Ezra 5

1 Now the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, were preaching to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel.

And he prophesied Haggai (prophet the *Q(K)*) and Zechariah [the] son of Iddo (prophets the *Q(k)*) to Jews the who [were] in Judah and in Jerusalem in [the] name of [the] God of Israel [who was] over them.

2 Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, got up and made a start at building the house of God at Jerusalem: and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.

Then they arose Zerubbabel [the] son of Shealtiel and Jeshua [the] son of Jozadak and they began to build [the] house of God which [is] in Jerusalem and [were] with them (prophets the *Q(k)*) of God supporting them.

3 At the same time, Tattenai, ruler of the land across the river, and Shethar-bozenai, and their men, came to them and said, Who gave you orders to go on building this house and this wall?

At it time the he came to them Tattenai [the] governor of [the] region beyond river the and Shethar-Bozenai and associates their and as follows [they were] saying to them who? did he make for you a decree house the this to build and structure the this to finish.

4 Then they said these words to them: What are the names of the men who are at work on this building?

Then as follows we said to them what? [are] they [the] names of men the who this building the [are] building.

5 But the eye of their God was on the chiefs of the Jews, and they did not make them give up working till the question had been put before Darius and an answer had come by letter about it.

And [the] eye of God their it was on [the] elders of Jews the and not they made cease them until report the to Darius it will come and then they will send back letter the concerning this.

6 This is a copy of the letter which Tattenai, the ruler of the land across the river, and Shethar-bozenai and his friends the Apharsachites, living across the river, sent to Darius the king:

copy of Letter the which he sent Tattenai - [the] governor of [the] region beyond river the and Shethar-Bozenai and associates his officials the who [were] in [the] region beyond river the to Darius king the.

7 They sent him a letter saying, To Darius the king, all peace:

Word the they sent to him and according to this it was written in midst its to Darius king the peace the all.

8 This is to give the king word that we went into the land of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is made of great stones, and has its walls supported with wood, and the work is going on with industry, and they are doing it well.

Known - let it be to king the that we went to Judea province the to [the] house of God the great and it [is] being built stone of rolling and timber [is] being set in walls the and work the this diligently [is] being done and [is] prospering in hand their.

9 Then we said to the men responsible, who gave you authority for the building of this house and these walls?

Then we asked to elders the these as follows we said to them who? did he make for you a decree house the this to build and structure the this to finish.

10 And we made request for their names, so that we might send you word, and give you the names of the men at the head of them.

And also names their we asked (to them *LA(bh)*) to make known to you that we will write [the] name of men the who [are] at heads their.

11 And they made answer to us, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building the house which was put up in times long past and was designed and made complete by a great king of Israel.

And as follows word the they sent back to us to say we they [are] servants his of [the] God of heavens the and earth the and [we are] building house the which it was built from [the] former time of this years many and a king of Israel great he built it and he finished it.

12 But when the God of heaven was moved to wrath by our fathers, he gave them up into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Chaldaean, who sent destruction on this house and took the people away into Babylon.

But from that they enraged fathers our [the] God of heavens the he gave them in [the] hand of Nebuchadnezzar [the] king of Babylon (Chaldean the *Q(k)*) and house the this he destroyed it and people the he took into exile to Babylon.

13 But in the first year of Cyrus, king of Babylon, Cyrus the king gave an order for the building of this house of God;

Nevertheless in year one of Cyrus king the of Babylon Cyrus king the he made a decree [the] house of God this to build.

14 And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple which was in Jerusalem, and put into the house of his god in Babylon, these Cyrus the king took from the house of his god in Babylon, and gave to one named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made ruler;

And also vessels the of [the] house of God of gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar he had brought out from temple the which [was] in Jerusalem and he carried them to temple the of Babylon he brought out them Cyrus king the from temple the of Babylon and they were given to Sheshbazzar name his whom governor he had made him.

15 And he said to him, Go, take these vessels, and put them in the Temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be put up again in its place.

And he said to him - (these *Q(K)*) vessels the take! go! deposit! them in temple the which [is] in Jerusalem and [the] house of God let it be built on place its.

16 Then this same Sheshbazzar came and put the house of God in Jerusalem on its bases: and from that time till now the building has been going on, but it is still not complete.

Then Sheshbazzar this he came he laid foundations the of [the] house of God which [is] in Jerusalem and from then and until now [it is] being built and not [it is] finished.

17 So now, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the king's store-house at Babylon, to see if it is true that an order was given by Cyrus the king for the building of this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send us word of his pleasure in connection with this business.

And now if to king the [it is] good let it be searched in [the] house of treasures the of king the there which [are] in Babylon whether there [is] that from Cyrus king the it was made [is] a decree to build [the] house of God this in Jerusalem and [the] will of king the concerning this let him send to us.