Ezera 4

1 Awo abalabe ba Yuda ne Benyamini bwe baawulira ng’abaana ba Isirayiri abaali mu buwaŋŋanguse batandise okuddaabiriza yeekaalu ya Mukama, Katonda wa Isirayiri,

Now news came to the haters of Judah and Benjamin that the people who had come back were building a Temple to the Lord, the God of Israel;

2 ne bagenda eri Zerubbaberi n’abakulu b’ebika ne boogera nti, “Mutukkirize tubayambeko okuzimba, kubanga tuli nga mmwe, era tusinza Katonda wammwe, era okuva ku mirembe gya Esaludaddoni kabaka w’e Bwasuli, eyatuleeta wano tuwaayo ssaddaaka eri Katonda wammwe.”

Then they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of families, and said to them, Let us take part in the building with you; for we are servants of your God, even as you are; and we have been making offerings to him from the days of Esar-haddon, king of Assyria, who put us here.

3 Naye Zerubbaberi ne Yesuwa n’abakulu b’ebika bya Isirayiri abalala ne babaddamu nti, “Temulina mugabo naffe mu kuddaabiriza yeekaalu ya Katonda waffe. Tuligizimbira Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri ffekka, nga kabaka Kuulo kabaka w’e Buperusi bwe yatulagira.”

But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of families in Israel said to them, You have no part with us in the building of a house for our God; we ourselves will do the work together for the Lord, the God of Israel, as Cyrus, king of Persia, has given us orders.

4 Awo abantu be baalimu ne bamalirira okulemesa abantu ba Yuda, ne babatiisatiisa okuzimba.

Then the people of the land made the hands of the people of Judah feeble, troubling them with fear in their building;

5 Ne bagulirira abantu okubawakanya n’okulemesa enteekateeka yaabwe, ebbanga lyonna Kuulo kabaka w’e Buperusi lye yafuga, okutuusa Daliyo kabaka w’e Buperusi lwe yalya obwakabaka.

And they gave payment to men who made designs against them and kept them from effecting their purpose, all through the time of Cyrus, king of Persia, till Darius became king.

6 Awo ku mirembe gya Akaswero nga ky’ajje alye obwakabaka, abalabe baabwe ne baawandiika ebintu eby’obulimba ne baloopa abantu ba Yuda ne Yerusaalemi.

And in the time of Ahasuerus, when he first became king, they put on record a statement against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 Awo mu biro bya Alutagizerugizi, Bisulamu ne Misuledasi ne Tabeeri ne bannaabwe abalala ne bawandiikira Alutagizerugizi ebbaluwa mu nnukuta ez’Aramayika ne mu lulimi Olwaramayika.

And in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his friends, sent a letter to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, writing it in the Aramaean writing and language.

8 Lekumu ow’essaza, ne Simusaayi omuwandiisi ne bawandiikira Alutagizerugizi ebbaluwa ekwata ku Yerusaalemi.

Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe, sent a letter against Jerusalem, to Artaxerxes the king;

9 Lekumu ow’essaza ne Simusaayi omuwandiisi awamu ne bannaabwe abalala, abalamuzi n’abakungu, n’Abaperusi, n’Abalukevi, n’Abababulooni, n’Abasusanuki, n’Abaweramu,

The letter was sent by Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe and their friends; the Dinaites and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,

10 n’amawanga amalala, omukungu Osunappali be yakomyawo, n’abateeka mu bibuga bya Samaliya ne mu bitundu ebirala ebiri emitala w’omugga Fulaati ne bawandiika nti:

And the rest of the nations which the great and noble Osnappar took over and put in Samaria and the rest of the country over the river:

11 Ebbaluwa gye baawandiikira kabaka yali egamba nti, Eri kabaka Alutagizerugizi, Okuva eri abaddu bo abasajja ab’omu ssaza eriri emitala w’omugga Fulaati.

This is a copy of the letter which they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants living across the river send these words:

12 Kabaka asaanye ategeere nti Abayudaaya abaava gy’oli ne bajja gye tuli bagenze e Yerusaalemi okuddaabiriza ekibuga ekyo ekijeemu eky’abantu abakozi b’ebibi. Batandise okuddaabiriza emisingi n’okuzaawo bbugwe.

We give news to the king that the Jews who came from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are building up again that uncontrolled and evil town; the walls are complete and they are joining up the bases.

