Esdræ 4

1 Audierunt autem hostes Iudæ, et Beniamin, quia filii captivitatis ædificarent templum Domino Deo Israel:

And they that afflicted Juda and Benjamin heard, that the children of the captivity were building a house to the Lord God of Israel.

2 et accedentes ad Zorobabel, et ad principes patrum dixerunt eis: Ædificemus vobiscum, quia ita ut vos, quærimus Deum vestrum: ecce nos immolavimus victimas a diebus Asor Haddan regis Assur, qui adduxit nos huc.

And they drew near to Zorobabel, and to the heads of families, and said to them, We will build with you; for as you [do], we seek [to serve] our God, and we do sacrifice to him from the days of Asaradan king of Assur, who brought us hither.

3 Et dixit eis Zorobabel, et Iosue, et reliqui principes patrum Israel: Non est vobis et nobis ut ædificemus domum Deo nostro, sed nosipsi soli ædificabimus Domino Deo nostro, sicut præcepit nobis Cyrus rex Persarum.

then Zorobabel, and Jesus and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel said to them, [It is] not for us and you to build a house to our God, for we ourselves will build together to the Lord our God, as Cyrus the king of the Persians commanded us.

4 Factum est igitur ut populus terræ impediret manus populi Iudæ, et turbaret eos in ædificando.

And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Juda, and hindered them in building,

5 Conduxerunt autem adversus eos consiliatores, ut destruerent consilium eorum omnibus diebus Cyri regis Persarum, et usque ad regnum Darii regis Persarum.

and [continued] hiring [persons] against them, plotting to frustrate their counsel, all the days of Cyrus king of the Persians, and until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

6 In regno autem Assueri, in principio regni eius, scripserunt accusationem adversus habitatores Iudæ et Ierusalem.

And in the reign of Assuerus, even in the beginning of his reign, they wrote a letter against the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem.

7 Et in diebus Artaxerxis scripsit Beselam Mithridates, et Thabeel, et reliqui, qui erant in consilio eorum, ad Artaxerxem regem Persarum: epistola autem accusationis scripta erat Syriace, et legebatur sermone Syro.

And in the days of Arthasastha, Tabeel wrote peaceably to Mithradates and to the rest of his fellow-servants: the tribute-gatherer wrote to Arthasastha king of the Persians a writing in the Syrian tongue, and [the same] interpreted.

8 Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba scripserunt epistolam unam de Ierusalem Artaxerxi regi, huiuscemodi:

Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe wrote an epistle against Jerusalem to King Arthasastha, [saying, ]

9 Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, et reliqui consiliatores eorum, Dinæi, et Apharsathachæi, Terphalæi, Apharsæi, Erchuæi, Babylonii, Susanechæi, Dievi, et Ælamitæ,

Thus has judged Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and the rest of our fellow-servants, the Dinaeans, the Apharsathachaeans, the Tarphalaeans, the Apharsaeans, the Archyaeans, the Babylonians, the Susanachaeans, Davaeans,

10 et ceteri de gentibus, quas transtulit Asenaphar magnus et gloriosus: et habitare eas fecit in civitatibus Samariæ, et in reliquis regionibus trans Flumen in pace:

and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Assenaphar removed, and settled them in the cities of Somoron, and the rest [of them] beyond the river.

11 (Hoc est exemplar epistolæ, quam miserunt ad eum) Artaxerxi regi, servi tui, viri qui sunt trans Fluvium, salutem dicunt.

This [is] the purport of the letter, which they sent to him: Your servants the men beyond the river to king Arthasastha.

12 Notum sit regi, quia Iudæi, qui ascenderunt a te ad nos, venerunt in Ierusalem civitatem rebellem et pessimam, quam ædificant extruentes muros eius, et parietes componentes.

Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem the rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, and its walls are set in order, and they have established the foundations of it.

13 Nunc igitur notum sit regi, quia si civitas illa ædificata fuerit, et muri eius instaurati, tributum, et vectigal, et annuos reditus non dabunt, et usque ad reges hæc noxa perveniet.

Now then be it known to the king, that if that city be built up, and its walls completed, you shall have no tribute, neither will they pay [anything], and this injures kings.

14 Nos autem memores salis, quod in palatio comedimus, et quia læsiones regis videre nefas ducimus, idcirco misimus et nunciavimus regi,

And it is not lawful for us to see the dishonor of the king: therefore have we sent and made known [the matter] to the king;

15 ut recenseas in libris historiarum patrum tuorum, et invenies scriptum in commentariis: et scies quoniam urbs illa, urbs rebellis est, et nocens regibus et provinciis, et bella concitantur in ea ex diebus antiquis: quam ob rem et civitas ipsa destructa est.

That examination may be made in your fathers' book of record; and you shall find, and you shall know that city [is] rebellious, and does harm to kings and countries, and there are in the midst of it from very old time refuges for [runaway] slaves: therefore this city has been made desolate.

16 Nunciamus nos regi, quoniam si civitas illa ædificata fuerit, et muri ipsius instaurati, possessionem trans Fluvium non habebis.

We therefore declare to the king, that, if that city be built, and its walls be set up, you shall not have peace.

17 Verbum misit rex ad Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scribam, et ad reliquos, qui erant in consilio eorum habitatores Samariæ, et ceteris trans Fluvium, salutem dicens et pacem.

Then the king sent to Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and the rest of their fellow-servants who lived in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, [saying, ]Peace; and he says,

18 Accusatio, quam misistis ad nos, manifeste lecta est coram me.

The tribute-gatherer whom you sent to us, has been called before me.

19 Et a me præceptum est: et recensuerunt, inveneruntque quoniam civitas illa a diebus antiquis adversum reges rebellat, et seditiones, et prælia concitantur in ea:

And a decree has been made by me, and we have examined, and found that city of old time exalts itself against kings, and that rebellions and desertions take place within it.

20 nam et reges fortissimi fuerunt in Ierusalem, qui et dominati sunt omni regioni, quæ trans Fluvium est: tributum quoque et vectigal, et reditus accipiebant.

And there were powerful kings in Jerusalem, and they ruled over all the [country] beyond the river, and abundant revenues and tribute were given to them.

21 Nunc ergo audite sententiam: Prohibeatis viros illos ut urbs illa non ædificetur, donec si forte a me iussum fuerit.

Now therefore make a decree to stop the work of those men, and that city shall no more be built.

22 Videte ne negligenter hoc impleatis, et paulatim crescat malum contra reges.

[See] that you be careful of the decree, [not] to be remiss concerning this matter, lest at any time destruction should abound to the harm of kings.

23 Itaque exemplum edicti Artaxerxis regis lectum est coram Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, et consiliariis eorum: et abierunt festini in Ierusalem ad Iudæos, et prohibuerunt eos in brachio et robore.

Then the tribute-gatherer of king Arthasastha read [the letter] before Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and his fellow-servants: and they went in haste to Jerusalem and through Juda, and caused them to cease with horses and an [armed] force.

24 Tunc intermissum est opus domus Domini in Ierusalem, et non fiebat usque ad annum secundum regni Darii regis Persarum.

Then ceased the work of the house of God in Jerusalem, and it was at a stand until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.