Ezra 6
1 Ya mere, Daraiọs nyere iwu ka a chọpụta nʼụlọ a na-echebe akwụkwọ ochie nke ndị Babilọn ma ọ dị akwụkwọ ọbụla dị otu ahụ.
[Later] Darius [became the ruler of the Persian Empire. When the enemies of the Israelis forced them to stop rebuilding the temple, the Persian officials sent a message to King Darius. They asked him to] search the records in the (archives/government records), in the building where the king stored the important documents, [to find out whether King Cyrus had authorized that the temple should be rebuilt].
2 Emesịa, a chọpụtara otu akwụkwọ nʼụlọeze dị na Ekbatana nʼala Midia. Nke a bụ ihe e dere nʼime akwụkwọ ahụ: Akwụkwọ ozi eze;
[The king commanded someone to search there, but those documents were not there in Babylon]. They found a scroll at the fort in Ecbatana, in Media province, [that contained the information that they wanted to know]. This is what was written on that scroll:
3 Nʼafọ mbụ nke Sairọs bụ eze, o nyere iwu banyere ụlọnsọ ukwu Chineke dị na Jerusalem ebe ndị Juu na-efe Chineke. A ga-ewughachi ụlọnsọ ukwu ahụ ka ọ bụrụ ebe ịchụ aja, ka a tọsiekwa ntọala ya ike. Ịdị elu ya ga-adị iri mita atọ, obosara ya ga-abụkwa otu ihe ahụ.
“During the first year that Cyrus [ruled the empire], he sent out a decree concerning the temple of God which is at Jerusalem. In the decree it was stated that a new temple must be built at the same place that [the Israeli people previously] had offered sacrifices, where the [original] foundation [of the first temple] was. The temple must be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide.
4 Ahịrị atọ nke oke nkume ka a ga-eji tọọ ntọala ya, tinyere otu ahịrị osisi. A ga-esi nʼụlọakụ eze Sairọs kwụọ ụgwọ ihe ndị a niile.
The building must be made from large stones. After putting down three layers of stones, a layer of timber must be put on top of them. This work will be paid for by money from my treasury.
5 Ọzọkwa, a ga-ebughachikwa ngwongwo ọlaedo na ọlaọcha niile nke ụlọ Chineke, ndị Nebukadneza sitere nʼụlọnsọ ahụ dị nʼJerusalem buru gaa Babilọn, doghachikwa ha nʼụlọ Chineke.
Also, the gold and silver utensils that King Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple of God in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon must be taken back to Jerusalem. They must be put in God’s temple just as they were in the previous temple.”
6 Mgbe a gụsịrị ya, Daraiọs zighachiri Tatenai onye na-achị Yufretis, na Sheta Bozenai, na ndịisi ọzọ nọ nʼọdịda anyanwụ Yufretis ozi sị ha, Unu hapụ ha ka ha rụọ ọrụ ha.
After reading this, King Darius sent this message [to the leaders of the Israeli people’s enemies in Jerusalem]: “This is a message for Tattenai, the governor of the province west of the [Euphrates] River, and for [his assistant] Shethar-Bozenai, and for all your colleagues: Stay away from that area!
7 Unu egbochila owuwu ụlọ Chineke ahụ. Kwerenụ ka onyeisi ndị Juu na ndị okenye Juu wughachi ụlọ Chineke a nʼebe e wuru ya na mbụ.
Do not (interfere with/hinder) the work of building the temple of God! The temple must be rebuilt at the same place where the former temple was. And do not hinder the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews [while they are doing this work].
8 Ọzọ, ana m enye iwu na nke a bụ ihe unu na-aghaghị imere ndị okenye, na ndị Juu niile na-ewugharị ụlọnsọ Chineke ahụ. Ka unu site nʼụtụ isi a na-atụrụ m kwụọ ụgwọ e ji ewu ụlọ ahụ na-atụfughị oge ọbụla.
“Furthermore, I declare that you must help these leaders of the Jews as they rebuild this temple of God [by giving them funds for the building work].
9 Unu nye ha ihe ọbụla dịkwa ha mkpa, ụmụ oke ehi na ebule, ụmụ atụrụ, ha ga-eji chụọrọ Chineke nke eluigwe aja. Nyekwanụ ha ọka wiiti, na mmanya, na nnu, na mmanụ oliv, dịka ndị nchụaja rịọrọ, bụ ndị nọ na Jerusalem, aghaghị inye ha ihe ndị a kwa ụbọchị niile na-esepụghị aka.
“The Jewish priests in Jerusalem need young bulls and rams and lambs to sacrifice as they make burned offerings to the God of heaven. You must give them the animals that they need. Also, you must be certain to give them the wheat, salt, wine, and [olive] oil that they need each day [for those sacrifices].
10 Ka ha nwee ike ịchụ ezi aja nye Chineke nke eluigwe, kpeekwaara mụ na ụmụ m ekpere.
If you do that, the Jewish priests will be able to offer sacrifices that please the God who is in heaven, and they will pray that God will bless me and my sons.
11 Ana m enye iwu na onye ọbụla ga-agbanwe okwu a, ka ehopụta osisi nʼụlọ ya jiri kwụgbuo ya. A ga-emekwa ụlọ ya ka ọ bụrụ ebe ikpofu ahịhịa.
