Ezra 5
1 Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel they prophesied to them.
Pada waktu itu dua orang nabi, yaitu Hagai dan Zakharia anak Ido, mulai berbicara atas nama Allah Israel kepada orang Yahudi yang tinggal di Yehuda dan di Yerusalem.
2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build God's house which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.
Mendengar pesan kedua nabi itu, Zerubabel anak Sealtiel dan Yesua anak Yozadak segera mulai membangun kembali Rumah TUHAN di Yerusalem, dibantu oleh kedua nabi itu.
3 At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and their companions, and said thus to them, "Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?"
Tetapi Tatnai, gubernur provinsi Efrat Barat, bersama dengan Syetar-Boznai dan rekan-rekan mereka segera datang ke Yerusalem dan bertanya kepada orang-orang Yahudi, "Siapa menyuruh kamu membangun dan memperlengkapi Rumah Ibadat ini?"
4 Then they asked them, "What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?
Mereka menanyakan juga nama semua orang yang membantu mendirikan Rumah TUHAN itu.
5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease, until the matter should come to Daryavesh, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it.
Tetapi Allah memperhatikan dan melindungi pemimpin-pemimpin Yahudi itu, sehingga para pejabat Persia memutuskan untuk tidak mengambil tindakan sebelum mereka mengirim surat kepada Darius dan menerima jawabannya.
6 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 Daryavesh the king;
Inilah laporan yang mereka kirimkan kepada Raja,
7 they sent a letter to him, in which was written thus: To Daryavesh the king, all peace.
"Ke hadapan Raja Darius. Semoga Baginda memerintah dengan sejahtera!
8 Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.
Kiranya Baginda maklum, bahwa kami telah pergi ke provinsi Yehuda dan melihat bahwa Rumah TUHAN, Allah Yang Besar, sedang dibangun kembali dengan batu-batu besar dan tembok-tembok yang dilapisi kayu. Pekerjaan itu dilakukan dengan sangat teliti dan berjalan dengan lancar.
9 Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, "Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?"
Kemudian kami tanyakan kepada para pemimpin bangsa itu, siapa yang telah memberi izin kepada mereka untuk membangun kembali Rumah Ibadat itu dan memperlengkapinya.
10 We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.
Kami tanyakan juga nama-nama mereka supaya dapat melaporkan kepada Baginda siapa saja yang mengepalai pekerjaan itu.
11 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.
Mereka menjawab, 'Kami ini hamba Allah penguasa alam semesta. Kami sedang membangun kembali Rumah TUHAN yang didirikan dan diperlengkapi berpuluh-puluh tahun yang lalu oleh seorang raja Israel yang agung.
12 But after that 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.
Tetapi karena para leluhur kami telah menimbulkan kemarahan Allah penguasa di surga, maka Ia menyerahkan mereka kepada kekuasaan Nebukadnezar, raja Babel dari keturunan Kasdim. Ia menghancurkan Rumah itu dan mengangkut bangsa kami ke Babel.
13 But in the first year of Koresh king of Babylon, Koresh the king made a decree to build this house of God.
Kemudian Kores menjadi raja Babel dan pada tahun pertama pemerintahannya, ia mengeluarkan perintah untuk membangun kembali Rumah TUHAN itu.
14 The gold and silver vessels also of God's house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought into the temple of Babylon, those Koresh the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;
Bahkan dikembalikannya juga perkakas-perkakas emas dan perak yang dipakai dalam Rumah TUHAN dan yang diambil dari Yerusalem oleh Nebukadnezar lalu dimasukkan ke dalam kuil di Babel. Perkakas-perkakas itu diserahkan oleh Raja Kores kepada orang yang bernama Sesbazar, yang telah diangkatnya menjadi gubernur Yehuda.
15 and 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.'
Raja menyuruh dia mengambil perkakas-perkakas itu dan mengembalikannya ke Rumah TUHAN di Yerusalem, serta membangun kembali Rumah itu.
16 Then the same Sheshbazzar came, and laid the foundations of God's house which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now has it been in building, and yet it is not completed.
Lalu datanglah Sesbazar ke Yerusalem dan meletakkan pondasi Rumah TUHAN itu. Sejak waktu itu sampai sekarang pembangunan itu berjalan terus, tetapi belum juga selesai.'
17 Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let a search be made in the king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Koresh the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter."
Jika Baginda mengizinkan, kami mengusulkan supaya diadakan penyelidikan di dalam arsip kerajaan di Babel. Dengan demikian dapat diketahui apakah benar ada perintah Raja Kores untuk membangun kembali Rumah TUHAN di Yerusalem ini. Kemudian kami mohon kabar tentang keputusan Baginda mengenai perkara itu."
