Ezara 5
1 Na rĩrĩ, mũnabii Hagai, na mũnabii Zekaria wa rũciaro rwa Ido, nĩmarathĩire Ayahudi a kũu Juda na Jerusalemu thĩinĩ wa rĩĩtwa rĩa Ngai wa Isiraeli, mũgitĩri wao.
Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied to them in the name of the God of Israel.
2 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Zerubabeli mũrũ wa Shealitieli, na Jeshua mũrũ wa Jozadaku makĩambĩrĩria wĩra wa gwaka rĩngĩ nyũmba ya Ngai kũu Jerusalemu, na anabii a Ngai maarĩ hamwe nao makĩmateithia.
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build God’s house which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.
3 Ihinda rĩu Tatenai, barũthi wa Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati, na Shetharu-Bozenai, hamwe na athiritũ ao magĩthiĩ kũrĩ o, makĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nũũ wamũheire rũtha rwa gwaka rĩngĩ hekarũ ĩno na gũcookereria mwako ũyũ?”
At the same time Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, came to them, with Shetharbozenai and their companions, and asked them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this wall?”
4 Ningĩ makĩũria atĩrĩ, “Andũ arĩa maraaka nyũmba ĩno metagwo atĩa?”
They also asked for the names of the men who were making this building.
5 No rĩrĩ, Ngai nĩaroraga athuuri acio a Ayahudi, na matiatigithirio wĩra nginya ũhoro ũkinyĩrio Dario, na marũa ma macookio make maamũkĩrwo.
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 Darius, and an answer should be returned by letter concerning it.
6 Ĩno nĩyo kobi ya marũa marĩa maatũmĩirwo Mũthamaki Dario nĩ Tatenai ũrĩa warĩ barũthi wa Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati, marĩ na Shetharu-Bozenai na athiritũ ao, arĩa maarĩ anene a Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati.
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 Darius the king follows.
7 Ũhoro ũrĩa maamũtũmĩire watariĩ ũũ: Kũrĩ Mũthamaki Dario: Ngeithi cia thayũ.
They sent a letter to him, in which was written: To Darius the king, all peace.
8 Nĩ wega mũthamaki amenye atĩ ithuĩ nĩtwathiire rũgongo rwa Juda, kũu hekarũ-inĩ ya Ngai ũrĩa mũnene. Andũ acio nĩmaraaka hekarũ na mahiga manene, o na magekĩra mbaũ rũthingo-inĩ. Wĩra nĩũrarutwo na kĩyo, na nĩũrathiĩ na mbere mũno ũrĩ moko-inĩ ma arĩa maraũruta.
Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.
9 Tuoririe athuuri acio atĩrĩ, “Nũũ wamũheire rũtha rwa gwaka rĩngĩ hekarũ ĩno na gũcookereria mwako ũyũ?”
Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”
10 Ningĩ nĩtwamoririe marĩĩtwa mao, nĩgeetha twandĩke marĩĩtwa ma atongoria ao, nĩguo tũkũmenyithie.
We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.
11 Ũũ nĩguo maatũcokeirie: “Ithuĩ tũrĩ ndungata cia Ngai wa igũrũ na thĩ, na tũraaka rĩngĩ hekarũ ĩrĩa yakĩtwo mĩaka mĩingĩ mĩthiru, ĩrĩa yakĩtwo na ĩkarĩkio nĩ mũthamaki mũnene wa Isiraeli.
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.
12 No tondũ maithe maitũ nĩmarakaririe Ngai wa igũrũ, nĩamaneanire kũrĩ Nebukadinezaru ũrĩa Mũkalidei, mũthamaki wa Babuloni, ũrĩa wamomorire hekarũ ĩno na agĩthaamĩria andũ bũrũri wa Babuloni.
But after 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.
13 “No rĩrĩ, mwaka wa mbere wa Kurusu mũthamaki wa Babuloni, mũthamaki nĩathanire atĩ nyũmba ĩno ya Ngai yakwo rĩngĩ.
But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.
14 O na nĩarutire kuuma hekarũ ĩrĩa yarĩ Babuloni indo cia thahabu na cia betha cia nyũmba ya Ngai, iria Nebukadinezaru aarutĩte hekarũ-inĩ kũu Jerusalemu, agĩcitwara hekarũ-inĩ kũu Babuloni. “Nake Mũthamaki Kurusu agĩcineana kũrĩ mũndũ wetagwo Sheshibazaru, ũrĩa aatuĩte barũthi,
The gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king also took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
15 na akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Oya indo ici ũcitware na ũciige thĩinĩ wa hekarũ kũu Jerusalemu, na wake rĩngĩ nyũmba ya Ngai o harĩa yarĩ.’
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.’
16 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Sheshibazaru agĩũka agĩaka mũthingi wa nyũmba ya Ngai kũu Jerusalemu. Kuuma mwaka ũcio nginya ũmũthĩ mwako ũcio no ũthiiaga na mbere na ndũrĩ warĩĩka.”
Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of God’s house which is in Jerusalem. Since that time even until now it has been being built, and yet it is not completed.
17 Na rĩrĩ, mũthamaki angĩona kwagĩrĩire-rĩ, nĩgũtuĩrio maandĩko-inĩ ma ũthamaki ma tene ma Babuloni, kuoneke kana Mũthamaki Kurusu ti-itherũ nĩarutĩte watho wa gwaka rĩngĩ nyũmba ĩno ya Ngai gũkũ Jerusalemu. Ningĩ reke mũthamaki atũtũmĩre itua rĩake ũhoro-inĩ ũcio.
Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be 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.”
