Ezra 4
1 Mwet lokoalok lun mwet Judah ac mwet Benjamin lohngak lah mwet su foloko liki sruoh elos sifil musai Tempul lun LEUM GOD lun Israel.
The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a Temple to the Lord, the God of Israel.
2 Ouinge elos som nu yorol Zerubbabel ac sifen sou uh ac fahk, “Fuhlela kut in wi kowos musai Tempul. Kut alu nu sin God se na kowos alu nu se an, ac kut nuna orek kisa nu sel oe in pacl se Tokosra Fulat Esarhaddon lun Assyria el tuh supwekutme in muta yenu ah nwe misenge.”
They came to Zerubbabel and the family leaders and said, “Please let us help you with the building work, for we worship your God like you do. In fact we have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”
3 Zerubbabel, Joshua, ac sifen sou elos fahk nu selos, “Kut tia enenu kasru lowos in musai sie Tempul nu sin LEUM GOD lasr. Kut ac sifacna musai, oana ke Tokosra Fulat Cyrus lun Persia el sapkin nu sesr.”
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the family leaders of Israel replied, “You can't share with us in building a Temple for our God. Only we can build it for the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what Cyrus the king of Persia has ordered us to do.”
4 Na mwet ma muta fin acn ah elos tuh srike in akmunasye mwet Jew ac aksangengyalos tuh elos in tia musa.
Then the local people set out to intimidate the people of Judah and make them too scared to go on building.
5 Elos oayapa eyeinse nu sin mwet fulat lun Persia tuh elos in wi pac lainulos. Elos oru na ouiya se inge in pacl lal Tokosra Fulat Cyrus ah nwe ke pacl lal Tokosra Fulat Darius.
They bribed officials to oppose them and to obstruct their plans. This continued during the whole reign of Cyrus king of Persia up until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Ke mutaweyen we lal Tokosra Fulat Ahasuerus, mwet lokoalok lun mwet su muta Judah ac Jerusalem elos som nu yorol tokosra ac us pwepu in alein lalos.
When Ahasuerus became king the local people sent him a written accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Sifilpa ke pacl se Artaxerxes el tokosra fulat fin acn Persia, na Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, ac mwet wialos elos simusla sie leta nu sel Tokosra Fulat Artaxerxes. Leta sac sim ke kas Aramaic, na tufah lungasyukla ke pacl ritiyuk.
During the time of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their fellow officers wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic.
8 Oayapa Rehum, su governor, ac Shimshai, su mwet sim lun polo acn sac, eltal simusla pac leta se inge nu sel Tokosra Fulat Artaxerxes, ac sramsram ke acn Jerusalem:
Rehum the officer in command and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes condemning Jerusalem stating,
9 “Leta se inge ma sel Rehum, governor, oayapa sel Shimshai, mwet sim lun acn uh, ac sin mwet wialos, mwet nununku, ac mwet pwapa nukewa saya su in pacl meet elos tuh muta in acn Erech in facl Babylon, oayapa Susa in facl Elam,
This comes from Rehum the officer in command, Shimshai the scribe, and fellow officers: the judges and officials and those in charge of Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
10 weang pac mwet nukewa su leum fulat Ashurbanipal el tuh moklela liki acn selos ac oakelosi in siti Samaria ac acn saya pac ke acn Roto-in-Euphrates.”
and the rest of the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria and other places west of the Euphrates.
11 Pa inge kas in leta sac: “Nu sin Tokosra Fulat Artaxerxes, sin mwet kulansap lal, mwet Roto-in-Euphrates.
The following is a copy of the letter they sent to him. To King Artaxerxes, from your servants, men beyond the River Euphrates:
12 “Kut lungse tuh Tokosra Fulat lasr elan etu lah mwet Jew su tuku nu yenu liki acn saya pac lom elos oakwuki in Jerusalem, ac inge elos sifilpa musai siti koluk ac tunyuna sac. Elos mutawauk tari in sifil musai pot uh, na tia paht ac safla.
