Esdræ 4
1 Audierunt autem hostes Iuda, et Beniamin, quia filii captivitatis aedificarent templum Domino Deo Israel:
The enemies of the people of [the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin heard that the [Israeli] people who had returned from Babylonia were rebuilding a temple for Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people [worshiped].
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.
So they went to Zerubbabel [the governor] and the other leaders, and said [deceptively], “We want to help [you build the temple], because we worship that same God whom you worship, and we have been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon, the King of Assyria, brought us here.”
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 Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other [Israeli] leaders replied, “We will not allow you to help us build a temple for our(exc) God. We will build it (ourselves/without your help) for Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship, like Cyrus, the King of Persia, told us to do.”
4 Factum est igitur ut populus terrae impediret manus populi Iudae, et turbaret eos in aedificando.
Then the people who had been living in that land [before the Israelis returned] tried to cause the Jews to become discouraged and become afraid, and to cause them to stop building the temple.
5 Conduxerunt autem adversus eos consiliatores, ut destruerent consilium eorum omnibus diebus Cyri regis Persarum, et usque ad regnum Darii regis Persarum.
They bribed government officials to oppose what the Israelis were doing [and prevent them from continuing to work on the temple]. They did that all during the time that Cyrus was King of Persia. They continued to do it when Darius became the King of Persia.
6 In regno autem Assueri, in principio regni eius, scripserunt accusationem adversus habitatores Iudae et Ierusalem.
During the first year that [Darius’ son] Xerxes was king, the [enemies of the Jews] wrote a note [to the king] saying that the Jews [were planning to rebel against the government].
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.
Later, when [Xerxes’ son] Artaxerxes [became the King of Persia], Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and their colleagues/companions wrote a letter to him. They wrote the letter in the Aramaic language, and it was translated [into another language that the king knew].
8 Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba scripserunt epistolam unam de Ierusalem Artaxerxi regi, huiuscemodi:
Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
9 Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, et reliqui consiliatores eorum, Dinaei, et Apharsathachaei, Terphalaei, Apharsaei, Erchuae, Babylonii, Susanechaei, Dievi, et Aelamitae,
They stated that the letter was from Rehum the high commissioner/governor and Shimshai the provincial secretary and from their associates, the judges, and other government officials, who were from Erech [city], Babylon [city], and Susa [city] in Elam [district].
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:
[They also wrote that they represented] the other people-groups whom [the army of] the great and glorious/famous [King] Ashurbanipal had (deported/forced to move from their homes) and taken to live in Samaria and in other cities in the province west of the Euphrates [River].
11 (Hoc est exemplar epistolae, quam miserunt ad eum) Artaxerxi regi, servi tui, viri qui sunt trans Fluvium, salutem dicunt.
This is what they wrote in the letter: “To King Artaxerxes, From the officials who serve you who live in the province west of the Euphrates [River.]
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.
“Your majesty, we want you to know that the Jews who came here from your territories are rebuilding this city, [Jerusalem]. These people are wicked and want to rebel against you. Now they are repairing the foundations [of the walls/buildings] and building the walls [of the city].
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.
“It is important for you to know that if they rebuild the city and finish building the walls, they will stop paying any kind of taxes. As a result, there will be less money in your treasury.
14 Nos autem memores salis, quod in palatio comedimus, et quia laesiones regis videre nefas ducimus, idcirco misimus et nunciavimus regi,
Now, because we are loyal to [IDM] you, and because we do not want you to be humiliated [IDM], we are sending this information to you.
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.
And, we suggest that you order/tell [your officials] to search the records that your ancestors made/wrote. [If you do that], you will find out that the people in this city have always rebelled [against the government]. You will also find out that from long ago these people have caused trouble for kings and for rulers of provinces. They have always revolted [against those who ruled them]. That is the reason that this city was destroyed [by the Babylonian army].
16 Nunciamus nos regi, quoniam si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, et muri ipsius instaurati, possessionem trans Fluvium non habebis.
We want you to know that if they rebuild this city and finish building its walls, you will no longer be able to control/rule [the people in] this province west of the Euphrates [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.
[After] the king [read this letter, he] sent this reply to them: “To Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their colleagues in Samaria and in other parts of the province that is west of the [Euphrates] River: I (send you my greetings/wish that things will go well for you).
18 Accusatio, quam misistis ad nos, manifeste lecta est coram me.
The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to 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:
So then I ordered [my officials] to search the records. I have found out that [it is true that] the people of that city have always revolted against their rulers, and that the city is full of people who have rebelled and caused trouble.
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.
Powerful kings have ruled in Jerusalem, and they have also ruled over the whole province west of the [Euphrates] River. [The people in that province were] paying all kinds of taxes to those kings.
21 Nunc ergo audite sententiam: Prohibeatis viros illos ut urbs illa non aedificetur, donec si forte a me iussum fuerit.
So you must command that the people must stop rebuilding the city. Only if I tell them [that they may rebuild it] will they be allowed to continue.
22 Videte ne negligenter hoc impleatis, et paulatim crescat malum contra reges.
Do this immediately [LIT], because I do not want those people to do anything to harm the things/area about which I am concerned.”
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.
[Messengers took] that letter to Rehum and Shimshai and their colleagues and read it to them. Then Rehum and the others went quickly to Jerusalem, and they forced the Jews to stop [rebuilding the city wall].
24 Tunc intermissum est opus domus Domini in Ierusalem, et non fiebat usque ad annum secundum regni Darii regis Persarum.
The result was that the Jews stopped rebuilding the temple. They did not do any more work to rebuild the temple until Darius became the King of Persia.
