Esidrasi 4
1 Tango banguna ya Yuda mpe ya Benjame bayokaki ete bato oyo bawutaki na bowumbu bazali kotonga Tempelo ya Yawe, Nzambe ya Isalaele,
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 bayaki epai ya Zorobabeli mpe bakambi ya mabota; balobaki na bango: — Botika ete tosunga bino na mosala ya kotonga Tempelo oyo, pamba te biso mpe tolukaka Nzambe na bino mpe tobonzelaka Ye mbeka wuta na tango ya Esari-Adoni, mokonzi ya Asiri, oyo amemaki biso awa.
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 Kasi Zorobabeli, Jozue mpe bakambi mosusu ya mabota ya Isalaele bazongisaki: — Bokotonga te elongo na biso Tempelo ya Yawe, Nzambe na biso; tokotonga yango biso moko mpo na Yawe, Nzambe ya Isalaele, kolanda mitindo ya Sirisi, mokonzi ya Persi.
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 Bato ya bikolo oyo ezalaki elongo na bango kati na mboka balembisaki bato ya Yuda nzoto mpe babangisaki bango mpo ete bakoba lisusu te kotonga;
So the people of the land made the Judeans' hands weak; they made the Judeans afraid to build.
5 bapesaki bapesi toli kanyaka mpo ete batelemela mpe babebisa mabongisi na bango na nzela ya batoli ya mabe, na mikolo nyonso ya Sirisi kino na oyo ya Dariusi, bango mibale bakonzi ya Persi.
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 Kaka na ebandeli ya bokonzi ya Kizerisesi, batindelaki ye mokanda mpo na kofunda bato ya Yuda mpe ya Yelusalemi.
Then at the beginning of Ahasuerus' reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Bongo na mikolo ya Aritakizerisesi lokola mokonzi ya Persi, Bishilami, Mitredati, Tabeyeli mpe baninga na bango ya mosala bakomelaki Aritakizerisesi mokanda. Bakomaki yango na makomi mpe na lokota ya Arami.
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 Moyangeli Rewumi mpe Shimishayi, mokomi mikanda na ye, bakomelaki mokonzi Aritakizerisesi mokanda oyo na tina na Yelusalemi:
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote this way to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem.
9 « Moyangeli Rewumi mpe Shimishayi, mokomi mikanda, elongo na baninga na bango, basambisi mpe bakambi ya bato ya Dini, ya Arifarisataki, ya Taripeli, ya Afarasi, ya Ereki, ya Babiloni, ya Size, ya Deya, ya Elami,
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 mpe bato ya bikolo mosusu oyo Asuribanipali, mokonzi monene mpe mokonzi ya lokumu, amemaki na bowumbu mpo na kotia bango kati na engumba Samari mpe kati na bituka nyonso ya ngambo ya weste ya ebale Efrate. »
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 Tala maloba oyo batindelaki ye na mokanda: « Epai ya mokonzi Aritakizerisesi. Maloba kowuta na biso basali na yo, bato ya ngambo ya weste ya ebale Efrate.
This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes: “Your servants, men of the Province Beyond the River, write this:
12 Tika ete mokonzi ayeba ete Bayuda oyo bawutaki epai na yo bakomi kati na biso, na Yelusalemi; bazali kotonga engumba ya batomboki mpe ya bato ya mobulu, bazali kotonga bamir mpe kobongisa lisusu miboko.
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 Tika ete mokonzi ayeba lisusu ete, soki engumba oyo etongami lisusu mpe babongisi bamir na yango, bakofuta lisusu te mpako ya mokonzi, mpako ya mabele mpe mpako ya nzela; na bongo, bomengo ya mokonzi ekokita.
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 Sik’oyo, lokola tozwi libaku ya kosala epai ya mokonzi mpe lokola ezali malamu te mpo na biso komona lokumu ya mokonzi kobebisama, totindi sango oyo mpo na kotalisa makambo oyo epai ya mokonzi
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 mpo ete baluka kati na babuku ya bakonzi oyo bazalaki liboso na yo mpo na kososola malamu. Okomona solo kati na babuku yango ete engumba oyo ezali engumba ya batomboki, etungisaka bakonzi mpe bituka. Mpe lisusu, wuta kala, ezali esika ya batomboki. Yango wana engumba oyo ebebisamaki.
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 Tozali koyebisa mokonzi ete soki batongi lisusu engumba oyo mpe babongisi bamir na yango, okotikala lisusu na eloko moko te na ngambo ya weste ya ebale Efrate. »
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 Mokonzi azongisaki eyano oyo: « Epai ya moyangeli Rewumi; Shimishayi, mokomi mikanda na ye, mpe baninga na bango mosusu ya mosala oyo bavandaka na Samari mpe kati na bituka nyonso na ngambo ya weste ya ebale Efrate: Napesi bino mbote.
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 Batangaki mpe babongolaki na miso na ngai mokanda oyo botindelaki biso.
The letter that you sent me has been translated and read to me.
19 Napesaki mitindo mpo ete baluka koyeba mpe kososola bosolo. Boye emonani solo ete, wuta na kala, engumba oyo etombokelaka kaka bakonzi mpe etindaka bato na botomboki mpe na mobulu.
So I ordered an investigation and discovered that in previous days they had rebelled and revolted against kings.
20 Na Yelusalemi, ezalaki na bakonzi ya nguya oyo bazalaki kokonza etuka mobimba ya ngambo ya weste ya ebale Efrate mpe epai ya banani bazalaki kofuta mpako ya mokonzi, mpako ya mabele mpe mpako ya nzela.
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 Boye, bopesa sik’oyo mitindo epai ya bato wana ete bakoba lisusu te kotonga mpo ete engumba wana etongama lisusu te kino tango ngai moko nakopesa mitindo.
Now, make a decree for these men to stop and not build this city until I make a decree.
22 Bosala keba ete bozwa likambo oyo na pete te. Mpo na nini kotika nzela ete mobulu oyo ekola mpe ekitisa bomengo ya mokonzi? »
Be careful not to neglect this. Why allow this threat to grow and cause more loss for the royal interests?
23 Tango kaka batangaki mokanda ya mokonzi Aritakizerisesi liboso ya Rewumi; Shimishayi, mokomi mikanda na ye, mpe baninga na bango ya mosala bakendeki mbala moko na Yelusalemi epai ya Bayuda mpe bapekisaki bango na makasi ete bakoba lisusu te kotonga.
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 Wuta tango wana, misala ya Ndako ya Nzambe kati na Yelusalemi etelemaki kino na mobu ya mibale ya bokonzi ya Dariusi, mokonzi ya Persi.
So the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
