Ezira 4
1 Vavengi veJudha neBhenjamini vakati vanzwa kuti vatapwa vakanga vachivaka temberi yaJehovha, Mwari weIsraeri,
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,
2 vakauya kuna Zerubhabheri nokuvakuru vedzimba vakati, “Titenderei kuti tikubatsirei kuvaka nokuti tinotsvaka Mwari wenyu, sezvamunoitawo, uye tinomubayira kubva pamazuva aEsarihadhoni mambo weAsiria, akatisvitsa pano.”
they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”
3 Asi Zerubhabheri, Jeshua navamwe vose vakuru vedzimba dzeIsraeri vakapindura vakati, “Hamuna mugove nesu mukuvaka temberi yaMwari wedu. Isu pachedu ndisu tichaivakira Jehovha, Mwari waIsraeri, sezvatakarayirwa naMambo Sirasi, mambo wePezhia.”
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.”
4 Ipapo marudzi akanga akavakomberedza akauya kuzoodza mwoyo yavanhu veJudha uye nokuvaita kuti vatye kuramba vachivaka.
Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.
5 Vakapa mari vapi vamazano kuti vavapikise uye vavakanganise paurongwa hwavo panguva yose yokutonga kwaSirasi mambo wePezhia uye kusvikira pakutonga kwaDhariasi mambo wePezhia.
They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Pakutanga kwokubata ushe kwaZekisesi vakapomera mhosva kuvanhu veJudha neveJerusarema.
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Uye napamazuva aAtazekisesi mambo wePezhia, Bhishirami, Mitiredhati, Tabheeri navamwe vake vose vakanyora tsamba kuna Atazekisesi. Tsamba yacho yakanga yakanyorwa namavara echiAramu uye nomutauro wechiAramu.
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
8 Rehumi muchinda mukuru naShimishai munyori vakanyora tsamba kuna mambo Atazekisesi vachipomera Jerusarema vachiti:
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:
9 Rehumi muchinda mukuru naShimishai munyori, pamwe chete navamwe vavo vose, vatongi namakurukota vanotungamirira vanhu veTiriporisi, nevePezhia, neveEreki neBhabhironi, navaEramu veSusa,
From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges and officials over Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
10 uye navamwe vanhu avo vakadzingwa naAshuribhanipari mukuru uye anokudzwa, uye vakandogara muguta reSamaria nokune dzimwe nzvimbo dziri mhiri kwaYufuratesi.
and the rest of the peoples whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and elsewhere west of the Euphrates.
11 Aya ndiwo mashoko etsamba yavakatumira kwaari: Kuna Mambo Atazekisesi, Kubva kuvaranda venyu, varume vagere mhiri kwaYufuratesi:
(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
12 Mambo ngaazvizive kuti vaJudha vakabva kwenyu vakauya kwatiri kuno vakaenda kuJerusarema uye vava kuvakazve guta riya rokumukira uye rakaipa. Vari kuvakazve masvingo aro uye vari kugadziridza nheyo dzayo.
Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem. And they are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, restoring its walls, and repairing its foundations.
13 Pamusoro pezvo, mambo ngaazive kuti kana guta iri rikavakwa uye masvingo aro akavakwazve, hakuchazova nemhando dzose dzemitero, mutero womunhu mumwe nomumwe, kana mutero wokumuganhu kwenyika, uye mari inoripwa kuna mambo ichava shoma.
Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.
14 Zvino isu zvatinokudza imba yamambo, taona zvisina kufanira kuona mambo achininipiswa, naizvozvo tatumira mashoko aya kuti tizivise mambo,
Now because we are in the service of the palace and it is not fitting for us to allow the king to be dishonored, we have sent to inform the king
15 kuitira kuti kutsvagisiswe mumabhuku enhoroondo avakakutangirai. Mumabhuku aya muchaona kuti guta iri iguta rinomukira, rinotambudza madzimambo namatunhu, inzvimbo inomukira kubva kare. Ndokusaka guta iri rakaparadzwa.
that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting sedition from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.
16 Tinozivisa mambo kuti kana guta iri rikavakwa uye masvingo aro akamiswazve, muchasara musina chinhu mhiri kwaYufuratesi.
We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will have no dominion west of the Euphrates.
17 Mambo akatumira mhinduro iyi: Kuna Rehumi muchinda mukuru, naShimishai munyori navamwe vavo vose vagere muSamaria uye navagere mune dzimwe nzvimbo mhiri kwaYufuratesi: Kwaziwai.
Then the king sent this reply: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of your associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates: Greetings.
18 Tsamba yamakatitumira yakaverengwa uye ikadudzirwa pamberi pangu.
The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.
19 Ndakarayira uye zvikatsvakwa, zvikaonekwa kuti guta iri rine nhoroondo yokumukira madzimambo kubva kare uye raiva nzvimbo yokumukira madzimambo nokurangana zvakaipa.
I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has revolted against kings from ancient times, engaging in rebellion and sedition.
20 Jerusarema rakanga rine madzimambo ane simba akanga achitonga nzvimbo yose iri mhiri kwaYufuratesi, uye mitero, nemhando dzose dzemitero, mutero womunhu mumwe nomumwe, kana mutero wokumuganhu kwenyika, yairipirwa kwavari.
And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.
21 Zvino rayirai vanhu ava kuti varege basa, kuti guta iri rirege kuvakwa, kusvikira ini ndazorayira kuti zviitwe.
Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.
22 Chenjererai kuti musarega nyaya iyi. Mungaregereiko chakaipa ichi chichikura, kuti chigokanganisa zvido zvamambo?
See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?
23 Pakangoverengwa tsamba yaMambo Atazekisesi kuna Rehumi naShimishai munyori navamwe vavo, vakabva vaenda pakarepo kuvaJudha vaiva muJerusarema vakavamanikidza nechisimba kuti varege kuvaka.
When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
24 Nokudaro basa reimba yaMwari rakamira kuitwa muJerusarema kusvikira gore rechipiri rokutonga kwaDhariasi mambo wePezhia.
Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
