Ἔσδρας Αʹ 4

1 καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ θλίβοντες Ιουδα καὶ Βενιαμιν ὅτι οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς ἀποικίας οἰκοδομοῦσιν οἶκον τῷ κυρίῳ θεῷ Ισραηλ

And adversaries of Judah and Benjamin hear that the sons of the captivity are building a temple to Jehovah, God of Israel,

2 καὶ ἤγγισαν πρὸς Ζοροβαβελ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν πατριῶν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτοῖς οἰκοδομήσομεν μεθ’ ὑμῶν ὅτι ὡς ὑμεῖς ἐκζητοῦμεν τῷ θεῷ ὑμῶν καὶ αὐτῷ ἡμεῖς θυσιάζομεν ἀπὸ ἡμερῶν Ασαραδδων βασιλέως Ασσουρ τοῦ ἐνέγκαντος ἡμᾶς ὧδε

and they draw nigh unto Zerubbabel, and unto heads of the fathers, and say to them, 'Let us build with you; for, like you, we seek to your God, and we are not sacrificing since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Asshur, who brought us up hither.'

3 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Ζοροβαβελ καὶ Ἰησοῦς καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀρχόντων τῶν πατριῶν τοῦ Ισραηλ οὐχ ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι οἶκον τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν ὅτι ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ οἰκοδομήσομεν τῷ κυρίῳ θεῷ ἡμῶν ὡς ἐνετείλατο ἡμῖν Κῦρος ὁ βασιλεὺς Περσῶν

And Zerubbabel saith to them, also Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel, 'Not for you, and for us, to build a house to our God; but we ourselves together do build to Jehovah God of Israel, as the king Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us.'

4 καὶ ἦν ὁ λαὸς τῆς γῆς ἐκλύων τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ λαοῦ Ιουδα καὶ ἐνεπόδιζον αὐτοὺς τοῦ οἰκοδομεῖν

And it cometh to pass, the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble, and troubling them in building,

5 καὶ μισθούμενοι ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς βουλευόμενοι τοῦ διασκεδάσαι βουλὴν αὐτῶν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας Κύρου βασιλέως Περσῶν καὶ ἕως βασιλείας Δαρείου βασιλέως Περσῶν

and are hiring against them counsellors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even till the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 καὶ ἐν βασιλείᾳ Ασουηρου ἐν ἀρχῇ βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἔγραψαν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπὶ οἰκοῦντας Ιουδα καὶ Ιερουσαλημ

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the commencement of his reign, they have written an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem;

7 καὶ ἐν ἡμέραις Αρθασασθα ἔγραψεν ἐν εἰρήνῃ Μιθραδάτῃ Ταβεηλ σὺν καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς συνδούλοις αὐτοῦ πρὸς Αρθασασθα βασιλέα Περσῶν ἔγραψεν ὁ φορολόγος γραφὴν Συριστὶ καὶ ἡρμηνευμένην

and in the days of Artaxerxes have Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions written unto Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter is written in Aramaean, and interpreted in Aramaean.

8 Ραουμ βααλταμ καὶ Σαμσαι ὁ γραμματεὺς ἔγραψαν ἐπιστολὴν μίαν κατὰ Ιερουσαλημ τῷ Αρθασασθα βασιλεῖ

Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus:

9 τάδε ἔκρινεν Ραουμ βααλταμ καὶ Σαμσαι ὁ γραμματεὺς καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι σύνδουλοι ἡμῶν Διναῖοι Αφαρσαθαχαῖοι Ταρφαλλαῖοι Αφαρσαῖοι Αρχυαῖοι Βαβυλώνιοι Σουσαναχαῖοι οἵ εἰσιν Ηλαμαῖοι

Then Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions, Dinaites, and Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites, (who are Elamites),

10 καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι ἐθνῶν ὧν ἀπῴκισεν Ασενναφαρ ὁ μέγας καὶ ὁ τίμιος καὶ κατῴκισεν αὐτοὺς ἐν πόλεσιν τῆς Σομορων καὶ τὸ κατάλοιπον πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ

and the rest of the nations that the great and honourable Asnapper removed and set in the city of Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, and at such a time:

11 αὕτη ἡ διαταγὴ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἧς ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτόν πρὸς Αρθασασθα βασιλέα παῖδές σου ἄνδρες πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ

This [is] a copy of a letter that they have sent unto him, unto Artaxerxes the king: 'Thy servants, men beyond the river, and at such a time;

12 γνωστὸν ἔστω τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅτι οἱ Ιουδαῖοι ἀναβάντες ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς ἤλθοσαν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἀποστάτιν καὶ πονηρὰν οἰκοδομοῦσιν καὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς κατηρτισμένοι εἰσίν καὶ θεμελίους αὐτῆς ἀνύψωσαν

Be it known to the king, that the Jews who have come up from thee unto us, have come in to Jerusalem, the rebellious and base city they are building, and the walls they have finished, and the foundations they join.

