< 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].
Ary nony ren’ ny fahavalon’ ny Joda sy ny Benjamina fa ireo efa nody avy tamin’ ny fahababoana dia efa manao tempoly ho an’ i Jehovah, Andriamanitry ny Isiraely,
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.”
dia nanatona an’ i Zerobabela sy ny lohan’ ny fianakaviana izy ka nanao taminy hoe: Aoka mba hiara-manao aminareo izahay, fa mitady an’ Andriamanitrareo tahaka anareo ihany koa izahay, ary ho Azy no namonoanay zavatra hatao fanatitra hatramin’ ny andron’ i Esara-hadona, mpanjakan’ i Asyria, izay efa nampakatra anay ho atỳ.
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.”
Fa Zerobabela sy Jesoa mbamin’ ny namany lohan’ ny fianakaviana tamin’ ny Isiraely namaly azy hoe: Tsy misy raharaha hikambananareo aminay amin’ ny hanaovana trano ho an’ Andriamanitray; fa izahay ihany no hanao trano ho an’ i Jehovah, Andriamanitry ny Isiraely, araka izay efa nandidian’ itompokolahy Kyrosy, mpanjakan’ i Persia, anay.
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.
Ary ny tompon-tany nanao izay hampiraviravy tanana ny Jiosy sy nandevilevy azy mba tsy hanao ny trano
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.
sady nanamby olona hanome hevitra hanohitra azy hahafoana ny heviny hatramin’ ny andro nanjakan’ i Kyrosy tany Persia ka hatramin’ ny nanjakan’ i Dariosy, mpanjakan’ i Persia.
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].
Ary raha vao nanjaka Ahasoerosy, dia nanoratra ho any aminy ireo hanendrikendrika ny mponina tany Joda sy Jerosalema.
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].
Ary tamin’ ny andron’ i Artaksersesy no nanoratan’ i Bislama sy Mitredata sy Tabela mbamin’ ny namany sisa ho any amin’ i Artaksersesy, mpanjakan’ i Persia; ary ny soratra tamin’ ny taratasy dia nataony tarehin-tsoratra Syriana sady nataony teny Syriana koa.
8 Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
Rehoma mpanolo-tsaina sy Simsay mpanoratra dia nanoratra taratasy ho any amin’ i Artaksersesy mpanjaka hanendrikendrika an’ i Jerosalema toy izao:
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].
Rehoma mpanolo-tsaina sy Simsay mpanoratra ary ny namany sisa, dia ny Dinaïta, ny Afarsatkita, ny Tarpelita, ny Afarsaïta, ny Arkevita, ny Babyloniana, ny Sosanita, ny Dehavita sy ny Elamita,
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].
mbamin’ ny firenena sisa izay nentin’ i Asnapara lehibe sady malaza ho babo, ka namponeniny tany an-tanàna Samaria sy tany amin’ ny tany sasany etỳ an-dafin’ ny ony etỳ ......
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.]
Izao no teny amin’ ny taratasy nampitondrainy ho any amin’ i Artaksersesy mpanjaka: Ny lehilahy mpanomponao etỳ an-dafin’ ny ony etỳ ......
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].
Aoka ho fantatry ny mpanjaka fa ny Jiosy, izay niakatra avy tany aminao hankatỳ aminay, dia efa tonga any Jerosalema ka manamboatra ilay tanàna fikomiana sady ratsy, dia mahavita ny mandany izy izao ary manamboatra ny fanorenany koa.
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.
Koa aoka ho fantatry ny mpanjaka fa raha hatao io tanàna io, ka hatsangana indray ny mandany, dia tsy hety handoa hetra, na haba, na sara, izy; ka dia hahatonga fatiantoka ho an’ ny fanjakana izany any aoriana.
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.
Koa satria mahazo ny fivelomanay avy amin’ ny lapan’ ny mpanjaka izahay, dia tsy mety raha odianay tsy hita ny fatiantoky ny fanjakana, ka dia efa naniraka hampahafantatra ny mpanjaka izany izahay,
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].
mba hizahana ny boky tantaran’ ny razanao; dia ho hitanao eo amin’ ny boky tantara, ka ho fantatrao fa tanàna fikomiana io tanàna io ka naha-fatiantoka ny mpanjaka sy ny tany maro, sady efa nisy fikomiana niseho tao hatrizay ela izay; koa izany no nandravana io tanàna io.
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].”
Ary mampahafantatra ny mpanjaka izahay fa raha hamboarina io tanàna io, ka vita ny mandany, dia tsy hanana fanjakana amin’ ny etỳ an-dafin’ ny ony etỳ intsony ianao.
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).
Dia nampitondrain’ ny mpanjaka ny valiny ho any amin-dRehoma mpanolo-tsaina sy Simsay mpanoratra mbamin’ ny namany sisa izay nonina tany Samaria sy tany amin’ ny tanàna sasany an-dafin’ ny ony, nanao hoe: Fiadanana ......
18 The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
Ny taratasy izay nampitondrainareo ho atỳ aminay dia efa voavaky tsara teo anatrehako;
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.
ary izaho nandidy, ka nasaiko nizahana, dia hita fa nanandra-tena nikomy tamin’ ny mpanjaka maro hatrizay ela izay tokoa io tanàna io, ka nisy fikomiana sy fihodinana niseho teo.
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.
Ary efa nisy mpanjaka mahery izay nanjaka tany Jerosalema nanapaka ny tany rehetra any an-dafin’ ny ony ka nandoavana hetra sy haba ary sara.
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.
Koa dia manaova didy hampitsahatra ireo olona ireo, mba tsy hamboarina io tanàna io, raha tsy mahazo teny avy atỳ amiko.
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.”
Ary tandremo tsara, fandrao misy tsy vitanareo izany; fa nahoana no havela handroso ny ratsy ka hahatonga fatiantoka ho an’ ny fanjakana?
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].
Ary rehefa voavaky teo anatrehan-dRehoma mpanolo-tsaina sy Simsay mpanoratra mbamin’ ny namany ny taratasin’ i Artaksersesy mpanjaka, dia niakatra faingana ho any Jerosalema ho any amin’ ny Jiosy izy ka nampitsahatra azy an-keriny.
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.
Dia natsahatra tsy natao ny tranon’ Andriamanitra, izay tany Jerosalema; ary mbola nitsahatra ihany izany hatramin’ ny taona faharoa nanjakan’ i Dariosy, mpanjakan’ i Persia.

< Ezra 4 >