Esdræ 5

1 Prophetaverunt autem Aggæus Propheta, et Zacharias filius Addo prophetantes ad Iudæos, qui erant in Iudæa et Ierusalem, in nomine Dei Israel.

And Aggaeus the prophet, and Zacharias the [son] of Addo, prophesied a prophesy to the Jews in Juda and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, [even] to them.

2 Tunc surrexerunt Zorobabel filius Salathiel, et Iosue filius Iosedec, et cœperunt ædificare templum Dei in Ierusalem, et cum eis prophetæ Dei adiuvantes eos.

Then rose up Zorobabel the [son] of Salathiel, and Jesus the son of Josedec, and began to build the house of God that was in Jerusalem: and with them [were] the prophets of God assisting them.

3 In ipso autem tempore venit ad eos Thathanai, qui erat dux trans Flumen, et Stharbuzanai, et consiliarii eorum: sicque dixerunt eis: Quis dedit vobis consilium ut domum hanc ædificaretis, et muros eius instauraretis?

At the same time came there upon them Thanthanai, the governor on this side the river, and Satharbuzanai, and their fellow-servants, and spoke thus to them, Who has ordained a decree for you to build this house, and to [provide] this preparation?

4 Ad quod respondimus eis, quæ essent nomina hominum auctorum ædificationis illius.

Then they spoke thus to them, What are the names of the men that build this city?

5 Oculus autem Dei eorum factus est super senes Iudæorum, et non potuerunt inhibere eos. Placuitque ut res ad Darium referretur, et tunc satisfacerent adversus accusationem illam.

But the eyes of God were upon the captivity of Juda, and they did not cause them to cease till the decree was brought to Darius; and then was sent by the tribute-gatherer concerning this

6 Exemplar epistolæ, quam misit Thathanai dux regionis trans Flumen, et Stharbuzanai, et consiliatores eius Arphasachæi, qui erant trans Flumen, ad Darium regem.

the copy of a letter, which Thanthanai, the governor of the part on this side the river, and Satharbuzanai, and their fellow-servants the Apharsachaeans who were on this side of the river, sent to king Darius.

7 Sermo, quem miserant ei, sic scriptus erat: Dario regi pax omnis.

They sent an account to him, and thus it was written in it: All peace to king Darius.

8 Notum sit regi, isse nos ad Iudæam provinciam, ad domum Dei magni, quæ ædificatur lapide impolito, et ligna ponuntur in parietibus: opusque illud diligenter extruitur, et crescit in manibus eorum.

Be it known to the king, that we went into the land of Judea, to the house of the great God; and it is building with choice stones, and they are laying timbers in the walls, and that work is prospering, and goes on favourably in their hands.

9 Interrogavimus ergo senes illos, et ita diximus eis: Quis dedit vobis potestatem ut domum hanc ædificaretis, et muros hos instauraretis?

Then we asked those elders, and thus we said to them, Who gave you the order to build this house, and to [provide] this preparation?

10 Sed et nomina eorum quæsivimus ab eis, ut nunciaremus tibi: scripsimusque nomina eorum virorum, qui sunt principes in eis.

And we asked them their names, [in order] to declare [them] to you, so as to write to you the names of their leading men.

11 Huiuscemodi autem sermonem responderunt nobis, dicentes: Nos sumus servi Dei cæli et terræ, et ædificamus templum, quod erat extructum ante hos annos multos, quodque rex Israel magnus ædificaverat, et extruxerat.

And they answered us thus, saying, We [are] the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we [are] building the house which had been built many years before this, and a great king of Israel built it, and established it for them.

12 Postquam autem ad iracundiam provocaverunt patres nostri Deum cæli, tradidit eos in manus Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis Chaldæi, domum quoque hanc destruxit, et populum eius transtulit in Babylonem.

But after that our fathers provoked the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nabuchodonosor the Chaldean, king of Babylon, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people captive to Babylon.

13 Anno autem primo Cyri regis Babylonis, Cyrus rex proposuit edictum ut domus Dei hæc ædificaretur.

And in the first year of king Cyrus, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be built.

14 Nam et vasa templi Dei aurea et argentea, quæ Nabuchodonosor tulerat de templo, quod erat in Ierusalem, et asportaverat ea in templum Babylonis, protulit Cyrus rex de templo Babylonis, et data sunt Sassabasar vocabulo, quem et principem constituit,

And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nabuchodonosor brought out from the house that was in Jerusalem, and carried them into the temple of the king, them did king Cyrus bring out from the temple of the king, and gave them to Sabanasar the treasurer, who was over the treasurer;

15 dixitque ei: Hæc vasa tolle, et vade, et pone ea in templo, quod est in Ierusalem, et domus Dei ædificetur in loco suo.

and said to him, Take all the vessels, and go, put them in the house that is in Jerusalem in their place.

16 Tunc itaque Sassabasar ille venit et posuit fundamenta templi Dei in Ierusalem, et ex eo tempore usque nunc ædificatur, et necdum completum est.

Then that Sabanazar came, and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem: and from that time even until now it has been building, and has not been finished.

17 Nunc ergo, si videtur regi bonum, recenseat in bibliotheca regis, quæ est in Babylone, utrumnam a Cyro rege iussum fuerit ut ædificaretur domus Dei in Ierusalem, et voluntatem regis super hac re mittat ad nos.

And now, if it [seem] good to the king, lest search be made in the treasure-house of the king at Babylon, that you may know [if it be] that a decree was made by king Cyrus to build that house of God that was in Jerusalem, and let the king send to us when he has learnt concerning this [matter].