1When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them,
1那時，先知哈該和易多的孫子撒迦利亞奉以色列神的名向猶大和耶路撒冷的猶大人說勸勉的話。
2then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.
2於是撒拉鐵的兒子所羅巴伯和約薩達的兒子耶書亞都起來動手建造耶路撒冷神的殿，有神的先知在那裡幫助他們。
3At that time Tattenai, the governor of [the province] beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, 'Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?'
3當時河西的總督達乃和示他•波斯乃，並他們的同黨來問說：「誰降旨讓你們建造這殿，修成這牆呢？」
4Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building.
4我們便告訴他們建造這殿的人叫甚麼名字。
5But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report could come to Darius, and then a written reply be returned concerning it.
5神的眼目看顧猶大的長老，以致總督等沒有叫他們停工，直到這事奏告大利烏，得著他的回諭。
6[This is] the copy of the letter which Tattenai, the governor of [the province] beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king.
6河西的總督達乃和示他•波斯乃，並他們的同黨，就是住河西的亞法薩迦人，上本奏告大利烏王。
7They sent a report to him in which it was written thus: 'To Darius the king, all peace.
7本上寫著說：願大利烏王諸事平安。
8'Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands.
8王該知道，我們往猶大省去，到了至大神的殿，這殿是用大石建造的。梁木插入牆內，工作甚速，他們手下亨通。
9'Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, 'Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?'
9我們就問那些長老說：『誰降旨讓你們建造這殿，修成這牆呢？』
10'We also asked them their names so as to inform you, and that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head.
10又問他們的名字，要記錄他們首領的名字，奏告於王。
11'Thus they answered us, saying, 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
11他們回答說：『我們是天地之神的僕人，重建前多年所建造的殿，就是以色列的一位大君王建造修成的。
12'But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, [who] destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
12只因我們列祖惹天上的神發怒，神把他們交在迦勒底人巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒的手中，他就拆毀這殿，又將百姓擄到巴比倫。
13'However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.
13然而巴比倫王古列元年，他降旨允准建造神的這殿。
14'Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor.
14神殿中的金、銀器皿，就是尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷的殿中掠去帶到巴比倫廟裡的，古列王從巴比倫廟裡取出來，交給派為省長的，名叫設巴薩，
15'He said to him, 'Take these utensils, go [and] deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place.'
15對他說可以將這些器皿帶去，放在耶路撒冷的殿中，在原處建造神的殿。
16'Then that Sheshbazzar came [and] laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been under construction and it is not [yet] completed.'
16於是這設巴薩來建立耶路撒冷神殿的根基。這殿從那時直到如今尚未造成。』
17'Now if it pleases the king, let a search be conducted in the king's treasure house, which is there in Babylon, if it be that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his decision concerning this [matter].'
17現在王若以為美，請察巴比倫王的府庫，看古列王降旨允准在耶路撒冷建造神的殿沒有，王的心意如何？請降旨曉諭我們。」