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Esdrae 4-6
Biblia Sacra Vulgata
Esdrae 4-6
Biblia Sacra Vulgata
4 Audierunt autem hostes Judae et Benjamin, quia filii captivitatis aedificarent templum Domino Deo Israel:
2 et accedentes ad Zorobabel, et ad principes patrum, dixerunt eis: AEdificemus vobiscum, quia ita ut vos, quaerimus Deum vestrum: ecce nos immolavimus victimas a diebus Asor Haddan regis Assur, qui adduxit nos huc.
3 Et dixit eis Zorobabel, et Josue, et reliqui principes patrum Israel: Non est vobis et nobis ut aedificemus domum Deo nostro, sed nos ipsi soli aedificabimus Domino Deo nostro, sicut praecepit nobis Cyrus rex Persarum.
4 Factum est igitur ut populus terrae impediret manus populi Judae, et turbaret eos in aedificando.
5 Conduxerunt autem adversus eos consiliatores, ut destruerent consilium eorum omnibus diebus Cyri regis Persarum, et usque ad regnum Darii regis Persarum.
6 In regno autem Assueri, in principio regni ejus, scripserunt accusationem adversus habitatores Judae et Jerusalem.
7 Et in diebus Artaxerxis scripsit Beselam, Mithridates, et Thabeel, et reliqui qui erant in consilio eorum, ad Artaxerxem regem Persarum: epistola autem accusationis scripta erat syriace, et legebatur sermone syro.
8 Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, scripserunt epistolam unam de Jerusalem Artaxerxi regi, hujuscemodi:
9 Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, et reliqui consiliatores eorum, Dinaei, et Apharsathachaei, Terphalaei, Apharsaei, Erchuaei, Babylonii, Susanechaei, Dievi, et AElamitae,
10 et ceteri de gentibus, quas transtulit Asenaphar magnus et gloriosus, et habitare eas fecit in civitatibus Samariae, et in reliquis regionibus trans flumen in pace
11 (hoc est exemplar epistolae, quam miserunt ad eum), Artaxerxi regi, servi tui, viri qui sunt trans fluvium, salutem dicunt.
12 Notum sit regi quia Judaei, qui ascenderunt a te ad nos, venerunt in Jerusalem civitatem rebellem et pessimam, quam aedificant exstruentes muros ejus, et parietes componentes.
13 Nunc igitur notum sit regi, quia si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, et muri ejus instaurati, tributum, et vectigal, et annuos reditus non dabunt, et usque ad reges haec noxa perveniet.
14 Nos autem memores salis, quod in palatio comedimus, et quia laesiones regis videre nefas ducimus, idcirco misimus et nuntiavimus regi,
15 ut recenseas in libris historiarum patrum tuorum, et invenies scriptum in commentariis: et scies quoniam urbs illa, urbs rebellis est, et nocens regibus et provinciis, et bella concitantur in ea ex diebus antiquis: quam ob rem et civitas ipsa destructa est.
16 Nuntiamus nos regi, quoniam si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, et muri ipsius instaurati, possessionem trans fluvium non habebis.
17 Verbum misit rex ad Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scribam, et ad reliquos, qui erant in consilio eorum habitatores Samariae, et ceteris trans fluvium, salutem dicens et pacem.
18 Accusatio, quam misistis ad nos, manifeste lecta est coram me,
19 et a me praeceptum est: et recensuerunt, inveneruntque quoniam civitas illa a diebus antiquis adversum reges rebellat, et seditiones, et praelia concitantur in ea:
20 nam et reges fortissimi fuerunt in Jerusalem, qui et dominati sunt omni regioni quae trans fluvium est: tributum quoque et vectigal, et reditus accipiebant.
21 Nunc ergo audite sententiam: prohibeatis viros illos, ut urbs illa non aedificetur donec si forte a me jussum fuerit.
22 Videte ne negligenter hoc impleatis, et paulatim crescat malum contra reges.
23 Itaque exemplum edicti Artaxerxis regis lectum est coram Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, et consiliariis eorum: et abierunt festini in Jerusalem ad Judaeos, et prohibuerunt eos in brachio et robore.
24 Tunc intermissum est opus domus Domini in Jerusalem, et non fiebat usque ad annum secundum regni Darii regis Persarum.
5 Prophetaverunt autem Aggaeus propheta, et Zacharias filius Addo, prophetantes ad Judaeos qui erant in Judaea et Jerusalem, in nomine Dei Israel.
2 Tunc surrexerunt Zorobabel filius Salathiel, et Josue filius Josedec, et coeperunt aedificare templum Dei in Jerusalem, et cum eis prophetae Dei adjuvantes eos.
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 consilium ut domum hanc aedificaretis, et muros ejus instauraretis?
4 Ad quod respondimus eis, quae essent nomina hominum auctorum aedificationis illius.
5 Oculus autem Dei eorum factus est super senes Judaeorum, et non potuerunt inhibere eos. Placuitque ut res ad Darium referretur, et tunc satisfacerent adversus accusationem illam.
6 Exemplar epistolae, quam misit Thathanai dux regionis trans flumen, et Stharbuzanai, et consiliatores ejus Arphasachaei, qui erant trans flumen, ad Darium regem.
7 Sermo, quem miserant ei, sic scriptus erat: Dario regi pax omnis.
8 Notum sit regi, isse nos ad Judaeam provinciam, ad domum Dei magni, quae aedificatur lapide impolito, et ligna ponuntur in parietibus: opusque illud diligenter exstruitur, et crescit in manibus eorum.
9 Interrogavimus ergo senes illos, et ita diximus eis: Quis dedit vobis potestatem ut domum hanc aedificaretis, et muros hos instauraretis?
10 Sed et nomina eorum quaesivimus ab eis, ut nuntiaremus tibi: scripsimusque nomina eorum virorum, qui sunt principes in eis.
11 Hujuscemodi 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.
12 Postquam autem ad iracundiam provocaverunt patres nostri Deum caeli, tradidit eos in manus Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis Chaldaei, domum quoque hanc destruxit, et populum ejus transtulit in Babylonem.
13 Anno autem primo Cyri regis Babylonis, Cyrus rex proposuit edictum ut domus Dei haec aedificaretur.
14 Nam et vasa templi Dei aurea et argentea, quae Nabuchodonosor tulerat de templo, quod erat in Jerusalem, et asportaverat ea in templum Babylonis, protulit Cyrus rex de templo Babylonis, et data sunt Sassabasar vocabulo, quem et principem constituit,
15 dixitque ei: Haec vasa tolle, et vade, et pone ea in templo, quod est in Jerusalem, et domus Dei aedificetur in loco suo.
16 Tunc itaque Sassabasar ille venit et posuit fundamenta templi Dei in Jerusalem, et ex eo tempore usque nunc aedificatur, et necdum completum est.
17 Nunc ergo si videtur regi bonum, recenseat in bibliotheca regis, quae est in Babylone, utrumnam a Cyro rege jussum fuerit ut aedificaretur domus Dei in Jerusalem, et voluntatem regis super hac re mittat ad nos.
6 Tunc Darius rex praecepit: et recensuerunt in bibliotheca librorum, qui erant repositi in Babylone.
2 Et inventum est in Ecbatanis, quod est castrum in Medena provincia, volumen unum: talisque scriptus erat in eo commentarius:
3 Anno primo Cyri regis, Cyrus rex decrevit ut domus Dei aedificaretur, quae est in Jerusalem, in loco ubi immolent hostias, et ut ponant fundamenta supportantia altitudinem cubitorum sexaginta, et latitudinem cubitorum sexaginta,
4 ordines de lapidibus impolitis tres, et sic ordines de lignis novis: sumptus autem de domo regis dabuntur.
5 Sed et vasa templi Dei aurea et argentea, quae Nabuchodonosor tulerat de templo Jerusalem, et attulerat ea in Babylonem, reddantur, et referantur in templum in Jerusalem in locum suum, quae et posita sunt in templo Dei.
6 Nunc ergo Thathanai dux regionis, quae est trans flumen, Stharbuzanai, et consiliarii vestri Apharsachaei, qui estis trans flumen, procul recedite ab illis,
7 et dimittite fieri templum Dei illud a duce Judaeorum, et a senioribus eorum, ut domum Dei illam aedificent in loco suo.
8 Sed et a me praeceptum est quid oporteat fieri a presbyteris Judaeorum illis ut aedificetur domus Dei, scilicet ut de arca regis, id est, de tributis quae dantur de regione trans flumen, studiose sumptus dentur viris illis, ne impediatur opus.
9 Quod si necesse fuerit, et vitulos, et agnos, et haedos in holocaustum Deo caeli, frumentum, sal, vinum, et oleum, secundum ritum sacerdotum, qui sunt in Jerusalem, detur eis per singulos dies, ne sit in aliquo querimonia.
10 Et offerant oblationes Deo caeli, orentque pro vita regis, et filiorum ejus.
11 A me ergo positum est decretum: ut omnis homo qui hanc mutaverit jussionem, tollatur lignum de domum ipsius, et erigatur, et configatur in eo, domus autem ejus publicetur.
12 Deus autem, qui habitare fecit nomen suum ibi, dissipet omnia regna, et populum qui extenderit manum suam ut repugnet, et dissipet domum Dei illam, quae est in Jerusalem. Ego Darius statui decretum, quod studiose impleri volo.
13 Igitur Thathanai dux regionis trans flumen, et Stharbuzanai, et consiliarii ejus, secundum quod praeceperat Darius rex, sic diligenter executi sunt.
14 Seniores autem Judaeorum aedificabant, et prosperabantur juxta prophetiam Aggaei prophetae, et Zachariae filii Addo: et aedificaverunt et construxerunt, jubente Deo Israel, et jubente Cyro, et Dario, et Artaxerxe regibus Persarum:
15 et compleverunt domum Dei istam, usque ad diem tertium mensis Adar, qui est annus sextus regni Darii regis.
