Ezra 4
1 Mgbe ndị iro Juda na Benjamin nụrụ na ndị ahụ a dọtara nʼagha alọtala, nụkwa na ha na-ewugharị ụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel,
Now some enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people who had been exiled were now building a temple for Yahweh, the God of Israel.
2 ha bịakwutere Zerubabel na ndịisi ezinaụlọ sị ha, “Kwerenụ ka anyị nyere unu aka nʼọrụ iwu ụlọ a, nʼihi na anyị hụrụ Chineke unu nʼanya dịka unu onwe unu si hụ ya nʼanya. Lee na kemgbe Isahadon eze Asịrịa butere anyị nʼebe a, anyị alabeghị azụ ịchụrụ ya aja.”
So they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of their ancestors' clans. They said to them, “Let us build with you, for, like you, we seek your God and have sacrificed to him since the days when Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, brought us to this place.”
3 Ma Zerubabel, na Jeshua na ndịisi ọzọ zara sị ha, “Unu enweghị oke ọbụla nʼọrụ iwuru Chineke anyị ụlọnsọ. Naanị ndị anyị ga-ewuru Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel ụlọ ukwu a dịka Sairọs eze Peshịa nyere nʼiwu.”
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the heads of their ancestors' clans said, “It is not you, but we who must build the house of our God, for it is we who will build for Yahweh, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded.”
4 Ya mere ndị niile nọ ha gburugburu malitere ime ihe ga-ewetara ndị Juda ịda mba nʼobi, na ihe ga-eme ka ụjọ tụọ ha ịga nʼihu nʼọrụ iwu ụlọ ahụ.
So the people of the land made the Judeans' hands weak; they made the Judeans afraid to build.
5 Ha ji ngarị gota ụfọdụ ndịisi ka ha megide ha, mebikwaa atụmatụ ha niile nʼoge niile Sairọs bụ eze Peshịa, ruokwa nʼoge Daraiọs ghọrọ eze ọhụrụ Peshịa.
They also bribed counselors to frustrate their plans. They did this during all of Cyrus' days and into the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Na mmalite ọchịchị Sekses, ha deere ya akwụkwọ ebubo megide ndị Juda na Jerusalem.
Then at the beginning of Ahasuerus' reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Nʼụbọchị niile ahụ Ataksekses bụ eze ndị Peshịa, ka Bishlam, na Mitredat, na Tabeel, na ndị otu ya fọdụrụ degaara Ataksekses akwụkwọ. E dere akwụkwọ ozi ahụ nʼodide akwụkwọ ndị Aramaik, a sụgharịkwara ya nʼasụsụ Aramaik.
It was during the days of Artaxerxes that Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their companions wrote to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.
8 Ndị ọzọ soro ha gbaa ajọ izu a bụ Rehum onyeisi ọchịchị, na Shimshai ode akwụkwọ. Ha deere Ataksekses akwụkwọ megide ndị Jerusalem sị ya:
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote this way to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem.
9 “Akwụkwọ ozi a si nʼaka Rehum, onyeisi agha na Shimshai ode akwụkwọ, na ndị otu anyị ndị ọzọ, na ndị ikpe, na ndịisi obodo na-elekọta ndị ahụ niile si Tripolis, na Peshịa, na Erek, na Babilọn, na Susa nke dị nʼElam,
Then Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, who were judges and other officers in the government, the Persians, men from Erech and Babylon, and the men from Susa (that is, the Elamites)—they wrote a letter—
10 na ọtụtụ ndị ọzọ ahụ onye ukwu ahụ na onye a na-asọpụrụ bụ Ashobanipal si nʼala ha bupụ bute na Sameria, na obodo ndị ọzọ dị nʼọdịda anyanwụ Yufretis.”
and they were joined by the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal forced to settle in Samaria, along with the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River.
11 Nke a bụ ihe ha dere nʼakwụkwọ ha zigaara Eze Ataksekses. Ọ bụ gị, eze ukwu Ataksekses, ka ndị ohu gị bi nʼakụkụ ọdịda anyanwụ Yufretis na-edetara akwụkwọ a.
This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes: “Your servants, men of the Province Beyond the River, write this:
12 Nke a bụ ime ka ị mata na ndị Juu si Babilọn lọta Jerusalem ọhụrụ a ebidola iwughachi obodo ọjọọ nke nnupu isi ahụ. Ha ewuolarị mgbidi ya, tọkwaa ntọala ya.
Let the king know that the Jews who went from you have come against us in Jerusalem to build a rebellious city. They have completed the walls and repaired the foundations.
13 Anyị chọrọ ka o doo gị anya na ọ bụrụ na ha ewuchaa ya, ọ ga-abụ nsogbu nye alaeze gị, nʼihi na ndị Juu agaghị ekwekwa ịtụrụ gị ụtụ isi ha.
Now let the king know that if this city is built and the wall is completed, they will not give any tribute and taxes, but they will harm the kings.
14 Ebe anyị na-asọpụrụ gị dịka nna anyị ukwu, anyị achọghị ka ihe ọjọọ mee nʼalaeze gị, ya mere anyị ji kpebie idere gị akwụkwọ a.
Surely because we have eaten the palace salt, it is not fitting for us to see any dishonor happen to the king. It is because of this that we are informing the king
15 Anyị chọrọ ka i leba anya nʼakwụkwọ akụkọ nke mgbe ochie, ka ị chọpụta na ọ dịghị mgbe Jerusalem na-ejighị bụrụ obodo nnupu isi. Nʼezie, ọ bụ nʼihi nnupu isi a na nkwulu nke ha na-ekwulu ndị eze dị iche iche, ka e ji bibie ya na mbụ.
to search your father's record and to verify that this is a rebellious city that will harm kings and provinces. It has caused many problems to the kings and provinces. It has been a center for rebellion from long ago. It was for this reason that the city was destroyed.
16 Anyị chọrọ ka ị mata na ọ bụrụ na e wuchaa mgbidi obodo a, ọ ga-esi ike ka akụkụ alaeze gị a, nke dị ruo nʼosimiri Yufretis, bụrụkwa nke gị ọzọ.
We are informing the king that if this city and wall are built, then there will be nothing remaining for you in the Province Beyond the River.”
17 Eze ahụ si otu a saa akwụkwọ ahụ, Ọ sịrị ha, Rehum onyeisi ọchịchị, na Shimshai ode akwụkwọ, na ndị otu ha bi na Sameria ruo nʼọdịda anyanwụ nke osimiri Yufretis. Ndeewonụ.
So the king sent out a reply to Rehum and Shimshai and their companions in Samaria and the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River: “May peace be yours.
18 Akwụkwọ ozi ahụ unu zitere anyị, agụọla ma tapịakwaa ya nʼihu m.
The letter that you sent me has been translated and read to me.
19 Enyere m iwu ka e nyochaa chọpụta, e mere nyochaa, a chọpụtakwara ya nʼakwụkwọ na obodo a siterị nʼoge gara aga bụ obodo na-ebuli onwe ya megide ọtụtụ ndị eze, bụrụkwa ebe na-akpali nnupu isi na okwu na-eweta ọgbaaghara.
So I ordered an investigation and discovered that in previous days they had rebelled and revolted against kings.
20 Jerusalem e nweela ụfọdụ ndị eze nke chịrị nʼIzrel, ndị dị ike a maara aha ha, ndị alaeze ha gbasara rute nʼosimiri Yufretis, ndị a na-atụkwara ụtụ dị iche iche.
Mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and had power over everything in the Province Beyond the River. Tribute and taxes were paid to them.
21 Ugbu a, nye iwu ka ndị ikom ndị ahụ kwụsị ọrụ, ka a ghara iwuzi obodo a tutu ruo mgbe m ga-enye iwu.
Now, make a decree for these men to stop and not build this city until I make a decree.
22 Lezienụ anya ka unu ghara i lepụrụ okwu a anya. Gịnị ga-eme ka a hapụ ihe iyi egwu a ka ọ gaa nʼihu, ime ka ihe jọrọ alaeze a njọ karịa?
Be careful not to neglect this. Why allow this threat to grow and cause more loss for the royal interests?
23 Ngwangwa a gụrụ akwụkwọ ozi si nʼaka eze Ataksekses, nye Rehum na Shimshai bụ ode akwụkwọ, na ndị otu ha, ha mere ọsịịsọ gakwuru ndị Juu na Jerusalem jiri ike kwagide ha ka ha kwụsị ịrụ ọrụ ahụ.
When King Artaxerxes' decree was read before Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, they went out quickly to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop building.
24 Ya mere, ha kwụsịrị ịrụ ọrụ nʼụlọnsọ ukwu Chineke na Jerusalem tutu ruo nʼafọ abụọ nke ọchịchị Daraiọs eze Peshịa.
So the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
