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Zerubbabel replied, "Your Majesty, permit me to remind you of the solemn vow you took on the day you became emperor. You promised to rebuild Jerusalem
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and to send back all the treasures that had been taken from the city. Remember that when Cyrus made a vow to destroy Babylon, he set these things aside and solemnly promised to send them back to Jerusalem.
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You also promised to rebuild the Temple, which the Edomites burned down when the Babylonians devastated the land of Judah.
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So, Your Majesty, because you are a man of generosity, I beg you to fulfill the solemn promise you made to the King of heaven."
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Then Emperor Darius stood up, kissed Zerubbabel, and wrote letters for him to all the treasurers, governors, and administrators in the provinces, ordering them to provide safe conduct for him and all those going with him to rebuild Jerusalem.