Ezra 5
1 The prophets Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo, gave messages to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem from the God of Israel, their ruler.
那时，先知哈该和易多的孙子撒迦利亚奉以色列 神的名向犹大和耶路撒冷的犹大人说劝勉的话。
2 Then Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, son of Jozadak, decided to start work on rebuilding God's Temple in Jerusalem. The prophets of God encouraged them and helped them.
于是撒拉铁的儿子所罗巴伯和约萨达的儿子耶书亚都起来动手建造耶路撒冷 神的殿，有 神的先知在那里帮助他们。
3 Almost immediately Tattenai, the governor of the province west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow officials arrived and asked, “Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and finish it?”
当时河西的总督达乃和示他·波斯乃，并他们的同党来问说：“谁降旨让你们建造这殿，修成这墙呢？”
4 Then they asked, “What are the names of the men who are working on this building?”
我们便告诉他们建造这殿的人叫什么名字。
5 But their God was watching over the Jewish leaders, so that they were not prevented from working until a report could be sent to Darius and a written reply with instructions was received.
神的眼目看顾犹大的长老，以致总督等没有叫他们停工，直到这事奏告大流士，得着他的回谕。
6 The following is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the province west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow officials, officials of the province, sent to King Darius.
河西的总督达乃和示他·波斯乃，并他们的同党，就是住河西的亚法萨迦人，上本奏告大流士王。
7 The report they sent him read went like this: “To King Darius: Greetings.
本上写着说：“愿大流士王诸事平安。
8 We wish to inform Your Majesty that we went to the province of Judah, to the Temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones, with timber beams being placed on the walls. This work is being done properly and is progressing well.
王该知道，我们往犹大省去，到了至大 神的殿，这殿是用大石建造的。梁木插入墙内，工作甚速，他们手下亨通。
9 We questioned the leaders, asking them, ‘Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and finish it?’
我们就问那些长老说：‘谁降旨让你们建造这殿，修成这墙呢？’
10 We also asked for their names, so that we could write them down and let you know the names of their leaders.
又问他们的名字，要记录他们首领的名字，奏告于王。
11 This is the answer they gave us. ‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the Temple built and completed many years ago by a great king of Israel.
他们回答说：‘我们是天地之 神的仆人，重建前多年所建造的殿，就是以色列的一位大君王建造修成的。
12 But our forefathers made the God of heaven angry, so he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this Temple and deported the people to Babylon.
只因我们列祖惹天上的 神发怒， 神把他们交在迦勒底人巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒的手中，他就拆毁这殿，又将百姓掳到巴比伦。
13 However, Cyrus, king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, issued a decree to rebuild this Temple of God.
然而巴比伦王塞鲁士元年，他降旨允准建造 神的这殿。
14 He even gave back the gold and silver items belonging to God's Temple, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and placed in his temple in Babylon. King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor,
神殿中的金、银器皿，就是尼布甲尼撒从耶路撒冷的殿中掠去带到巴比伦庙里的，塞鲁士王从巴比伦庙里取出来，交给派为省长的，名叫设巴萨，
15 telling him, Take these items and place them in the Temple in Jerusalem. Rebuild God's Temple on its original site.
对他说可以将这些器皿带去，放在耶路撒冷的殿中，在原处建造 神的殿。
16 So Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of God's Temple in Jerusalem. It has been under construction since then, but hasn't yet been completed.’
于是这设巴萨来建立耶路撒冷 神殿的根基。这殿从那时直到如今尚未造成。’
17 So, if Your Majesty wishes, authorize a search to be made of the royal archives in Babylon to discover if there is a record that King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild God's Temple in Jerusalem. Then please let us know Your Majesty's decision in this matter.”
现在王若以为美，请察巴比伦王的府库，看塞鲁士王降旨允准在耶路撒冷建造 神的殿没有，王的心意如何？请降旨晓谕我们。”
