Ezra 5:12

Tattenai’s Letter to Darius · Ezra 5:6–17
Read Ezra 5

Translations

Modern
But 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.
Traditional
But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
Literal
But after that our fathers provoked to wrath the God of the heavens, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon the Chaldean, and this house he destroyed, and the people he removed to Babylon.
Latin
Postquam autem ad iracundiam provocaverunt patres nostri Deum cæli, tradidit eos in manus Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis Chaldæi, domum quoque hanc destruxit, et populum ejus transtulit in Babylonem.

Original

Hebrew
English
But 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.

Notes

destroyed this temple and carried away the people: See 2 Kings 25:9–17.

Ezra includes a copy in Aramaic of Tattenai’s letter to King Darius. Unlike the letter in Ezra 4:11–16, this letter simply asks if the Jews' actions are valid.

Theme notes and profiles

Cyrus II Zerubbabel Making Sense of the Exile

People

Nebuchadnezzar: Emperor of Babylon who conquered Judah

Places

Babylon: Ancient Mesopotamian city, capital of Babylonian Empire, site of the Tower of Babel Chaldea: Ancient Mesopotamian empire; known for astrology and wisdom

Glossary

Ancient Letter Writing Aramaic Book of Ezra Book of Jeremiah Darius First Book of Esdras Haggai, Book of Persia, Persians Postexilic Period Sheshbazzar Temple Zechariah, Book of

Topics

Captivity: As a Judgment Temple: The Second: Restored by Zerubbabel the Second Temple: Tatnai the Governor Wrote to Darius to Know If the Building