Ezra 4

1 Now the enemies of Juda and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to the Lord the God of Israel.

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:

2 And they came to Zorobabel, and the chief of the fathers, and said to them: Let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do: behold we have sacrificed to him, since the days of Asor Haddan king of Assyria, who brought us hither.

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.”

3 But Zorobabel, and Josue, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said to them: You have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God, but we ourselves alone will build to the Lord our God, as Cyrus king of the Persians hath commanded us.

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.”

4 Then the people of the land hindered the hands of the people of Juda, and troubled them in building.

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

5 And they hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their design all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

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.

6 And in the reign of Assuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem.

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.

7 And in the days of Artaxerxes, Beselam, Mithridates, and Thabeel, and the rest that were in the council wrote to Artaxerxes king of the Persians: and the letter of accusation was written in Syriac, and was read in the Syrian tongue.

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.

8 Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe wrote a letter from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, in this manner:

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:

9 Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe and the rest of their counsellors, the Dinites, and the Apharsathacites, the Therphalites, the Apharsites, the Erchuites, the Babylonians, the Susanechites, the Dievites, and the Elamites,

“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,

10 And the rest of the nations, whom the great and glorious Asenaphar brought over: and made to dwell in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the countries of this side of the river in peace.

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.”

11 (This is the copy of the letter, which they sent to him: ) To Artaxerxes the king, thy servants, the men that are on this side of the river, send greeting.

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.

12 Be it known to the king, that the Jews, who came up from thee to us, are come to Jerusalem a rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, setting up the ramparts thereof and repairing the walls.

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.

13 And now be it known to the king, that if this city be built up, and the walls thereof repaired, they will not pay tribute nor toll, nor yearly revenues, and this loss will fail upon the kings.

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.

14 But we remembering the salt that we have eaten in the palace, and because we count it a crime to see the king wronged, have therefore sent and certified the king,

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;

15 That search may be made in the books of the histories of thy fathers, and thou shalt find written in the records: and shalt know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to the kings and provinces, and that wars were raised therein of old time: for which cause also the city was destroyed.

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.

16 We certify the king, that if this city be built, and the walls thereof repaired, thou shalt have no possession on this side of the river.

‌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.”

17 The king sent word to Reum Beelteem and Samsai the scribe, and to the rest that were in their council, inhabitants of Samaria, and to the rest beyond the river, sending greeting and peace.

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.

18 The accusation, which you have sent to us, hath been plainly read before me,

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

19 And I commanded: and search hath been made, and it is found, that this city of old time hath rebelled against kings, and seditions and wars have been raised therein.

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.

20 For there have been powerful kings in Jerusalem, who hare had dominion over all the country that is beyond the river: and have received tribute, and toll and revenues.

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.

21 Now therefore hear the sentence: Hinder those men, that this city be not built, till further orders be given by me.

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,

22 See that you be not negligent in executing this, lest by little and little the evil grow to the hurt of the kings.

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?”

23 Now the copy of the edict of king Artaxerxes was read before Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe, and their counsellors: and they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and hindered them with arm and power.

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.

24 Then the work of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was interrupted, and ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

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.