< Ezra 4 >

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people from the exile were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel;
Na rĩrĩ, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa thũ cia Juda na Benjamini ciaiguire atĩ andũ arĩa maatahĩtwo nĩmaakagĩra Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, hekarũ-rĩ,
2 then they drew 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 sacrifice to him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."
magĩthiĩ kũrĩ Zerubabeli o na kũrĩ atongoria a nyũmba cia andũ, makĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Rekei twake tũrĩ hamwe tondũ o na ithuĩ tũrongoragia Ngai wanyu, na nĩtũkoretwo tũkĩmũrutĩra magongona kuuma hĩndĩ ya Esari-Hadoni mũthamaki wa Ashuri, ũrĩa watũrehire gũkũ.”
3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, 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 Koresh the king of Persia has commanded us."
No rĩrĩ, Zerubabeli, na Jeshua, na atongoria arĩa angĩ a nyũmba cia Isiraeli makĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Mũtirĩ na handũ thĩinĩ witũ ũhoro-inĩ wa gwakĩra Ngai witũ hekarũ. Nĩ ithuĩ ene tũgwakĩra Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli, o ta ũrĩa Kurusu mũthamaki wa Perisia aatwathire.”
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
Hĩndĩ ĩyo andũ arĩa maamathiũrũrũkĩirie makĩhaarĩria kũũraga andũ a Juda ngoro nĩguo metigĩre gũthiĩ na mbere na gwaka.
5 and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Koresh king of Persia, even until the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.
Nao makĩandĩka ataarani a kũhĩngĩca wĩra wao, na gũthũkia mĩbango yao yothe matukũ mothe ma wathani wa Kurusu mũthamaki wa Perisia, nginya hĩndĩ ya wathani wa Dario mũthamaki wa Perisia.
6 In the reign of Achashyerosh, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Kĩambĩrĩria kĩa wathani wa Ahasuerusu, ataarani acio magĩthitanga andũ a Juda na Jerusalemu.
7 In the days of Artachshasta wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, to Artachshasta king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic, and set forth in the Aramaic language.
Na matukũ ma Mũthamaki Aritashashita wa Perisia, na Bishilamu, na Mithiredathu, na Tabeeli na andũ arĩa angĩ a thiritũ yake makĩandĩkĩra Aritashashita marũa. Marũa macio maandĩkirwo na mwandĩkĩre na rũthiomi rwa andũ a Suriata.
8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artachshasta the king as follows:
Rehumu mũnene wa mbũtũ na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, nĩmandĩkire marũa ma gũthitanga andũ a Jerusalemu kũrĩ Mũthamaki Aritashashita ta ũũ:
9 [From] Rehum the commander, and 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,
Marũa maya moimĩte kũrĩ niĩ Rehumu mũnene wa mbũtũ, na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, hamwe na arĩa angĩ a thiritũ yao, na aciirithania, na anene a andũ a Ataripeli, na a Perisia, na a Ereku, na Babuloni, na Aelami a Shushani,
10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River.
na andũ arĩa angĩ maacooketio nĩ mũgaathe ũrĩa mũnene Osinapari nĩgeetha matũũre itũũra inene rĩa Samaria, na kũrĩa kũngĩ guothe Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati.
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artachshasta the king: Your servants the men beyond the River. And now,
(Ĩno nĩyo kobi ya marũa marĩa aandĩkĩirwo.) Kũrĩ Mũthamaki Aritashashita, Kuuma kũrĩ ndungata ciaku, andũ a bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati:
12 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 wicked city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.
Nĩ kwagĩrĩire mũthamaki amenye atĩ, Ayahudi arĩa mookire kũrĩ ithuĩ moimĩte kũrĩ we nĩmathiĩte Jerusalemu, na nĩmaraaka rĩngĩ itũũra rĩu inene, o rĩu iremi na rĩaganu. Nĩmaracookereria rũthingo na magacookereria mĩthingi.
