Ezra 5

1 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews that [were] in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, [even] to them.

١ فَتَنَبَّأَ ٱلنَّبِيَّانِ حَجَّيِ ٱلنَّبِيُّ وَزَكَرِيَّا بْنُ عِدُّوَ لِلْيَهُودِ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ بِٱسْمِ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَيْهِمْ.

2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which [is] at Jerusalem: and with them [were] the prophets of God helping them.

٢ حِينَئِذٍ قَامَ زَرُبَّابِلُ بْنُ شَأَلْتِئِيلَ وَيَشُوعُ بْنُ يُوصَادَاقَ، وَشَرَعَا بِبُنْيَانِ بَيْتِ ٱللهِ ٱلَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَمَعَهُمَا أَنْبِيَاءُ ٱللهِ يُسَاعِدُونَهُمَا.

3 At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side of the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus to them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?

٣ فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلزَّمَانِ جَاءَ إِلَيْهِمْ تَتْنَايُ وَالِي عَبْرِ ٱلنَّهْرِ وَشَتَرْبُوزْنَايُ وَرُفَقَاؤُهُمَا وَقَالُوا لَهُمْ هَكَذَا: «مَنْ أَمَرَكُمْ أَنْ تَبْنُوا هَذَا ٱلْبَيْتَ وَتُكَمِّلُوا هَذَا ٱلسُّورَ؟».

4 Then said we to them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?

٤ حِينَئِذٍ أَخْبَرْنَاهُمْ عَلَى هَذَا ٱلْمَنْوَالِ مَا هِيَ أَسْمَاءُ ٱلرِّجَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَبْنُونَ هَذَا ٱلْبِنَاءَ.

5 But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this [matter].

٥ وَكَانَتْ عَلَى شُيُوخِ ٱلْيَهُودِ عَيْنُ إِلَهِهِمْ فَلَمْ يُوقِفُوهُمْ حَتَّى وَصَلَ ٱلْأَمْرُ إِلَى دَارِيُوسَ، وَحِينَئِذٍ جَاوَبُوا بِرِسَالَةٍ عَنْ هَذَا.

6 The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side of the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who [were] on this side of the river, sent to Darius the king:

٦ صُورَةُ ٱلرِّسَالَةِ ٱلَّتِي أَرْسَلَهَا تَتْنَايُ وَالِي عَبْرِ ٱلنَّهْرِ وَشَتَرْبُوزْنَايُ وَرُفَقَاؤُهُمَا ٱلْأَفَرْسَكِيِّينَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي عَبْرِ ٱلنَّهْرِ إِلَى دَارِيُوسَ ٱلْمَلِكِ.

7 They sent a letter to him, in which was written thus; To Darius the king, all peace.

٧ أَرْسَلُوا إِلَيْهِ رِسَالَةً وَكَانَ مَكْتُوبًا فِيهَا هَكَذَا: «لِدَارِيُوسَ ٱلْمَلِكِ كُلُّ سَلَامٍ.

8 Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work proceedeth rapidly, and prospereth in their hands.

٨ لِيَكُنْ مَعْلُومًا لَدَى ٱلْمَلِكِ أَنَّنَا ذَهَبْنَا إِلَى بِلَادِ يَهُوذَا، إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلْإِلَهِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ، وَإِذَا بِهِ يُبْنَى بِحِجَارَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، وَيُوضَعُ خَشَبٌ فِي ٱلْحِيطَانِ. وَهَذَا ٱلْعَمَلُ يُعْمَلُ بِسُرْعَةٍ وَيَنْجَحُ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ.

9 Then we asked those elders, [and] said to them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to erect these walls?

٩ حِينَئِذٍ سَأَلْنَا أُولَئِكَ ٱلشُّيُوخَ وَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ هَكَذَا: مَنْ أَمَرَكُمْ بِبِنَاءِ هَذَا ٱلْبَيْتِ وَتَكْمِيلِ هَذِهِ ٱلْأَسْوَارِ؟

10 We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that [were] the chief of them.

١٠ وَسَأَلْنَاهُمْ أَيْضًا عَنْ أَسْمَائِهِمْ لِنُعْلِمَكَ، وَكَتَبْنَا أَسْمَاءَ ٱلرِّجَالِ رُؤُوسِهِمْ.

