Ezera 5
1 Awo bannabbi Kaggayi ne Zekkaliya muzzukulu wa Iddo ne bategeeza Abayudaaya abaabeeranga mu Yuda ne Yerusaalemi obubaka obuva eri Katonda wa Isirayiri, Katonda waabwe.
At that time two prophets gave messages from God to the Jews in Jerusalem and [other cities in] Judah. The prophets were Haggai and Zechariah, who was a descendant of Iddo. They spoke those messages representing God, whom the Israelis [worshiped/belonged to], the one who was their true king.
2 Zerubbaberi mutabani wa Seyalutyeri ne Yesuwa mutabani wa Yozadaki ne bagolokoka ne bagenda mu maaso n’omulimu gw’okuddaabiriza ennyumba ya Katonda mu Yerusaalemi, era ne bannabbi ba Katonda nga babayambako.
Then Zerubbabel and Shealtiel [led many other people] as they started [again] to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. And God’s prophets [Haggai and Zechariah] were with them and helped them.
3 Mu kiseera kyekimu Tattenayi ow’essaza ly’emitala w’omugga Fulaati, ne Sesalubozenayi ne bagenda gye bali ne bababuuza nti, “Ani eyabawa obuyinza okuddaabiriza yeekaalu eyo n’okuzaawo bbugwe oyo?”
Then Tattenai the governor of the province west of the [Euphrates] River and Shethar-Bozenai his assistant and [some of] their officials went to Jerusalem and said to the people, “Who has permitted you to rebuild this temple and put furnishings in it?”
4 Ate era ne bababuuza n’amannya g’abasajja abaakolanga ku kizimbe ekyo.
They also requested the people to tell them the names of the men who were working [at the temple]. [But the people refused].
5 Naye Katonda waabwe n’abeeranga wamu n’abakulu b’Abayudaaya, ne bataziyizibwa kugenda mu maaso n’omulimu okutuusa ekigambo nga kivudde eri Daliyo, n’okuddamu kwe nga kuli mu buwandiike.
However, God was taking care of the Jewish leaders, so their enemies were not able to prevent the people from continuing [to rebuild the temple]. [They continued to work while their enemies] sent a report to King Darius, and asked him [what he wanted them to do] about it.
6 Kopi ey’ebbaluwa Tattenayi ow’essaza ly’emitala w’omugga Fulaati, ne Sesalubozenayi ne bannaabwe abakungu ab’emitala w’omugga Fulaati gye baaweereza Kabaka Daliyo,
So Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai and their officials sent a report to King Darius.
7 yalimu ebigambo bino wansi. Eri Kabaka Daliyo, Mirembe myereere.
This is what they wrote: “King Darius, we hope that things are going well for you!
8 Kitugwanidde okumanyisa kabaka nga bwe twagenze mu ssaza lya Yuda ku yeekaalu ya Katonda omukulu. Abantu bagizimba n’amayinja amanene era bateeka n’embaawo mu bbugwe, era n’omulimu gukolebwa n’obunyiikivu n’okugenda gugenda mu maaso olw’okufuba kwabwe.
[“We want you to know that] we went to Judah Province, where the temple of the great God is being rebuilt. The people are building it with huge stones, and they are putting wooden beams in the walls. The work is being done very carefully, and they are progressing well.
9 Twabuuza abakulu nti, “Ani eyabawa obuyinza okuddaabiriza yeekaalu eyo n’okuzzaawo bbugwe oyo?”
“We asked the Jewish leaders, ‘Who has permitted you to rebuild this temple and put furnishings in it?’
10 Era twababuuza n’amannya gaabwe, tusobole okukuweereza amannya g’abakulembeze baabwe.
And we requested them to tell us the names of their leaders, in order that we could tell you who they were.
11 Baatuddamu nti: “Tuli baddu ba Katonda w’eggulu n’ensi, era tuddaabiriza yeekaalu eyazimbibwa emyaka egy’edda omu ku bakabaka abakulu aba Isirayiri, n’agimala.
“But [instead of telling us their leaders’ names, ] what they said was, ‘We serve the God [who created] the heaven and the earth. Many years ago a great king [who ruled] us Israeli people [told our ancestors to] build a temple here, and now we are rebuilding it.
12 Naye olw’okuba nga bajjajjaffe baasunguwaza Katonda w’eggulu, yabawaayo mu mukono gwa Nebukadduneeza Omukaludaaya, kabaka w’e Babulooni, eyazikiriza yeekaalu eno n’atwala abantu e Babulooni.
“'But God, [who rules] in heaven, allowed [the armies of] Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylonia, to destroy that temple, because our ancestors did things that caused God to become very angry. Nebuchadnezzar’s army took [many of] the [Israeli] people to Babylonia.
13 “Naye mu mwaka ogw’olubereberye ogw’obufuzi bwa Kuulo kabaka w’e Babulooni, kabaka Kuulo oyo n’awa ekiragiro okuddaabiriza ennyumba ya Katonda eno.
“'However, during the first year that Cyrus the King of Babylon started to rule, he decreed that the temple of God should be rebuilt.
14 Ebintu ebya zaabu n’ebya ffeeza eby’omu nnyumba ya Katonda, Nebukadduneeza bye yanyaga mu yeekaalu eyali mu Yerusaalemi n’abitwala mu ssabo ly’e Babulooni, Kabaka Kuulo n’abiggyayo. Kabaka Kuulo n’abikwasa omusajja erinnya lye Sesubazaali, gwe yalonda okuba owessaza,
Cyrus returned [to the Jewish leaders] all the gold and silver cups that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem and which had been put in the temple in Babylon. Those cups were given to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom King Cyrus had appointed to be the governor in Judah.
15 era n’amugamba nti, ‘Twala ebintu ebyo, ogende obiteeke mu yeekaalu eri mu Yerusaalemi, era olabe ng’ennyumba ya Katonda edda mu kifo kyayo.’
“'The king instructed him to take the cups back to Jerusalem, to the place [from which they had previously been taken]. He also decreed that they should rebuild the temple at the place where it had been before. So Cyrus appointed Sheshbazzar to be the governor in Judah. He also sent all those things made of gold and silver, for Sheshbazzar to put in the new temple.
16 “Sesubazaali oyo n’ajja n’azimba omusingi gw’ennyumba ya Katonda mu Yerusaalemi, era okuva mu kiseera ekyo n’okutuusa kaakano omulimu gukyagenda mu maaso, tegunnagwa.”
So Sheshbazzar did that. He came here to Jerusalem, and [supervised the men who] laid the foundation of the temple. And since that time, the people have been working on the temple, but it is not finished yet.’
17 Noolwekyo kabaka bw’aba ng’asiimye, wabeewo okunoonyereza mu bitabo mu ggwanika lya kabaka eyo e Babulooni obanga ddala Kabaka Kuulo yawa ekiragiro okuddaabiriza ennyumba ya Katonda mu Yerusaalemi. N’oluvannyuma kabaka atutumire okututegeeza ky’asazeewo ku nsonga eyo.
“Therefore, your majesty, please order someone to search in the place in Babylon where the important records are kept, to find out whether [it is true that] King Cyrus decreed that God’s temple should be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then you can tell us what you want us to do about this matter.”
