بناء الهيكل
1 وكانَ النَّبـيَّانِ، حَجَّايُ وزكَرِيَّا بنُ عَدُّو، يَتكَلَّمانِ باسْمِ إلهِ إِسرائيلَ لليهودِ الّذينَ في يَهوذا وأورُشليمَ. 2 فقامَ زَرُبَّابِلُ بنُ شألتئيلَ ويَشوعُ بنُ يوصادَقَ. وشَرَعا في بِناءِ هيكَلِ اللهِ الّذي في أورُشليمَ، ومَعَهُما نَبـيَّا اللهِ يُساعدانِهما. 3 فجاءَهُم نَثْناي والي غربـي الفُراتِ وشَتْرَبُوزناي وأعوانُهما وقالوا لهُم: «مَنْ أمَرَكُم بِبِناءِ الهَيكَلِ وتَجْهيزِهِ؟» 4 وسألوهُم: «ما هيَ أسماءُ الرِّجالِ القائمينَ بِهذا البِناءِ؟» 5 وكانَت عينُ الله تَرعَى شُيوخَ اليهودِ فلم يَمنَعُوهُم عَنِ العَمَلِ، ريثَما يَرفَعونَ الأمرَ إلى داريوسَ ويَتَلَقَّون جوابَهُ. 6 وهذا نَصُّ الرِّسالةِ الّتي أرسَلَها إلى داريوسَ المَلِكِ: مِنْ تـثنايَ والي غربـي الفُراتِ وشتربوزنايَ وأعوانِهِما الأفرسكيِّينَ 7 «إلى داريوسَ المَلِكِ فائِقُ السَّلام. 8 لِـيكُنْ مَعلوما لدَى المَلِكِ أننا ذَهَبْنا إلى بِلادِ يَهوذا، فوجَدْنا أنَّ هَيكلَ اللهِ العظيمِ يُبنَى بِـحِجارةٍ ضَخْمَةٍ ويُوضَعُ الخشَبُ الآنَ في حِيطانِهِ، والعَمَلُ مُعَجَّلٌ فيهِ وهوَ يَتِمُّ بِنَجاحٍ. 9 فسألْنا أُولَئِكَ الشُّيوخَ: مَنْ أمَرَكُم بِبِناءِ الهَيكلِ وتَجهيزِهِ؟ 10 وسألْناهُم عَنْ أسمائِهِم لِنكتُبَ إليكَ ونُعلِمَكَ مَنْ هُمُ القائِمونَ بهذا العَمَلِ. 11 فأجابوا: نَحنُ، عبـيدُ إلهِ السَّماواتِ والأرضِ، نُعيدُ بِناءَ الهَيكلِ الّذي بَناهُ مِنْ سنينَ كثيرةٍ وأتَمَّ بِناءَهُ مَلِكٌ عظيمٌ لِبَني إِسرائيلَ. 12 ولكِنْ بَعدَ أنْ أغضَبَ آباؤُنا إلهَ السَّماواتِ أسلَمَهُم إلى يَدِ نَبوخذنَصَّرَ مَلِكِ البابليِّينَ الّذي هدَمَ الهَيكلَ وسَبَى الشَّعبَ إلى بابِلَ. 13 وفي السَّنةِ الأولى لِكُورُشَ مَلِكِ بابِلَ أصدَرَ المَلِكُ كُورُشُ أمرا بِبِناءِ هَيكلِ اللهِ هذا، 14 وأعادَ آنيَةَ الذَّهبِ والفِضَّةِ، وكانَ نَبوخذنَصَّرُ أخرَجها مِنَ الهَيكلِ الّذي في أورُشليمَ وأدخَلها هَيكلَ بابِلَ. هذِهِ الآنيَةُ أخرَجَها كُورشُ المَلِكُ مِنْ هَيكلِ بابِلَ وسَلَّمَها إلى رَجُلٍ اسْمُهُ شيشَبْصَرُ الّذي كانَ أقامَهُ واليا 15 وقالَ لَه: خُذْ هذِهِ الآنيَةَ وأعِدْها إلى الهَيكلِ الّذي في أورُشليمَ واعمَلْ على بِنَاءِ هَيكلِ اللهِ في مكانِهِ. 16 فجاءَ شيشَبْصَرُ ووضَعَ أساسَ هَيكلِ اللهِ، ومِنْ ذلِكَ الوقتِ إلى الآنَ ونَحنُ نَبنيهِ ولم نُكْمِلْهُ بَعدُ 17 فالآنَ إنْ حَسُنَ عِندَكَ، أيُّها المَلِكُ، فابحَثْ في وثائِقِ المَملكَةِ المَحفوظَةِ هُناكَ في بابِلَ هل صَدَرَ أمرٌ مِنْ كُورشَ المَلِكِ بِبِناءِ هَيكلِ اللهِ هذا في أورُشليمَ، ثُمَّ أرسِلْ إلينا ما تَشاءُ أنْ نَفعَلَهُ في هذا الأمرِ».
1 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, even unto them. 2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.
3 ¶ At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall? 4 Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building? 5 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 matter .
6 ¶ The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king: 7 They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace. 8 Be it known unto 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. 9 Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? 10 We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them. 11 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. 12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto 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. 13 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 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was 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 unto one , whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; 15 And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place. 16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished. 17 Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be 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.