11 And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was erected these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and set up.

١١ وَبِمِثْلِ هَذَا ٱلْجَوَابِ جَاوَبُوا قَائِلِينَ: نَحْنُ عَبِيدُ إِلَهِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ، وَنَبْنِي هَذَا ٱلْبَيْتَ ٱلَّذِي بُنِيَ قَبْلَ هَذِهِ ٱلسِّنِينَ ٱلْكَثِيرَةِ، وَقَدْ بَنَاهُ مَلِكٌ عَظِيمٌ لِإِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَكْمَلَهُ.

12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.

١٢ وَلَكِنْ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَسْخَطَ آبَاؤُنَا إِلَهَ ٱلسَّمَاءِ دَفَعَهُمْ لِيَدِ نَبُوخَذْنَصَّرَ مَلِكِ بَابِلَ ٱلْكَلْدَانِيِّ، ٱلَّذِي هَدَمَ هَذَا ٱلْبَيْتَ وَسَبَى ٱلشَّعْبَ إِلَى بَابِلَ.

13 But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, [the same] king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

١٣ عَلَى أَنَّهُ فِي ٱلسَّنَةِ ٱلْأُولَى لِكُورَشَ مَلِكَ بَابِلَ، أَصْدَرَ كُورَشُ ٱلْمَلِكُ أَمْرًا بِبِنَاءِ بَيْتِ ٱللهِ هَذَا.

14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that [was] in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to [one], whose name [was] Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;

١٤ حَتَّى إِنَّ آنِيَةَ بَيْتِ ٱللهِ هَذَا، ٱلَّتِي مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَفِضَّةٍ، ٱلَّتِي أَخْرَجَهَا نَبُوخَذْنَصَّرُ مِنَ ٱلْهَيْكَلِ ٱلَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ وَأَتَى بِهَا إِلَى ٱلْهَيْكَلِ ٱلَّذِي فِي بَابِلَ، أَخْرَجَهَا كُورَشُ ٱلْمَلِكُ مِنَ ٱلْهَيْكَلِ ٱلَّذِي فِي بَابِلَ وَأُعْطِيَتْ لِوَاحِدٍ ٱسْمُهُ شِيشْبَصَّرُ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَهُ وَالِيًا.

15 And said to him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.

١٥ وَقَالَ لَهُ: خُذْ هَذِهِ ٱلْآنِيَةَ وَٱذْهَبْ وَٱحْمِلْهَا إِلَى ٱلْهَيْكَلِ ٱلَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَلْيُبْنَ بَيْتُ ٱللهِ فِي مَكَانِهِ.

16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation of the house of God which [is] in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and [yet] it is not finished.

١٦ حِينَئِذٍ جَاءَ شِيشْبَصَّرُ هَذَا وَوَضَعَ أَسَاسَ بَيْتِ ٱللهِ ٱلَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَمِنْ ذَلِكَ ٱلْوَقْتِ إِلَى ٱلْآنَ يُبْنَى وَلَمْ يُكْمَلْ.

17 Now therefore, if it [seemeth] good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure-house, which [is] there at Babylon, whether it is [so], that a decree was made by Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

١٧ وَٱلْآنَ إِذَا حَسُنَ عِنْدَ ٱلْمَلِكِ فَلْيُفَتَّشْ فِي بَيْتِ خَزَائِنِ ٱلْمَلِكِ ٱلَّذِي هُوَ هُنَاكَ فِي بَابِلَ: هَلْ كَانَ قَدْ صَدَرَ أَمْرٌ مِنْ كُورَشَ ٱلْمَلِكِ بِبِنَاءِ بَيْتِ ٱللهِ هَذَا فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ؟ وَلْيُرْسِلِ ٱلْمَلِكُ إِلَيْنَا مُرَادَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ».