The Strength of the King
1 Ezra 4, verse 1. Then the second, who talked about the strength of the king, began to speak: 1 Ezra 4, verse 2. “O men, has not man prevailed on land and sea, becoming the master of them and everything in them? 1 Ezra 4, verse 3. But the king is strong and rules over these, for he is their master; whatever he commands them they obey. 1 Ezra 4, verse 4. If he commands one to make war on the other, they do it. If he sends them out against enemies, they go and subdue mountains, walls, and towers. 1 Ezra 4, verse 5. They kill and are killed, but the word of the king is not transgressed. If they conquer, they bring everything to the king—whatever they forage or anything else. 1 Ezra 4, verse 6. But those who do not serve as soldiers nor wage war, but cultivate the land, they too bring to the king whatever they sow and harvest. They also compel one another to pay taxes to the king. 1 Ezra 4, verse 7. Although he is only one man, yet if he says to kill, they kill; if he says to spare, they spare. 1 Ezra 4, verse 8. If he says to smite, they smite; if he says to destroy, they destroy; if he says to build, they build. 1 Ezra 4, verse 9. If he says to cut down, they cut down; if he says to plant, they plant. 1 Ezra 4, verse 10. So all his people and his army listen to him. 1 Ezra 4, verse 11. In addition to these things, he reclines—he eats, he drinks, he rests—while they keep watch around him. Nobody can leave to do his own business, nor do they disobey him. 1 Ezra 4, verse 12. O men, in what is the king not strong, since he is so carefully obeyed?” Then he kept silent.
The Strength of Women
1 Ezra 4, verse 13. Then the third, who had spoken about women and the truth and whose name was Zerubbabel, began to speak: 1 Ezra 4, verse 14. “Men, is not the king great, and men many, and wine strong? Who then rules them, or who is their master? Is it not women? 1 Ezra 4, verse 15. Women gave birth to the king and to all the people who rule over sea and land. 1 Ezra 4, verse 16. They came to exist from women, and women reared those who plant the vineyards from which the wine comes. 1 Ezra 4, verse 17. Women also make men's clothing and bring glory to men. Indeed, men could not exist without women. 1 Ezra 4, verse 18. “Moreover, if men are gathering gold, silver, or anything beautiful, but see one woman who looks good in form and beauty, 1 Ezra 4, verse 19. they drop everything and gape at her, and with mouths wide open they stare at her. They all choose her rather than gold, silver, or any beautiful thing. 1 Ezra 4, verse 20. Yes, a man will even forsake his own father who reared him and his own country so as to cleave to his own wife. 1 Ezra 4, verse 21. He will live out his life and not even remember father, mother, or country. 1 Ezra 4, verse 22. From all this, you should realize that women rule over you! “Do you not work hard and grow weary with toil, then bring it and give it all to women? 1 Ezra 4, verse 23. Furthermore, a man will put on his sword and go forth to rob, steal, and sail the sea and rivers. 1 Ezra 4, verse 24. He will stalk a lion and walk in darkness, and when he steals, whatever he takes and pillages he will bring back to his beloved. 1 Ezra 4, verse 25. For a man dearly loves his own wife more than his father or mother. 1 Ezra 4, verse 26. Yes, many men have lost all sense and even become slaves because of their wives. 1 Ezra 4, verse 27. Many have perished, stumbled, or sinned because of their wives. 1 Ezra 4, verse 28. “Do you not believe me now? Is the king not great in his authority? Are not all the countries moved with fear to touch him? 1 Ezra 4, verse 29. Yet I saw him with Apame, the king's concubine and the daughter of the admirable Bartacus. She sat at the king's right hand, 1 Ezra 4, verse 30. removed the crown from the king's head, and put it on her own. She also struck the king with her left hand. 1 Ezra 4, verse 31. At this, the king gaped at her with his mouth wide open. When she smiled at him he laughed, and when he exasperated her, he flattered her that she might be reconciled with him. 1 Ezra 4, verse 32. O men, in what way are women not strong, since they do such things?”
