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 news came to the haters of Judah and Benjamin that the people who had come back were building a Temple to the Lord, 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 came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of families, and said to them, Let us take part in the building with you; for we are servants of your God, even as you are; and we have been making offerings to him from the days of Esar-haddon, king of Assyria, who put us 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 families in Israel said to them, You have no part with us in the building of a house for our God; we ourselves will do the work together for the Lord, the God of Israel, as Cyrus, king of Persia, has given us orders.

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 made the hands of the people of Judah feeble, troubling them with fear in their 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 they gave payment to men who made designs against them and kept them from effecting their purpose, all through the time of Cyrus, king of Persia, till Darius became king.

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

And in the time of Ahasuerus, when he first became king, they put on record a statement against the people 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 time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his friends, sent a letter to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, writing it in the Aramaean writing and language.

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

Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe, sent a letter against Jerusalem, to Artaxerxes the king;

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,

The letter was sent by Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe and their friends; 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 which the great and noble Osnappar took over and put in Samaria and the rest of the country over the river:

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 which they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants living across the river send these words:

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.

We give news to the king that the Jews who came from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are building up again that uncontrolled and evil town; the walls are complete and they are joining up the bases.

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.

The king may be certain that when the building of this town and its walls is complete, they will give no tax or payment in goods or forced payments, and in the end it will be a cause of loss 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 are responsible to the king, and it is not right for us to see the king's honour damaged, we have sent to give the king word of these things,

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.

So that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: and you will see in the book of the records that this town has been uncontrolled, and a cause of trouble to kings and countries, and that there were outbursts against authority there in the past: for which reason the town was made 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 give you word, that if the building of this town and its walls is made complete, there will be an end of your power in the country across 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 chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe, and their friends living in Samaria, and to the rest of those across the river, saying, Peace to you:

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

And now the sense of the letter which you sent to us has been made clear to 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 gave orders for a search to be made, and it is certain that in the past this town has made trouble for kings, and that outbursts against authority have taken place there.

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.

Further, there have been great kings in Jerusalem, ruling over all the country across the river, to whom they gave taxes and payments in goods and forced payments.

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.

Give an order now, that these men are to do nothing more, and that the building of the town is to be stopped, till I give an order.

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

Be certain to do this with all care: do not let trouble be increased to the king's damage.

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, after reading the king's letter, Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their friends went quickly to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and had them stopped by force.

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.

So the work of the house of God at Jerusalem came to an end; so it was stopped, till the second year of the rule of Darius, king of Persia.