עזרא, פרק ה׳, פסוק י״ב

When confronted by Persian officials, the Jewish elders recount the tragic history of the Temple's destruction and their subsequent exile. They make a crucial point to the authorities: their past defeat was not a sign of national weakness, but a deliberate punishment from God. The elders explain that their ancestors had deeply angered God [רש"י, מצודת דוד, רלב"ג, רס"ג]. As a direct result of these sins, God handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. It was under this divine decree that the Babylonian king completely destroyed the Temple and forced the people into exile.

By presenting their history in this specific way, the elders deliver a profound message about their current situation. The destruction was brought about entirely by the nation's own wrongdoing, and the long years spent in exile served to atone for those sins. Once the punishment was complete and the atonement achieved, the time for redemption arrived during the first year of King Cyrus of Persia. Because the divine decree of exile had ended, Cyrus issued the command to rebuild the Temple. Therefore, the Jewish people are now simply restoring their holy site under the full and original permission of the king [מלבי"ם].