Ἔσδρας Αʹ 6

1 τότε Δαρεῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔθηκεν γνώμην καὶ ἐπεσκέψατο ἐν ταῖς βιβλιοθήκαις ὅπου ἡ γάζα κεῖται ἐν Βαβυλῶνι

Then king Darius gave orders, and they searched in the library of the books that were laid up in Babylon,

2 καὶ εὑρέθη ἐν πόλει ἐν τῇ βάρει τῆς Μήδων πόλεως κεφαλὶς μία καὶ τοῦτο ἦν γεγραμμένον ἐν αὐτῇ ὑπόμνημα

And there was found in Ecbatana, which is a castle in the province of Media, a book in which this record was written.

3 ἐν ἔτει πρώτῳ Κύρου βασιλέως Κῦρος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔθηκεν γνώμην περὶ οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ οἶκος οἰκοδομηθήτω καὶ τόπος οὗ θυσιάζουσιν τὰ θυσιάσματα καὶ ἔθηκεν ἔπαρμα ὕψος πήχεις ἑξήκοντα πλάτος αὐτοῦ πήχεων ἑξήκοντα

In the first year of Cyrus the king: Cyrus the king decreed, that the house of God should be built, which is in Jerusalem, in the place where they may offer sacrifices, and that they lay the foundations that may support the height of threescore cubits, and the breadth of threescore cubits,

4 καὶ δόμοι λίθινοι κραταιοὶ τρεῖς καὶ δόμος ξύλινος εἷς καὶ ἡ δαπάνη ἐξ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως δοθήσεται

Three rows of unpolished stones, and so rows of new timber: and the charges shall be given out of the king’s house.

5 καὶ τὰ σκεύη οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ ἀργυρᾶ καὶ τὰ χρυσᾶ ἃ Ναβουχοδονοσορ ἐξήνεγκεν ἀπὸ οἴκου τοῦ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἐκόμισεν εἰς Βαβυλῶνα καὶ δοθήτω καὶ ἀπελθάτω εἰς τὸν ναὸν τὸν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ ἐπὶ τόπου οὗ ἐτέθη ἐν οἴκῳ τοῦ θεοῦ

And also let the golden and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nabuchodonosor took out of the temple of Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, be restored, and carried back to the temple of Jerusalem to their place, which also were placed in the temple of God.

6 νῦν δώσετε ἔπαρχοι πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ Σαθαρβουζανα καὶ οἱ σύνδουλοι αὐτῶν Αφαρσαχαῖοι οἱ ἐν πέρα τοῦ ποταμοῦ μακρὰν ὄντες ἐκεῖθεν

Now therefore Thathanai, governor of the country beyond the river, Stharbuzanai, and your counsellors the Apharsachites, who are beyond the river, depart far from them,

7 ἄφετε τὸ ἔργον οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ οἱ ἀφηγούμενοι τῶν Ιουδαίων καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τῶν Ιουδαίων οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκεῖνον οἰκοδομείτωσαν ἐπὶ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ

And let that temple of God be built by the governor of the Jews, and by their ancients, that they may build that house of God in its place.

8 καὶ ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ἐτέθη γνώμη μήποτέ τι ποιήσητε μετὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῶν Ιουδαίων τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκεῖνον καὶ ἀπὸ ὑπαρχόντων βασιλέως τῶν φόρων πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐπιμελῶς δαπάνη ἔστω διδομένη τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐκείνοις τὸ μὴ καταργηθῆναι

I also have commanded what must be done by those ancients of the Jews, that the house of God may be built, to wit, that of the king’s chest, that is, of the tribute that is paid out of the country beyond the river, the charges be diligently given to those men, lest the work be hindered.

9 καὶ ὃ ἂν ὑστέρημα καὶ υἱοὺς βοῶν καὶ κριῶν καὶ ἀμνοὺς εἰς ὁλοκαυτώσεις τῷ θεῷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πυρούς ἅλας οἶνον ἔλαιον κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τῶν ἱερέων τῶν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ ἔστω διδόμενον αὐτοῖς ἡμέραν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσωσιν

And if it shall be necessary, let calves also, and lambs, and kids, for holocausts to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the custom of the priests that are in Jerusalem, be given them day by day, that there be no complaint in any thing.

10 ἵνα ὦσιν προσφέροντες εὐωδίας τῷ θεῷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ προσεύχωνται εἰς ζωὴν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ

And let them offer oblations to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his children.

