Ezra 5

1 Καὶ προεφήτευσεν Ἀγγαῖος ὁ προφήτης καὶ Ζαχαρίας ὁ τοῦ Ἀδδὼ προφητείαν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς ἐν Ἰούδα καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν ὀνόματι Θεοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπʼ αὐτούς.

2 Τότε ἀνέστησαν Ζοροβάβελ ὁ τοῦ Σαλαθιὴλ καὶ Ἰησοῦς υἱὸς Ἰωσεδὲκ, καὶ ἤρξαντο οἰκοδομῆσαι τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ μετʼ αὐτῶν οἱ προφῆται τοῦ Θεοῦ βοηθοῦντες αὐτοῖς.

3 Ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ καιρῷ ἦλθεν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς Θανθαναῒ ἔπαρχος πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ Σαθαρβουζαναῒ, καὶ οἱ σύνδουλοι αὐτῶν, καὶ τοιάδε εἶπαν αὐτοῖς, τίς ἔθηκεν ὑμῖν γνώμην τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον, καὶ τὴν χορηγίαν ταύτην καταρτίσασθαι;

4 Τότε ταῦτα εἴποσαν αὐτοῖς, τίνα ἐστὶ τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν οἰκοδομούντων τὴν πόλιν ταύτην;

5 Καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν Ἰούδα, καὶ οὐ κατήργησαν αὐτοὺς ἕως γνώμη τῷ Δαρείῳ ἀπηνέχθη· καὶ τότε ἀπεστάλη τῷ φορολόγῳ ὑπὲρ τούτου

6 διασάφησις ἐπιστολῆς, ἧς ἀπέστειλε Θανθαναῒ, ὁ ἔπαρχος τοῦ πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ Σαθαρβουζαναῒ καὶ οἱ σύνδουλοι αὐτῶν Ἀφαρσαχαῖοι οἱ ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, Δαρείῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ·

7 Ῥήμασιν ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτόν· καὶ τάδε γέγραπται ἐν αὐτῷ·

8 Δαρείῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ εἰρήνη πᾶσα. Γνωστὸν ἔστω τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὅτι ἐπορεύθημεν εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν χώραν εἰς οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου, καὶ αὐτὸς οἰκοδομεῖται λίθοις ἐκλεκτοῖς, καὶ ξύλα ἐντίθεται ἐν τοῖς τοίχοις, καὶ τὸ ἔργον ἐκεῖνο ἐπιδέξιον γίνεται, καὶ εὐοδοῦται ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτῶν.

9 Τότε ἠρωτήσαμεν τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους ἐκείνους, καὶ οὕτως εἴπαμεν αὐτοῖς, τίς ἔθηκεν ὑμῖν γνώμην τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον οἰκοδομῆσαι, καὶ τὴν χορηγίαν ταύτην καταρτίσασθαι;

10 Καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν ἠρωτήσαμεν αὐτοὺς γνωρίσαι σοι, ὥστε γράψαι σοι τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτῶν.

11 Καὶ τοιοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα ἀπεκρίθησαν ἡμῖν, λέγοντες, ἡμεῖς ἐσμὲν δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἰκοδομοῦμεν τὸν οἶκον ὃς ἦν ᾠκοδομημένος πρὸ τούτου ἔτη πολλὰ, καὶ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ μέγας ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτὸν, καὶ κατηρτίσατο αὐτὸν αὐτοῖς.

12 Ἀφότε δὲ παρώργισαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἔδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς χεῖρας Ναβουχοδονόσορ βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος τοῦ Χαλδαίου, καὶ τὸν οἴκον τοῦτον κατέλυσε, καὶ τὸν λαὸν ἀπῴκισεν εἰς Βαβυλῶνα.

13 Αλλʼ ἐν ἔτει πρώτῳ Κύρου τοῦ βασιλέως, Κύρος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔθετο γνώμην τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτον οἰκοδομηθῆναι·

14 Καὶ τὰ σκεύη τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ χρυσᾶ καὶ τὰ ἀργυρᾶ, ἃ Ναβουχοδονόσορ ἐξήνεγκεν ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἀπήνεγκεν αὐτὰ εἰς τὸν ναὸν του βασιλέως, ἐξήνεγκεν αὐτὰ Κύρος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἔδωκε τῷ Σαβανασὰρ τῷ θησαυροφύλακι, τῷ ἐπὶ τοῦ θησαυροῦ,

15 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, πάντα τὰ σκεύη λάβε καὶ πορεύου, θὲς αὐτὰ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τῷ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτῶν.

16 Τότε Σαβανασὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἦλθε καὶ ἔδωκε θεμελίους τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἀπὸ τότε ἕως τοῦ νῦν ᾠκοδομήθη, καὶ οὐκ ἐτελέσθη.

17 Καὶ νῦν εἰ ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα ἀγαθὸν ἐπισκεπήτω ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τῆς γάζης τοῦ βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος, ὅπως γνῷς ὅτι ἀπὸ βασιλέως Κύρου ἐτέθη γνώμη οἰκοδομῆσαι τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ γνοὺς ὁ βασιλεὺς περὶ τούτου, πεμψάτω πρὸς ἡμᾶς.

1 And Aggæus the prophet, and Zacharias the son of Addo, prophesied a prophecy to the Jews in Juda and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even to them.

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

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

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

8 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 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 And we asked them their names, in order to declare them to thee, so as to write to thee the names of their leading men.

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

14 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 treasure;

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

16 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 And now, if it seem good to the king, let search be made in the treasure-house of the king at Babylon, that thou mayest 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 .