Ezra 6
1 [Later] Darius [became the ruler of the Persian Empire. When the enemies of the Israelis forced them to stop rebuilding the temple, the Persian officials sent a message to King Darius. They asked him to] search the records in the (archives/government records), in the building where the king stored the important documents, [to find out whether King Cyrus had authorized that the temple should be rebuilt].
Awo kabaka Daliyo n’awa ekiragiro okunoonyereza mu bitabo ebyabeeranga mu ggwanika e Babulooni.
2 [The king commanded someone to search there, but those documents were not there in Babylon]. They found a scroll at the fort in Ecbatana, in Media province, [that contained the information that they wanted to know]. This is what was written on that scroll:
Awo omuzingo gw’ekitabo ogwawandiikibwamu ekijjukizo ne guzuulibwa mu kibuga ekikulu Yakumesa eky’essaza ly’e Bumeedi nga kigamba nti: Ekiwandiiko:
3 “During the first year that Cyrus [ruled the empire], he sent out a decree concerning the temple of God which is at Jerusalem. In the decree it was stated that a new temple must be built at the same place that [the Israeli people previously] had offered sacrifices, where the [original] foundation [of the first temple] was. The temple must be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide.
Mu mwaka ogw’olubereberye ogw’obufuzi bwa kabaka Kuulo, kabaka yateeka etteeka erikwata ku yeekaalu ya Katonda mu Yerusaalemi, nga ligamba nti: Yeekaalu eddaabirizibwe ebeere ekifo eky’okuweerangayo ssaddaaka, n’emisingi gyayo giteekebwewo ginywezebwe. Eriba mita amakumi abiri mu musanvu obugulumivu, ne mita amakumi abiri mu musanvu obugazi,
4 The building must be made from large stones. After putting down three layers of stones, a layer of timber must be put on top of them. This work will be paid for by money from my treasury.
ng’erina embu ssatu ez’amayinja amanene, n’olubu olulala nga lwa mbaawo. Omuwendo gwonna gwakusasulibwa okuva mu gwanika lya kabaka.
5 Also, the gold and silver utensils that King Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple of God in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon must be taken back to Jerusalem. They must be put in God’s temple just as they were in the previous temple.”
Ate era n’ebintu ebya zaabu n’ebya ffeeza eby’omu nnyumba ya Katonda, Nebukadduneeza bye yaggya mu yeekaalu e Yerusaalemi n’abireeta e Babulooni, bizibweyo mu bifo byabyo mu yeekaalu e Yerusaalemi; mulibiteeka mu nnyumba ya Katonda.
6 After reading this, King Darius sent this message [to the leaders of the Israeli people’s enemies in Jerusalem]: “This is a message for Tattenai, the governor of the province west of the [Euphrates] River, and for [his assistant] Shethar-Bozenai, and for all your colleagues: Stay away from that area!
Kale nno, Tattenayi ow’essaza ery’emitala w’omugga Fulaati, ne Sesalubozenayi, n’abakungu abeeyo mwewale okutabulatabula.
7 Do not (interfere with/hinder) the work of building the temple of God! The temple must be rebuilt at the same place where the former temple was. And do not hinder the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews [while they are doing this work].
Temuyingirira mulimu ogukolebwa ku yeekaalu ya Katonda eyo. Muleke ow’essaza ly’Abayudaaya n’abakulu b’Abayudaaya bazzeewo ennyumba ya Katonda mu kifo kyayo.
8 “Furthermore, I declare that you must help these leaders of the Jews as they rebuild this temple of God [by giving them funds for the building work].
Ate era nteeka etteeka erikwata ku bye muteekwa okukolera abakulu abo ab’Abayudaaya nga bazimba yeekaalu ya Katonda: Ebirikozesebwa abasajja abo byonna, bya kusasulibwa okuva mu ggwanika lya Kabaka, ku misolo egiva emitala w’omugga Fulaati, omulimu guleme okuyimirira.
9 “The Jewish priests in Jerusalem need young bulls and rams and lambs to sacrifice as they make burned offerings to the God of heaven. You must give them the animals that they need. Also, you must be certain to give them the wheat, salt, wine, and [olive] oil that they need each day [for those sacrifices].
Bwe baliba beetaaze okuwaayo ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa eri Katonda w’eggulu, oba nte nnume ento, oba ndiga nnume, oba ndiga nnume ento, oba ŋŋaano, oba munnyo, oba nvinnyo, oba mafuta, muteekwa okuwa bakabona ab’omu Yerusaalemi byonna nga bwe baliba basabye buli lunaku obutayosa,
10 If you do that, the Jewish priests will be able to offer sacrifices that please the God who is in heaven, and they will pray that God will bless me and my sons.
basobole okuwaayo ssaddaaka ezisiimibwa Katonda w’eggulu, era basabire kabaka ne batabani be.
11 “If anyone disobeys this decree, [my soldiers] will pull a beam from his house. Then [after they sharpen one end of the beam, ] they will lift that man up and impale him on that beam. Then they will [completely destroy that man’s house until only] a pile of rubble is left.
