1Then Sisin'nes the governor of Coelesyria and Phoeni'cia, and Sasthra-bu'zanes, and their associates, following the orders of King Dari'us, 2supervised the holy work with very great care, assisting the elders of the Jews and the chief officers of the temple. 3And the holy work prospered, while the prophets Haggai and Zechari'ah prophesied; 4and they completed it by the command of the Lord God of Israel. So with the consent of Cyrus and Dari'us and Ar-ta-xerx'es, kings of the Persians, 5the holy house was finished by the twenty-third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of King Dari'us. 6And the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of those from the captivity who joined them, did according to what was written in the book of Moses. 7They offered at the dedication of the temple of the Lord one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, 8and twelve he-goats for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel; 9and the priests and the Levites stood arrayed in their garments, according to kindred, for the services of the Lord God of Israel in accordance with the book of Moses; and the gatekeepers were at each gate.

10The people of Israel who came from the captivity kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, after the priests and the Levites were purified together. 11Not all of the returned captives were purified, but the Levites were all purified together,7.11 The Greek text of this verse is uncertain 12and they sacrificed the passover lamb for all the returned captives and for their brethren the priests and for themselves. 13And the people of Israel who came from the captivity ate it, all those who had separated themselves from the abominations of the peoples of the land and sought the Lord. 14And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days, rejoicing before the Lord, 15because he had changed the will of the king of the Assyrians concerning them, to strengthen their hands for the service of the Lord God of Israel.