1 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. 2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.
3 ¶ At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall? 4 Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building? 5 But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter .
6 ¶ The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king: 7 They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace. 8 Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands. 9 Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? 10 We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them. 11 And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. 12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon. 13 But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. 14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one , whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; 15 And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place. 16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished. 17 Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so , that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
1 prophetaverunt autem Aggeus propheta et Zaccharias filius Addo
prophetantes ad Iudaeos qui erant in Iudaea et Hierusalem
in nomine Dei Israhel
2 tunc surrexerunt Zorobabel filius Salathihel et Iosue filius Iosedech
et coeperunt aedificare templum Dei in Hierusalem
et cum eis prophetae Dei adiuvantes eos
3 in ipso tempore venit ad eos Tatannai qui erat dux
trans Flumen
et Starbuzannai et consiliarii eorum
sicque dixerunt eis
quis dedit vobis consilium ut domum hanc aedificaretis
et muros hos instauraretis
4 ad quod respondimus eis
quae essent nomina hominum auctorum illius aedificationis
5 oculus autem Dei eorum factus est super senes Iudaeorum
et non potuerunt inhibere eos
placuitque ut res ad Darium referretur
et tunc satisfacerent adversus accusationem illam
6 exemplar epistulae quam misit Tatannai dux regionis trans Flumen
et Starbuzannai et consiliatores eius Apharsacei 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 Iudaeam provinciam
ad domum Dei magni quae aedificatur lapide inpolito
et ligna ponuntur in parietibus
opusque illud diligenter extruitur et crescit in manibus eorum
9 interrogavimus ergo senes illos et ita diximus eis
quis dedit vobis potestatem
ut domum hanc aedificaretis
et muros instauraretis
10 sed et nomina eorum quaesivimus ab eis ut nuntiaremus tibi
quae scripsimus nomina virorum
qui sunt principes in eis
11 huiuscemodi autem sermonem responderunt nobis dicentes
nos sumus servi Dei caeli et terrae
et aedificamus templum quod erat extructum ante hos annos multos
quodque rex Israhel magnus aedificaverat et extruxerat
12 postquam autem ad iracundiam provocaverunt patres nostri Deum caeli
et tradidit eos in manu Nabuchodonosor regis
Babylonis Chaldei
domum quoque hanc destruxit
et populum eius transtulit in Babylonem
13 anno autem primo Cyri regis Babylonis
Cyrus rex proposuit edictum
ut domus Dei aedificaretur
14 nam et vasa templi Dei aurea et argentea
quae Nabuchodonosor tulerat de templo quod erat in Hierusalem
et asportaverat ea in templum Babylonis
protulit Cyrus rex de templo Babylonis
et data sunt Sasabassar vocabulo
quem et principem constituit
15 dixitque ei
haec vasa tolle et vade et pone ea in templo quod est in Hierusalem
et domus Dei aedificetur in loco suo
16 tunc itaque Sasabassar ille venit
et posuit fundamenta templi Dei in Hierusalem
et ex eo tempore usque nunc aedificatur et necdum conpletum est
17 nunc ergo si videtur regi bonum
recenseat in bibliotheca regis quae est in Babylone
utrumnam a Cyro rege iussum sit
ut aedificaretur domus Dei in Hierusalem
et voluntatem regis super hac re mittat ad nos