Ezra 3
1 Mgbe o ruru ọnwa asaa nʼafọ, ndị Izrel nọkwa nʼobodo ha niile, ndị mmadụ zukọtara nʼotu na Jerusalem.
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 Mgbe ahụ, Jeshua, nwa Jozadak na ndị nchụaja ndị ọzọ, na Zerubabel nwa Shealtiel na ndị na-enyere ya aka malitere iwugharị ebe ịchụ aja Chineke Izrel maka ịchụ aja nsure ọkụ nʼelu ya dịka Mosis onye nke Chineke si nye nʼiwu.
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 Nʼagbanyeghị oke egwu maka ndị niile gbara ha gburugburu, ha gara nʼihu wughachikwa ebe ịchụ aja ahụ na ntọala ya chụọkwa aja nʼelu ya nye Onyenwe anyị, bụ aja nsure ọkụ nke ụtụtụ na nke uhuruchi.
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 Ha mekwara mmemme ụlọ Ikwu dịka e dere ya nʼiwu Mosis, chụọkwa aja nsure ọkụ dị iche iche nʼụbọchị niile nke mmemme ahụ.
5 Mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, ha chụrụ aja nsure ọkụ nke a na-achụ mgbe niile, na nke aja maka ọnwa ọhụrụ, na aja ndị ọzọ maka mmemme ndị ọzọ dị nsọ a kara aka nke Onyenwe anyị. Ha chụkwara aja onyinye nke ha ji nye Onyenwe anyị onyinye afọ ofufu.
6 Ndị nchụaja bidoro ịchụ aja nsure ọkụ nye Onyenwe anyị nʼabalị mbụ nke ọnwa nke asaa. Ọ bụ ezie na a tọbeghị ntọala ụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị.
7 Ha nyere ndị ọrụ na-edo nkume na ndị ọkpọ ǹtu ego, nyekwa ndị Saịdọn na ndị Taịa ihe oriri, na ihe ọṅụṅụ na mmanụ oliv, ka ha nwee ike isite nʼosimiri Lebanọn budata osisi sida ndị ahụ rute Jopa, dịka ikike Sairọs bụ eze Peshịa si kwadoo ya.
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 Nʼọnwa nke abụọ nke afọ abụọ site mgbe ha bịarutere nʼụlọ Chineke na Jerusalem. Mmadụ niile ahụ lọtara Juda so rụọ ọrụ. Zerubabel nwa Shealtiel, Jeshua nwa Jozadak na ndị fọdụrụ na ụmụnne ha, bụ ndị nchụaja na ndị Livayị, na ndị niile si na ndọta nʼagha lọta Jerusalem, malitere ịrụ ọrụ ahụ. Ha họpụtara ndị Livayị niile gbara iri afọ abụọ rigoo ka ha lekọta ihe banyere ọrụ ụlọ Onyenwe anyị.
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 ụmụ ya ndị ikom, na ụmụnne ya, Kadmiel na ụmụ ya, ndị si nʼikwu Hodavaya, ha na ụmụ Henadad na ụmụ ha, na ụmụnna ha, ha niile bụ ndị Livayị, jikọtara aka na-elekọta ndị na-arụ ụlọnsọ ukwu Chineke ahụ.
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 Mgbe ndị na-ewu ụlọ tọrọ ntọala ụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị ahụ, ndị nchụaja ahụ niile yii uwe ha jide opi nʼaka. Otu a kwa ndị Livayị, ụmụ ndị ikom Asaf jikwa ogene ha na-eto Onyenwe anyị dịka usoro iwu Devid, eze Izrel nyere ha si dị.
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 Ha ji abụ otuto na ekele bụkuo Onyenwe anyị abụ sị: “Ọ dị mma, ịhụnanya ya nʼebe Izrel nọ na-adị ruo ebighị ebi.” Mmadụ niile jiri oke olu too Onyenwe anyị nʼihi ntọala ụlọnsọ ukwu ahụ ha tọrọ.
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 Ma ụfọdụ ndị merela agadi nʼetiti ndị nchụaja, na ndị Livayị, na ndị ndu nke ikwu dị iche iche, bụ ndị chetara ụlọnsọ ukwu ahụ Solomọn wuru, kwara akwa hie nne, mgbe ndị ọzọ nọ na-eti mkpu ọṅụ.
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 Ya mere, e sitere nʼebe dị nnọọ anya nụ ụzụ ọṅụ na ụda akwa ndị mmadụ ahụ. Ma o nweghị onye nwere ike ịkọwata nke bụ mkpu akwa maọbụ mkpu ọṅụ, nʼihi na ụzụ ahụ dị ukwuu.
The shouting and the crying was very loud; [even people] far away could hear it.
