Ezara 4
1 Na rĩrĩ, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa thũ cia Juda na Benjamini ciaiguire atĩ andũ arĩa maatahĩtwo nĩmaakagĩra Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, hekarũ-rĩ,
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,
2 magĩthiĩ kũrĩ Zerubabeli o na kũrĩ atongoria a nyũmba cia andũ, makĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Rekei twake tũrĩ hamwe tondũ o na ithuĩ tũrongoragia Ngai wanyu, na nĩtũkoretwo tũkĩmũrutĩra magongona kuuma hĩndĩ ya Esari-Hadoni mũthamaki wa Ashuri, ũrĩa watũrehire gũkũ.”
they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”
3 No rĩrĩ, Zerubabeli, na Jeshua, na atongoria arĩa angĩ a nyũmba cia Isiraeli makĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Mũtirĩ na handũ thĩinĩ witũ ũhoro-inĩ wa gwakĩra Ngai witũ hekarũ. Nĩ ithuĩ ene tũgwakĩra Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, o ta ũrĩa Kurusu mũthamaki wa Perisia aatwathire.”
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.”
4 Hĩndĩ ĩyo andũ arĩa maamathiũrũrũkĩirie makĩhaarĩria kũũraga andũ a Juda ngoro nĩguo metigĩre gũthiĩ na mbere na gwaka.
Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.
5 Nao makĩandĩka ataarani a kũhĩngĩca wĩra wao, na gũthũkia mĩbango yao yothe matukũ mothe ma wathani wa Kurusu mũthamaki wa Perisia, nginya hĩndĩ ya wathani wa Dario mũthamaki wa Perisia.
They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Kĩambĩrĩria kĩa wathani wa Ahasuerusu, ataarani acio magĩthitanga andũ a Juda na Jerusalemu.
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Na matukũ ma Mũthamaki Aritashashita wa Perisia, na Bishilamu, na Mithiredathu, na Tabeeli na andũ arĩa angĩ a thiritũ yake makĩandĩkĩra Aritashashita marũa. Marũa macio maandĩkirwo na mwandĩkĩre na rũthiomi rwa andũ a Suriata.
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
8 Rehumu mũnene wa mbũtũ na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, nĩmandĩkire marũa ma gũthitanga andũ a Jerusalemu kũrĩ Mũthamaki Aritashashita ta ũũ:
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:
9 Marũa maya moimĩte kũrĩ niĩ Rehumu mũnene wa mbũtũ, na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, hamwe na arĩa angĩ a thiritũ yao, na aciirithania, na anene a andũ a Ataripeli, na a Perisia, na a Ereku, na Babuloni, na Aelami a Shushani,
From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges and officials over Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
10 na andũ arĩa angĩ maacooketio nĩ mũgaathe ũrĩa mũnene Osinapari nĩgeetha matũũre itũũra inene rĩa Samaria, na kũrĩa kũngĩ guothe Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati.
and the rest of the peoples whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and elsewhere west of the Euphrates.
11 (Ĩno nĩyo kobi ya marũa marĩa aandĩkĩirwo.) Kũrĩ Mũthamaki Aritashashita, Kuuma kũrĩ ndungata ciaku, andũ a bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati:
(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
12 Nĩ kwagĩrĩire mũthamaki amenye atĩ, Ayahudi arĩa mookire kũrĩ ithuĩ moimĩte kũrĩ we nĩmathiĩte Jerusalemu, na nĩmaraaka rĩngĩ itũũra rĩu inene, o rĩu iremi na rĩaganu. Nĩmaracookereria rũthingo na magacookereria mĩthingi.
Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem. And they are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, restoring its walls, and repairing its foundations.
13 Ningĩ nĩ kwagĩrĩire mũthamaki amenye atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene rĩngĩakwo na thingo ciarĩo icookererio, gũtirĩ igooti, kana maruta ma mũthamaki, o na kana igooti rĩa mĩrigo ĩgĩtoonya bũrũri-inĩ rĩrĩrutagwo. Nakĩo kĩgĩĩna kĩa ũthamaki nĩgĩkũnyiiha.
Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.
14 Na rĩu tondũ ithuĩ tũrĩ andũ matĩĩte ũthamaki, na ti wega kuona mũthamaki akĩimwo gĩtĩĩo, tũratũma ndũmĩrĩri ĩno tũmenyithie mũthamaki,
Now because we are in the service of the palace and it is not fitting for us to allow the king to be dishonored, we have sent to inform the king
15 nĩgeetha ũhoro ũcio ũtuĩrio kuuma maandĩko-inĩ ma tene ma arĩa maarĩ mbere yaku. Maandĩko-inĩ macio nĩũrĩona atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene nĩ iremi, na rĩa gũthĩĩnia athamaki na mabũrũri, na nĩ kũndũ kwa ũremi kuuma mahinda ma tene. Kĩu nĩkĩo gĩatũmire itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene rĩanangwo.
that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting sedition from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.
16 Tũkũmenyithia mũthamaki atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene rĩngĩakwo na thingo ciarĩo icookererio, wee ũgũtigwo ũtarĩ kĩndũ Mũrĩmo ũyũ wa Rũũĩ rwa Farati.
We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will have no dominion west of the Euphrates.
17 Mũthamaki nake agĩcookia macookio atĩrĩ: Kũrĩ Rehumu mũnene wa mbũtũ, na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, na andũ arĩa angĩ a thiritũ yao arĩa matũũraga Samaria na kũrĩa kũngĩ guothe Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati: Nĩndamũgeithia.
Then the king sent this reply: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of your associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates: Greetings.
18 Marũa marĩa mwatũtũmĩire nĩmathomeirwo hau mbere yakwa na ngĩtaũrĩrwo ũhoro wamo.
The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.
19 Nĩndarutire watho na ũhoro ũcio ũgĩtuĩrio, na gũkĩoneka atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene nĩrĩũĩkaine kuuma tene atĩ nĩ rĩa kũregana na watho wa athamaki, na rĩtũũraga rĩrĩ iremi, na nĩ rĩa kũringĩrĩria andũ mookĩrĩre thirikari.
I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has revolted against kings from ancient times, engaging in rebellion and sedition.
20 Jerusalemu nĩrĩkoretwo na athamaki a hinya magĩathana Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati wothe, na nĩmarĩhagwo igooti na maruta ma mũthamaki, o na igooti rĩa mĩrigo ĩgĩtoonya bũrũri-inĩ.
And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.
21 Na rĩrĩ, ruta watho kũrĩ andũ acio matige wĩra, nĩguo itũũra rĩu inene rĩtigaakwo rĩngĩ, nginya rĩrĩa ngoiga.
Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.
22 Menyerera ũndũ ũyũ ndũkaage kũhingio. Mũngĩrekereria ũndũ ũngĩrehe ũgwati na ũthũkie ũthamaki nĩkĩ?
See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?
23 Na rĩrĩ, kobi ya marũa ma Mũthamaki Aritashashita maarĩkia gũthomerwo Rehumu na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, na andũ a thiritũ yao, no gũthiĩ mathiire Jerusalemu kũrĩ Ayahudi, na makĩmatigithia wĩra ũcio na hinya.
When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
24 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, wĩra wa gwaka nyũmba ya Ngai kũu Jerusalemu ũkĩrũgama nginya mwaka wa keerĩ wa wathani wa Dario mũthamaki wa Perisia.
Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
