Esra 4
1 Då nu Juda och BenJamins motståndare hörde, att fängelsens barn byggde Herranom Israels Gud templet,
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 Kommo de till Serubbabel, och till öfversta fäderna, och sade till dem: Vi vilje bygga med eder; förty vi söke edar Gud lika som I; och vi hafve offrat allt ifrå den tid EsarHaddon, Konungen i Assur, förde oss hitupp.
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 Men Serubbabel och Jesua, och de andre öfverste fäder i Israel, svarade dem: Det betämmer sig icke, att vi och I bygge vår Guds hus; utan vi vilje allena bygga Herranom Israels Gud, såsom Cores, Konungen i Persien, budit hafver.
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 Då hindrade folket i landena Juda folks hand, och afskräckte dem af byggningene;
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 Och lejde rådgifvare emot dem, och förhindrade deras råd, så länge Cores, Konungen i Persien, lefde, intill Darios regemente, Konungens i Persien.
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 Men då Ahasveros vardt Konung, uti hans rikes begynnelse, skrefvo de ett klagomål emot dem af Juda och Jerusalem.
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 Och uti Arthahsasta tid skref Bislam, Mithredath, Tabeel, och de andre af deras Råd, till Arthahsasta, Konungen i Persien; och skriften i brefvet var på Syrisk skrifven, och vardt på Syrisk uttydd.
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 cancelleren och Simsai skrifvaren skrefvo detta bref emot Jerusalem till Konung Arthahsasta:
Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
9 Vi Rehum canceller, och Simsai skrifvare, och andre i det Rådet; af Dina, af Apharsach, af Tharpelath, af Persien, af Arach, af Babel, af Susan, af Deha, och af Elam;
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 Och de andre folk, hvilken den store och högprisade Asnappar försändt hade, och satt uti Samarie städer, och andre på desso sidon älfven, och i Canaan.
[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 Och detta är brefvets lydelse, som de till Konung Arthahsasta sände: Dine tjenare, de män på desso sidona älfven, och Cheeneth.
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 Kunnigt vare Konungenom, att de Judar, som ifrå dig hitupp till oss komne äro till Jerusalem, i den upproriska och onda staden, bygga honom upp, och göra hans murar, och låta uppgå dem af grunden.
“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 Så må nu Konungen veta, om denne stad uppbyggd varder, och murarna igen uppsatte, så varda de icke gifvande skatt, tull och årliga utskylder, och deras anslag varder kommandes Konungarna till skada.
“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 Så, efter vi alle hafve varit med, och nederlagt templet, hafve vi icke länger kunnat se på Konungens föraktelse; derföre sände vi nu, och låtom det kungöra Konungenom,
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 Att man låte söka i dina fäders Chrönicor; så skall du finna i samma Chrönicor, och förfara, att denne staden är upprorisk, och Konungom och landom skadelig, och kommer desslikes andra till affall af ålder; derföre staden ock förstörd är.
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 Ty gifve vi Konungenom till förstå, att, om denne stad uppbyggd varder, och dess murar uppsatte, så behåller du intet för dem på desso sidon älfven.
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 Då sände Konungen ett svar till Rehum cancelleren, och Simsai skrifvaren, och de andra i deras Råd, som i Samarien bodde, och de andra på hinsidon älfvena: Frid och helso.
[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 Brefvet, som I till oss sändt hafven, är uppenbarliga läsit för mig.
The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
19 Och är af mig befaldt, att man söka skulle, och är funnet, att denne stad af ålder hafver kastat sig upp emot Konungar; och uppror och affall sker deruti.
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 Hafva också mägtige Konungar varit i Jerusalem, som rådit hafva öfver allt det som hinsidon älfven är; så att dem hafver tull, skatt och årliga utskylder gifven varit.
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 Så görer nu efter denna befallning: Förtager de samma män, att staden icke byggd varder, intilldess befallning af mig gifven varder.
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 Så ser nu till, att I härutinnan icke försummelige ären, att Konungenom ingen skada häraf sker.
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 Då nu Konungens Arthahsasta bref läset vardt för Rehum och Simsai skrifvarenom, och deras Råd, drogo de straxt upp till Jerusalem till Judarna, och förhindrade dem med arm och välde.
[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 Då höll upp arbetet på Guds hus i Jerusalem, och blef tillbaka, allt intill det andra året Darios, Konungens i Persien.
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.
