Ezra 5 continues the account of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem during the reign of Darius, the king of Persia. The chapter begins with the prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraging the people to resume their work on the temple. The leaders of the Jews, Zerubbabel and Jeshua, along with the rest of the people, obey the prophets' message and restart the construction.
As the construction progresses, the adversaries of the Jews, led by Tattenai, the governor of the region, question their authority to rebuild. Tattenai sends a letter to King Darius seeking clarification on the matter. In his letter, Tattenai questions the legitimacy of the Jews' claims and requests a search to determine whether King Cyrus had indeed issued a decree allowing the temple to be rebuilt.
King Darius orders a thorough investigation into the matter, and the royal archives are searched. Eventually, a scroll is found in the city of Ecbatana, which confirms that Cyrus had indeed authorized the rebuilding of the temple. King Darius issues a decree affirming the Jews' rights to rebuild the temple and provides financial support from the royal treasury. The chapter concludes with the Jews' joyous celebration and their commitment to continue the work on the temple.