11 καὶ ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ἐτέθη γνώμη ὅτι πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἀλλάξει τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο καθαιρεθήσεται ξύλον ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ὠρθωμένος παγήσεται ἐπ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ τὸ κατ’ ἐμὲ ποιηθήσεται

And I have made a decree: That if any whosoever, shall alter this commandment, a beam be taken from his house. and set up, and he be nailed upon it, and his house be confiscated.

12 καὶ ὁ θεός οὗ κατασκηνοῖ τὸ ὄνομα ἐκεῖ καταστρέψει πάντα βασιλέα καὶ λαόν ὃς ἐκτενεῖ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἀλλάξαι ἢ ἀφανίσαι τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ ἐγὼ Δαρεῖος ἔθηκα γνώμην ἐπιμελῶς ἔσται

And may the God, that hath caused his name to dwell there, destroy all kingdoms, and the people that shall put out their hand to resist, and to destroy the house of God, that is in Jerusalem. I Darius have made the decree, which I will have diligently complied with.

13 τότε Θανθαναι ἔπαρχος πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ Σαθαρβουζανα καὶ οἱ σύνδουλοι αὐτοῦ πρὸς ὃ ἀπέστειλεν Δαρεῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς οὕτως ἐποίησαν ἐπιμελῶς

So then Thathanai, governor of the country beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and his counsellors diligently executed what Darius the king had commanded.

14 καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τῶν Ιουδαίων ᾠκοδομοῦσαν καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἐν προφητείᾳ Αγγαιου τοῦ προφήτου καὶ Ζαχαριου υἱοῦ Αδδω καὶ ἀνῳκοδόμησαν καὶ κατηρτίσαντο ἀπὸ γνώμης θεοῦ Ισραηλ καὶ ἀπὸ γνώμης Κύρου καὶ Δαρείου καὶ Αρθασασθα βασιλέων Περσῶν

And the ancients of the Jews built and prospered according to the prophecy of Aggeus the prophet, and of Zacharias the son of Addo: and they built and finished, by the commandment of the God of Israel, and by the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes kings of the Persians.

15 καὶ ἐτέλεσαν τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον ἕως ἡμέρας τρίτης μηνὸς Αδαρ ὅ ἐστιν ἔτος ἕκτον τῇ βασιλείᾳ Δαρείου τοῦ βασιλέως

And they were finishing this house of God, until the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.

16 καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι υἱῶν ἀποικεσίας ἐγκαίνια τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ

And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity kept the dedication of the house of God with joy.

17 καὶ προσήνεγκαν εἰς τὰ ἐγκαίνια τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ μόσχους ἑκατόν κριοὺς διακοσίους ἀμνοὺς τετρακοσίους χιμάρους αἰγῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας ὑπὲρ παντὸς Ισραηλ δώδεκα εἰς ἀριθμὸν φυλῶν Ισραηλ

And they offered at the dedication of the house of God, a, hundred calves, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and for a sin offering for all Israel twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

18 καὶ ἔστησαν τοὺς ἱερεῖς ἐν διαιρέσεσιν αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς Λευίτας ἐν μερισμοῖς αὐτῶν ἐπὶ δουλείᾳ θεοῦ τοῦ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν βιβλίου Μωυσῆ

And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses over the works of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

19 καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς ἀποικεσίας τὸ πασχα τῇ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ πρώτου

And the children of Israel of the captivity kept the phase, on the fourteenth day of the first month.

20 ὅτι ἐκαθαρίσθησαν οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἕως εἷς πάντες καθαροὶ καὶ ἔσφαξαν τὸ πασχα τοῖς πᾶσιν υἱοῖς τῆς ἀποικεσίας καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτῶν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν καὶ ἑαυτοῖς

For all the priests and the Levites were purified as one man: all were clear to kill the phase for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and themselves.

21 καὶ ἔφαγον οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ τὸ πασχα οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀποικεσίας καὶ πᾶς ὁ χωριζόμενος τῆς ἀκαθαρσίας ἐθνῶν τῆς γῆς πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοῦ ἐκζητῆσαι κύριον θεὸν Ισραηλ

And the children of Israel that were returned from captivity, and all that had separated themselves from the filthiness of the nations of the earth to them, to seek the Lord the God of Israel, did eat.

22 καὶ ἐποίησαν τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἀζύμων ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ ὅτι εὔφρανεν αὐτοὺς κύριος καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν καρδίαν βασιλέως Ασσουρ ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς κραταιῶσαι τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἐν ἔργοις οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ Ισραηλ

And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, that he should help their hands in the work of the house of the Lord the God of Israel.