1 ¶ Then Darius, the king, gave a commandment, and a search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.

حِينَئِذٍ، أصدَرَ المَلِكُ دارِيُوسُ أمراً بِالبَحثِ فِي السِّجِلّاتِ المَحفُوظَةِ فِي بابِلَ.

2 A nd there was found in the coffer of the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written:

فتَمَّ العُثُورُ فِي أحْمَثا، مَقَرِّ المَلِكِ فِي إقلِيمِ مادِيَ، عَلَى مَخطُوطَةٍ كُتِبَ فِيها: هَذِهِ مُذَكِّرَةُ …

3 I n the first year of Cyrus, the king, the same Cyrus, the king, gave a commandment concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, that the house be built as a place for sacrifices to be offered, and let the walls thereof be covered; the height thereof sixty cubits, and the breadth thereof sixty cubits;

فِي السَّنَةِ الأُولَى مِنْ حُكمِ المَلِكِ كُورَشَ، أصدَرَ المَلِكُ الأمرَ التّالِي حُولَ بَيتِ اللهِ الَّذِي فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ: لِيُبنَ البَيتُ الَّذِي كانَت تُقَدَّمُ الذَّبائِحُ فِيهِ، وَلِتُوضَعْ أساساتُهُ، وَلِيَكُن ارتِفاعُهُ سِتِّينَ ذِراعاً وَعَرضُهُ سِتِّينَ ذِراعاً.

4 t he orders, three of stones of marble and one order of new timber and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house.

بِثَلاثِ طَبَقاتٍ مِنَ الحِجارَةِ الضَخمَةِ وَطَبَقَةٍ مِنَ الألواحِ الخَشَبِيَّةِ. عَلَى أن تُدفَعَ نَفَقاتُ البِناءِ مِنَ الخَزِينَةِ المَلَكِيَّةِ.

5 A nd also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which was at Jerusalem and brought unto Babylon, be restored and go again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, to his place, and let them be placed in the house of God.

وَكُلُّ الأوَنِيَ الذَّهَبِيَّةِ وَالفِضِّيَّةِ الَّتِي سَلَبَها نَبُوخَذْناصَّرُ مِنْ مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ وَأحضَرَها إلَى بابِلَ، تُرَدُّ إلَى مَكانِها فِي الهَيكَلِ الَّذِي فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، وَتُوضَعُ فِي بَيتِ اللهِ.

6 N ow therefore, Tatnai, captain of the other side of the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions, the Apharsachites, who are on the other side of the river, remove yourselves from there.

وَالآنَ يا تَتْنايُ، والِي إقلِيمِ غَرْبِ نَهرِ الفُراتِ وَشَتَرْبُوزْنايُ وَرِفاقَهُم المَسؤُولِينَ هُناكَ، دَعُوهُمْ وَشَأنَهُمْ.

7 L eave the work of this house of God unto the captain of the Jews and to their elders that they may build this house of God in his place.

وَلا تَتَدَخَّلُوا فِي عَمَلِ بِناءِ بَيتِ اللهِ. وَدَعُوا والِيَ اليَهُودِ وَشُيُوخَهُمْ يُعِيدُوا بِناءَ بَيتِ اللهِ فِي مَوقِعِهِ الأصلِيِّ.

8 A nd by me is given the commandment regarding what ye shall do with the elders of these Jews, to build this house of God: that of the king’s goods, of the tribute from the other side of the river, the expenses be given unto these men, that they not cease.

وَأنا أُصدِرُ هَذا الأمرَ حَولَ ما يَنبَغِي أن تَفعَلُوهُ لِشُيُوخِ اليَهُودِ هَؤُلاءِ مِنْ أجلِ بِناءِ بَيتِ اللهِ: تُدفَعُ جَميعُ نَفَقاتِ هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجالِ مِنَ الخَزِينَةِ المَلَكِيَّةِ، مِنَ الضَّرائِبِ المُستَوفاةِ مِنْ إقلِيمِ غَرْبِ نَهرِ الفُراتِ، حَتَّى لا يَتَوَقَّفُوا عَنِ العَمَلِ.

9 A nd that which they have need of, both young bullocks and rams and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day that they not cease:

أعطُوهُمْ كُلَّ ما يَحتاجُونَ إلَيهِ مِنَ الثِّيرانِ وَالكِباشِ وَالحِملانِ للذَّبائِحِ المُقَدَّمَةِ لإلَهِ السَّماواتِ، وَكُلَّ ما يَطلُبُهُ الكَهَنَةُ فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ مِنْ قَمحٍ وَمِلحٍ وَنَبيذٍ وَزَيتٍ، يَوماً فَيَوماً دُونَ تَقصِيرٍ،

10 t hat they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.

لِكَي يُقَدِّمُوا ذَبائِحَ يُسَّرُّ بِها إلَهُ السَّماءِ، وَيُصَّلُّوا مِنْ أجلِ حَياةِ المَلِكِ وَبَنِيهِ.

11 I t is also given by my commandment that whoever shall alter this word, let a timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged upon it, and let his house be made a dunghill for this.

وَها أنا أُصدِرُ أيضاً أمراً بِأن يُقلَعَ لَوْحُ خَشَبٍ مِنْ بَيتِ كُلِّ شَخصٍ يُخالِفُ أوامِرِي هَذِهِ، وَيُعَلَّقَ عَلَيهِ وَيُخَرَّبَ بَيتُهُ بِسَبَبِ ذَلِكَ.

