Lord the honor that belongs to Him. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holy living.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. The God of shining-greatness thunders. The Lord is over many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is great. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the tall cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon jump like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild bull. 7 The voice of the Lord sends out lightning. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert. The Lord shakes the desert of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, and tears away the leaves of the trees. And in His holy house everything says, “Honor to God!”
10 The Lord sat as King over the flood. The Lord sits as King forever. 11 The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will give His people peace.
26 A wise king puts the sinful aside and crushes the grain over them.
27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord. It shows all the inside parts of his heart.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.