16 Fecerunt autem filii Israel sacerdotes et Levitae, et reliqui filiorum transmigrationis, dedicationem domus Dei in gaudio.
17 Et obtulerunt in dedicationem domus Dei, vitulos centum, arietes ducentos, agnos quadringentos, hircos caprarum pro peccato totius Israel duodecim, juxta numerum tribuum Israel.
18 Et statuerunt sacerdotes in ordinibus suis, et Levitas in vicibus suis, super opera Dei in Jerusalem, sicut scriptum est in libro Moysi.
19 Fecerunt autem filii Israel transmigrationis Pascha, quartadecima die mensis primi.
20 Purificati enim fuerant sacerdotes et Levitae quasi unus: omnes mundi ad immolandum Pascha universis filiis transmigrationis, et fratribus suis sacerdotibus, et sibi.
21 Et comederunt filii Israel, qui reversi fuerant de transmigratione, et omnes qui se separaverant a coinquinatione gentium terrae ad eos, ut quaererent Dominum Deum Israel.
22 Et fecerunt solemnitatem azymorum septem diebus in laetitia, quoniam laetificaverat eos Dominus, et converterat cor regis Assur ad eos, ut adjuvaret manus eorum in opere domus Domini Dei Israel.
Ezra 4-6
New International Version
Ezra 4-6
New International Version
Opposition to the Rebuilding
4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building(A) a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon(B) king of Assyria, who brought us here.”(C)
3 But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”(D)
4 Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.[a](E) 5 They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Later Opposition Under Xerxes and Artaxerxes
6 At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes,[b](F) they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.(G)
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes(H) king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic(I) language.[c][d]
8 Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
9 Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates(J)—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk(K) and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,(L) 10 and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal(M) deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.(N)
11 (This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)
To King Artaxerxes,
From your servants in Trans-Euphrates:
12 The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.(O)
13 Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty(P) will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.[e] 14 Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, 15 so that a search may be made in the archives(Q) of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed.(R) 16 We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.
17 The king sent this reply:
To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates:(S)
Greetings.
18 The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. 19 I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt(T) against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. 20 Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates,(U) and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. 21 Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. 22 Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?(V)
23 As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates,(W) they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.
24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius(X) king of Persia.
Tattenai’s Letter to Darius
5 Now Haggai(Y) the prophet and Zechariah(Z) the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied(AA) to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel(AB) son of Shealtiel and Joshua(AC) son of Jozadak set to work(AD) to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
3 At that time Tattenai,(AE) governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai(AF) and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?”(AG) 4 They[f] also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” 5 But the eye of their God(AH) was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.
6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. 7 The report they sent him read as follows:
To King Darius:
Cordial greetings.
8 The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work(AI) is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.
9 We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?”(AJ) 10 We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
11 This is the answer they gave us:
“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple(AK) that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our ancestors angered(AL) the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.(AM)
13 “However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree(AN) to rebuild this house of God. 14 He even removed from the temple[g] of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple[h] in Babylon.(AO) Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar,(AP) whom he had appointed governor, 15 and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’
16 “So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God(AQ) in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”
17 Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives(AR) of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.
The Decree of Darius
6 King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives(AS) stored in the treasury at Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:
3 In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid.(AT) It is to be sixty cubits[i] high and sixty cubits wide, 4 with three courses(AU) of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury.(AV) 5 Also, the gold(AW) and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.(AX)
6 Now then, Tattenai,(AY) governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai(AZ) and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. 7 Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
8 Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:
Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury,(BA) from the revenues(BB) of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings(BC) to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.(BD)
11 Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled(BE) on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble.(BF) 12 May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there,(BG) overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I Darius(BH) have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
Completion and Dedication of the Temple
13 Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates(BI) carried it out with diligence. 14 So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching(BJ) of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus,(BK) Darius(BL) and Artaxerxes,(BM) kings of Persia. 15 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.(BN)
16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication(BO) of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of this house of God they offered(BP) a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering[j] for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they installed the priests in their divisions(BQ) and the Levites in their groups(BR) for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.(BS)
The Passover
19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.(BT) 20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered(BU) the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. 21 So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves(BV) from the unclean practices(BW) of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord,(BX) the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(BY) because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude(BZ) of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
Footnotes
- Ezra 4:4 Or and troubled them as they built
- Ezra 4:6 Hebrew Ahasuerus
- Ezra 4:7 Or written in Aramaic and translated
- Ezra 4:7 The text of 4:8–6:18 is in Aramaic.
- Ezra 4:13 The meaning of the Aramaic for this clause is uncertain.
- Ezra 5:4 See Septuagint; Aramaic We.
- Ezra 5:14 Or palace
- Ezra 5:14 Or palace
- Ezra 6:3 That is, about 90 feet or about 27 meters
- Ezra 6:17 Or purification offering
Biblia Sacra Vulgata (VULGATE)
New International Version (NIV) 
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