Esdras 4
1 Ouvindo pois os adversários de Judá e Benjamin que os que tornaram do cativeiro, edificavam o templo ao Senhor Deus de 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 Chegaram-se a Zorobabel e aos chefes dos pais, e disseram-lhes: deixai-nos edificar convosco, porque, como vós, buscaremos a vosso Deus; como também já lhe sacrificamos desde os dias de Asar-Haddon, rei de Assur, que nos fez subir aqui.
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 Porém Zorobabel, e Josué, e os outros chefes dos pais de Israel lhes disseram: Não convém que vós e nós edifiquemos casa a nosso Deus; mas nós sós a edificaremos ao Senhor, Deus de Israel, como nos ordenou o rei Cyro, rei da Pérsia
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 Todavia o povo da terra debilitava as mãos do povo de Judá, e inquietava-os no edificar.
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 E alugaram contra eles conselheiros, para frustrarem o seu conselho, todos os dias de Cyro, rei da Pérsia, até ao reinado de Dario, rei da Pérsia.
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 E sob o reino de Ahasuero, no princípio do seu reinado, escreveram uma acusação contra os habitantes de Judá e de Jerusalém.
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 E nos dias de Artaxerxes escreveu Bislam, Mithredath, Tabeel, e os outros da sua companhia, a Artaxerxes, rei da Pérsia: e a carta estava escrita em caracteres syriacos, e na língua syriaca.
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 Escreveram pois Rhehum, o chanceler, e Simsai, o escrivão, uma carta contra Jerusalém, ao rei Artaxerxes, nesta maneira:
Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
9 Então escreveu Rhehum, o chanceler, e Simsai, o escrivão, e os outros da sua companhia: os dinaitas e apharsathehitas, tarpelitas, apharsitas, archevitas, babilônios, susanchitas, dehavitas, elamitas.
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 E os outros povos, que transportou o grande e afamado Asnappar, e que ele fez habitar na cidade de Samaria, e os outros de aquém do rio, e em tal tempo.
[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 Este pois é o teor da carta que ao rei Artaxerxes lhe mandaram: "Teus servos, os homens de aquém do rio, e em tal tempo.
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 Saiba o rei que os judeus que subiram de ti vieram a nós a Jerusalém, e edificam aquela rebelde e malvada cidade, e vão restaurando os seus muros, e reparando os seus fundamentos.
“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 Agora saiba o rei que, se aquela cidade se reedificar, e os muros se restaurarem, não pagarão os direitos, os tributos e as rendas; e assim se danificará a fazenda dos reis.
“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 Agora pois, porquanto assalariados somos do paço, e não nos convém ver a desonra do rei, por isso mandamos dar aviso ao rei,
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 Para que se busque no livro das crônicas de teus pais, e acharás no livro das crônicas, e saberás que aquela foi uma cidade rebelde, e danosa aos reis e províncias, e que nela fizeram rebelião de tempos antigos; pelo que foi aquela cidade destruída.
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 Nós pois fazemos notório ao rei que, se aquela cidade se reedificar, e os seus muros se restaurarem, desta maneira não terás porção alguma desta banda do rio.
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 E o rei enviou esta resposta a Rhehum, o chanceler, e a Simsai, o escrivão, e aos mais da sua companhia, que habitavam em Samaria; como também ao resto dos que estavam de além do rio: Paz hajais! e em tal tempo.
[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 A carta que nos enviastes foi explicitamente lida diante de mim.
The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
19 E, ordenando-o eu, buscaram e acharam, que de tempos antigos aquela cidade se levantou contra os reis, e nela se tem feito rebelião e sedição.
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 Também houve reis poderosos sobre Jerusalém que de além do rio dominaram em todo o lugar, e se lhes pagaram direitos, e tributos, e rendas.
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 Agora pois dai ordem para impedirdes aqueles homens, afim de que não se edifique aquela cidade, até que se dê uma ordem por mim.
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 E guardai-vos de cometerdes erro nisto; porque cresceria o dano para prejuízo dos reis?
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 Então, depois que a copia da carta do rei Artaxerxes se leu perante Rhehum, e Simsai, o escrivão, e seus companheiros, apressadamente foram eles a Jerusalém, aos judeus, e os impediram à força de braço e com violência.
[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 Então cessou a obra da casa de Deus, que estava em Jerusalém: e cessou até ao ano segundo do reinado de Dario rei da Pérsia.
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.
