Esdras 4
1 Los enemigos de Judá y Benjamín se enteraron de que los exiliados estaban construyendo un Templo para el Señor, el Dios 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 Se acercaron a Zorobabel y a los jefes de familia y les dijeron: “Por favor, dejad que os ayudemos en la construcción, porque adoramos a vuestro Dios como vosotros. De hecho, le hemos estado sacrificando desde la época de Esar-hadón, rey de Asiria, quien nos trajo aquí”.
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 Pero Zorobabel, Jesúa y los líderes de la familia de Israel respondieron: “Ustedes no pueden compartir con nosotros la construcción de un Templo para nuestro Dios. Sólo nosotros podemos construirlo para el Señor, el Dios de Israel. Esto es lo que Ciro, el rey de Persia, nos ha ordenado hacer”.
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 Entonces, los lugareños se dispusieron a intimidar a los habitantes de Judá y hacer que tuvieran demasiado miedo para seguir construyendo.
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 Entonces sobornaron a funcionarios para oponerse a ellos y obstruir sus planes. Esto continuó durante todo el reinado de Ciro, rey de Persia, hasta el reinado de Darío, rey de Persia.
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 Cuando Asuero se convirtió en rey, los lugareños le enviaron una acusación escrita contra el pueblo de Judá y Jerusalén.
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 En tiempos de Artajerjes, rey de Persia, Bislam, Mitrídates, Tabeel y sus compañeros escribieron una carta a Artajerjes. La carta fue escrita en arameo y fue traducida.
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 Rehum, el oficial al mando, y Simsai, el escriba, escribieron una carta al rey Artajerjes en la que condenaban a Jerusalén.
Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
9 Esto proviene de Rehum, el oficial al mando, Simsai, el escriba, y los compañeros oficiales: los jueces y funcionarios y los responsables de Persia, Erec y Babilonia, los elamitas de Susa,
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 y el resto del pueblo que el gran y noble Asurbanipal deportó y reasentó en las ciudades de Samaria y otros lugares al oeste del Éufrates.
[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 La siguiente es una copia de la carta que le enviaron: “Al rey Artajerjes, de parte de tus siervos, hombres de más allá del río Éufrates:
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 “Su Majestad debe ser informado de que los judíos que vinieron de usted a nosotros han regresado a Jerusalén. Están reconstruyendo esa ciudad rebelde y malvada, completando las reparaciones de las murallas y arreglando sus cimientos.
“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 Su Majestad debería darse cuenta de que si esta ciudad es reconstruida y sus murallas reparadas, no pagarán impuestos, tributos o tasas, y los ingresos del rey se verán afectados.
“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 Ahora bien, como estamos al servicio del rey y no nos parece bien que se le falte al respeto a Su Majestad, le enviamos esta carta para que esté informado,
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 y ordenar una búsqueda en los archivos reales. Descubrirá en estos registros que se trata de una ciudad rebelde, que perjudica a los reyes y a los países, habiéndose levantado a menudo en rebelión en el pasado. Este es motivo por el cual esta ciudad había sido 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 Queremos informar a Su Majestad de que si se reconstruye esta ciudad y se completan las murallas, perderá esta provincia al oeste del Éufrates”.
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 El rey respondió lo siguiente “Al comandante Rehum, al escriba Simsai y a los compañeros que viven en Samaria y en otras zonas al oeste del Éufrates: Saludos.
[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 La carta que ustedes nos enviaron ha sido traducida y la han leído ante mí.
The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
19 He ordenado que se realice una investigación. Se ha descubierto que esta ciudad se ha levantado a menudo en rebelión contra los reyes en el pasado, promoviendo frecuentemente la insurrección y la rebelión.
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 Poderosos reyes han gobernado en Jerusalén y en toda la zona al oeste del Éufrates, y han recibido impuestos, tributos y tasas.
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 Emitan una orden inmediata para que estos hombres dejen de trabajar. Esta ciudad no debe ser reconstruida hasta que yo lo autorice.
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 Procura no descuidar este asunto. ¿Por qué habríamos de dejar que este problema crezca y perjudique los intereses reales?”
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 Tan pronto como esta carta del rey Artajerjes fue leída a Rehum, al escriba Simsai y a sus compañeros, se precipitaron hacia los judíos de Jerusalén y utilizaron su poder para obligarlos a detener los trabajos.
[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 En consecuencia, las obras del Templo de Dios en Jerusalén se detuvieron. La paralización continuó hasta el segundo año del reinado del rey Darío de Persia.
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.
