以斯拉記 6
1 於是大流士王降旨，要尋察典籍庫內，就是在巴比倫藏寶物之處；
[Later] Darius [became the ruler of the Persian Empire. When the enemies of the Israelis forced them to stop rebuilding the temple, the Persian officials sent a message to King Darius. They asked him to] search the records in the (archives/government records), in the building where the king stored the important documents, [to find out whether King Cyrus had authorized that the temple should be rebuilt].
2 在米底亞省亞馬他城的宮內尋得一卷，其中記着說：
[The king commanded someone to search there, but those documents were not there in Babylon]. They found a scroll at the fort in Ecbatana, in Media province, [that contained the information that they wanted to know]. This is what was written on that scroll:
3 「塞魯士王元年，他降旨論到耶路撒冷上帝的殿，要建造這殿為獻祭之處，堅立殿的根基。殿高六十肘，寬六十肘，
“During the first year that Cyrus [ruled the empire], he sent out a decree concerning the temple of God which is at Jerusalem. In the decree it was stated that a new temple must be built at the same place that [the Israeli people previously] had offered sacrifices, where the [original] foundation [of the first temple] was. The temple must be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide.
4 用三層大石頭，一層新木頭，經費要出於王庫；
The building must be made from large stones. After putting down three layers of stones, a layer of timber must be put on top of them. This work will be paid for by money from my treasury.
5 並且上帝殿的金銀器皿，就是尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷的殿中掠到巴比倫的，要歸還帶到耶路撒冷的殿中，各按原處放在上帝的殿裏。」
Also, the gold and silver utensils that King Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple of God in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon must be taken back to Jerusalem. They must be put in God’s temple just as they were in the previous temple.”
6 「現在河西的總督達乃和示他‧波斯乃，並你們的同黨，就是住河西的亞法薩迦人，你們當遠離他們。
After reading this, King Darius sent this message [to the leaders of the Israeli people’s enemies in Jerusalem]: “This is a message for Tattenai, the governor of the province west of the [Euphrates] River, and for [his assistant] Shethar-Bozenai, and for all your colleagues: Stay away from that area!
7 不要攔阻上帝殿的工作，任憑猶大人的省長和猶大人的長老在原處建造上帝的這殿。
Do not (interfere with/hinder) the work of building the temple of God! The temple must be rebuilt at the same place where the former temple was. And do not hinder the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews [while they are doing this work].
8 我又降旨，吩咐你們向猶大人的長老為建造上帝的殿當怎樣行，就是從河西的款項中，急速撥取貢銀作他們的經費，免得耽誤工作。
“Furthermore, I declare that you must help these leaders of the Jews as they rebuild this temple of God [by giving them funds for the building work].
9 他們與天上的上帝獻燔祭所需用的公牛犢、公綿羊、綿羊羔，並所用的麥子、鹽、酒、油，都要照耶路撒冷祭司的話，每日供給他們，不得有誤；
“The Jewish priests in Jerusalem need young bulls and rams and lambs to sacrifice as they make burned offerings to the God of heaven. You must give them the animals that they need. Also, you must be certain to give them the wheat, salt, wine, and [olive] oil that they need each day [for those sacrifices].
10 好叫他們獻馨香的祭給天上的上帝，又為王和王眾子的壽命祈禱。
If you do that, the Jewish priests will be able to offer sacrifices that please the God who is in heaven, and they will pray that God will bless me and my sons.
11 我再降旨，無論誰更改這命令，必從他房屋中拆出一根樑來，把他舉起，懸在其上，又使他的房屋成為糞堆。
“If anyone disobeys this decree, [my soldiers] will pull a beam from his house. Then [after they sharpen one end of the beam, ] they will lift that man up and impale him on that beam. Then they will [completely destroy that man’s house until only] a pile of rubble is left.
12 若有王和民伸手更改這命令，拆毀這殿，願那使耶路撒冷的殿作為他名居所的上帝將他們滅絕。我－大流士降這旨意，當速速遵行。」
God has chosen [that city of] Jerusalem as the place where people will honor him [MTY]. What I desire is that he will get rid of any king or any nation that tries to change this decree or tries to destroy that temple in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have made this decree. It must be obeyed quickly and thoroughly.”
13 於是，河西總督達乃和示他‧波斯乃，並他們的同黨，因大流士王所發的命令，就急速遵行。
Tattenai, the governor of the province, and [his assistant] Shethar-Bozenai and their colleagues [read the message and] immediately obeyed the decree of King Darius.
14 猶大長老因先知哈該和易多的孫子撒迦利亞所說勸勉的話就建造這殿，凡事亨通。他們遵着以色列上帝的命令和波斯王塞魯士、大流士、亞達薛西的旨意，建造完畢。
So the Jewish leaders continued their work [of rebuilding the temple]. They were greatly encouraged by the messages that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah preached. The Israelis continued building the temple, just like God had commanded them to do and like King Cyrus had decreed.
15 大流士王第六年，亞達月初三日，這殿修成了。
They finished building it on March 12, during the sixth year that King Darius [ruled].
16 以色列的祭司和利未人，並其餘被擄歸回的人都歡歡喜喜地行奉獻上帝殿的禮。
Then the priests and the Levites and all the other Israeli people who had returned from Babylon very joyfully dedicated the temple.
17 行奉獻上帝殿的禮就獻公牛一百隻，公綿羊二百隻，綿羊羔四百隻，又照以色列支派的數目獻公山羊十二隻，為以色列眾人作贖罪祭；
During [the ceremony to] dedicate the temple, they sacrificed 100 young bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs. They also sacrificed twelve male goats as an offering in order that [God would forgive] the sins of the people of the twelve tribes of Israel.
18 且派祭司和利未人按着班次在耶路撒冷事奉上帝，是照摩西律法書上所寫的。
Then the priests and Levites were divided into groups that would [take turns to] serve at the temple. They did this according to what Moses had written [many years previously] in the laws [that he wrote].
19 正月十四日，被擄歸回的人守逾越節。
On April 21, the Jews who had returned from Babylon celebrated the Passover Festival.
20 原來，祭司和利未人一同自潔，無一人不潔淨。利未人為被擄歸回的眾人和他們的弟兄眾祭司，並為自己宰逾越節的羊羔。
[To qualify themselves for offering the sacrifices], the priests and Levites had already purified themselves by performing certain rituals. Then they slaughtered the lambs for the benefit of all the people who had returned from Babylon, for the other priests, and for themselves.
21 從擄到之地歸回的以色列人和一切除掉所染外邦人污穢、歸附他們、要尋求耶和華－以色列上帝的人都吃這羊羔，
Those who had returned from Babylon and the other people in that land who had turned away from their immoral practices in order to worship Yahweh, the God of the Israeli people, ate the Passover meal.
22 歡歡喜喜地守除酵節七日；因為耶和華使他們歡喜，又使亞述王的心轉向他們，堅固他們的手，作以色列上帝殿的工程。
They celebrated the Unleavened Bread Festival of [Eating] Unleavened Bread for seven days. The Israeli people throughout the land were joyful because Yahweh had changed the attitude of the king of Assyria toward them, and as a result, the king had helped them to rebuild the temple of God, the one whom they [worshiped].
