Liber Esdrae, 5

1. Prophetae autem Aggaeus et Zacharias filius Addo propheta verunt ad Iudaeos, qui erant in Iudaea et Ierusalem, in nomine Dei Israel, quod erat super eos.

1. Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechari'ah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.

2. Tunc surrexerunt Zorobabel filius Salathiel et Iesua filius Iosedec et coeperunt aedificare templum Dei in Ierusalem; prophetae autem Dei adiuvabant eos.

2. Then Zerub'babel the son of She-al'ti-el and Jeshua the son of Jo'zadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

3. In ipso autem tempore venit ad eos Thathanai, qui erat dux trans flumen, et Stharbuzanai et consiliarii eorum, sicque dixerunt eis: “Quis dedit vobis potestatem, ut domum hanc aedificaretis et materiam istam praepararetis?

3. At the same time Tat'tenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and She'thar-boz'enai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus, "Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?"

4. Quae sunt nomina hominum auctorum aedificationis illius?”.

4. They also asked them this, "What are the names of the men who are building this building?"

5. Oculus autem Dei eorum factus est super senes Iudaeorum, et non obstiterunt eis, usque dum res ad Darium referretur, et tunc sententia de hac re redderetur.

5. But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them till a report should reach Darius and then answer be returned by letter concerning it.

6. Exemplar epistulae, quam misit Thathanai dux regionis trans flumen et Stharbuzanai et consiliatores eius et duces, qui erant trans flumen, ad Darium regem.

6. The copy of the letter which Tat'tenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and She'thar-boz'enai and his associates the governors who were in the province Beyond the River sent to Darius the king;

7. Sermo, quem miserant ei, sic scriptus erat: “Dario regi pax omnis.

7. they sent him a report, in which was written as follows: "To Darius the king, all peace.

8. Notum sit regi isse nos ad Iudaeam provinciam, ad domum Dei magni, quae aedificatur lapide quadrato, et ligna ponuntur in parietibus; opusque illud diligenter exstruitur et crescit in manibus eorum.

8. Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, and timber is laid in the walls; this work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands.

9. Interrogavimus ergo senes illos et ita diximus eis: “Quis dedit vobis potestatem, ut domum hanc aedificaretis et materiam istam praepararetis?”.

9. Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus, `Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?'

10. Sed et nomina eorum quaesivimus ab eis, ut nuntiaremus tibi, scripsimusque nomina eorum virorum, qui sunt principes in eis.

10. We also asked them their names, for your information, that we might write down the names of the men at their head.

11. Huiuscemodi autem sermonem responderunt nobis dicentes: “Nos sumus servi Dei caeli et terrae et aedificamus templum, quod erat exstructum ante hos annos multos, quodque rex Israel magnus aedificaverat et exstruxerat.

11. And this was their reply to us: `We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

12. Postquam autem ad iracundiam provocaverunt patres nostri Deum caeli, tradidit eos in manus Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis Chaldaei, qui domum hanc destruxit et populum eius transtulit in Babylonem.

12. But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon, the Chalde'an, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia.

13. Anno autem primo Cyri regis Babylonis, Cyrus rex proposuit edictum, ut domus Dei haec aedificaretur.

13. However in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt.

14. Nam et vasa templi Dei aurea et argentea, quae Nabuchodonosor tulerat de templo, quod erat in Ierusalem, et asportaverat ea in templum Babylonis, protulit Cyrus rex de templo Babylonis, et data sunt viro cuidam nomine Sasabassar, quem et principem constituit,

14. And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnez'zar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Shesh-baz'zar, whom he had made governor;

15. dixitque ei: 'Haec vasa tolle et vade et pone ea in templo, quod est in Ierusalem, et domus Dei aedificetur in loco suo'.

15. and he said to him, "Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple which is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site."

16. Tunc itaque Sasabassar ille venit et posuit fundamenta templi Dei in Ierusalem, et ex eo tempore usque nunc aedificatur et necdum completum est”.

16. Then this Shesh-baz'zar came and laid the foundations of the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is not yet finished.'

17. Nunc ergo, si videtur regi bonum, recenseat in aerario regis, quod est in Babylone, utrumnam a Cyro rege potestas data fuerit, ut aedificaretur domus Dei in Ierusalem, et voluntatem regis super hac re mittat ad nos”.

17. Therefore, if it seem good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter."