1. Ezra 2

¹Perslerin kralı Koreş'in saltanatının birinci yılında, Rab'bin Yeremya'nın ağzından bildirdiği sözü nihayete ersin diye,

²Rab, Perslerin kralı Koreş'in ruhunu uyandırdı; o da bütün krallığında hem sözlü hem de yazılı belgeler aracılığıyla şunu ilan ederek duyurdu:

³Perslerin kralı Koreş şöyle der: İsrail'in Rabbi, En Yüce Rab, beni meskun dünyanın kralı ilan etti.

⁴Ve Yahudiye'deki Yeruşalim'de Kendisi için bir ev inşa etmemi bana işaret etti.

⁵Bu yüzden aranızda O'nun ulusundan kim varsa, Rabbi onunla olsun; Yahudiye'deki Yeruşalim'e gidip İsrail'in Rabbi olan Rab'bin evini inşa etsin (Yeruşalim'de konut kuran Rab O'dur).

⁶Bulundukları yerlerde yaşayanların hepsi, Yeruşalim'deki Rab'bin tapınağı için adanan gönüllü sunuların yanı sıra, o yerin sakinleri tarafından altın, gümüş, atlar, hayvanlar ve adaklara göre eklenen diğer armağanlarla desteklensin.

⁷Bunun üzerine Yahuda ve Benyamin kabilelerinin atalarının evlerinin reisleri, kâhinler, Levililer ve Rab'bin, Yeruşalim'deki Rab'bin evini inşa etmek üzere gitmek için ruhunu uyandırdığı herkes yola çıkmaya hazırlandı.

⁸Çevrelerindeki herkes gümüş, altın, atlar, hayvanlar ve zihinleri uyandırılmış olanların sunduğu pek çok gönüllü adakla onlara her konuda yardım etti.

⁹Kral Koreş de, Nebukadnessar'ın Yeruşalim'den alıp kendi put tapınağına koyduğu Rab'bin kutsal kaplarını dışarı çıkardı.

¹⁰Perslerin kralı Koreş bunları dışarı çıkarıp kendi hazinedarı Mitridat'a teslim etti.

¹¹Onun aracılığıyla da Yahudiye'nin önderi Sanabassar'a teslim edildiler.

¹²Bunların sayısı şuydu: Bin altın sunu kabı, bin gümüş sunu kabı, yirmi dokuz gümüş buhur kabı, otuz altın kâse, iki bin dört yüz on gümüş kâse ve diğer bin kap.

¹³Taşınan altın ve gümüş kapların toplam sayısı beş bin dört yüz altmış dokuzdu.

¹⁴Bunlar, Babil'deki tutsaklıktan dönenlerle birlikte Sanabassar tarafından Yeruşalim'e geri getirildi.

¹⁵Perslerin kralı Artahşasta'nın zamanında ise, Belemus, Mitridat, Tabellius, Rathumus, Beeltethmus, yazıcı Samellius ve onlarla birlikte saf tutan diğerleri, Samiriye'de ve diğer yerlerde oturanlar, Yahudiye ve Yeruşalim'de oturanlara karşı krala şu mektubu yazdılar:

¹⁶Efendimiz Kral Artahşasta'ya; kulların, olayları bildiren Rathumus, yazıcı Samellius, kurullarının diğer üyeleri ve Çukur Suriye ile Fenike'deki yargıçlar:

¹⁷Efendimiz kral bilsin ki, yanınızdan çıkıp bize gelen Yahudiler Yeruşalim'e vardılar; o asi ve kötü kenti yeniden inşa ediyorlar, çarşılarını ve surlarını onarıyorlar, tapınağın da temelini atıyorlar.

¹⁸Eğer bu kent inşa edilir ve surları tamamlanırsa, vergi vermeye kesinlikle katlanmayacaklar, hatta krallara karşı geleceklerdir. Tapınakla ilgili işler şu anda ilerlediği için, bu durumu görmezden gelmemeyi, efendimiz krala bildirmeyi uygun gördük; öyle ki, uygun görürseniz, atalarınızın arşiv kitaplarında bir araştırma yapılsın.

¹⁹Bu kayıtlarda yazılanları bulacak ve o kentin asi bir kent olduğunu, krallara ve kentlere sıkıntı verdiğini, Yahudilerin de öteden beri orada isyanlar çıkarıp kuşatmalar düzenlediğini öğreneceksiniz; zaten bu kent bu yüzden harap edilmişti.

²⁰Bu yüzden şimdi efendimiz krala bildiriyoruz ki, eğer bu kent inşa edilir ve surları yükseltilirse, artık Çukur Suriye ve Fenike'ye geçişiniz kalmayacaktır.