“If anyone disobeys this decree, [my soldiers] will pull a beam from his house. Then [after they sharpen one end of the beam, ] they will lift that man up and impale him on that beam. Then they will [completely destroy that man’s house until only] a pile of rubble is left.
12 Chineke ahụ, onye mere Jerusalem ebe obibi ya, ga-ebibi eze ọbụla maọbụ mba ọbụla gbanwere iwu a, maọbụ bibie ụlọnsọ ahụ ọzọ. Ọ bụ Daraiọs na-enye iwu a. Ka onye ọbụla were ike ya niile debe ya.
God has chosen [that city of] Jerusalem as the place where people will honor him [MTY]. What I desire is that he will get rid of any king or any nation that tries to change this decree or tries to destroy that temple in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have made this decree. It must be obeyed quickly and thoroughly.”
13 Ya mere, nʼihi iwu ahụ eze Daraiọs zitere, Tatenai, onyeisi ọchịchị nʼala ofe mmiri, na Sheta Bozenai, na ndị otu ha, mere ihe niile dịka ozi ahụ si dị na-atụfughị oge ọbụla.
Tattenai, the governor of the province, and [his assistant] Shethar-Bozenai and their colleagues [read the message and] immediately obeyed the decree of King Darius.
14 Nʼihi ya, ndịisi Juu gara nʼihu nʼọrụ, ihe na-agakwara ha nke ọma site na nkwusa onye amụma, bụ Hegai, na Zekaraya, nwa Ido. Ha wuchara ụlọnsọ ahụ dịka iwu Chineke Izrel nyere si dị, nakwa dịka Sairọs, na Daraiọs, na Ataksekses, ndị eze Peshịa, nyekwara nʼiwu.
So the Jewish leaders continued their work [of rebuilding the temple]. They were greatly encouraged by the messages that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah preached. The Israelis continued building the temple, just like God had commanded them to do and like King Cyrus had decreed.
15 Ha wusiri ya nʼabalị nke atọ nʼọnwa isii (dị ka ọgụgụ afọ ndị Juu si dị) nʼafọ nke isii nke ọchịchị Daraiọs.
They finished building it on March 12, during the sixth year that King Darius [ruled].
16 Ụmụ Izrel, bụ ndị nchụaja na ndị Livayị, na ndị fọdụrụ nʼime ndị e mere ka ha ga biri nʼala ọzọ, ji ọṅụ mee mmemme nke ido ụlọ nke Chineke ahụ nsọ na gbaghee ya.
Then the priests and the Levites and all the other Israeli people who had returned from Babylon very joyfully dedicated the temple.
17 Nʼihi ido ụlọ ahụ nsọ, ha ji oke ehi dị otu narị nʼọnụọgụgụ, na narị ebule abụọ, na narị atụrụ anọ chụọ aja, werekwa mkpi iri na abụọ chụọ aja mmehie nʼihi ndị Izrel niile, dịka ebo niile nke Izrel si dị.
During [the ceremony to] dedicate the temple, they sacrificed 100 young bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs. They also sacrificed twelve male goats as an offering in order that [God would forgive] the sins of the people of the twelve tribes of Israel.
18 Ha guzobere ndị nchụaja na nkewa ha, ndị Livayị nʼotu ha maka ije ozi nke Chineke na Jerusalem, dịka e dere ya nʼakwụkwọ iwu Mosis.
Then the priests and Levites were divided into groups that would [take turns to] serve at the temple. They did this according to what Moses had written [many years previously] in the laws [that he wrote].
19 Ndị ahụ emere ka ha gaa biri nʼala ọzọ, mere Mmemme Ngabiga nʼabalị iri na anọ nke ọnwa mbụ.
On April 21, the Jews who had returned from Babylon celebrated the Passover Festival.
20 Ndị nchụaja na ndị Livayị edoola onwe ha ọcha, ha niile dịkwa ọcha. Ndị Livayị nʼonwe ha gburu ọtụtụ atụrụ Mmemme Ngabiga maka ndị nchụaja, na ndị Livayị ndị ọzọ, na ndị ahụ niile lọtara alọta site na mba ọzọ.
[To qualify themselves for offering the sacrifices], the priests and Levites had already purified themselves by performing certain rituals. Then they slaughtered the lambs for the benefit of all the people who had returned from Babylon, for the other priests, and for themselves.
21 Ya mere, ndị Izrel niile bụ ndị ahụ lọtara site nʼebe e mere ka ha gaa biri riri ihe ahụ, ha na ndị ahụ niile kewapụrụ onwe ha juu ibi ajọọ ndụ nke ndị mba ọzọ bi nʼala ahụ na-ebi, nʼihi ịchọ Onyenwe anyị, Chineke nke Izrel.
Those who had returned from Babylon and the other people in that land who had turned away from their immoral practices in order to worship Yahweh, the God of the Israeli people, ate the Passover meal.
22 Ha sokwa mee mmemme achịcha na-ekoghị eko, nke ha mere ụbọchị asaa. Oke ọṅụ jupụtara nʼala Izrel niile nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị mere ka eze Asịrịa nwee obiọma nʼebe Izrel nọ, nyere ha aka iwugharị ụlọnsọ ukwu Chineke, onye bụ Chineke Izrel.
They celebrated the Unleavened Bread Festival of [Eating] Unleavened Bread for seven days. The Israeli people throughout the land were joyful because Yahweh had changed the attitude of the king of Assyria toward them, and as a result, the king had helped them to rebuild the temple of God, the one whom they [worshiped].
