Ezra 4
1 Ary nony ren’ ny fahavalon’ ny Joda sy ny Benjamina fa ireo efa nody avy tamin’ ny fahababoana dia efa manao tempoly ho an’ i Jehovah, Andriamanitry ny Isiraely,
Now some enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people who had been exiled were now building a temple for Yahweh, the God of Israel.
2 dia nanatona an’ i Zerobabela sy ny lohan’ ny fianakaviana izy ka nanao taminy hoe: Aoka mba hiara-manao aminareo izahay, fa mitady an’ Andriamanitrareo tahaka anareo ihany koa izahay, ary ho Azy no namonoanay zavatra hatao fanatitra hatramin’ ny andron’ i Esara-hadona, mpanjakan’ i Asyria, izay efa nampakatra anay ho atỳ.
So they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of their ancestors' clans. They said to them, “Let us build with you, for, like you, we seek your God and have sacrificed to him since the days when Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, brought us to this place.”
3 Fa Zerobabela sy Jesoa mbamin’ ny namany lohan’ ny fianakaviana tamin’ ny Isiraely namaly azy hoe: Tsy misy raharaha hikambananareo aminay amin’ ny hanaovana trano ho an’ Andriamanitray; fa izahay ihany no hanao trano ho an’ i Jehovah, Andriamanitry ny Isiraely, araka izay efa nandidian’ itompokolahy Kyrosy, mpanjakan’ i Persia, anay.
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the heads of their ancestors' clans said, “It is not you, but we who must build the house of our God, for it is we who will build for Yahweh, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded.”
4 Ary ny tompon-tany nanao izay hampiraviravy tanana ny Jiosy sy nandevilevy azy mba tsy hanao ny trano
So the people of the land made the Judeans' hands weak; they made the Judeans afraid to build.
5 sady nanamby olona hanome hevitra hanohitra azy hahafoana ny heviny hatramin’ ny andro nanjakan’ i Kyrosy tany Persia ka hatramin’ ny nanjakan’ i Dariosy, mpanjakan’ i Persia.
They also bribed counselors to frustrate their plans. They did this during all of Cyrus' days and into the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Ary raha vao nanjaka Ahasoerosy, dia nanoratra ho any aminy ireo hanendrikendrika ny mponina tany Joda sy Jerosalema.
Then at the beginning of Ahasuerus' reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Ary tamin’ ny andron’ i Artaksersesy no nanoratan’ i Bislama sy Mitredata sy Tabela mbamin’ ny namany sisa ho any amin’ i Artaksersesy, mpanjakan’ i Persia; ary ny soratra tamin’ ny taratasy dia nataony tarehin-tsoratra Syriana sady nataony teny Syriana koa.
It was during the days of Artaxerxes that Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their companions wrote to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.
8 Rehoma mpanolo-tsaina sy Simsay mpanoratra dia nanoratra taratasy ho any amin’ i Artaksersesy mpanjaka hanendrikendrika an’ i Jerosalema toy izao:
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote this way to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem.
9 Rehoma mpanolo-tsaina sy Simsay mpanoratra ary ny namany sisa, dia ny Dinaïta, ny Afarsatkita, ny Tarpelita, ny Afarsaïta, ny Arkevita, ny Babyloniana, ny Sosanita, ny Dehavita sy ny Elamita,
Then Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, who were judges and other officers in the government, the Persians, men from Erech and Babylon, and the men from Susa (that is, the Elamites)—they wrote a letter—
10 mbamin’ ny firenena sisa izay nentin’ i Asnapara lehibe sady malaza ho babo, ka namponeniny tany an-tanàna Samaria sy tany amin’ ny tany sasany etỳ an-dafin’ ny ony etỳ ......
and they were joined by the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal forced to settle in Samaria, along with the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River.
11 Izao no teny amin’ ny taratasy nampitondrainy ho any amin’ i Artaksersesy mpanjaka: Ny lehilahy mpanomponao etỳ an-dafin’ ny ony etỳ ......
This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes: “Your servants, men of the Province Beyond the River, write this:
12 Aoka ho fantatry ny mpanjaka fa ny Jiosy, izay niakatra avy tany aminao hankatỳ aminay, dia efa tonga any Jerosalema ka manamboatra ilay tanàna fikomiana sady ratsy, dia mahavita ny mandany izy izao ary manamboatra ny fanorenany koa.
