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 when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to the LORD, 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.”

they came near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”

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 rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”

4 Isu a pinakapoy dagiti tattao iti dayta a lugar dagiti im-ima dagiti taga-Juda; pinagbutengda dagiti taga-Juda a mangibangon.

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.

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 hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until 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.

In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his 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.

In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian and delivered in the Syrian language.

8 Kastoy a wagas ti panagsurat ni Rehum a mangidadaulo ken ni Simsai nga eskriba kenni Artaxerxes maipapan iti Jerusalem.

Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows.

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 the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,

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 the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth, wrote.

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 the copy of the letter that they sent: To King Artaxerxes, from your servants, the people beyond the River.

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.

Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem. They are building the rebellious and bad city, and have finished 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.

Be it known now to the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to 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

Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not appropriate for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed 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.

that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have started rebellions within it in the past. That is why this 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 inform the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, then you will have no possession 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.

Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who live in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Peace.

18 Naipatarus ken naibasa kaniak ti surat nga impatulodyo.

The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.

19 Isu nga imbilinko ti pannakasukimat ket natakuatan a kadagiti naglabas nga al-aldaw, nagsukirda ken bimmusorda kadagiti ari.

I decreed, and search has been made, and it was found that this city has made insurrection against kings in the past, and that rebellion and revolts have been made in it.

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.

There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll was paid to them.

21 Ita, mangaramidka iti bilin tapno agsardengda ken saandan a bangonen daytoy a siudad agingga a mangaramidak iti maysa a bilin.

Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built until a decree is made by me.

22 Kitaenyo ta amangan no maliwayanyo daytoy. Apay ketdin a maitulok ti pannakadadael a mangdangran kadagiti ar-ari?”

Be careful that you not be slack doing so. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

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.

Then when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force of arms.

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.

Then work stopped on God’s house which is at Jerusalem. It stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.