Esdræ 4

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

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people from the exile were building a temple to YHWH, the 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.

then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of ancestral houses, and said to them, "Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."

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.

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of ancestral houses 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 YHWH, the God of Israel, as king Koresh the king of Persia has commanded us."

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

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled 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 hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Koresh king of Persia, even until the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.

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

In the reign of Achashyerosh, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah 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.

In the days of Artachshasta wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, to Artachshasta king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic, and set forth in the Aramaic language.

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

Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artachshasta the king as follows:

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

[From] Rehum the commander, and 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 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 Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and in the rest of the country 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 copy of the letter that they sent to Artachshasta the king: Your servants the men beyond the River. And now,

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 have come to us to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and wicked city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.

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.

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

Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and informed 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 search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: so you shall find 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 moved sedition within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste.

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

We inform the king that, if this city be built, and the walls finished, by this means you shall have no portion beyond the River.

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 an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Peace, and so forth.

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

The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read 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:

I decreed, and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in 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.

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

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

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

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

Take heed that you not be slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the 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 when the copy of king Artachshasta's letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

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 God's house which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.