Era nteeka etteeka, omuntu yenna bwalikyusa ekiragiro ekyo, empagi eyazimba ennyumba ye eriggyibwa ku nnyumba ye, era n’awanikibwa ku mpagi eyo. N’ennyumba ye erifuulibwa olubungo olw’ekikolwa ekyo.
12 God has chosen [that city of] Jerusalem as the place where people will honor him [MTY]. What I desire is that he will get rid of any king or any nation that tries to change this decree or tries to destroy that temple in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have made this decree. It must be obeyed quickly and thoroughly.”
Katonda eyaleetera Erinnya lye okubeera mu kifo ekyo, aggyewo kabaka yenna n’eggwanga eririyimusa omukono gwalyo okukyusa etteeka eryo oba n’okuzikiriza eyeekaalu eyo mu Yerusaalemi. Nze Daliyo ntaddewo etteeka eryo. Likwatibwe butiribiri.
13 Tattenai, the governor of the province, and [his assistant] Shethar-Bozenai and their colleagues [read the message and] immediately obeyed the decree of King Darius.
Olw’ekiragiro kabaka Daliyo kye yaweereza, Tattenayi ow’essaza ly’emitala w’omugga Fulaati, ne Sesalubozenayi ne bannaabwe ne bakola bye baalagibwa n’obunyiikivu bwonna.
14 So the Jewish leaders continued their work [of rebuilding the temple]. They were greatly encouraged by the messages that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah preached. The Israelis continued building the temple, just like God had commanded them to do and like King Cyrus had decreed.
Abakadde b’Abayudaaya ne bagenda mu maaso n’okuzimba era ne balaba omukisa ng’okutegeeza kwa nnabbi Kaggayi n’okwa nnabbi Zekkaliya muzzukulu wa Ido bwe kwali. Ne bamaliriza okuzimba yeekaalu, ng’ekiragiro kya Katonda wa Isirayiri bwe kyali, era ng’amateeka ga Kuulo, ne Daliyo ne Alutagizerugizi bakabaka b’e Buperusi bwe gaali.
15 They finished building it on March 12, during the sixth year that King Darius [ruled].
Awo yeekaalu eyo n’emalirizibwa ku lunaku olwokusatu olw’omwezi Adali, mu mwaka ogw’omukaaga ogw’obufuzi bwa kabaka Daliyo.
16 Then the priests and the Levites and all the other Israeli people who had returned from Babylon very joyfully dedicated the temple.
Awo abantu ba Isirayiri, bakabona n’Abaleevi n’abalala abaali mu buwaŋŋanguse ne bakomawo mu ssanyu ne bakola embaga ey’okutukuza ennyumba ya Katonda nga balina essanyu.
17 During [the ceremony to] dedicate the temple, they sacrificed 100 young bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs. They also sacrificed twelve male goats as an offering in order that [God would forgive] the sins of the people of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Olw’okutukuza ennyumba eyo eya Katonda, baawaayo ente ennume kikumi, n’endiga ennume ebikumi bibiri, n’endiga ennume ento ebikumi bina, ate n’ekiweebwayo olw’ekibi ku lwa Isirayiri yenna, embuzi ennume kkumi na bbiri, ng’omuwendo bwe gwali ogw’ebika bya Isirayiri.
18 Then the priests and Levites were divided into groups that would [take turns to] serve at the temple. They did this according to what Moses had written [many years previously] in the laws [that he wrote].
Ne bateeka bakabona mu bibinja byabwe n’Abaleevi mu biti byabwe olw’okuweereza Katonda e Yerusaalemi, nga bwe kyawandiikibwa mu kitabo kya Musa.
19 On April 21, the Jews who had returned from Babylon celebrated the Passover Festival.
Ku lunaku olw’ekkumi n’ennya olw’omwezi ogw’olubereberye, abawaŋŋaangusibwa baafumba embaga ey’Okuyitako.
20 [To qualify themselves for offering the sacrifices], the priests and Levites had already purified themselves by performing certain rituals. Then they slaughtered the lambs for the benefit of all the people who had returned from Babylon, for the other priests, and for themselves.
Bakabona n’Abaleevi baali beetukuzizza era bonna nga balongoofu okukola emikolo. Abaleevi ne batta omwana gw’endiga ogw’Okuyitako, ku lwa baganda baabwe bakabona, nabo bennyini.
21 Those who had returned from Babylon and the other people in that land who had turned away from their immoral practices in order to worship Yahweh, the God of the Israeli people, ate the Passover meal.
Awo Abayisirayiri abaava mu buwaŋŋanguse ne bagirya wamu n’abo bonna abaali beeyawudde, nga basinza Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri.
22 They celebrated the Unleavened Bread Festival of [Eating] Unleavened Bread for seven days. The Israeli people throughout the land were joyful because Yahweh had changed the attitude of the king of Assyria toward them, and as a result, the king had helped them to rebuild the temple of God, the one whom they [worshiped].
Ne bamala ennaku musanvu nga balya n’essanyu Embaga ey’Emigaati Egitazimbulukuswa, kubanga Mukama yabajjuza essanyu bwe yakyusa omutima gwa kabaka w’e Bwasuli, n’abayamba mu mulimu ogw’ennyumba ya Katonda wa Isirayiri.
