發現塞魯士王的諭旨

於是,大流士王下令查閱保存在巴比倫庫房裡的典籍。 在瑪代省亞馬他城的宮內找到一卷書,書中記載如下:

「塞魯士王元年,塞魯士王就耶路撒冷的上帝之殿降下諭旨,要重建這殿作獻祭之處,要奠立殿的地基。殿要高二十七米、寬二十七米, 每三層巨石加鋪一層木料,經費由國庫支付。 尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷上帝的殿裡擄到巴比倫的金銀器皿,都要歸還到耶路撒冷上帝的殿裡,放回原處。」

於是,大流士王降旨:

「河西總督達乃、示他·波斯乃,以及你們的同僚——河西的官員,要遠離那殿! 不要干涉上帝殿的建造,要讓猶太人的省長和長老在原址上重建這座上帝的殿。 另外,我降旨命你們幫助猶太人的長老建造上帝的殿,要立刻從河西的王室稅收中撥出款項作建殿之用,以免耽誤工程。 他們向天上的上帝獻燔祭時所需的公牛犢、公綿羊、綿羊羔、小麥、鹽、酒和油,都要照耶路撒冷祭司的話天天供給他們,不得有誤, 10 好讓他們向天上的上帝獻上蒙悅納的祭物,並為王和眾王子求壽。 11 我再降旨,若有人更改這諭旨,必從他的房屋抽掉一根大樑,把他釘在樑上掛起來,他的房屋也要淪為糞堆。 12 無論君王還是百姓,若有人擅自更改這命令或毀壞耶路撒冷的這殿,願揀選這殿作其居所的上帝毀滅他!我大流士降此諭旨,務要速速遵行。」

建殿工程竣工

13 於是,河西總督達乃、示他·波斯乃及其同僚都認真執行大流士王的諭旨。 14 在哈該先知和易多的子孫撒迦利亞的勸勉下,猶太人的長老建造這殿,進展順利。他們遵照上帝的命令和波斯王塞魯士、大流士和亞達薛西的諭旨,完成了建殿工程。 15 大流士王第六年亞達月[a]三日,建殿工程竣工。

舉行獻殿禮

16 以色列人、祭司、利未人,以及其餘流亡歸來的人都滿心歡喜地為上帝的殿舉行奉獻禮。 17 他們為此獻上一百頭公牛犢,二百隻公綿羊和四百隻綿羊羔,又照以色列十二支派的數目獻上十二隻公山羊,作全體以色列人的贖罪祭。 18 他們依照摩西律法書的規定,派祭司和利未人按班次在耶路撒冷事奉上帝。

守逾越節

19 一月十四日,流亡歸來的人守逾越節。 20 祭司和利未人一起自潔,成為潔淨的人,並為所有流亡歸來的人、其他祭司同胞以及他們自己宰殺逾越節的羔羊。 21 從流亡之地歸回的以色列人,連同所有棄絕當地民族的污穢行為、尋求以色列的上帝耶和華的人,一起吃這羔羊。 22 他們歡歡喜喜地守除酵節七天,因為耶和華使亞述王對他們心存善意,幫助他們重建以色列上帝的殿。

Footnotes

  1. 6·15 亞達月」即希伯來曆的十二月,陽曆是二月中旬到三月中旬。

Katahi ka puaki ta Tariuha tikanga, a ka rapua i roto i te whare pukapuka, kei reira nei nga taonga e rongoa ana i Papurona.

