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大利乌王发现先王谕旨

于是,大利乌王下令考查在巴比伦库房的档案, 在玛代省的亚马他宫中,发现了一卷书卷。其中写着这样的一段记录: “古列王元年,古列王颁发有关在耶路撒冷 神的殿的命令,要把这殿重建起来,作献祭的地方;要奠立殿的根基。殿高二十七公尺,宽二十七公尺。 三层光滑石块,一层新木头,所有费用由王库支付。 至于从前尼布甲尼撒从耶路撒冷的殿里掠夺,带到巴比伦的神殿中的金银器皿,都要归还,送到耶路撒冷的殿,各按原来的地方放在 神的殿中。”

王下令继续重建圣殿

于是大利乌王下令说:“现在,河西那边的总督达乃和示他.波斯乃,以及你们的同僚,就是在河西那边的亚法萨迦人,你们要远离那里; 不要干涉这神殿的工程,让犹大人的总督和犹大人的长老在原来的地方重建 神的这殿。 我又下令你要协助这些犹大人的长老重建 神的殿,你要作这事:从河西那边交给王库的税收中,拨出充足的经费给他们,免得工程停顿。 他们需用的甚么东西,包括作燔祭献给天上 神的公牛犊、公绵羊和绵羊羔;还有麦子、盐、酒和油,都要照着在耶路撒冷的祭司们所说,天天供给他们,不可疏忽, 10 好让他们可以献馨香的祭给天上的 神,为王和王的子孙祈求长寿。 11 我又下令:无论甚么人更改这命令,就要从他的房屋中拆出一根梁木,把他挂起,钉在木上;又使他的房屋成为粪堆。 12 愿那使自己的名居住在那里的 神,毁灭所有伸手更改这命令,或要毁坏这在耶路撒冷 神的殿的君王和人民。我大利乌下令,必须彻底遵行。”

重建完工

13 于是河西那边的总督达乃、示他.波斯乃和他们的同僚,彻底遵照大利乌王的指示。 14 犹大人的长老因着哈该先知和易多的孙子撒迦利亚的信息,迅速重建。他们遵照以色列 神的命令,波斯王古列、大利乌和亚达薛西的命令,完成重建圣殿的工作。 15 这殿在大利乌王在位的第六年亚达月初三日,完成了。

举行献殿礼

16 以色列祭司和利未人,以及其余被掳归回的人都欢欢喜喜举行奉献这神殿的典礼。 17 在奉献这神殿的典礼中,他们献上公牛一百头、公绵羊二百只、绵羊羔四百只;又照着以色列支派的数目献上公山羊十二只,作全以色列的赎罪祭。 18 他们又照着摩西书上所写,委派祭司按着编制,利未人按着班次,在耶路撒冷 神的殿中事奉。

守逾越节

19 正月十四日,被掳归回的人守逾越节。 20 祭司和利未人一起行洁净仪式,他们就全都洁净了;于是利未人为所有被掳归回的人和他们作祭司的众亲族,以及他们自己,宰杀了逾越节的羊羔。 21 被掳归回的以色列人和所有脱离当地民族的污秽的人,一同吃这羊羔,寻求耶和华以色列的 神。 22 他们欢欢喜喜地守除酵节七天,因为耶和华使他们欢喜,又使亚述王的心转向他们,坚固他们的手作以色列 神殿的工程。

The Decree of Darius

King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives(A) stored in the treasury at Babylon. A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:

Memorandum:

In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:

Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid.(B) It is to be sixty cubits[a] high and sixty cubits wide, with three courses(C) of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury.(D) Also, the gold(E) and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.(F)

Now then, Tattenai,(G) governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai(H) and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.

Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:

Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury,(I) from the revenues(J) of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings(K) to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.(L)

11 Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled(M) on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble.(N) 12 May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there,(O) overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.

I Darius(P) have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.

Completion and Dedication of the Temple

13 Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates(Q) carried it out with diligence. 14 So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching(R) of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus,(S) Darius(T) and Artaxerxes,(U) kings of Persia. 15 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.(V)

16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication(W) of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of this house of God they offered(X) a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering[b] for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they installed the priests in their divisions(Y) and the Levites in their groups(Z) for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.(AA)

The Passover

19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.(AB) 20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered(AC) the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. 21 So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves(AD) from the unclean practices(AE) of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord,(AF) the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(AG) because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude(AH) of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 6:3 That is, about 90 feet or about 27 meters
  2. Ezra 6:17 Or purification offering