11And they returned an answer to us, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and set up.
12But after our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to anger, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried the people away to Babylon.
13But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.
14And also the vessels of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those king Cyrus took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he made governor;
15And he said to him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.
16Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and from that time even until now it has been in building, and yet it is not completed.
17Now therefore, if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the king's treasure house, which is there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was made by king Cyrus to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his decision to us concerning this matter.