Ezra 5

1 Ugbu a, ndị amụma, bụ Hegai, na Zekaraya nwa Ido buru amụma nye ndị Juu nọ na Juda nakwa Jerusalem. Ọ bụ nʼaha Chineke nke Izrel, onye na-achị ha ka ha buru amụma ahụ.

Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied to them in the name of the God of Israel.

2 Mgbe ahụ, Zerubabel nwa Shealtiel, na Jeshua nwa Jozadak malitekwara iwu ụlọnsọ Chineke nʼJerusalem. Ndị amụma Chineke ahụ nọnyeere ha na-enyekwara ha aka.

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build God’s house which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

3 Ma Tatenai, onye na-achị mba niile dị nʼọdịda anyanwụ Yufretis, na Sheta Bozenai, na ndị enyi ha, gara Jerusalem jụọ ndị Juu sị; “Onye nyere unu ike ibido iwuzi ụlọnsọ a na mgbidi Jerusalem?”

At the same time Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, came to them, with Shetharbozenai and their companions, and asked them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this wall?”

4 Ha jụkwara ha ajụjụ sị: “Gịnị bụ aha ndị na-arụ ụlọ a?”

They also asked for the names of the men who were making this building.

5 Ma anya Chineke ha dịkwasịrị nʼahụ ndị okenye ndị Juu, ha akwụsịghị ha ọrụ ruo mgbe akwụkwọ ozi ruru Daraiọs, na mgbe ọsịsa ya bịara site nʼakwụkwọ ozi.

But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they didn’t make them cease until the matter should come to Darius, and an answer should be returned by letter concerning it.

6 Nke a bụ akwụkwọ ozi Tatenai, onye na-achị ala dị nʼọdịda anyanwụ Yufretis, na Sheta Bozenai, na ndịisi ọzọ degara eze Daraiọs:

The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king follows.

7 Ha zigara ya akwụkwọ ozi, nke e si otu a dee, Daraiọs bụ eze nwe akwụkwọ a, Anyị ekelee gị.

They sent a letter to him, in which was written: To Darius the king, all peace.

8 Ọ dị mma ka eze mata na anyị jeruru mpaghara ala Juda, nʼebe ahụ ụlọnsọ ukwu Chineke dị. Anyị chọpụtara na ndị ahụ ji nkume a wara awa na-ewu ya, na-edokwa osisi na-elu mgbidi ya. Ọrụ ahụ na-agakwa nʼihu nke ọma na-esepụghị aka nʼokpuru nlekọta ha.

Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.

9 Anyị jụrụ ndị okenye ajụjụ sị: Onye nyere unu ikike ibido iwuzi ụlọnsọ a na mgbidi Jerusalem?

Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”

10 Anyị jụkwara ha aha ha, ka anyị si otu a mee ka ị mata aha ndị ndu ha.

We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.

11 Ma nke a bụ ihe ha zaghachiri anyị: “Anyị onwe anyị bụ ndị ohu Chineke nke eluigwe na ụwa. Anyị na-ewugharị ụlọnsọ nke otu eze ukwu ndị Izrel wuru nʼoge gara aga.

Thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

12 Ma nʼihi na nna nna anyị ha mere ka iwe wee Chineke nke eluigwe, o weere ha nyefee nʼaka Nebukadneza, onye Kaldịa, bụ eze Babilọn, onye bibiri ụlọnsọ a ma dọrọ ndị bi nʼala ahụ nʼagha laa Babilọn.

But after our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried the people away into Babylon.

13 “Ma otu ọ dị, nʼafọ mbụ nke ọchịchị Sairọs, eze Babilọn, eze Sairọs nyere iwu ka e wugharịa ụlọnsọ Chineke a.

But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.

14 O sikwa nʼụlọnsọ dị na Babilọn wepụta ngwongwo ọlaọcha na ọlaedo si nʼụlọnsọ Chineke nke Nebukadneza si nʼụlọnsọ Chineke dị na Jerusalem bupụ bulaa nʼụlọnsọ dị na Babilọn. Mgbe ahụ eze Sairọs nyefere ha nʼaka otu nwoke a na-akpọ Sheshbaza, onye ọ họpụtara dịka gọvanọ.

The gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king also took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.

15 Ọ gwara ya sị, ‘buru ngwongwo ndị a bulaa ha nʼụlọnsọ dị na Jerusalem, wugharịakwa ụlọnsọ Chineke nʼọnọdụ ya mbụ.’

He said to him, ‘Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let God’s house be built in its place.’

16 “Ya mere, ọ bụ Sheshbaza a bịara tọọ ntọala ụlọnsọ dị na Jerusalem. Sitekwa nʼoge ahụ ruo ugbu a, ha nọ na-arụ ya ma ha arụchabeghị ya.”

Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of God’s house which is in Jerusalem. Since that time even until now it has been being built, and yet it is not completed.

17 Ugbu a, ọ bụrụ na ọ dị eze mma nʼobi, ya nye iwu ka e nyochaa nʼụlọ a na-echebe akwụkwọ ochie nke ndị eze Babilọn, ịchọpụta maọbụ eziokwu na eze Sairọs nyere iwu dị otu a iwugharị ụlọnsọ Chineke dị na Jerusalem. Ka eze gwakwa anyị ihe bụ mkpebi ya banyere okwu a.

Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was made by Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.”