Although we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our servitude. He has extended kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, in that he has revived us to restore the temple of our God and to raise up its ruins and to give us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

我们是奴仆，然而在受辖制之中，我们的神仍没有丢弃我们，在波斯王眼前向我们施恩，叫我们复兴，能重建我们神的殿，修其毁坏之处，使我们在犹大和耶路撒冷有墙垣。

我们是奴仆，然而在受辖制之中，我们的上帝没有丢弃我们，在波斯诸王面前向我们施恩，叫我们复兴，能重建我们上帝的殿，修补毁坏之处，使我们在犹大和耶路撒冷有城墙。

我们是奴仆，然而在受辖制之中，我们的神没有丢弃我们，在波斯诸王面前向我们施恩，叫我们复兴，能重建我们神的殿，修补毁坏之处，使我们在犹大和耶路撒冷有城墙。

虽然我们是奴隶，我们的上帝却没有离弃受奴役的我们，祂在波斯众王面前施恩于我们，使我们复兴、得以重建毁坏的上帝的殿，让我们在犹大和耶路撒冷有护墙。

虽然我们是奴隶，但在奴役中，我们的神仍然没有撇弃我们，反而使我们在波斯列王面前得蒙恩惠，使我们复兴，建立我们神的殿，重修毁坏的地方，使我们在犹大和耶路撒冷有墙垣。

我們是奴僕，然而在受轄制之中，我們的神仍沒有丟棄我們，在波斯王眼前向我們施恩，叫我們復興，能重建我們神的殿，修其毀壞之處，使我們在猶大和耶路撒冷有牆垣。

我們是奴僕，然而在受轄制之中，我們的上帝沒有丟棄我們，在波斯諸王面前向我們施恩，叫我們復興，能重建我們上帝的殿，修補毀壞之處，使我們在猶大和耶路撒冷有城牆。

我們是奴僕，然而在受轄制之中，我們的神沒有丟棄我們，在波斯諸王面前向我們施恩，叫我們復興，能重建我們神的殿，修補毀壞之處，使我們在猶大和耶路撒冷有城牆。

雖然我們是奴隸，我們的上帝卻沒有離棄受奴役的我們，祂在波斯眾王面前施恩於我們，使我們復興、得以重建毀壞的上帝的殿，讓我們在猶大和耶路撒冷有護牆。

雖然我們是奴隸，但在奴役中，我們的神仍然沒有撇棄我們，反而使我們在波斯列王面前得蒙恩惠，使我們復興，建立我們神的殿，重修毀壞的地方，使我們在猶大和耶路撒冷有牆垣。

我們是奴隸，然而在受奴轄之中、我們的上帝仍然沒有撇棄我們，反而使我們在波斯王面前受得恩寵，使我們得到復興，能夠建立起我們的上帝的殿，重立起它荒廢之處，使我們在猶大和耶路撒冷有個藩籬。

我為奴僕、然於服役、上帝不棄、在波斯王前、施恩於我、使復振興、能建我上帝室、修其荒墟、於猶大及耶路撒冷、得有垣墉、

昔我為人服役、蒙上帝不棄、使巴西王矜憫我、賜復振興、能建上帝殿、見其傾圯、重加修葺、築垣於猶大及耶路撒冷。

我雖為人服役、在受轄制之中、我天主仍未棄我、使我在巴西王前蒙矜憐、賜我新生、賜我新生或作全我生命能復建我天主之殿、補其傾圮、又使我在猶大及耶路撒冷得得或作重建城垣、

Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

We are still slaves. But you are our God. You haven’t turned away from us. You haven’t left us in our slavery. You have been kind to us. The kings of Persia have seen it. You have given us new life to repair your temple and rebuild it. You have given us a place of safety in Judah and Jerusalem.

For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.

For we were slaves, but in his unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery. Instead, he caused the kings of Persia to treat us favorably. He revived us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruins. He has given us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

Though we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended grace to us in the presence of the Persian kings, giving us relief, so that we can rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not abandoned us, but has extended favor to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to erect the house of our God, to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

For we are bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended lovingkindness unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the ruins thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

Though we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended grace to us in the presence of the Persian kings, giving us new life, so that we can rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

For we[ were] bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

For we are bondservants; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

to the one who remembered us when we were down, for his loyal love endures,and snatched us away from our enemies, for his loyal love endures,

This Ezra is the one who came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king supplied him with everything he requested, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him.

‘ You expected a large harvest, but instead there was little, and when you brought it home it disappeared right away. Why?’ asks the LORD who rules over all.‘ Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house!

He remembered his covenant with them, and relented because of his great loyal love.He caused all their conquerors to have pity on them.

But I( the LORD says) will be a wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem and the source of glory in her midst.’”

Therefore he told me,“ These signify the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:‘ Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD who rules over all.”“ What are you, you great mountain? Because of Zerubbabel you will become a level plain! And he will bring forth the temple capstone with shoutings of‘ Grace! Grace!’ because of this.”Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me as follows:“ The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this temple, and his hands will complete it.” Then you will know that the LORD who rules over all has sent me to you.For who dares make light of small beginnings? These seven eyes will joyfully look on the tin tablet in Zerubbabel’s hand.( These are the eyes of the LORD, which constantly range across the whole earth.)

