Ezara 3
1 Na rĩrĩ, mweri wa mũgwanja wakinya, andũ a Isiraeli magĩkorwo matũũrĩte matũũra-inĩ mao, andũ makĩũngana Jerusalemu marĩ ta mũndũ ũmwe.
After the Israeli people [returned to Israel, and] had begun to live in their towns, (in the autumn of/after the hot season ended in) that year, they all gathered together in Jerusalem.
2 Nake Jeshua mũrũ wa Jozadaku hamwe na athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa angĩ, o na Zerubabeli mũrũ wa Shealitieli na athiritũ ake makĩambĩrĩria gwaka kĩgongona kĩa Ngai wa Isiraeli gĩa kũrutagĩra magongona ma njino kũringana na ũrĩa kwandĩkĩtwo Watho-inĩ wa Musa mũndũ wa Ngai.
Then Jeshua, the son of Jehozadak, and his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his friends, all began to rebuild the altar of God, the one whom the Israeli people [worshiped]. They did that in order that they could sacrifice burned offerings on it, according to what the prophet Moses had written in the laws [that God gave to him].
3 O na gũtuĩka maarĩ na guoya wa andũ arĩa maamathiũrũrũkĩirie, nĩmakire kĩgongona mũthingi-inĩ wakĩo, na makĩrutĩra Jehova magongona ma njino ho, magongona ma rũciinĩ na ma hwaĩ-inĩ.
Even though they were afraid of the people who were already living in that area, they rebuilt the altar at the same place [where the previous altar had been]. Before they started to lay the foundation of Yahweh’s temple, [the priests] started to burn sacrifices to Yahweh [on the altar]. They offered sacrifices every morning and every evening. Fifteen days after [they started to offer these sacrifices], the people celebrated the Festival of [Living in Temporary] Shelters, as [Moses] had commanded them to do in the laws [that God gave to him]. Each day the priests offered the sacrifices [that were required] for that day. In addition, they presented the regular burned offerings and the offerings [that were required] for the New Moon Festivals and the other festivals that they celebrated each year to [honor] Yahweh. They also brought other offerings only because they desired to bring them, [not because they were required to bring them].
4 Ningĩ kũringana na ũrĩa kwandĩkĩtwo, nĩmakũngũĩire Gĩathĩ gĩa Ithũnũ na mũigana wa maruta ma njino marĩa maatuĩtwo ma o mũthenya.
5 Thuutha ũcio makĩruta maruta ma njino ma ndũire, na magongona ma Karũgamo ka Mweri, na magongona ma ciathĩ ciothe iria ciamũrĩirwo Jehova, o hamwe na maruta ma kwĩyendera marĩa maarehagĩrwo Jehova.
6 Mũthenya wa mbere wa mweri wa mũgwanja makĩambĩrĩria kũrutĩra Jehova maruta ma njino, o na gũtuĩka mũthingi wa hekarũ ya Jehova ndwarĩ mwake.
7 Ningĩ makĩhe aaki a mahiga na mabundi ma mbaũ mbeeca, na makĩhe andũ a Sidoni na andũ a Turo irio, na gĩa kũnyua, na maguta nĩgeetha mamarehithĩrie mĩgogo ya mĩtarakwa kuuma Lebanoni ĩgereire iria-inĩ nginya Jopa, o ta ũrĩa gwaathanĩtwo nĩ Mũthamaki Kurusu wa Perisia.
Then the Israelis hired masons and carpenters, and they bought [logs from] cedar trees from the people of Tyre and Sidon [cities], and they gave those people food and wine and olive oil for the logs. They brought the logs down from [the mountains in] Lebanon [to the Mediterranean seacoast and then floated them along the coast of the Sea, ] to Joppa. King Cyrus permitted them to do that. [Then the logs were brought from Joppa inland up to Jerusalem].
8 Mweri wa keerĩ wa mwaka wa keerĩ thuutha wa gũkinya nyũmba-inĩ ya Jehova kũu Jerusalemu, Zerubabeli mũrũ wa Shealitieli, na Jeshua mũrũ wa Jozadaku na ariũ a ithe wao arĩa angĩ (nĩo athĩnjĩri-Ngai, na Alawii, na arĩa othe maacookete Jerusalemu kuuma ithaamĩrio-inĩ) makĩambĩrĩria wĩra, magĩthuura Alawii a mĩaka mĩrongo ĩĩrĩ na makĩria nĩguo marũgamĩrĩre mwako wa nyũmba ya Jehova.
The Israelis started to rebuild the temple in the (spring/time before the hot season) of the second year after they returned to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel and Jeshua and all the people who had returned to Jerusalem worked on the building. All the (Levites/men who did work in the temple) supervised this work.
9 Jeshua na ariũ ake, na ariũ a ithe, na Kadimieli na ariũ ake (njiaro cia Hodavia), na ariũ a Henadadi na ariũ ao na ariũ a ithe wao, nĩo Alawii othe, makĩnyiitanĩra wĩra wa kũrũgamĩrĩra arĩa maakaga nyũmba ya Ngai.
Jeshua and his sons and his other relatives, and Kadmiel and his sons, who were descendants of Hodaviah, also helped to supervise the work. The family of Henadad, who were also all Levites, joined with them in supervising this work.
10 Rĩrĩa aaki maarĩkirie gwaka mũthingi wa Hekarũ ya Jehova, athĩnjĩri-Ngai mehumbĩte nguo ciao na marĩ na tũrumbeta, na Alawii (ariũ a Asafu) marĩ na thaani iria ihũũrithanagio ikagamba, makĩĩhaarĩria kũgooca Jehova, o ta ũrĩa gwathanĩtwo nĩ Daudi mũthamaki wa Isiraeli.
When the builders finished laying the foundation of the temple, the priests put on their robes and stood in their places, blowing their trumpets. Then the Levites, who were descendants of Asaph, clashed/banged their cymbals to praise Yahweh, just as King David had [many years previously] told [Asaph and the other musicians] to do.
11 Makĩinĩra Jehova, makĩmũgoocaga magĩcookagia ngaatho, makiugaga atĩrĩ: “Jehova nĩ mwega wendo wake harĩ Isiraeli ũtũũraga tene na tene.” Nao andũ othe makĩgooca manĩrĩire mũno tondũ mũthingi wa nyũmba ya Jehova nĩwaakĩtwo.
They praised Yahweh and thanked him, and they sang this song about him: “He is very good [to us]! He faithfully loves us Israeli people, and he will love us forever.” Then all the people shouted loudly, praising Yahweh because they had finished laying the foundation of Yahweh’s temple.
12 No athĩnjĩri-Ngai aingĩ arĩa maarĩ akũrũ, na Alawii, na atongoria a nyũmba, arĩa moonete hekarũ ya mbere makĩrĩra manĩrĩire rĩrĩa moonire mũthingi wa hekarũ ĩyo ya keerĩ ũgĩakwo, o rĩrĩa andũ angĩ aingĩ maanagĩrĩra nĩ gũkena.
Many of the [old] priests, Levites, and leaders of families remembered [what] the first temple [was like], and they cried aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid [because they knew that the new temple would not be as beautiful as the first temple]. But the other people shouted joyfully.
13 Gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩahotire gũkũũrana kwanĩrĩra gwa gĩkeno na gwa kĩrĩro, tondũ andũ maanagĩrĩra na mũgambo mũnene. Naguo mũgambo ũcio ũkĩiguuo kũndũ kũraya.
The shouting and the crying was very loud; [even people] far away could hear it.
