एज्रा 4

1 यतिबेला निर्वासनबाट फर्केका मानिसहरूले परमप्रभु इस्राएलका परमेश्‍वरको लागि मन्दिर बनाउँदै छन् भनी यहूदा र बेन्यामीनका केही शत्रुहरूले सुने ।

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 त्यसैले तिनीहरू यरुबाबेल र परिवारका मुख्य मानिसहरूकहाँ आए । तिनीहरूले उनीहरूलाई भने, “हामीलाई पनि तपाईंहरूसँगै निर्माण गर्न दिनुहोस्, किनकि अश्शूरका राजा एसरहदोनले हामीलाई यहाँ ल्याएदेखि नै तपाईंहरूजस्तै हामी तपाईंका परमेश्‍वरको खोजी गर्छौं, र हामीले उहाँलाई नै बलिदान चढाएका छौं ।”

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 तर यरुबाबेल, येशूअ र परिवारका मुख्य मानिसहरूले भने, “तपाईंहरूले होइन, तर हामीले परमेश्‍वरको मन्दिर बनाउनुपर्छ, किनकि हामीले नै परमप्रभु इस्राएलका परमेश्‍वरको निम्ति मन्दिर बनाउनेछौं, जस्‍तो फारसका राजा कोरेसले आज्ञा गर्नुभएको छ ।”

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 त्यसैले त्यस देशका मानिसहरूले यहूदीहरूका हात कमजोर तुल्याए । तिनीहरूले निर्माणमा यहूदीहरूलाई डर देखाए ।

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 यहूदीहरूका योजनालाई निराश तुल्याउन तिनीहरूले सल्लाहकारहरूलाई घुस पनि दिए । तिनीहरूले फारसका राजा कोरेसको शासनकाल र दाराको शासनकालभरि नै यसो गरे ।

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 तब अहासूरस (अर्तासास्त) को शासनकालको सुरुमा तिनीहरूले यहूदा र यरूशलेमका बासिन्दाहरूको विरुद्धमा एउटा अभियोग-पत्र लेखे ।

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 अर्तासास्तको शासनकालमा विश्‍लाम, मित्रेता, ताबेल र तिनका सहयोगीहरूले अर्तासास्तलाई लेखे ।उक्‍त चिट्ठी आरमेइक भाषामा लेखियो र अनुवाद गरियो ।

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 सेनापति रेहूम र सचिव शिम्शैले यरूशलेमको बारेमा अर्तासास्तलाई यसरी चिट्ठी लेखे ।

Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.

9 रेहूम, शिम्शै र तिनीहरूका सहयोगीहरू अर्थात् फारस, एरेक र बेबिलोनका मानिसहरूमाथि अधिकार गर्ने न्यायाधीशहरू र अधिकारीहरू अनि शूशनका मानिसहरू (अर्थात् एलामीहरू) ले एउटा चिट्ठी लेखे,

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 र महान् अनि प्रसिद्ध अशूरवनिपलले देश निकाला गरेर सामरिया र यूफ्रेटिस नदीपारिको प्रान्तमा बसालेका मानिसहरू पनि तिनीहरूसँगै मिले ।

[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 तिनीहरूले अर्तासास्तलाई पठाएका चिट्ठीको प्रतिलिपी यही हो, “हजुरका सेवकहरू, यूफ्रेटिस नदी पारिको प्रान्तका मानिसहरू यसो लेख्छन्:

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 हजुरकहाँबाट आएका यहूदीहरू यरूशलेममा एउटा विद्रोही सहर निर्माण गर्न हाम्रो विरुद्ध आएका छन् भन्‍ने कुरो राजालाई जाहेर होस् । तिनीहरूले पर्खालहरू बनाएर सिद्ध्याएका छन्, र जगहरू मर्मत गर्दैछन् ।

“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 यो सहर निर्मण भयो रउक्‍त पर्खाल सम्पन्‍न भयो भने, तिनीहरूले कुनै महसुल र कर तिर्नेछैनन्, तर तिनीहरूले राजाहरूलाई हानि पुर्‍याउनेछन् भन्‍ने कुरो राजाका हजुरीमा जाहेर होस् ।

“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 हामीले दरबारको नून खाएका हुनाले राजालाई कुनै अनादर भएको देख्‍नु हाम्रो लागि निश्‍चय नै उचित हुँदैन । यही कारणले गर्दा हामीले राजालाई जानकारी गराउँदैछौं,

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 जसले गर्दा हजुरले आफ्ना पिताको अभिलेख खोज्‍न र राजाहरूसाथै प्रान्तहरूलाई हानि गर्ने यो एउटा विद्रोही सहर रहेछ भनी पुष्‍टि गर्न सक्‍नुहुन्‍छ । यसले राजाहरू र प्रान्तहरूलाई धेरै समस्या दिएको छ । पहिले देखि नै यो विद्रोहको केन्द्र बनेको छ । यही कारणले गर्दा यो सहर नष्‍ट पारिएको थियो ।

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 यो सहर र पर्खाल निर्माण गरियो भने हजुरको लागि यूफ्रेटिस नदीपारिको प्रान्तमा केही बाँकी रहने छैन भनी हामी राजालाई जानकारी गराउँदैछौं ।”

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 त्यसैले राजाले सामरियामा बस्‍ने रेहूम, शिम्शै र तिनीहरूका सहयोगीहरू अनि यूफ्रेटिस नदीपारिको प्रान्तमा बस्‍ने बाँकी सबैलाई एउटा जवाफ पठाए, “तिमीहरूलाई शान्ति होस् ।

[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 तिमीहरूले पठाएका चिट्ठी अनुवाद गरियो र मेरो सामु पढियो ।

The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.

19 त्यसैले मैले छानविन गर्न आदेश दिएँ, रपहिलौक दिनहरूमा तिनीहरू राजाहरूका विरुद्धमा बागी भएका र विद्रोह गरेका रहेछन् भनी पत्ता लगाइयो ।

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 शक्तिशाली राजाहरूले यरूशलेममा राज्‍य गरेका रहेछन्, र यूफ्रेटिस नदीपारिको प्रान्तका हरेक कुरामा अधिकार जमाएका रहेछन् । तिनीहरूलाई करहरू र महसुलहरू तिरिएका रहेछन् ।

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 अब मैले आज्ञा नदिएसम्म यी मानिहरूले यो सहर निर्माण गर्न रोक्‍नुपर्छ भनी एउटा आज्ञा जारी गर्नू ।

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 यसलाई बेवास्ता नगर्न होसियार हुनु । यस खतरालाई बढ्न दिने र राजकीय हितको बढी क्षति हुन किन दिने?

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 जब राजा अर्तासास्तको आदेश रेहूम, शिम्शै र तिनीहरूका सहयोगीहरूका सामु पढियो, तिनीहरू तुरुन्‍तै यरूशलेममा गए, र यहूदीहरूलाई जबरदस्तसाथ निर्माण रोक्‍न लगाए ।

[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 यसरी फारसका राजा दाराको शासनकालको दोस्रो वर्षसम्म यरूशलेममा परमेश्‍वरको मन्दिरको काम रोकियो ।

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.