Ezra 4
1 Now, when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard—that, the Sons of the Exile, were building the temple, unto Yahweh, God of Israel,
猶大和本雅明的敵人，一聽說充軍回來的子民，為上主以色列的天主修建聖宇，
2 then drew they near unto Zerubbabel, and unto the ancestral chiefs, and said unto them, Let us build with you, for, like you, we seek your God, and, unto him, have, we, been sacrificing since the days of Esar-haddon, king of Assyria, who brought us up hither.
便來見則魯巴貝耳、耶叔亞和族長，向他們說：「讓我們同你們一同建築吧! 因為我們同你們一樣，求問你們的天主；從亞述王厄撒哈冬，將我們帶到這裏之日起，我們即向衪獻祭」。
3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the ancestral chiefs of Israel, said unto them, It pertaineth not to you and to us [in common], to build a house unto our God, —but, we ourselves together, will build unto Yahweh, God of Israel, even as King Cyrus, king of Persia, hath commanded us.
但是，則魯巴貝耳、耶叔亞和以色列的族長，回答他們說：「你們不能同我們一起，給我們的天主修建殿宇，因為按波斯王居魯士我們的命令，我們應單獨給上主以色列的天主修建殿宇」。
4 Then came it to pass, that, the people of the land, were weakening the hands of the people of Judah, —and troubling them in building;
時便有當地人來挫折猶大人民的勇氣，擾亂他們的建築的工作；
5 and hiring against them counselors, to overturn their purpose, —all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius, king of Persia.
還買通了一些議，員來反對反對他們，破壞他們的計劃；整個波斯王居魯士朝代，自始至終，直到波斯王達理阿朝代，常是如此。
6 And, in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation, against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
在薛西斯朝代，在他登極之初，他們還了訴狀，控告猶大和耶路撒冷的居民。
7 And, in the days of Artaxerxes, wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates, unto Artaxerxes, king of Persia, —and, the writing of the letter, was written in Aramean, and was to be interpreted as Aramean.
阿塔薛西斯年間，彼舍藍、米特達特、塔貝耳和其餘的同僚，也曾上書於波斯王阿塔薛西斯；奏文是用阿刺美文字，也是用阿刺語言的。
8 Rehum holder of judicial authority, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote a certain letter against Jerusalem, —to Artaxerxes the king, thus:
以後，勒洪總督和史默秘書，為耶路撒冷事，也曾上書於阿塔薛西斯王，其文如下：──
9 Then Rehum holder of judicial authority, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, —the Dinaites and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites;
上書的是勒洪總督、史默瑟秘書和其餘的同僚：即判官和欽差、人物書記、厄勒客人。巴比倫人、叔商人即厄藍人，
10 and the rest of the peoples, whom the great and noble Osnappar hath exiled, and set in the city of Samaria, —and the rest Beyond the River, and so forth:
以及偉大和顯貴的阿斯納帕所遺來，安置在撒馬黎雅城和河西其餘地區的各民族。──
11 This, is a copy of the letter which they sent unto him—unto Artaxerxes the king, —Thy servants, the men Beyond the River and so forth:
以下是送於王的奏文本：「你的臣僕，河西的人民上奏阿塔薛西斯王：
12 Be it known unto the king, —that, the Jews who came up from thee unto us, are come to Jerusalem, —the rebellious and wicked city, are they building, and, the walls, have they finished, and, the foundations, will they repair.
今上奏大王，前由大王那裏上到我們這裏來的猶太人，一到了那座作亂邪惡的耶路撒冷城，便大興土木，修建城牆，已打好基礎。
13 Now be it known to the king, that, if this city, be built, and, the walls thereof, be finished, neither, tribute, excise, nor toll, will they render, and so, the revenue of the kings, shalt thou damage.
今上奏大王，那城若的建成，城垣若是修完，他們便不再納糧、出捐和完稅了，如此於大王的國庫必定有害。
14 Now, because the salt of the palace we have eaten, the impoverishment of the king, it is not meet for us to see, —therefore have we sent, and certified the king;
現今我們既食王家的鹽，自不應坐視大王受害，為此我們上奏，稟告大王：
15 so that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers, so shalt thou find out in the book of records—and shalt ascertain, that, this city, is a rebellious city, and one that causeth damage unto kings and provinces, and that, rebellion, have they been wont to cause in the midst thereof since the days of age-past time, —for this cause, was this city laid waste.
請大王查閱先王記錄，在記錄上必會查出，從而知道這座城是座好亂的城，曾加害先王和各省；自古以來，其中常發生叛亂，故此才被毀滅。
16 We do certify the king that, if, this city, be built, and, the walls thereof, finished, for that very reason, portion Beyond the River, shalt thou have none.
為此我們奏明大王：如果那城建成，牆垣築完，從此大王便沒有河西的版圖」。
17 The king sent, a message, unto Rehum holder of judicial authority, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, who were dwelling in Samaria, and the rest Beyond the River, Peace and so forth.
君王覆文如下：「願勒洪總督、史默秘書、以及其餘住在撒馬黎雅的官，和河西其餘的人民平安：
18 The letter which ye sent unto us, was distinctly read before me;
你們呈來的奏疏，已在我們清楚誦讀了。
19 And, from me, went forth an edict, and they have made search and found, that, this city, since the days of age-past time, against kings, hath lifted herself up, —and, sedition and rebellion, have been made therein;
我下命檢查，的確發現那座城，自古以來即違抗君王，其中常發生叛亂造反之事。
20 and, mighty kings, have there been over Jerusalem, and bearing rule everywhere Beyond the River, —and, tribute, excise, and toll, have been given to them.
先前曾有英武的君王，治理過耶路撒冷，統轄過整個河西之地，人都給他們納糧、出捐和完稅。
21 Now, issue ye an edict, to forbid these men, —that, this city, be not built, until, from me, the edict be issued.
所以現在，你們應發一道命令，叫這些人停工，不准修城，我們另發指令。
22 Beware, then, of failure to do thus, —wherefore should the damage increase, to inflict loss on the kings?
你們應注意，對此不可疏忽，免得捐害加重，禍及君王」。
23 Then, when, the copy of the letter of Artaxerxes the king, had been read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they journeyed in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and forbade them, with arm and force.
當阿塔薛西斯王的覆文副本，在勒洪、史默秘書和他們同僚前，誦讀之後，這些人就急速前往耶路撒冷，來到猶太人那裏，用威脅和武力迫使他們停工。
24 Then ceased the work of the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, —yea it did cease, until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
耶路撒冷天主殿宇的工程，便停頓了，一直停到波斯王達理阿, 在位第二年。