Na kua kitea ki Akameta, i roto i te whare kingi i te whenua o nga Meri, he pukapuka, me tetahi kupu whakamahara i tuhituhia ki roto; koia tenei:

I te tuatahi o nga tau o Kingi Hairuha i puaki ta Kingi Hairuha tikanga; Mo te whare o te Atua i Hiruharama, Me hanga te whare, te wahi e patua ai nga patunga tapu, kia u ano hoki te whakatakoto o nga turanga; kia ono tekau whatianga te tiketike, kia ono tekau whatianga te whanui;

Kia toru nga rarangi o nga kohatu nunui, kia kotahi hoki rarangi o te rakau hou: me hoatu ano nga utu i roto i te whare o te kingi;

Me whakahoki ano nga oko koura, hiriwa, o te whare o te Atua, i tangohia nei e Nepukaneha i roto i te temepara i Hiruharama, i kawea nei ki Papurona; me kawe ano ki te temepara i Hiruharama, ki tona wahi, ki tona wahi, me whakatakoto e koe ki te whare o te Atua.

Na, e Tatenai, e te kawana i tera taha o te awa, e Hetara Potenai, me o koutou hoa, me nga Aparahaki, i tera taha o te awa, kia matara mai koutou i reira.

Waiho noa atu te mahi o tena whare o te Atua. Waiho atu te kawana o nga Hurai, ratou ko nga kaumatua o nga Hurai, kia mahi ana i tena whare o te Atua i tona wahi.

Tenei ano tetahi tikanga aku mo ta koutou e mea ai ki aua kaumatua o nga Hurai, hei mea mo te hanganga o tenei whare o te Atua: kia hohoro te hoatu i etahi o nga taonga o te kingi, ara o te takoha i tera taha o te awa, ki ena tangata, hei utu mea, kei whakawarea ratou.

Na, ko nga mea e kore ana i a ratou, nga kuao puru, nga hipi toa, nga reme hei tahunga tinana ma te Atua o te rangi, te witi, te tote, te waina, te hinu, nga mea e whakaritea e nga tohunga i Hiruharama, kei mahue te hoatu ki a ratou i tena ra, i tena ra;

10 Kia whakaherea ai e ratou etahi whakahere kakara ki te Atua o te rangi, kia inoi ai mo te kingi, mo ana tama, kia ora.

11 Kua hanga ano hoki e ahau he tikanga, ki te whakaputaia ketia tenei kupu e tetahi, kia unuhia he kurupae i tona whare, a ka whakairi i a ia, ka tarona ai ki runga; kia meinga ano tona whare hei puranga paru, hei utu mo tena.

12 Na ma te Atua nana nei i mea kia noho tona ingoa ki reira, e huna nga kingi katoa, me nga iwi, ina totoro o ratou ringa ki te whakaputa ke, ki te whakangaro i tena whare o te Atua i Hiruharama. Naku, na Tariuha te tikanga i whakatakoto; kia hoho ro te meatanga.

13 Katahi a Tatenai, te kawana o tera taha o te awa, a Hetara Potenai me o raua hoa, i te mea na Kingi Tariuha i tono mai, ka hohoro tonu ta ratou pera.

14 Na kei te hanga nga kaumatua o nga Hurai; tika tonu ta ratou, he mea na te poropititanga a Hakai poropiti raua ko Hakaraia tama a Iro. Na hanga ana ratou, a oti ake; i rite tonu ki te whakahau a te Atua o Iharaira, ki te whakahau a Hairuha, a Ta riuha, a Arataherehe kingi o Pahia.

15 No te toru o nga ra o te marama Arara i oti ai tenei whare, no te ono ano tera o nga tau o te kingitanga o Kingi Tariuha.

16 Na i taia e nga tama a Iharaira, e nga tohunga, e nga Riwaiti, me era atu o nga tama a te whakarau, te kawa o tenei whare o te Atua i runga i te koa.

17 Tapaea ana hoki e ratou i te tainga o te kawa o tenei whare o te Atua, kotahi rau puru, e rua rau hipi toa, e wha rau reme; a hei whakahere hara mo Iharaira katoa, kotahi tekau ma rua koati toa, ko te maha hoki ia o nga iwi o Iharaira.

18 I whakaturia ano e ratou nga tohunga, tenei wehenga, tenei wehenga, me nga Riwaiti, tenei ropu, tenei ropu, mo nga mahi ki te Atua i Hiruharama; ko te mea hoki i tuhituhia ki te pukapuka a Mohi.