13 νῦν οὖν γνωστὸν ἔστω τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅτι ἐὰν ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη ἀνοικοδομηθῇ καὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς καταρτισθῶσιν φόροι οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι οὐδὲ δώσουσιν καὶ τοῦτο βασιλεῖς κακοποιεῖ

'Now, be it known to the king, that if this city be builded, and the walls finished, toll, tribute, and custom they do not give; and at length [to] the kings it doth cause loss.

14 καὶ ἀσχημοσύνην βασιλέως οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν ἰδεῖν διὰ τοῦτο ἐπέμψαμεν καὶ ἐγνωρίσαμεν τῷ βασιλεῖ

Now, because that the salt of the palace [is] our salt, and the nakedness of the king we have no patience to see, therefore we have sent and made known to the king;

15 ἵνα ἐπισκέψηται ἐν βιβλίῳ ὑπομνηματισμοῦ τῶν πατέρων σου καὶ εὑρήσεις καὶ γνώσῃ ὅτι ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη πόλις ἀποστάτις καὶ κακοποιοῦσα βασιλεῖς καὶ χώρας καὶ φυγάδια δούλων ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς ἀπὸ χρόνων αἰῶνος διὰ ταῦτα ἡ πόλις αὕτη ἠρημώθη

so that he doth seek in the book of the records of thy fathers, and thou dost find in the book of the records, and dost know, that this city [is] a rebellious city, and causing loss [to] kings and provinces, and makers of sedition [are] in its midst from the days of old, therefore hath this city been wasted.

16 γνωρίζομεν οὖν ἡμεῖς τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅτι ἐὰν ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη οἰκοδομηθῇ καὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς καταρτισθῇ οὐκ ἔστιν σοι εἰρήνη

We are making known to the king that, if this city be builded and the walls finished, by this means a portion beyond the river thou hast none.'

17 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Ραουμ βααλταμ καὶ Σαμσαι γραμματέα καὶ τοὺς καταλοίπους συνδούλους αὐτῶν τοὺς οἰκοῦντας ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ τοὺς καταλοίπους πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ εἰρήνην καί φησιν

An answer hath the king sent unto Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions who are dwelling in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, 'Peace, and at such a time:

18 ὁ φορολόγος ὃν ἀπεστείλατε πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐκλήθη ἔμπροσθεν ἐμοῦ

The letter that ye sent unto us, explained, hath been read before me,

19 καὶ παρ’ ἐμοῦ ἐτέθη γνώμη καὶ ἐπεσκεψάμεθα καὶ εὕραμεν ὅτι ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη ἀφ’ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος ἐπὶ βασιλεῖς ἐπαίρεται καὶ ἀποστάσεις καὶ φυγάδια γίνονται ἐν αὐτῇ

and by me a decree hath been made, and they sought, and have found that this city from the days of old against kings is lifting up itself, and rebellion and sedition is made in it,

20 καὶ βασιλεῖς ἰσχυροὶ γίνονται ἐπὶ Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἐπικρατοῦντες ὅλης τῆς ἑσπέρας τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ φόροι πλήρεις καὶ μέρος δίδοται αὐτοῖς

and mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, even rulers over all beyond the river, and toll, tribute, and custom is given to them.

21 καὶ νῦν θέτε γνώμην καταργῆσαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους καὶ ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη οὐκ οἰκοδομηθήσεται ἔτι ὅπως ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης

'Now, make ye a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city is not builded, till by me a decree is made.

22 πεφυλαγμένοι ἦτε ἄνεσιν ποιῆσαι περὶ τούτου μήποτε πληθυνθῇ ἀφανισμὸς εἰς κακοποίησιν βασιλεῦσιν

And beware ye of negligence in doing this; why doth the hurt become great to the loss of the kings?'

23 τότε ὁ φορολόγος τοῦ Αρθασασθα βασιλέως ἀνέγνω ἐνώπιον Ραουμ καὶ Σαμσαι γραμματέως καὶ συνδούλων αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν σπουδῇ εἰς Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἐν Ιουδα καὶ κατήργησαν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἵπποις καὶ δυνάμει

Then from the time that a copy of the letter of king Artaxerxes is read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they have gone in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and strength;

24 τότε ἤργησεν τὸ ἔργον οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἦν ἀργοῦν ἕως δευτέρου ἔτους τῆς βασιλείας Δαρείου τοῦ βασιλέως Περσῶν

then ceased the service of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem, and it ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.