那時,先知哈該和易多的子孫撒迦利亞奉以色列上帝的名,向猶大和耶路撒冷的猶大人宣講上帝的話。 於是,撒拉鐵的兒子所羅巴伯和約薩達的兒子耶書亞開始在耶路撒冷重建上帝的殿,上帝的先知在他們身邊幫助他們。

當時,河西總督達乃、示他·波斯乃及其同僚來問他們:「誰批准你們重建這殿、修復這牆的?」 又問道:「建造這殿的人們叫什麼名字。」 然而,上帝看顧猶太人的長老,工程沒有被叫停,直到事情呈報給大流士王、收到王的回諭後才停止。

河西的官員們——河西總督達乃、示他·波斯乃及其同僚上奏大流士王, 奏章如下:

「願大流士王一切平安! 王該知道,我們去了猶大省,到了偉大上帝的殿。人們正在用大石建殿,木料已經安在牆裡,工程進展迅速、順利。 我們問那些長老,『誰批准你們重建這殿、修復這牆的?』 10 我們又問他們的名字,好記下他們首領的名字稟告王。

11 「他們回答說,『我們是天地之上帝的僕人,我們正在重建這座多年前由以色列的一位偉大君王建造的殿。 12 但因為我們的祖先觸怒了天上的上帝,上帝把他們交在迦勒底人——巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒的手中,他摧毀了這殿,把他們擄到巴比倫。 13 然而,巴比倫王塞魯士在其統治元年,降旨重建這座上帝的殿。 14 尼布甲尼撒王曾擄去耶路撒冷上帝殿裡的金銀器皿,放在巴比倫神廟裡,塞魯士王從巴比倫神廟取出這些器皿,交給他委派做省長的設巴薩, 15 吩咐他把這些器皿帶去,重新陳設在耶路撒冷的殿裡,在舊址上重建上帝的殿。 16 於是,這位設巴薩就在耶路撒冷為上帝的殿立了根基,從那時到如今,殿一直在重建中,還沒有竣工。』

17 「現在,王若願意,請查閱巴比倫的王室記錄,看看塞魯士王是否降旨重建耶路撒冷的上帝之殿。王對此事如何決斷,請告知我們。」

Tattenai’s Letter to Darius

Now Haggai(A) the prophet and Zechariah(B) the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied(C) to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel(D) son of Shealtiel and Joshua(E) son of Jozadak set to work(F) to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

At that time Tattenai,(G) governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai(H) and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?”(I) They[a] also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” But the eye of their God(J) was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.

This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. The report they sent him read as follows:

To King Darius:

Cordial greetings.

The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work(K) is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.

We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?”(L) 10 We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

11 This is the answer they gave us:

“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple(M) that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our ancestors angered(N) the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.(O)

13 “However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree(P) to rebuild this house of God. 14 He even removed from the temple[b] of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple[c] in Babylon.(Q) Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar,(R) whom he had appointed governor, 15 and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’

16 “So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God(S) in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”

17 Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives(T) of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 5:4 See Septuagint; Aramaic We.
  2. Ezra 5:14 Or palace
  3. Ezra 5:14 Or palace

Rebuilding the House of God Begins Again

And the prophets, (A)Haggai the prophet and (B)Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then (C)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and (D)the prophets of God were with them supporting them.

At that time (E)Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the [a]River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, “(F)Who issued you a decree to rebuild this house and to complete this structure?” (G)Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were rebuilding this building. But (H)the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report could come to Darius, and then a document be returned concerning this.

Tattenai and Others Write to King Darius

This is the copy of the letter which (I)Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues (J)the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. They sent word to him in which it was written thus:

“To Darius the king, all peace.

Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, and it is being built with huge stones, and timber is being put within the walls; and that work is going on with all diligence and is succeeding in their hands.

Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this house and to complete this structure?’

10 And we also asked them their names in order to make known to you, and that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head.

11 Thus they responded with a word to us, saying,

‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, (K)which a great king of Israel built and completed.

12 But (L)because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, (M)He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and took the people away into exile in Babylon.

13 However, (N)in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus (O)issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.

14 Also (P)the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple [b]in Jerusalem and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took out from the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one (Q)whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor.

15 He said to him, “Take these articles, go and deposit them in the temple [c]in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place.”

16 Then that Sheshbazzar came and (R)laid the foundations of the house of God [d]in Jerusalem; and from then until now it is being rebuilt, and it is (S)not yet finished.’

17 So now if it seems good to the king, (T)let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, if it be that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild that house of God in Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his will concerning this matter.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 5:3 The Euphrates River, so in ch
  2. Ezra 5:14 Lit that was in
  3. Ezra 5:15 Lit that is in
  4. Ezra 5:16 Lit that is in