< Ezra 4 >

1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,
Na, i te rongonga o nga hoariri o Hura raua ko Pineamine e hanga ana e te hunga i whakaraua nei te temepara o Ihowa, o te Atua, o Iharaira;
2 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.”
Katahi ka haere ki a Herupapera, ki nga upoko o nga whare o nga matua, ka mea ki a ratou, Kia hanga tahi tatou; e rapu ana hoki matou i to koutou Atua, e pena ana me koutou; he patu whakahere tonu hoki ta matou ki a ia, no nga ra o Etara Harono k ingi o Ahiria, i kawea mai ai matou ki konei.
3 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.”
Otiia ko Herupapera ratou ko Hehua, ko era atu o nga upoko o nga whare o nga matua o Iharaira ka mea ki a ratou, Kahore he ahatanga a koutou ki a matou e hanga ai e koutou te whare mo to matou Atua; engari ma matou tonu e hanga, hei mea ki a Ihow a, ki te Atua o Iharaira; ko ta Kingi hairuha, kingi o Pahia tena i whakahau ai ki a matou.
4 Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.
Na ka whakawarea nga ringa o te iwi o Hura e te iwi o te whenua, whakararurarua ana ratou kei hanga;
5 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.
A i utua e ratou etahi kaiwhakapuaki korero hei whakakahore mo to ratou whakaaro i nga ra katoa o Hairuha kingi o Pahia, a tae noa ki te kingitanga o Tariuha kingi o Pahia.
6 At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
Na, i te kingitanga o Ahahueruha, i te timatanga o tona kingitanga, ka tuhituhia e ratou he kupu whakahe mo nga tangata o Hura, o Hiruharama.
7 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.
Na, i nga ra o Arataherehe ka tuhituhi a Pihirama, a Mitirerata, a Tapeere me era atu o o ratou hoa ki a Arataherehe kingi o Pahia. Na, ko te tuhituhinga o te pukapuka, no Hiria nga reta; no Hiria ano te reo.
8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:
Na Rehumu kaitiaki ture raua ko Himihai kaituhituhi i tuhituhi te pukapuka whakahe mo Hiruharama ki a Arataherehe, ki te kingi, koia tenei:
9 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,
Na kei te tuhituhi a Rehumu kaitiaki ture, a Himihai kaituhituhi, ratou ko era atu o o raua hoa, ko nga Rinai, ko nga Aparahataki, ko nga Taraperi, ko nga Aparahi, ko nga Arakewi, ko nga tangata o Papurona, ko nga Huhanaki, ko nga Rehawi, ko nga Erami,
10 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.
Me era atu ano o nga iwi i whakahekea mai e Ahanapere, e taua tangata nui, ingoa nui, a whakanohoia ana e ia ki nga pa o Hamaria, me era atu wahi i tera taha o te awa, a tera atu nga kupu.
11 (This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
Ko nga kupu tenei o te pukapuka i tukua e ratou ki a Kingi Arataherehe, Na au pononga, na nga tangata i tera taha o te awa, a tera atu nga kupu.
12 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.
Kia mohiotia tenei e te kingi, ko nga Hurai i haere mai i tou taha, kua tae mai ki a matou ki Hiruharama; kei te hanga ratou i taua pa tutu, kino; kua whakaturia e ratou nga taiepa, kua oti ano nga turanga te honohono.
13 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.
Na kia mohiotia tenei e te kingi, ki te hanga tenei pa, ki te whakaturia te taiepa, e kore e homai e ratou nga takoha taonga, nga takoha tangata, nga takoha huarahi: penei ka pa he raru ki nga kingi.
14 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
Na, i te mea e kai ana matou i te tote o te whare o te kingi, a e kore e tika kia titiro matou ki te kingi e whakaititia ana, koia i unga ai e matou he tangata kia mohio ai te kingi;
15 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.
Kia rapua ai i roto i te pukapuka whakamahara a ou matua: a ka kitea e koe i roto i te pukapuka whakamahara, a ka mohio koe he pa tutu tenei pa, he kino ki nga kingi me nga whenua, a he whakaoho whakakeke ta ratou i reira i mua: ko te mea hoki t era i whakangaromia ai tenei pa.
16 We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will have no dominion west of the Euphrates.
E whakaatu ana tenei matou ki te kingi, ki te hanga tenei pa, a ka oti ona taiepa te whakatu, ma reira ka kore he wahi mou i tera taha o te awa.
17 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.
Katahi ka tukua he kupu e te kingi ki a Rehumu kaitiaki ture, ki a Himihai kaituhituhi, ki era atu hoki o o raua hoa e noho ana i Hamaria, i era atu wahi ano o te whenua i tera taha o te awa, Kia ora, a tera atu nga kupu.
18 The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.
Ko te pukapuka i tukua mai nei e koutou ki a matou kua ata korerotia ki toku aroaro.
19 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.
Na kua whakahau nei ahau, a kua rapua, kua kitea he pa whakakeke tena i mua ki nga kingi; he mahi tutu, he mahi whakakeke ta reira.
20 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.
He kingi nunui ano hoki o Hiruharama i kingi ki nga whenua katoa i tena taha o te awa; i hoatu ano he takoha taonga, he takoha tangata, he takoha huarahi ki a ratou.
21 Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.
Na, kiia e koutou kia whakamutua te mahi a ena tangata, kia kaua hoki tena pa e hanga, kia hoatu ra ano e ahau tetahi atu ture.
22 See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?
Na kia tupato kei mangere ki tenei mea: me tuku koia te he kia tupu hei he mo nga kingi?
23 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.
Heoi, i te korerotanga o nga kupu o te pukapuka a Kingi Arataherehe ki te aroaro o Rehumu, o Himihai kaituhituhi ratou ko o raua hoa, hohoro tonu ratou ki Hiruharama ki nga Hurai, na, uaua tonu te ringa i whakamutua ai ta ratou.
24 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.
Katahi ka mutu te mahi o te whare o te Atua i Hiruharama. Mutu ake a taea noatia te rua o nga tau o te kingitanga o Tariuha kingi o Pahia.

< Ezra 4 >