Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and (put it) also in writing, saying,
Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel (prophesied they) unto them.
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, helping them.
But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.
and the God that hath caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples that shall put forth their hand to alter (the same), to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with all diligence.
Now these are the heads of their fathers' (houses), and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king:
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.