以斯拉記 6
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
發現塞魯士王的諭旨
6 於是，大流士王下令查閱保存在巴比倫庫房裡的典籍。 2 在瑪代省亞馬他城的宮內找到一卷書，書中記載如下：
3 「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， 4 每三層巨石加鋪一層木料，經費由國庫支付。 5 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。」
6 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！ 7 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。 8 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。 9 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
- 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。
Ezra 6
Good News Translation
Emperor Cyrus' Order Is Rediscovered
6 So Emperor Darius issued orders for a search to be made in the royal records that were kept in Babylon. 2 But it was in the city of Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found, containing the following record:
3 “In the first year of his reign Emperor Cyrus commanded that the Temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are made and offerings are burned. The Temple is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide. 4 The walls are to be built with one layer of wood on top of each three layers of stone. All expenses are to be paid by the royal treasury. 5 Also the gold and silver utensils which King Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon from the Temple in Jerusalem are to be returned to their proper place in the Jerusalem Temple.”
Emperor Darius Orders the Work to Continue
6 Then Emperor Darius sent the following reply:
“To Tattenai, governor of West-of-Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and your fellow officials in West-of-Euphrates.
“Stay away from the Temple 7 and do not interfere with its construction. Let the governor of Judah and the Jewish leaders rebuild the Temple of God where it stood before. 8 I hereby command you to help them rebuild it. Their expenses are to be paid promptly out of the royal funds received from taxes in West-of-Euphrates, so that the work is not interrupted. 9 Day by day, without fail, you are to give the priests in Jerusalem whatever they tell you they need: young bulls, sheep, or lambs to be burned as offerings to the God of Heaven, or wheat, salt, wine, or olive oil. 10 This is to be done so that they can offer sacrifices that are acceptable to the God of Heaven and pray for his blessing on me and my sons. 11 I further command that if any disobey this order, a wooden beam is to be torn out of their houses, sharpened on one end, and then driven through their bodies. And their houses are to be made a rubbish heap.
12 May the God who chose Jerusalem as the place where he is to be worshiped overthrow any king or nation that defies this command and tries to destroy the Temple there. I, Darius, have commanded. My command is to be fully obeyed.”
The Temple Is Dedicated
13 Then Governor Tattenai, Shethar Bozenai, and their fellow officials did exactly as the emperor had commanded. 14 (A)The Jewish leaders made good progress with the building of the Temple, encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. They completed the Temple as they had been commanded by the God of Israel and by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, emperors of Persia. 15 They finished the Temple on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Darius. 16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and all the others who had returned from exile—joyfully dedicated the Temple. 17 For the dedication they offered 100 bulls, 200 sheep, and 400 lambs as sacrifices, and 12 goats as offerings for sin, one for each tribe of Israel. 18 They also organized the priests and the Levites for the Temple services in Jerusalem, according to the instructions contained in the book of Moses.
The Passover
19 (B)The people who had returned from exile celebrated Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month of the following year. 20 All the priests and the Levites had purified themselves and were ritually clean. The Levites killed the animals for the Passover sacrifices for all the people who had returned, for the priests, and for themselves. 21 The sacrifices were eaten by all the Israelites who had returned from exile and by all those who had given up the pagan ways of the other people who were living in the land and who had come to worship the Lord God of Israel. 22 For seven days they joyfully celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread. They were full of joy because the Lord had made the emperor of Assyria[a] favorable to them, so that he supported them in their work of rebuilding the Temple of the God of Israel.
Footnotes
- Ezra 6:22 Apparently a reference to the Persian emperor who then also ruled the territory once occupied by Assyria, Israel's ancient enemy.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
