Ezra 5

1 Og Profeterne, Profeten Haggaj og Sakarias, Iddo's Søn, profeterede for Jøderne, som vare i Juda og Jerusalem, i Israels Guds Navn, som var over dem.

Now Aggeus the prophet, and Zacharias the son of Addo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judea and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel.

2 Da gjorde Serubabel, Sealthiels Søn, og Jesua, Jozadaks Søn, sig rede og begyndte at bygge Guds Hus, som var i Jerusalem, og med dem de Guds Profeter, som styrkede dem.

Then rose up Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Josue the son of Josedec, and began to build the temple of God in Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God helping them.

3 Paa den Tid kom Thatnaj, Landshøvdingen paa denne Side Floden, og Sthar-Bosnaj og deres Selskab til dem og sagde til dem: Hvo har givet eder Befaling om at bygge dette Hus og at fuldføre denne Mur?

And at the same time came to them Thathanai, who was governor beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and their counsellors: and said thus to them: Who hath given you counsel to build this house, and to repair the walls thereof?

4 Da sagde vi altsaa til dem, hvad de Mænd hed, som byggede denne Bygning.

In answer to which we gave them the names of the men who were the promoters of that building.

5 Og over Jødernes Ældste var deres Guds Øje, og man forhindrede dem ikke, indtil der kom Befaling fra Darius, og man da sendte dem Brev tilbage derom.

But the eye of their God was upon the ancients of the Jews, and they could not hinder them. And it was agreed that the matter should be referred to Darius, and then they should give satisfaction concerning that accusation.

6 Afskriften af Brevet, som Thatnaj, Landshøvdingen paa denne Side Floden, og Sthar-Bosnaj og hans Selskab, de fra Afarsakta, som vare paa den Side Floden, sendte til Kong Darius; —

The copy of the letter that Thathanai governor of the country beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and his counsellors the Arphasachites, who dwelt beyond the river, sent to Darius the king.

7 de sendte Beretningen til ham, og saaledes var der skrevet i den: Kong Darius ønske vi al Fred!

The letter which they sent him, was written thus: To Darius the king all peace.

8 Det være Kongen vitterligt, at vi kom til det Landskab Juda, til den store Guds Hus, og at man bygger det med storø Stene og lægger Træ i Væggene, og at Arbejdet gaar rask frem og lykkes ved deres Hænder.

Be it known to the king, that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which they are building with unpolished stones, and timber is laid in the walls: and this work is carried on diligently, and advanceth in their hands.

9 Da spurgte vi disse. Ældste ad og sagde saaledes til dem: Hvo har givet eder Befaling om at bygge dette Hus og at fuldføre denne Mur?

And we asked those ancients, and said to them thus: Who hath given you authority to build this house, and to repair these walls?

10 Vi spurgte og om deres Navne for at give dig dem til Kende, at vi kunde skrive de Mænds Navne, som vare deres Øverster.

We asked also of them their names, that we might give thee notice: and we have written the names of the men that are the chief among them.

11 Og de gave os saadant Svar tilbage og sagde: Vi ere Himmelens og Jordens Guds Tjenere og bygge et Hus, som var fordum bygget, for mange Aar siden; thi en stor Konge i Israel havde bygget det og fuldført det.

And they answered us in these words, saying: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building a temple that was built these many years ago, and which a great king of Israel built and set up.

12 Men efterdi vore Fædre havde fortørnet Himmelens Gud, gav han dem i Kongen af Babel, Kaldæeren Nebukadnezars Haand, og denne nedbrød dette Hus og førte Folket bort til Babel.

But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he delivered them into the hands of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon the Chaldean: and he destroyed this house, and carried away the people to Babylon.

13 Men i Kongen af Babel, Kyrus's første Aar, gav Kong Kyrus Befaling at bygge dette Guds Hus.

But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, king Cyrus set forth a decree, that this house of God should be built.

14 Ja, ogsaa de Guds Hus's Kar, som vare af Guld og Sølv, hvilke Nebukadnezar havde udtaget af Templet, som var i Jerusalem, og ført til Templet i Babel, dem udtog Kong Kyrus af Templet i Babel, og de bleve givne en, hvis Navn var Sesbazar, hvilken han satte til Landshøvding.

And the vessels also of gold and silver of the temple of God, which Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, and had brought them to the temple of Babylon, king Cyrus brought out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sassabasar, whom also he appointed governor,

15 Og han sagde til ham: Tag disse Kar, gak bort og bring dem ind i Templet, som er i Jerusalem, og lad Guds Hus bygges paa sit Sted!

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

16 Da kom den samme Sesbazar, han lagde Grundvolden til Guds Hus, som er i Jerusalem; og fra da af og indtil nu bygges det og er ikke fuldført.

Then came this same Sassabasar, and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it is in building, and is not yet finished.

17 Og dersom det nu synes godt for Kongen, saa lad der blive eftersøgt i Kongens Skatkammer, som er i Babel, om det er saa, at der er given Befaling af Kong Kyrus om at bygge dette Guds Hus i Jerusalem, og man sende os Kongens Vilje derom!

Now therefore if it seem good to the king, let him search in the king’s library, which is in Babylon, whether it hath been decreed by Cyrus the king, that the house of God in Jerusalem should be built, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.