1 Now the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, were preaching to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel.

2 Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, got up and made a start at building the house of God at Jerusalem: and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.

3 At the same time, Tattenai, ruler of the land across the river, and Shethar-bozenai, and their men, came to them and said, Who gave you orders to go on building this house and this wall?

4 Then they said these words to them: What are the names of the men who are at work on this building?

5 But the eye of their God was on the chiefs of the Jews, and they did not make them give up working till the question had been put before Darius and an answer had come by letter about it.

6 This is a copy of the letter which Tattenai, the ruler of the land across the river, and Shethar-bozenai and his friends the Apharsachites, living across the river, sent to Darius the king:

7 They sent him a letter saying, To Darius the king, all peace:

8 This is to give the king word that we went into the land of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is made of great stones, and has its walls supported with wood, and the work is going on with industry, and they are doing it well.

9 Then we said to the men responsible, who gave you authority for the building of this house and these walls?

10 And we made request for their names, so that we might send you word, and give you the names of the men at the head of them.

11 And they made answer to us, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building the house which was put up in times long past and was designed and made complete by a great king of Israel.

12 But when the God of heaven was moved to wrath by our fathers, he gave them up into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Chaldaean, who sent destruction on this house and took the people away into Babylon.

13 But in the first year of Cyrus, king of Babylon, Cyrus the king gave an order for the building of this house of God;

14 And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple which was in Jerusalem, and put into the house of his god in Babylon, these Cyrus the king took from the house of his god in Babylon, and gave to one named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made ruler;

15 And he said to him, Go, take these vessels, and put them in the Temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be put up again in its place.

16 Then this same Sheshbazzar came and put the house of God in Jerusalem on its bases: and from that time till now the building has been going on, but it is still not complete.

17 So now, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the king's store-house at Babylon, to see if it is true that an order was given by Cyrus the king for the building of this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send us word of his pleasure in connection with this business.

1 Katahi nga poropiti, a Hakai poropiti, raua ko Hakaraia, tama a Iro, ka poropiti ki nga Hurai i Hura, i Hiruharama; i poropiti ratou ki a ratou i runga i te ingoa o te Atua o Iharaira.

2 Katahi ka maranga a Herupapera tama a Haratiera, raua ko Hehua tama a Iohereke, timataia ana e raua te hanga i te whare o te Atua i Hiruharama: i a raua ano nga poropiti a te Atua hei hoa mo raua.

3 I taua wa ano ka tae mai ki a ratou a Tatenai kawana o tenei taha o te awa, raua ko Hetara Potenai, me o raua hoa, a ka mea ki a ratou, Na wai koutou i whakahau kia hanga tenei whare, kia whakaotia tenei taiepa?

4 Katahi ka penei ta matou kupu ki a ratou, Ko wai nga ingoa o nga tangata e hanga nei i tenei whare?

5 Otiia i runga i nga kaumatua o nga Hurai te kanohi o to ratou Atua, i kore ai ta ratou e whakamutua, kia tae atu ra ano taua mea ki a Tariuha: katahi ka whakahokia mai ai he kupu mo tenei mea, he mea tuhituhi.

6 Ko nga kupu o te pukapuka i tukua e Tatenai kawana o tera taha o te awa, e Hetara Potenai, e ona hoa, e nga Aparahaki i tera taha o te awa, ki a Kingi Tariuha:

7 I tukua e ratou he pukapuka ki a ia, a i tuhituhia ki roto; Ki a Tariuha, ki te kingi, kia tau te rangimarie katoa.

8 Kia mohiotia tenei e te kingi, i haere matou ki te whenua o Hura, ki te whare o te Atua nui e hanga nei ki nga kohatu nunui, e whakatakotoria ana hoki he rakau ki nga taha: a kei te hohoro, kei te pai hoki te haere a tenei mahi a o ratou ringa.

9 Katahi matou ka ui ki aua kaumatua; he penei ta matou kupu ki a ratou, Na wai koutou i whakahau kia hanga tenei whare, kia whakaotia enei taiepa?

10 I uia ano e matou o ratou ingoa, kia whakaaturia ai ki a koe, kia tuhituhia ai e matou nga ingoa o o ratou tino tangata.

11 Na ko ta ratou kupu tenei i whakahoki ai ki a matou, He pononga matou na te Atua o te rangi, o te whenua, e hanga ana hoki i te whare i hanga i mua noa atu, ka maha nei nga tau; a he kingi nui te kingi o Iharaira nana nei i hanga, i whakaoti.

12 Otiia, i te whakapataritaringa a o matou matua ki te Atua o te rangi, ka hoatu ratou e ia ki te ringa o Nepukaneha Karari kingi o Papurona: nana tenei whare i tukituki, a whakaraua ana e ia te iwi ki Papurona.

13 I te tuatahi ia o nga tau o Hairuha kingi o Papurona, ka puaki he tikanga i a Kingi Hairuha kia hanga tenei whare o te Atua.

14 Na, ko nga oko, ko nga mea koura, hiriwa, o te whare o te Atua, i tangohia nei e Nepukaneha i te temepara i Hiruharama, i kawea ki te temepara o Papurona, i tangohia era e Kingi Hairuha i te temepara o Papurona, a homai ana ki tetahi tangata, to na ingoa ko Hehepatara, i meinga nei e ia hei kawana,

15 A i mea ia ki a ia, Tangohia enei mea, haere, kawea ki te temepara i Hiruharama; ka hanga hoki i te whare o te Atua ki tona wahi.

16 Katahi ka haere mai taua Hehepatara, whakatakotoria ana e ia te turanga mo te whare o te Atua i Hiruharama: ko te hanganga ano tenei o te temepara, o reira ra ano a mohoa noa nei; heoi kahore ano kia oti noa.

17 Na, ki te pai te kingi, me rapu i roto i te whare taonga o te kingi i kona, i Papurona, koia ranei i whakatakotoria e Kingi Hairuha he tikanga kia hanga tenei whare o te Atua ki Hiruharama? a kia meatia mai hoki e te kingi tana e pai ai mo tenei mea ki a matou.