Ezra 5:11 - Forerunner Commentary

Ezra 5:11

9 Then we asked those elders, and spoke thus to them: ^a“Who commanded you to build this temple and to finish these walls?”

10 We also asked them their names to inform you, that we might write the names of the men who were chief among them.

11 And thus they returned us an answer, saying: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the¹ temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built ^aand completed.

12 But ^abecause our fathers provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of ^bNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and ^ccarried the people away to Babylon.

13 However, in the first year of ^aCyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to build this¹ house of God.

14 Also, ^athe gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem and carried into the temple of Babylon—those King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon, and they were given to ^bone named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.

Verse Comparison: Ezra 5:11

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American Standard Version
And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and finished.

Amplified® Bible
They replied, We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, rebuilding the house which was erected and finished many years ago by a great king of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
They claimed to be servants of the God who rules heaven and earth. And they said they were rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago by one of Israel's greatest kings.

Darby English Version
And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of the heavens and the earth, and build the house that was built these many years ago; and a great king of Israel built and completed it.

Good News Bible
"They answered, 'We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the Temple which was originally built and equipped many years ago by a powerful king of Israel.

King James Version
And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.

New American Standard Bible
"Thus they answered us, saying, `We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

New International Version
This is the answer they gave us:
"We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished.

New King James Version
And thus they returned us an answer, saying: “We are the 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.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
"Thus they answered us, saying, 'We consider ourselves the servants of the God of heaven and earth and rebuild the temple that people built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

Revised Standard Version
And this was their reply to us: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

Young's Literal Translation
`And thus they have returned us word, saying, We `are' servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was built many years before this, that a great king of Israel built and finished:

New English Translation
They responded to us in the following way: ‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple which was previously built many years ago. A great king¹ of Israel built it and completed it.

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