Ezira 4
1 Vavengi veJudha neBhenjamini vakati vanzwa kuti vatapwa vakanga vachivaka temberi yaJehovha, Mwari weIsraeri,
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to 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 came near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up 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 rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the 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 weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.
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 purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Pakutanga kwokubata ushe kwaZekisesi vakapomera mhosva kuvanhu veJudha neveJerusarema.
In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants 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.
In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian and delivered in the Syrian language.
8 Rehumi muchinda mukuru naShimishai munyori vakanyora tsamba kuna mambo Atazekisesi vachipomera Jerusarema vachiti:
Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows.
9 Rehumi muchinda mukuru naShimishai munyori, pamwe chete navamwe vavo vose, vatongi namakurukota vanotungamirira vanhu veTiriporisi, nevePezhia, neveEreki neBhabhironi, navaEramu veSusa,
Then Rehum the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
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 nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth, wrote.
11 Aya ndiwo mashoko etsamba yavakatumira kwaari: Kuna Mambo Atazekisesi, Kubva kuvaranda venyu, varume vagere mhiri kwaYufuratesi:
This is the copy of the letter that they sent: To King Artaxerxes, from your servants, the people beyond the River.
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.
Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem. They are building the rebellious and bad city, and have finished the walls and repaired the 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.
Be it known now to the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.
14 Zvino isu zvatinokudza imba yamambo, taona zvisina kufanira kuona mambo achininipiswa, naizvozvo tatumira mashoko aya kuti tizivise mambo,
Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not appropriate for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed 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 search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have started rebellions within it in the past. 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 inform the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, then you will have no possession beyond the River.
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 an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who live in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Peace.
18 Tsamba yamakatitumira yakaverengwa uye ikadudzirwa pamberi pangu.
The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.
19 Ndakarayira uye zvikatsvakwa, zvikaonekwa kuti guta iri rine nhoroondo yokumukira madzimambo kubva kare uye raiva nzvimbo yokumukira madzimambo nokurangana zvakaipa.
I decreed, and search has been made, and it was found that this city has made insurrection against kings in the past, and that rebellion and revolts have been made in it.
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.
There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll was paid to them.
21 Zvino rayirai vanhu ava kuti varege basa, kuti guta iri rirege kuvakwa, kusvikira ini ndazorayira kuti zviitwe.
Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built until a decree is made by me.
22 Chenjererai kuti musarega nyaya iyi. Mungaregereiko chakaipa ichi chichikura, kuti chigokanganisa zvido zvamambo?
Be careful that you not be slack doing so. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
23 Pakangoverengwa tsamba yaMambo Atazekisesi kuna Rehumi naShimishai munyori navamwe vavo, vakabva vaenda pakarepo kuvaJudha vaiva muJerusarema vakavamanikidza nechisimba kuti varege kuvaka.
Then when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force of arms.
24 Nokudaro basa reimba yaMwari rakamira kuitwa muJerusarema kusvikira gore rechipiri rokutonga kwaDhariasi mambo wePezhia.
Then work stopped on God’s house which is at Jerusalem. It stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
