Ezra 4
1 Judah hoi Benjamin ih misanawk mah, misong angtanghaih hoi amlaem kaminawk mah Israel Angraeng Sithaw hanah im sak pae o, tiah thaih o naah,
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,
2 Zerubbabel hoi acaeng ukkungnawk khaeah angzoh o moe, Nangcae mah nangmacae ih Sithaw na pakrong o baktih toengah, kaicae doeh ka pakrong o toeng; hae ahmuen ah kaicae zaehoikung Assyria siangpahrang Esarhaddon dung nathuem hoiah to Sithaw khaeah hmuenpaekhaih to ka sak o boeh, to pongah na Sithaw im to sak kang bomh o toeng han, tiah a naa o.
they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”
3 Toe Zerubbabel, Jeshua hoi to ah kaom Israel zaehoikungnawk mah, Kaicae Sithaw ih im sakhaih pongah nangcae hoi asaenghaih tidoeh om ai; Persia siangpahrang, Sairas ih lokpaekhaih baktih toengah, kaimacae mah khue ni Israel Angraeng Sithaw hanah ka sak pae o han, tiah pathim pae o.
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.”
4 To naah Judah kaminawk mah im to sak o thai han ai ah, ataeng ah kaom kaminawk mah raihaih paek o.
Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.
5 Judah kaminawk palungboengsak hanah, Persia siangpahrang Sairas hoi Persia siangpahrang Darius dung khoek to, poekhaih paek kaminawk to tlai o.
They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Nihcae loe Ahasurus siangpahrang toksak amtong tangsuek naah, Judah hoi Jerusalem ah kaom kaminawk kasae nethaih ca to tarik o.
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Persia siangpahrang Artaxerxes dung nathuem ah doeh, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel hoi to ah kaom kaminawk mah Artaxerxes khaeah ca tarik o; to ih ca loe Aramic calung, Aramic lok ah tarik o.
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
8 Misatuh angraeng Rehum hoi ca tarikkung Shimshai mah, Jerusalem sethaih kawng to Artaxerxes siangpahrang khaeah hae tiah ca tarik;
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:
9 misatuh angraeng Rehum, ca tarikkung Shimshai hoi to ah kaom ampuinawk, Dinai ih kaminawk, Arphasa ih kaminawk, Tarpe ih kaminawk, Persia hoi Ereck ih kaminawk, Babylon ih kaminawk, Susan ah kaom kaminawk, Dehavi ih kaminawk hoi Elam ih kaminawk,
From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges and officials over Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
10 Asnapper mah misong ah naeh ih kami, Samaria vangpui hoi vapui yaeh ah kaom, kalensawk kami hoi khingya koi kaom kaminawk mah,
and the rest of the peoples whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and elsewhere west of the Euphrates.
11 Artaxerxes siangpahrang khaeah paek o ih kawpi ca loe, Vapui yaeh ah kaom na tamnanawk mah nang khaeah ca kang tarik o.
(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
12 Siangpahrang mah nang khae hoi kaicae khaeah angzo kahoih ai Judah kaminawk loe, Jerusalem ah caeh o moe, lokpung han koi kaom vangpui to a sak o; sipae to a sak o moe, im doeh sak amtong o boeh, tiah panoek han angaih.
Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem. And they are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, restoring its walls, and repairing its foundations.
13 To pacoengah hae vangpui hae sah o let moe, sipaenawk doeh pathoep o let nahaeloe, nihcae loe long tho hoi hmuenmae tho kok ih tamut to paek o mak ai boeh; to naah siangpahrang ih tamut conghaih thazok tih boeh, tiah siangpahrang mah panoek han angaih.
Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.
14 Kaicae loe siangpahrang abomhaih rang hoiah khosah kami ah ka oh o pongah, siangpahrang khingya ai ah sak ih hmuen to hnuk han ka koeh o ai; to pongah siangpahrang panoeksak hanah hae ca hae kang pat o;
Now because we are in the service of the palace and it is not fitting for us to allow the king to be dishonored, we have sent to inform the king
15 Jerusalem loe misa angthawk vangpui, siangpahrang hoi prae raihaih paekkung, canghnii hoiah misa angthawk koehhaih palungthin tawn kaminawk to vangpui thung ah oh o pongah, vangpui to amro o sak, tiah nam panawk toksak pakuemhaih cabu thungah pakrong nahaeloe, to cabu thungah na hnu tih, tiah a naa o.
that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting sedition from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.
16 Hae vangpui hae sah o let moe, sipaenawk doeh pathoep o let nahaeloe, vapui yaeh ah taham tidoeh na tawn mak ai boeh, tiah ca pat pae o.
We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will have no dominion west of the Euphrates.
17 To naah siangpahrang mah hae tiah ca palaem pae; Misatuh angraeng Rehum, ca tarikkung Shimshai, Samaria vangpui hoi vapui yaeh ah kaom kaminawk boih khaeah, hae na niah ca ka tarik, monghaih om nasoe.
Then the king sent this reply: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of your associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates: Greetings.
18 Nang pat o ih ca loe ka hmaa ah kroek boeh.
The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.
19 Ka paek ih lok baktih toengah pakrong naah, hae vangpui loe canghnii hoiah siangpahrangnawk hanah misa angthawk thuih, misa angthawk koeh vangpui hoi kasae poekhaih tawn vangpui ni, tiah ka panoek.
I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has revolted against kings from ancient times, engaging in rebellion and sedition.
20 Thacak siangpahrang mah Jerusalem hoiah vapui yaeh to uk moe, anih mah toksakhaih atho, tamut hoi hmuenmae nuiah kok ih phoisa doeh a paeksak vai boeh.
And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.
21 To pongah kai khae hoi lokpaek lethaih om ai karoek to, nihcae mah vangpui sak o han ai ah, vaihiah thui pae oh.
Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.
22 Siangpahrang ukhaih prae thazok han ai ah, hae hmuen hae acoehaih hoiah sah oh, tiah a naa.
See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?
23 Siangpahrang Artaxerxes ih capat to Rehum, ca tarikkung Shimshai hoi to ah kaom kaminawk khaeah kroek o pacoengah, Jerusalem ah kaom Judahnawk khaeah karangah caeh o moe, tha patohhaih hoiah toksak anghak o sak.
When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
24 To pacoengah Jerusalem vangpui thung ih Sithaw im sakhaih loe Persia siangpahrang Darius, siangpahrang ah ohhaih saning hnetto haih karoek to sah ai ah anghak o.
Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
