Ezra 4
1 The enemies of the people of [the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin heard that the [Israeli] people who had returned from Babylonia were rebuilding a temple for Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people [worshiped].
Hat toteh, Isarel BAWIPA Cathut e bawkim hah san lah kaawmnaw ni a sak awh tie hah Judah hoi Benjamin katarankungnaw ni a thai awh toteh,
2 So they went to Zerubbabel [the governor] and the other leaders, and said [deceptively], “We want to help [you build the temple], because we worship that same God whom you worship, and we have been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon, the King of Assyria, brought us here.”
Zerubbabel hoi imthung kahrawikungnaw koe a tho awh teh, im na sak khai awh van han, Bangkongtetpawiteh, nangmouh ni na tawng awh e Cathut doeh ka tawng van awh. Hi na ka hrawi e Assiria siangpahrang Esarhaddon a bawi tahma vah thuengnae ouk ka sak awh telah ati awh.
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other [Israeli] leaders replied, “We will not allow you to help us build a temple for our(exc) God. We will build it (ourselves/without your help) for Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship, like Cyrus, the King of Persia, told us to do.”
Hatei Zerubbabel, Jeshua hoi Isarel imthung kahrawikungnaw ni ahnimouh koevah, kaimae Cathut im saknae dawk nangmouh na bawk hane lamthung awm hoeh, Persia siangpahrang Sairus hanelah ka sak awh han, telah atipouh awh.
4 Then the people who had been living in that land [before the Israelis returned] tried to cause the Jews to become discouraged and become afraid, and to cause them to stop building the temple.
Hatnavah, khocanaw ni Judahnaw hah a lungkhuek sak awh teh im sak hane dawk runae a poe awh.
5 They bribed government officials to oppose what the Israelis were doing [and prevent them from continuing to work on the temple]. They did that all during the time that Cyrus was King of Persia. They continued to do it when Darius became the King of Persia.
Persia siangpahrang Sairus a bawinae kum hoi Persia siangpahrang Darius a bawi kum toteh sak hanelah, kâcai awh e naw hah a coung thai hoeh nahanelah lawk laicei a ta awh.
6 During the first year that [Darius’ son] Xerxes was king, the [enemies of the Jews] wrote a note [to the king] saying that the Jews [were planning to rebel against the government].
Hat toteh, Ahasuerus ni a uk pasuek nah Judah ram hoi Jerusalem kaawmnaw kâtarannae ca a thut pouh.
7 Later, when [Xerxes’ son] Artaxerxes [became the King of Persia], Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and their colleagues/companions wrote a letter to him. They wrote the letter in the Aramaic language, and it was translated [into another language that the king knew].
Artaxerxes e tueng nahai Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, hoi alouke a huinaw hoi Persia siangpahrang Artaxerxes koe ca a patawn awh, hote ca teh Aramaih lawk, Aramaih ca lahoi a thut awh.
8 Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
Kaukkung Rehum hoi cakathutkung Shimshai ni Jerusalem e taminaw tarannae lah Persia siangpahrang Artaxerxes teh hettelah ca a patawn.
9 They stated that the letter was from Rehum the high commissioner/governor and Shimshai the provincial secretary and from their associates, the judges, and other government officials, who were from Erech [city], Babylon [city], and Susa [city] in Elam [district].
Ca kapatawnkungnaw teh, kaukkung Rehum hoi cakathutkung Shimshai hoi alouke a huinaw Dinai tami, Afasatkhi tami, Tarpelit tami, Persia tami, Erek, Babilon hoi Shushan tami, Dehaites tami hoi Elam tami.
10 [They also wrote that they represented] the other people-groups whom [the army of] the great and glorious/famous [King] Ashurbanipal had (deported/forced to move from their homes) and taken to live in Samaria and in other cities in the province west of the Euphrates [River].
Kaawm rae miphun thung e kacuenaw hoi ka talue e Osnapper ni san lah a hrawi teh Samaria kho dawk kaawmnaw hoi tui namran lah kaawmnaw ni,
11 This is what they wrote in the letter: “To King Artaxerxes, From the officials who serve you who live in the province west of the Euphrates [River.]
Siangpahrang Artaxerxes koe ca a patawn awh e teh, ka bawi poung e Artaxerxes, tui namran lah kaawm e na sannaw ni kut na man awh.
12 “Your majesty, we want you to know that the Jews who came here from your territories are rebuilding this city, [Jerusalem]. These people are wicked and want to rebel against you. Now they are repairing the foundations [of the walls/buildings] and building the walls [of the city].
