Ezra 6

1 Thus King Darius ordered a search of the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon.

1 عِنْدَئِذٍ أَصْدَرَ دَارِيُوسُ الْمَلِكُ مَرْسُوماً بِالْبَحْثِ فِي دَارِ الْمَحْفُوظَاتِ فِي بَابِلَ، حَيْثُ تُحْفَظُ الْوَثَائِقُ،

2 And a scroll was found in the fortress of Ecbatana, in the province of Media, with the following written on it: Memorandum:

2 فَعَثَرُوا فِي قَصْرِ أَحْمَثَا، عَاصِمَةِ إِقْلِيمِ مَادِي، عَلَى مَرْسُومٍ هَذَا نَصُّهُ: «مُذَكِّرَةٌ.

3 In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its foundations be firmly laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide,

3 أَصْدَرَ الْمَلِكُ كُورَشُ فِي السَّنَةِ الأُولَى لِحُكْمِهِ مَرْسُوماً بِشَأْنِ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، جَاءَ فِيهِ: لِيُعَدْ بِنَاءُ الْهَيْكَلِ الَّذِي يُقَرِّبُونَ فِيهِ الذَّبَائِحَ، وَلْتُرْسَ أُسُسُهُ بِحَيْثُ يَكُونُ ارْتِفَاعُهُ سِتِّينَ ذِرَاعاً (نَحْوَ ثَلاثِينَ مِتْراً) وَعَرْضُهُ سِتِّينَ ذِرَاعاً

4 with three layers of cut stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury.

4 عَلَى أَنْ يَتَكَوَّنَ مِنْ ثَلاثَةِ صُفُوفٍ مِنْ حِجَارَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، وَصَفٍّ رَابِعٍ مِنْ خَشَبٍ جَدِيدٍ. وَتَتَكَفَّلُ خَزِينَةُ الْمَلِكِ بِنَفَقَةِ الْبِنَاءِ.

5 Furthermore, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, must also be returned to the temple in Jerusalem and deposited in the house of God.

5 كَمَا يَتَحَتَّمُ رَدُّ آنِيَةِ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ الذَّهَبِيَّةِ وَالْفِضِّيَّةِ الَّتِي غَنِمَهَا نَبُوخَذْنَصَّرُ مِنْ هَيْكَلِ أُورُشَلِيمَ وَنَقَلَهَا إِلَى بَابِلَ، إِلَى مَوْضِعِهَا فِي هَيْكَلِ اللهِ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ.

6 Therefore Darius decreed: To Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates and officials in the region: You must stay away from that place!

6 وَالآنَ يَا تَتْنَايُ وَالِي عَبْرِ النَّهْرِ وَشَتَرْبُوزْنَايُ وَسَائِرَ رِفَاقِكُمَا الأَفَرْسَكِيِّينَ الْمُقِيمِينَ فِي عَبْرِ النَّهْرِ: ابْتَعِدُوا مِنْ هُنَاكَ.

7 Leave this work on the house of God alone. Let the governor and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its original site.

7 لَا تَتَدَخَّلُوا فِي سَيْرِ عَمَلِ بِنَاءِ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ هَذَا؛ وَلْيُتَابِعْ وَالِي الْيَهُودِ وَشُيُوخُهُمْ بِنَاءَهُ فِي ذَاتِ مَوْقِعِهِ السَّابِقِ.

8 I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered.

8 وَقَدْ صَدَرَ مِنِّي أَمْرٌ بِمَا تَصْنَعُونَ مَعَ شُيُوخِ الْيَهُودِ هَؤُلاءِ بِصَدَدِ بِنَاءِ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ: عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تَدْفَعُوا عَاجِلاً لِهَؤُلاءِ نَفَقَاتِ الْبِنَاءِ مِنْ مَالِ الْمَلِكِ مِنَ الْجِزْيَةِ الَّتِي تُجْبَى مِنْ عَبْرِ النَّهْرِ، لِئَلّا يَتَعَطَّلُوا عَنِ الْعَمَلِ.

9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given to them daily without fail.

9 وَكَذَلِكَ مَا يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الثِّيرَانِ وَالْكِبَاشِ وَالْخِرَافِ لِتَكُونَ قَرَابِينَ لإِلَهِ السَّمَاءِ. وَقَدِّمُوا لَهُمْ حِنْطَةً وَمِلْحاً وَخَمْراً وَزَيْتاً بِمُوْجِبِ طَلَبِ كَهَنَةِ أُورُشَلِيمَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ بِيَوْمِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ مُمَاطَلَةٍ،

10 Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.

10 لِيُوَاظِبُوا عَلَى تَقْرِيبِ ذَبَائِحِ سُرُورٍ لإِلَهِ السَّمَاءِ، وَيُثَابِرُوا عَلَى الصَّلاةِ مِنْ أَجْلِ حَيَاةِ الْمَلِكِ وَأَبْنَائِهِ.

11 I also decree that if any man interferes with this directive, a beam is to be torn from his house and raised up, and he is to be impaled on it. And his own house shall be made a pile of rubble for this offense.