19 I te tekau ma wha o te marama tuatahi ka mahi nga tama o te whakarau i te kapenga.

20 I purea hoki nga tohunga ratou ko nga Riwaiti, he mea pure huihui ratou, a patua ana e ratou te kapenga ma nga tama katoa o te whakarau, ma o ratou tuakana, ma nga tohunga, ma ratou ano hoki.

21 Na ka kai nga tama a Iharaira i hoki mai nei i te whakarau, me te hunga katoa i mawehe mai nei ki a ratou i roto i te poke o nga iwi o te whenua, ki te rapu i a Ihowa, i te Atua o Iharaira,

22 A ka mahia e ratou te hakari o te taro rawenakore, e whitu nga ra, i runga i te koa: Na Ihowa hoki ratou i mea kia koa, nana hoki i whakaanga mai te ngakau o te kingi o Ahiria ki a ratou, i whakakaha ai ia i o ratou ringa ki te mahi i te whare o te Atua, o te Atua o Iharaira.

Darius’s Search

King Darius gave the order, and they searched(A) in the library of Babylon in the archives.[a](B) But it was in the fortress of Ecbatana in the province of Media(C) that a scroll was found with this record written on it:

In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree(D) concerning the house of God in Jerusalem:

Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its original foundations be retained.[b] Its height is to be ninety feet[c] and its width ninety feet,(E) with three layers of cut[d] stones and one of timber.(F) The cost is to be paid from the royal treasury.[e](G) The gold and silver articles of God’s house that Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon must also be returned. They are to be brought to the temple in Jerusalem where they belong[f] and put into the house of God.(H)

Darius’s Decree

Therefore, you must stay away from that place, Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and your[g] colleagues, the officials in the region.(I) Leave the construction of the house of God alone. Let the governor(J) and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its original site.

I hereby issue a decree concerning what you are to do, so that the elders of the Jews can rebuild the house of God:

The cost is to be paid in full to these men out of the royal revenues(K) from the taxes of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of the heavens, or wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—let it be given to them every day without fail,(L) 10 so that they can offer sacrifices of pleasing aroma to the God of the heavens and pray for the life of the king and his sons.(M)

11 I also issue a decree concerning any man who interferes with this directive:

Let a beam be torn from his house and raised up; he will be impaled on it, and his house will be made into a garbage dump because of this offense.(N) 12 May the God who caused his name to dwell there(O) overthrow any king or people who dares[h] to harm or interfere with this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out diligently.

13 Then Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues(P) diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed. 14 So the Jewish elders continued successfully with the building under the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo.(Q) They finished the building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus,(R) Darius, and King Artaxerxes(S) of Persia. 15 This house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar(T) in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

Temple Dedication and the Passover

16 Then the Israelites, including the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of God’s house they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs, as well as twelve male goats(U) as a sin offering for all Israel—one for each Israelite tribe. 18 They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the book of Moses.(V)

19 The exiles(W) observed the Passover(X) on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 All of the priests and Levites were ceremonially clean, because they had purified themselves. They killed the Passover lamb for themselves, their priestly brothers, and all the exiles.(Y) 21 The Israelites who had returned from exile(Z) ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the Gentiles of the land[i](AA) in order to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 They observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days(AB) with joy, because the Lord had made them joyful, having changed the Assyrian king’s attitude toward them, so that he supported them[j] in the work on the house of the God of Israel.(AC)

Footnotes

  1. 6:1 Lit Babylon where the treasures were stored
  2. 6:3 Lit be brought forth
  3. 6:3 Lit 60 cubits
  4. 6:4 Or huge
  5. 6:4 Lit the king’s house
  6. 6:5 Lit Jerusalem, to its place,
  7. 6:6 Lit their
  8. 6:12 Lit who stretches out its hand
  9. 6:21 Lit land to them
  10. 6:22 Lit strengthened their hands