Ezra 3
1 Ilikuwa miezi saba baaada ya watu wa Israeli kurudi kwenye miji yao, ndipo walipojikusanya pamoja kama mtu mmoja katika Yerusalem.
After the Israeli people [returned to Israel, and] had begun to live in their towns, (in the autumn of/after the hot season ended in) that year, they all gathered together in Jerusalem.
2 Yeshua mwana wa Yosadaki na kaka yake kuhani, na Zerubabeli mwana wa Sheatieli na kaka yake wakainuka na kujenga madhabahu ya Mungu wa Israeli na kutoa sadaka ya kuteketezwa kama ilivyoagizwa katika sheria ya Musa, Mtu wa Mungu.
Then Jeshua, the son of Jehozadak, and his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his friends, all began to rebuild the altar of God, the one whom the Israeli people [worshiped]. They did that in order that they could sacrifice burned offerings on it, according to what the prophet Moses had written in the laws [that God gave to him].
3 Ndipo wakaanzisha madhabahu juu ya msingi, kwa hofu waliokuwa nayo kwa sababu ya watu wa nchi/ Wakatoa sadaka ya kuteketezwa kwa Yahwe asubuhi na jioni.
Even though they were afraid of the people who were already living in that area, they rebuilt the altar at the same place [where the previous altar had been]. Before they started to lay the foundation of Yahweh’s temple, [the priests] started to burn sacrifices to Yahweh [on the altar]. They offered sacrifices every morning and every evening. Fifteen days after [they started to offer these sacrifices], the people celebrated the Festival of [Living in Temporary] Shelters, as [Moses] had commanded them to do in the laws [that God gave to him]. Each day the priests offered the sacrifices [that were required] for that day. In addition, they presented the regular burned offerings and the offerings [that were required] for the New Moon Festivals and the other festivals that they celebrated each year to [honor] Yahweh. They also brought other offerings only because they desired to bring them, [not because they were required to bring them].
4 Pia vilevile wakaichunguza sikukuu ya vibanda kama ilivyoandikwa na wakatoa sadaka ya kuteketezwa siku kwa siku kama ilivyoagizwa, kila siku kwa siku yake.
5 Kulikuwa na sadaka ya kila siku ya kuteketezwa na mwezi mara moja na sadaka za siku ya Yahwe za kudumu, pamoja na sadaka zote za hiari.
6 Walianza kutoa sadaka za kuteketezwa za Yahwe siku ya kwanza ya mwezi wa saba, ingawa hekalu lilikuwa halijaanza kujengwa.
7 Hivyo wakatoa fedha kwa wahunzi na fundi wa mkono, na wakawapa chakula, vinywaji na mafuta kwa watu wa Sidoni na Tiro, ili kwamba walete miti ya mierezi kupitia baharini kutoka Lebanoni mpaka Yafa, na kama walivyo ruhusiwa na mfalme Koreshi wa Uajemi.
Then the Israelis hired masons and carpenters, and they bought [logs from] cedar trees from the people of Tyre and Sidon [cities], and they gave those people food and wine and olive oil for the logs. They brought the logs down from [the mountains in] Lebanon [to the Mediterranean seacoast and then floated them along the coast of the Sea, ] to Joppa. King Cyrus permitted them to do that. [Then the logs were brought from Joppa inland up to Jerusalem].
8 Ndipo mwezi wa pili katika mwaka wa pili baadae wakaja kwenye nyumba ya Mungu Yerusalem, Zerubabeli, Yoshua mwana wa Yosadaki, na baadhi ya makuhani na walawi na wale walikuja kutoka uhamishoni kurudi Yerusalem wakaanza kazi. Wakawachagua walawi walikuwa na miaka ishirini na zaidi kusimamia kazi ya nyumba ya Yahwe,
The Israelis started to rebuild the temple in the (spring/time before the hot season) of the second year after they returned to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel and Jeshua and all the people who had returned to Jerusalem worked on the building. All the (Levites/men who did work in the temple) supervised this work.
9 Yoshua akamsimamisha kijana wake na kaka yake, Kadmiel na watoto wake, na kizazi cha yuda kusimamia kufanya kazi katika nyumba ya Mungu. Pamoja na wao kulikuwa na wana wa Henadadi, na uzao wao, na pia jamaa zao walawi.
Jeshua and his sons and his other relatives, and Kadmiel and his sons, who were descendants of Hodaviah, also helped to supervise the work. The family of Henadad, who were also all Levites, joined with them in supervising this work.
10 Wajenzi wakasimamisha msingi wa Hekalu la Yahwe, Na hii ikawawezesha makuhani kusimama na mavazi yao wakiwa na tarumbeta, na walawi wana wa Asafu, kumtukuza Yahwe kwa matoazi, kama mkono wa mfalme Daudi wa Israel alivyoagiza.
When the builders finished laying the foundation of the temple, the priests put on their robes and stood in their places, blowing their trumpets. Then the Levites, who were descendants of Asaph, clashed/banged their cymbals to praise Yahweh, just as King David had [many years previously] told [Asaph and the other musicians] to do.
11 Waliimba kwa kumsifu na kumshukuru Yahwe. “Yeye ni mwema! Agano lake ni kweli kwa Israel ladumu milele.”Watu wote wakapiga kelele kwa sauti kuu za shangwe wakimsifu Yahwe kwa sababu misingi ya Hekalu ilikuwa imekamilika.
They praised Yahweh and thanked him, and they sang this song about him: “He is very good [to us]! He faithfully loves us Israeli people, and he will love us forever.” Then all the people shouted loudly, praising Yahweh because they had finished laying the foundation of Yahweh’s temple.
12 Lakini wengi wa Makuhani, walawi, wakuu wa kale, na wazeee wa zamani walioiona nyumba ya kwanza, wakati misingi ilipowekwa wakaishuhudia kwa macho yao, walilia kwa sauti. Lakiniwengi walipiga kelele kwa sauti za shangwe na furaha na sauti za kushangaza.
Many of the [old] priests, Levites, and leaders of families remembered [what] the first temple [was like], and they cried aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid [because they knew that the new temple would not be as beautiful as the first temple]. But the other people shouted joyfully.
13 Na matokeo yake, watu hawakuweza kutofautisha sauti za furaha na sauti za shangwe na sauti za watu waliokuwa wanalia, kwa kuwa watu walikuwa wanalia kwa sauti kuu ya shangwe na sauti ilisikika kutoka mbali.
The shouting and the crying was very loud; [even people] far away could hear it.
