So those nations paid some of the Jewish officials to work against the people of Judah. They wanted their plans to fail. They did it during the whole time Cyrus was king of Persia. They kept doing it until Darius became king.

从波斯王居鲁士年间，直到波斯王大流士登基的时候，贿买谋士，要败坏他们的谋算。

从波斯王居鲁士年间，直到波斯王大流士在位的时候，那些人贿赂谋士，要破坏他们的计划。

从波斯王居鲁士年间，直到波斯王大流士在位的时候，那些人贿赂谋士，要破坏他们的计划。

从波斯王塞鲁士统治年间，一直到波斯王大流士统治期间，当地人收买谋士，破坏他们的计划。

又在波斯王古列的日子，直到波斯王大利乌在位的时候，常常贿买参谋，来敌对犹大人，要破坏他们的建殿计划。

從波斯王塞魯士年間，直到波斯王大流士登基的時候，賄買謀士，要敗壞他們的謀算。

從波斯王居魯士年間，直到波斯王大流士在位的時候，那些人賄賂謀士，要破壞他們的計劃。

從波斯王居魯士年間，直到波斯王大流士在位的時候，那些人賄賂謀士，要破壞他們的計劃。

從波斯王塞魯士統治年間，一直到波斯王大流士統治期間，當地人收買謀士，破壞他們的計劃。

又在波斯王古列的日子，直到波斯王大利烏在位的時候，常常賄買參謀，來敵對猶大人，要破壞他們的建殿計劃。

儘波斯王古列掌權的日子、直到波斯王大利烏執掌國政的時候、他們總是買賂了一些參謀來反對他們，要破壞他們所計畫的。

賄通議士、以敗其志、自波斯王古列在位之日、至波斯王大利烏即位之年、皆如是、

巴西王古列在位之日、至巴西王大利烏即位之年、敵國之民賄通議士、以敗其成。

巴西王古列年間、至巴西王大利烏在位時、賄議士以敗猶大人之謀、

They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.

They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

and bribed advisers against them to frustrate their advice all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

They hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Nineveh, a king has marched out from you. He makes evil plans against the Lord. He thinks about how he can do what is wrong.

Five days later Ananias the high priest went down to Caesarea. Some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus went with him. They brought their charges against Paul to the governor.So Paul was called in. Tertullus began to bring the charges against Paul. He said to Felix,“ We have enjoyed a long time of peace while you have been ruling. You are a wise leader. You have made this a better nation.Most excellent Felix, we gladly admit this everywhere and in every way. And we are very thankful.I don’t want to bother you. But would you be kind enough to listen to us for a short time?“ We have found that Paul is a troublemaker. This man stirs up trouble among Jews all over the world. He is a leader of those who follow Jesus of Nazareth.He even tried to make our temple impure. So we arrested him.

