Ezra 4
1 And adversaries of Judah and Benjamin hear that the sons of the captivity are building a temple to YHWH, God of Israel,
Forsothe the enemyes of Juda and of Beniamyn herden, that the sones of caitifte bildiden a temple to the Lord God of Israel;
2 and they draw near to Zerubbabel, and to heads of the fathers, and say to them, “Let us build with you; for, like you, we seek to your God, and we are not sacrificing since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Asshur, who brought us up here.”
and thei neiyeden to Zorobabel, and to the princes of fadris, and seiden to hem, Bilde we with you, for so as ye, we seken youre God; lo! we han offrid sacrificis fro the daies of Assoraddon, kyng of Assur, that brouyte vs hidur.
3 And Zerubbabel says to them, also Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel, “Not for you, and for us, to build a house to our God; but we ourselves together build to YHWH God of Israel, as King Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us.”
And Zorobabel, and Josue, and the othere princes of the fadris of Israel, seiden to hem, It is not to vs and to you, that we bilde an hows to oure God; but we vs silf aloone schulen bilde to `oure Lord God, as Cirus, the kyng of Persis, comaundide to vs.
4 And it comes to pass, the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble, and troubling them in building,
Forsothe it was doon, that the puple of the lond lettide the hondis of the puple of Juda, and trobliden hem in bildyng.
5 and are hiring against them counselors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
And thei hiriden counselouris ayens the Jewis, that thei schulden destrie the counseil of the Jewis, in alle the daies of Cirus, king of Persis, and `til to the rewme of Darius, king of Persis.
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the commencement of his reign, they have written an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem;
Forsothe in the rewme of Assueris, he is Artaxersis, in the bigynnyng of his rewme, thei writiden accusing ayens the dwellers of Juda and of Jerusalem;
7 and in the days of Artaxerxes have Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions written to Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter is written in Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic.
and in the daies of Artaxarses, Besellam wroot, Mytridates, and Thabel, and othere, that weren in the counsel of hem, to Artaxarses, kyng of Persis. For the pistle of accusyng was writun in langage of Sirie, and was red in word of Sirie.
8 Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus:
Reum, Beel, Theem, and Samsai, the scryuen, writen sich oon epistle fro Jerusalem to the kyng Artaxerses; Reum,
9 Then Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions, Dinaites, and Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites (who are Elamites),
Beel, Theem, and Samsai, the writere, and othere counselouris of hem, Dyney, Pharsathei, and Therphalei, Arphasei, Harthuei, men of Babiloyne, Susanne, Thanei, Dacei, men of Helam,
10 and the rest of the nations that the great and honorable Asnapper removed and set in the city of Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, and at such a time:
and othere of hethene men, whiche the grete and gloriouse Asennaphar translatide, and made hem to dwelle in the citees of Samarie, and in othere cuntrees biyonde the flood, `in pees.
11 This [is] a copy of a letter that they have sent to him, to Artaxerxes the king: “Your servants, men beyond the river, and at such a time;
This is the saumplere of the pistle, which thei senten to the kyng. `To Artaxerses, king, thi seruauntis, men `that ben biyende the flood, seyn helthe.
12 be it known to the king, that the Jews who have come up from you to us, have come to Jerusalem, the rebellious and base city they are building, and the walls they have finished, and the foundations they join.
Be it knowun to the kyng, that the Jewis, that stieden fro thee, ben comun to vs `in to Jerusalem, the rebel and worste citee, which thei bilden, and thei maken the ground wallis therof, and arayen the wallis aboue.
13 Now let it be known to the king, that if this city is built and the walls finished, that they do not give toll, tribute, and custom; and at length it causes loss [to] the kings.
Nou therfor be it knowun to the kyng, that if thilke citee be bildid, and the wallis therof be restorid, thei schulen not yyue tribut, and tol, and annuel rentis, and this trespas schal come `til to the kyng.
14 Now because that the salt of the palace [is] our salt, and we have no patience to see the nakedness of the king, therefore we have sent and made known to the king;
Therfor we ben myndeful of the salt, which we eeten in the paleis, and for we holden it vnleueful to se the harmes of the kyng, therfor we han sent and teld to the kyng;
15 so that he seeks in the scroll of the records of your fathers, and you find in the scroll of the records, and know, that this city [is] a rebellious city, and causing loss [to] kings and provinces, and makers of sedition [are] in its midst from the days of old, therefore this city has been ruined.
that thou acounte in the bokis of stories of thi fadris, and thou schalt fynde writun in cronyclis, and thou schalt wite, that thilke citee is a rebel citee, and that it anoieth kyngis and prouynces, and batels ben reisid therynne of elde daies; wherfor also thilke citee was distried.
16 We are making known to the king that, if this city be built and the walls finished, by this means you have no portion beyond the river.”
We tellen to the kyng, that if thilke citee be bildid, and the wallis therof be restorid, thou schalt not haue possessioun biyende the flood.
17 The king has sent an answer to Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions who are dwelling in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, “Peace, and at such a time:
The kyng sente word to Reum, Beel, Theem, and to Samsai, the scryuen, and to othere that weren in the counsel of hem, to the dwelleris of Samarie, and to othere biyendis the flood, and seide, Helthe and pees.
18 The letter that you sent to us, explained, has been read before me,
The accusyng, which ye senten to vs, was red opynli bifor me;
19 and by me a decree has been made, and they sought, and have found that this city is lifting up itself against kings from the days of old, and rebellion and sedition is made in it,
and it was comaundid of me, and thei rekenyden, and thei foundun, that thilke citee rebellith of elde daies ayens kyngis, and dissenciouns and batels ben reisid therynne;
20 and mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, even rulers over all beyond the river, and toll, tribute, and custom is given to them.
for whi `and ful stronge kyngis weren in Jerusalem, which also weren lordis of al the cuntrei which is biyende the flood; also thei token tribut, and tol, and rentis.
21 Now make a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city is not built, until a decree is made by me.
Now therfor here ye the sentence, that ye forbede tho men, and that thilke citee be not bildid, til if perauenture it be comaundid of me.
22 And beware of negligence in doing this; why does the hurt become great to the loss of the kings?”
Se ye, that this be not fillid necgligentli, and yuel encreesse litil `and litil ayens kyngis.
23 Then from the time that a copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes is read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they have gone in haste to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and strength;
Therfor the saumple of the comaundement of kyng Artaxarses was red bifor Reum, Beel, Theem, and Samsai, the scryueyn, and her counseleris; and thei yeden hastili in to Jerusalem to the Jewis, and forbediden hem with arm and myyt.
24 then ceased the service of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Thanne the werk of Goddis hows in Jerusalem was left, and it was not maad til to the secounde yeer of Darius, king of Persis.
