以斯拉記 第 5 章

And Aggaios the prophet and Zacharias the son of Addo prophesied a prophecy to the Judeans who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel upon them.

Then Zorobabel the son of Salathiel and Jesus the son of Josedek rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

At that time Thanthanai the governor beyond the river came to them, and Satharbouzana and their fellow servants, and they said this to them: Who set you a decree to build this house and to furnish this provision?

Then they said this to them: What are the names of the men who are building this city?

But the eyes of God were upon the captivity of Judah, and they did not stop them, until a report was carried to Darius; and then it was sent to the tribute-collector concerning this.

This is the copy of the letter which Thanthanai the governor of the region beyond the river and Satharbouzana and their fellow servants the Apharsachaeans who are beyond the river sent to Darius the king.

They sent him a message, and thus it was written in it: To Darius the king, all peace.

Let it be known to the king that we went into the land of Judea, to the house of the great God; and it is being built with choice stones, and timber is being set in the walls, and that work goes forward skillfully and prospers in their hands.

Then we asked those elders, and thus we said to them: Who set you a decree to build this house and to furnish this provision?

And we asked them their names, to make them known to you, so as to write to you the names of the men who are their leaders.

And they answered us such a word, saying: We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house which was built many years before this; and a great king of Israel built it and completed it

for them. But from the time our fathers provoked the God of heaven to anger, he gave them into the hands of Nabouchodonosor king of Babylon, the Chaldean; and he destroyed this house and carried the people away to Babylon.

But in the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king set a decree that this house of God be built.

And the vessels of the house of God, the golden and the silver ones, which Nabouchodonosor brought out from the house which is in Jerusalem and carried away into the temple of the king — Cyrus the king brought them out from the temple of the king and gave them to Sasabasar the treasurer who was over the treasury,

and he said to him: Take all the vessels and go, put them in the house which is in Jerusalem, in their own place.

Then that Sasabasar came and laid the foundations of the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been building, and it has not been finished.

And now, if it is good to the king, let search be made in the house of the treasury of the king of Babylon, so that you may know whether a decree was set by king Cyrus to build that house of God which is in Jerusalem; and when the king has learned concerning this, let him send to us.