But the God of the Jews was watching over their elders. So they didn’t have to stop their work. First a report would have to be sent to Darius. Then they would have to receive his answer in writing.Here is a copy of the letter sent to King Darius. It was from Tattenai, the governor of the land west of the Euphrates. Shethar- Bozenai joined him in writing it. So did their friends. They were officials of that land.The report they sent to the king said, We are sending this letter to you, King Darius. We give you our most friendly greetings.We want you to know that we went to the land of Judah. We went to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones. They are putting wooden beams in the walls. The people are working hard. The work is moving ahead very quickly under the direction of the people.We asked the elders some questions. We said to them,“ Who authorized you to rebuild this temple? Who told you that you could finish it?”We also asked them what their names were. We wanted to write down the names of their leaders for your information.Here is the answer they gave us. They said,“ We serve the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago. The great King Solomon built it and finished it.But our people made the God of heaven angry. So he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar from Chaldea. He was king of Babylon. He destroyed this temple. He forced the Jews to leave their own country. He took them away to Babylon.“ But King Cyrus gave an order to rebuild this house of God. He gave it in the first year he was king of Babylon.He even removed some gold and silver objects from the temple of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had brought them there from the house of God in Jerusalem. He had taken them to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus brought the objects out. He gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar. Cyrus had appointed him as governor.Cyrus told him,‘ Take these objects with you. Go and put them in the temple in Jerusalem. Rebuild the house of God in the same place where it stood before.’“ So Sheshbazzar made the trip to Jerusalem. He laid the foundations of the house of God there. From that day until now the people have been working on it. But they haven’t finished it yet.”If it pleases you, King Darius, let a search be made in the royal records. Search the official records of the kings of Babylon. Find out whether King Cyrus really did give an order to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then tell us what you decide to do.King Darius gave an order. He had a search made in the official records stored among the treasures at Babylon.A book was found in a safe storeroom at Ecbatana in the land of Media. Here is what was written on it. This is my official reply to your letter.In the first year that Cyrus was king, he gave an order. It concerned God’s temple in Jerusalem. King Cyrus said, Rebuild the temple. Then the Jews can offer sacrifices there. Lay its foundations. The temple must be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide.Its walls must have three layers of large stones. They must also have a layer of beautiful wood. Use money from the royal treasures to pay for everything.The gold and silver objects from the house of God must be returned. Nebuchadnezzar had taken them from the first temple in Jerusalem. And he had brought them to Babylon. Now they must be returned to their places in the temple at Jerusalem. They must be put in the house of God there.Tattenai, you are governor of the land west of the Euphrates River. I want you to stay away from the temple in Jerusalem. I also want you, Shethar- Bozenai, and you other officials of that area to stay away from it.Don’t try to stop the work on the temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and their elders rebuild the house of their God. Let them build it in the same place where it stood before.Here is what I want you to do for the elders of the Jews. Here is how you must help them to build the house of their God. Pay all their expenses from the royal treasures. Use the money you collect from the people who live west of the Euphrates. Don’t let the work on the temple stop.Don’t fail to give the priests in Jerusalem what they ask for each day. Give them what they need. Give them young bulls, rams and male lambs. The priests can use them to sacrifice burnt offerings to the God of heaven. Also give them wheat, salt, wine and olive oil.Give them those things so they can offer sacrifices that please the God of heaven. And I want them to pray that things will go well for me and my sons.Don’t change this order. If anyone tries to change it, they must be put to death. A pole must be pulled from their house. The pole must be stuck through their body. Because that person tried to change my royal order, their house must be broken to pieces.God has chosen to put his Name in the temple at Jerusalem. May he wipe out any king or nation that lifts a hand to change this order. May he also wipe out anyone who tries to destroy the temple in Jerusalem. That’s what I have ordered. I am King Darius. Make sure you carry out my order.The governor Tattenai and Shethar- Bozenai carried out King Darius’s order. And so did their friends.The elders of the Jews continued to build the temple. They enjoyed great success because of the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets. Zechariah belonged to the family line of Iddo. The people finished building the temple. That’s what the God of Israel had commanded them to do. Cyrus and Darius had given orders allowing them to do it. Later, Artaxerxes supplied many things that were needed in the temple. Those three men were kings of Persia.So the temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar. It was in the sixth year that Darius was king.When the house of God was set apart, the people of Israel celebrated with joy. The priests and Levites joined them. So did the rest of those who had returned from the land of Babylon.When the house of God was set apart to him, the people sacrificed 100 bulls. They also sacrificed 200 rams and 400 male lambs. As a sin offering for the whole nation of Israel, the people sacrificed 12 male goats. One goat was sacrificed for each tribe in Israel.The priests were appointed to their groups. And the Levites were appointed to their groups. All of them served God at Jerusalem. They served him in keeping with what is written in the Book of Moses.

And so the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a stop. No more work was done on it until the second year that Darius was king of Persia.

Why do the nations plan evil together? Why do they make useless plans?The kings of the earth rise up against the Lord. The rulers of the earth join together against his anointed king.