Ezra 5
1 Ndipo Hagai nabii na Zakaria mtoto wa Ido nabii wakatabiri kwa jina la Mungu wa Israel kwa wayahudi wa Yuda na Yerusalem.
Then prophesied Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of 'Iddo, the prophets, unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, concerning them.
2 Zerubabeli mtoto wa Shealtieli na Yoshua mtoto wa Yosadaki wakainuka na kuanza kujenga nyumba ya Mungu Yerusalem pamoja na manabii ambao waliwahamasisha wao.
Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealthiel, and Jeshua' the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God helping them.
3 Ndipo Tatenai Mkuu wa mji ngambo ya mto, Shethar - Bozenai, na mshirika wao, wakaja na kusema kwao, “Nani aliyewapa agizo la kujenga nyumba hii na kukamilisha ukuta?”
At this same time came to them Thathnai, the governor on this side of the river, and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, and thus they said unto them, “Who hath given you an order to build this house, and to complete these walls?”
4 Vilevile walisema, “Ni majina ya watu gani wanaoshughulika na ujenzi huu?”
Then said we unto them after this manner, what are the names of the men that erect this building.
5 Lakini jicho la Mungu lilikuwa pamoja na viongozi wa Wayahudi na maadui wao hawakuweza kuwazuia. Walikuwa wakisubiri barua kutumwa kwa mfalme na amri kurudi kwao kwa ajili ya suala hili.
But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so that they did not stop them, till the matter came to Darius; and they then returned an answer by letter concerning this.
6 Hii ni nakala ya barua kwa Tatenai, mkuu wa mji ngambo ya mto, na Shethar - Bozenai na wenzao katika mji ngambo ya Mto, ambao waliwatuma kwa mfalme Dario.
A copy of the letter which Thathnai, the governor on this side of the river, and Shethar-bozenai, and his companions, the Apharsachites, who were on this side of the river, sent unto king Darius.
7 Wakatuma ujumbe, wakiandika kwa mfalme Dario, “Amani tele iwe kwako”
They sent a report unto him, and thus was it written therein: Unto king Darius be all peace.
8 Mfalme atambue kwamba tulikwenda Yuda kwenye nyumba ya Mungu Mkuu. Imeshajengwa kwa mawe makubwa na mbao zimewekwa katika kuta. Hii kazi inafanyika kwa utaratibu na inaendelea vizuri kwa mikono yao.
Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which they are building with heavy stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work is urged with speed, and it prospereth in their hands.
9 Tukawauliza wazee, ni nani aliyewapa agizo la kujenga nyumba na ukuta?'
Then asked we these elders, and after this manner said we unto them, Who hath given you the order to build this house, and to complete these walls?
10 Pia tuliwauliza majina yao ili kwamba ujue majina ya kila mtu ambaye aliwaongoza.
Also their names did we ask of them, to let thee know them, that we might write down the names of the men that are at their head.
11 Nao wakatujibu na kusema, “Sisi tu watumishi wa Mungu wa mbingu na nchi na sisi tunaijenga nyumba hii ambayo ilijengwa miaka mingi iliyopita wakati mfalme mkuu wa Israel alijenga na kuikamisha.
And in this manner did they return us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we build the house that was built before this many years, and a great king of Israel built and completed it.
12 Ingawa, watangulizi wetu walipomchukiza Mungu wa mbinguni, Mungu akawatia katika mikono ya mfalme wa Babeli Nebukadineza, ambaye alivunja nyumba na kuwachukua watu mateka Babeli.
But since our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them up into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people as exiles into Babylon.
13 Pia, katika mwaka wa kwanza wa kutawala Koreshi mfalme wa Babeli, Koreshi aliamuru nyumba ya Mungu kujengwa.
However, in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, king Cyrus gave an order to build this house of God.
14 Mfalme Koreshi pia alirudisha vitu vya dhahabu na fedha vya nyumba ya Mungu ambavyo Nebukadineza alivichukua kwenye hekalu Yerusalem na kuvipeleka kwenye hekalu Babeli. Naye akavitunza kwa Sheshbaza, ambaye alimchagua kuwa kiongozi.
And also the vessels of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought into the temple of Babylon, these did king Cyrus take out of the temple of Babylon, and gave them unto one, Sheshbazzar by name, whom he had appointed as governor;
15 Naye akamwambia, “Chukua hivi vitu. Uondoke na kuviweka kwenye Hekalu Yerusalem. Na nyumba ya Mungu ijengwe kule.”
And he said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple which is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built on its site.
16 Ndipo huyu Sheshbaza akaja na kuweka msingi kwa nyumba ya Mungu katika Yerusalem: na ikaendelea kujengwa, lakini bado haijakamilika
Then came this same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and from that time even until now they have been building it, but it is not yet finished.
17 Sasa ikiwa itampendeza mfalme, na uchunguzi ufanyike kwenye nyumba ya ukumbusho Babeli Ikiwapo hukumu ya mfalme wa Koreshi ya kujenga nyumba ya Mungu Yerusalem. Na mfalme anaweza kutuma uamuzi wake kwetu.
And now, if it seem good to the king, let search be made in the king's treasure-house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that an order was given by king Cyrus to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send to us his pleasure concerning this matter.
