Esdræ 4

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

And the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building the temple to Jehovah 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.

and they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief fathers, and said to them, We would build with you; for we seek your God, as ye; and we have sacrificed to him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up 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.

But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief fathers of Israel said to them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God, but we alone will build to Jehovah the God of Israel, as king Cyrus, the king of Persia, has 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 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 they hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

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

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, 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.

And 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 Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic.

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 Artaxerxes the king after this sort:

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

Rehum the chancellor, 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 peoples whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over and settled in the cities of Samaria, and the rest [of the country] on this side the river, and so forth.

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 him: To Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men on this side the river, and so forth.

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 thee unto us have come to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and they complete the walls and join up 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 therefore unto the king, that, if this city be built and the walls be completed, they will not pay tribute, tax, and toll, and in the end it will bring damage 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, since we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not right for us to see the king's injury, 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 annals of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the annals and know that this city is a rebellious city, which has done damage to kings and provinces, and that they have raised sedition within the same of old time, for which cause this city was destroyed.

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 its walls be completed, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side 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.

The king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and the other places beyond the river: Peace, and so forth.

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

The letter that ye sent to us has been read before me distinctly.

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 I gave orders, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city of old time has made insurrection against the kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been raised therein.

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 have been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all beyond the river; and tribute, tax, and toll were paid to them.

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

Now give order to make these men to cease, and that this city be not built, until the order shall be given from me;

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

and take heed that ye fail not to do this: why should harm grow to the damage 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.

As soon as the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them 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 the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.