The Book of Ezra, Chapter 5עזרא 5

וְהִתְנַבִּ֞י חַגַּ֣י נביאה נְבִיָּ֗א וּזְכַרְיָ֤ה בַר עִדּוֹא֙ נביאיא נְבִיַּיָּ֔א עַל יְה֣וּדָיֵ֔א דִּ֥י בִיה֖וּד וּבִירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם בְּשֻׁ֛ם אֱלָ֥הּ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עֲלֵיהֽוֹן

Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews that in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, to them.

בֵּאדַ֡יִן קָ֠מוּ זְרֻבָּבֶ֤ל בַּר שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל֙ וְיֵשׁ֣וּעַ בַּר יֽוֹצָדָ֔ק וְשָׁרִ֣יו לְמִבְנֵ֔א בֵּ֥ית אֱלָהָ֖א דִּ֣י בִירֽוּשְׁלֶ֑ם וְעִמְּה֛וֹן נביאיא נְבִיַּיָּ֥א דִֽי אֱלָהָ֖א מְסָעֲדִ֥ין לְהֽוֹן

Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which at Jerusalem: and with them the prophets of God helping them.

בֵּהּ זִמְנָא֩ אֲתָ֨א עֲלֵיה֜וֹן תַּ֠תְּנַי פַּחַ֧ת עֲבַֽר נַהֲרָ֛ה וּשְׁתַ֥ר בּוֹזְנַ֖י וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹן וְכֵן֙ אָמְרִ֣ין לְהֹ֔ם מַן שָׂ֨ם לְכֹ֜ם טְעֵ֗ם בַּיְתָ֤א דְנָה֙ לִבְּנֵ֔א וְאֻשַּׁרְנָ֥א דְנָ֖ה לְשַׁכְלָלָֽה

At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus to them, Who has commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?

אֱדַ֥יִן כְּנֵ֖מָא אֲמַ֣רְנָא לְּהֹ֑ם מַן אִנּוּן֙ שְׁמָהָ֣ת גֻּבְרַיָּ֔א דִּֽי דְנָ֥ה בִנְיָנָ֖א בָּנַֽיִן

Then said we to them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?

וְעֵ֣ין אֱלָהֲהֹ֗ם הֲוָת֙ עַל שָׂבֵ֣י יְהוּדָיֵ֔א וְלָא בַטִּ֣לוּ הִמּ֔וֹ עַד טַעְמָ֖א לְדָרְיָ֣וֶשׁ יְהָ֑ךְ וֶאֱדַ֛יִן יְתִיב֥וּן נִשְׁתְּוָנָ֖א עַל דְּנָֽה

But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this .

פַּרְשֶׁ֣גֶן אִ֠גַּרְתָּא דִּֽי שְׁלַ֞ח תַּתְּנַ֣י פַּחַ֣ת עֲבַֽר נַהֲרָ֗ה וּשְׁתַ֤ר בּוֹזְנַי֙ וּכְנָ֣וָתֵ֔הּ אֲפַ֨רְסְכָיֵ֔א דִּ֖י בַּעֲבַ֣ר נַהֲרָ֑ה עַל דָּרְיָ֖וֶשׁ מַלְכָּֽא

The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which on this side the river, sent to Darius the king:

פִּתְגָמָ֖א שְׁלַ֣חוּ עֲל֑וֹהִי וְכִדְנָה֙ כְּתִ֣יב בְּגַוֵּ֔הּ לְדָרְיָ֥וֶשׁ מַלְכָּ֖א שְׁלָמָ֥א כֹֽלָּא

They sent a letter to him, wherein was written thus; To Darius the king, all peace.

יְדִ֣יעַ לֶהֱוֵ֣א לְמַלְכָּ֗א דִּֽי אֲזַ֜לְנָא לִיה֤וּד מְדִֽינְתָּא֙ לְבֵית֙ אֱלָהָ֣א רַבָּ֔א וְה֤וּא מִתְבְּנֵא֙ אֶ֣בֶן גְּלָ֔ל וְאָ֖ע מִתְּשָׂ֣ם בְּכֻתְלַיָּ֑א וַעֲבִ֥ידְתָּא דָ֛ךְ אָסְפַּ֥רְנָא מִתְעַבְדָ֖א וּמַצְלַ֥ח בְּיֶדְהֹֽם

Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.

אֱדַ֗יִן שְׁאֵ֨לְנָא֙ לְשָׂבַיָּ֣א אִלֵּ֔ךְ כְּנֵ֖מָא אֲמַ֣רְנָא לְּהֹ֑ם מַן שָׂ֨ם לְכֹ֜ם טְעֵ֗ם בַּיְתָ֤א דְנָה֙ לְמִבְנְיָ֔ה וְאֻשַּׁרְנָ֥א דְנָ֖ה לְשַׁכְלָלָֽה

Then asked we those elders, said to them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?

