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 some enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people who had been exiled were now building a temple for Yahweh, 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.”

So they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of their ancestors' clans. They said to them, “Let us build with you, for, like you, we seek your God and have sacrificed to him since the days when Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, brought us to this place.”

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, Jeshua, and the heads of their ancestors' clans said, “It is not you, but we who must build the house of our God, for it is we who will build for Yahweh, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded.”

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.

So the people of the land made the Judeans' hands weak; they made the Judeans afraid to build.

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.

They also bribed counselors to frustrate their plans. They did this during all of Cyrus' days and into the reign of Darius king of Persia.

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

Then at the beginning of Ahasuerus' 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.

It was during the days of Artaxerxes that Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their companions wrote to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.

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

Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote this way to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem.

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 Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, who were judges and other officers in the government, the Persians, men from Erech and Babylon, and the men from Susa (that is, the Elamites)—they wrote a letter—

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

and they were joined by the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal forced to settle in Samaria, along with the rest who were in the Province Beyond 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 that they sent to Artaxerxes: “Your servants, men of the Province Beyond the River, write this:

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.

Let the king know that the Jews who went from you have come against us in Jerusalem to build a rebellious city. They have completed 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.

Now let the king know that if this city is built and the wall is completed, they will not give any tribute and taxes, but they will harm 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,

Surely because we have eaten the palace salt, it is not fitting for us to see any dishonor happen to the king. It is because of this that we are informing 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.

to search your father's record and to verify that this is a rebellious city that will harm kings and provinces. It has caused many problems to the kings and provinces. It has been a center for rebellion from long ago. It was for this reason that 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 are informing the king that if this city and wall are built, then there will be nothing remaining for you in the Province 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,

So the king sent out a reply to Rehum and Shimshai and their companions in Samaria and the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River: “May peace be yours.

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

The letter that you sent me has been translated and read 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.

So I ordered an investigation and discovered that in previous days they had rebelled and revolted against kings.

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.

Mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and had power over everything in the Province Beyond the River. Tribute and taxes were 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.

Now, make a decree for these men to stop and not build this city until I make a decree.

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 careful not to neglect this. Why allow this threat to grow and cause more loss for the royal interests?

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.

When King Artaxerxes' decree was read before Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, they went out quickly to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop building.

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 on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.