< Ezara 4 >

1 Na rĩrĩ, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa thũ cia Juda na Benjamini ciaiguire atĩ andũ arĩa maatahĩtwo nĩmaakagĩra Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, hekarũ-rĩ,
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 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.”
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 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 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 Hĩndĩ ĩyo andũ arĩa maamathiũrũrũkĩirie makĩhaarĩria kũũraga andũ a Juda ngoro nĩguo metigĩre gũthiĩ na mbere na gwaka.
Then the people of the land made the hands of the people of Judah feeble, troubling them with fear in their building;
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.
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 Kĩambĩrĩria kĩa wathani wa Ahasuerusu, ataarani acio magĩthitanga andũ a Juda na Jerusalemu.
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 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 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 Rehumu mũnene wa mbũtũ na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, nĩmandĩkire marũa ma gũthitanga andũ a Jerusalemu kũrĩ Mũthamaki Aritashashita ta ũũ:
Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe, sent a letter against Jerusalem, to Artaxerxes the king;
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,
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 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 nations which the great and noble Osnappar took over and put in Samaria and the rest of the country over the river:
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 a copy of the letter which they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants living across the river send these words:
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.
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 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.
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 Na rĩu tondũ ithuĩ tũrĩ andũ matĩĩte ũthamaki, na ti wega kuona mũthamaki akĩimwo gĩtĩĩo, tũratũma ndũmĩrĩri ĩno tũmenyithie mũthamaki,
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 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.
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 Tũkũmenyithia mũthamaki atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene rĩngĩakwo na thingo ciarĩo icookererio, wee ũgũtigwo ũtarĩ kĩndũ Mũrĩmo ũyũ wa Rũũĩ rwa Farati.
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 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 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 Marũa marĩa mwatũtũmĩire nĩmathomeirwo hau mbere yakwa na ngĩtaũrĩrwo ũhoro wamo.
And now the sense of the letter which you sent to us has been made clear to me,
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.
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 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.
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 Na rĩrĩ, ruta watho kũrĩ andũ acio matige wĩra, nĩguo itũũra rĩu inene rĩtigaakwo rĩngĩ, nginya rĩrĩa ngoiga.
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 Menyerera ũndũ ũyũ ndũkaage kũhingio. Mũngĩrekereria ũndũ ũngĩrehe ũgwati na ũthũkie ũthamaki nĩkĩ?
Be certain to do this with all care: do not let trouble be increased to the king's damage.
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.
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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, wĩra wa gwaka nyũmba ya Ngai kũu Jerusalemu ũkĩrũgama nginya mwaka wa keerĩ wa wathani wa Dario mũthamaki wa Perisia.
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.

< Ezara 4 >