ʻEsela 4

1 Pea ʻi he fanongo ʻe he ngaahi fili ʻo Siuta mo Penisimani ʻoku langa ʻae faletapu kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli ʻe he fānau naʻe fakapōpula:

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 Naʻa nau haʻu ai kia Selupepeli, pea ki he kau tuʻukimuʻa ʻi he kau mātuʻa, ʻonau pehē kiate kinautolu, “Tuku ke mau langa mo kimoutolu: he ʻoku mau kumi ki homou ʻOtua, ʻo hangē ko kimoutolu; pea kuo mau feilaulau kiate ia talu ʻae ngaahi ʻaho ʻo Esahatoni ko e tuʻi ʻo ʻAsilia, ʻaia naʻe ʻomi ʻakimautolu ki heni.”

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 Ka naʻe lea ʻa Selupepeli, mo Sesua, mo hono toe ʻoe kau mātuʻa tuʻukimuʻa ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻo pehē kiate kinautolu, “ʻOku ʻikai te mou kau siʻi mo kimautolu ʻi he langa ʻae fale ki homau ʻOtua; ka temau fai fakataha ʻekimautolu pe ʻae langa fale kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻo hangē ko e fekau ʻae tuʻi ko Kolesi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia kiate kimautolu.”

But Zerubbabel, Yeshua, 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 Pea naʻe toki fakavaivai ʻe he kakai ʻoe fonua ʻae nima ʻoe kakai ʻo Siuta, ʻo fakamamahi ʻakinautolu ʻi he langa fale,

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.

5 Pea naʻa nau totongi ki he kau fakakaukau ke taʻofi kiate kinautolu, mo fakataʻeʻaonga ʻenau tuʻutuʻuni, ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo Kolesi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia, ʻo hoko mo e pule ʻa Talaiasi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia.

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 Pea ʻi he pule ʻa ʻAhasivelo, ʻi hono kamataʻanga ʻo ʻene pule, naʻa nau tohi kiate ia ʻae tohi talakoviʻi ʻae kakai ʻo Siuta mo Selūsalema.

In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 Pea naʻe tohi ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻAtakisekisi ʻe Pisilami, mo Mitilitati mo Tapeli, mo hono toe ʻo ʻenau kaumeʻa, kia ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia; pea naʻe fai ʻae tohi ʻi he lea fakaSilia, pea naʻe fakamatala ia ʻi he lea fakaSilia.

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 Naʻe tohi ʻe he ʻeiki fakamaau ko Lihumi mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi ʻae tohi fakakoviʻi ʻo Selūsalema kia ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi ʻo pehē:

Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows.

9 “Pea naʻe tohi ai ʻe Lihumi ko e ʻeiki fakamaau mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi, mo hono toe ʻo ʻenau kaumeʻa: ko e kau Tinaie mo e kau ʻAfasatikai, ko e kau Tapilai mo e kau ʻAfalisai, ko e kau ʻAkivi, mo e kau Papilone, mo e kau Susa, mo e kau Tehavi, mo e kau ʻElami,

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 Mo hono toe ʻoe ngaahi puleʻanga ʻaia naʻe ʻomi ʻe he ʻeiki lahi mo ongolelei ko ʻAsinapa, pea tuku ki he ngaahi kolo ʻo Samēlia, mo hono toe ʻoku ʻi he potu kauvai ni ʻoe vaitafe, pea ʻi he kuonga ko ia.”

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 Ko hono hiki eni ʻoe tohi ʻaia naʻa nau ʻave kiate ia, “ʻio, kia ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi: “Ko hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki ko e kau tangata ʻi he potu kauvai ni ʻoe vaitafe, pea ʻi he kuonga ko eni.

This is the copy of the letter that they sent: To King Artaxerxes, from your servants, the people beyond the River.

12 Ke ʻilo ʻe he tuʻi, koeʻuhi ko e kau Siu naʻe ʻalu hake meiate koe kiate kimautolu kuo nau hoko ki Selūsalema, pea ʻoku nau langa ʻae kolo angakovi moʻo faʻa angatuʻu, pea kuo nau fokotuʻu hake hono ngaahi ʻā maka, pea kuo nau fakahoko hono ngaahi tuʻunga.

