Esdræ 4

1 Audierunt autem hostes Judæ et Benjamin, quia filii captivitatis ædificarent templum Domino Deo Israël:

Now, when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard—that, the Sons of the Exile, were building the temple, unto Yahweh, 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 drew they near unto Zerubbabel, and unto the ancestral chiefs, and said unto them, Let us build with you, for, like you, we seek your God, and, unto him, have, we, been sacrificing since the days of Esar-haddon, king of Assyria, who brought us up hither.

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

But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the ancestral chiefs of Israel, said unto them, It pertaineth not to you and to us [in common], to build a house unto our God, —but, we ourselves together, will build unto Yahweh, God of Israel, even as King Cyrus, king of Persia, hath commanded us.

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

Then came it to pass, that, the people of the land, were weakening the hands of the people of Judah, —and troubling 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 hiring against them counselors, to overturn 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 ejus, scripserunt accusationem adversus habitatores Judæ et Jerusalem.

And, in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they 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, wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates, unto Artaxerxes, king of Persia, —and, the writing of the letter, was written in Aramean, and was to be interpreted as Aramean.

8 Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, scripserunt epistolam unam de Jerusalem Artaxerxi regi, hujuscemodi:

Rehum holder of judicial authority, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote a certain letter against Jerusalem, —to Artaxerxes the king, thus:

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

Then Rehum holder of judicial authority, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, —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 hath exiled, and set in the city of Samaria, —and the rest Beyond 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 a copy of the letter which they sent unto him—unto Artaxerxes the king, —Thy servants, the men Beyond the River and so forth:

12 Notum sit regi quia Judæi, qui ascenderunt a te ad nos, venerunt in Jerusalem civitatem rebellem et pessimam, quam ædificant exstruentes muros ejus, et parietes componentes.

Be it known unto the king, —that, the Jews who came up from thee unto us, are come to Jerusalem, —the rebellious and wicked city, are they building, and, the walls, have they finished, and, the foundations, will they repair.

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

Now be it known to the king, that, if this city, be built, and, the walls thereof, be finished, neither, tribute, excise, nor toll, will they render, and so, the revenue of the kings, shalt thou damage.

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

Now, because the salt of the palace we have eaten, the impoverishment of the king, it is not meet for us to see, —therefore have we sent, and certified 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.

so that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers, so shalt thou find out in the book of records—and shalt ascertain, that, this city, is a rebellious city, and one that causeth damage unto kings and provinces, and that, rebellion, have they been wont to cause in the midst thereof since the days of age-past time, —for this cause, was this city laid waste.

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

We do certify the king that, if, this city, be built, and, the walls thereof, finished, for that very reason, portion Beyond the River, shalt thou have none.

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, a message, unto Rehum holder of judicial authority, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, who were dwelling in Samaria, and the rest Beyond the River, Peace and so forth.

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

The letter which ye sent unto us, was distinctly 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:

And, from me, went forth an edict, and they have made search and found, that, this city, since the days of age-past time, against kings, hath lifted herself up, —and, sedition and rebellion, have been made therein;

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

and, mighty kings, have there been over Jerusalem, and bearing rule everywhere Beyond the River, —and, tribute, excise, and toll, have been given to them.

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

Now, issue ye an edict, to forbid these men, —that, this city, be not built, until, from me, the edict be issued.

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

Beware, then, of failure to do thus, —wherefore should the damage increase, to inflict loss on the kings?

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

Then, when, the copy of the letter of Artaxerxes the king, had been read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they journeyed in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and forbade them, with arm and force.

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

Then ceased the work of the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, —yea it did cease, until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.