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 Iudae et Beniamin quia filii captivitatis aedificarent templum Domino Deo Israhel
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 immolamus victimas ex diebus Asoraddan 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 Israhel non est vobis et nobis ut aedificemus domum Deo nostro sed nos ipsi soli aedificabimus Domino Deo nostro sicut praecepit nobis rex 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 inpediret 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 quoque adversum 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 Asueri principio regni eius scripserunt accusationem adversum habitatores Iudae et Hierusalem
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 Artarxersis scripsit Beselam Mitridatis et Tabel et reliqui qui erant in consilio eorum ad Artarxersen regem Persarum epistula 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 epistulam unam de Hierusalem Artarxersi 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 Dinei et Apharsathei Terphalei Apharsei Erchuei Babylonii Susannechei Deaei 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 Asennaphar 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 epistulae quam miserunt ad eum Artarxersi 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 Hierusalem civitatem rebellem et pessimam quam aedificant extruentes muros eius et parietes conponentes
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 ergo memores salis quod in palatio comedimus et quia laesiones regis videre nefas ducimus idcirco misimus et nuntiavimus 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 concitant 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.”
nuntiamus 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.
accusationem 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 proelia 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 Hierusalem 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 ut prohibeatis viros illos et 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 neglegenter 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 Artarxersis regis lectum est coram Reum et Samsai scriba et consiliariis eorum et abierunt festini in Hierusalem 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 Dei in Hierusalem et non fiebat usque ad annum secundum regni Darii regis Persarum
