Esdras 4
1 Alò, lè lènmi a Juda yo avèk Benjamin yo te tande ke moun egzil yo t ap bati yon tanp a SENYÈ a, Bondye Israël la,
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,
2 yo te pwoche Zorobabel avèk chèf lakay zansèt yo. Yo te di yo: “Annou bati ansanm avèk nou, paske nou, kon ou menm, ap chache Bondye pa ou a. Nou t ap fè sakrifis a Li menm soti nan jou a Ésar-Haddon, wa Assyrie a, ki te mennen nou monte isit la.”
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 Men Zorobabel avèk Josué ak tout lòt chèf a lakay zansèt a Israël yo te di yo: “Ou pa gen anyen ansanm avèk nou menm nan bati yon kay a Bondye nou an, men nou menm pou kont nou, nou va bati a SENYÈ a, Bondye Israël la, kon Cyrus, wa Perse la, te kòmande nou an.”
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 Konsa, pèp peyi a te kòmanse dekouraje pèp Juda a, e te bay yo pwoblem bati a.
Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.
5 Konsa yo te anplwaye konseye yo kont yo pou detounen pwòp bi pa yo pandan tout jou a Cyrus yo, wa Perse la, menm jis rive nan règn Darius la, wa Perse la.
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 Alò nan règn Assuérus la, nan kòmansman règn li a, yo te ekri yon akizasyon kont pèp Juda a avèk Jérusalem nan.
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Nan jou a Artaxerxès yo, Bischlam, Mithredath, Thabeel ak tout lòt kolèg pa yo te ekri a Artaxerxès, wa Perse la. Lèt la te ekri nan lang Amareyen e livre nan lang Amareyen.
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 Rehum, kòmandan an, avèk Schimchaï, grefye a, te ekri yon lèt kont Jérusalem a Wa Artaxerxès la, kon swivan.
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:
9 Alò, ekri pa Rehum, kòmandan an, avèk Schimchaï, avèk tout lòt kolèg yo, jij yo ak gouvènè lokal yo, ofisye yo, sekretè yo, mesye Érec yo, Babilonyen yo, mesye Suse yo, sa vle di, Elamit yo,
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 ak tout lòt nasyon ke onorab e pwisan Onsappar te depòte e retabli nan vil Samarie ak nan tout lòt rejyon lòtbò rivyè Jourdain an.
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 Alò, sa se yon kopi a lèt sila ke yo te voye ba li a: “A wa Artaxerxès: Sèvitè ou yo, mesye nan rejyon lòtbò rivyè a.
(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
12 Kite li vin rekonèt a wa a ke Jwif ki te monte soti kote ou te rive kote nou an Jérusalem. Yo ap rebati vil rebèl e mechan sa a e ap fin fè miray avèk reparasyon fondasyon yo.
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 Alò, kite wa a byen konnen, ke si vil sa a vin rebati, e miray yo konplete, yo p ap peye kontribisyon obligatwa pa yo ankò, ni tarif yo, ni frè lese pase yo, e sa va diminye fòs kès wa a.
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 Alò, akoz nou nan sèvis palè a, e se pa pwòp pou nou ta wè derespektan kont wa a; pou sa a, nou te voye enfòme wa a,
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 pou ou kab fè rechèch nan achiv a papa zansèt pa ou yo. Konsa, ou va dekouvri nan rekò ansyen yo ke vil sila a se yon vil rebelyon, ki konn fè donmaj a wa yo avèk pwovens yo, e ke yo te pwovoke revolisyon ladann nan tan pase yo. Se pou rezon sa a, ke vil sa a te vin detwi nèt konsa.
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 Nou enfòme wa a ke si vil sa a rebati e miray yo konplete; akoz sa a, ou p ap ankò posede anyen nan pwovens lòtbò larivyè Jourdain an.”
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 Wa a te voye reponn a Rehum, kòmandan a Schimschaï, grefye a ak tout lòt kolèg pa yo ki te rete Samarie, ak nan tout lòt pwovens ki te lòtbò Rivyè Jourdain an: Lapè.
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 Dokiman ke nou te voye bannou an te tradwi ak li devan m.
The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.
19 Mwen te fè yon dekrè, rechèch te fèt e li te dekouvri ke vil sa a te konn leve kont wa yo nan jou pase yo, ke rebelyon avèk revolisyon te konn fèt ladann,
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 ke wa pwisan pa yo te konn gouvène tout pwovens lòtbò larivyè yo e ke kontribisyon obligatwa yo, tarif yo, e lese pase yo te konn peye a yo menm.
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 Pou sa, pibliye yon dekrè pou fè mesye sila yo sispann travay la pou vil sila a pa rebati jiskaske yon dekrè pibliye pa mwen menm.
Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.
22 Veye ke nou pa lach nan akonpli bagay sa a. Poukisa nou ta kite donmaj ki p ap nan avantaj a wa yo vin plis?
See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?
23 Depi lè kopi a dekrè a wa Artaxerxès te li devan Rehum avèk Schimschaï, grefye a avèk kolèg parèy a yo, yo te ale byen vit Jérusalem kote Jwif yo, e te fè yo sispann pa fòs a zam.
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 Alò, travay lakay Bondye Jérusalem nan te sispann jis rive nan dezyèm ane a Darius, wa Perse la.
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.
