The Bible Study Podcast, episode 616. Today, the Bible Study podcast continues the study of the book of Ezra with chapter 6.

Welcome to the Bible study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen.

We continue on with chapter six.

You may remember that in chapter five, the local governor, the governor of the trans-Euphrates area, sent a letter to the new emperor of Persia.

This is Darius II and said, we have these people who are rebuilding this temple

here in Jerusalem. What should we do about them? They say that this was granted them permission

by King Cyrus. And so they send this letter, and Chapter 6 is the reply. King Darius then issued

an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the

treasury of Babylon. A scroll was found in the citadel of Iqbatana in the province of Medea,

and this was written on it. Memorandum. In the year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree

concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem. Let the temple be rebuilt

as a place to present sacrifices and let its foundations be laid. It is to be 60 cubits high and

60 cubits wide, with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be

paid by the royal treasury.

Also the gold and silver articles of the House of God,

which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem,

and brought to Babyloner to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem.

They are to be deposited in the House of God.

Now then, Tantani, the governor of Trans-Ephrates and Sheth's Bosani, and you other officials

of that province, stay away from there.

Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God.

Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site. Moreover, I hereby decree

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