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.
Na rĩrĩ, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa thũ cia Juda na Benjamini ciaiguire atĩ andũ arĩa maatahĩtwo nĩmaakagĩra Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, hekarũ-rĩ,
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.”
magĩthiĩ kũrĩ Zerubabeli o na kũrĩ atongoria a nyũmba cia andũ, makĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Rekei twake tũrĩ hamwe tondũ o na ithuĩ tũrongoragia Ngai wanyu, na nĩtũkoretwo tũkĩmũrutĩra magongona kuuma hĩndĩ ya Esari-Hadoni mũthamaki wa Ashuri, ũrĩa watũrehire gũkũ.”
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.”
No rĩrĩ, Zerubabeli, na Jeshua, na atongoria arĩa angĩ a nyũmba cia Isiraeli makĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Mũtirĩ na handũ thĩinĩ witũ ũhoro-inĩ wa gwakĩra Ngai witũ hekarũ. Nĩ ithuĩ ene tũgwakĩra Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, o ta ũrĩa Kurusu mũthamaki wa Perisia aatwathire.”
4 So the people of the land made the Judeans' hands weak; they made the Judeans afraid to build.
Hĩndĩ ĩyo andũ arĩa maamathiũrũrũkĩirie makĩhaarĩria kũũraga andũ a Juda ngoro nĩguo metigĩre gũthiĩ na mbere na gwaka.
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.
Nao makĩandĩka ataarani a kũhĩngĩca wĩra wao, na gũthũkia mĩbango yao yothe matukũ mothe ma wathani wa Kurusu mũthamaki wa Perisia, nginya hĩndĩ ya wathani wa Dario mũthamaki wa Perisia.
6 Then at the beginning of Ahasuerus' reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Kĩambĩrĩria kĩa wathani wa Ahasuerusu, ataarani acio magĩthitanga andũ a Juda na Jerusalemu.
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.
Na matukũ ma Mũthamaki Aritashashita wa Perisia, na Bishilamu, na Mithiredathu, na Tabeeli na andũ arĩa angĩ a thiritũ yake makĩandĩkĩra Aritashashita marũa. Marũa macio maandĩkirwo na mwandĩkĩre na rũthiomi rwa andũ a Suriata.
8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote this way to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem.
Rehumu mũnene wa mbũtũ na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, nĩmandĩkire marũa ma gũthitanga andũ a Jerusalemu kũrĩ Mũthamaki Aritashashita ta ũũ:
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—
Marũa maya moimĩte kũrĩ niĩ Rehumu mũnene wa mbũtũ, na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, hamwe na arĩa angĩ a thiritũ yao, na aciirithania, na anene a andũ a Ataripeli, na a Perisia, na a Ereku, na Babuloni, na Aelami a Shushani,
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.
na andũ arĩa angĩ maacooketio nĩ mũgaathe ũrĩa mũnene Osinapari nĩgeetha matũũre itũũra inene rĩa Samaria, na kũrĩa kũngĩ guothe Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati.
11 This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes: “Your servants, men of the Province Beyond the River, write this:
(Ĩno nĩyo kobi ya marũa marĩa aandĩkĩirwo.) Kũrĩ Mũthamaki Aritashashita, Kuuma kũrĩ ndungata ciaku, andũ a bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati:
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.
Nĩ kwagĩrĩire mũthamaki amenye atĩ, Ayahudi arĩa mookire kũrĩ ithuĩ moimĩte kũrĩ we nĩmathiĩte Jerusalemu, na nĩmaraaka rĩngĩ itũũra rĩu inene, o rĩu iremi na rĩaganu. Nĩmaracookereria rũthingo na magacookereria mĩthingi.
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.
Ningĩ nĩ kwagĩrĩire mũthamaki amenye atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene rĩngĩakwo na thingo ciarĩo icookererio, gũtirĩ igooti, kana maruta ma mũthamaki, o na kana igooti rĩa mĩrigo ĩgĩtoonya bũrũri-inĩ rĩrĩrutagwo. Nakĩo kĩgĩĩna kĩa ũthamaki nĩgĩkũnyiiha.
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
Na rĩu tondũ ithuĩ tũrĩ andũ matĩĩte ũthamaki, na ti wega kuona mũthamaki akĩimwo gĩtĩĩo, tũratũma ndũmĩrĩri ĩno tũmenyithie mũthamaki,
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.
nĩgeetha ũhoro ũcio ũtuĩrio kuuma maandĩko-inĩ ma tene ma arĩa maarĩ mbere yaku. Maandĩko-inĩ macio nĩũrĩona atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene nĩ iremi, na rĩa gũthĩĩnia athamaki na mabũrũri, na nĩ kũndũ kwa ũremi kuuma mahinda ma tene. Kĩu nĩkĩo gĩatũmire itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene rĩanangwo.
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.”
Tũkũmenyithia mũthamaki atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene rĩngĩakwo na thingo ciarĩo icookererio, wee ũgũtigwo ũtarĩ kĩndũ Mũrĩmo ũyũ wa Rũũĩ rwa Farati.
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.
Mũthamaki nake agĩcookia macookio atĩrĩ: Kũrĩ Rehumu mũnene wa mbũtũ, na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, na andũ arĩa angĩ a thiritũ yao arĩa matũũraga Samaria na kũrĩa kũngĩ guothe Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati: Nĩndamũgeithia.
18 The letter that you sent me has been translated and read to me.
Marũa marĩa mwatũtũmĩire nĩmathomeirwo hau mbere yakwa na ngĩtaũrĩrwo ũhoro wamo.
19 So I ordered an investigation and discovered that in previous days they had rebelled and revolted against kings.
Nĩndarutire watho na ũhoro ũcio ũgĩtuĩrio, na gũkĩoneka atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene nĩrĩũĩkaine kuuma tene atĩ nĩ rĩa kũregana na watho wa athamaki, na rĩtũũraga rĩrĩ iremi, na nĩ rĩa kũringĩrĩria andũ mookĩrĩre thirikari.
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.
Jerusalemu nĩrĩkoretwo na athamaki a hinya magĩathana Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati wothe, na nĩmarĩhagwo igooti na maruta ma mũthamaki, o na igooti rĩa mĩrigo ĩgĩtoonya bũrũri-inĩ.
21 Now, make a decree for these men to stop and not build this city until I make a decree.
Na rĩrĩ, ruta watho kũrĩ andũ acio matige wĩra, nĩguo itũũra rĩu inene rĩtigaakwo rĩngĩ, nginya rĩrĩa ngoiga.
22 Be careful not to neglect this. Why allow this threat to grow and cause more loss for the royal interests?
Menyerera ũndũ ũyũ ndũkaage kũhingio. Mũngĩrekereria ũndũ ũngĩrehe ũgwati na ũthũkie ũthamaki nĩkĩ?
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.
Na rĩrĩ, kobi ya marũa ma Mũthamaki Aritashashita maarĩkia gũthomerwo Rehumu na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, na andũ a thiritũ yao, no gũthiĩ mathiire Jerusalemu kũrĩ Ayahudi, na makĩmatigithia wĩra ũcio na hinya.
24 So the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, wĩra wa gwaka nyũmba ya Ngai kũu Jerusalemu ũkĩrũgama nginya mwaka wa keerĩ wa wathani wa Dario mũthamaki wa Perisia.
