Ezra 4
1 Ita, nangngeg dagiti dadduma a kabusor ti Juda ken Benjamin a dagiti tattao a naitalaw idi ket agdama a mangibangbangon iti templo para kenni Yahweh a Dios ti Israel.
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 Isu a kinatungtongda ni Zerubbabel ken dagiti pangulo dagiti puli dagiti kapuonanda. Kinunada kadakuada, “Kaduaandakayo a mangibangon, gapu ta kas kadakayo, agdaydayaw kami met iti Diosyo ken nagidatdaton kami kenkuana manipud pay kadagiti al-aldaw nga impannakami ditoy a lugar ni Esarhadon nga ari ti Asiria.”
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 Ngem kinuna da Zerubbabel, Jesua, ken dagiti pangulo dagiti puli dagiti kapuonanda, “Saan a dakayo, no di ket dakami ti kasapulan a mangibangon iti balay ti Diosmi, ta dakami ti mangibangon para kenni Yahweh a Dios ti Israel, kas iti imbilin ni Cyrus nga Ari ti Persia.”
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 Isu a pinakapoy dagiti tattao iti dayta a lugar dagiti im-ima dagiti taga-Juda; pinagbutengda dagiti taga-Juda a mangibangon.
So the people of the land made the Judeans' hands weak; they made the Judeans afraid to build.
5 Pinasuksukanda pay dagiti mammagbaga tapno saan a matungpal dagiti panggepda. Inaramidda daytoy kabayatan dagiti amin nga al-aldaw ni Cyrus ken iti panagari ni Dario nga ari ti Persia.
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 Ket iti rugrugi ti panagturay ni ari Ahasuero, nagisuratda kadagiti pammadpadakes a maibusor kadagiti agnanaed iti Juda ken Jerusalem.
Then at the beginning of Ahasuerus' reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Kabayatan dagiti al-aldaw ni Ahasuero, nagsurat kenkuana da Bislam, Mitredat, Tabeel ken dagiti kakaduada. Arameo ti pannakaisuratna ken naipatarus.
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 Kastoy a wagas ti panagsurat ni Rehum a mangidadaulo ken ni Simsai nga eskriba kenni Artaxerxes maipapan iti Jerusalem.
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote this way to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem.
9 Kalpasanna, nagsurat da Rehum, Simsai ken dagiti kakaduada nga ukom ken dadduma pay nga opisial iti gobierno a naggapu idiay Erec, Babilonia ken Susa idiay Elam
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 ket kinaduaan pay ida dagiti tattao a pinilit ti natan-ok ken natakneng a ni Asurbanipal a pagnaeden idiay Samaria, agraman dagiti nabati nga adda idiay Probinsia iti Ballasiw ti Karayan.
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 Daytoy ti kopia ti surat nga impatulodda kenni Artaxerxes, “Dagiti adipenmo, a lallaki nga adda iti ballasiw ti karayan ti makinsurat iti daytoy:
This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes: “Your servants, men of the Province Beyond the River, write this:
12 Maipakaammo iti ari a dagiti Judio a pimmanaw manipud kenka ket immayda a maibusor kadakami ditoy Jerusalem tapno mangibangon iti nasukir a siudad. Nalpasdan dagiti pader ken natarimaandan dagiti pundasion.
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 Ita, maipakaammo iti Ari a no naipatekderen daytoy a siudad ken nalpasen ti pader, saandanton a mangted kadagiti pagyaman ken buwis, ket dangrandanto dagiti ari.
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 Pudno a gapu ta nangankami iti asin ti palasyo, saan ngarud a rumbeng a makitami a saan a mapadpadayawan ti ari. Daytoy ti makagapu nga ipakpakaammomi iti Ari
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 a sukimatem koma dagiti listaan ti amam tapno maammoam a daytoy ket nasukir a siudad a mangdangran kadagiti ari ken kadagiti probinsia. Nangted daytoy iti adu a parikut kadagiti ari ken probinsia. Nagbalin daytoy a sentro iti panagsukir manipud pay idi. Daytoy ti makagapu a nadadael ti siudad.
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 Ipakpakaammomi iti ari a no maibangon manen daytoy a siudad ken ti paderna, awanen ti mabati a para kenka iti ballasiw ti dakkel a karayan, ti Eufrates.”
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 Nangipatulod ngarud iti sungbat ti Ari kada Rehum ken Simsai ken kadagiti kakaduada idiay Samaria ken kadagiti nabatbati pay nga adda iti ballasiw ti Karayan: “Kapya koma ti umadda kadakayo.
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 Naipatarus ken naibasa kaniak ti surat nga impatulodyo.
The letter that you sent me has been translated and read to me.
19 Isu nga imbilinko ti pannakasukimat ket natakuatan a kadagiti naglabas nga al-aldaw, nagsukirda ken bimmusorda kadagiti ari.
So I ordered an investigation and discovered that in previous days they had rebelled and revolted against kings.
20 Nagturay dagiti nabibileg nga ar-ari iti Jerusalem ken inturayanda dagiti amin nga adda iti ballasiw ti Karayan. Immawatda kadagiti bayad a pagyaman ken buwis.
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 Ita, mangaramidka iti bilin tapno agsardengda ken saandan a bangonen daytoy a siudad agingga a mangaramidak iti maysa a bilin.
Now, make a decree for these men to stop and not build this city until I make a decree.
22 Kitaenyo ta amangan no maliwayanyo daytoy. Apay ketdin a maitulok ti pannakadadael a mangdangran kadagiti ar-ari?”
Be careful not to neglect this. Why allow this threat to grow and cause more loss for the royal interests?
23 Apaman a naibasa ti bilin ni Artaxerxes iti sangoanan da Rehum, Simsai, ken dagiti kakaduada, napanda a dagus idiay Jerusalem ket pinilitda dagiti Judio a sumardeng nga agibangbangon.
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 Isu a naisardeng ti panagtrabaho iti balay ti Dios idiay Jerusalem agingga iti maikadua a tawen ti panagturay ni Dario nga ari iti Persia.
So the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
