Ezra 5

1 Ary ny mpaminany, dia Hagay mpaminany sy Zakaria, zanak’ Ido, naminany tamin’ ny Jiosy tany Joda sy Jerosalema tamin’ ny anaran’ Andriamanitry ny Isiraely izay tao aminy.

The prophets Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo, gave messages to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem from the God of Israel, their ruler.

2 Dia nitsangana Zerobabela, zanak’ i Sealtiela, sy Jesoa, zanak’ i Jozadaka, ka nanomboka nanao ny tranon’ Andriamanitra any Jerosalema indray; ary ireo mpaminanin’ Andriamanitra ireo dia teo aminy ka nanampy azy.

Then Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, son of Jozadak, decided to start work on rebuilding God's Temple in Jerusalem. The prophets of God encouraged them and helped them.

3 Ary tamin’ izany andro izany ihany koa dia nankany amin’ ireo Tatenay, governoran’ ny etỳ an-dafin’ ny ony etỳ, sy Setara-bozenay mbamin’ ny namany; ka izao no nataony taminy: Iza no nandidy anareo hanao io trano io sy hahavita io manda io?

Almost immediately Tattenai, the governor of the province west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow officials arrived and asked, “Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and finish it?”

4 Ary izao koa no nataonay taminy Iza avy no anaran’ izay lehilahy manao io trano io?

Then they asked, “What are the names of the men who are working on this building?”

5 Nefa ny mason’ Andriamaniny nitsinjo ny loholon’ ny Joda, ka tsy nahasakana azy ireo, mandra-pahatongan’ ny teny ho any amin’ i Dariosy sy ny nahazoany ny valiny ny amin’ izany raharaha izany.

But their God was watching over the Jewish leaders, so that they were not prevented from working until a report could be sent to Darius and a written reply with instructions was received.

6 Ny tenin’ ny taratasy izay nampitondrain’ i Tatenay, governoran’ ny etỳ an-dafin’ ny ony etỳ, sy Setara-bozenay ary ny Afarsekita namany, izay amin’ ny etỳ an-dafin’ ny ony etỳ; ho any amin’ i Dariosy mpanjaka;

The following is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the province west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow officials, officials of the province, sent to King Darius.

7 eny, nampitondrainy ho any aminy ny taratasy izay nisy teny toy izao: Ho an’ i Dariosy mpanjaka anie ny fiadanana be.

The report they sent him read went like this: “To King Darius: Greetings.

8 Aoka ho fantatry ny mpanjaka fa nankany amin’ ny tany Joda izahay ho any an-tranon’ Andriamanitra lehibe, izay atao amin’ ny vato vaventy, sady misy hazo alatsaka amin’ ny rindrin-trano, ary mandroso tsara izany asa izany sady ambinina eo an-tànany.

We wish to inform Your Majesty that we went to the province of Judah, to the Temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones, with timber beams being placed on the walls. This work is being done properly and is progressing well.

9 Dia nanontany ireo loholona ireo izahay nanao hoe: Iza no nandidy anareo hanao io trano io sy hanangana io manda io?

We questioned the leaders, asking them, ‘Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and finish it?’

10 Nanontany ny anarany avy koa izahay mba hampahafantarinay anao sy hosoratanay ny anaran’ ny olona izay lohany;

We also asked for their names, so that we could write them down and let you know the names of their leaders.

11 ka izao no teny navaliny anay: Izahay dia mpanompon’ Andriamanitry ny lanitra sy ny tany ka manamboatra ny trano izay efa vita ela, fa ny mpanjaka lehibe anankiray tamin’ ny Isiraely no nanao sy nahavita azy.

This is the answer they gave us. ‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the Temple built and completed many years ago by a great king of Israel.

12 Fa noho ny nampahatezeran’ ny razanay an’ Andriamanitry ny lanitra, dia natolony izy ho eo an-tànan’ i Nebokadnezara Kaldeana, mpanjakan’ i Babylona, izay efa nandrava io trano io ka nitondra ny olona ho babo tany Babylona.

But our forefathers made the God of heaven angry, so he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this Temple and deported the people to Babylon.

13 Fa tamin’ ny taona voalohany nanjakan’ i Kyrosy, mpanjakan’ i Babylona, kosa dia nanao didy Kyrosy mpanjaka, mba hatao indray io tranon’ Andriamanitra io.

However, Cyrus, king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, issued a decree to rebuild this Temple of God.

14 Ary ny fanaka volamena sy volafotsy momba ny tranon’ Andriamanitra, izay efa nalain’ i Nebokadnezara tao amin’ ny tempoly tany Jerosalema ka nentiny ho any amin’ ny tempoly any Babylona, dia nalain’ i Kyrosy mpanjaka tao amin’ ny tempoly any Babylona ka natolotra tamin’ ny anankiray atao hoe Sesbazara, izay efa notendreny ho governora;

He even gave back the gold and silver items belonging to God's Temple, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and placed in his temple in Babylon. King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor,

15 ary hoy izy taminy: Raiso ireo fanaka ireo, ka andeha, apetraho ao amin’ ny tempoly izay any Jerosalema; ary aoka ny tranon’ Andriamanitra hatsangana eo amin’ ilay efa niorenany ihany.

telling him, Take these items and place them in the Temple in Jerusalem. Rebuild God's Temple on its original site.

16 Dia avy Sesbazara ka nanao ny fanorenan’ ny tranon’ Andriamanitra any Jerosalema; ary hatramin’ izany andro izany ka mandraka ankehitriny dia efa natao ihany izy, saingy tsy mbola vita.

So Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of God's Temple in Jerusalem. It has been under construction since then, but hasn't yet been completed.’

17 Koa raha sitraky ny mpanjaka, aoka hizahana ny trano firaketan’ ny mpanjaka, izay any Babylona, na misy didy nataon’ i Kyrosy mpanjaka hanaovana io tranon’ Andriamanitra any Jerosalema io, na tsia; ary aoka ny sitrapon’ ny mpanjaka hambarany aminay ny amin’ izany zavatra izany.

So, if Your Majesty wishes, authorize a search to be made of the royal archives in Babylon to discover if there is a record that King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild God's Temple in Jerusalem. Then please let us know Your Majesty's decision in this matter.”