Esdræ 5

1 prophetaverunt autem Aggeus propheta et Zaccharias filius Addo prophetantes ad Iudaeos qui erant in Iudaea et Hierusalem in nomine Dei Israhel

Now Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, prophesying to the Jews who were in Judea and Jerusalem, prophesied in the name of the God of Israel.

2 tunc surrexerunt Zorobabel filius Salathihel et Iosue filius Iosedech et coeperunt aedificare templum Dei in Hierusalem et cum eis prophetae Dei adiuvantes eos

Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, rose up and began to build the temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, assisting them.

3 in ipso tempore venit ad eos Tatannai qui erat dux trans Flumen et Starbuzannai et consiliarii eorum sicque dixerunt eis quis dedit vobis consilium ut domum hanc aedificaretis et muros hos instauraretis

Then, at the same time, Tattenai, who was the governor beyond the river, and Shetharbozenai, and their counselors came to them. And they spoke in this way to them: “Who has given you counsel, so that you would build this house and repair its walls?”

4 ad quod respondimus eis quae essent nomina hominum auctorum illius aedificationis

We responded to this by giving them the names of the men who were the founders of that building.

5 oculus autem Dei eorum factus est super senes Iudaeorum et non potuerunt inhibere eos placuitque ut res ad Darium referretur et tunc satisfacerent adversus accusationem illam

But the eye of their God was set over the elders of the Jews, and so they were unable to hinder them. And it was agreed that the matter should be referred to Darius, and then they would give a reply against that accusation.

6 exemplar epistulae quam misit Tatannai dux regionis trans Flumen et Starbuzannai et consiliatores eius Apharsacei qui erant trans Flumen ad Darium regem

A copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the region beyond the river, and Shetharbozenai, and his counselors, the rulers who were beyond the river, sent to Darius the king.

7 sermo quem miserant ei sic scriptus erat Dario regi pax omnis

The word that they sent him was written in this way: “To Darius, the king of all peace.

8 notum sit regi isse nos ad Iudaeam provinciam ad domum Dei magni quae aedificatur lapide inpolito et ligna ponuntur in parietibus opusque illud diligenter extruitur et crescit in manibus eorum

Let it be known to the king, that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which they are building with rough stones, and with timber set into the walls. And this work is being built up diligently, and it increases by their hands.

9 interrogavimus ergo senes illos et ita diximus eis quis dedit vobis potestatem ut domum hanc aedificaretis et muros instauraretis

Therefore, we questioned those elders, and we spoke to them in this way: ‘Who has given authority to you, so that you would build this house and repair these walls?’

10 sed et nomina eorum quaesivimus ab eis ut nuntiaremus tibi quae scripsimus nomina virorum qui sunt principes in eis

But we also required of them their names, so that we might report to you. And we have written down the names of their men, those who are leaders among them.

11 huiuscemodi autem sermonem responderunt nobis dicentes nos sumus servi Dei caeli et terrae et aedificamus templum quod erat extructum ante hos annos multos quodque rex Israhel magnus aedificaverat et extruxerat

Then they responded a word to us in this manner, saying: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. And we are building the temple that was constructed these many years before, and which a great king of Israel had built and constructed.

12 postquam autem ad iracundiam provocaverunt patres nostri Deum caeli et tradidit eos in manu Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis Chaldei domum quoque hanc destruxit et populum eius transtulit in Babylonem

But afterward, our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, so he delivered them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, the Chaldean. And he destroyed this house, and he transferred its people to Babylon.

13 anno autem primo Cyri regis Babylonis Cyrus rex proposuit edictum ut domus Dei aedificaretur

Then, in the first year of Cyrus, the king of Babylon, king Cyrus issued a decree, so that this house of God would be built.

14 nam et vasa templi Dei aurea et argentea quae Nabuchodonosor tulerat de templo quod erat in Hierusalem et asportaverat ea in templum Babylonis protulit Cyrus rex de templo Babylonis et data sunt Sasabassar vocabulo quem et principem constituit

And now the vessels of gold and silver from the temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem, and which he had carried away to the temple of Babylon, king Cyrus brought out of the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one called Sheshbazzar, whom he also appointed as governor.

15 dixitque ei haec vasa tolle et vade et pone ea in templo quod est in Hierusalem et domus Dei aedificetur in loco suo

And he said to him: “Take these vessels, and go, and set them in the temple that is in Jerusalem. And let the house of God be built in its place.”

16 tunc itaque Sasabassar ille venit et posuit fundamenta templi Dei in Hierusalem et ex eo tempore usque nunc aedificatur et necdum conpletum est

And so this same Sheshbazzar then came and set the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem. And from that time, even until now, it is being built, and it is not yet completed.’

17 nunc ergo si videtur regi bonum recenseat in bibliotheca regis quae est in Babylone utrumnam a Cyro rege iussum sit ut aedificaretur domus Dei in Hierusalem et voluntatem regis super hac re mittat ad nos

Now then, if it seems good to the king, let him search in the king’s library, which is in Babylon, to see whether it was ordered by king Cyrus, that the house of God in Jerusalem should be built. And may the will of the king be sent to us about this matter.”