Ezra 5:6-17
A Careful Answer Under Pressure
6This 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.
7The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: All peace.
8Let 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.
9So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”
10We also asked for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
11And 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.
12But 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.
13In the first year of his reign, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.
14He also removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken and carried there from the temple in Jerusalem. King Cyrus gave these articles to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he appointed governor
15and instructed, ‘Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.’
16So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been under construction, but it has not yet been completed.”
17Now, therefore, if it pleases the king, let a search be made of the royal archives in Babylon to see if King Cyrus did indeed issue a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.
Berean Standard Bible
Tattenai's letter to Darius begins with a report rather than an insult. He says the work is being carried out diligently and is prospering in the builders' hands. Then he records the elders' answer about who they are and why they are building.
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.
Their answer does not pretend the past is clean. They say their fathers angered God, and Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple and carried the people away. They also tell the story of Cyrus's decree and Sheshbazzar's work. Their present obedience is explained by both judgment and mercy.
The elders do not claim that the work is already complete. They say the temple has been under construction but is not yet finished, and they ask Darius to search the archives. Truth does not need exaggeration to make the case stronger.
The elders' answer has a clear center: they are servants of the God of heaven and earth. They do not hide the judgment that came through Nebuchadnezzar, and they do not present the return as proof that their own strength was enough. The decree of Cyrus explains their authority, while the history of the destroyed temple explains why the rebuilding matters. Their account is careful because the work is being examined, but it is not ashamed to tell the whole story.
The elders' answer is careful without being evasive. They tell Tattenai that the temple was built by a great king, destroyed because their fathers angered God, and now being rebuilt because Cyrus issued a decree. Their present work is held inside both judgment and mercy. They do not claim that the temple is finished, and they do not need to exaggerate the evidence in order to ask Darius to search the records.
Questions
1 How did Tattenai describe the builders' work?
AnswerHe said the work was being carried out diligently and was prospering in their hands.
2 How did the elders identify themselves?
AnswerThey called themselves servants of the God of heaven and earth.
3 What did they say had happened to the former temple?
AnswerThey said their fathers angered God, and Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple and carried the people away.
4 What did they ask the king to investigate?
AnswerThey asked him to search the royal archives to see whether Cyrus had issued a decree to rebuild the temple.
What This Means for Us
When your work is questioned, answer with facts, humility, and the reasons that actually govern your choices. Do not hide failure, and do not inflate progress. A truthful account can acknowledge judgment, remember grace, and still explain why the next faithful step matters.
Prayer
Father, make our words reliable when we are under pressure. Keep us from defensiveness and exaggeration. Help us tell the truth about our failures and your mercy, and give us courage to continue obediently. Amen.