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11 “I hereby give orders that if anyone changes this directive a beam is to be pulled out from his house and he is to be raised up and impaled[a] on it, and his house is to be reduced[b] to a rubbish heap[c] for this indiscretion.[d] 12 May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow any king or nation[e] who reaches out[f] to cause such change so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them be carried out with precision!”

The Temple Is Finally Dedicated

13 Then Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues acted accordingly—with precision, just as Darius the king had given instructions.[g]

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 6:11 sn The practice referred to in v. 11 has been understood in various ways: hanging (cf. 1 Esd 6:32 and KJV); flogging (cf. NEB, NLT); impalement (BDB 1091 s.v. זְקַף; HALOT 1914 s.v. מחא hitpe; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The last seems the most likely.
  2. Ezra 6:11 tn Aram “made.”
  3. Ezra 6:11 tn Aram “a dunghill.”
  4. Ezra 6:11 tn Aram “for this.”
  5. Ezra 6:12 tn Aram “people.”
  6. Ezra 6:12 tn Aram “who sends forth his hand.”
  7. Ezra 6:13 tn Aram “sent.”