Ezra 4

1 Ita, nangngeg dagiti dadduma a kabusor ti Juda ken Benjamin a dagiti tattao a naitalaw idi ket agdama a mangibangbangon iti templo para kenni Yahweh a Dios ti Israel.

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the exile were building the temple unto the Lord the God of Israel:

2 Isu a kinatungtongda ni Zerubbabel ken dagiti pangulo dagiti puli dagiti kapuonanda. Kinunada kadakuada, “Kaduaandakayo a mangibangon, gapu ta kas kadakayo, agdaydayaw kami met iti Diosyo ken nagidatdaton kami kenkuana manipud pay kadagiti al-aldaw nga impannakami ditoy a lugar ni Esarhadon nga ari ti Asiria.”

Then came they near to Zerubbabel, and to the chiefs of the divisions, and said unto them, Let us build with you; for like you will we seek your God; and unto him do we sacrifice since the days of Essar-chaddon the king of Asshur, who hath brought us up hither.

3 Ngem kinuna da Zerubbabel, Jesua, ken dagiti pangulo dagiti puli dagiti kapuonanda, “Saan a dakayo, no di ket dakami ti kasapulan a mangibangon iti balay ti Diosmi, ta dakami ti mangibangon para kenni Yahweh a Dios ti Israel, kas iti imbilin ni Cyrus nga Ari ti Persia.”

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua', and the rest of the of the divisions of Israel, said unto them, It is not obligatory on you and on us to build a house unto our God; but we ourselves together must build unto the Lord the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

4 Isu a pinakapoy dagiti tattao iti dayta a lugar dagiti im-ima dagiti taga-Juda; pinagbutengda dagiti taga-Juda a mangibangon.

Then did the people of the land weaken the hands of the people of Judah, and frightened them off from building;

5 Pinasuksukanda pay dagiti mammagbaga tapno saan a matungpal dagiti panggepda. Inaramidda daytoy kabayatan dagiti amin nga al-aldaw ni Cyrus ken iti panagari ni Dario nga ari ti Persia.

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

6 Ket iti rugrugi ti panagturay ni ari Ahasuero, nagisuratda kadagiti pammadpadakes a maibusor kadagiti agnanaed iti Juda ken Jerusalem.

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

7 Kabayatan dagiti al-aldaw ni Ahasuero, nagsurat kenkuana da Bislam, Mitredat, Tabeel ken dagiti kakaduada. Arameo ti pannakaisuratna ken naipatarus.

And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes the king of Persia: and the writing of the letter was written in Aramic, and interpreted in Aramic.

8 Kastoy a wagas ti panagsurat ni Rehum a mangidadaulo ken ni Simsai nga eskriba kenni Artaxerxes maipapan iti Jerusalem.

Rechum the counsellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a certain letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, as followeth:

9 Kalpasanna, nagsurat da Rehum, Simsai ken dagiti kakaduada nga ukom ken dadduma pay nga opisial iti gobierno a naggapu idiay Erec, Babilonia ken Susa idiay Elam

Then [wrote] Rechum the counsellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, from Din, and Apharsathach, Tarpel, Apharass, Erech, Babylon, Shushan, Dehav, and 'Elam,

10 ket kinaduaan pay ida dagiti tattao a pinilit ti natan-ok ken natakneng a ni Asurbanipal a pagnaeden idiay Samaria, agraman dagiti nabati nga adda idiay Probinsia iti Ballasiw ti Karayan.

And the rest of the nations whom the great and honored Assnapper had brought into exile, and settled in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are on this side the river, and so forth.

11 Daytoy ti kopia ti surat nga impatulodda kenni Artaxerxes, “Dagiti adipenmo, a lallaki nga adda iti ballasiw ti karayan ti makinsurat iti daytoy:

This is the copy of the letter which they sent unto him, even unto king Artaxerxes: Thy servants the men on this side the river, and so forth.