²¹Bunun üzerine kral, olayları bildiren Rathumus'a, Beeltethmus'a, yazıcı Samellius'a ve Samiriye, Suriye ve Fenike'de yaşayan diğer ortaklarına şu yanıtı yazdı:

²²Bana gönderdiğiniz mektubu okudum. Araştırma yapılmasını buyurdum ve o kentin ezelden beri krallara karşı direndiği,

²³halkının da orada isyanlar çıkarıp savaşlar yaptığı anlaşıldı. Yeruşalim'de hüküm süren, Çukur Suriye ve Fenike'yi egemenliği altında tutup buralardan vergi alan güçlü ve sert krallar varmış.

²⁴Bu nedenle, o adamların kenti inşa etmesini engellemenizi, bundan başka bir şey yapılmamasını ve krallara zarar verecek bu kötülüğün daha fazla büyümemesi için önlem alınmasını buyuruyorum.

²⁵Kral Artahşasta'nın yazdığı mektup okununca, Rathumus, yazıcı Samellius ve onlarla birlikte saf tutanlar aceleyle atlılar ve savaş düzenindeki büyük bir kalabalık ordusuyla Yeruşalim'e gidip inşaatçıları engellemeye başladılar. Yeruşalim'deki tapınağın yapımı, Perslerin kralı Daryus'un krallığının ikinci yılına kadar durdu.

¹ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΟΝΤΟΣ Κύρου Περσῶν ἔτους πρώτου εἰς συντέλειαν ῥήματος Κυρίου ἐν στόματι ῾Ιερεμίου,

²ἤγειρε Κύριος τὸ πνεῦμα Κύρου βασιλέωςΠερσῶν, καὶ ἐκήρυξεν ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἅμα διά γραπτῶν λέγων·

³τάδε λέγει ὁ βασιλεὺς Περσῶν Κῦρος· ἐμὲ ἀνέδειξε βασιλέα τῆς οἰκουμένης ὁ Κύριος τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ, Κύριος ὁ ῞Υψιστος.

⁴καὶ ἐσήμηνέ μοι οἰκοδομῆσαι αὐτῷ οἶκον ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, τῇ ἐν τῇ ᾿Ιουδαίᾳ.

⁵εἴ τις ἐστὶν οὖν ὑμῶν ἐκ τοῦ ἔθνους αὐτοῦ, ἔστω ὁ Κύριος αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀναβὰς εἰς τὴν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ τὴν ἐν τῇ ᾿Ιουδαίᾳ οἰκοδομείτω τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (οὗτος ὁ Κύριος ὁ κατασκηνώσας ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ).

⁶ὅσοι οὖν κατὰ τοὺς τόπους οἰκοῦσι, βοηθείτωσαν αὐτῷ οἱ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ αὐτοῦ ἐν χρυσίῳ καὶ ἐν ἀργυρίῳ, ἐν δόσεσι μεθ᾿ ἵππων καὶ κτηνῶν σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς κατ᾿ εὐχὰς προστεθειμένοις εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Κυρίου τὸ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

⁷καὶ καταστήσαντες οἱ ἀρχίφυλοι τῶν πατριῶν τῆς ᾿Ιούδα καὶ Βενιαμὶν φυλῆς καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται καὶ πάντων, ὧν ἤγειρε Κύριος τὸ πνεῦμα ἀναβῆναι οἰκοδομῆσαι οἶκον τῷ Κυρίῳ τὸ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ,

⁸καὶ οἱ περικύκλῳ αὐτῶν ἐβοήθησαν ἐν πᾶσιν ἐν ἀργυρίῳ καὶ χρυσίῳ, ἵπποις, κτήνεσι καὶ εὐχαῖς ὡς πλείσταις πολλῶν, ὧν ὁ νοῦς ἠγέρθη.

⁹καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Κῦρος ἐξήνεγκε τὰ ἱερὰ σκεύη τοῦ Κυρίου, ἃ μετήνεγκε Ναβουχοδονόσορ ἐξ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ ἀπηρείσατο αὐτὰ ἐν τῷ εἰδωλείῳ αὐτοῦ·

¹⁰ἐξενέγκας δὲ αὐτὰ Κῦρος ὁ βασιλεὺς Περσῶν παρέδωκεν αὐτὰ Μιθραδάτῃ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ γαζοφύλακι·

¹¹διά δὲ τούτου παρεδόθησαν Σαναβασσάρῳ προστάτῃ τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας.

¹²ὁ δὲ τούτων ἀριθμὸς ἦν· σπονδεῖα χρυσᾶ χίλια, σπονδεῖα ἀργυρᾶ χίλια, θυΐσκαι ἀργυραῖ εἰκοσιεννέα, φιάλαι χρυσαῖ τριάκοντα, ἀργυραῖ δισχίλιαι τετρακόσιαι δέκα καὶ ἄλλα σκεύη χίλια.

