Книга Ездры 4
1 И услышаша врази Иудины и Вениамини, яко сынове преселения созидают церковь Господу Богу Израилеву,
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 и приступиша к Зоровавелю и ко князем отечеств и рекоша им: созиждем с вами, понеже, якоже и вы, ищем Бога вашего и Ему мы жрем жертву от дний Асарадана царя Ассурска приведшаго ны семо.
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 И рече им Зоровавель и Иисус и прочии князи отечеств Израилевых: несть нам и вам создати дом Богу нашему, понеже мы сами особно созиждем Господу Богу нашему, якоже повеле нам Кир царь Персский.
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 И быша людие земли (тоя) ослабляюще руки людий Иудейских, и препинаху им в созидании,
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 на них советников, да разорят совет их, во вся дни Кира царя Персскаго и даже до царства Дариа царя Персскаго.
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 В царство же Ассуира, (иже есть Артаксеркс, ) в начале царства его, написаша свиток на живущих во Иудеи и во Иерусалиме.
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 во дни Арфасафана написа в мире Мифридат и Тавеил со прочими сослужители ко Артаксерксу царю Персскому: написа писмоносец писание Сирским языком и претолковано.
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 Валтаам и Сампса книгочий написаста послание едино на Иерусалим ко Артаксерксу царю:
Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
9 тако судил Реум Валтаам и Сампса книгочий и прочии сослужителие наши, Динее, Афарсафахее, Тарфалее, Арфасее, Архиее, Вавилоняне, Сусанахее, Савее, Еламите
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 прочии от язык, ихже преведе Ассенафар великий и преславный и всели их во градех Самарийских и прочих об он пол реки.
[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 Сие есть сказание послания, еже послаша к нему, ко Артаксерксу царю: раби твои, мужие, иже за рекою:
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 ведомо да будет царю, яко Иудее, иже взыдоша от тебе к нам, приидоша во Иерусалим град отступный и лукавый, егоже созидают: и стены его состроены суть, и основание его возвысиша:
“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 ныне убо ведомо да будет царю, яко, аще град сей создан будет, и стены его совершатся, дани не будут тебе, ниже (летняго воздаяния) дадут: и сие царем зло творит,
“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 и посрамощения царева не леть нам видети: сего ради послахом и возвестихом царю,
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 разсмотрено будет в книзе памятописней отцев твоих, и обрящеши в книзе памятописней и познаеши, яко град он отступный есть и обидящь царей и страны, и убежища слуг бывают посреде его от дний древних, сего ради и град той опустошен есть:
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 ведомо убо творим царю, яко, аще град той создан будет и стены его совершатся, то не будет ти мира.
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 И посла царь ко Реуму Валтааму и Сампсаю книгочию и ко прочым сослужителем их обитающым в Самарии и прочым за рекою Мир
[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 и рече: писмоносец, егоже посласте к нам, призван пред мене,
The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
19 и от мене повелено есть, и соглядахом и обретохом, яко град той от дний древних на царей возносится, отступления и убежища бывают в нем:
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 царие крепцы быша во Иерусалиме и обладаху всею страною, яже за рекою, дани же многи и часть давашеся им:
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 и ныне повелите мужем оным престати от дела, и град оный да не созидается ктому:
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 яко да от повеления сего опасни будете нерадение творити о сем, да не когда умножится погибель на зло царем.
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 Тогда писмоносец Артаксеркса царя прочте свиток пред Реумом Валтаамом и Сампсаем книгочием и сослужителми их: и идоша тщателно во Иерусалим и во Иудею, и удержаша их мышцею сильною.
[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 Тогда преста дело дому Божия, еже во Иерусалиме, и не творяшеся даже до лета втораго царства Дариа царя Персскаго.
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.
