Јездрина 4
1 А кад чуше непријатељи Јудини и Венијаминови да они који се вратише из ропства зидају цркву Господу Богу Израиљевом,
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 Дођоше к Зоровавељу и ка главарима домова отачких, и рекоше им: Да и ми зидамо с вама, јер ћемо као и ви тражити Бога вашег, и Њему приносимо жртве од времена Есарадона, цара асирског, који нас је довео овамо.
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 А Зоровавељ и Исус и остали главари домова отачких у Израиљу рекоше им: Не можете ви с нама зидати дом Богу нашем, него ћемо ми сами зидати Господу Богу Израиљевом, како нам је заповедио Кир, цар персијски.
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 Тада народ земаљски досађиваше народу Јудином и сметаше их у зидању;
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 И наимаху саветнике супрот њима да расипају намеру њихову свега времена Кира, цара персијског, до владе Дарија, цара персијског.
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 А кад се зацари Асвир, у почетку његовог царовања написаше тужбу на становнике јудејске и јерусалимске.
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 И за времена Артаксерксовог писа Вислам, Митредат, Тавеило и остали другови његови Артаксерксу цару персијском; а књига беше писана сирским писмом и сирским језиком.
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 Реум старешина у већу и Симсај писар написаше једну књигу против Јерусалима цару Артаксерксу овако:
Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
9 Реум старешина у већу и Симсај писар и остали другови њихови, Дињани, Афарсашани, Тарфаљани, Афаршани, Архевљани, Вавилоњани, Сусанашани, Деављани, Еламљани,
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 И остали народ који пресели велики и славни Асенафар и насели по градовима самаријским, и остали с ове стране реке, тада и тада.
[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 Ово је препис од књиге коју му послаше: Цару Артаксерксу. Слуге твоје, људи с ове стране реке, тада и тада.
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 Да је на знање цару да Јудејци који пођоше од тебе к нама, дођоше у Јерусалим, и град одметнички и опаки зидају, зидове оправљају и из темеља подижу.
“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 Него да је на знање цару: ако се овај град сазида и зидови оправе, они неће давати данка ни порезе ни царине, те ће бити штета ризници царској.
“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 Што дакле плату од двора примамо, те нам не приличи да гледамо штету цареву, тога ради шаљемо и јављамо цару,
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 Да се потражи у књизи дневника отаца твојих, па ћеш наћи у књизи дневника и дознати да је овај град одметнички и да је на штету царевима и земљама и да су се у њему дизале буне од давнина, те зато би раскопан овај град.
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 Дајемо на знање цару: ако се овај град сазида и зидови се његови оправе, онда овај део преко реке неће више бити твој.
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 Тада цар посла одговор Реуму, старешини у већу и Симсају писару и осталим друговима њиховим који сеђаху у Самарији и осталим с оне стране реке: Поздравље, тада и тада.
[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 Књига коју нам посласте разговетно би прочитана преда мном.
The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
19 И заповедих те потражише и нађоше да је тај град од давнина устајао на цареве и да су у њему бивали одмети и буне,
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 И да су силни цареви бивали у Јерусалиму, који владаху свим што је преко реке, и даваху им се данци и порезе и царине.
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 Зато наредите да се забрани оним људима да се онај град не зида докле ја не заповедим.
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 И пазите да не погрешите у том. Јер зашто би зло расло на штету царевима?
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 А кад се препис од књиге цара Артаксеркса прочита пред Реумом и Симсајем писарем и пред друговима њиховим, они брже отидоше у Јерусалим к Јудејцима, те им забранише оружаном силом.
[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 Тада стаде посао око дома Божијег у Јерусалиму, и стаја до друге године царовања Дарија, цара персијског.
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.
