< Ezra 4 >
1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building the temple to the LORD God of Israel;
Men da Judas og Benjamins Fjender hørte, at de, der havde været i Landflygtighed, byggede HERREN, Israels Gud, en Helligdom,
2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said to them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye [do]; and we do sacrifice to him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, who brought us up hither.
henvendte de sig til Zerubbabel, Jesua og Overhovederne for Fædrenehusene og sagde til dem: Lad os være med til at bygge, thi vi søger eders Gud saavel som I, og ham har vi ofret til, siden Assyrerkongen Asarhaddon førte os herhen!
3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said to them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
Men Zerubbabel, Jesua og de andre Overhoveder for Israels Fædrenehuse svarede: »I skal ikke være fælles med os om at bygge vor Gud et Hus, men vi vil være ene om at bygge for HERREN, Israels Gud, saaledes som Kong Kyros, Perserkongen, paalagde os!«
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
Saa bragte Hedningerne i Landet Judas Folks Hænder til at synke og skræmmede dem fra at bygge;
5 And hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
og de købte Folk til med deres Raad at modarbejde dem og bringe deres Planer til at strande; saaledes gik det, saa længe Perserkongen Kyros levede, lige til Perserkongen Darius's Regering.
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote [to him] an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Under Ahasverus's Regering, i hans første Regeringstid, skrev de en Klage over Judas og Jerusalems Indbyggere.
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions to Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter [was] written in the Syrian language, and interpreted in the Syrian language.
I Artaxerxes's Dage affattede Bisjlam, Mitredat, Tabe'el og alle hans andre Embedsbrødre en Skrivelse til Perserkongen Artaxerxes. Skrivelsen var affattet paa Aramaisk og oversat.
8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
Statholderen Rehum og Skriveren Sjimsjaj skrev et Brev mod Jerusalem til Kong Artaxerxes af følgende Indhold.
9 Then [wrote] Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dianites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, [and] the Elamites,
De, der dengang skrev, var Statholderen Rehum og Skriveren Sjimsjaj og alle deres andre Embedsbrødre, Diniterne, Afarsatkiterne, Tarpeliterne, Afaresiterne, Arkiterne, Babylonerne,
10 And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnapper brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest [that are] on this side of the river, and at such a time.
Susaniterne, Dehaviterne, Elamiterne og de andre Folk, som den store og navnkundige Asenappar havde ført bort og ladet bosætte sig i Samarias Byer og andetsteds hinsides Floden, og saa videre.
11 This [is] the copy of the letter that they sent to him, [even] to Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men on this side of the river, and at such a time.
Dette er en Afskrift af Brevet, de sendte ham: »Til Kong Artaxerxes. Dine Trælle, Folkene hinsides Floden, og saa videre:
12 Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came from thee to us are come to Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the noxious city, and have set up its walls, and joined the foundations.
Det være Kongen kundgjort, at Jøderne, som drog op til os fra dig, er kommet til Jerusalem; de er i Færd med at genopbygge denne oprørske og onde By; de genopfører Murene og udbedrer Grunden.
13 Be it known now to the king, that, if this city shall be built, and the walls set up [again], [then] they will not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and [so] thou wilt endamage the revenue of the kings.
Men nu være det Kongen kundgjort, at hvis denne By bygges op og Murene genopføres, saa vil de ikke svare Skat, Afgift eller Skyld, og der bliver Skaar i Kongens Indtægter.
14 Now because we have maintenance from [the king's] palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and certified the king;
Da vi nu spiser Paladsets Salt, og det ikke sømmer sig for os at se paa, at Kongen lider Skade, sender vi herved Bud og lader Kongen det vide,
15 That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so wilt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city [is] a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.
for at der kan blive set efter i dine Fædres Krønikebog; i den vil du finde og se, at denne By er en oprørsk By, der har voldt Konger og Lande Skade, og at der fra gammel Tid har fundet Opstande Sted i den. Det er Grunden til, at denne By blev ødelagt.
16 We certify the king that, if this city shall be built [again], and its walls set up, by this means thou wilt have no portion on this side of the river.
Saa lader vi da Kongen vide, at hvis denne By bygges op og Murerne genopføres, har du ikke mere nogen Besiddelse hinsides Floden!«
17 [Then] the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and [to] Shimshai the scribe, and [to] the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and [to] the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.
Kongen sendte da følgende Svar til Statholderen Rehum, Skriveren Sjimsjaj og alle deres andre Embedsbrødre, som boede i Samaria og de andre Lande hinsides Floden: »Hilsen, og saa videre.
18 The letter which ye sent to us hath been plainly read before me.
Den Skrivelse, I har sendt mig, er forelæst mig grundigt.
19 And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and [that] rebellion and sedition have been made in it.
Og paa mit Bud har man set efter og fundet, at denne By fra gammel Tid har sat sig op mod Konger, og at der har fundet Oprør og Opstande Sted i den;
20 There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all [countries] beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid to them.
over Jerusalem har der hersket mægtige Konger, som udstrakte deres Magt over alt hinsides Floden, og til hvem der svaredes Skat, Afgift og Skyld.
21 Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not built, until [another] commandment shall be given from me.
Giv derfor Ordre til at standse disse Mænd og til, at denne By ikke maa genopbygges, før der kommer Befaling fra mig;
22 Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
og tag eder vel i Vare for at vise Forsømmelighed i denne Sag, at ikke der skal lides store Tab til Skade for Kongerne!«
23 Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter [was] read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
Saa snart Afskriften af denne Skrivelse fra Kong Artaxerxes var blevet læst for Rehum, Skriveren Sjimsjaj og deres Embedsbrødre, begav de sig uopholdelig til Jøderne i Jerusalem og tvang dem med Magt til at standse Arbejdet.
24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which [is] at Jerusalem. So it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Saa standsede Arbejdet paa Guds Hus i Jerusalem, og det hvilede til Perserkongen Darius's andet Regeringsaar.