Chapter 5 _{66 Wherefore when the enemies of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin heard it, they came to know what that noise of trumpets should mean.67 And they perceived that they that were of the captivity did build the temple unto the Lord God of Israel.68 So they went to Zorobabel and Jesus, and to the chief of the families, and said unto them, We will build together with you.69 For we likewise, as ye, do obey your Lord, and do sacrifice unto him from the days of Azbazareth the king of the Assyrians, who brought us hither.70 Then Zorobabel and Jesus and the chief of the families of Israel said unto them, It is not for us and you to build together an house unto the Lord our God.71 We ourselves alone will build unto the Lord of Israel, according as Cyrus the king of the Persians hath commanded us.72 But the heathen of the land lying heavy upon the inhabitants of Judea, and holding them strait, hindered their building;73 And by their secret plots, and popular persuasions and commotions, they hindered the finishing of the building all the time that king Cyrus lived: so they were hindered from building for the space of two years, until the reign of Darius.}

Chapter 6 _{1 Now in the second year of the reign of Darius Aggeus and Zacharias the son of Addo, the prophets, prophesied unto the Jews in Jewry and Jerusalem in the name of the Lord God of Israel, which was upon them.2 Then stood up Zorobabel the son of Salatiel, and Jesus the son of Josedec, and began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, the prophets of the Lord being with them, and helping them.3 At the same time came unto them Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phenice, with Sathrabuzanes and his companions, and said unto them,4 By whose appointment do ye build this house and this roof, and perform all the other things? and who are the workmen that perform these things?5 Nevertheless the elders of the Jews obtained favour, because the Lord had visited the captivity;6 And they were not hindered from building, until such time as signification was given unto Darius concerning them, and an answer received.7 The copy of the letters which Sisinnes, governor of Syria and Phenice, and Sathrabuzanes, with their companions, rulers in Syria and Phenice, wrote and sent unto Darius; To king Darius, greeting:8 Let all things be known unto our lord the king, that being come into the country of Judea, and entered into the city of Jerusalem we found in the city of Jerusalem the ancients of the Jews that were of the captivity9 Building an house unto the Lord, great and new, of hewn and costly stones, and the timber already laid upon the walls.10 And those works are done with great speed, and the work goeth on prosperously in their hands, and with all glory and diligence is it made.11 Then asked we these elders, saying, By whose commandment build ye this house, and lay the foundations of these works?}