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].
Cuando los enemigos de Judá y Benjamín supieron que los hijos de la cautividad edificaban un Templo para Yahvé, el Dios de Israel,
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.”
vinieron a Zorobabel y a los jefes de las casas paternas, y les dijeron: “Permitid que os ayudemos; pues nosotros buscamos a vuestro Dios lo mismo que vosotros, y a Él le ofrecemos sacrificios desde los días de Asarhaddón, rey de Asiria, que nos ha trasladado a este lugar.”
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.”
Zorobabel, Jesúa y los demás jefes de las casas paternas de Israel les respondieron: “Nada nos sea común con vosotros en la edificación de una Casa para nuestro Dios; antes bien nosotros solos la edificaremos para Yahvé, el Dios de Israel; como nos lo ha mandado el rey Ciro, soberano de Persia.”
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.
Así la gente del país debilitaba las manos del pueblo de Judá y estorbaba la construcción.
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.
Sobornaron también contra ellos a algunos magistrados para frustrarles su propósito durante toda la vida de Ciro, rey de Persia, hasta el reinado de Darío, rey de 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].
En el reinado de Asuero, al principio de su reinado, escribieron una carta de acusación contra los habitantes de Judá y Jerusalén;
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].
y en los días de Artajerjes, Bislam, Mitridates, Tabeel y el resto de sus compañeros escribieron a Artajerjes, rey de Persia, una carta escrita en letra aramea y traducida a la lengua aramea.
8 Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
Rehum, gobernador, y Simsai, secretario, escribieron en lo tocante a Jerusalén la siguiente carta al rey Artajerjes:
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].
“En aquel tiempo Rehum, gobernador; Simsai secretario, y el resto de sus compañeros, los dineos, los afarsateos, los tarpelitas, los afarseos, los arquavitas, los babilonios, los susanitas, los dehaítas, los elamitas,
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].
y los demás pueblos que el grande e ilustre Asnapar transportó y estableció en las ciudades de Samaria y en los otros lugares de la otra parte del Río, etc.”
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.]
He aquí la copia de la carta que le enviaron: “Al rey Artajerjes, tus siervos, las gentes de la otra parte del Río, etc.
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].
Sepa el rey que los judíos que vinieron de ti hacia nosotros, han venido a Jerusalén, y están edificando la ciudad rebelde y mala, reconstruyendo las murallas y restaurando los cimientos.
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.
Sepa el rey, que si esta ciudad se reedifica y se reparan sus murallas, no pagarán ni impuesto, ni tributo, ni derechos de tránsito y al fin perjudicará esto a los reyes.
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.
Por eso nosotros, en atención a que comemos la sal del palacio, y que no conviene que presenciemos la deshonra del rey, enviamos al rey esta información:
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].
Que se averigüe en el libro de los anales de tus padres; y en el libro de los anales de tus padres hallarás y conocerás que esta ciudad es una ciudad rebelde, que causa daño a los reyes y a las provincias; y que ya desde antiguo se han fraguado rebeliones en medio de ella. Por eso fue destruida esta ciudad.
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].”
Hacemos saber al rey que si esta ciudad se reedifica y se reparan sus murallas, no te quedará más posesión alguna en la otra parte del río.”
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).
El rey envió respuesta a Rehum, gobernador; a Simsai, secretario, y a los demás de sus compañeros que habitaban en Samaria, y en los otros lugares de la otra parte del río (diciendo): “Paz, etc.
18 The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
La carta que nos enviasteis se ha leído delante de mí, palabra por palabra.
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.
He dado orden de que se hicieran investigaciones, y se ha hallado que esa ciudad desde antiguo se ha rebelado contra los reyes, y que en ella se han tramado sediciones y revueltas.
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.
Hubo en Jerusalén reyes poderosos, señores de todos los países de la otra parte del río, que recibían impuesto, tributo y derechos de tránsito.
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.
Por lo tanto dad orden a esos hombres, que desistan y que esta ciudad no sea reconstruida hasta que yo dé la orden correspondiente.
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.”
Y mirad que no seáis negligentes en esto, no sea que crezca el daño en perjuicio de los reyes.”
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].
Entonces, después de la lectura de la copia de la carta del rey Artajerjes delante de Rehum y Simsai, secretario, y sus compañeros, fueron estos a toda prisa a Jerusalén, a los judíos, y los obligaron a suspender los trabajos por la violencia y la fuerza.
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.
Con esto cesó la obra de la Casa de Dios, que está en Jerusalén; y quedó interrumpida hasta el año segundo del reinado de Darío, rey de Persia.
