عَزْرَا 5

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

Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel prophesied they unto them.

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

Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at 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؟».

At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, and said thus unto them: 'Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this structure?'

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

'Then spoke we unto them after this manner, wrote they: What are the names of the men that build 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 upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease, till the matter should come to Darius, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it.

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 Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and his companions the Apharesachites, who were beyond the River, sent unto Darius the king;

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

they sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus: 'Unto 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 unto the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth on with diligence and prospereth in their hands.

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

Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus: Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?

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

We asked them their names also, to announce to thee, that we might write the names of the men that were at the head of 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 thus they returned us answer, saying: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and finished.

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

But because that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into 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 king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build 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.

And the gold and silver vessels also of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;

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

and he said unto him: Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded 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 the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundations of the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not 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 seem good to the king, let search be made in the king's treasure-house there, which is at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.'