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 the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied to them 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 God’s house which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping 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

At the same time Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, came to them, with Shetharbozenai and their companions, and asked them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this wall?”

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

They also asked for the names of the men who were making this 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 on the elders of the Jews, and they didn’t make them cease until the matter should come to Darius, and an answer should be returned by letter concerning it.

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

The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king follows.

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

They sent a letter to him, in which was written: To Darius the king, 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

Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.

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

Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”

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

We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.

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

Thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

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 after our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried the people away into Babylon.

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

But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.

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

The gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king also took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made 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

He said to him, ‘Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let God’s house 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

Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of God’s house which is in Jerusalem. Since that time even until now it has been being built, and yet it is not 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 therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was made by Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.”