Ezra 4
1 Now some enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people who had been exiled were now building a temple for Yahweh, the 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 So they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of their ancestors' clans. They said to them, “Let us build with you, for, like you, we seek your God and have sacrificed to him since the days when Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, brought us to this place.”
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, Jeshua, and the heads of their ancestors' clans said, “It is not you, but we who must build the house of our God, for it is we who will build for Yahweh, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded.”
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 So the people of the land made the Judeans' hands weak; they made the Judeans afraid to build.
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 They also bribed counselors to frustrate their plans. They did this during all of Cyrus' days and into 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 Then at the beginning of Ahasuerus' reign they wrote 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 It was during the days of Artaxerxes that Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their companions wrote to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.
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 the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote this way to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem.
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, Shimshai, and their companions, who were judges and other officers in the government, the Persians, men from Erech and Babylon, and the men from Susa (that is, the Elamites)—they wrote a letter—
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 they were joined by the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal forced to settle in Samaria, along with the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River.
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 that they sent to Artaxerxes: “Your servants, men of the Province Beyond the River, write this:
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 Let the king know that the Jews who went from you have come against us in Jerusalem to build a rebellious city. They have completed the walls and repaired the foundations.
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 let the king know that if this city is built and the wall is completed, they will not give any tribute and taxes, but they will harm the kings.
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 Surely because we have eaten the palace salt, it is not fitting for us to see any dishonor happen to the king. It is because of this that we are informing 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 to search your father's record and to verify that this is a rebellious city that will harm kings and provinces. It has caused many problems to the kings and provinces. It has been a center for rebellion from long ago. It was for this reason that the city was destroyed.
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 are informing the king that if this city and wall are built, then there will be nothing remaining for you in the Province Beyond the River.”
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 So the king sent out a reply to Rehum and Shimshai and their companions in Samaria and the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River: “May peace be yours.
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 that you sent me has been translated and read to me.
你們呈來的奏疏，已在我們清楚誦讀了。
19 So I ordered an investigation and discovered that in previous days they had rebelled and revolted against kings.
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 Mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and had power over everything in the Province Beyond the River. Tribute and taxes were paid 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, make a decree for these men to stop and not build this city until I make a decree.
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 Be careful not to neglect this. Why allow this threat to grow and cause more loss for the royal interests?
你們應注意，對此不可疏忽，免得捐害加重，禍及君王」。
23 When King Artaxerxes' decree was read before Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, they went out quickly to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop building.
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 So the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped 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。
