عَزْرَا 5

١ 1 فَتَنَبَّأَ ٱلنَّبِيَّانِ حَجَّيِ ٱلنَّبِيُّ وَزَكَرِيَّا بْنُ عِدُّوَ لِلْيَهُودِ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ بِٱسْمِ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَيْهِمْ.

Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.

٢ 2 حِينَئِذٍ قَامَ زَرُبَّابِلُ بْنُ شَأَلْتِئِيلَ وَيَشُوعُ بْنُ يُوصَادَاقَ، وَشَرَعَا بِبُنْيَانِ بَيْتِ ٱللهِ ٱلَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَمَعَهُمَا أَنْبِيَاءُ ٱللهِ يُسَاعِدُونَهُمَا.

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak rose up and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them.

٣ 3 فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلزَّمَانِ جَاءَ إِلَيْهِمْ تَتْنَايُ وَالِي عَبْرِ ٱلنَّهْرِ وَشَتَرْبُوزْنَايُ وَرُفَقَاؤُهُمَا وَقَالُوا لَهُمْ هَكَذَا: «مَنْ أَمَرَكُمْ أَنْ تَبْنُوا هَذَا ٱلْبَيْتَ وَتُكَمِّلُوا هَذَا ٱلسُّورَ؟».

At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

٤ 4 حِينَئِذٍ أَخْبَرْنَاهُمْ عَلَى هَذَا ٱلْمَنْوَالِ مَا هِيَ أَسْمَاءُ ٱلرِّجَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَبْنُونَ هَذَا ٱلْبِنَاءَ.

They also asked, “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?”

٥ 5 وَكَانَتْ عَلَى شُيُوخِ ٱلْيَهُودِ عَيْنُ إِلَهِهِمْ فَلَمْ يُوقِفُوهُمْ حَتَّى وَصَلَ ٱلْأَمْرُ إِلَى دَارِيُوسَ، وَحِينَئِذٍ جَاوَبُوا بِرِسَالَةٍ عَنْ هَذَا.

But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they were not stopped until a report was sent to Darius and written instructions about this matter were returned.

٦ 6 صُورَةُ ٱلرِّسَالَةِ ٱلَّتِي أَرْسَلَهَا تَتْنَايُ وَالِي عَبْرِ ٱلنَّهْرِ وَشَتَرْبُوزْنَايُ وَرُفَقَاؤُهُمَا ٱلْأَفَرْسَكِيِّينَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي عَبْرِ ٱلنَّهْرِ إِلَى دَارِيُوسَ ٱلْمَلِكِ.

This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius.

٧ 7 أَرْسَلُوا إِلَيْهِ رِسَالَةً وَكَانَ مَكْتُوبًا فِيهَا هَكَذَا: «لِدَارِيُوسَ ٱلْمَلِكِ كُلُّ سَلَامٍ.

The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: All peace.

٨ 8 لِيَكُنْ مَعْلُومًا لَدَى ٱلْمَلِكِ أَنَّنَا ذَهَبْنَا إِلَى بِلَادِ يَهُوذَا، إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلْإِلَهِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ، وَإِذَا بِهِ يُبْنَى بِحِجَارَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، وَيُوضَعُ خَشَبٌ فِي ٱلْحِيطَانِ. وَهَذَا ٱلْعَمَلُ يُعْمَلُ بِسُرْعَةٍ وَيَنْجَحُ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ.

Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. The people are rebuilding it with large stones, and placing timbers in the walls. This work is being carried out diligently and is prospering in their hands.

٩ 9 حِينَئِذٍ سَأَلْنَا أُولَئِكَ ٱلشُّيُوخَ وَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ هَكَذَا: مَنْ أَمَرَكُمْ بِبِنَاءِ هَذَا ٱلْبَيْتِ وَتَكْمِيلِ هَذِهِ ٱلْأَسْوَارِ؟

So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

١٠ 10 وَسَأَلْنَاهُمْ أَيْضًا عَنْ أَسْمَائِهِمْ لِنُعْلِمَكَ، وَكَتَبْنَا أَسْمَاءَ ٱلرِّجَالِ رُؤُوسِهِمْ.

We also asked for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

١١ 11 وَبِمِثْلِ هَذَا ٱلْجَوَابِ جَاوَبُوا قَائِلِينَ: نَحْنُ عَبِيدُ إِلَهِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ، وَنَبْنِي هَذَا ٱلْبَيْتَ ٱلَّذِي بُنِيَ قَبْلَ هَذِهِ ٱلسِّنِينَ ٱلْكَثِيرَةِ، وَقَدْ بَنَاهُ مَلِكٌ عَظِيمٌ لِإِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَكْمَلَهُ.

And this is the answer they returned: “We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed.

١٢ 12 وَلَكِنْ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَسْخَطَ آبَاؤُنَا إِلَهَ ٱلسَّمَاءِ دَفَعَهُمْ لِيَدِ نَبُوخَذْنَصَّرَ مَلِكِ بَابِلَ ٱلْكَلْدَانِيِّ، ٱلَّذِي هَدَمَ هَذَا ٱلْبَيْتَ وَسَبَى ٱلشَّعْبَ إِلَى بَابِلَ.

But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean who destroyed this temple and carried away the people to Babylon.

١٣ 13 عَلَى أَنَّهُ فِي ٱلسَّنَةِ ٱلْأُولَى لِكُورَشَ مَلِكَ بَابِلَ، أَصْدَرَ كُورَشُ ٱلْمَلِكُ أَمْرًا بِبِنَاءِ بَيْتِ ٱللهِ هَذَا.

In his first year, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.

١٤ 14 حَتَّى إِنَّ آنِيَةَ بَيْتِ ٱللهِ هَذَا، ٱلَّتِي مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَفِضَّةٍ، ٱلَّتِي أَخْرَجَهَا نَبُوخَذْنَصَّرُ مِنَ ٱلْهَيْكَلِ ٱلَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ وَأَتَى بِهَا إِلَى ٱلْهَيْكَلِ ٱلَّذِي فِي بَابِلَ، أَخْرَجَهَا كُورَشُ ٱلْمَلِكُ مِنَ ٱلْهَيْكَلِ ٱلَّذِي فِي بَابِلَ وَأُعْطِيَتْ لِوَاحِدٍ ٱسْمُهُ شِيشْبَصَّرُ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَهُ وَالِيًا.

He also removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken and carried there from the temple in Jerusalem. King Cyrus gave these articles to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he appointed governor

١٥ 15 وَقَالَ لَهُ: خُذْ هَذِهِ ٱلْآنِيَةَ وَٱذْهَبْ وَٱحْمِلْهَا إِلَى ٱلْهَيْكَلِ ٱلَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَلْيُبْنَ بَيْتُ ٱللهِ فِي مَكَانِهِ.

and instructed, ‘Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.’

١٦ 16 حِينَئِذٍ جَاءَ شِيشْبَصَّرُ هَذَا وَوَضَعَ أَسَاسَ بَيْتِ ٱللهِ ٱلَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَمِنْ ذَلِكَ ٱلْوَقْتِ إِلَى ٱلْآنَ يُبْنَى وَلَمْ يُكْمَلْ.

So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been under construction, but it has not yet been completed.”

١٧ 17 وَٱلْآنَ إِذَا حَسُنَ عِنْدَ ٱلْمَلِكِ فَلْيُفَتَّشْ فِي بَيْتِ خَزَائِنِ ٱلْمَلِكِ ٱلَّذِي هُوَ هُنَاكَ فِي بَابِلَ: هَلْ كَانَ قَدْ صَدَرَ أَمْرٌ مِنْ كُورَشَ ٱلْمَلِكِ بِبِنَاءِ بَيْتِ ٱللهِ هَذَا فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ؟ وَلْيُرْسِلِ ٱلْمَلِكُ إِلَيْنَا مُرَادَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ».

Now, therefore, if it pleases the king, let a search be made of the royal archives in Babylon to see if King Cyrus did indeed issue a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.