以斯拉记 4
1 犹大和便雅悯的敌人听说被掳归回的人为耶和华—以色列的 神建造殿宇，
And they that afflicted Juda and Benjamin heard, that the children of the captivity were building a house to the Lord God of Israel.
2 就去见所罗巴伯和以色列的族长，对他们说：“请容我们与你们一同建造；因为我们寻求你们的 神，与你们一样。自从亚述王以撒哈顿带我们上这地以来，我们常祭祀 神。”
And they drew near to Zorobabel, and to the heads of families, and said to them, We will build with you; for as you [do], we seek [to serve] our God, and we do sacrifice to him from the days of Asaradan king of Assur, who brought us hither.
3 但所罗巴伯、耶书亚，和其余以色列的族长对他们说：“我们建造 神的殿与你们无干，我们自己为耶和华—以色列的 神协力建造，是照波斯王塞鲁士所吩咐的。”
then Zorobabel, and Jesus and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel said to them, [It is] not for us and you to build a house to our God, for we ourselves will build together to the Lord our God, as Cyrus the king of the Persians commanded us.
4 那地的民，就在犹大人建造的时候，使他们的手发软，扰乱他们；
And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Juda, and hindered them in building,
5 从波斯王塞鲁士年间，直到波斯王大流士登基的时候，贿买谋士，要败坏他们的谋算。
and [continued] hiring [persons] against them, plotting to frustrate their counsel, all the days of Cyrus king of the Persians, and until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.
6 在亚哈随鲁才登基的时候，上本控告犹大和耶路撒冷的居民。
And in the reign of Assuerus, even in the beginning of his reign, they wrote a letter against the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem.
7 亚达薛西年间，比施兰、米特利达、他别，和他们的同党上本奏告波斯王亚达薛西。本章是用亚兰文字，亚兰方言。
And in the days of Arthasastha, Tabeel wrote peaceably to Mithradates and to the rest of his fellow-servants: the tribute-gatherer wrote to Arthasastha king of the Persians a writing in the Syrian tongue, and [the same] interpreted.
8 省长利宏、书记伸帅要控告耶路撒冷人，也上本奏告亚达薛西王。
Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe wrote an epistle against Jerusalem to King Arthasastha, [saying, ]
9 省长利宏、书记伸帅，和同党的底拿人、亚法萨提迦人、他毗拉人、亚法撒人、亚基卫人、巴比伦人、书珊迦人、底亥人、以拦人，
Thus has judged Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and the rest of our fellow-servants, the Dinaeans, the Apharsathachaeans, the Tarphalaeans, the Apharsaeans, the Archyaeans, the Babylonians, the Susanachaeans, Davaeans,
10 和尊大的亚斯那巴所迁移、安置在撒马利亚城，并大河西一带地方的人等，
and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Assenaphar removed, and settled them in the cities of Somoron, and the rest [of them] beyond the river.
11 上奏亚达薛西王说：“河西的臣民云云：
This [is] the purport of the letter, which they sent to him: Your servants the men beyond the river to king Arthasastha.
12 王该知道，从王那里上到我们这里的犹大人，已经到耶路撒冷重建这反叛恶劣的城，筑立根基，建造城墙。
Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem the rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, and its walls are set in order, and they have established the foundations of it.
13 如今王该知道，他们若建造这城，城墙完毕就不再与王进贡，交课，纳税，终久王必受亏损。
Now then be it known to the king, that if that city be built up, and its walls completed, you shall have no tribute, neither will they pay [anything], and this injures kings.
14 我们既食御盐，不忍见王吃亏，因此奏告于王。
And it is not lawful for us to see the dishonour of the king: therefore have we sent and made known [the matter] to the king;
15 请王考察先王的实录，必在其上查知这城是反叛的城，与列王和各省有害；自古以来，其中常有悖逆的事，因此这城曾被拆毁。
That examination may be made in your fathers' book of record; and you shall find, and you shall know that city [is] rebellious, and does harm to kings and countries, and there are in the midst of it from very old time refuges for [runaway] slaves: therefore this city has been made desolate.
16 我们谨奏王知，这城若再建造，城墙完毕，河西之地王就无分了。”
We therefore declare to the king, that, if that city be built, and its walls be set up, you shall not have peace.
17 那时王谕复省长利宏、书记伸帅，和他们的同党，就是住撒马利亚并河西一带地方的人，说：“愿你们平安云云。
Then the king sent to Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and the rest of their fellow-servants who lived in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, [saying, ]Peace; and he says,
18 你们所上的本，已经明读在我面前。
The tribute-gatherer whom you sent to us, has been called before me.
19 我已命人考查，得知此城古来果然背叛列王，其中常有反叛悖逆的事。
And a decree has been made by me, and we have examined, and found that city of old time exalts itself against kings, and that rebellions and desertions take place within it.
20 从前耶路撒冷也有大君王统管河西全地，人就给他们进贡，交课，纳税。
And there were powerful kings in Jerusalem, and they ruled over all the [country] beyond the river, and abundant revenues and tribute were given to them.
21 现在你们要出告示命这些人停工，使这城不得建造，等我降旨。
Now therefore make a decree to stop the work of those men, and that city shall no more be built.
22 你们当谨慎，不可迟延，为何容害加重，使王受亏损呢？”
[See] that you be careful of the decree, [not] to be remiss concerning this matter, lest at any time destruction should abound to the harm of kings.
23 亚达薛西王的上谕读在利宏和书记伸帅，并他们的同党面前，他们就急忙往耶路撒冷去见犹大人，用势力强迫他们停工。
Then the tribute-gatherer of king Arthasastha read [the letter] before Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and his fellow-servants: and they went in haste to Jerusalem and through Juda, and caused them to cease with horses and an [armed] force.
24 于是，在耶路撒冷 神殿的工程就停止了，直停到波斯王大流士第二年。
Then ceased the work of the house of God in Jerusalem, and it was at a stand until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.