The Strongest Is Truth
1 Ezra 4, verse 33. Then the king and the nobles looked at one another, 1 Ezra 4, verse 34. and Zerubbabel began to speak about the truth: “Men, are not women strong? The earth is great, heaven is high, and the sun is swift in its course, for it revolves around heaven in a circle and returns again to its place in one day. 1 Ezra 4, verse 35. Is not He great who made all things? For His truth is great and stronger than all things. 1 Ezra 4, verse 36. All the earth summons the truth, and heaven blesses it; for all His works shake with fear and tremble, and there is nothing unjust with Him. 1 Ezra 4, verse 37. But wine is unjust, the king is unjust, women are unjust, all the children of the men and their works are unjust, and all such things are unjust; for there is no truth in them. So they will perish in their injustice. 1 Ezra 4, verse 38. “But the truth abides and is strong forever. The truth lives and rules unto ages of ages. 1 Ezra 4, verse 39. There is no partiality or prejudice with the truth, but it does righteous things, distinct from all wrongdoings and evil. All are pleased with its deeds, and there is nothing unjust in its judgment. 1 Ezra 4, verse 40. For strength, dominion, authority, and majesty belong to it unto all ages, and blessed is the God of truth.” 1 Ezra 4, verse 41. So he stopped speaking, and all the people then cried aloud and said, “Great is the truth, for it is the strongest!” 1 Ezra 4, verse 42. Then the king said to him, “Ask what you will, and let it be more than what is written; for we will give it to you, inasmuch as you were found to be the wisest. You will also sit next to me and be called my kinsman.”
Back to Jerusalem
1 Ezra 4, verse 43. Then Zerubbabel said to the king, “Remember the vow you swore on the day you received your kingdom to rebuild Jerusalem 1 Ezra 4, verse 44. and to send back all the vessels taken from Jerusalem, the ones Cyrus removed when he vowed to destroy Babylon and vowed to send them back there? 1 Ezra 4, verse 45. You also vowed to rebuild the temple which the Edomites set on fire when Judea was laid waste by the Chaldeans. 1 Ezra 4, verse 46. Now this is what I consider worthy of you, O lord our king, and what I ask of you, for this befits your greatness. Therefore I beg of you that you keep the vow you vowed to the King of heaven from your own mouth.” 1 Ezra 4, verse 47. Then King Darius arose and kissed him. He wrote letters for him to all the treasurers, governors, commanders, and satraps that they help him on his way, and everyone going up with him to rebuild Jerusalem. 1 Ezra 4, verse 48. He also wrote letters to all the governors in Coelesyria and Phoenicia, and to those in Lebanon to transfer cedar logs from Lebanon to Jerusalem to help him rebuild the city. 1 Ezra 4, verse 49. Then he wrote to all the Jews who went up from his kingdom to Judea in behalf of their freedom, that no power, satrap, commander, or treasurer was to come against their doors; 1 Ezra 4, verse 50. that all the territory they ruled was to be theirs without subjection to taxes; that the Edomites were to hand over to the Jews the villages they had seized; 1 Ezra 4, verse 51. that twenty talents were to be given every year for the building of the temple until it was completed, 1 Ezra 4, verse 52. and ten talents every year for the whole burnt offerings to be offered each day on the altar according to the commandment to make seventeen offerings; 1 Ezra 4, verse 53. and that all those from Babylon who went up to build the city were to have their freedom, the people and their children, and all the priests who went up with them. 1 Ezra 4, verse 54. He also wrote that they were to pay the expenses for the priestly vestments in which they served. 1 Ezra 4, verse 55. He likewise wrote that they were to pay the Levites’ expenses until the temple was completed and Jerusalem rebuilt. 1 Ezra 4, verse 56. Also, for all who guarded the city, he wrote that they were to be given lands and wages. 1 Ezra 4, verse 57. Then he sent forth from Babylon all the vessels Cyrus had removed; and everything Cyrus said to do, he also commanded to be done, and he sent them forth to Jerusalem. 1 Ezra 4, verse 58. Now when the young man went out, he lifted his face to heaven toward Jerusalem and blessed the King of heaven, saying, 1 Ezra 4, verse 59. “The victory and the wisdom are from You, the glory is Yours, and I am Your servant. 1 Ezra 4, verse 60. Blessed are You who granted me wisdom, and I give thanks to You, O Lord of our fathers.” 1 Ezra 4, verse 61. So he took the letters and went to Babylon, and reported everything to all his brothers. 1 Ezra 4, verse 62. They, too, blessed the God of their fathers because He had granted them freedom and release from captivity 1 Ezra 4, verse 63. to go up and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple called by His name. Then they feasted with music and gladness for seven days.