Esdras 4
1 Lènmi moun Jida yo ak lènmi moun Benjamen yo vin konnen moun ki te tounen soti nan kote yo te depòte yo a t'ap rebati yon kay pou Seyè a, Bondye pèp Izrayèl la.
The enemies of the people of [the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin heard that the [Israeli] people who had returned from Babylonia were rebuilding a temple for Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people [worshiped].
2 Yo vin jwenn Zowobabèl ak chèf fanmi yo, yo di yo konsa: -Kite nou mete men ansanm ak nou nan travay pou rebati tanp lan, paske nou menm tou se menm Bondye a nou adore ak nou. Epi, depi lè Esaradon, wa peyi Lasiri a, te fè nou vin rete isit la, n'ap ofri bèt pou yo touye pou li.
So they went to Zerubbabel [the governor] and the other leaders, and said [deceptively], “We want to help [you build the temple], because we worship that same God whom you worship, and we have been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon, the King of Assyria, brought us here.”
3 Zowobabèl, Jozye ak tout lòt chèf fanmi yo reponn yo: -Non mèsi! Nou pa bezwen konkou pesonn pou nou bati yon tanp pou Seyè a, Bondye nou an. N'a bati l' nou menm, pou kont nou ak men nou, jan Siris, wa peyi Pès la, te ban nou lòd fè a.
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other [Israeli] leaders replied, “We will not allow you to help us build a temple for our(exc) God. We will build it (ourselves/without your help) for Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship, like Cyrus, the King of Persia, told us to do.”
4 Lè sa a, moun ki t'ap viv depi lontan nan peyi a soti pou yo dekouraje moun Jida yo. Yo t'ap kraponnen yo pou yo te sispann travay batisman an.
Then the people who had been living in that land [before the Israelis returned] tried to cause the Jews to become discouraged and become afraid, and to cause them to stop building the temple.
5 Yo menm rive bay kèk anplwaye gouvènman an lajan anba chal pou anpeche travay la mache. Se konsa, pandan tout tan wa Siris t'ap gouvènen an jouk sou rèy wa Dariyis, yo antrave travay moun yo san rete.
They bribed government officials to oppose what the Israelis were doing [and prevent them from continuing to work on the temple]. They did that all during the time that Cyrus was King of Persia. They continued to do it when Darius became the King of Persia.
6 Konsa tou, lè wa Zèsès te fenk pran pouvwa a, yo ekri yon lèt akizasyon voye bay wa a kont moun k'ap viv nan peyi Jida ak nan lavil Jerizalèm.
During the first year that [Darius’ son] Xerxes was king, the [enemies of the Jews] wrote a note [to the king] saying that the Jews [were planning to rebel against the government].
7 Sou rèy wa Atagzèsès, Bislam, Mitridat ak Tabeyèl mete tèt yo ansanm avèk kèk lòt kòlèg yo, yo ekri yon lèt plent voye bay Atagzesès, wa peyi Pès la, kont moun Jerizalèm yo. Lèt la te ekri nan lang arameyen, e se pou yo te tradwi l' lè yo t'ap li l'.
Later, when [Xerxes’ son] Artaxerxes [became the King of Persia], Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and their colleagues/companions wrote a letter to him. They wrote the letter in the Aramaic language, and it was translated [into another language that the king knew].
8 (Dokiman arameyen an konmanse isit la). Se konsa Reyoum, gouvènè a, ak Chimchayi, ki te sekretè pwovens la, ekri yon lèt bay wa Atagzèsès sou keksyon lavil Jerizalèm lan. Men ki jan lèt te pati:
Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
9 Se mwen menm, Reyoum, gouvènè a ak Chimchayi, sekretè pwovens la, ki ekri lèt sa a ansanm ak tout lòt kòlèg nou yo anplwaye gouvenman an, moun lavil Den, moun lavil Afasatak, moun lavil Tapèl, moun lavil Afaras, moun lavil Erèk, moun lavil Babilòn, moun lavil Souz, moun lavil Deya ak moun peyi Elam,
They stated that the letter was from Rehum the high commissioner/governor and Shimshai the provincial secretary and from their associates, the judges, and other government officials, who were from Erech [city], Babylon [city], and Susa [city] in Elam [district].
10 avèk chèf tout lòt pèp k'ap viv koulye a nan lavil peyi Samari yo ak nan rès pwovens ki bò solèy kouche larivyè Lefrat la. Se gran wa Asnapa, wa ki te fè tout moun respekte l' la, ki te depòte yo al fè yo viv kote yo ye koulye a.
[They also wrote that they represented] the other people-groups whom [the army of] the great and glorious/famous [King] Ashurbanipal had (deported/forced to move from their homes) and taken to live in Samaria and in other cities in the province west of the Euphrates [River].
11 Men kopi lèt yo te voye bay wa a. -Pou wa Atagzèsès. Se nou menm sèvitè ou yo, moun pwovens lòt bò larivyè Lefrat la, k'ap voye di ou bonjou.
This is what they wrote in the letter: “To King Artaxerxes, From the officials who serve you who live in the province west of the Euphrates [River.]
