Esdræ 4
1 Audierunt autem hostes Iuda, et Beniamin, quia filii captivitatis aedificarent templum Domino Deo Israel:
Now the enemies of Juda and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to the Lord the God of Israel.
2 et accedentes ad Zorobabel, et ad principes patrum dixerunt eis: Aedificemus vobiscum, quia ita ut vos, quaerimus Deum vestrum: ecce nos immolavimus victimas a diebus Asor Haddan regis Assur, qui adduxit nos huc.
And they came to Zorobabel, and the chief of the fathers, and said to them: Let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do: behold we have sacrificed to him, since the days of Asor Haddan king of Assyria, who brought us hither.
3 Et dixit eis Zorobabel, et Iosue, et reliqui principes patrum Israel: Non est vobis et nobis ut aedificemus domum Deo nostro, sed nosipsi soli aedificabimus Domino Deo nostro, sicut praecepit nobis Cyrus rex Persarum.
But Zorobabel, and Josue, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said to them: You have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God, but we ourselves alone will build to the Lord our God, as Cyrus king of the Persians hath commanded us.
4 Factum est igitur ut populus terrae impediret manus populi Iudae, et turbaret eos in aedificando.
Then the people of the land hindered the hands of the people of Juda, 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 design all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.
6 In regno autem Assueri, in principio regni eius, scripserunt accusationem adversus habitatores Iudae et Ierusalem.
And in the reign of Assuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation 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 Artaxerxes, Beselam, Mithridates, and Thabeel, and the rest that were in the council wrote to Artaxerxes king of the Persians: and the letter of accusation was written in Syriac, and was read in the Syrian tongue.
8 Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba scripserunt epistolam unam de Ierusalem Artaxerxi regi, huiuscemodi:
Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe wrote a letter from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, in this manner:
9 Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, et reliqui consiliatores eorum, Dinaei, et Apharsathachaei, Terphalaei, Apharsaei, Erchuae, Babylonii, Susanechaei, Dievi, et Aelamitae,
Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe and the rest of their counsellors, the Dinites, and the Apharsathacites, the Therphalites, the Apharsites, the Erchuites, the Babylonians, the Susanechites, the Dievites, and the Elamites,
10 et ceteri de Gentibus, quas transtulit Asenaphar magnus et gloriosus: et habitare eas fecit in civitatibus Samariae, et in reliquis regionibus trans Flumen in pace:
And the rest of the nations, whom the great and glorious Asenaphar brought over: and made to dwell in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the countries of this side of the river in peace.
11 (Hoc est exemplar epistolae, quam miserunt ad eum) Artaxerxi regi, servi tui, viri qui sunt trans Fluvium, salutem dicunt.
(This is the copy of the letter, which they sent to him: ) To Artaxerxes the king, thy servants, the men that are on this side of the river, send greeting.
12 Notum sit regi, quia Iudaei, qui ascenderunt a te ad nos, venerunt in Ierusalem civitatem rebellem et pessimam, quam aedificant extruentes muros eius, et parietes componentes.
Be it known to the king, that the Jews, who came up from thee to us, are come to Jerusalem a rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, setting up the ramparts thereof and repairing the walls.
13 Nunc igitur notum sit regi, quia si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, et muri eius instaurati, tributum, et vectigal, et annuos reditus non dabunt, et usque ad reges haec noxa perveniet.
And now be it known to the king, that if this city be built up, and the walls thereof repaired, they will not pay tribute nor toll, nor yearly revenues, and this loss will fail upon the kings.
14 Nos autem memores salis, quod in palatio comedimus, et quia laesiones regis videre nefas ducimus, idcirco misimus et nunciavimus regi,
But we remembering the salt that we have eaten in the palace, and because we count it a crime to see the king wronged, have therefore 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.
That search may be made in the books of the histories of thy fathers, and thou shalt find written in the records: and shalt know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to the kings and provinces, and that wars were raised therein of old time: for which cause also the city was destroyed.
16 Nunciamus nos regi, quoniam si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, et muri ipsius instaurati, possessionem trans Fluvium non habebis.
We certify the king, that if this city be built, and the walls thereof repaired, thou shalt have no possession on this side of the river.
17 Verbum misit rex ad Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scribam, et ad reliquos, qui erant in consilio eorum habitatores Samariae, et ceteris trans Fluvium, salutem dicens et pacem.
The king sent word to Reum Beelteem and Samsai the scribe, and to the rest that were in their council, inhabitants of Samaria, and to the rest beyond the river, sending greeting and peace.
18 Accusatio, quam misistis ad nos, manifeste lecta est coram me.
The accusation, which you have sent to us, hath been plainly read before me,
19 et a me praeceptum est: et recensuerunt, inveneruntque quoniam civitas illa a diebus antiquis adversum reges rebellat, et seditiones, et praelia concitantur in ea:
And I commanded: and search hath been made, and it is found, that this city of old time hath rebelled against kings, and seditions and wars have been raised therein.
20 nam et reges fortissimi fuerunt in Ierusalem, qui et dominati sunt omni regioni. quae trans Fluvium est: tributum quoque et vectigal, et reditus accipiebant.
For there have been powerful kings in Jerusalem, who hare had dominion over all the country that is beyond the river: and have received tribute, and toll and revenues.
21 Nunc ergo audite sententiam: Prohibeatis viros illos ut urbs illa non aedificetur, donec si forte a me iussum fuerit.
Now therefore hear the sentence: Hinder those men, that this city be not built, till further orders be given by me.
22 Videte ne negligenter hoc impleatis, et paulatim crescat malum contra reges.
See that you be not negligent in executing this, lest by little and little the evil 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 Iudaeos, et prohibuerunt eos in brachio et robore.
Now the copy of the edict of king Artaxerxes was read before Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe, and their counsellors: and they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and hindered them with arm and power.
24 Tunc intermissum est opus domus Domini in Ierusalem, et non fiebat usque ad annum secundum regni Darii regis Persarum.
Then the work of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was interrupted, and ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.