13 Ne nsonga endala, kabaka asaanye akimanye ng’ekibuga ekyo bwe kirizimbibwa ne bbugwe bw’aliggwa okukola, tebalisasula misolo nate, newaakubadde okuwa empooza, era ekiriva mu ekyo bwe bwakabaka okufiirwa.

The king may be certain that when the building of this town and its walls is complete, they will give no tax or payment in goods or forced payments, and in the end it will be a cause of loss to the kings.

14 Kale nno, olw’okuba nga tulina obuvunaanyizibwa eri obwakabaka, ate nga tetwandiyagadde kulaba nga kabaka aswazibwa, kyetuvudde tuweereza obubaka buno eri kabaka,

Now because we are responsible to the king, and it is not right for us to see the king's honour damaged, we have sent to give the king word of these things,

15 banoonye mu bitabo eby’okujjukiza ebya bajjajjaabo. Mu bitabo ebyo ojja kuzuula ng’ekibuga ekyo kibuga kijeemu, ekyalumya emitwe gya bakabaka n’abaamasaza, era nga kifo ekimanyiddwa ng’ekijeemu okuva mu biro eby’edda. Era kyekyava kizikirizibwa.

So that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: and you will see in the book of the records that this town has been uncontrolled, and a cause of trouble to kings and countries, and that there were outbursts against authority there in the past: for which reason the town was made waste.

16 Tukakasa kabaka nti ekibuga kino bwe kirizimbibwa ne bbugwe waakyo n’azzibwawo, tolibaako ne ky’osigaza emitala w’omugga Fulaati.

We give you word, that if the building of this town and its walls is made complete, there will be an end of your power in the country across the river.

17 Awo kabaka n’abaddamu bw’ati nti: Eri Lekumu ow’essaza, ne Simusaayi omuwandiisi ne bannaabwe abalala abaabeeranga mu Samaliya, ne mu bifo ebirala ebiri mu ssaza eriri emitala w’omugga Fulaati, Mbalamusizza.

Then the king sent an answer to Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe, and their friends living in Samaria, and to the rest of those across the river, saying, Peace to you:

18 Ebbaluwa gye mwatuweereza esomeddwa mu maaso gange ne ngitegeera.

And now the sense of the letter which you sent to us has been made clear to me,

19 Nalagira, okunoonyereza ne kukolebwa, era ne kizuulibwa ng’ekibuga ekyo, okuva edda kijeemera bakabaka, era ng’obujeemu n’ekyejo byakolebwanga omwo.

And I gave orders for a search to be made, and it is certain that in the past this town has made trouble for kings, and that outbursts against authority have taken place there.

20 Yerusaalemi kyalina bakabaka ab’amaanyi abaafuganga essaza lyonna eriri emitala w’omugga Fulaati, era baaweebwanga emisolo, n’empooza okuva mu kitundu ekyo.

Further, there have been great kings in Jerusalem, ruling over all the country across the river, to whom they gave taxes and payments in goods and forced payments.

21 Kaakano muweereze ekiragiro eri abasajja abo bakomye omulimu ogw’okuddaabiriza ekibuga ekyo okutuusa ate bwe ndibalagira.

Give an order now, that these men are to do nothing more, and that the building of the town is to be stopped, till I give an order.

22 Musseeyo nnyo omwoyo okulaba nga temutenguwa mu nsonga eyo. Lwaki tukkiriza ensonga eyo okugenda mu maaso, okuleeta okufiirwa eri obwakabaka?

Be certain to do this with all care: do not let trouble be increased to the king's damage.

23 Amangwago ebbaluwa eyava ewa kabaka Alutagizerugizi bwe yasomerwa Lekumu ne Simusaayi omuwandiisi ne bannaabwe, ne bayanguwa okugenda eri Abayudaaya e Yerusaalemi, ne babalekesaayo n’amaanyi okugenda mu maaso.

Then, after reading the king's letter, Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their friends went quickly to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and had them stopped by force.

24 Awo omulimu ku nnyumba ya Katonda mu Yerusaalemi ne guyimirira okutuusa omwaka ogwokubiri ogw’omulembe gwa Daliyo kabaka w’e Buperusi.

So the work of the house of God at Jerusalem came to an end; so it was stopped, till the second year of the rule of Darius, king of Persia.