عَزْرا 5

١ 1 فِي ذَلِكَ الْحِينِ تَنَبَّأَ النَّبِيَّانِ حَجَّي وَزَكَرِيَّا بْنُ عِدُّوَ لِلْيَهُودِ الْمُقِيمِينَ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ وَيَهُوذَا بِاسْمِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ الْمُهَيْمِنِ عَلَيْهِمْ.

Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews that [were] in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, [even] to them.

٢ 2 فَقَامَ زَرُبَّابِلُ بْنُ شَأَلْتِيئِيلَ وَيَشُوعُ بْنُ يُوصَادُوقَ، وَشَرَعَا فِي اسْتِكْمَالِ بِنَاءِ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ الَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، بِمَعُونَةِ نَبِيَّيِ اللهِ،

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 فَجَاءَهُمْ تَتْنَايُ وَالِي عَبْرِ النَّهْرِ وَشَتَرْبُوزْنَايُ وَرُفَقَاؤُهُمَا وَسَأَلُوهُمْ: «مَنْ أَمَرَكُمْ بِإِعَادَةِ بِنَاءِ هَذَا الْهَيْكَلِ وَاسْتِكْمَالِ السُّورِ؟»

At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side of the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus to them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?

٤ 4 ثُمَّ طَلَبُوا قَائِمَةً بِأَسْمَاءِ الرِّجَالِ الْمُسَاهِمِينَ فِي بِنَاءِ الْهَيْكَلِ.

Then said we to them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?

٥ 5 وَلَكِنْ كَانَتْ عَيْنُ إِلَهِ قَادَةِ الْيَهُودِ تَرْعَاهُمْ، فَلَمْ يُوْقِفُوهُمْ عَنِ الْعَمَلِ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ رَفْعُ الأَمْرِ إِلَى دَارِيُوسَ وَيَتَلَقَّوْا رَدَّهُ عَلَيْهَا.

But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this [matter].

٦ 6 وَهَذَا هُوَ نَصُّ الرِّسَالَةِ الَّتِي بَعَثَ بِها تَتْنَايُ وَالِي عَبْرِ النَّهْرِ وَشَتَرْبُوزْنَايُ وَرُفَقَاؤُهُمَا الأَفَرْسَكِيُّونَ الْمُقِيمُونَ فِي عَبْرِ النَّهْرِ إِلَى دَارِيُوسَ الْمَلِكِ.

The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side of the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who [were] on this side of the river, sent to Darius the king:

٧ 7 وَقَدْ وَرَدَ فِي هَذِهِ الرِّسَالَةِ: «إِلَى الْمَلِكِ دَارِيُوسَ كُلُّ سَلامٍ.

They sent a letter to him, in which was written thus; To Darius the king, all peace.

٨ 8 نَوَدُّ أَنْ نُحِيطَكُمْ عِلْماً بِأَنَّنَا ذَهَبْنَا إِلَى بِلادِ يَهُوذَا، حَيْثُ مَعْبَدُ الإِلَهِ الْعَظِيمِ، فَوَجَدْنَا الْهَيْكَلَ يُبْنَى بِحِجَارَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ وَجُدْرَانَهُ تُدْعَمُ بِالْخَشَبِ، وَالْعَمَلَ يَسِيرُ بِأَقْصَى سُرْعَةٍ وَيَتِمُّ إِنْجَازُهُ عَلَى أَيْدِيهِمْ بِنَجَاحٍ بَاهِرٍ.

Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work proceedeth rapidly, and prospereth in their hands.

٩ 9 وَقَدْ سَأَلْنَا هَؤُلاءِ الْقَادَةَ: مَنْ أَمَرَكُمْ بِإِعَادَةِ بِنَاءِ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ وَاسْتِكْمَالِ هَذِهِ الأَسْوَارِ؛

Then we asked those elders, [and] said to them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to erect these walls?

١٠ 10 وَطَلَبْنَا قَائِمَةً بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ، فَدَوَّنَّا أَسْمَاءَ قَادَتِهِمْ لِنُطْلِعَكَ عَلَيْهَا.

We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that [were] the chief of them.

١١ 11 وَقَدْ أَجَابُونَا قَائِلِينَ: نَحْنُ عَبِيدُ إِلَهِ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ، وَنُعِيدُ بِنَاءَ هَذَا الْهَيْكَلِ الَّذِي تَمَّ إِنْشَاؤُهُ مُنْذُ سِنيِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ عَلَى يَدِ مَلِكٍ إِسْرَائِيلِيٍّ عَظِيمٍ.

And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was erected these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and set up.

١٢ 12 وَلَكِنْ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَثَارَ آبَاؤُنَا غَضَبَ إِلَهِ السَّمَاءِ، أَسْلَمَهُمْ لِيَدِ نَبُوخَذْنَصَّرَ الْكِلْدَانِيِّ، الَّذِي هَدَمَ الْهَيْكَلَ وَسَبَى الشَّعْبَ إِلَى بَابِلَ.

But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.

١٣ 13 غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ فِي السَّنَةِ الأُولَى لِتَوَلِّي كُورَشَ مُلْكَ بَابِلَ، أَصْدَرَ أَمْراً بِبِنَاءِ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ هَذَا،

But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, [the same] king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

١٤ 14 وَأَمَرَ بِرَدِّ آنِيَتِهِ الذَّهَبِيَّةِ وَالْفِضِّيَّةِ الَّتِي غَنِمَهَا نَبُوخَذْنَصَّرُ مِنْ هَيْكَلِ أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَوَضَعَهَا فِي هَيْكَلِ بَابِلَ، فَأَخْرَجَهَا الْمَلِكُ كُورَشُ مِنْ هَيْكَلِ بَابِلَ وَسَلَّمَهَا لِوَاحِدٍ يُدْعَى شِيشْبَصَّرَ الَّذِي أَقَامَهُ وَالِياً.

And the vessels also of gold and silver 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 to [one], whose name [was] Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;

١٥ 15 وَقَالَ لَهُ: خُذْ هَذِهِ الآنِيَةَ وَانْقُلْهَا إِلَى هَيْكَلِ أُورُشَلِيمَ وَأَعِدْ بِنَاءَهُ فِي نَفْسِ مَوْقِعِهِ.

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

١٦ 16 حِينَئِذٍ قَدِمَ شِيشْبَصَّرُ هَذَا وَأَرْسَى أَسَاسَ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ الَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَمِنْ ذَلِكَ الوَقْتِ شَرَعَ الشَّعْبُ فِي بِنَاءِ الْهَيْكَلِ وَلَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكْتَمِلْ بَعْدُ.

Then came the same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation 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 finished.

١٧ 17 فَالآنَ، إِنْ رَاقَ لَدَى الْمَلِكِ فَلْيَبْحَثْ فِي سِجِلّاتِ الْمَمْلَكَةِ فِي بَابِلَ، لِيَرَى إِنْ كَانَ حَقّاً قَدْ صَدَرَ مَرْسُومٌ مِنْ كُورَشَ الْمَلِكِ بِإِعَادَةِ بِنَاءِ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ هَذَا فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ. وَلْيَبْعَثْ لَنَا الْمَلِكُ بِمَا يَسْتَقِرُّ عَلَيْهِ رَأْيُهُ».

Now therefore, if it [seemeth] good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure-house, which [is] there at Babylon, whether it is [so], that a decree was made by Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.