Ezra 4
1 Berita bahwa orang-orang bekas buangan itu sedang membangun Rumah TUHAN, Allah Israel, terdengar oleh musuh orang Yehuda dan Benyamin.
And adversaries of Judah and Benjamin hear that the sons of the captivity are building a temple to YHWH, God of Israel,
2 Sebab itu mereka menemui Zerubabel dan para kepala kaum, lalu mengusulkan, "Izinkanlah kami ikut membangun Rumah TUHAN itu, sebab kami juga berbakti kepada Allah saudara-saudara, sama seperti saudara sekalian. Kami selalu mempersembahkan kurban kepadanya sejak Esar-Hadon, raja Asyur membawa kami ke mari."
and they draw near to Zerubbabel, and to heads of the fathers, and say to them, “Let us build with you; for, like you, we seek to your God, and we are not sacrificing since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Asshur, who brought us up here.”
3 Tetapi Zerubabel, Yesua dan para kepala kaum itu menjawab, "Kami tidak memerlukan bantuan kalian untuk membangun rumah bagi TUHAN Allah kami. Kami akan membangunnya sendiri sesuai dengan perintah Kores, raja Persia, kepada kami."
And Zerubbabel says to them, also Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel, “Not for you, and for us, to build a house to our God; but we ourselves together build to YHWH God of Israel, as King Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us.”
4 Kemudian penduduk yang sudah lama tinggal di negeri itu mulai melemahkan semangat orang Yahudi serta menakut-nakuti mereka supaya pembangunan itu dihentikan.
And it comes to pass, the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble, and troubling them in building,
5 Mereka menyogok pejabat-pejabat pemerintah Persia supaya menggagalkan rencana orang Yahudi itu. Hal itu terus berlangsung selama pemerintahan Raja Kores sampai pemerintahan Raja Darius.
and are hiring against them counselors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Pada awal pemerintahan Raja Ahasyweros, musuh-musuh penduduk Yerusalem dan Yehuda menulis surat gugatan.
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the commencement of his reign, they have written an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem;
7 Juga pada zaman pemerintahan Artahsasta, kaisar Persia, kejadian itu berulang: Bislam, Mitredat, Tabeel dan rekan-rekan mereka menulis surat kepada raja. Surat itu ditulis dalam bahasa Aram, dan harus diterjemahkan ketika dibacakan.
and in the days of Artaxerxes have Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions written to Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter is written in Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic.
8 Artahsasta juga menerima surat mengenai Yerusalem. Surat itu dikirim oleh Gubernur Rehum dan Simsai sekretaris provinsi dan didukung oleh rekan-rekan mereka, yaitu para hakim dan semua pejabat Persia lain yang berasal dari Erekh, Babel, dan Susan di negeri Elam,
Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus:
Then Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions, Dinaites, and Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites (who are Elamites),
10 juga oleh bangsa-bangsa lain yang telah diangkut Asnapar Yang Agung dan disuruh menetap di kota Samaria dan di kota-kota lain dalam provinsi Efrat Barat.
and the rest of the nations that the great and honorable Asnapper removed and set in the city of Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, and at such a time:
11 Begini bunyi surat itu, "Ke hadapan Raja Artahsasta, dari para hamba Baginda yang tinggal di Efrat Barat. Salam.
This [is] a copy of a letter that they have sent to him, to Artaxerxes the king: “Your servants, men beyond the river, and at such a time;
12 Kiranya Baginda maklum, bahwa orang Yahudi yang telah meninggalkan wilayah-wilayah lain dalam kerajaan Baginda, kini menetap di Yerusalem dan sedang membangun kembali kota yang jahat dan suka memberontak itu. Mereka sudah mulai mendirikan lagi tembok-temboknya dan tak lama lagi akan menyelesaikan pekerjaan itu.
be it known to the king, that the Jews who have come up from you to us, have come to Jerusalem, the rebellious and base city they are building, and the walls they have finished, and the foundations they join.
13 Jika kota itu berhasil dibangun kembali dan tembok-temboknya selesai didirikan, penduduknya tidak akan mau lagi membayar pajak, lalu pendapatan kerajaan akan berkurang.
Now let it be known to the king, that if this city is built and the walls finished, that they do not give toll, tribute, and custom; and at length it causes loss [to] the kings.
14 Kami sudah berhutang budi kepada Baginda dan tidak ingin melihat Baginda dirugikan. Karena itu kami mengusulkan,
Now because that the salt of the palace [is] our salt, and we have no patience to see the nakedness of the king, therefore we have sent and made known to the king;
15 agar Baginda menyuruh meneliti arsip para leluhur Baginda. Dari isinya Baginda akan mengetahui bahwa kota Yerusalem memang suka memberontak dan sejak dahulu selalu merugikan para raja dan penguasa provinsi. Penduduknya selalu susah dipimpin. Itu sebabnya kota itu telah dihancurkan.
so that he seeks in the scroll of the records of your fathers, and you find in the scroll of the records, and know, that this city [is] a rebellious city, and causing loss [to] kings and provinces, and makers of sedition [are] in its midst from the days of old, therefore this city has been ruined.
16 Jadi, kami yakin, bahwa apabila kota itu dibangun kembali dan tembok-temboknya didirikan, Baginda tidak akan dapat lagi menguasai provinsi Efrat Barat ini."
We are making known to the king that, if this city be built and the walls finished, by this means you have no portion beyond the river.”
17 Raja mengirim jawaban ini, "Kepada Gubernur Rehum dan Simsai sekretaris provinsi, serta rekan-rekan mereka yang tinggal di Samaria dan di kota-kota lain di provinsi Efrat Barat. Salam.
The king has sent an answer to Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions who are dwelling in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, “Peace, and at such a time:
18 Surat yang Saudara-saudara kirimkan telah diterjemahkan dan dibacakan kepadaku.
The letter that you sent to us, explained, has been read before me,
19 Lalu atas perintahku sudah diadakan penelitian, dan memang terbukti bahwa sejak zaman dahulu Yerusalem selalu melawan kuasa raja-raja dan banyak di antara penduduknya adalah pemberontak dan perusuh.
and by me a decree has been made, and they sought, and have found that this city is lifting up itself against kings from the days of old, and rebellion and sedition is made in it,
20 Pernah raja-raja yang perkasa memerintah di sana dan menguasai seluruh provinsi Efrat Barat serta menjalankan pajak dan upeti.
and mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, even rulers over all beyond the river, and toll, tribute, and custom is given to them.
21 Sebab itu, keluarkanlah perintah untuk menghentikan pekerjaan orang-orang itu, supaya kota itu jangan dibangun kembali sampai aku memberi perintah lain.
Now make a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city is not built, until a decree is made by me.
22 Laksanakanlah perintahku itu dengan segera supaya jangan bertambah besar lagi kerugianku!"
And beware of negligence in doing this; why does the hurt become great to the loss of the kings?”
23 Segera setelah surat Artahsasta itu dibacakan kepada Rehum, Simsai dan rekan-rekan mereka, berangkatlah mereka ke Yerusalem dan memaksa orang Yahudi menghentikan pekerjaan membangun kembali kota itu.
Then from the time that a copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes is read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they have gone in haste to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and strength;
24 Pekerjaan Rumah TUHAN telah dihentikan dan tidak diteruskan sampai tahun kedua pemerintahan Darius, raja Persia.
then ceased the service of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
