Discovery BoxEzra 6:9-12 
Context6:9 Whatever is needed – whether oxen or rams or lambs or burnt offerings for the God of heaven or wheat or salt or wine or oil, as required by 1 the priests who are in Jerusalem – must be given to them daily without any neglect, 6:10 so that they may be offering incense to the God of heaven and may be praying for the good fortune of the king and his family. 2
6:11 “I hereby give orders that if anyone changes this directive a beam is to be pulled out from his house and he is to be raised up and impaled 3 on it, and his house is to be reduced 4 to a rubbish heap 5 for this indiscretion. 6 6:12 May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow any king or nation 7 who reaches out 8 to cause such change so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them be carried out with precision!”
1 tn Aram “according to the word of.”
2 tn Aram “for the life of the king and his sons.”
3 sn The practice referred to in v. 11 has been understood in various ways: hanging (cf. 1 Esd 6:32 and KJV); flogging (cf. NEB, NLT); impalement (BDB 1091 s.v. זְקַף; HALOT 1914 s.v. מחא hitpe; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The latter seems the most likely.
4 tn Aram “made.”
5 tn Aram “a dunghill.”
6 tn Aram “for this.”
7 tn Aram “people.”
8 tn Aram “who sends forth his hand.”
