Ezra 6
1 Aa le namantoke t’i Dariavese vaho nihotsohotsoeñe i anjombam-pañajan-taratasiy, am-panontonam-bara e Bavele ao.
[Later] Darius [became the ruler of the Persian Empire. When the enemies of the Israelis forced them to stop rebuilding the temple, the Persian officials sent a message to King Darius. They asked him to] search the records in the (archives/government records), in the building where the king stored the important documents, [to find out whether King Cyrus had authorized that the temple should be rebuilt].
2 Le nitendrek’ amy anjomba e Akmetà ao, amy faritane’ o nte-Madaioy ty boke-peleke, le sinokitse ama’e ao ty hoe: Ty talily:
[The king commanded someone to search there, but those documents were not there in Babylon]. They found a scroll at the fort in Ecbatana, in Media province, [that contained the information that they wanted to know]. This is what was written on that scroll:
3 Amy taom-baloha’ i Korese, mpanjakay, le nanao tsey t’i Korese mpanjaka: I anjomban’ Añahare e Ierosalaimey, te hamboareñe i anjombay, i fañengà’ iareo soroñey naho añoreñañe fatratse o mananta’eo; ty haabo’e, kiho enempolo naho ty ampohe’e, kiho enempolo;
“During the first year that Cyrus [ruled the empire], he sent out a decree concerning the temple of God which is at Jerusalem. In the decree it was stated that a new temple must be built at the same place that [the Israeli people previously] had offered sacrifices, where the [original] foundation [of the first temple] was. The temple must be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide.
4 naho firiritam-bato jabajaba, telo naho fidadañam-bodan-katae vao, le ho tolorañe boak’ añ’ anjomba’ i mpanjakay ty drala’e;
The building must be made from large stones. After putting down three layers of stones, a layer of timber must be put on top of them. This work will be paid for by money from my treasury.
5 le ampolieñe ka o fanake volamena naho volafotin’ anjomban’ Añahare nakare’ i Nebokadnetsare boak’ añ’ anjomba’e e Ierosalaime ao naho nendese’e mb’e Bavele mb’eoo; hahereñe, songa an-toe’e añ’ anjomba e Ierosalaime vaho hapok’ amy anjomban’ Añaharey.
Also, the gold and silver utensils that King Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple of God in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon must be taken back to Jerusalem. They must be put in God’s temple just as they were in the previous temple.”
6 Ie amy zao, ry Tatenay mpifelek’ alafe’ i Sakay naho i Setar-botsenay naho o mpiama’ areo nte Afaresake alafe’ i Sakaio, ihalaviro;
After reading this, King Darius sent this message [to the leaders of the Israeli people’s enemies in Jerusalem]: “This is a message for Tattenai, the governor of the province west of the [Euphrates] River, and for [his assistant] Shethar-Bozenai, and for all your colleagues: Stay away from that area!
7 apoho hanoeñe i fitoloñañe amy anjomban’ Añahareiy; le angao handranjy i anjomban’ Añaharey an-toe’e eo ty mpifehe o nte-Iehodao naho o mpiaolo’ Iehodao.
Do not (interfere with/hinder) the work of building the temple of God! The temple must be rebuilt at the same place where the former temple was. And do not hinder the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews [while they are doing this work].
8 Mbore tseizeko ty hanoa’ areo amo mpiaolo’ o nte-Iehoda mpamboatse i anjomban’ Añahareioo; te hatolotse am-pahimbañañe boak’ amo varam-panjaka amy haba alafe’ i Sakaio am’ indaty rey ze drala paiae’e, vaho tsy ho sebañeñe.
“Furthermore, I declare that you must help these leaders of the Jews as they rebuild this temple of God [by giving them funds for the building work].
9 Le ze paia’ iareo, amo baniao naho o añondrilahio naho o vik’ añondrio, hisoroñañe amy Andrianañaharen-dikerañey; vare-bolè, sira, divay naho menake. Le ze saontsi’ o mpisoroñe e Ierosalaimeo ty amahana’o aze boak’ andro boak’ andro vaho tsy hilesa;
“The Jewish priests in Jerusalem need young bulls and rams and lambs to sacrifice as they make burned offerings to the God of heaven. You must give them the animals that they need. Also, you must be certain to give them the wheat, salt, wine, and [olive] oil that they need each day [for those sacrifices].
10 hañengàñe soroñe marifondrifoñe amy Andrianañaharen-dindiñey naho ihalaliañe ty havelo’ i mpanjakay naho o anadahi’eo.
If you do that, the Jewish priests will be able to offer sacrifices that please the God who is in heaven, and they will pray that God will bless me and my sons.
11 Tovoñako ty hoe te ze mañova o entañe zao ro hañakarañe boda amy anjomba’ey, le honjoñen-dre hapitek’ ama’e; vaho hanoeñe votrim-porompotse i traño’ey;
“If anyone disobeys this decree, [my soldiers] will pull a beam from his house. Then [after they sharpen one end of the beam, ] they will lift that man up and impale him on that beam. Then they will [completely destroy that man’s house until only] a pile of rubble is left.
12 vaho ehe te harotsan’ Añahare nampimoneñe ty tahina’e ao ze mpanjaka ndra ondaty te hañity fitàñe hañova izay, hampianto i anjomban’ Añahare e Ierosalaimey. Izaho Dariavese ty mitsey: ee t’ie ho henefañe masìka.
God has chosen [that city of] Jerusalem as the place where people will honor him [MTY]. What I desire is that he will get rid of any king or any nation that tries to change this decree or tries to destroy that temple in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have made this decree. It must be obeyed quickly and thoroughly.”
13 Aa le nihavatse nitoloñe t’i Tatenay, mpifelek’ alafe’ i Sakay naho i Setar-botsenay naho o mpiama’eo ty amy nampihitrife’ i Dariavese mpanjakay.
Tattenai, the governor of the province, and [his assistant] Shethar-Bozenai and their colleagues [read the message and] immediately obeyed the decree of King Darius.
14 Le nandranjy naho niraorao o mpiaolo-nte-Iehodao ty amy fitokia’ i Kagaý mpitoky naho i Zekarià ana’ Idòy. Ie namboatse iereo ro nahafonitse i nandilian’ Añahare’ Israeley naho nitseize’ i Korese naho i Dariavese naho i Artaksastà mpanjaka’ i Parase rey.
So the Jewish leaders continued their work [of rebuilding the temple]. They were greatly encouraged by the messages that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah preached. The Israelis continued building the temple, just like God had commanded them to do and like King Cyrus had decreed.
15 Le nifonitse amy andro fahatelo’ i volan-Kiahiaiy i anjombay, an-taom-paha-ene’ i Dariavese, mpanjakay.
They finished building it on March 12, during the sixth year that King Darius [ruled].
16 Le nitana’ o ana’ Israeleo naho o mpisoroñeo naho o nte-Levio vaho ty ila’ o anam-pandrohizañeo am-pirebehañe ty fañorizañe i anjomban’ Añaharey,
Then the priests and the Levites and all the other Israeli people who had returned from Babylon very joyfully dedicated the temple.
17 ie nañenga añombelahy zato naho añondri-lahy roanjato naho vik’ añondry efa-jato amy fañorizañe i anjomban’ Añahareiy; le oselahy folo-ro’ amby ho engan-kakeo’ Israele iaby, ty ami’ty ia’ i fifokoa’ Israele rey.
During [the ceremony to] dedicate the temple, they sacrificed 100 young bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs. They also sacrificed twelve male goats as an offering in order that [God would forgive] the sins of the people of the twelve tribes of Israel.
18 Le nalahatse am-pirimboñañe o mpisoroñeo naho o nte-Levio, songa am-piosoña’e hitoroñe an’ Andrianañahare e Ierosalaime ao; ty amy sinokitse amy boke’ i Moseiy.
Then the priests and Levites were divided into groups that would [take turns to] serve at the temple. They did this according to what Moses had written [many years previously] in the laws [that he wrote].
19 Le nitana’ o anam-pandrohizañeo amy andro faha-folo-efats’ ambi’ i volam-baloha’eiy i Fihelañ’ Amboney.
On April 21, the Jews who had returned from Babylon celebrated the Passover Festival.
20 Le nitrao-pañeferañe o mpisoroñeo naho o nte-Levio; songa nalio; le linenta’ iareo i fihelañ’ amboney ho amo anam-pandrohizañe iabio naho o mpisoroñe roahalahi’ iareoo naho o vata’ iareoo.
[To qualify themselves for offering the sacrifices], the priests and Levites had already purified themselves by performing certain rituals. Then they slaughtered the lambs for the benefit of all the people who had returned from Babylon, for the other priests, and for themselves.
21 Le songa nikama o ana’ Israele nimpoly boak’ am-pandrohizañeo naho o nivìke ho am’ iereo boak’ ami’ty haleora’ o kilakila’ ondati’ i taneio, hipay Iehovà Andrianañahare’ Israele,
Those who had returned from Babylon and the other people in that land who had turned away from their immoral practices in order to worship Yahweh, the God of the Israeli people, ate the Passover meal.
22 naho nitana’ iareo an-kaehake fito andro i sabadida-mofo-tsi-aman-dalivaiy; amy te nampinembanembañ’ iareo t’Iehovà vaho nampitolihe’e am’ iereo ty arofo’ i mpanjaka’ i Asorey; nampaozatse ty fità’ iareo amy fitoloñañe añ’ anjomban’ Añahare, Andrianañahare’ Israeley.
They celebrated the Unleavened Bread Festival of [Eating] Unleavened Bread for seven days. The Israeli people throughout the land were joyful because Yahweh had changed the attitude of the king of Assyria toward them, and as a result, the king had helped them to rebuild the temple of God, the one whom they [worshiped].