¹³τὰ δὲ πάντα σκεύη διεκομίσθη, χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ, πεντακισχίλια τετρακόσια ἑξηκονταεννέα·

¹⁴ἀνηνέχθη δὲ ὑπὸ Σαναβασσάρου ἅμα τοῖς ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

¹⁵᾿Εν δὲ τοῖς ἐπὶ ᾿Αρταξέρξου τῶν Περσῶν βασιλέως χρόνοις κατέγραψαν αὐτῷ κατὰ τῶν κατοικούντων ἐν τῇ ᾿Ιουδαίᾳ καὶ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ Βήλεμος καὶ Μιθραδάτης καὶ Ταβέλλιος καὶ Ῥάθυμος καὶ Βεέλτεθμος καὶ Σαμέλλιος ὁ γραμματεὺς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ τούτοις συντασσόμενοι, οἰκοῦντες δὲ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τόποις, τὴν ὑπογεγραμμένην ἐπιστολήν·

¹⁶«Βασιλεῖ ᾿Αρταξέρξῃ κυρίῳ οἱ παῖδές σου Ῥάθυμος ὁ τὰ προσπίπτοντα καὶ Σαμέλλιος ὁ γραμματεὺς καὶ ἐπίλοιποι τῆς βουλῆς αὐτῶν καὶ κριταὶ οἱ ἐν Κοίλῃ Συρίᾳ καὶ Φοινίκῃ·

¹⁷καὶ νῦν γνωστὸν ἔστω τῷ κυρίῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅτι οἱ ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ἀναβάντες παρ᾿ ὑμῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐλθόντες εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἀποστάτιν καὶ πονηρὰν οἰκοδομοῦσι, τάς τε ἀγορὰς αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ τείχη θεραπεύουσι καὶ ναὸν ὑποβάλλονται.

¹⁸ἐὰν οὖν ἡ πόλις αὕτη οἰκοδομηθῇ καὶ τὰ τείχη συντελεσθῇ, φορολογίαν οὐ μὴ ὑπομείνωσι δοῦναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ βασιλεῦσιν ἀντιστήσονται. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐνεργεῖται τὰ κατὰ τὸν ναόν, καλῶς ἔχειν ὑπολαμβάνομεν μὴ ὑπεριδεῖν τὸ τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ προσφωνῆσαι τῷ κυρίῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅπως, ἂν φαίνηταί σοι, ἐπισκεφθῇ ἐν τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν πατέρων σου βιβλίοις·

¹⁹καὶ εὑρήσεις ἐν τοῖς ὑπομνηματισμοῖς γεγραμμένα περὶ τούτων καὶ γνώσῃ ὅτι ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη ἦν ἀποστάτις καὶ βασιλεῖς καὶ πόλεις ἐνοχλοῦσα καὶ οἱ ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ἀποστάται καὶ πολιορκίας συνιστάμενοι ἐν αὐτῇ ἔτι ἐξ αἰῶνος, δι᾿ ἣν αἰτίαν καὶ ἡ πόλις αὕτη ἠρημώθη.

²⁰νῦν οὖν ὑποδεικνύομέν σοι, κύριε βασιλεῦ, ὅτι ἐὰν ἡ πόλις αὕτη οἰκοδομηθῇ καὶ τὰ ταύτης τείχη ἀνασταθῇ, κάθοδος οὐκ ἔτι σοι ἔσται εἰς Κοίλην Συρίαν καὶ Φοινίκην».

²¹τότε ἀντέγραψεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ῥαθύμῳ τῷ γράφοντι τὰ προσπίπτοντα καὶ Βεελτέθμῳ καὶ Σαμελλίῳ γραμματεῖ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς τοῖς συντασσομένοις καὶ οἰκοῦσιν ἐν τῇ Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ Συρίᾳ καὶ Φοινίκῃ τὰ ὑπογεγραμμένα·

²²«᾿Ανέγνων τὴν ἐπιστολήν, ἣν πεπόμφατε πρός με. ἐπέταξα οὖν ἐπισκέψασθαι, καὶ εὑρέθη ὅτι ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη ἐστὶν ἐξ αἰῶνος βασιλεῦσιν ἀντιπαρατάσσουσα

²³καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀποστάσεις καὶ πολέμους ἐν αὐτῇ συντελοῦντες καὶ βασιλεῖς ἰσχυροὶ καὶ σκληροὶ ἦσαν ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ κυριεύοντες καὶ φορολογοῦντες Κοίλην Συρίαν καὶ Φοινίκην.

²⁴νῦν οὖν ἐπέταξα ἀποκωλῦσαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκείνους τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι τὴν πόλιν καὶ προνοηθῆναι ὅπως μηδὲν παρὰ ταῦτα γένηται καὶ μὴ προβῇ ἐπὶ πλεῖον τὰ τῆς κακίας εἰς τὸ βασιλεῖς ἐνοχλῆσαι».

²⁵τότε ἀναγνωσθέντων τῶν παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ᾿Αρταξέρξου γραφέντων, Ῥάθυμος καὶ Σαμέλλιος ὁ γραμματεὺς καὶ οἱ τούτοις συντασσόμενοι ἀναζεύξαντες εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ κατὰ σπουδὴν μεθ᾿ ἵππου καὶ ὄχλου παρατάξεως, ἤρξαντο κωλύειν τοὺς οἰκοδομοῦντας. καὶ ἤργει ἡ οἰκοδομὴ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τοῦ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ μέχρι τοῦ δευτέρου ἔτους τῆς βασιλείας Δαρείου τοῦ Περσῶν βασιλέως.

¹In the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, that the word of the Lord might be accomplished, that he had promised by the mouth of Jeremy;

²The Lord raised up the spirit of Cyrus the king of the Persians, and he made proclamation through all his kingdom, and also by writing,

³Saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of the Persians; The Lord of Israel, the most high Lord, hath made me king of the whole world,

⁴And commanded me to build him an house at Jerusalem in Jewry.

⁵If therefore there be any of you that are of his people, let the Lord, even his Lord, be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord of Israel: for he is the Lord that dwelleth in Jerusalem.

⁶Whosoever then dwell in the places about, let them help him, those, I say, that are his neighbours, with gold, and with silver, With gifts, with horses, and with cattle, and other things, which have been set forth by vow, for the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem.

⁷Then the chief of the families of Judea and of the tribe of Benjamin stood up; the priests also, and the Levites, and all they whose mind the Lord had moved to go up, and to build an house for the Lord at Jerusalem,

⁸And they that dwelt round about them, and helped them in all things with silver and gold, with horses and cattle, and with very many free gifts of a great number whose minds were stirred up thereto.

⁹King Cyrus also brought forth the holy vessels, which Nabuchodonosor had carried away from Jerusalem, and had set up in his temple of idols.

¹⁰Now when Cyrus king of the Persians had brought them forth, he delivered them to Mithridates his treasurer:

¹¹And by him they were delivered to Sanabassar the governor of Judea.

¹²And this was the number of them; A thousand golden cups, and a thousand of silver, censers of silver twenty nine, vials of gold thirty, and of silver two thousand four hundred and ten, and a thousand other vessels.

¹³So all the vessels of gold and of silver, which were carried away, were five thousand four hundred threescore and nine.

¹⁴These were brought back by Sanabassar, together with them of the captivity, from Babylon to Jerusalem.

¹⁵But in the time of Artaxerxes king of the Persians Belemus, and Mithridates, and Tabellius, and Rathumus, and Beeltethmus, and Semellius the secretary, with others that were in commission with them, dwelling in Samaria and other places, wrote unto him against them that dwelt in Judea and Jerusalem these letters following;

¹⁶To king Artaxerxes our lord, Thy servants, Rathumus the storywriter, and Semellius the scribe, and the rest of their council, and the judges that are in Celosyria and Phenice.

¹⁷Be it now known to the lord king, that the Jews that are up from you to us, being come into Jerusalem, that rebellious and wicked city, do build the marketplaces, and repair the walls of it and do lay the foundation of the temple.

¹⁸Now if this city and the walls thereof be made up again, they will not only refuse to give tribute, but also rebel against kings. And forasmuch as the things pertaining to the temple are now in hand, we think it meet not to neglect such a matter, But to speak unto our lord the king, to the intent that, if it be thy pleasure it may be sought out in the books of thy fathers:

¹⁹And thou shalt find in the chronicles what is written concerning these things, and shalt understand that that city was rebellious, troubling both kings and cities: And that the Jews were rebellious, and raised always wars therein; for the which cause even this city was made desolate.

²⁰Wherefore now we do declare unto thee, O lord the king, that if this city be built again, and the walls thereof set up anew, thou shalt from henceforth have no passage into Celosyria and Phenice.

²¹Then the king wrote back again to Rathumus the storywriter, to Beeltethmus, to Semellius the scribe, and to the rest that were in commission, and dwellers in Samaria and Syria and Phenice, after this manner;

²²I have read the epistle which ye have sent unto me: therefore I commanded to make diligent search, and it hath been found that that city was from the beginning practising against kings;

²³And the men therein were given to rebellion and war: and that mighty kings and fierce were in Jerusalem, who reigned and exacted tributes in Celosyria and Phenice.

²⁴Now therefore I have commanded to hinder those men from building the city, and heed to be taken that there be no more done in it; And that those wicked workers proceed no further to the annoyance of kings,

²⁵Then king Artaxerxes his letters being read, Rathumus, and Semellius the scribe, and the rest that were in commission with them, removing in haste toward Jerusalem with a troop of horsemen and a multitude of people in battle array, began to hinder the builders; and the building of the temple in Jerusalem ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.