Now 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 {Or, which was upon them}prophesied they unto them.
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.
At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
Then we told them after this manner, what the names of the men were that were making this building.
But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease, till the matter should come to Darius, and then {Or, they returned answer}answer should be returned by letter concerning it.
The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who were beyond the River, sent unto Darius the king;
they sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus: Unto Darius the king, all peace.
Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goeth on with diligence and prospereth in their hands.
Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
We asked them their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were at the head of them.
And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and finished.
But {Or, because that}after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.
And the gold and silver vessels also of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought 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;
and he said unto him, Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in its place.
Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundations 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 completed.
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.
Querverweise zu Esra 5,11 Esra 5,11
And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he {Hebrew: built.}began to build the house of Jehovah.
And the house which king Solomon built for Jehovah, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.
And the porch before {That is, the holy place}the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.
And for the house he made {Or, windows broad within, and narrow without}windows of fixed lattice-work.
And against the wall of the house he built stories round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of {That is, the most holy place}the oracle; and he made side-chambers round about.
The nethermost story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the house round about, that the beams should not have hold in the walls of the house.
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready {Or, when it was brought away}at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
I will also speak of thy testimonies before kings,And shall not be put to shame.
Then Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem on mount Moriah, where Jehovah appeared unto David his father, which he made ready {Hebrew: in the place of David.}in the place that David had appointed, in the threshing-floor of {In 2 Samuel 24:16, &c., Araunah.}Ornan the Jebusite.
And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
Now {Or, these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for &c.}these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.
And the porch that was before the house, the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
And the greater house he ceiled with {Or, cypress-wood}fir-wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and wrought thereon palm-trees and chains.
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the {Aramaic: door.}mouth of the burning fiery furnace: he spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth out of the midst of the fire.
And he said unto them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven, who hath made the sea and the dry land.
Every one therefore who shall confess {Greek: in me.}me before men, {Greek: in him.}him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess {Greek: in me.}me before men, {Greek: in him.}him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve,
For I am not ashamed of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as {Greek: bondservants.}servants unto obedience, his {Greek: bondservants.}servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through {Or, whom}which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.