< Ezra 6 >

1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon, was searched.
達理阿王遂下令,檢查在巴比倫貯藏寶物的檔案室。
2 A scroll was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, and in it this was written for a record:
在厄克巴塔納,即在瑪待省的王堡內,發現了一宗案卷,上邊這樣的記載:「備忘錄:
3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning God’s house at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid, with its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits;
居魯士王元年,居魯士曾為耶路撒冷天主的殿宇,頒發上諭:殿宇應予重建,為在那裏舉行祭獻,奉獻火祭;殿應高六十肘,寬六十肘,
4 with three courses of great stones and a course of new timber. Let the expenses be given out of the king’s house.
三層用方石,一層用木料修建;所有費用概出自室。
5 Also let the gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple which is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again to the temple which is at Jerusalem, everything to its place. You shall put them in God’s house.
此外,凡拿步高王取耶路撒冷殿宇,而運到巴比倫的,天主殿宇的那些金銀器,冊都應歸還,送回耶路撒冷的殿宇內,各放在原處,安置在天主的殿宇內。
6 Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, you must stay far from there.
河西州長塔特乃的同僚官員,應退出那地,
7 Leave the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.
不可干涉天主殿宇的工程,任憑猶太人的總督和猶太人的長老,在原處重建天主的殿宇。
8 Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses must be given with all diligence to these men, that they not be hindered.
此外,我且頒下此旨,諭令你們為協助猶太人的長老,修建天主的殿應行的事:由河西收入王室的賦稅,給那些人撥出充分的經費,不得有誤!
9 That which they have need of, including young bulls, rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings to the God of heaven; also wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail,
他們向上天大王,獻全燔祭所需要是牛犢、公綿羊和羔羊,以及麵、鹽、酒和油,應按耶路撒冷的司祭所指定的,每天供應,不得有誤!
10 that they may offer sacrifices of pleasant aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.
好使他們向上天的大王,奉獻馨香祭,為君王和王孫的長壽祈禱。
11 I have also made a decree that whoever alters this message, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened on it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
我今頒下此令:凡有敢刪改此令者,應把他屋內的樑木拆出,堅起來,把他懸在上邊;令他的房屋從此成為糞堆。
12 May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who stretch out their hand to alter this, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree. Let it be done with all diligence.
凡有敢刪改此令,對耶路撒冷的天主殿宇,敢於破壞的王侯和人民,願那使己名住在那裏的天主將他毀滅! 我達理阿頒發此令,應悉依照遵行! 」
13 Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and their companions did accordingly with all diligence, because Darius the king had sent a decree.
於是河西長塔特乃和他們的同僚,全照達理阿王所頒佈的,一一遵行。
14 The elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
猶太人的長老遂繼續修建,因著先知哈蓋,和依多的兒子匝利亞的鼓勵,進行的很是順利;如此他們遵照以色列天主的旨意,並按照波斯王居魯士和達理阿的諭令,完成了修殿的工程。
15 This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
聖殿完工的日期,是在達理阿王在位第六年,「阿達爾」月初三日。
16 The children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.
以色列子民、司祭、肋未人和其餘由充軍歸來的人,興高彩烈,為天主的殿舉行了奉獻禮。
17 They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
天主聖殿的奉獻禮,奉獻了牛犢一百頭,公綿羊二百隻,羔羊四百隻;又照以色列支派的數目,a了十二隻公山羊,為贖全叵的罪。
18 They set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
他們又派定了司祭,按照他們的編制,肋未人,按照他們的班次,在耶路撒冷值班奉侍天主,全照梅瑟書上所記載的。
19 The children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
由充軍歸來的子民,於正月十四日,舉行了逾越節。
20 Because the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. They killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.
肋未人全都聖潔了自己,他們既已聖潔了,就為所有充軍歸來的人,並為他們的兄弟司祭和自己,宰殺了逾越節羔羊。
21 The children of Israel who had returned out of the captivity, and all who had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, ate,
凡由充軍歸來的以色列子民,並所有戒絕當地民族不潔的人,尋求上主以色列的天主,都吃了逾越節羔羊。
22 and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; because the LORD had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God, the God of Israel’s house.
七天之久,歡樂地舉行了無酵節,因為上主使亞述王的心傾向他們,協助了他們修建以色列天主的聖殿,都非常歡樂。

< Ezra 6 >