וְאַ֧ף שְׁמָהָתְהֹ֛ם שְׁאֵ֥לְנָא לְּהֹ֖ם לְהוֹדָעוּתָ֑ךְ דִּ֛י נִכְתֻּ֥ב שֻׁם גֻּבְרַיָּ֖א דִּ֥י בְרָאשֵׁיהֹֽם

We asked their names also, to certify you, that we might write the names of the men that the chief of them.

וּכְנֵ֥מָא פִתְגָמָ֖א הֲתִיב֣וּנָא לְמֵמַ֑ר אֲנַ֣חְנָא הִמּ֡וֹ עַבְדוֹהִי֩ דִֽי אֱלָ֨הּ שְׁמַיָּ֜א וְאַרְעָ֗א וּבָנַ֤יִן בַּיְתָא֙ דִּֽי הֲוָ֨א בְנֵ֜ה מִקַּדְמַ֤ת דְּנָה֙ שְׁנִ֣ין שַׂגִּיאָ֔ן וּמֶ֤לֶךְ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ רַ֔ב בְּנָ֖הִי וְשַׁכְלְלֵֽהּ

And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.

לָהֵ֗ן מִן דִּ֨י הַרְגִּ֤זוּ אֲבָהֳתַ֨נָא֙ לֶאֱלָ֣הּ שְׁמַיָּ֔א יְהַ֣ב הִמּ֔וֹ בְּיַ֛ד נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל כסדיא כַּסְדָּאָ֑ה וּבַיְתָ֤ה דְנָה֙ סַתְרֵ֔הּ וְעַמָּ֖ה הַגְלִ֥י לְבָבֶֽל

But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.

בְּרַם֙ בִּשְׁנַ֣ת חֲדָ֔ה לְכ֥וֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּ֖א דִּ֣י בָבֶ֑ל כּ֤וֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא֙ שָׂ֣ם טְעֵ֔ם בֵּית אֱלָהָ֥א דְנָ֖ה לִבְּנֵֽא

But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

וְ֠אַף מָאנַיָּ֣א דִֽי בֵית אֱלָהָא֮ דִּ֣י דַהֲבָ֣ה וְכַסְפָּא֒ דִּ֣י נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֗ר הַנְפֵּק֙ מִן הֵֽיכְלָא֙ דִּ֣י בִֽירוּשְׁלֶ֔ם וְהֵיבֵ֣ל הִמּ֔וֹ לְהֵיכְלָ֖א דִּ֣י בָבֶ֑ל הַנְפֵּ֨ק הִמּ֜וֹ כּ֣וֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּ֗א מִן הֵֽיכְלָא֙ דִּ֣י בָבֶ֔ל וִיהִ֨יבוּ֙ לְשֵׁשְׁבַּצַּ֣ר שְׁמֵ֔הּ דִּ֥י פֶחָ֖ה שָׂמֵֽהּ

And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to , whose name Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;

וַאֲמַר לֵ֓הּ אלה אֵ֚ל מָֽאנַיָּ֔א שֵׂ֚א אֵֽזֶל אֲחֵ֣ת הִמּ֔וֹ בְּהֵיכְלָ֖א דִּ֣י בִירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם וּבֵ֥ית אֱלָהָ֖א יִתְבְּנֵ֥א עַל אַתְרֵֽהּ

And said to him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.

אֱדַ֨יִן֙ שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּ֣ר דֵּ֔ךְ אֲתָ֗א יְהַ֧ב אֻשַּׁיָּ֛א דִּי בֵ֥ית אֱלָהָ֖א דִּ֣י בִירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם וּמִן אֱדַ֧יִן וְעַד כְּעַ֛ן מִתְבְּנֵ֖א וְלָ֥א שְׁלִֽם

Then came the same Sheshbazzar, laid the foundation of the house of God which in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now has it been in building, and it is not finished.

וּכְעַ֞ן הֵ֧ן עַל מַלְכָּ֣א טָ֗ב יִ֠תְבַּקַּר בְּבֵ֨ית גִּנְזַיָּ֜א דִּי מַלְכָּ֣א תַמָּה֮ דִּ֣י בְּבָבֶל֒ הֵ֣ן אִיתַ֗י דִּֽי מִן כּ֤וֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא֙ שִׂ֣ים טְעֵ֔ם לְמִבְנֵ֛א בֵּית אֱלָהָ֥א דֵ֖ךְ בִּירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם וּרְע֥וּת מַלְכָּ֛א עַל דְּנָ֖ה יִשְׁלַ֥ח עֲלֶֽינָא

Now therefore, if good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house, which there at Babylon, whether it be , that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.