12 Nou vle fè wa a konnen jwif yo soti nan tout teritwa ki sou lòd li yo, yo vini lavil Jerizalèm, epi y'ap rebati lavil sa a ki pa janm vle soumèt devan li epi ki toujou ap fè bagay ki mal. Y'ap travay pou rebati gwo miray ranpa lavil la, yo gen tan fini ak fondasyon an.
“Your majesty, we want you to know that the Jews who came here from your territories are rebuilding this city, [Jerusalem]. These people are wicked and want to rebel against you. Now they are repairing the foundations [of the walls/buildings] and building the walls [of the city].
13 Nou vle fè wa a konnen, si moun sa yo rebati lavil la, si yo remoute miray ranpa a ankò, yo p'ap peye okenn taks, yo p'ap fè okenn kontribisyon, ni yo p'ap bay lajan yo fè moun peye pou pase lakay yo. Lè sa a se kès wa a menm ki pral fè defisi.
“It is important for you to know that if they rebuild the city and finish building the walls, they will stop paying any kind of taxes. As a result, there will be less money in your treasury.
14 Men, paske nou respekte kontra nou gen avè ou la, monwa, nou pa ka rete konsa ap gade moun yo ap kraze enterè wa a. Se poutèt sa nou voye fè wa a konn sa,
Now, because we are loyal to [IDM] you, and because we do not want you to be humiliated [IDM], we are sending this information to you.
15 pou l' ka fè rechèch nan achiv zansèt li yo te kite. Nan ansyen dokiman sa yo, l'a jwenn sa yo te ekri sou lavil sa a. L'a konnen jan lavil sa a pa te janm vle soumèt devan yo, li te toujou pare pou revòlte. Se poutèt sa yo te detwi lavil sa a nèt.
And, we suggest that you order/tell [your officials] to search the records that your ancestors made/wrote. [If you do that], you will find out that the people in this city have always rebelled [against the government]. You will also find out that from long ago these people have caused trouble for kings and for rulers of provinces. They have always revolted [against those who ruled them]. That is the reason that this city was destroyed [by the Babylonian army].
16 Nou fè wa a konnen si yo rebati lavil sa a, si yo refè miray ranpa li yo, talè konsa wa a p'ap gen yon teritwa pou li ankò nan pwovens bò solèy kouche larivyè Lefrat la.
We want you to know that if they rebuild this city and finish building its walls, you will no longer be able to control/rule [the people in] this province west of the Euphrates [River].”
17 Men repons wa a voye ba yo: -Nou voye gwo bonjou pou Reyoum, gouvènè a, Chimchayi, sekretè pwovens la, ak tout lòt kòlèg yo k'ap viv nan peyi Samari ak nan rès pwovens lòt bò larivyè Lefrat.
[After] the king [read this letter, he] sent this reply to them: “To Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their colleagues in Samaria and in other parts of the province that is west of the [Euphrates] River: I (send you my greetings/wish that things will go well for you).
18 Lèt nou te voye ban mwen an rive jwenn mwen. Yo tradwi l' mo pa mo pou mwen.
The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
19 Mwen pase lòd pou yo fè rechèch nan achiv yo, epi yo jwenn lavil sa a, depi tout tan, te toujou derefize soumèt devan otorite wa yo. Se tout tan gen moun la k'ap revòlte, k'ap pran lèzam kont wa yo.
So then I ordered [my officials] to search the records. I have found out that [it is true that] the people of that city have always revolted against their rulers, and that the city is full of people who have rebelled and caused trouble.
20 Te gen gwo wa ki te konn gouvènen lavil Jerizalèm. Yon lè, yo te donminen sou tout teritwa ki lòt bò larivyè Lefrat la. Yo te konn fè moun peye yo taks, lajan kontribisyon ak lajan pou pèmèt yo pase sou chemen lakay yo.
Powerful kings have ruled in Jerusalem, and they have also ruled over the whole province west of the [Euphrates] River. [The people in that province were] paying all kinds of taxes to those kings.
21 Se poutèt sa, nou mèt bay lòd pou yo rete travay mesye yo ap fè a: Pesonn p'ap gen dwa rebati lavil sa a toutotan mwen pa bay lòd pou sa.
So you must command that the people must stop rebuilding the city. Only if I tell them [that they may rebuild it] will they be allowed to continue.
22 Piga nou pote neglijans nan zafè sa a, pou kès wa a pa fè plis defisi pase sa.
Do this immediately [LIT], because I do not want those people to do anything to harm the things/area about which I am concerned.”
23 Fini yo fini li lèt wa Atagzèsès la bay Reyoum, gouvènè a, Chimchayi, sekretè pwovens la, ak lòt kòlèg yo nan gouvènman an, mesye yo leve, yo kouri lavil Jerizalèm al jwenn jwif yo, avèk zam nan men yo, yo fòse yo sispann travay la.
[Messengers took] that letter to Rehum and Shimshai and their colleagues and read it to them. Then Rehum and the others went quickly to Jerusalem, and they forced the Jews to stop [rebuilding the city wall].
24 Se konsa yo te rete travay tanp Bondye a lavil Jerizalèm. Travay la rete bloke jouk dezyèm lanne rèy Dariyis, wa peyi Pès la.
The result was that the Jews stopped rebuilding the temple. They did not do any more work to rebuild the temple until Darius became the King of Persia.