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 Ko eni ke ʻilo ʻe he tuʻi, kapau ʻe langa ʻae kolo ni, pea toe fokotuʻu ʻa hono ngaahi ʻā maka, ʻe ʻikai te nau kei totongi, pea tukuhau, pe totongi fakatau, pea te ke maumau ai ʻae tukuhau ki he ngaahi tuʻi.

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 Pea ko eni, ko e meʻa ʻi heʻemau maʻu homau tokoni mei he fale ʻoe tuʻi, pea naʻe ʻikai taau mo kimautolu ke mamata ki he fakaongokovi ʻoe tuʻi, ko ia kuo mau fekau ai ʻo fakahā ia ki he tuʻi;

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 Koeʻuhi ke fai ʻae kumi ʻi he tohi fakamanatu ʻa hoʻo ngaahi tamai: ko ia te ke ʻilo ai ʻi he tohi ʻoe tohi fakamanatu, mo ke ʻilo ko e kolo ni ko e kolo angatuʻu, pea kovi ki he ngaahi tuʻi mo e ngaahi fonua, pea naʻa nau langaʻi ʻae angatuʻu ʻi ai ʻi muʻa: ko e meʻa ko ia naʻe fakaʻauha ai ʻae kolo ni.

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 ‌ʻOku mau fakapapau ki he tuʻi, kapau ʻe toe langa ʻae kolo ni, pea fokotuʻu hono ʻā maka, ko e meʻa ko ia ʻe ʻikai te ke maʻu ai ha tofiʻa ʻi he potu kauvai ni ʻoe vaitafe.”

We inform the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, then you will have no possession beyond the River.

17 Pea naʻe ʻave ʻe he tuʻi ʻa hono tali kia Lihumi ko e ʻeiki fakamaau, mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi, pea ki hono toe ʻo ʻenau kaumeʻa naʻe nofo ʻi Samēlia, pea ko hono toe naʻe nofo ki he kauvai ʻe taha ʻoe vaitafe, [ʻo pehē], “Mou fiemālie pe ʻi he kuonga ni.

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 “Ko e tohi naʻa mou fai ʻo ʻomi kiate au naʻe lau totonu ia ʻi hoku ʻao.

The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.

19 Pea ne u fekau, pea naʻe fai ʻae kumi, pea kuo ʻilo ko e kolo ni naʻe fai ʻae angatuʻu ʻi muʻa ki he ngaahi tuʻi, pea naʻe fai ʻi ai ʻae angatuʻu mo e angakovi.

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 Pea naʻe ʻi ai ʻi muʻa ʻae ngaahi tuʻi mālohi lahi foki naʻe pule ʻi Selūsalema, ʻaia naʻe pule ki he ngaahi fonua kotoa pē ʻi he kauvai ʻe taha ʻoe vaitafe; pea naʻe ʻatu kiate kinautolu ʻae totongi, mo e tukuhau, mo e totongi fakatau.

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 Pea ko eni mou fekau ki he kau tangata ke tuku, pea ke ʻoua naʻa langa ʻae kolo ni, kaeʻoua ke hoko atu ha fekau ʻe taha meiate au,

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 Pea ko eni, vakai, ʻoua naʻa mou liʻaki ʻae meʻa ni: ko e hā ka tupu ai ʻae kovi ke kovi ai ʻae ngaahi tuʻi?”

Be careful that you not be slack doing so. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

23 Pea ko eni ʻi he lau hono hiki ʻoe tohi ʻae tuʻi ko ʻAtakisekisi ʻi he ʻao ʻo Lihumi mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi, mo honau kaumeʻa, naʻa nau ʻalu fakatoʻotoʻo hake ki Selūsalema ki he kakai Siu, pea taʻofi fakamālohi pe ʻakinautolu ke tuku.

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 Pea naʻe toki tuku ai ʻae ngāue ki he fale ʻoe ʻOtua ʻaia ʻoku ʻi Selūsalema. Ko ia naʻe tuku ia ʻo aʻu ki hono ua taʻu ʻoe pule ʻa Talaiasi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia.

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.