Your Majesty should be informed that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, completing repairs to the walls, and mending its foundations.
13 O Tokosra Fulat, siti se inge fin sifil musaiyuk, ac pot la uh aksafyeyukla, mwet we uh ac tia sifil moli tax lalos nu sum, na kasrup lom ac fah srikeni.
Your Majesty should realize that if this city is rebuilt and its walls repaired, they will not pay tax, tribute, or fees, and the king's revenue will suffer.
14 Inge, ke sripen kut muta ye poum in kulansupwekom, kut tia lungse ma inge in sikyak. Ke ma inge kut srukak nunak in kasru lasr,
Now because we are in the king's service and it is not right for us to see Your Majesty disrespected, we are sending this letter so that you can be informed,
15 tuh kom in sapkin in sukok ke book in sramsram matu lun mwet lom somla meet. Kom fin oru ouinge, kom ac konauk lah siti se inge nuna utuk na. Oemeet me, mwet we elos oru na elya nu sin tokosra pus ac mwet kol pus lun acn uh. Pacl nukewa mwet we uh elos lain na mwet liyalosyang. Pa ingan sripa se pwanang kunausyukla siti sac.
and order a search of the royal archives. You will discover in these records that this is a rebellious city, damaging to kings and countries, having often risen up in revolt in the past. That is what led to this city being destroyed.
16 Ke ma inge kut nunak sela mu siti se inge fin sifilpa musa ac aksafyeyukla pot we uh, ac fah wanginla ku lom fin acn Roto-in-Euphrates.”
We wish to inform Your Majesty that if this city is rebuilt and the walls completed, you will lose this province west of the Euphrates.
17 Na tokosra fulat el topuk ouinge: “Nu sum, Governor Rehum, ac nu sum, Shimshai, mwet sim lun acn, ac nu sin mwet wiowos su muta Samaria ac acn saya ke acn Roto-in-Euphrates. Paing kowos.
The king replied as follows: “To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and fellow officers living in Samaria and in other areas west of the Euphrates: Greetings.
18 “Leta lowos ah sunyu. Lungasyukla ac ritiyuk nu sik tari.
The letter you sent to us has been translated and read to me.
19 Nga sapkakin tuh mwet luk in suk aklohya ke ma simusla, na koneyukyak lah pwaye, oemeet me acn Jerusalem lungse lain ku lun tokosra, ac acn we sessesla ke mwet koluk ac mwet orek lokoalok.
I ordered a search to be conducted. It was discovered that this city has often risen up in revolt against kings in the past, frequently promoting insurrection and rebellion.
20 Tokosra na ku puspis elos tuh leumi acn we oayapa nununku acn nukewa in acn Roto-in-Euphrates, ac eisani tax ac mani in kasru saya.
Powerful kings have ruled over Jerusalem and throughout the whole area west of the Euphrates, and they received tax, tribute, and fees.
21 Ke ma inge kowos in sapla ac fahk tuh mwet ingan in tui ke musaiyen siti sacn nu ke pacl se nga sifil fahk ma in orek.
Issue an immediate order for these men to stop work. This city is not to be rebuilt until I authorize it.
22 Kowos in aksaye, tuh in tia sifil oasr mwe lokoalok nu ke ma luk ku acn sik.”
See that you do not neglect this matter. Why should this problem be allowed to grow and damage royal interests?”
23 Ke leta se lal Tokosra Fulat Artaxerxes rityak nu sel Rehum, Shimshai, ac mwet wialos, elos sulaklak na som nu Jerusalem ac ikol mwet Jew in tui, tia sifil musai siti sac.
As soon as this letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their fellow officers, they rushed to the Jews in Jerusalem and used their power to forcibly make them stop work.
24 Orekma ke Tempul ah tui na, ac wanginna ma orek nu kac nwe ke yac se akluo ke Darius el Tokosra Fulat lun Persia.
Consequently work on God's Temple in Jerusalem came to a halt. The stoppage continued until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.