11 وَقَدْ أَمَرْتُ أَنَّ كُلَّ إِنْسَانٍ يُغَيِّرُ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَرْسُومِ تُسْحَبُ خَشَبَةٌ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ تَصْلِبُونَهُ عَلَيْهَا مُعَلَّقاً، وَيَتَحَوَّلُ بَيْتُهُ إِلَى كَوْمَةٍ مِنَ الأَطْلالِ جَزَاءَ جَرِيمَتِهِ.

12 May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence.

12 وَلْيُهْلِكِ اللهُ، الَّذِي وَضَعَ اسْمَهُ هُنَاكَ، كُلَّ مَلِكٍ أَوْ شَعْبٍ يَسْعَى لِتَغْيِيرِ هَذَا الْمَرْسُومِ، أَوْ لِهَدْمِ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ الَّذِي فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ. أَنَا دَارِيُوسُ قَدْ أَمَرْتُ فَلْيُجْرَ تَنْفِيذُ هَذَا الْمَرْسُومِ عَلَى الْفَوْرِ».

13 In response, Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed.

13 حِينَئِذٍ أَسْرَعَ تَتْنَايُ وَالِي عَبْرِ النَّهْرِ، وَشَتَرْبُوزْنَايُ وَرِفَاقُهُمَا بِتَنْفِيذِ أَمْرِ الْمَلِكِ دَارِيُوسَ بِدِقَّةٍ.

14 So the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

14 وَهَكَذَا تَابَعَ شُيُوخُ الْيَهُودِ الْبِنَاءَ بِنَجَاحٍ، تَتْمِيماً لِنُبُوءَةِ حَجَّيِ النَّبِيِّ وَزَكَرِيَّا بْنِ عِدُّو، فَاسْتَكْمَلُوا الْبِنَاءَ حَسَبَ أَمْرِ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَمْرِ كُورَشَ وَدَارِيُوسَ وَأَرْتَحْشَشْتَا مُلُوكِ فَارِسَ.

15 And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

15 وَتَمَّ بِنَاءُ الْهَيْكَلِ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ مِنْ شَهْرِ آذَارَ، فِي السَّنَةِ السَّادِسَةِ مِنْ مُلْكِ دَارِيُوسَ الْمَلِكِ.

16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

16 وَدَشَّنَ كَهَنَةُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَاللاوِيُّونَ وَبَقِيَّةُ الْمَسْبِيِّينَ الْعَائِدِينَ هَيْكَلَ اللهِ بِفَرَحٍ.

17 For the dedication of the house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel.

17 وَقَرَّبُوا احْتِفَالاً بِتَدْشِينِ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ: مِئَةَ ثَوْرٍ وَمِئَتَيْ كَبْشٍ وَأَرْبَعَ مِئَةِ خَرُوفٍ؛ وَاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ تَيْسَ مِعْزَى، لِتَكُونَ ذَبِيحَةَ خَطِيئَةٍ عَنْ جَمِيعِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، بِحَسَبِ عَدَدِ أَسْبَاطِهِمْ.

18 They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

18 وَتَوَزَّعَ الْكَهَنَةُ وَاللّاوِيُّونَ حَسَبَ فِرَقِهِمِ الْمُخْتَلِفَةِ لِيَقُومُوا بِخِدْمَةِ الرَّبِّ، كَمَا هُوَ مَنْصُوصٌ عَلَيْهِ فِي شَرِيعَةِ مُوسَى.

19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles kept the Passover.

19 وَاحْتَفَلَ الْعَائِدُونَ مِنَ السَّبْيِ بِالْفِصْحِ فِي الْيَوْمِ الرَّابِعَ عَشَرَ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ الأَوَّلِ،

20 All the priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their priestly brothers, and for themselves.

20 إِذْ كَانَ الْكَهَنَةُ وَاللّاوِيُّونَ قَدْ تَطَهَّرُوا جَمِيعاً، فَذَبَحُوا حُمْلانَ الْفِصْحِ لِجَمِيعِ الْمَسْبِيِّينَ الْعَائِدِينَ وَلإِخْوَتِهِمِ الْكَهَنَةِ وَلأَنْفُسِهِمْ.

21 The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.

21 وَأَكَلَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيُّونَ الرَّاجِعُونَ مِنَ السَّبْيِ الْفِصْحَ، مَعَ سَائِرِ الَّذِينَ انْفَصَلُوا عَنْ مُمَارَسَةِ رَجَاسَاتِ أُمَمِ الأَرْضِ. وَجَاءُوا لِيَعْبُدُوا الرَّبَّ إِلَهَ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

22 For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

22 وَاحْتَفَلُوا بِعِيدِ الْفَطِيرِ سَبْعَةَ أَيَّامٍ بِفَرَحٍ، لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ مَلأَهُمْ بِالْغِبْطَةِ، إِذْ جَعَلَ قَلْبَ مَلِكِ أَشُّورَ يَمِيلُ نَحْوَهُمْ، فَشَدَّ أَزْرَهُمْ لِمُتَابَعَةِ الْعَمَلِ فِي بِنَاءِ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ.