عَزْرَا 5

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

Now Aggeus the prophet, and Zacharias the son of Addo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judea and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel.

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

Then rose up Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Josue the son of Josedec, and began to build the temple of God in Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God 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؟».

And at the same time came to them Thathanai, who was governor beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and their counsellors: and said thus to them: Who hath given you counsel to build this house, and to repair the walls thereof?

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

In answer to which we gave them the names of the men who were the promoters of that 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 upon the ancients of the Jews, and they could not hinder them. And it was agreed that the matter should be referred to Darius, and then they should give satisfaction concerning that accusation.

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

The copy of the letter that Thathanai governor of the country beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and his counsellors the Arphasachites, who dwelt beyond the river, sent to Darius the king.

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

The letter which they sent him, was written thus: To Darius the king 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.

Be it known to the king, that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which they are building with unpolished stones, and timber is laid in the walls: and this work is carried on diligently, and advanceth in their hands.

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

And we asked those ancients, and said to them thus: Who hath given you authority to build this house, and to repair these walls?

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

We asked also of them their names, that we might give thee notice: and we have written the names of the men that are the chief among them.

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 they answered us in these words, saying: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building a temple that was built these many years ago, and which a great king of Israel built and set up.

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

But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he delivered them into the hands of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon the Chaldean: and he destroyed this house, 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.

But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, king Cyrus set forth a decree, that this house of God should be built.

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.

And the vessels also of gold and silver of the temple of God, which Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, and had brought them to the temple of Babylon, king Cyrus brought out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sassabasar, whom also he appointed governor,

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

And said to him: Take these vessels, and go, and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.

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

Then came this same Sassabasar, and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it is in building, and is not yet finished.

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 seem good to the king, let him search in the king’s library, which is in Babylon, whether it hath been decreed by Cyrus the king, that the house of God in Jerusalem should be built, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.