< Ezra 6 >

1 Thus King Darius ordered that a search be made of the archives that were housed in the treasury of Babylon.
בֵּאדַיִן דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא שָׂם טְעֵם וּבַקַּרוּ ׀ בְּבֵית סִפְרַיָּא דִּי גִנְזַיָּא מְהַחֲתִין תַּמָּה בְּבָבֶֽל׃
2 But it was actually in the fortress of Ecbatana, in the province of Media, that a scroll was found, recording the following:
וְהִשְׁתְּכַח בְּאַחְמְתָא בְּבִירְתָא דִּי בְּמָדַי מְדִינְתָּא מְגִלָּה חֲדָה וְכֵן־כְּתִיב בְּגַוַּהּ דִּכְרוֹנָֽהֿ׃
3 In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree regarding God's Temple in Jerusalem: Let the Temple be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered, and make sure it has strong foundations are firm. Make it sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide,
בִּשְׁנַת חֲדָה לְכוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא כּוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא שָׂם טְעֵם בֵּית־אֱלָהָא בִֽירוּשְׁלֶם בַּיְתָא יִתְבְּנֵא אֲתַר דִּֽי־דָבְחִין דִּבְחִין וְאֻשּׁוֹהִי מְסֽוֹבְלִין רוּמֵהּ אַמִּין שִׁתִּין פְּתָיֵהּ אַמִּין שִׁתִּֽין׃
4 with three layers of stone blocks and one of timber. Expenses are to be paid from the royal treasury.
נִדְבָּכִין דִּי־אֶבֶן גְּלָל תְּלָתָא וְנִדְבָּךְ דִּי־אָע חֲדַת וְנִפְקְתָא מִן־בֵּית מַלְכָּא תִּתְיְהִֽב׃
5 In addition, the gold and silver items of God's Temple, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, must also be returned to the Temple in Jerusalem and placed there.
וְאַף מָאנֵי בֵית־אֱלָהָא דִּי דַהֲבָה וְכַסְפָּא דִּי נְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּר הַנְפֵּק מִן־הֵיכְלָא דִי־בִירוּשְׁלֶם וְהֵיבֵל לְבָבֶל יַהֲתִיבוּן וִיהָךְ לְהֵיכְלָא דִי־בִירֽוּשְׁלֶם לְאַתְרֵהּ וְתַחֵת בְּבֵית אֱלָהָֽא׃
6 These are my instructions to you, Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your fellow officials, and officials of the province: Stay far away from there!
כְּעַן תַּתְּנַי פַּחַת עֲבַֽר־נַהֲרָה שְׁתַר בּוֹזְנַי וּכְנָוָתְהוֹן אֲפַרְסְכָיֵא דִּי בַּעֲבַר נַהֲרָה רַחִיקִין הֲווֹ מִן־תַּמָּֽה׃
7 This work on God's Temple—leave it alone! Let the governor and leaders of the Jews continue with rebuilding this Temple of God on its original site.
שְׁבֻקוּ לַעֲבִידַת בֵּית־אֱלָהָא דֵךְ פַּחַת יְהוּדָיֵא וּלְשָׂבֵי יְהוּדָיֵא בֵּית־אֱלָהָא דֵךְ יִבְנוֹן עַל־אַתְרֵֽהּ׃
8 Furthermore, this is my decree as to what you are to do for these Jewish leaders regarding the rebuilding of this Temple of God. The full expense involved is to be paid from royal income, the tribute of the province west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be delayed.
וּמִנִּי שִׂים טְעֵם לְמָא דִֽי־תַֽעַבְדוּן עִם־שָׂבֵי יְהוּדָיֵא אִלֵּךְ לְמִבְנֵא בֵּית־אֱלָהָא דֵךְ וּמִנִּכְסֵי מַלְכָּא דִּי מִדַּת עֲבַר נַהֲרָה אׇסְפַּרְנָא נִפְקְתָא תֶּהֱוֵא מִֽתְיַהֲבָא לְגֻבְרַיָּא אִלֵּךְ דִּי־לָא לְבַטָּלָֽא׃
9 Provide whatever is needed by the priests in Jerusalem: young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil. Make sure to give them this each day without fail.
וּמָה חַשְׁחָן וּבְנֵי תוֹרִין וְדִכְרִין וְאִמְּרִין ׀ לַעֲלָוָן ׀ לֶאֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא חִנְטִין מְלַח ׀ חֲמַר וּמְשַׁח כְּמֵאמַר כָּהֲנַיָּא דִי־בִירֽוּשְׁלֶם לֶהֱוֵא מִתְיְהֵב לְהֹם יוֹם ׀ בְּיוֹם דִּי־לָא שָׁלֽוּ׃
10 In this way they can offer sacrifices that are acceptable to the God of heaven, and pray for the lives of the king and his sons.
דִּֽי־לֶהֱוֺן מְהַקְרְבִין נִיחוֹחִין לֶאֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא וּמְצַלַּיִן לְחַיֵּי מַלְכָּא וּבְנֽוֹהִי׃
11 Further I declare that if any man interferes with this decree, a beam is to be ripped from his house and set in the ground, and he is to be impaled on top of it. His own house shall be turned into a pile of rubble for disobeying this decree.
וּמִנִּי שִׂים טְעֵם דִּי כׇל־אֱנָשׁ דִּי יְהַשְׁנֵא פִּתְגָמָא דְנָה יִתְנְסַח אָע מִן־בַּיְתֵהּ וּזְקִיף יִתְמְחֵא עֲלֹהִי וּבַיְתֵהּ נְוָלוּ יִתְעֲבֵד עַל־דְּנָֽה׃
12 May God who chose the city of Jerusalem as the place where he would be honored, destroy any king or people who try to alter what I have said or who destroy this Temple. I, Darius, issue this decree. Let it be faithfully carried out.
וֵֽאלָהָא דִּי שַׁכִּן שְׁמֵהּ תַּמָּה יְמַגַּר כׇּל־מֶלֶךְ וְעַם דִּי ׀ יִשְׁלַח יְדֵהּ לְהַשְׁנָיָה לְחַבָּלָה בֵּית־אֱלָהָא דֵךְ דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם אֲנָה דָרְיָוֶשׁ שָׂמֶת טְעֵם אׇסְפַּרְנָא יִתְעֲבִֽד׃
13 Tattenai, the governor of the province west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow officials faithfully carried out what King Darius had decreed.
אֱדַיִן תַּתְּנַי פַּחַת עֲבַֽר־נַהֲרָה שְׁתַר בּוֹזְנַי וּכְנָוָתְהוֹן לׇקֳבֵל דִּֽי־שְׁלַח דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא כְּנֵמָא אׇסְפַּרְנָא עֲבַֽדוּ׃
14 As a result the Jewish leaders continued building, and they were encouraged by the messages from Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, son of Iddo. They completed building the Temple following the command of the God of Israel, and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.
וְשָׂבֵי יְהוּדָיֵא בָּנַיִן וּמַצְלְחִין בִּנְבוּאַת חַגַּי (נביאה) [נְבִיָּא] וּזְכַרְיָה בַּר־עִדּוֹא וּבְנוֹ וְשַׁכְלִלוּ מִן־טַעַם אֱלָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִטְּעֵם כּוֹרֶשׁ וְדָרְיָוֶשׁ וְאַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא מֶלֶךְ פָּרָֽס׃
15 The Temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
וְשֵׁיצִיא בַּיְתָה דְנָה עַד יוֹם תְּלָתָה לִירַח אֲדָר דִּי־הִיא שְׁנַת־שֵׁת לְמַלְכוּת דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּֽא׃
16 Then the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of those who had returned from exile, all joyfully celebrated the dedication of the God's Temple.
וַעֲבַדוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּהֲנַיָּא וְלֵוָיֵא וּשְׁאָר בְּנֵי־גָלוּתָא חֲנֻכַּת בֵּית־אֱלָהָא דְנָה בְּחֶדְוָֽה׃
17 To dedicate God's Temple they sacrificed one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for the whole of Israel comprising twelve male goats, one for each Israelite tribe.
וְהַקְרִבוּ לַחֲנֻכַּת בֵּית־אֱלָהָא דְנָה תּוֹרִין מְאָה דִּכְרִין מָאתַיִן אִמְּרִין אַרְבַּע מְאָה וּצְפִירֵי עִזִּין (לחטיא) [לְחַטָּאָה] עַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּרֵֽי־עֲשַׂר לְמִנְיָן שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
18 They organized the priests and Levites by their divisions to serve God in the Temple at Jerusalem, in accordance with the Book of Moses.
וַהֲקִימוּ כָהֲנַיָּא בִּפְלֻגָּתְהוֹן וְלֵוָיֵא בְּמַחְלְקָתְהוֹן עַל־עֲבִידַת אֱלָהָא דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם כִּכְתָב סְפַר מֹשֶֽׁה׃
19 The exiles who had returned observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי־הַגּוֹלָה אֶת־הַפָּסַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשֽׁוֹן׃
20 The priests and Levites had all purified themselves so that they were clean according to the ceremonial law. So they killed the Passover lamb for all the exiles who had returned, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
כִּי הִֽטַּהֲרוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם כְּאֶחָד כֻּלָּם טְהוֹרִים וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ הַפֶּסַח לְכׇל־בְּנֵי הַגּוֹלָה וְלַאֲחֵיהֶם הַכֹּהֲנִים וְלָהֶֽם׃
21 The Passover was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and by those who had joined them and had rejected the pagan practices of the peoples of the land in order to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.
וַיֹּאכְלוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַשָּׁבִים מֵֽהַגּוֹלָה וְכֹל הַנִּבְדָּל מִטֻּמְאַת גּוֹיֵֽ־הָאָרֶץ אֲלֵהֶם לִדְרֹשׁ לַֽיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
22 Then they observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. Everyone throughout the land was so happy because the Lord had made the king of Assyria favorable to them, helping them to rebuild the Temple of God, the God of Israel.
וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ חַג־מַצּוֹת שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בְּשִׂמְחָה כִּי ׀ שִׂמְּחָם יְהֹוָה וְֽהֵסֵב לֵב מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר עֲלֵיהֶם לְחַזֵּק יְדֵיהֶם בִּמְלֶאכֶת בֵּית־הָאֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

< Ezra 6 >