以斯拉記 5
1 那時，先知哈該和易多的孫子撒迦利亞奉以色列上帝的名向猶大和耶路撒冷的猶大人說勸勉的話。
Then Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo the prophet prophesied in the name of the God of Israel to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem.
2 於是撒拉鐵的兒子所羅巴伯和約薩達的兒子耶書亞都起來動手建造耶路撒冷上帝的殿，有上帝的先知在那裏幫助他們。
Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God in Jerusalem with the prophets who supported them.
3 當時河西的總督達乃和示他‧波斯乃，並他們的同黨來問說：「誰降旨讓你們建造這殿，修成這牆呢？」
Then Tattenai the governor of the Province Beyond the River, Shethar-Bozenai, and his associates came and said to them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house and complete these walls?”
4 我們便告訴他們建造這殿的人叫甚麼名字。
They also said, “What are the names of the men building this building?”
5 上帝的眼目看顧猶大的長老，以致總督等沒有叫他們停工，直到這事奏告大流士，得着他的回諭。
But God's eye was on the Jewish elders and their enemies did not stop them. They were waiting for a letter to be sent to the king and for a decree to be returned to them concerning this.
6 河西的總督達乃和示他‧波斯乃，並他們的同黨，就是住河西的亞法薩迦人，上本奏告大流士王。
This is a copy of the letter of Tattenai, governor of the Province Beyond the River, and Shethar-Bozenai and his accociates in the Province Beyond the River, which they sent to Darius the king.
7 本上寫着說：「願大流士王諸事平安。
They sent a report, writing this to King Darius, “May all peace be yours.
8 王該知道，我們往猶大省去，到了至大上帝的殿，這殿是用大石建造的。樑木插入牆內，工作甚速，他們手下亨通。
Let the king know that we went to Judah to the house of the great God. It is being built with large stones and timbers set in the walls. This work is being done thoroughly and is going forward well in their hands.
9 我們就問那些長老說：『誰降旨讓你們建造這殿，修成這牆呢？』
We asked the elders, 'Who gave you a decree to build this house and these walls?'
10 又問他們的名字，要記錄他們首領的名字，奏告於王。
We also asked them their names so you might know the name of each man who led them.
11 他們回答說：『我們是天地之上帝的僕人，重建前多年所建造的殿，就是以色列的一位大君王建造修成的。
They replied and said, 'We are servants of the one who is the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding this house that had been built many years ago when the great king of Israel built it and completed it.
12 只因我們列祖惹天上的上帝發怒，上帝把他們交在迦勒底人巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒的手中，他就拆毀這殿，又將百姓擄到巴比倫。
However, when our ancestors enraged the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and took the people into exile in Babylon.
13 然而巴比倫王塞魯士元年，他降旨允准建造上帝的這殿。
Nevertheless, in the first year when Cyrus was king of Babylon, Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild the house of God.
14 上帝殿中的金、銀器皿，就是尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷的殿中掠去帶到巴比倫廟裏的，塞魯士王從巴比倫廟裏取出來，交給派為省長的，名叫設巴薩，
King Cyrus also returned the gold and silver objects belonging to the house of God that Nebuchadnezzar had brought from the temple in Jerusalem to the temple in Babylon. He restored them to Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
15 對他說可以將這些器皿帶去，放在耶路撒冷的殿中，在原處建造上帝的殿。
He said to him, “Take these objects. Go and put them in the temple in Jerusalem. Let the house of God be rebuilt there.”
16 於是這設巴薩來建立耶路撒冷上帝殿的根基。這殿從那時直到如今尚未造成。』
Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation for the house of God in Jerusalem; and it is being constructed, but is not yet complete.'
17 現在王若以為美，請察巴比倫王的府庫，看塞魯士王降旨允准在耶路撒冷建造上帝的殿沒有，王的心意如何？請降旨曉諭我們。」
Now if it pleases the king, may it be investigated in the house of archives in Babylon if a judgment from King Cyrus exists there to build this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send his decision to us.
