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.
Audierunt autem hostes Iuda, et Beniamin, quia filii captivitatis aedificarent templum Domino Deo Israel:
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.”
et accedentes ad Zorobabel, et ad principes patrum dixerunt eis: Aedificemus vobiscum, quia ita ut vos, quaerimus Deum vestrum: ecce nos immolavimus victimas a diebus Asor Haddan regis Assur, qui adduxit nos huc.
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.”
Et dixit eis Zorobabel, et Iosue, et reliqui principes patrum Israel: Non est vobis et nobis ut aedificemus domum Deo nostro, sed nosipsi soli aedificabimus Domino Deo nostro, sicut praecepit nobis Cyrus rex Persarum.
4 So the people of the land made the Judeans' hands weak; they made the Judeans afraid to build.
Factum est igitur ut populus terrae impediret manus populi Iudae, et turbaret eos in aedificando.
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.
Conduxerunt autem adversus eos consiliatores, ut destruerent consilium eorum omnibus diebus Cyri regis Persarum, et usque ad regnum Darii regis Persarum.
6 Then at the beginning of Ahasuerus' reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
In regno autem Assueri, in principio regni eius, scripserunt accusationem adversus habitatores Iudae et Ierusalem.
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.
Et in diebus Artaxerxis scripsit Beselam Mithridates, et Thabeel, et reliqui, qui erant in consilio eorum, ad Artaxerxem regem Persarum: epistola autem accusationis scripta erat Syriace, et legebatur sermone Syro.
8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote this way to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem.
Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba scripserunt epistolam unam de Ierusalem Artaxerxi regi, huiuscemodi:
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—
Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, et reliqui consiliatores eorum, Dinaei, et Apharsathachaei, Terphalaei, Apharsaei, Erchuae, Babylonii, Susanechaei, Dievi, et Aelamitae,
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.
et ceteri de Gentibus, quas transtulit Asenaphar magnus et gloriosus: et habitare eas fecit in civitatibus Samariae, et in reliquis regionibus trans Flumen in pace:
11 This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes: “Your servants, men of the Province Beyond the River, write this:
(Hoc est exemplar epistolae, quam miserunt ad eum) Artaxerxi regi, servi tui, viri qui sunt trans Fluvium, salutem dicunt.
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.
Notum sit regi, quia Iudaei, qui ascenderunt a te ad nos, venerunt in Ierusalem civitatem rebellem et pessimam, quam aedificant extruentes muros eius, et parietes componentes.
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.
Nunc igitur notum sit regi, quia si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, et muri eius instaurati, tributum, et vectigal, et annuos reditus non dabunt, et usque ad reges haec noxa perveniet.
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
Nos autem memores salis, quod in palatio comedimus, et quia laesiones regis videre nefas ducimus, idcirco misimus et nunciavimus regi,
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.
ut recenseas in libris historiarum patrum tuorum, et invenies scriptum in commentariis: et scies quoniam urbs illa, urbs rebellis est, et nocens regibus et provinciis, et bella concitantur in ea ex diebus antiquis: quam ob rem et civitas ipsa destructa est.
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.”
Nunciamus nos regi, quoniam si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, et muri ipsius instaurati, possessionem trans Fluvium non habebis.
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.
Verbum misit rex ad Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scribam, et ad reliquos, qui erant in consilio eorum habitatores Samariae, et ceteris trans Fluvium, salutem dicens et pacem.
18 The letter that you sent me has been translated and read to me.
Accusatio, quam misistis ad nos, manifeste lecta est coram me.
19 So I ordered an investigation and discovered that in previous days they had rebelled and revolted against kings.
et a me praeceptum est: et recensuerunt, inveneruntque quoniam civitas illa a diebus antiquis adversum reges rebellat, et seditiones, et praelia concitantur in ea:
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.
nam et reges fortissimi fuerunt in Ierusalem, qui et dominati sunt omni regioni. quae trans Fluvium est: tributum quoque et vectigal, et reditus accipiebant.
21 Now, make a decree for these men to stop and not build this city until I make a decree.
Nunc ergo audite sententiam: Prohibeatis viros illos ut urbs illa non aedificetur, donec si forte a me iussum fuerit.
22 Be careful not to neglect this. Why allow this threat to grow and cause more loss for the royal interests?
Videte ne negligenter hoc impleatis, et paulatim crescat malum contra reges.
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.
Itaque exemplum edicti Artaxerxis regis lectum est coram Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, et consiliariis eorum: et abierunt festini in Ierusalem ad Iudaeos, et prohibuerunt eos in brachio et robore.
24 So the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Tunc intermissum est opus domus Domini in Ierusalem, et non fiebat usque ad annum secundum regni Darii regis Persarum.
