< Ezra 4 >

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to Yahweh, the God of Israel,
Awo abalabe ba Yuda ne Benyamini bwe baawulira ng’abaana ba Isirayiri abaali mu buwaŋŋanguse batandise okuddaabiriza yeekaalu ya Mukama, Katonda wa Isirayiri,
2 they came near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”
ne bagenda eri Zerubbaberi n’abakulu b’ebika ne boogera nti, “Mutukkirize tubayambeko okuzimba, kubanga tuli nga mmwe, era tusinza Katonda wammwe, era okuva ku mirembe gya Esaludaddoni kabaka w’e Bwasuli, eyatuleeta wano tuwaayo ssaddaaka eri Katonda wammwe.”
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”
Naye Zerubbaberi ne Yesuwa n’abakulu b’ebika bya Isirayiri abalala ne babaddamu nti, “Temulina mugabo naffe mu kuddaabiriza yeekaalu ya Katonda waffe. Tuligizimbira Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri ffekka, nga kabaka Kuulo kabaka w’e Buperusi bwe yatulagira.”
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.
Awo abantu be baalimu ne bamalirira okulemesa abantu ba Yuda, ne babatiisatiisa okuzimba.
5 They 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.
Ne bagulirira abantu okubawakanya n’okulemesa enteekateeka yaabwe, ebbanga lyonna Kuulo kabaka w’e Buperusi lye yafuga, okutuusa Daliyo kabaka w’e Buperusi lwe yalya obwakabaka.
6 In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Awo ku mirembe gya Akaswero nga ky’ajje alye obwakabaka, abalabe baabwe ne baawandiika ebintu eby’obulimba ne baloopa abantu ba Yuda ne Yerusaalemi.
7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian and delivered in the Syrian language.
Awo mu biro bya Alutagizerugizi, Bisulamu ne Misuledasi ne Tabeeri ne bannaabwe abalala ne bawandiikira Alutagizerugizi ebbaluwa mu nnukuta ez’Aramayika ne mu lulimi Olwaramayika.
8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows.
Lekumu ow’essaza, ne Simusaayi omuwandiisi ne bawandiikira Alutagizerugizi ebbaluwa ekwata ku Yerusaalemi.
9 Then Rehum the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
Lekumu ow’essaza ne Simusaayi omuwandiisi awamu ne bannaabwe abalala, abalamuzi n’abakungu, n’Abaperusi, n’Abalukevi, n’Abababulooni, n’Abasusanuki, n’Abaweramu,
10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth, wrote.
n’amawanga amalala, omukungu Osunappali be yakomyawo, n’abateeka mu bibuga bya Samaliya ne mu bitundu ebirala ebiri emitala w’omugga Fulaati ne bawandiika nti:
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent: To King Artaxerxes, from your servants, the people beyond the River.
Ebbaluwa gye baawandiikira kabaka yali egamba nti, Eri kabaka Alutagizerugizi, Okuva eri abaddu bo abasajja ab’omu ssaza eriri emitala w’omugga Fulaati.
12 Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem. They are building the rebellious and bad city, and have finished the walls and repaired the foundations.
Kabaka asaanye ategeere nti Abayudaaya abaava gy’oli ne bajja gye tuli bagenze e Yerusaalemi okuddaabiriza ekibuga ekyo ekijeemu eky’abantu abakozi b’ebibi. Batandise okuddaabiriza emisingi n’okuzaawo bbugwe.
13 Be it known now to the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.
Ne nsonga endala, kabaka asaanye akimanye ng’ekibuga ekyo bwe kirizimbibwa ne bbugwe bw’aliggwa okukola, tebalisasula misolo nate, newaakubadde okuwa empooza, era ekiriva mu ekyo bwe bwakabaka okufiirwa.
14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not appropriate for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king,
Kale nno, olw’okuba nga tulina obuvunaanyizibwa eri obwakabaka, ate nga tetwandiyagadde kulaba nga kabaka aswazibwa, kyetuvudde tuweereza obubaka buno eri kabaka,
15 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see 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 started rebellions within it in the past. That is why this city was destroyed.
banoonye mu bitabo eby’okujjukiza ebya bajjajjaabo. Mu bitabo ebyo ojja kuzuula ng’ekibuga ekyo kibuga kijeemu, ekyalumya emitwe gya bakabaka n’abaamasaza, era nga kifo ekimanyiddwa ng’ekijeemu okuva mu biro eby’edda. Era kyekyava kizikirizibwa.
16 We inform the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, then you will have no possession beyond the River.
Tukakasa kabaka nti ekibuga kino bwe kirizimbibwa ne bbugwe waakyo n’azzibwawo, tolibaako ne ky’osigaza emitala w’omugga Fulaati.
17 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who live in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Peace.
Awo kabaka n’abaddamu bw’ati nti: Eri Lekumu ow’essaza, ne Simusaayi omuwandiisi ne bannaabwe abalala abaabeeranga mu Samaliya, ne mu bifo ebirala ebiri mu ssaza eriri emitala w’omugga Fulaati, Mbalamusizza.
18 The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.
Ebbaluwa gye mwatuweereza esomeddwa mu maaso gange ne ngitegeera.
19 I decreed, and search has been made, and it was found that this city has made insurrection against kings in the past, and that rebellion and revolts have been made in it.
Nalagira, okunoonyereza ne kukolebwa, era ne kizuulibwa ng’ekibuga ekyo, okuva edda kijeemera bakabaka, era ng’obujeemu n’ekyejo byakolebwanga omwo.
20 There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll was paid to them.
Yerusaalemi kyalina bakabaka ab’amaanyi abaafuganga essaza lyonna eriri emitala w’omugga Fulaati, era baaweebwanga emisolo, n’empooza okuva mu kitundu ekyo.
21 Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built until a decree is made by me.
Kaakano muweereze ekiragiro eri abasajja abo bakomye omulimu ogw’okuddaabiriza ekibuga ekyo okutuusa ate bwe ndibalagira.
22 Be careful that you not be slack doing so. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
Musseeyo nnyo omwoyo okulaba nga temutenguwa mu nsonga eyo. Lwaki tukkiriza ensonga eyo okugenda mu maaso, okuleeta okufiirwa eri obwakabaka?
23 Then when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force of arms.
Amangwago ebbaluwa eyava ewa kabaka Alutagizerugizi bwe yasomerwa Lekumu ne Simusaayi omuwandiisi ne bannaabwe, ne bayanguwa okugenda eri Abayudaaya e Yerusaalemi, ne babalekesaayo n’amaanyi okugenda mu maaso.
24 Then work stopped on God’s house which is at Jerusalem. It stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Awo omulimu ku nnyumba ya Katonda mu Yerusaalemi ne guyimirira okutuusa omwaka ogwokubiri ogw’omulembe gwa Daliyo kabaka w’e Buperusi.

< Ezra 4 >