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,
| וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ צָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן כִּֽי־בְנֵי הַגּוֹלָה בּוֹנִים הֵיכָל לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ |
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.
| וַיִּגְּשׁוּ אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶל וְאֶל־רָאשֵׁי הֽ͏ָאָבוֹת וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָהֶם נִבְנֶה עִמָּכֶם כִּי כָכֶם נִדְרוֹשׁ לֽ͏ֵאלֹהֵיכֶם ולא וְלוֹ ׀ אֲנַחְנוּ זֹבְחִים מִימֵי אֵסַר חַדֹּן מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר הַמַּעֲלֶה אֹתָנוּ פֹּֽה׃ |
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.
| וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם זְרֻבָּבֶל וְיֵשׁוּעַ וּשְׁאָר רָאשֵׁי הָֽאָבוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹֽא־לָכֶם וָלָנוּ לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת לֵאלֹהֵינוּ כִּי אֲנַחְנוּ יַחַד נִבְנֶה לַֽיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ כּוֹרֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרָֽס׃ |
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;
| וַיְהִי עַם־הָאָרֶץ מְרַפִּים יְדֵי עַם־יְהוּדָה ומבלהים וּֽמְבַהֲלִים אוֹתָם לִבְנֽוֹת׃ |
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.
| וְסֹכְרִים עֲלֵיהֶם יוֹעֲצִים לְהָפֵר עֲצָתָם כָּל־יְמֵי כּוֹרֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס וְעַד־מַלְכוּת דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרָֽס׃ |
6 And, in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation, against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
| וּבְמַלְכוּת אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ בִּתְחִלַּת מַלְכוּתוֹ כָּתְבוּ שִׂטְנָה עַל־יֹשְׁבֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ |
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.
| וּבִימֵי אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתָּא כָּתַב בִּשְׁלָם מִתְרְדָת טָֽבְאֵל וּשְׁאָר כנותו כְּנָוֺתָיו עַל־ארתחששתא אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּ מֶלֶךְ פָּרָס וּכְתָב הַֽנִּשְׁתְּוָן כָּתוּב אֲרָמִית וּמְתֻרְגָּם אֲרָמִֽית׃ |
8 Rehum holder of judicial authority, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote a certain letter against Jerusalem, —to Artaxerxes the king, thus:
| רְחוּם בְּעֵל־טְעֵם וְשִׁמְשַׁי סָֽפְרָא כְּתַבוּ אִגְּרָה חֲדָה עַל־יְרוּשְׁלֶם לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא מַלְכָּא כְּנֵֽמָא׃ |
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;
| אֱדַיִן רְחוּם בְּעֵל־טְעֵם וְשִׁמְשַׁי סָֽפְרָא וּשְׁאָר כְּנָוָתְהוֹן דִּינָיֵא וַאֲפַרְסַתְכָיֵא טַרְפְּלָיֵא אֲפָֽרְסָיֵא ארכוי אַרְכְּוָיֵא בָבְלָיֵא שֽׁוּשַׁנְכָיֵא דהוא דֶּהָיֵא עֵלְמָיֵֽא׃ |
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:
| וּשְׁאָר אֻמַּיָּא דִּי הַגְלִי אָסְנַפַּר רַבָּא וְיַקִּירָא וְהוֹתֵב הִמּוֹ בְּקִרְיָה דִּי שָׁמְרָיִן וּשְׁאָר עֲבַֽר־נַהֲרָה וּכְעֶֽנֶת׃ |
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:
| דְּנָה פַּרְשֶׁגֶן אִגַּרְתָּא דִּי שְׁלַחוּ עֲלוֹהִי עַל־אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא מַלְכָּא עַבְדָיךְ אֱנָשׁ עֲבַֽר־נַהֲרָה וּכְעֶֽנֶת׃ |
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.
| יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵא לְמַלְכָּא דִּי יְהוּדָיֵא דִּי סְלִקוּ מִן־לְוָתָךְ עֲלֶינָא אֲתוֹ לִירוּשְׁלֶם קִרְיְתָא מָֽרָדְתָּא ובאישתא וּבִֽישְׁתָּא בָּנַיִן ושורי וְשׁוּרַיָּא אשכללו שַׁכְלִילוּ וְאֻשַּׁיָּא יַחִֽיטוּ׃ |
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.
