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,

Pea ʻi he fanongo ʻe he ngaahi fili ʻo Siuta mo Penisimani ʻoku langa ʻae faletapu kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli ʻe he fānau naʻe fakapōpula:

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.”

Naʻa nau haʻu ai kia Selupepeli, pea ki he kau tuʻukimuʻa ʻi he kau mātuʻa, ʻonau pehē kiate kinautolu, “Tuku ke mau langa mo kimoutolu: he ʻoku mau kumi ki homou ʻOtua, ʻo hangē ko kimoutolu; pea kuo mau feilaulau kiate ia talu ʻae ngaahi ʻaho ʻo Esahatoni ko e tuʻi ʻo ʻAsilia, ʻaia naʻe ʻomi ʻakimautolu ki heni.”

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.”

Ka naʻe lea ʻa Selupepeli, mo Sesua, mo hono toe ʻoe kau mātuʻa tuʻukimuʻa ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻo pehē kiate kinautolu, “ʻOku ʻikai te mou kau siʻi mo kimautolu ʻi he langa ʻae fale ki homau ʻOtua; ka temau fai fakataha ʻekimautolu pe ʻae langa fale kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻo hangē ko e fekau ʻae tuʻi ko Kolesi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia kiate kimautolu.”

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,

Pea naʻe toki fakavaivai ʻe he kakai ʻoe fonua ʻae nima ʻoe kakai ʻo Siuta, ʻo fakamamahi ʻakinautolu ʻi he langa fale,

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.

Pea naʻa nau totongi ki he kau fakakaukau ke taʻofi kiate kinautolu, mo fakataʻeʻaonga ʻenau tuʻutuʻuni, ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo Kolesi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia, ʻo hoko mo e pule ʻa Talaiasi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia.

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;

Pea ʻi he pule ʻa ʻAhasivelo, ʻi hono kamataʻanga ʻo ʻene pule, naʻa nau tohi kiate ia ʻae tohi talakoviʻi ʻae kakai ʻo Siuta mo Selūsalema.

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.

Pea naʻe tohi ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻAtakisekisi ʻe Pisilami, mo Mitilitati mo Tapeli, mo hono toe ʻo ʻenau kaumeʻa, kia ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia; pea naʻe fai ʻae tohi ʻi he lea fakaSilia, pea naʻe fakamatala ia ʻi he lea fakaSilia.

8 Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus:

Naʻe tohi ʻe he ʻeiki fakamaau ko Lihumi mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi ʻae tohi fakakoviʻi ʻo Selūsalema kia ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi ʻo pehē:

9 Then Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions, Dinaites, and Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites (who are Elamites),

“Pea naʻe tohi ai ʻe Lihumi ko e ʻeiki fakamaau mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi, mo hono toe ʻo ʻenau kaumeʻa: ko e kau Tinaie mo e kau ʻAfasatikai, ko e kau Tapilai mo e kau ʻAfalisai, ko e kau ʻAkivi, mo e kau Papilone, mo e kau Susa, mo e kau Tehavi, mo e kau ʻElami,

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:

Mo hono toe ʻoe ngaahi puleʻanga ʻaia naʻe ʻomi ʻe he ʻeiki lahi mo ongolelei ko ʻAsinapa, pea tuku ki he ngaahi kolo ʻo Samēlia, mo hono toe ʻoku ʻi he potu kauvai ni ʻoe vaitafe, pea ʻi he kuonga ko ia.”

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;

Ko hono hiki eni ʻoe tohi ʻaia naʻa nau ʻave kiate ia, “ʻio, kia ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi: “Ko hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki ko e kau tangata ʻi he potu kauvai ni ʻoe vaitafe, pea ʻi he kuonga ko eni.

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.

Ke ʻilo ʻe he tuʻi, koeʻuhi ko e kau Siu naʻe ʻalu hake meiate koe kiate kimautolu kuo nau hoko ki Selūsalema, pea ʻoku nau langa ʻae kolo angakovi moʻo faʻa angatuʻu, pea kuo nau fokotuʻu hake hono ngaahi ʻā maka, pea kuo nau fakahoko hono ngaahi tuʻunga.

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.

