Ezra 4
1 Now news came to the haters of Judah and Benjamin that the people who had come back were building a Temple to the Lord, the God of Israel;
猶大和便雅憫的敵人聽說被擄歸回的人為耶和華－以色列的上帝建造殿宇，
2 Then they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of families, and said to them, Let us take part in the building with you; for we are servants of your God, even as you are; and we have been making offerings to him from the days of Esar-haddon, king of Assyria, who put us here.
就去見所羅巴伯和以色列的族長，對他們說：「請容我們與你們一同建造；因為我們尋求你們的上帝，與你們一樣。自從亞述王以撒哈頓帶我們上這地以來，我們常祭祀上帝。」
3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of families in Israel said to them, You have no part with us in the building of a house for our God; we ourselves will do the work together for the Lord, the God of Israel, as Cyrus, king of Persia, has given us orders.
但所羅巴伯、耶書亞，和其餘以色列的族長對他們說：「我們建造上帝的殿與你們無干，我們自己為耶和華－以色列的上帝協力建造，是照波斯王塞魯士所吩咐的。」
4 Then the people of the land made the hands of the people of Judah feeble, troubling them with fear in their building;
那地的民，就在猶大人建造的時候，使他們的手發軟，擾亂他們；
5 And they gave payment to men who made designs against them and kept them from effecting their purpose, all through the time of Cyrus, king of Persia, till Darius became king.
從波斯王塞魯士年間，直到波斯王大流士登基的時候，賄買謀士，要敗壞他們的謀算。
6 And in the time of Ahasuerus, when he first became king, they put on record a statement against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
在亞哈隨魯才登基的時候，上本控告猶大和耶路撒冷的居民。
7 And in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his friends, sent a letter to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, writing it in the Aramaean writing and language.
亞達薛西年間，比施蘭、米特利達、他別，和他們的同黨上本奏告波斯王亞達薛西。本章是用亞蘭文字，亞蘭方言。
8 Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe, sent a letter against Jerusalem, to Artaxerxes the king;
省長利宏、書記伸帥要控告耶路撒冷人，也上本奏告亞達薛西王。
9 The letter was sent by Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe and their friends; the Dinaites and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
省長利宏、書記伸帥，和同黨的底拿人、亞法薩提迦人、他毗拉人、亞法撒人、亞基衛人、巴比倫人、書珊迦人、底亥人、以攔人，
10 And the rest of the nations which the great and noble Osnappar took over and put in Samaria and the rest of the country over the river:
和尊大的亞斯那巴所遷移、安置在撒馬利亞城，並大河西一帶地方的人等，
11 This is a copy of the letter which they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants living across the river send these words:
上奏亞達薛西王說：「河西的臣民云云：
12 We give news to the king that the Jews who came from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are building up again that uncontrolled and evil town; the walls are complete and they are joining up the bases.
王該知道，從王那裏上到我們這裏的猶大人，已經到耶路撒冷重建這反叛惡劣的城，築立根基，建造城牆。
13 The king may be certain that when the building of this town and its walls is complete, they will give no tax or payment in goods or forced payments, and in the end it will be a cause of loss to the kings.
如今王該知道，他們若建造這城，城牆完畢就不再與王進貢，交課，納稅，終久王必受虧損。
14 Now because we are responsible to the king, and it is not right for us to see the king's honour damaged, we have sent to give the king word of these things,
我們既食御鹽，不忍見王吃虧，因此奏告於王。
15 So that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: and you will see in the book of the records that this town has been uncontrolled, and a cause of trouble to kings and countries, and that there were outbursts against authority there in the past: for which reason the town was made waste.
請王考察先王的實錄，必在其上查知這城是反叛的城，與列王和各省有害；自古以來，其中常有悖逆的事，因此這城曾被拆毀。
16 We give you word, that if the building of this town and its walls is made complete, there will be an end of your power in the country across the river.
我們謹奏王知，這城若再建造，城牆完畢，河西之地王就無分了。」
17 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe, and their friends living in Samaria, and to the rest of those across the river, saying, Peace to you:
那時王諭覆省長利宏、書記伸帥，和他們的同黨，就是住撒馬利亞並河西一帶地方的人，說：「願你們平安云云。
18 And now the sense of the letter which you sent to us has been made clear to me,
你們所上的本，已經明讀在我面前。
19 And I gave orders for a search to be made, and it is certain that in the past this town has made trouble for kings, and that outbursts against authority have taken place there.
我已命人考查，得知此城古來果然背叛列王，其中常有反叛悖逆的事。
20 Further, there have been great kings in Jerusalem, ruling over all the country across the river, to whom they gave taxes and payments in goods and forced payments.
從前耶路撒冷也有大君王統管河西全地，人就給他們進貢，交課，納稅。
21 Give an order now, that these men are to do nothing more, and that the building of the town is to be stopped, till I give an order.
現在你們要出告示命這些人停工，使這城不得建造，等我降旨。
22 Be certain to do this with all care: do not let trouble be increased to the king's damage.
你們當謹慎，不可遲延，為何容害加重，使王受虧損呢？」
23 Then, after reading the king's letter, Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their friends went quickly to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and had them stopped by force.
亞達薛西王的上諭讀在利宏和書記伸帥，並他們的同黨面前，他們就急忙往耶路撒冷去見猶大人，用勢力強迫他們停工。
24 So the work of the house of God at Jerusalem came to an end; so it was stopped, till the second year of the rule of Darius, king of Persia.
於是，在耶路撒冷上帝殿的工程就停止了，直停到波斯王大流士第二年。
