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

Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel they prophesied to 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 rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build God’s house which is 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 came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and their companions, and said thus to them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”

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

Then we told them in this way, what the names of the men were who were making 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.

But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease, until the matter should come to Darius, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it.

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 Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king;

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

they sent a letter to him, in which was written thus: To 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 to the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.

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

Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”

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

We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.

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

Thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

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

But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar 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 king of Babylon, Cyrus the king 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.»

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

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

and he said to him, ‘Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let God’s house be built in its 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 foundations of God’s house which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now has it been in building, and yet it is not completed.

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 seem good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it is so, 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.”