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,
The enemies of the people of [the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin heard that the [Israeli] people who had returned from Babylonia were rebuilding a temple for Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people [worshiped].
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.
So they went to Zerubbabel [the governor] and the other leaders, and said [deceptively], “We want to help [you build the temple], because we worship that same God whom you worship, and we have been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon, the King of Assyria, 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 [Israeli] leaders replied, “We will not allow you to help us build a temple for our(exc) God. We will build it (ourselves/without your help) for Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship, like Cyrus, the King of Persia, told us to do.”
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 who had been living in that land [before the Israelis returned] tried to cause the Jews to become discouraged and become afraid, and to cause them to stop building the temple.
5 Judah kaminawk palungboengsak hanah, Persia siangpahrang Sairas hoi Persia siangpahrang Darius dung khoek to, poekhaih paek kaminawk to tlai o.
They bribed government officials to oppose what the Israelis were doing [and prevent them from continuing to work on the temple]. They did that all during the time that Cyrus was King of Persia. They continued to do it when Darius became the King of Persia.
6 Nihcae loe Ahasurus siangpahrang toksak amtong tangsuek naah, Judah hoi Jerusalem ah kaom kaminawk kasae nethaih ca to tarik o.
During the first year that [Darius’ son] Xerxes was king, the [enemies of the Jews] wrote a note [to the king] saying that the Jews [were planning to rebel against the government].
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.
Later, when [Xerxes’ son] Artaxerxes [became the King of Persia], Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and their colleagues/companions wrote a letter to him. They wrote the letter in the Aramaic language, and it was translated [into another language that the king knew].
8 Misatuh angraeng Rehum hoi ca tarikkung Shimshai mah, Jerusalem sethaih kawng to Artaxerxes siangpahrang khaeah hae tiah ca tarik;
Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
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,
They stated that the letter was from Rehum the high commissioner/governor and Shimshai the provincial secretary and from their associates, the judges, and other government officials, who were from Erech [city], Babylon [city], and Susa [city] in Elam [district].
10 Asnapper mah misong ah naeh ih kami, Samaria vangpui hoi vapui yaeh ah kaom, kalensawk kami hoi khingya koi kaom kaminawk mah,
[They also wrote that they represented] the other people-groups whom [the army of] the great and glorious/famous [King] Ashurbanipal had (deported/forced to move from their homes) and taken to live in Samaria and in other cities in the province west of the Euphrates [River].
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 what they wrote in the letter: “To King Artaxerxes, From the officials who serve you who live in the province west of the Euphrates [River.]
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.
“Your majesty, we want you to know that the Jews who came here from your territories are rebuilding this city, [Jerusalem]. These people are wicked and want to rebel against you. Now they are repairing the foundations [of the walls/buildings] and building the walls [of the city].
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.
“It is important for you to know that if they rebuild the city and finish building the walls, they will stop paying any kind of taxes. As a result, there will be less money in your treasury.
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 loyal to [IDM] you, and because we do not want you to be humiliated [IDM], we are sending this information to you.
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.
And, we suggest that you order/tell [your officials] to search the records that your ancestors made/wrote. [If you do that], you will find out that the people in this city have always rebelled [against the government]. You will also find out that from long ago these people have caused trouble for kings and for rulers of provinces. They have always revolted [against those who ruled them]. That is the reason that this city was destroyed [by the Babylonian army].
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 want you to know that if they rebuild this city and finish building its walls, you will no longer be able to control/rule [the people in] this province west of the Euphrates [River].”
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.
[After] the king [read this letter, he] sent this reply to them: “To Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their colleagues in Samaria and in other parts of the province that is west of the [Euphrates] River: I (send you my greetings/wish that things will go well for you).
18 Nang pat o ih ca loe ka hmaa ah kroek boeh.
The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
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.
So then I ordered [my officials] to search the records. I have found out that [it is true that] the people of that city have always revolted against their rulers, and that the city is full of people who have rebelled and caused trouble.
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.
Powerful kings have ruled in Jerusalem, and they have also ruled over the whole province west of the [Euphrates] River. [The people in that province were] paying all kinds of taxes to those kings.
21 To pongah kai khae hoi lokpaek lethaih om ai karoek to, nihcae mah vangpui sak o han ai ah, vaihiah thui pae oh.
So you must command that the people must stop rebuilding the city. Only if I tell them [that they may rebuild it] will they be allowed to continue.
22 Siangpahrang ukhaih prae thazok han ai ah, hae hmuen hae acoehaih hoiah sah oh, tiah a naa.
Do this immediately [LIT], because I do not want those people to do anything to harm the things/area about which I am concerned.”
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.
[Messengers took] that letter to Rehum and Shimshai and their colleagues and read it to them. Then Rehum and the others went quickly to Jerusalem, and they forced the Jews to stop [rebuilding the city wall].
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.
The result was that the Jews stopped rebuilding the temple. They did not do any more work to rebuild the temple until Darius became the King of Persia.
