Ezra 4

1 Vangsawn ca rhoek loh Israel Pathen BOEIPA ham bawkim a sak te Judah neh Benjamin kah rhal rhoek loh a yaak uh.

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded a temple unto the LORD, the God of Israel;

2 Te phoeiah Zerubbabel taeng neh a napa boeilu rhoek taengla mop uh tih a taengah, “Nangmih neh ka sa uh mai eh. Nangmih bangla nangmih kah Pathen te ka toem uh. Te pawt akhaw kaimih loh anih taengah te hela kaimih aka khuen Assyria manghai Esarhaddon tue lamlong ni ka nawn uh coeng.

then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ [houses], and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, which brought us up hither.

3 Tedae amih te Zerubbabel neh Jeshua long khaw, Israel kah a napa boeilu a coih rhoek long khaw, “Kaimih kah Pathen im sak ham he nangmih hut moenih kaimih hut ni. Tedae Persia manghai, manghai Cyrus loh kaimih n'uen bangla Israel Pathen BOEIPA ham te kamamih bueng loh ka sa uh eh,” a ti nah.

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

4 Te vaengah khohmuen pilnam aka om loh Judah pilnam kut te a kha sak tih a sak ham vaengah amih te a hih khaw a hih uh.

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

5 Persia manghai Cyrus tue khui neh Persia manghai Darius kah ram duela Judah kah cilsuep te phae pah ham amih te olrhoep a paang thiluh.

and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 Ahasuerus ram ah khaw a ram a moecuek vaengah Judah neh Jerusalem khosa taengah toenah ca a daek uh.

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 Artaxerxes tue vaengah khaw Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel neh a pueipo a coih loh a daek bal. Anih kah a pueipo loh Persia manghai Artaxerxes taengla capat te Aramaih ca la a daek dongah Aramaih te koep a kong pah.

And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian [character], and set forth in the Syrian [tongue].

8 Hlangcal boei Rehum neh cadaek Shimshai loh Jerusalem kawng te manghai Artaxerxes taengah ca a daek pah bal.

Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

9 Hlangcal boei Rehum, cadaek Shimshai neh Dinay hui a ngen rhoek, Tarplay boei rhoek, Persia rhoek, Babylon Erek, amih Almiy Susa,

then [wrote] Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,

10 a tloe namtu te khaw boeilen tongmang Osnapper loh a khuen coeng. Amih te Samaria khopuei neh sok paem ah a khueh coeng.

and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest [of the country] beyond the river, and so forth.

11 Manghai Artaxerxes amah taengla a pat ca kah a toeng he na tueihyoeih sok paem kah hlang taengla ha pawk coeng.

This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men beyond the river, and so forth.

12 Nang taeng lamloh kaimih taengla aka luei Yahudi rhoek te manghai taengah khaw mingpha la om saeh. Jerusalem khopuei la boekoek neh halang ni a khuen uh. Vongtung aka thung long khaw vongtung te a coeng, a coeng uh vaengah khoengim te a tlaeng uh.

Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee are come to us unto Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.

13 Khopuei he a thung tih vongtung a coeng atah mangmu khaw, hlang mangmu khaw, cawn khaw thoo uh mahpawh. Manghai kah mangmu khaw a vaitah ni tila manghai taengah mingpha la om pawn saeh.

Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will endamage the kings.

14 Manghai im kah lungkaehtael te ka laeh uh van lamlong tah kaimih kongah manghai kah mingthae a hmuh ham khaw rhoeprhui moenih. Te dongah ni kam pat uh tih manghai taengah kam mingpha sakuh.

Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

15 Na pa rhoek kah cathut cabu nen khaw thoelh saeh lamtah cathut cabu khuiah na hmuh bitni. Khopuei he khaw boekoek khopuei, manghai neh paeng aka vaitah sak, khosuen khohnin lamloh a khui ah caemrhal aka saii, te dongah ni khopuei he a phae tila na mingpha bitni.

that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city laid waste.

16 Khopuei he tung tih vongtung he coeng koinih sok paem kah khoyo hmatoeng he nang hamla om pawh tila kaimih loh manghai taengah kam ming sak.

We certify the king that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, by this means thou shalt have no portion beyond the river.

17 Manghai loh hlangcal boei Rehum, cadaek Shimshai neh Samaria kah aka om a hui a ngen taengah ol a mael tih, “Sok paem boeih te ngaimongnah om pawn saeh.

[Then] sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and in the rest [of the country] beyond the river, Peace, and so forth.

18 Kaimih taengla ca nan pat uh te kai taengah a tae tih a kong.

The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.

19 Kai lamloh hlangcal ka khueh tih a thoelh uh vaengah khopuei he khosuen khohnin lamloh manghai taengah lai a loh uh. A khuiah tloelhnah neh caemrhal a puek te a hmuh uh.

And I decreed, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.

20 Manghai tlungluen rhoek khaw Jerusalem ah om uh tih sok paem boeih te a hung uh. Mangmu, hlang mangmu neh cawn khaw amih taengah ana paek uh coeng.

There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all [the country] beyond the river; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid unto them.

21 Hlang rhoek he paa sak ham hlangcal ka khueh coeng. Kai lamloh hlangcal a om hlan ah khopuei te thung uh boel saeh.

Make ye now a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until a decree shall be made by me.

22 He dongah a saii ham te dalrhanah a om khaw ngaithuen uh. Balae tih manghai vaitah sak ham pocinah a pungtai mai eh.

And take heed that ye be not slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

23 Manghai Artaxerxes kah ca a toeng te Rehum, cadaek Shimshai neh a hui rhoek taengah a tae van neh tokrhat la Jerusalem kah Yahudi taengla cet uh tih amih te thadueng neh kutrham neh a paa sakuh.

Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

24 Jerusalem Pathen im kah imsak te paa tangloeng tih Persia manghai Dairus ram kah kum bae hil paa van.

Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.