Let the king know that the Jews who went from you have come against us in Jerusalem to build a rebellious city. They have completed the walls and repaired the foundations.
13 Koa aoka ho fantatry ny mpanjaka fa raha hatao io tanàna io, ka hatsangana indray ny mandany, dia tsy hety handoa hetra, na haba, na sara, izy; ka dia hahatonga fatiantoka ho an’ ny fanjakana izany any aoriana.
Now let the king know that if this city is built and the wall is completed, they will not give any tribute and taxes, but they will harm the kings.
14 Koa satria mahazo ny fivelomanay avy amin’ ny lapan’ ny mpanjaka izahay, dia tsy mety raha odianay tsy hita ny fatiantoky ny fanjakana, ka dia efa naniraka hampahafantatra ny mpanjaka izany izahay,
Surely because we have eaten the palace salt, it is not fitting for us to see any dishonor happen to the king. It is because of this that we are informing the king
15 mba hizahana ny boky tantaran’ ny razanao; dia ho hitanao eo amin’ ny boky tantara, ka ho fantatrao fa tanàna fikomiana io tanàna io ka naha-fatiantoka ny mpanjaka sy ny tany maro, sady efa nisy fikomiana niseho tao hatrizay ela izay; koa izany no nandravana io tanàna io.
to search your father's record and to verify that this is a rebellious city that will harm kings and provinces. It has caused many problems to the kings and provinces. It has been a center for rebellion from long ago. It was for this reason that the city was destroyed.
16 Ary mampahafantatra ny mpanjaka izahay fa raha hamboarina io tanàna io, ka vita ny mandany, dia tsy hanana fanjakana amin’ ny etỳ an-dafin’ ny ony etỳ intsony ianao.
We are informing the king that if this city and wall are built, then there will be nothing remaining for you in the Province Beyond the River.”
17 Dia nampitondrain’ ny mpanjaka ny valiny ho any amin-dRehoma mpanolo-tsaina sy Simsay mpanoratra mbamin’ ny namany sisa izay nonina tany Samaria sy tany amin’ ny tanàna sasany an-dafin’ ny ony, nanao hoe: Fiadanana ......
So the king sent out a reply to Rehum and Shimshai and their companions in Samaria and the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River: “May peace be yours.
18 Ny taratasy izay nampitondrainareo ho atỳ aminay dia efa voavaky tsara teo anatrehako;
The letter that you sent me has been translated and read to me.
19 ary izaho nandidy, ka nasaiko nizahana, dia hita fa nanandra-tena nikomy tamin’ ny mpanjaka maro hatrizay ela izay tokoa io tanàna io, ka nisy fikomiana sy fihodinana niseho teo.
So I ordered an investigation and discovered that in previous days they had rebelled and revolted against kings.
20 Ary efa nisy mpanjaka mahery izay nanjaka tany Jerosalema nanapaka ny tany rehetra any an-dafin’ ny ony ka nandoavana hetra sy haba ary sara.
Mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and had power over everything in the Province Beyond the River. Tribute and taxes were paid to them.
21 Koa dia manaova didy hampitsahatra ireo olona ireo, mba tsy hamboarina io tanàna io, raha tsy mahazo teny avy atỳ amiko.
Now, make a decree for these men to stop and not build this city until I make a decree.
22 Ary tandremo tsara, fandrao misy tsy vitanareo izany; fa nahoana no havela handroso ny ratsy ka hahatonga fatiantoka ho an’ ny fanjakana?
Be careful not to neglect this. Why allow this threat to grow and cause more loss for the royal interests?
23 Ary rehefa voavaky teo anatrehan-dRehoma mpanolo-tsaina sy Simsay mpanoratra mbamin’ ny namany ny taratasin’ i Artaksersesy mpanjaka, dia niakatra faingana ho any Jerosalema ho any amin’ ny Jiosy izy ka nampitsahatra azy an-keriny.
When King Artaxerxes' decree was read before Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, they went out quickly to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop building.
24 Dia natsahatra tsy natao ny tranon’ Andriamanitra, izay tany Jerosalema; ary mbola nitsahatra ihany izany hatramin’ ny taona faharoa nanjakan’ i Dariosy, mpanjakan’ i Persia.
So the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