| כְּעַן יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵא לְמַלְכָּא דִּי הֵן קִרְיְתָא דָךְ תִּתְבְּנֵא וְשׁוּרַיָּה יִֽשְׁתַּכְלְלוּן מִנְדָּֽה־בְלוֹ וַהֲלָךְ לָא יִנְתְּנוּן וְאַפְּתֹם מַלְכִים תְּהַנְזִֽק׃ |
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;
| כְּעַן כָּל־קֳבֵל דִּֽי־מְלַח הֵֽיכְלָא מְלַחְנָא וְעַרְוַת מַלְכָּא לָא אֲֽרִֽיךְ לַנָא לְמֶֽחֱזֵא עַל־דְּנָה שְׁלַחְנָא וְהוֹדַעְנָא לְמַלְכָּֽא׃ |
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.
| דִּי יְבַקַּר בִּֽסְפַר־דָּכְרָנַיָּא דִּי אֲבָהָתָךְ וּתְהַשְׁכַּח בִּסְפַר דָּכְרָנַיָּא וְתִנְדַּע דִּי קִרְיְתָא דָךְ קִרְיָא מָֽרָדָא וּֽמְהַנְזְקַת מַלְכִין וּמְדִנָן וְאֶשְׁתַּדּוּר עָבְדִין בְּגַוַּהּ מִן־יוֹמָת עָלְמָא עַל־דְּנָה קִרְיְתָא דָךְ הָֽחָרְבַֽת׃ |
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.
| מְהוֹדְעִין אֲנַחְנָה לְמַלְכָּא דִּי הֵן קִרְיְתָא דָךְ תִּתְבְּנֵא וְשׁוּרַיָּה יִֽשְׁתַּכְלְלוּן לָקֳבֵל דְּנָה חֲלָק בַּעֲבַר נַהֲרָא לָא אִיתַי לָֽךְ׃ |
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.
| פִּתְגָמָא שְׁלַח מַלְכָּא עַל־רְחוּם בְּעֵל־טְעֵם וְשִׁמְשַׁי סָֽפְרָא וּשְׁאָר כְּנָוָתְהוֹן דִּי יָתְבִין בְּשָֽׁמְרָיִן וּשְׁאָר עֲבַֽר־נַהֲרָה שְׁלָם וּכְעֶֽת׃ |
18 The letter which ye sent unto us, was distinctly read before me;
| נִשְׁתְּוָנָא דִּי שְׁלַחְתּוּן עֲלֶינָא מְפָרַשׁ קֱרִי קָדָמָֽי׃ |
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;
| וּמִנִּי שִׂים טְעֵם וּבַקַּרוּ וְהַשְׁכַּחוּ דִּי קִרְיְתָא דָךְ מִן־יוֹמָת עֽ͏ָלְמָא עַל־מַלְכִין מִֽתְנַשְּׂאָה וּמְרַד וְאֶשְׁתַּדּוּר מִתְעֲבֶד־בַּֽהּ׃ |
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.
| וּמַלְכִין תַּקִּיפִין הֲווֹ עַל־יְרוּשְׁלֶם וְשַׁלִּיטִין בְּכֹל עֲבַר נַהֲרָה וּמִדָּה בְלוֹ וַהֲלָךְ מִתְיְהֵב לְהֽוֹן׃ |
21 Now, issue ye an edict, to forbid these men, —that, this city, be not built, until, from me, the edict be issued.
| כְּעַן שִׂימוּ טְּעֵם לְבַטָּלָא גֻּבְרַיָּא אִלֵּךְ וְקִרְיְתָא דָךְ לָא תִתְבְּנֵא עַד־מִנִּי טַעְמָא יִתְּשָֽׂם׃ |
22 Beware, then, of failure to do thus, —wherefore should the damage increase, to inflict loss on the kings?
| וּזְהִירִין הֱווֹ שָׁלוּ לְמֶעְבַּד עַל־דְּנָה לְמָה יִשְׂגֵּא חֲבָלָא לְהַנְזָקַת מַלְכִֽין׃ |
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.
| אֱדַיִן מִן־דִּי פַּרְשֶׁגֶן נִשְׁתְּוָנָא דִּי ארתחששתא אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּ מַלְכָּא קֱרִי קֳדָם־רְחוּם וְשִׁמְשַׁי סָפְרָא וּכְנָוָתְהוֹן אֲזַלוּ בִבְהִילוּ לִירֽוּשְׁלֶם עַל־יְהוּדָיֵא וּבַטִּלוּ הִמּוֹ בְּאֶדְרָע וְחָֽיִל׃ |
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.
| בֵּאדַיִן בְּטֵלַת עֲבִידַת בֵּית־אֱלָהָא דִּי בִּירוּשְׁלֶם וַהֲוָת בָּֽטְלָא עַד שְׁנַת תַּרְתֵּין לְמַלְכוּת דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרָֽס׃ |
