Ezra 4

1 Esi Yuda kple Benyamin ƒe futɔwo se be ame siwo trɔ gbɔ tso aboyome la le gbedoxɔ tum na Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la la,

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the sons of the captivity were building a temple to Jehovah, the God of Israel,

2 wova Zerubabel kple ƒometatɔwo gbɔ, eye wogblɔ na wo be, “Mina míatui kpli mi, elabena míesubɔa miaƒe Mawu la abe miawo ke ene, eye tso Asiria fia, Esarhadon, ame si kplɔ mi va afi sia ƒe ɣeyiɣiwo me ke míesa vɔ nɛ.”

then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers, and said to them, Let us build with you, for we seek your God, as ye do, and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria who brought us up here.

3 Ke Zerubabel, Yesua kple Israel ƒe ƒomeawo ƒe tatɔwo ɖo ŋu na wo be, “Miakpɔ gome le gbedoxɔ tutu na míaƒe Mawu la me o. Míawo ɖeɖe míatui na Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la abe ale si Persia fia, Sirus de see na mí ene.”

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers of Israel, said to them, Ye have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God, but we ourselves together will build to Jehovah, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.

4 Tete ame siwo nɔ anyigba dzi ƒo xlã wo la ɖe dzi le Yudatɔwo ƒo si wɔe be wovɔ̃ na gbedoxɔ la dzi yiyi.

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

5 Wona zãnu dudzikpɔlawo be woatsi tsitre ɖe wo ŋu, eye woatɔtɔ woƒe ɖoɖowo me le Persia fia, Sirus ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ɣeyiɣiwo katã me va se ɖe Persia fia Darius ƒe fiaɖuɣiwo ke.

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.

6 Le Ahasuerus ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe gɔmedzedzea me la, wova tso Yuda kple Yerusalem nɔlawo nu.

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 Eye le Persia fia Artazerses ƒe fiaɖuɖu me la, Bislam, Mitredat, Tabeel kple wo ŋutime bubuwo ŋlɔ agbalẽ na Artazerses. Woŋlɔ agbalẽ la kple Aramaik alfabeta ɖe Aramaikgbe me.

And 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 the Syrian character, and set forth in the Syrian tongue.

8 Rehum dudzikpɔlagã kple agbalẽŋlɔla, Simsai, ŋlɔ agbalẽ tsi tsitre ɖe Yerusalem ŋu na Fia Artazerses. Agbalẽa me nyawoe nye:

Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this way.

9 Rehum, dudzikpɔlagã kple agbalẽŋlɔla, Simsai kple dɔnunɔla bubuwo, ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo kple dudzikpɔla siwo kpɔa Tripoli, Persia, Erek kple Babilonia kple Elamtɔ siwo le Susa dzi,

Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and 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,

10 hekpe ɖe ame siwo bubutɔgã, Asurbanipal nya ɖo ɖe Samaria kple Frat tɔsisi la godo ŋu.

and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest beyond the River, and so forth.

11 Esia nye agbalẽ si woŋlɔ nɛ la me nya. Na: Fia Artazerses. Tso: Wò dɔla siwo le Frat tɔsisi la godo gbɔ.

This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men beyond the River, and so forth.

12 Fia nenyae be, Yudatɔ siwo tso gbɔwò va mía gbɔ la yi Yerusalem, eye wogbugbɔ du dzeaglã, vɔ̃ɖi la le tsotsom. Wole gliawo flɔm ɖe dzi, eye wole gɔmeɖokpe siwo gbã la ɖɔm ɖo.

Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from thee have come to us to Jerusalem. They are building the rebellious and the evil city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.

13 Gawu la, fia la nenya be ne wogbugbɔ du sia tso, ɖɔ eƒe gliwo ɖo la, ekema woagbe adzɔhowo, nudzɔdzɔwo kple mɔtahowo xexe, eye fiasã la ƒe gakotoku aɖi gbɔlo.

Be it known now to the king, that, if this city be built, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.

14 Azɔ la, esi wònye míaƒe dɔdeasie wònye na fiasã la, eye menyo be miazi kpi woaɖe bubu le fia la ŋu o ta la, míele gbe ɖom ɖe wò be wòanɔ nyanya na fia la,

Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore we have sent and certified to the king,

15 eye wòatsa le ame siwo ɖu fia do ŋgɔ na wò ƒe nyaŋlɔɖiwo me. Àkpɔe le nyaŋlɔɖiawo me be du sia nye du dzeaglã si ɖea fu na fiawo kple nutometɔwo, teƒe si aglãdzedze le tso keke blema ke. Esia tae wogbã du sia ɖo.

that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers. So thou shall 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 made sedition within the same of old time, for which cause this city was laid waste.

16 Míena nyanya fia la be, ne wotso du sia, eye woɖɔ eƒe gliwo ɖo la, naneke magasusɔ na wò le Frat tɔsisi la godo o.

We certify to the king that, if this city be built, and the walls finished, by this means thou shall have no portion beyond the River.

17 Esiae nye fia la ƒe ŋuɖoɖo na agbalẽ la: Na: Rehum dudzikpɔlagã, agbalẽŋlɔla, Simsai kple woƒe kpeɖeŋutɔ siwo le Samaria kple Frat tɔsisi la godo; Medo gbe na mi,

Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and in the rest beyond the River: Peace, and so forth.

18 Woxlẽ agbalẽ si mieɖo ɖe mí la na mí, eye woɖe egɔme hã na mí le ŋkunye me.

The letter which ye sent to us has been plainly read before me.

19 Meɖe gbe, eye wotsa le nyaŋlɔɖigbalẽ xoxoawo me heke ɖe eŋu be, tso gbe aɖe gbe ke la, du sia tsona ɖe fiawo ŋu, eye wònye aglãdzedze kple amemabumabu teƒe.

And I decreed, and search has been made. And it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.

20 Fia siwo ɖo ŋusẽ geɖe la nɔ Yerusalem kpɔ, eye woɖu anyigba siwo katã le Frat tɔsisi la godo dzi, woxea nudzɔdzɔ, adzɔhowo kple mɔtahowo na wo.

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.

21 Azɔ la, de se na ŋutsu siawo be woadzudzɔ dɔ la wɔwɔ, ale be womagbugbɔ du sia atso o va se ɖe esime maɖe gbe hafi.

Make ye now a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built until a decree shall be made by me.

22 Mikpɔ nyuie be mietsɔ nya sia vevie. Nu ka wɔ miazi kpi be, ŋɔdzidodo sia nayi ŋgɔ, agblẽ fiaɖuƒe la ƒe ŋgɔyiyi me?

And take heed that ye be not slack in this matter. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

23 Ke esi woxlẽ fia Artazerses ƒe agbalẽ la na Rehum, agbalẽŋlɔla Simsai kple wo ŋutime mamlɛawo la, wotso zia enumake heyi ɖe Yudatɔwo gbɔ le Yerusalem, eye wozi wo dzi kple ŋusẽ be woadzudzɔ dɔ la wɔwɔ.

Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them cease by force and power.

24 Ale dɔ si wɔm wonɔ le Mawu ƒe gbedoxɔ la ŋu le Yerusalem la tɔ va se ɖe Persia fia Darius ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe evelia me.

Then the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.