1 و َتَنَبَّأ النَّبِيّانِ حَجَّي وَزَكَرِيّا بْنُ عِدُّوَ لليَهُودِ الَّذِينَ فِي يَهُوذا وَمَدينَةِ القُدْسِ بِاسْمِ إلَهِ إسْرائِيلَ.

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

2 ع ِندَ ذَلِكَ قامَ زَرُبّابِلُ بْنُ شَألتِئِيلَ وَيَشُوعُ بْنُ صاداقَ وَأخَذا يَبنِيانِ بَيتَ اللهِ الَّذِي فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، وَكانَ يُعاوِنُهُما أنبِياءُ اللهِ.

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

3 ف ِي ذَلِكَ اليَومِ، جاءَهُمْ تَتْنايُ والِي إقلِيمِ غَرْبِ النَّهرِ وَشَتَرْبُوزْنايُ وَرِفاقُهُما وَسَألُوهُمْ: «مَنْ أذِنَ لَكُمْ بِبِناءِ هَذا البَيتِ، وَوَضعِ أساساتِهِ؟»

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

4 ث ُمَّ سَألُوهُمْ: «ما هِيَ أسماءُ الرِّجالِ الَّذِينَ يَبنُونَ هَذا البِناءَ؟»

Then we said unto them regarding this, These are the names of the men that make this building!

5 ل َكِنَّ عَينَ اللهِ كَانَتْ تَسْهَرُ عَلَى رِعايَةِ شُيُوخِ اليَهُودِ، فَلَمْ يُوقِفُوهُمْ عَنِ العَمَلِ فِيما أرْسَلُوا عَنْ الأمرِ إلَى دارِيُوسَ، مُنْتَظِرِينَ أمراً خَطِّيّاً مِنهُ حَولَ هَذا الأمرِ.

For the eyes of their God were upon the elders of the Jews, and they could not cause them to cease until the matter came to Darius, and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.

6 و َهَذِهِ نُسخَةٌ عَنِ الرِّسالَةِ الَّتِي بَعَثَ بِها تَتْنايُ والِي الإقلِيمِ الواقِعِ غَرْبَ نهرِ الفُراتِ وَشَتَرْبُوزْنَايُ وَرِفاقُهُما وَمُفَتِّشُو إقلِيمِ ما وَراءَ نَهرِ الفُراتِ الَّذِينَ أرسَلُوا رِسالةً إلَى المَلِكِ دارِيوسَ.

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

7 و َقَد أرسَلُوا إلَيهِ تَقرِيراً هَذا نَصُّهُ: إلَى المَلِكِ دارِيُوسَ، تَحِيَّةً وَسَلاماً!

they sent a letter unto him, in which was written thus; Unto Darius, the king, all peace.

8 ل ِيَكُن مَعلُوماً أنَّنا ذَهَبنا إلَى إقلِيمِ يَهُوذا، حَيثُ يُبنَى هَيكَلُ اللهِ العَظِيمِ بِحِجارَةٍ ضَخمَةٍ، وَتُوضَعُ ألواحٌ خَشَبِيَّةٌ فِي الجُدْرانِ. وَيَجرِي هَذا العَمَلُ بِاجتِهادٍ وَيَتَقَدَّمُ بِسُرعَةٍ عَلَى أيدِيهِمْ.

Be it known unto the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is being built with stones of marble, and the timbers are laid in the walls, and this work is going fast and prospers in their hands.

9 ف َحَقَّقنا مَعَ هَؤُلاءِ الشُّيُوخِ وَسَألناهُمْ: «مَنْ أذِنَ لَكُمْ بِبِناءِ هَذا البَيتِ، وَوَضعِ أساساتِهِ؟»

Then we asked the elders and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house and to found these walls?

10 ك َما سَألناهُمْ عَن أسمائِهِمْ لِكَي نُبَلِّغَكَ بِها وَنَكتُبَ لَكَ أسماءَ قادَتِهِمْ.

We asked their names also, to notify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were at the head of them.

11 ف َأجابُوا: «نَحنُ عَبِيدُ إلَهِ السَّماواتِ وَالأرْضِ، وَنَحنُ نُعِيدُ بِناءَ هَذا البَيتِ الَّذِي بَناهُ وَأكمَلَهُ أحَدُ المُلُوكِ العُظَماءِ قَبلَ سِنِينَ طَوِيلَةٍ.

And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are servants of the God of heaven and earth and rebuild the house that was built many years ago, which the great king of Israel built and founded.

12 آ باؤنا أغَضَبُوا إلَهَ السَّماواتِ، فَهُزِمُوا أمامَ المَلِكِ الكِلدانِيِّ نَبُوخَذْناصَّرَ الَّذِي هَدَمَ هَذا البَيتَ وَسَبَى الشَّعبَ إلَى بابِلَ.

But after our fathers raged against the God of heaven, 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.

13 و َلَكِنَّ المَلِكَ كُورَشَ أصدَرَ فِي السَّنَةِ الأُولَى مِنْ حُكمِهِ أمراً بِإعادَةِ بِناءِ بَيتِ اللهِ.

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

14 أ مّا الآنِيَةُ الذَّهَبِيَّةُ وَالفِضِّيَّةُ الخاصَّةُ بِبَيتِ اللهِ الَّتِي استَولَى عَلَيها نَبُوخَذْناصَّرُ مِنَ الهَيكَلِ الَّذِي فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ وَوَضَعَها فِي هَيكَلِ بابِلَ، فَقَدْ أخْرَجَها المَلِكُ كُورَشُ مِنْ هَيكَلِ بابِلَ وَأعطاها لِرَجُلٍ عَيَّنَهُ والِياً اسْمُهُ شِيشْبَصَّرُ.»

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

15 و َقالَ كُورَشُ لِشِيشْبَصَّرَ: «خُذْ هَذِهِ الآنِيَةَ وَعُدْ بِها إلَى الهَيكَلِ الَّذِي فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، وَأعِدْ بَناءَ بَيتِ اللهِ فِي مَكانِهِ.»

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

16 ف َجاءَ شِيشْبَصَّرُ، وَوَضَعَ أساساتِ بَيتِ اللهِ الَّذِي فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، وَمُنذُ ذَلِكَ الوَقتِ إلَى الآنَ كانَ البِناءُ يَجرِي، لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكتَمِلْ بَعْدُ.

Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God which was in Jerusalem, and since that time until now it is being built, and it is not yet finished.

17 ف َإذا شاءَ المَلِكُ، فَلْيَأمُرْ بِالرُّجُوعِ إلَى السِّجِلّاتِ المَلَكِيَّةِ فِي بابِلَ، للتَأكُدِ مِنْ أنَّ المَلِكَ كُورَشَ كانَ قَد أصدَرَ أمراً بِإعادَةِ بِناءِ بَيتِ اللهِ فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، وَلِيُبَلِّغنا المَلِكُ بِما يَراهُ مُناسِباً فِي هَذِهِ المَسألَةِ.

Now, therefore, if it seems good to the king, let there be a search made in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, whether it is so, that a decree was made by Cyrus, the king, to build this house of God in Jerusalem, and let the king send unto us his will concerning this matter.