1
Hata ulipowadia mwezi wa saba, na wana wa Israeli walipokuwa katika miji yao, watu wakakusanyika pamoja huko Yerusalemu kama mtu mmoja.
By the seventh month, the Israelites had settled in their towns, and the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem.
2
Ndipo akasimama Yoshua, mwana wa Yosadaki, na ndugu zake makuhani, na Zerubabeli, mwana wa Shealtieli, na ndugu zake, nao wakaijenga madhabahu ya Mungu wa Israeli, ili kutoa sadaka za kuteketezwa juu yake, kama ilivyoandikwa katika torati ya Musa, mtu wa Mungu.
Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates, began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
3
Wakaiweka madhabahu juu ya msingi wake; maana hofu imewashika kwa sababu ya watu wa nchi; wakamtolea Bwana sadaka za kuteketezwa juu yake, sadaka za kuteketezwa za asubuhi na jioni.
They set up the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD—both the morning and evening burnt offerings—even though they feared the people of the land.
4
Wakaishika Sikukuu ya Vibanda, kama ilivyoandikwa, wakatoa sadaka za kuteketezwa za kila siku kwa hesabu yake, kama ilivyoagizwa, kama ilivyopasa kila siku;
They also celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in accordance with what is written, and they offered burnt offerings daily based on the number prescribed for each day.
5
na baadaye sadaka ya kuteketezwa ya daima, na za mwandamo wa mwezi, na za sikukuu za Bwana, zilizoamriwa na kuwekwa wakfu, na za kila mtu aliyemtolea Bwana sadaka kwa hiari yake.
After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings and those for New Moons and for all the appointed sacred feasts of the LORD, as well as all the freewill offerings brought to the LORD.
6
Tangu siku ya kwanza ya mwezi wa saba walianza kumtolea Bwana sadaka za kuteketezwa, lakini msingi wa hekalu la Bwana ulikuwa haujawekwa bado.
On the first day of the seventh month, the Israelites began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, although the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid.
7
Tena waliwapa waashi na maseremala fedha; wakawapa watu wa Sidoni, na watu wa Tiro, chakula, na vinywaji, na mafuta, ili walete mierezi kutoka Lebanoni mpaka Yafa kwa njia ya bahari, kwa kadiri walivyopewa ruhusa na Koreshi, mfalme wa Uajemi.
They gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.
8
Hata mwaka wa pili wa kufika kwao nyumbani kwa Mungu, huko Yerusalemu, mwezi wa pili, Zerubabeli, mwana wa Shealtieli, na Yoshua, mwana wa Yosadaki, na ndugu zao wengine, makuhani na Walawi, na watu wote, waliotoka katika uhamisho na kufika Yerusalemu, wakaanza; nao wakawaweka Walawi, hao wenye miaka ishirini na waliozidi, ili kuisimamia kazi ya nyumba ya Bwana.
In the second month of the second year after they had arrived at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their associates including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years of age or older to supervise the construction of the house of the LORD.
9
Ndipo wakasimama Yeshua, na wanawe na ndugu zake, Kadmieli, na wanawe, wana wa Hodavia, pamoja, ili kuwasimamia hao wafanyao kazi katika nyumba ya Mungu; wana wa Henadadi, pamoja na wana wao, na ndugu zao, Walawi.
So Jeshua and his sons and brothers, Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Yehudah), and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together to supervise those working on the house of God.
10
Hata wajenzi walipouweka msingi wa hekalu la Bwana, wakawaweka makuhani, wamevaa mavazi yao, wenye baragumu, na Walawi, wana wa Asafu, wenye matoazi, ili wamhimidi Bwana, kama alivyoagiza Daudi, mfalme wa Israeli.
When the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their positions to praise the LORD, as David king of Israel had prescribed.
11
Wakaimbiana, wakimhimidi Bwana, na kumshukuru, wakasema, Kwa kuwa ni mwema, kwa maana fadhili zake kwa Israeli ni za milele. Kisha watu wote wakapaza sauti zao, na kupiga kelele, walipomhimidi Bwana, kwa sababu msingi wa nyumba ya Bwana umekwisha kuwekwa.
And they sang responsively with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD: “For He is good; for His loving devotion to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD had been laid.
12
Bali makuhani wengi, na Walawi, na wakuu wa mbari za mababa, waliokuwa wameiona nyumba ya kwanza, wakati msingi wa nyumba hii ulipowekwa mbele ya macho yao, walilia kwa sauti kuu; na watu wengi walipiga kelele za furaha;
But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first temple wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple. Still, many others shouted joyfully.
13
hata watu wasiweze kupambanua kelele za furaha, na kelele za vilio vya watu; maana watu walipiga kelele kwa sauti kuu, na kelele zao zikasikilikana mbali sana.
The people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people were making so much noise. And the sound was heard from afar.