Esdras 6

1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon, was searched. 2 A scroll was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, and in it this was written for a record:

3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning God’s house at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid, with its height sixty cubits*6:3 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. and its width sixty cubits; 4 with three courses of great stones and a course of new timber. Let the expenses be given out of the king’s house. 5 Also let the gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple which is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again to the temple which is at Jerusalem, everything to its place. You shall put them in God’s house.

6 Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, you must stay far from there. 7 Leave the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place. 8 Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses must be given with all diligence to these men, that they not be hindered. 9 That which they have need of, including young bulls, rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings to the God of heaven; also wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail, 10 that they may offer sacrifices of pleasant aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons. 11 I have also made a decree that whoever alters this message, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened on it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this. 12 May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who stretch out their hand to alter this, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree. Let it be done with all diligence.

13 Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and their companions did accordingly with all diligence, because Darius the king had sent a decree.

14 The elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

16 The children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 They set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

19 The children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 Because the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. They killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. 21 The children of Israel who had returned out of the captivity, and all who had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, ate, 22 and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; because Yahweh had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God, the God of Israel’s house.

Ka Kitea anō te Whakahau a Hairuha

1 Kātahi ka puaki tā Tariuha tikanga, ā, ka rapua i roto i te whare pukapuka, kei reira nei ngā taonga e rongoā ana i Papurōna. 2 Nā, kua kitea ki Akameta, i roto i te whare kīngi i te whenua o ngā Meri, he pukapuka, me tētahi kupu whakamahara i tuhituhia ki roto; koia tēnei:

3 I te tuatahi o ngā tau o Kīngi Hairuha i puaki tā Kīngi Hairuha tikanga; Mō te whare o te Atua i Hiruhārama, me hanga te whare, te wāhi e patua ai ngā patunga tapu, kia ū anō hoki te whakatakoto o ngā tūranga; kia ono tekau whatīanga te tiketike, kia ono tekau whatīanga te whānui. 4 Kia toru ngā rārangi o ngā kōhatu nunui, kia kotahi hoki rārangi o te rākau hou. Me hoatu anō ngā utu i roto i te whare o te kīngi; 5 me whakahoki anō ngā oko kōura, hiriwa, o te whare o te Atua, i tangohia nei e Nepukaneha i roto i te temepara i Hiruhārama, i kawea nei ki Papurōna; me kawe anō ki te temepara i Hiruhārama, ki tōna wāhi, ki tōna wāhi, me whakatakoto e koe ki te whare o te Atua.

6 Nā, e Tatenai, e Te Kāwana i tērā taha o te awa, e Hetara Potenai, me ō koutou hoa, me ngā Aparahaki, i tērā taha o te awa, kia matara mai koutou i reira. 7 Waiho noa atu te mahi o tēnā whare o te Atua. Waiho atu te kāwana o ngā Hūrai, rātou ko ngā kaumātua o ngā Hūrai, kia mahi ana i tēnā whare o te Atua i tōna wāhi.

8 Tēnei anō tētahi tikanga āku mō tā koutou e mea ai ki aua kaumātua o ngā Hūrai, hei mea mō te hanganga o tēnei whare o te Atua, kia hohoro te hoatu i ētahi o ngā taonga o te kīngi, arā o te takoha i tērā taha o te awa, ki ēnā tāngata, hei utu mea, kei whakawarea rātou. 9 Nā, ko ngā mea e kore ana i a rātou – ngā kūao pūru, ngā hipi toa, ngā reme hei tahunga tinana mā te Atua o te rangi, te wīti, te tote, te wāina, te hinu, ngā mea e whakaritea e ngā tohunga i Hiruhārama – kei mahue te hoatu ki a rātou i tēnā rā, i tēnā rā. 10 Kia whakaherea ai e rātou ētahi whakahere kakara ki te Atua o te rangi, kia īnoi ai mō te kīngi, mō āna tama, kia ora.

11 Kua hangā anō hoki e ahau he tikanga, ki te whakaputaia kētia tēnei kupu e tētahi, kia unuhia he kurupae i tōna whare, ā, ka whakairi i a ia, ka tārona ai ki runga; kia meinga anō tōna whare hei pūranga paru, hei utu mō tēnā. 12 Nā, mā te Atua, nāna nei i mea kia noho tōna ingoa ki reira, e huna ngā kīngi katoa, me ngā iwi, ina totoro ō rātou ringa ki te whakaputa kē, ki te whakangaro i tēnā whare o te Atua i Hiruhārama.

Nāku, nā Tariuha te tikanga i whakatakoto; kia hohoro te meatanga.

Te Otinga me te Kawanga o te Temepara

13 Kātahi a Tatenai, te kāwana o tērā taha o te awa, a Hetara Potenai me ō rāua hoa, i te mea nā Kīngi Tariuha i tono mai, ka hohoro tonu tā rātou pērā. 14 Nā, kei te hanga ngā kaumātua o ngā Hūrai; tika tonu tā rātou, he mea nā te poropititanga a Hākai poropiti rāua ko Hakaraia tama a Iro. Nā, hanga ana rātou, ā, oti ake; i rite tonu ki te whakahau a te Atua o Īharaira, ki te whakahau a Hairuha, a Tariuha, a Arataherehe kīngi o Pahia. 15 Nō te toru o ngā rā o te marama Arara i oti ai tēnei whare, nō te ono anō tērā o ngā tau o te kīngitanga o Kīngi Tariuha.

16 Nā, i tāia e ngā tama a Īharaira, e ngā tohunga, e ngā Rīwaiti, me ērā atu o ngā tama a te whakarau, te kawa o tēnei whare o te Atua i runga i te koa. 17 Tāpaea ana hoki e rātou i te tāinga o te kawa o tēnei whare o te Atua, kotahi rau pūru, e rua rau hipi toa, e whā rau reme; ā, hei whakahere hara mō Īharaira katoa, kotahi tekau mā rua koati toa, ko te maha hoki ia o ngā iwi o Īharaira. 18 I whakatūria anō e rātou ngā tohunga, tēnei wehenga, tēnei wehenga, me ngā Rīwaiti, tēnei rōpū, tēnei rōpū, mō ngā mahi ki te Atua i Hiruhārama; ko te mea hoki i tuhituhia ki te Pukapuka a Mohi.

Te Kapenga

19 I te tekau mā whā o te marama tuatahi ka mahi ngā tama o te whakarau i te Kapenga. 20 I purea hoki ngā tohunga rātou ko ngā Rīwaiti, he mea pure huihui rātou, ā, patua ana e rātou te Kapenga mā ngā tama katoa o te whakarau, mā ō rātou tuākana, mā ngā tohunga, mā rātou anō hoki.

21 Nā, ka kai ngā tama a Īharaira i hoki mai nei i te whakarau, me te hunga katoa i mawehe mai nei ki a rātou i roto i te poke o ngā iwi o te whenua, ki te rapu i a Ihowā, i te Atua o Īharaira. 22 Ā, ka mahia e rātou te Hākari o te Taro Rēwenakore, e whitu ngā rā, i runga i te koa; nā Ihowā hoki rātou i mea kia koa, nāna hoki i whakaanga mai te ngākau o te kīngi o Ahiria ki a rātou, i whakakaha ai ia i ō rātou ringa ki te mahi i te whare o te Atua, o te Atua o Īharaira.