Ezra 5:6-17
A Careful Answer Under Pressure
Read the passage
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
Read aloud
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. Tattenai then asks Darius to search the archives and verify Cyrus's decree. Truth does not need exaggeration to make the case stronger.
Questions
1 How did Tattenai describe the builders' work?
AnswerTattenai said the work was being carried out diligently and was prospering in the builders' hands. His report acknowledges the visible progress before asking the king to investigate it.
2 How did the elders identify themselves?
AnswerThe elders called themselves servants of the God of heaven and earth. They described their identity in relation to God rather than claiming independent political power.
3 What did they say had happened to the former temple?
AnswerThey said their fathers had angered God, so Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple and carried the people away. The elders connected the present rebuilding with both judgment and mercy.
4 What did Tattenai ask the king to investigate?
AnswerHe asked Darius to search for Cyrus's decree authorizing the temple's rebuilding, then send his decision. The builders' account could be checked against the royal record.
What This Means for Us
When your work is questioned, answer with facts, humility, and the reasons that actually govern your choices. The governor's letter records the builders' claim and asks the king to test it against the archives instead of deciding from rumor.
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. When someone needs to verify what you have said, provide the records you have instead of treating the request as an insult.
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.