1
Basi manabii, Hagai nabii, na Zekaria mwana wa Ido, wakawafanyia unabii Wayahudi waliokuwako Yerusalemu na Yuda; waliwafanyia unabii kwa jina la Mungu wa Israeli.
Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.
2
Ndipo akaondoka Zerubabeli, mwana wa Shealtieli, na Yoshua, mwana wa Yosadaki, wakaanza kuijenga nyumba ya Mungu iliyoko Yerusalemu; na pamoja nao walikuwa manabii wa Mungu, wakiwasaidia.
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak rose up and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them.
3
Wakati ule ule Tatenai, liwali wa ng'ambo ya Mto, na Shethar-Bozenai, na wenzi wao, wakawajia, wakawaambia, Ni nani aliyewapa amri kuijenga nyumba hii, na kuumaliza ukuta huu?
At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”
4
Ndipo wakawauliza hivi, Majina ya watu wanaofanya ujenzi huu ni nani na nani?
They also asked, “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?”
5
Lakini jicho la Mungu lilikuwa likiwaelekea wazee wa Wayahudi, hao wasiwazuie, hata habari ile imfikilie Dario, ndipo jawabu litakapopatikana kwa waraka.
But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they were not stopped until a report was sent to Darius and written instructions about this matter were returned.
6
Hii ndiyo nakala ya waraka waliyompelekea mfalme Dario; na Tatenai, liwali wa ng'ambo ya Mto, na Shethar-Bozenai, na wenzake wa Kiajemi, waliokuwako huko ng'ambo ya Mto,
This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius.
7
walimpelekea waraka nao; na maneno haya yakaandikwa ndani yake; Kwa Dario, mfalme; Salamu sana.
The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: All peace.
8
Na ajue mfalme ya kuwa sisi tuliingia nchi ya Yuda, tukafika kunako nyumba ya Mungu mkuu, iliyojengwa kwa mawe makubwa, na miti imetiwa katika kuta zake, na kazi hii inaendelea kwa bidii, na kusitawi katika mikono yao.
Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. The people are rebuilding it with large stones and placing timbers in the walls. This work is being carried out diligently and is prospering in their hands.
9
Ndipo tukawauliza wale wazee, tukawaambia hivi, Ni nani aliyewapa amri kuijenga nyumba hii, na kuumaliza ukuta huu?
So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”
10
Tukawauliza pia majina yao, ili kukuarifu wewe, tupate kuandika majina ya watu waliokuwa wakubwa wao.
We also asked for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
11
Wakatujibu hivi, wakasema, Sisi tu watumishi wa Mungu wa mbingu na nchi, nasi tunaijenga nyumba iliyojengwa zamani sana, yapata miaka mingi, ambayo mfalme mkuu wa Israeli aliijenga na kuimaliza.
And this is the answer they returned: “We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed.
12
Lakini hapo baba zetu walipomkasirisha Mungu wa mbingu na nchi, hata akaghadhibika, akawatia katika mkono wa Nebukadreza, mfalme wa Babeli, Mkaldayo, naye ndiye aliyeiharibu nyumba hii, akawachukua watu mateka mpaka Babeli.
But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean who destroyed this temple and carried away the people to Babylon.
13
Lakini katika mwaka wa kwanza wa Koreshi, mfalme wa Babeli, Koreshi, mfalme, alitoa amri ijengwe tena nyumba ya Mungu.
In the first year of his reign, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.
14
Na vyombo vya dhahabu na fedha, vya nyumba ya Mungu, alivyovitoa Nebukadreza katika hekalu lililokuwako Yerusalemu, na kuviingiza katika hekalu la Babeli, vyombo hivyo mfalme Koreshi alivitoa katika hekalu la Babeli, akakabidhiwa mtu, jina lake Sheshbaza, ambaye alikuwa amemfanya liwali;
He also removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken and carried there from the temple in Jerusalem. King Cyrus gave these articles to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he appointed governor
15
naye akamwambia, Chukua vyombo hivi, uende, ukavitie katika hekalu lililoko Yerusalemu, na nyumba ya Mungu na ijengwe mahali pake.
and instructed, ‘Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.’
16
Ndipo ye yule Sheshbaza alipokuja, akaupiga msingi wa nyumba ya Mungu iliyoko Yerusalemu; na tangu wakati ule hata leo imekuwa ikijengwa, wala bado haijamalizika.
So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been under construction, but it has not yet been completed.”
17
Basi, sasa, mfalme akiona vema, watu na watafute katika nyumba ya hazina ya mfalme, iliyoko huko Babeli, kama ni kweli ya kuwa mfalme Koreshi alitoa amri kuijenga nyumba hiyo ya Mungu katika Yerusalemu, na mfalme akatuletee habari ya mapenzi yake katika jambo hili. </p>
Now, therefore, if it pleases the king, let a search be made of the royal archives in Babylon to see if King Cyrus did indeed issue a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.