12 A nd the God that has caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people that shall put to their hand to alter or to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made the decree; let it be done with speed.

وَلَيتَ اللهَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اسْمَهُ يَسكُنُ هُناكَ يُدَمِّرُ أيَّ مَلِكٍ أوْ شَعبٍ يُحاوِلُ أن يَهدِمَ بَيتَ اللهِ الَّذِي فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ. صَدَرَ هَذا الأمرُ عَنِّي أنا دارِيُوسَ، فَلْيَتِمَّ تَنفِيذُهُ بِدِقَّةٍ وَسُرعَةٍ. إكْمالُ بِناءِ الهَيْكَل

13 ¶ Then Tatnai, captain of the other side of the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, speedily did according to that which Darius, the king, had sent.

وَبِحَسَبِ رِسالَةِ المَلِكِ دارِيُوسَ هَذِهِ، بَذَلَ تَتْنايُ والِي إقلِيمِ غَرْبِ نَهرِ الفُراتِ وَشَتَرْبُوزْنايُ وَرِفاقُهُما كُلَّ جُهدِهِمْ لِتَنفِيذِ ما أمَرَ بِهِ المَلِكُ.

14 A nd the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered according to the prophecy of Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel and according to the commandment of Cyrus and of Darius and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia.

وَاستَمَرَّ شُيُوخُ اليَهُودِ وَقادَتُهُمْ فِي البِناءِ بِنَجاحٍ حَسَبَ نُبُوَّةِ حَجَّي وَزَكَرِيّا بْنِ عِدُّوَ، وَأكمَلُوهُ حَسَبَ أمرِ إلَهِ إسْرائِيلَ وَأمرِ كُورَشَ وَدارِيُوسَ أرْتَحْشَسْتا، مُلُوكِ فارِسَ.

15 A nd this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius, the king.

وَقَد اكتَمَلَ بِناءُ هَذا البَيتِ فِي اليَومِ الثّالِثِ مِنْ شَهرِ آذارَ فِي السَّنَةِ السّادِسَةِ مِنْ حُكمِ المَلِكِ دارِيُوسَ.

16 A nd the sons of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the sons of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,

ثُمَّ كَرَّسَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ مِنَ الكَهَنَةِ وَاللّاوِيِّينَ وَبَقِيَّةِ العائِدِينَ مِنَ السَّبيِ بَيتَ اللهِ بِفَرَحٍ.

17 a nd they offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and as the sin of all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

وَقَدَّمُوا فِي احتِفالِ تَكرِيسِ بَيتِ اللهِ مِئَةَ ثَورٍ وَمِئَتَي كَبْشٍ وَأربَعَ مِئَةِ حَمَلٍ. كَما قَدَّمُوا اثنَيّ عَشَرَ تَيساً عَلَى عَدَدِ قَبائِلِ شَعبِ اللهِ، ذَبِيْحَةَ خَطِيَّةٍ عَنهُمْ جَمِيعاً.

18 A nd they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses over the work of God, which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

وَعَيَّنُوا الكَهَنَةَ فِي فِرَقِهِمِ الخاصَّةِ وَاللّاوِيِّينَ فِي فِرَقِهِمِ الخاصَّةِ مِنْ أجلِ خِدمَةِ اللهِ فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، كَما هُوَ مَكتُوبٌ فِي كِتابِ مُوسَى. فِصحُ عامِ خَمسِ مِئَةٍ وَعَشْرَة

19 A nd the sons of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.

وَاحتَفَلَ العائِدُونَ مِنَ السَّبيِ بِعِيدِ الفِصحِ فِي الرّابِعَ عَشَرَ مِنَ الشَّهرِ الأوَّلِ.

20 F or the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the sons of the captivity and for their brethren, the priests, and for themselves.

لأنَّ جَمِيعَ الكَهَنَةِ كانُوا قَد طَهَّرُوا أنفُسَهُمْ. وَكانَ اللّاوِيُّونَ جَمِيعاً طاهِرِينَ، فَذَبَحُوا حَمَلَ الفِصحِ عَنْ كُلِّ الَّذِينَ عادُوا مِنَ السَّبيِ، وَعَنْ إخْوَتِهِمِ الكَهَنَةِ، وَعَن أنفُسِهِمْ.

21 A nd the sons of Israel who had returned out of captivity and all those who had separated themselves unto them from the uncleanness of the Gentiles of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate

وَأكَلَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ العائِدُونَ مِنَ السَّبيِ مِنْ وَلِيمَةِ الفِصحِ مَعَ كُلِّ الَّذِينَ انضَمُّوا إلَيْهِمْ بَعدَ أنِ انفَصَلُوا عَن نَجاسَةِ أُمَمِ الأرْضِ لِيَعبُدُوا اللهَ ، إلَهَ إسْرائِيلَ.

22 a nd kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; for the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

وَاحتَفَلُوا بِعِيدِ الخُبْزِ غَيرِ المُخْتَمِرِ لِمُدَّةِ سَبعَةِ أيّامٍ بِفَرَحٍ كَبِيرٍ، لأنَّ اللهَ فَرَّحَهُمْ وَأمالَ قَلبَ مَلِكِ أشُّورَ إلَيْهِمْ، فَساعَدَهُمْ فِي بِناءِ بَيتِ اللهِ، إلَهِ إسْرائِيلَ.