Nang koehoi ka tho e Judahnaw ni kaimouh koe Jerusalem vah a pha awh teh, ka rawk e hoi tarankathaw e khopui hah bout a pathoup awh teh rapannaw hai a cum awh teh, a dunaw a sak awh lahun tie hah siangpahrang ni panuek na seh.
13 “It is important for you to know that if they rebuild the city and finish building the walls, they will stop paying any kind of taxes. As a result, there will be less money in your treasury.
Hete khopui a pathoup awh teh rapan he a cum awh toteh, tamuknaw hoi hnopai phu naw, laikawk phu naw poe han na ngai awh hoeh vaiteh, a hnukkhu toteh siangpahrang hanelah rawknae koe a pha han tie hah siangpahrang ni panuek naseh.
14 Now, because we are loyal to [IDM] you, and because we do not want you to be humiliated [IDM], we are sending this information to you.
Siangpahrang im e palawi ka palem e lah o awh dawkvah, siangpahrang ni banghai ngai hoeh e kâhmo han ka ngai awh hoeh.
15 And, we suggest that you order/tell [your officials] to search the records that your ancestors made/wrote. [If you do that], you will find out that the people in this city have always rebelled [against the government]. You will also find out that from long ago these people have caused trouble for kings and for rulers of provinces. They have always revolted [against those who ruled them]. That is the reason that this city was destroyed [by the Babylonian army].
Hatdawkvah, mintoenaw ni hno pâkhuengnae noutnae cauk dawk a tawng awh nakunghai, hote cauk dawk a hmu toteh, hete kho heh tarankathaw kho doeh tie hai, siangpahrang ni a uk nahanelah a thakasai e doeh tie hoi, taran poe a thaw awh kecu dawkvah, ka rawk e doeh tie panue thai nahanelah, hete ca na patawn awh teh, siangpahrang na na thaisak awh e doeh.
16 We want you to know that if they rebuild this city and finish building its walls, you will no longer be able to control/rule [the people in] this province west of the Euphrates [River].”
Hete kho pathoup awh teh na cum awh pawiteh, tui namran lah uk thainae kâ na tawn thai mahoeh toe tie siangpahrang nang koe na thaisak awh, telah atipouh awh.
17 [After] the king [read this letter, he] sent this reply to them: “To Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their colleagues in Samaria and in other parts of the province that is west of the [Euphrates] River: I (send you my greetings/wish that things will go well for you).
Hattoteh siangpahrang ni ca let a patawn, kaukkung Rehum, cakathutkung Shimshai hoi alouke a huinaw hoi Samaria ram hoi tui namran lah kaawm e nangmouh koe roumnae awm naseh.
18 The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
Kaimouh ca na patawn e teh ka hmalah kahawicalah a touk awh.
19 So then I ordered [my officials] to search the records. I have found out that [it is true that] the people of that city have always revolted against their rulers, and that the city is full of people who have rebelled and caused trouble.
Hahoi kâ ka poe e patetlah a tawng awh. Hete kho heh yampa vah siangpahrang koe taran a thaw awh teh hatnae tueng dawk taranthawnae hoi runae ouk ao bawi tie hah ka panue.
20 Powerful kings have ruled in Jerusalem, and they have also ruled over the whole province west of the [Euphrates] River. [The people in that province were] paying all kinds of taxes to those kings.
Jerusalem vah, athakaawme siangpahrang, tui namran totouh ka uk thai e siangpahrang hai la ao bawi toe, tamuk hoi hnopai phu hoi laikawk phunaw hai a canei awh.
21 So you must command that the people must stop rebuilding the city. Only if I tell them [that they may rebuild it] will they be allowed to continue.
Ahnimanaw hah kâhat sak awh, kâ ka poe hoe roukrak teh kho hah pathoup awh na hanh naseh.
22 Do this immediately [LIT], because I do not want those people to do anything to harm the things/area about which I am concerned.”
Bangkongmaw siangpahrang hanelah rawknae koe ka phat sak hane hno hah a sak awh han vaw, telah a ti.
23 [Messengers took] that letter to Rehum and Shimshai and their colleagues and read it to them. Then Rehum and the others went quickly to Jerusalem, and they forced the Jews to stop [rebuilding the city wall].
Hattoteh siangpahrang Artaxerxes e ca hah Rehum hoi cakathutkung Shimshai hoi a huinaw ni a touk awh hnukkhu, karang poung lah Jerusalem Judahnaw onae koe a cei awh teh a thawnaw hah thama lahoi a ngang pouh awh.
24 The result was that the Jews stopped rebuilding the temple. They did not do any more work to rebuild the temple until Darius became the King of Persia.
Hat toteh, Jerusalem e BAWIPA im saknae a kâhat awh. Persia siangpahrang Darius a bawinae kum hni totouh sak thai awh hoeh.