So know and understand: From the issuing of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times.

The elders of the Jews continued building and prospering, while at the same time Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo continued prophesying. They built and brought it to completion by the command of the God of Israel and by the command of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia.They finished this temple on the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

Now I will inform you what I am about to do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there.

“ Therefore say:‘ This is what the sovereign LORD says: Although I have removed them far away among the nations and have dispersed them among the countries, I have been a little sanctuary for them among the lands where they have gone.’

So Darius the king issued orders, and they searched in the archives of the treasury which were deposited there in Babylon.A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana which is in the province of Media, and it was inscribed as follows:“ Memorandum:In the first year of his reign, King Cyrus gave orders concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:‘ Let the temple be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered. Let its foundations be set in place. Its height is to be ninety feet and its width ninety feet,with three layers of large stones and one layer of timber. The expense is to be subsidized by the royal treasury.Furthermore let the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, be returned and brought to their proper place in the temple in Jerusalem. Let them be deposited in the temple of God.’“ Now Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials of Trans-Euphrates– all of you stay far away from there!Leave the work on this temple of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple of God in its proper place.“ I also hereby issue orders as to what you are to do with those elders of the Jews in order to rebuild this temple of God. From the royal treasury, from the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs are to be given to these men, so that there may be no interruption of the work.Whatever is needed– whether oxen or rams or lambs or burnt offerings for the God of heaven or wheat or salt or wine or oil, as required by the priests who are in Jerusalem– must be given to them daily without any neglect,so that they may be offering incense to the God of heaven and may be praying for the good fortune of the king and his family.“ I hereby give orders that if anyone changes this directive a beam is to be pulled out from his house and he is to be raised up and impaled on it, and his house is to be reduced to a rubbish heap for this indiscretion.May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow any king or nation who reaches out to cause such change so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them be carried out with precision!”

“ So today we are slaves! In the very land you gave to our ancestors to eat its fruit and to enjoy its good things– we are slaves!Its abundant produce goes to the kings you have placed over us due to our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they see fit, and we are in great distress!

Then King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the LORD’s temple which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and had displayed in the temple of his gods.King Cyrus of Persia entrusted them to Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the leader of the Judahite exiles.The inventory of these items was as follows: 30 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins, 29 silver utensils,30 gold bowls, 410 other silver bowls, and 1,000 other vessels.All these gold and silver vessels totaled 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all along when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

What follows is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe. Ezra was a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the LORD and his statutes over Israel:“ Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the perfect law of the God of heaven:I have now issued a decree that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel– even the priests and Levites– who wishes to do so may go up with you to Jerusalem.You are authorized by the king and his seven advisers to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your possession,and to bring silver and gold which the king and his advisers have freely contributed to the God of Israel, who resides in Jerusalem,along with all the silver and gold that you may collect throughout all the province of Babylon and the contributions of the people and the priests for the temple of their God which is in Jerusalem.With this money you should be sure to purchase bulls, rams, and lambs, along with the appropriate meal offerings and libations. You should bring them to the altar of the temple of your God which is in Jerusalem.You may do whatever seems appropriate to you and your colleagues with the rest of the silver and the gold, in keeping with the will of your God.Deliver to the God of Jerusalem the vessels that are given to you for the service of the temple of your God.The rest of the needs for the temple of your God that you may have to supply, you may do so from the royal treasury.“ I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue orders to all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates, that you precisely execute all that Ezra the priestly scribe of the law of the God of heaven may request of you–up to 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of olive oil, and unlimited salt.Everything that the God of heaven has required should be precisely done for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath against the empire of the king and his sons?Furthermore, be aware of the fact that you have no authority to impose tax, tribute, or toll on any of the priests, the Levites, the musicians, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or the attendants at the temple of this God.“ Now you, Ezra, in keeping with the wisdom of your God which you possess, appoint judges and court officials who can arbitrate cases on behalf of all the people who are in Trans-Euphrates who know the laws of your God. Those who do not know this law should be taught.Everyone who does not observe both the law of your God and the law of the king will be completely liable to the appropriate penalty, whether it is death or banishment or confiscation of property or detainment in prison.”Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who so moved in the heart of the king to so honor the temple of the LORD which is in Jerusalem!He has also conferred his favor on me before the king, his advisers, and all the influential leaders of the king. I gained strength as the hand of the LORD my God was on me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the LORD’S message spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the mind of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict the following:“ Thus says King Cyrus of Persia:“‘ The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has instructed me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.Anyone from his people among you( may his God be with him!) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of the LORD God of Israel– he is the God who is in Jerusalem.Anyone who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner must be helped by his neighbors with silver, gold, equipment, and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

He built a hedge around it, removed its stones, and planted a vine. He built a tower in the middle of it, and constructed a winepress. He waited for it to produce edible grapes, but it produced sour ones instead.

He entered Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.