12 Maipakaammo iti ari a dagiti Judio a pimmanaw manipud kenka ket immayda a maibusor kadakami ditoy Jerusalem tapno mangibangon iti nasukir a siudad. Nalpasdan dagiti pader ken natarimaandan dagiti pundasion.

Be it made known unto the king, that the Jews who removed away from thee are come up to us unto Jerusalem: they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and are completing the walls, and are joining together the foundations.

13 Ita, maipakaammo iti Ari a no naipatekderen daytoy a siudad ken nalpasen ti pader, saandanton a mangted kadagiti pagyaman ken buwis, ket dangrandanto dagiti ari.

Be it now known unto the king, that, if this city be rebuilt, and the walls be completed, they will not give tax, tribute, and toll, and the royal revenues will suffer damage.

14 Pudno a gapu ta nangankami iti asin ti palasyo, saan ngarud a rumbeng a makitami a saan a mapadpadayawan ti ari. Daytoy ti makagapu nga ipakpakaammomi iti Ari

Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not proper for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and let the king know this:

15 a sukimatem koma dagiti listaan ti amam tapno maammoam a daytoy ket nasukir a siudad a mangdangran kadagiti ari ken kadagiti probinsia. Nangted daytoy iti adu a parikut kadagiti ari ken probinsia. Nagbalin daytoy a sentro iti panagsukir manipud pay idi. Daytoy ti makagapu a nadadael ti siudad.

That search may be made in the book of the memorable events of thy fathers, and thou wilt find in the book of the memorable events, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have practised sedition within the same from the most ancient time; for which cause this city was destroyed.

16 Ipakpakaammomi iti ari a no maibangon manen daytoy a siudad ken ti paderna, awanen ti mabati a para kenka iti ballasiw ti dakkel a karayan, ti Eufrates.”

We let the king know that, if this city be rebuilt, and its walls be completed, by this means thou wilt have no more any portion on this side of the river.

17 Nangipatulod ngarud iti sungbat ti Ari kada Rehum ken Simsai ken kadagiti kakaduada idiay Samaria ken kadagiti nabatbati pay nga adda iti ballasiw ti Karayan: “Kapya koma ti umadda kadakayo.

Then sent the king a reply unto Rechum the counsellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest of those beyond the river, Peace, and so forth.

18 Naipatarus ken naibasa kaniak ti surat nga impatulodyo.

The letter which ye have sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.

19 Isu nga imbilinko ti pannakasukimat ket natakuatan a kadagiti naglabas nga al-aldaw, nagsukirda ken bimmusorda kadagiti ari.

And an order was given by me, and search was made, and it was found that this city from the most ancient time hath lifted itself up against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been practised therein.

20 Nagturay dagiti nabibileg nga ar-ari iti Jerusalem ken inturayanda dagiti amin nga adda iti ballasiw ti Karayan. Immawatda kadagiti bayad a pagyaman ken buwis.

And that mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, who ruled over all the countries beyond the river; and that tax, tribute, and toll was given unto them.

21 Ita, mangaramidka iti bilin tapno agsardengda ken saandan a bangonen daytoy a siudad agingga a mangaramidak iti maysa a bilin.

Now give ye the order to stop these men, and this city shall not be built, until the order be given from me.

22 Kitaenyo ta amangan no maliwayanyo daytoy. Apay ketdin a maitulok ti pannakadadael a mangdangran kadagiti ar-ari?”

Take heed now that ye commit no error in this: that not any injury may grow [out of this] to the damage of the kings.

23 Apaman a naibasa ti bilin ni Artaxerxes iti sangoanan da Rehum, Simsai, ken dagiti kakaduada, napanda a dagus idiay Jerusalem ket pinilitda dagiti Judio a sumardeng nga agibangbangon.

Thereupon so soon as the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rechum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they did go up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and stopped them by force and power.

24 Isu a naisardeng ti panagtrabaho iti balay ti Dios idiay Jerusalem agingga iti maikadua a tawen ti panagturay ni Dario nga ari iti Persia.

Then was stopped the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem, and it remained interrupted until the second year of the reign of Darius the king of Persia.