Esdras 5

1 Los profetas Hageo y Zacarías, hijo de Iddo, le enviaron mensajes a los judíos de Judá y Jerusalén de parte del Dios de Israel, su gobernante.

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 Entonces Zorobabel, hijo de Sealtiel, y Jesúa, hijo de Josadac, decidieron empezar a trabajar en la reconstrucción del Templo de Dios en Jerusalén. Los profetas de Dios los animaron y los ayudaron.

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 Casi inmediatamente llegaron Tatnai, el gobernador de la provincia al oeste del Éufrates, Setar-boznai, y sus colegas funcionarios y preguntaron: “¿Quién les dio permiso para reconstruir este Templo y terminarlo?”

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 Luego preguntaron: “¿Cuáles son los nombres de los hombres que están trabajando en este edificio?”

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

5 Pero su Dios velaba por los dirigentes judíos, de modo que no se les impidió trabajar hasta que se pudo enviar un informe a Darío y se recibió una respuesta escrita con instrucciones.

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 La siguiente es una copia de la carta que Tatnai, el gobernador de la provincia al oeste del Éufrates, Setar-boznai, y sus compañeros, funcionarios de la provincia, enviaron al rey Darío.

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 El informe que le enviaron decía lo siguiente “Al rey Darío: Saludos.

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

8 Deseamos informar a Su Majestad que fuimos a la provincia de Judá, al Templo del gran Dios. Se está construyendo con grandes piedras, y se están colocando vigas de madera en las paredes. Esta obra se está realizando correctamente y avanza a buen ritmo.

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 “Interrogamos a los dirigentes, preguntándoles: ‘¿Quién les dio permiso para reconstruir este Templo y terminarlo?’

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 También les pedimos sus nombres, para anotarlos y hacerles saber los nombres de sus dirigentes.

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 “Esta es la respuesta que nos dieron: ‘Somos servidores del Dios del cielo y de la tierra. Estamos reconstruyendo el Templo construido y terminado hace muchos años por un gran rey de Israel.

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 Pero nuestros antepasados hicieron enojar al Dios del cielo, por lo cual los entregó a Nabucodonosor, rey de Babilonia, el caldeo, quien destruyó este Templo y deportó al pueblo a Babilonia.

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 Sin embargo, Ciro, rey de Babilonia, en el primer año de su reinado, emitió un decreto para reconstruir este Templo de Dios.

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 Incluso devolvió los objetos de oro y plata pertenecientes al Templo de Dios, que Nabucodonosor había tomado del Templo de Jerusalén y colocado en su templo de Babilonia. El rey Ciro se los entregó a un hombre llamado Sesbasar, a quien había nombrado gobernador,

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 diciéndole: Toma estos artículos y colócalos en el Templo de Jerusalén. Reconstruye el Templo de Dios en su sitio original.

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 Así que Sesbasar vino y puso los cimientos del Templo de Dios en Jerusalén. Desde entonces está en construcción, pero aún no se ha completado’.

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 “Por lo tanto, si Su Majestad lo desea, autorice que se haga una búsqueda en los archivos reales de Babilonia para descubrir si hay un registro de que el rey Ciro emitió un decreto para reconstruir el Templo de Dios en Jerusalén. Entonces, por favor, háganos saber la decisión de Su Majestad en este asunto”.

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.”