Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
So now, if it pleases the king, let someone search through the king's record house in Babylon to see if it's true that King Cyrus gave a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us word about what he decides regarding this matter.
The Jewish leaders are respectfully asking King Darius to check the official records to verify that they have legitimate permission to rebuild God's temple.
📚 Historical Context
This request came after local officials questioned the Jews' authority to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem around 520 BC. The Jewish leaders claimed they had permission from the previous king, Cyrus, who had conquered Babylon and allowed exiled peoples to return to their homelands. They were asking the current Persian king, Darius, to verify this claim by checking the royal archives.
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