Ko eni ke ʻilo ʻe he tuʻi, kapau ʻe langa ʻae kolo ni, pea toe fokotuʻu ʻa hono ngaahi ʻā maka, ʻe ʻikai te nau kei totongi, pea tukuhau, pe totongi fakatau, pea te ke maumau ai ʻae tukuhau ki he ngaahi tuʻi.

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;

Pea ko eni, ko e meʻa ʻi heʻemau maʻu homau tokoni mei he fale ʻoe tuʻi, pea naʻe ʻikai taau mo kimautolu ke mamata ki he fakaongokovi ʻoe tuʻi, ko ia kuo mau fekau ai ʻo fakahā ia ki he tuʻi;

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.

Koeʻuhi ke fai ʻae kumi ʻi he tohi fakamanatu ʻa hoʻo ngaahi tamai: ko ia te ke ʻilo ai ʻi he tohi ʻoe tohi fakamanatu, mo ke ʻilo ko e kolo ni ko e kolo angatuʻu, pea kovi ki he ngaahi tuʻi mo e ngaahi fonua, pea naʻa nau langaʻi ʻae angatuʻu ʻi ai ʻi muʻa: ko e meʻa ko ia naʻe fakaʻauha ai ʻae kolo ni.

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.”

‌ʻOku mau fakapapau ki he tuʻi, kapau ʻe toe langa ʻae kolo ni, pea fokotuʻu hono ʻā maka, ko e meʻa ko ia ʻe ʻikai te ke maʻu ai ha tofiʻa ʻi he potu kauvai ni ʻoe vaitafe.”

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:

Pea naʻe ʻave ʻe he tuʻi ʻa hono tali kia Lihumi ko e ʻeiki fakamaau, mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi, pea ki hono toe ʻo ʻenau kaumeʻa naʻe nofo ʻi Samēlia, pea ko hono toe naʻe nofo ki he kauvai ʻe taha ʻoe vaitafe, [ʻo pehē], “Mou fiemālie pe ʻi he kuonga ni.

18 The letter that you sent to us, explained, has been read before me,

“Ko e tohi naʻa mou fai ʻo ʻomi kiate au naʻe lau totonu ia ʻi hoku ʻao.

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,

Pea ne u fekau, pea naʻe fai ʻae kumi, pea kuo ʻilo ko e kolo ni naʻe fai ʻae angatuʻu ʻi muʻa ki he ngaahi tuʻi, pea naʻe fai ʻi ai ʻae angatuʻu mo e angakovi.

20 and mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, even rulers over all beyond the river, and toll, tribute, and custom is given to them.

Pea naʻe ʻi ai ʻi muʻa ʻae ngaahi tuʻi mālohi lahi foki naʻe pule ʻi Selūsalema, ʻaia naʻe pule ki he ngaahi fonua kotoa pē ʻi he kauvai ʻe taha ʻoe vaitafe; pea naʻe ʻatu kiate kinautolu ʻae totongi, mo e tukuhau, mo e totongi fakatau.

21 Now make a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city is not built, until a decree is made by me.

Pea ko eni mou fekau ki he kau tangata ke tuku, pea ke ʻoua naʻa langa ʻae kolo ni, kaeʻoua ke hoko atu ha fekau ʻe taha meiate au,

22 And beware of negligence in doing this; why does the hurt become great to the loss of the kings?”

Pea ko eni, vakai, ʻoua naʻa mou liʻaki ʻae meʻa ni: ko e hā ka tupu ai ʻae kovi ke kovi ai ʻae ngaahi tuʻi?”

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;

Pea ko eni ʻi he lau hono hiki ʻoe tohi ʻae tuʻi ko ʻAtakisekisi ʻi he ʻao ʻo Lihumi mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi, mo honau kaumeʻa, naʻa nau ʻalu fakatoʻotoʻo hake ki Selūsalema ki he kakai Siu, pea taʻofi fakamālohi pe ʻakinautolu ke tuku.

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.

Pea naʻe toki tuku ai ʻae ngāue ki he fale ʻoe ʻOtua ʻaia ʻoku ʻi Selūsalema. Ko ia naʻe tuku ia ʻo aʻu ki hono ua taʻu ʻoe pule ʻa Talaiasi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia.