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 the enemies of Juda and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity 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.”

And they came to Zorobabel, and the chief of the fathers, and said to them: Let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do: behold we have sacrificed to him, since the days of Asor Haddan king of Assyria, who brought us hither.

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 Zorobabel, and Josue, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said to them: You have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God, but we ourselves alone will build to the Lord our God, as Cyrus king of the Persians hath 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 hindered the hands of the people of Juda, 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 they hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their design all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

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

And in the reign of Assuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Juda 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, Beselam, Mithridates, and Thabeel, and the rest that were in the council wrote to Artaxerxes king of the Persians: and the letter of accusation was written in Syriac, and was read in the Syrian tongue.

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

Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe wrote a letter from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, in this manner:

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,

Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe and the rest of their counsellors, the Dinites, and the Apharsathacites, the Therphalites, the Apharsites, the Erchuites, the Babylonians, the Susanechites, the Dievites, and 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 glorious Asenaphar brought over: and made to dwell in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the countries of this side of the river in peace.

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 the copy of the letter, which they sent to him: ) To Artaxerxes the king, thy servants, the men that are on this side of the river, send greeting.

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 to us, are come to Jerusalem a rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, setting up the ramparts thereof and repairing the walls.

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.

And now be it known to the king, that if this city be built up, and the walls thereof repaired, they will not pay tribute nor toll, nor yearly revenues, and this loss will fail upon 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,

But we remembering the salt that we have eaten in the palace, and because we count it a crime to see the king wronged, have therefore sent and certified 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 books of the histories of thy fathers, and thou shalt find written in the records: and shalt know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to the kings and provinces, and that wars were raised therein of old time: for which cause also the city was destroyed.

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 the king, that if this city be built, and the walls thereof repaired, thou shalt have no possession on this side of 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,

The king sent word to Reum Beelteem and Samsai the scribe, and to the rest that were in their council, inhabitants of Samaria, and to the rest beyond the river, sending greeting and peace.

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

The accusation, which you have sent to us, hath 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 commanded: and search hath been made, and it is found, that this city of old time hath rebelled against kings, and seditions and wars have been raised therein.

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.

For there have been powerful kings in Jerusalem, who hare had dominion over all the country that is beyond the river: and have received tribute, and toll and revenues.

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.

Now therefore hear the sentence: Hinder those men, that this city be not built, till further orders be given 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?

See that you be not negligent in executing this, lest by little and little the evil 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.

Now the copy of the edict of king Artaxerxes was read before Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe, and their counsellors: and they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and hindered them with arm 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 the Lord in Jerusalem was interrupted, and ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.