Esdræ 6

1 Tunc Darius rex præcepit: et recensuerunt in bibliotheca librorum, qui erant repositi in Babylone,

Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.

2 et inventum est in Ecbatanis, quod est castrum in Medena provincia volumen unum, talisque scriptus erat in eo commentarius:

And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written:

3 Anno primo Cyri regis: Cyrus rex decrevit ut domus Dei ædificaretur, quæ est in Ierusalem, in loco ubi immolent hostias, et ut ponant fundamenta supportantia altitudinem cubitorum sexaginta, et latitudinem cubitorum sexaginta,

In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;

4 ordines de lapidibus impolitis tres, et sic ordines de lignis novis: sumptus autem de domo regis dabuntur.

With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house:

5 Sed et vasa templi Dei aurea et argentea, quæ Nabuchodonosor tulerat de templo Ierusalem, et attulerat ea in Babylonem, reddantur, et referantur in templum in Ierusalem in locum suum, quæ et posita sunt in templo Dei.

And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.

6 Nunc ergo Thathanai dux regionis, quæ est trans Flumen, Stharbuzanai, et consiliarii vestri Apharsachæi, qui estis trans Flumen, procul recedite ab illis,

Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar–boznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:

7 et dimittite fieri templum Dei illud a duce Iudæorum, et a senioribus eorum, ut domum Dei illam ædificent in loco suo.

Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.

8 Sed et a me præceptum est quid oporteat fieri a presbyteris Iudæorum illis ut ædificetur domus Dei, scilicet ut de arca regis, id est, de tributis, quæ dantur de regione trans Flumen, studiose sumptus dentur viris illis ne impediatur opus.

Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.

9 Quod si necesse fuerit, et vitulos, et agnos, et hœdos in holocaustum Deo cæli, frumentum, sal, vinum, et oleum, secundum ritum Sacerdotum, qui sunt in Ierusalem, detur eis per singulos dies, ne sit in aliquo querimonia.

And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:

10 Et offerant oblationes Deo cæli, orentque pro vita regis, et filiorum eius.

That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.

11 A me ergo positum est decretum: Ut omnis homo, qui hanc mutaverit iussionem, tollatur lignum de domum ipsius, et erigatur, et configatur in eo, domus autem eius publicetur.

Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.

12 Deus autem, qui habitare fecit nomen suum ibi, dissipet omnia regna, et populum qui extenderit manum suam ut repugnet, et dissipet domum Dei illam, quæ est in Ierusalem. Ego Darius statui decretum, quod studiose impleri volo.

And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.

13 Igitur Thathanai dux regionis trans Flumen, et Stharbuzanai, et consiliarii eius, secundum quod præceperat Darius rex, sic diligenter executi sunt.

Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar–boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.

14 Seniores autem Iudæorum ædificabant, et prosperabantur iuxta prophetiam Aggæi prophetæ, et Zachariæ filii Addo: et ædificaverunt et construxerunt iubente Deo Israel, et iubente Cyro, et Dario, et Artaxerxe regibus Persarum:

And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

15 et compleverunt domum Dei istam, usque ad diem tertium mensis Adar, qui est annus sextus regni Darii regis.

And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

16 Fecerunt autem filii Israel Sacerdotes et Levitæ, et reliqui filiorum transmigrationis, dedicationem domus Dei in gaudio.

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

17 Et obtulerunt in dedicationem domus Dei, vitulos centum, arietes ducentos, agnos quadringentos, hircos caprarum pro peccato totius Israel duodecim, iuxta numerum tribuum Israel.

And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, 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 Et statuerunt Sacerdotes in ordinibus suis, et Levitas in vicibus suis super opera Dei in Ierusalem, sicut scriptum est in libro Moysi.

And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.

19 Fecerunt autem filii Israel transmigrationis, Pascha, quartadecima die mensis primi.

And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.

20 Purificati enim fuerant Sacerdotes et Levitæ quasi unus: omnes mundi ad immolandum Pascha universis filiis transmigrationis, et fratribus suis Sacerdotibus, et sibi.

For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

21 Et comederunt filii Israel, qui reversi fuerant de transmigratione, et omnes qui se separaverant a coinquinatione Gentium terræ ad eos, ut quærerent Dominum Deum Israel.

And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek Yhwh God of Israel, did eat,

22 Et fecerunt sollemnitatem azymorum septem diebus in lætitia, quoniam lætificaverat eos Dominus, et converterat cor regis Assur ad eos, ut adiuvaret manus eorum in opere domus Domini Dei Israel.

And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for Yhwh had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.