19 On the fourteenth day of the
first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. 20 The priests
and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The
Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives
the priests and for themselves. 21 So the Israelites who had
returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves
from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 For
seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because
the Lord had filled them with joy
by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the
work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
13 Then, because of the decree
King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and
Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. 14 So
the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of
Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building
the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of
Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15 The temple
was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the
reign of King Darius.
16 Then
the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the
exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. 17 For
the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred
rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering[b] for all
Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. 18 And
they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups
for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book
of Moses.
King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives
stored in the treasury at Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in the
citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:
3 In
the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of
God in Jerusalem:
Let
the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations
be laid. It is to be sixty cubits[a] high and
sixty cubits wide, 4 with three courses of large stones and one
of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. 5 Also,
the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took
from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to
their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house
of God.
6 Now
then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other
officials of that province, stay away from there. 7 Do not
interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and
the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
8 Moreover,
I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the
construction of this house of God:
Their
expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of
Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. 9 Whatever is
needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven,
and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in
Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that
they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the
well-being of the king and his sons.
11 Furthermore,
I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their
house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be
made a pile of rubble. 12 May God, who has caused his Name to
dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this
decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I
Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
34 Then
Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show
favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears
him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to
the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ,
who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout
the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John
preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were
under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 “We
are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised
him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He
was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by
us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He
commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God
appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the
prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44 While
Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the
message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter
were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on
Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[b] and
praising God.
Then
Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their
being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”
48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
