< Ezra 6 >

1 Then king Darius instructed, and they searched in the library of books that were deposited in Babylon.
達理阿王遂下令,檢查在巴比倫貯藏寶物的檔案室。
2 And there was found at Ecbatana, which is a fortified place in the province of Media, one volume, and this record was written in it:
在厄克巴塔納,即在瑪待省的王堡內,發現了一宗案卷,上邊這樣的記載:「備忘錄:
3 “In the first year of king Cyrus, Cyrus the king decreed that the house of God, which is in Jerusalem, shall be built in the place where they immolate victims, and that they should set the foundations so as to support a height of sixty cubits and a width of sixty cubits,
居魯士王元年,居魯士曾為耶路撒冷天主的殿宇,頒發上諭:殿宇應予重建,為在那裏舉行祭獻,奉獻火祭;殿應高六十肘,寬六十肘,
4 with three rows of rough stones, and so as to have rows of new timber, and that the expenses shall be given from the house of the king.
三層用方石,一層用木料修建;所有費用概出自室。
5 But also, let the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple of Jerusalem, and which he carried away to Babylon, be restored and be carried back to the temple of Jerusalem, to their place, just as they had been placed in the temple of God.
此外,凡拿步高王取耶路撒冷殿宇,而運到巴比倫的,天主殿宇的那些金銀器,冊都應歸還,送回耶路撒冷的殿宇內,各放在原處,安置在天主的殿宇內。
6 Now therefore, let Tattenai, the governor of the region which is beyond the river, Shetharbozenai, and your counselors, the rulers who are beyond the river, withdraw far away from them,
河西州長塔特乃的同僚官員,應退出那地,
7 and let this temple of God be released to the governor of the Jews and to their elders, so that they may build that house of God in its place.
不可干涉天主殿宇的工程,任憑猶太人的總督和猶太人的長老,在原處重建天主的殿宇。
8 Moreover, it has been instructed by me as to what ought to be done by those priests of the Jews, so that the house of God may be built, specifically, that from the king’s treasury, that is, from the tribute which is taken from the region beyond the river, the expenses shall be scrupulously given to those men, so that the work may not be impeded.
此外,我且頒下此旨,諭令你們為協助猶太人的長老,修建天主的殿應行的事:由河西收入王室的賦稅,給那些人撥出充分的經費,不得有誤!
9 But if it may be necessary, let also calves, and lambs, and young goats for holocausts to the God of heaven, with grain, salt, wine, and oil, according to the rite of the priests who are in Jerusalem, be given to them for each day, so that there may be no complaint in anything.
他們向上天大王,獻全燔祭所需要是牛犢、公綿羊和羔羊,以及麵、鹽、酒和油,應按耶路撒冷的司祭所指定的,每天供應,不得有誤!
10 And let them offer oblations to the God of heaven, and let them pray for the life of the king and for the lives of his sons.
好使他們向上天的大王,奉獻馨香祭,為君王和王孫的長壽祈禱。
11 Therefore, the decree has been set forth by me, so that, if there be any man who will change this order, a beam shall be taken from his own house, and it shall be set up, and he shall be nailed to it. Then his house shall be confiscated.
我今頒下此令:凡有敢刪改此令者,應把他屋內的樑木拆出,堅起來,把他懸在上邊;令他的房屋從此成為糞堆。
12 So then, may the God who has caused his name to live there destroy any kingdoms or people who would extend their hand to fight against or to destroy that house of God, which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have established the decree, which I wish to be fulfilled scrupulously.”
凡有敢刪改此令,對耶路撒冷的天主殿宇,敢於破壞的王侯和人民,願那使己名住在那裏的天主將他毀滅! 我達理阿頒發此令,應悉依照遵行! 」
13 Therefore, Tattenai, the governor of the region beyond the river, and Shetharbozenai, and his counselors, in accord with what king Darius had instructed, diligently executed the same.
於是河西長塔特乃和他們的同僚,全照達理阿王所頒佈的,一一遵行。
14 Then the elders of the Jews were building and prospering, in accord with the prophecy of Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. And they built and constructed by the order of the God of Israel, and by the order of Cyrus and Darius, as well as Artaxerxes, the kings of the Persians.
猶太人的長老遂繼續修建,因著先知哈蓋,和依多的兒子匝利亞的鼓勵,進行的很是順利;如此他們遵照以色列天主的旨意,並按照波斯王居魯士和達理阿的諭令,完成了修殿的工程。
15 And they completed this house of God on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.
聖殿完工的日期,是在達理阿王在位第六年,「阿達爾」月初三日。
16 Then the sons of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the remainder of the sons of the transmigration celebrated the dedication of the house of God with gladness.
以色列子民、司祭、肋未人和其餘由充軍歸來的人,興高彩烈,為天主的殿舉行了奉獻禮。
17 And they offered, for the dedication of the house of God, one hundred calves, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and, as a sin offering for all of Israel, twelve he-goats from among the goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
天主聖殿的奉獻禮,奉獻了牛犢一百頭,公綿羊二百隻,羔羊四百隻;又照以色列支派的數目,a了十二隻公山羊,為贖全叵的罪。
18 And they appointed the priests into their divisions, and the Levites into their turns, over the works of God in Jerusalem, just as it was written in the book of Moses.
他們又派定了司祭,按照他們的編制,肋未人,按照他們的班次,在耶路撒冷值班奉侍天主,全照梅瑟書上所記載的。
19 Then the sons of Israel of the transmigration kept the Passover, on the fourteenth day of the first month.
由充軍歸來的子民,於正月十四日,舉行了逾越節。
20 For the priests and Levites had been purified as one. All were cleansed in order to immolate the Passover for all the sons of the transmigration, and for their brothers, the priests, and for themselves.
肋未人全都聖潔了自己,他們既已聖潔了,就為所有充軍歸來的人,並為他們的兄弟司祭和自己,宰殺了逾越節羔羊。
21 And the sons of Israel, who had been returned from the transmigration, and all those who had separated themselves from the defilement of the Gentiles of the earth to them, so that they might seek the Lord, the God of Israel, ate
凡由充軍歸來的以色列子民,並所有戒絕當地民族不潔的人,尋求上主以色列的天主,都吃了逾越節羔羊。
22 and kept the solemnity of unleavened bread for seven days with joy. For the Lord had made them joyful, and he had converted the heart of the king of Assur to them, so that he would assist their hands in the work of the house of the Lord, the God of Israel.
七天之久,歡樂地舉行了無酵節,因為上主使亞述王的心傾向他們,協助了他們修建以色列天主的聖殿,都非常歡樂。

< Ezra 6 >