Ezra 4
1 Ndipo maadui wa Yuda na Benjamini waliposikia kwamba watu waliokuwa uhamishoni walikuwa wanajenga Hekalu la Yahwe, Mungu wa Israel.
Now some enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people who had been exiled were now building a temple for Yahweh, the God of Israel.
2 Hivyo wakamkaribia Zerubabeli na wakuu wa jamii yao. Wakawaambia: Mturuhusu tujenge pamoja nanyi, kama ninyi, tunamtafuta mungu wenu, na tumejitoa kwake tangu siku ambapo, Esar-hadoni, mfalme wa Ashuru alipotuleta mahali hapa.”
So they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of their ancestors' clans. They said to them, “Let us build with you, for, like you, we seek your God and have sacrificed to him since the days when Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, brought us to this place.”
3 Lakini Zerubabeli, Yoshua na wakuu wa kale wa jamii wakasema, “sio wewe, lakini sisi ndio tunaowajibika kujenga nyumba ya Mungu wetu, Sisi ndio tutakaomjengea Yawe, Mungu wa Israel, kama vile mfalme koreshi mfalme wa Ashuru alivyoagiza.”
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the heads of their ancestors' clans said, “It is not you, but we who must build the house of our God, for it is we who will build for Yahweh, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded.”
4 Hivyo watu wa nchi wakadhoofisha mikono ya wayahudi, wakawafanya wayahudi waogope kujenga nyumba.
So the people of the land made the Judeans' hands weak; they made the Judeans afraid to build.
5 Pia wakawahonga washauri ili kuwachanganya katika mipango yao. Walitenda haya kipindi chote cha Koreshi na kipindi cha utawala wa Dario mfalme wa Uajemi.
They also bribed counselors to frustrate their plans. They did this during all of Cyrus' days and into the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Tena katika kuanza kutawala kwake Ahasuero wakaandika mashitaka dhidi ya wenyeji wa Yuda na Yerusalem
Then at the beginning of Ahasuerus' reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Ilikuwa siku za Ahasuero ambazo Artashasta, Mithredathi, na Tabeeli na wenzake wakamwandikia Ahasuero. Barua iliandikwa Kiaramu na kutafsiliwa.
It was during the days of Artaxerxes that Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their companions wrote to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.
8 Rehumu jemedari na Shimshai mwandishi wakaandika hivi kwa Artashasta kuhusu Yerusalem.
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote this way to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem.
9 Tena Rehumu, Shimshai na wenzao ambao ni waamuzi na maofisa wengine wa Serikali, kutoka Waarkewi, Wababeli na washushami katika Waelami,
Then Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, who were judges and other officers in the government, the Persians, men from Erech and Babylon, and the men from Susa (that is, the Elamites)—they wrote a letter—
10 nao wakaandika barua na waliungana na watu wakuu na mheshimiwa Asur - bani - pali aliwalazimisha kukaa Samalia pamoja na waliobaki katika mji ngambo ya mto.
and they were joined by the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal forced to settle in Samaria, along with the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River.
11 Hii ni nakala waliotuma kwa Artashasta: “Watumishi wako, watu wa mji ngambo ya mto, waandika hivi:
This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes: “Your servants, men of the Province Beyond the River, write this:
12 Mfalme atambue kwamba Wayahudi waliotoka kwako wamefanya kinyume chetu hapa Yerusalem wamejenga mji wa uasi. Wamekamilisha ukuta na marekebisho ya misingi.
Let the king know that the Jews who went from you have come against us in Jerusalem to build a rebellious city. They have completed the walls and repaired the foundations.
13 Sasa mfalme atambue kwamba endapo mji utajengwa na kuta zake kukamilika, hawatatoa ushuru na kodi, lakini watawadhuru wafalme.
Now let the king know that if this city is built and the wall is completed, they will not give any tribute and taxes, but they will harm the kings.
14 Hakika kwa kuwa tumekula chumvi ya Ikulu, haitopendeza sisi kuona heshima ya mfalme inavunjwa, kwa sababu hiyo tunamtaarifu mfalme
Surely because we have eaten the palace salt, it is not fitting for us to see any dishonor happen to the king. It is because of this that we are informing the king
15 kufanya uchunguzi wa kumbukumbu ya baba yake, na kujiridhisha kuwa mji huu ulikuwa wa uharibifu ambao utawadhuru wafalme na miji. Ulisababisha matatizo mengi kwa wafalme na miji. Ilikuwa ni kitovu cha uhalibifu tokea siku nyingi. Ni kwa sababu hiyo mji uliteketezwa.
to search your father's record and to verify that this is a rebellious city that will harm kings and provinces. It has caused many problems to the kings and provinces. It has been a center for rebellion from long ago. It was for this reason that the city was destroyed.
16 Tunamtaarifu mfalme kuwa endapo mji na ukuta ukijengwa, Hakuna kitakachobakia kwa ajili yako katika mji ngambo ya mto.”
We are informing the king that if this city and wall are built, then there will be nothing remaining for you in the Province Beyond the River.”
17 Ndipo mfalme akarudisha majibu kwa Rehumu na Shimshai na wenzao katika Samalia na waliobaki katika mji ngambo ya mto. “Amani iwe pamoja nanyi.
So the king sent out a reply to Rehum and Shimshai and their companions in Samaria and the rest who were in the Province Beyond the River: “May peace be yours.
18 Barua mliyonitumia imetafsiliwa na kusomwa kwangu.
The letter that you sent me has been translated and read to me.
19 Hivyo niliagiza uchunguzi ufanywe na ikabainika kwamba zamani uliasi na kuwafitinisha wafalme.
So I ordered an investigation and discovered that in previous days they had rebelled and revolted against kings.
20 Wafalme wakuu walitawala Yerusalem yote na kuongoza kila sehemu ya mji ngambo ya mto. Ada na kodi walilipwa.
Mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and had power over everything in the Province Beyond the River. Tribute and taxes were paid to them.
21 Sasa, wekeni agizo kwa watu hawa wasiendelee na kujenga mji mpaka nitakapotoa amri.
Now, make a decree for these men to stop and not build this city until I make a decree.
22 Muwe waangalifu msipuuze hili. Kwa nini kuruhusu tishio hili kuongezeka na kusababisha hasara kwa matakwa ya ufalme?
Be careful not to neglect this. Why allow this threat to grow and cause more loss for the royal interests?
23 Baada ya amri ya mfalme Artashasta kusomwa mbele ya Rehumu, Shimshai na wenzao, wakaondoka haraka kwenda Yerusalem, na wakawalazimisha Wayahudi kuacha kujenga.
When King Artaxerxes' decree was read before Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions, they went out quickly to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop building.
24 Hivyo kazi ya nyumba ya Mungu Yerusalem ikasitishwa mpaka kutawala mara ya pili kwa mfalme Dario wa Uajemi.
So the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
