The .vj. Chapter.
1 Of Aggeus and Zacharias. 2 The buildyng of the temple. 3 Sisinnes woulde let them. 7 His letters to Darius. 23 The kynges aunswere to the contrarie.
[unspec A] 1 NOtwithstandyng, in the seconde yere of the raigne of Darius, * 1.1 Aggeus & Zacharias the sonne of Addo the prophetes, prophecied vnto the Iewes, and to them in Iurie and Hierusalem, euen in the name of the Lord God of Israel.
2 *Then Zorobabel the sonne of Sala∣thiel, and Iesus the sonne of Iosedec stoode vp and began to builde the house of the Lorde at Hierusalem, when the prophetes of the Lord were with them and helped them.
3 At the same tyme came Sisinnes the gouernour of Syria and Phenice, with Sathrabuzanes and his compa∣nions, and sayde vnto them:
4 Who hath bydden [and commaunded] you to builde this house, to make this roofe and all other thinges againe? And who are the “ 1.2 workmen that builde thē?
5 Neuerthelesse, the elders of the Iewes had [such] grace of the Lorde, after he had visited the captiuitie,
6 That they were not letted from buil∣dyng, vntill the tyme that kyng Darius was certified therof, and an aunswere receaued [from hym.]
7 The copie of the letters which he wrote and sent vnto Darius. Sisinnes gouernour of Syria and Phenice, and Sathrabuzanes with their compani∣ons, which are head rulers in Syria & Phenice, sende their salutation vnto Darius the kyng.
[unspec B] 8 We certifie our Lord the kyng, that we came into the lande of Iurie, and went to Hierusalem, where we founde the auncientes of the Iewes that were of the captiuitie in the citie of Hierusalem,
9 Buildyng an house vnto the Lorde, great and newe, of hewen and costlye stones, and the timber alredy layde vp∣on the walles:
10 Yea they make great haste with the worke, and it goeth foorth prosperously in their handes, and with great dili∣gence and worshyp is it made.
11 Then asked we the elders, saying: By whose commaundement builde you vp this house, and lay the foundations of these workes?
12 Which we demaunded of them, to the intent that we myght geue knowledge vnto thee, & write vnto thee of those that gouerned it: and we required of them their names in writyng that were their chiefe leaders to it.
13 So they gaue vs this aunswere: We [unspec C] are the seruauntes of the Lorde which made heauen and earth:
14 And as for this house, * 1.3 it was builded many yeres agone by a kyng of Israel great and strong, and was finished.
15 But when our fathers prouoked God vnto wrath, and sinned agaynst the Lorde of Israel which is in heauen, * 1.4 he gaue them ouer into the power of Na∣buchodonosor kyng of Babylon, of the Chaldees:
16 Which brake downe the house and burnt it, and caryed away the people prisoners vnto Babylon.
17 * 1.5Neuerthelesse, in the first yere that king Cyrus raigned ouer the countreys of Babylon, Cyrus the kyng wrote,