Bible verse
So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”
Ezra 5:9 · BSB
The verses around it, from Ezra 5.
5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they were not stopped until a report was sent to Darius and written instructions about this matter were returned.
6 This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius.
7 The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: All peace.
8 Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. The people are rebuilding it with large stones, and placing timbers in the walls. This work is being carried out diligently and is prospering in their hands.
9 So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”
10 We also asked for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
11 And this is the answer they returned: “We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed.
12 But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean who destroyed this temple and carried away the people to Babylon.
13 In his first year, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.
KJV
Then asked we those elders, [and] said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?
ASV
Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
ERV
Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
Newsletter
A short reading and some honest encouragement, most weekday mornings — no noise, no selling, unsubscribe in one click.
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible, which is free of copyright restrictions for use on websites. Read the full Bible on Great Faith.