13 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.
Ningĩ nĩ kwagĩrĩire mũthamaki amenye atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene rĩngĩakwo na thingo ciarĩo icookererio, gũtirĩ igooti, kana maruta ma mũthamaki, o na kana igooti rĩa mĩrigo ĩgĩtoonya bũrũri-inĩ rĩrĩrutagwo. Nakĩo kĩgĩĩna kĩa ũthamaki nĩgĩkũnyiiha.
14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and informed the king;
Na rĩu tondũ ithuĩ tũrĩ andũ matĩĩte ũthamaki, na ti wega kuona mũthamaki akĩimwo gĩtĩĩo, tũratũma ndũmĩrĩri ĩno tũmenyithie mũthamaki,
15 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: so you shall find 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 moved sedition within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste.
nĩgeetha ũhoro ũcio ũtuĩrio kuuma maandĩko-inĩ ma tene ma arĩa maarĩ mbere yaku. Maandĩko-inĩ macio nĩũrĩona atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene nĩ iremi, na rĩa gũthĩĩnia athamaki na mabũrũri, na nĩ kũndũ kwa ũremi kuuma mahinda ma tene. Kĩu nĩkĩo gĩatũmire itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene rĩanangwo.
16 We inform the king that, if this city be built, and the walls finished, by this means you shall have no portion beyond the River.
Tũkũmenyithia mũthamaki atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene rĩngĩakwo na thingo ciarĩo icookererio, wee ũgũtigwo ũtarĩ kĩndũ Mũrĩmo ũyũ wa Rũũĩ rwa Farati.
17 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Peace, and so forth.
Mũthamaki nake agĩcookia macookio atĩrĩ: Kũrĩ Rehumu mũnene wa mbũtũ, na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, na andũ arĩa angĩ a thiritũ yao arĩa matũũraga Samaria na kũrĩa kũngĩ guothe Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati: Nĩndamũgeithia.
18 The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.
Marũa marĩa mwatũtũmĩire nĩmathomeirwo hau mbere yakwa na ngĩtaũrĩrwo ũhoro wamo.
19 I decreed, and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.
Nĩndarutire watho na ũhoro ũcio ũgĩtuĩrio, na gũkĩoneka atĩ itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene nĩrĩũĩkaine kuuma tene atĩ nĩ rĩa kũregana na watho wa athamaki, na rĩtũũraga rĩrĩ iremi, na nĩ rĩa kũringĩrĩria andũ mookĩrĩre thirikari.
20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid to them.
Jerusalemu nĩrĩkoretwo na athamaki a hinya magĩathana Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati wothe, na nĩmarĩhagwo igooti na maruta ma mũthamaki, o na igooti rĩa mĩrigo ĩgĩtoonya bũrũri-inĩ.
21 Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me.
Na rĩrĩ, ruta watho kũrĩ andũ acio matige wĩra, nĩguo itũũra rĩu inene rĩtigaakwo rĩngĩ, nginya rĩrĩa ngoiga.
22 Take heed that you not be slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
Menyerera ũndũ ũyũ ndũkaage kũhingio. Mũngĩrekereria ũndũ ũngĩrehe ũgwati na ũthũkie ũthamaki nĩkĩ?
23 Then when the copy of king Artachshasta's letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
Na rĩrĩ, kobi ya marũa ma Mũthamaki Aritashashita maarĩkia gũthomerwo Rehumu na Shimushai ũrĩa mwandĩki, na andũ a thiritũ yao, no gũthiĩ mathiire Jerusalemu kũrĩ Ayahudi, na makĩmatigithia wĩra ũcio na hinya.
24 Then ceased the work of God's house which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, wĩra wa gwaka nyũmba ya Ngai kũu Jerusalemu ũkĩrũgama nginya mwaka wa keerĩ wa wathani wa Dario mũthamaki wa Perisia.

< Ezra 4 >