以斯拉記 3
1 到了七月，以色列人住在各城；那時他們如同一人，聚集在耶路撒冷。
It was the seventh month after the people of Israel came back to their cities, when they gathered together as one man in Jerusalem.
2 約薩達兒子耶書亞和他的弟兄眾祭司，並撒拉鐵的兒子所羅巴伯與他的弟兄，都起來建築以色列上帝的壇，要照神人摩西律法書上所寫的，在壇上獻燔祭。
Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brothers rose up and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
3 他們在原有的根基上築壇，因懼怕鄰國的民，又在其上向耶和華早晚獻燔祭，
Then they established the altar on its stand, for dread was on them because of the people of the land. They offered burnt offerings to Yahweh at dawn and evening.
4 又照律法書上所寫的守住棚節，按數照例獻每日所當獻的燔祭；
They also observed the Festival of Shelters as it is written and offered burnt offerings day by day according to the decree, each day's duty on its day.
5 其後獻常獻的燔祭，並在月朔與耶和華的一切聖節獻祭，又向耶和華獻各人的甘心祭。
Accordingly, there were daily burnt offerings and monthly ones and offerings for all the fixed feasts of Yahweh, along with all the freewill offerings.
6 從七月初一日起，他們就向耶和華獻燔祭。但耶和華殿的根基尚未立定。
They began to offer up burnt offerings to Yahweh on the first day of the seventh month, although the temple had not been founded.
7 他們又將銀子給石匠、木匠，把糧食、酒、油給西頓人、泰爾人，使他們將香柏樹從黎巴嫩運到海裏，浮海運到約帕，是照波斯王塞魯士所允准的。
So they gave silver to the stoneworkers and craftsmen, and they gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so they would bring cedar trees by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized for them by Cyrus, king of Persia.
8 百姓到了耶路撒冷上帝殿的地方。第二年二月，撒拉鐵的兒子所羅巴伯，約薩達的兒子耶書亞和其餘的弟兄，就是祭司、利未人，並一切被擄歸回耶路撒冷的人，都興工建造；又派利未人，從二十歲以外的，督理建造耶和華殿的工作。
Then in the second month of the second year after they came to the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, the rest of the priests, the Levites, and those who came from captivity back to Jerusalem began the work. They assigned the Levites twenty years old and older to oversee the work of Yahweh's house.
9 於是猶大的後裔，就是耶書亞和他的子孫與弟兄，甲篾和他的子孫，利未人希拿達的子孫與弟兄，都一同起來，督理那在上帝殿做工的人。
Jeshua and his sons and brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, who were descendants of Hodaviah), and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers-all of them were Levites-joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.
10 匠人立耶和華殿根基的時候，祭司皆穿禮服吹號，亞薩的子孫利未人敲鈸，照以色列王大衛所定的例，都站着讚美耶和華。
The builders laid a foundation for Yahweh's temple. This enabled the priests to stand in their garments with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, to praise Yahweh with cymbals, just as the hand of David, king of Israel had commanded.
11 他們彼此唱和，讚美稱謝耶和華說： 他本為善， 他向以色列人永發慈愛。 他們讚美耶和華的時候，眾民大聲呼喊，因耶和華殿的根基已經立定。
They sang with praise and thankfulness to Yahweh, “He is good! His covenant faithfulness to Israel endures forever.” All the people cried out with a great shout of joy in praise of Yahweh because the temple's foundations had been laid.
12 然而有許多祭司、利未人、族長，就是見過舊殿的老年人，現在親眼看見立這殿的根基，便大聲哭號，也有許多人大聲歡呼，
But many of the priests, Levites, and chief patriarchs, those who were old and had seen the first house, when this house's foundations were laid before their eyes, wept loudly. But many people had shouts of joy with gladness and an excited sound.
13 甚至百姓不能分辨歡呼的聲音和哭號的聲音；因為眾人大聲呼喊，聲音聽到遠處。
As a result, people were not able to distinguish the joyful and glad sounds from the sound of people weeping, for the people were crying out with great joy, and the sound was heard from far away.
