Ezra 5

1 Men Profeterne Haggaj og Zakarias, Iddos Søn, profeterede for Jøderne i Juda og Jerusalem i Israels Guds Navn, som var over dem.

Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied to them in the name of the God of Israel.

2 Da tog Zerubbabel, Sjealtiels Søn, og Jesua, Jozadaks Søn, fat og begyndte at bygge på Guds Hus i Jerusalem sammen med Guds Profeter, som støttede dem.

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build God’s house which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

3 Men på den Tid kom Tattenaj, Statholderen hinsides Floden, Sjetar-Bozenaj og deres Embedsbrødre til dem og sagde: "Hvem har givet eder Lov til at bygge dette Tempel og genopføre denne Helligdom,

At the same time Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, came to them, with Shetharbozenai and their companions, and asked them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this wall?”

4 og hvad er Navnene på de Mænd, der bygger denne Bygning?

They also asked for the names of the men who were making this building.

5 Men over Jødernes Ældste vågede deres Guds Øje, så de ikke standsede dem i Arbejdet, før Sagen var forelagt Darius og der var kommet Svar derpå.

But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they didn’t make them cease until the matter should come to Darius, and an answer should be returned by letter concerning it.

6 Afskrift af det Brev, som Tattenaj, Statholderen hinsides Floden, Sjetar-Bozenaj og hans Embedsbrødre, Afarsekiterne hinsides Floden, sendte Kong Darius;

The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king follows.

7 de sendte ham en Skrivelse, hvori der stod: Kong Darius ønsker vi al Fred!

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

8 Det være Kongen kundgjort, at vi begav os til Landsdelen Judæa til den store Guds Hus; det bliver bygget af Kvadersten, der lægges Bjælker i Muren, og Arbejdet udføres med Omhu og skyder frem under deres Hænder.

Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.

9 Vi spurgte da de Ældste der og talte således til dem: "Hvem har givet eder Lov til at, bygge dette Tempel og opføre denne Helligdom?

Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”

10 Vi spurgte dem også om deres Navne for at lade dig dem vide, og vi opskrev Navnene på de Mænd, der står i Spidsen for dem.

We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.

11 Og Svaret, de gav os, lød således: Vi er Himmelens og Jordens Guds Tjenere, og vi bygger det Tempel, som blev bygget for mange År siden, da en stor Konge i Israel byggede og opførte det.

Thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

12 Da imidlertid vore Fædre vakte Himmelens Guds Vrede, gav han dem i Babels Konges, Kaldæeren Nebukadnezars, Hånd, og han nedbrød dette Tempel og førte Folket i Landflygtighed til Babel.

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

13 Men i sit første Regeringsår gav Kong Kyros af Babel Befaling til at genopbygge dette Gudshus;

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

14 og Kong Kyros lod tillige de til Gudshusef hørende Guld- og Sølvkar, som Nebukadnezar havde borttaget fra Helligdommen i Jerusalem og ført til sin Helligdom i Babel, tage ud af Helligdommen i Babel, og de overgaves til en Mand ved Navn Sjesjbazzar, som han havde indsat til Statholder;

The gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king also took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.

15 og han sagde til ham: "Tag disse Kar og drag ben og lad dem få deres Plads i Helligdommen i Jerusalem og lad Gudshuset blive genopbygget på sin gamle Plads!"

He said to him, ‘Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let God’s house be built in its place.’

16 Så kom denne Sjesjbazzar og lagde Grunden til Gudshuset i Jerusalem, og siden den Tid er der bygget derpå, men det er ikke færdigt.

Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of God’s house which is in Jerusalem. Since that time even until now it has been being built, and yet it is not completed.

17 Hvis derfor Kongen synes, så lad der blive set efter i det kongelige Skatkammer ovre i Babel, om det har sig således, at der af Kong Kyros er givet Befaling til at bygge dette Gudshus i Jerusalem; og Kongen give os så sin Vilje i denne Sag til Kende!"

Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be 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.”