Add parallel Print Page Options

Àtakò sí àtúnkọ́ tẹmpili

Nígbà tí àwọn ọ̀tá Juda àti Benjamini gbọ́ wí pé àwọn ìgbèkùn tí ó padà dé ń kọ́ tẹmpili fún Olúwa, Ọlọ́run Israẹli, wọ́n wá sí ọ̀dọ̀ Serubbabeli àti sí ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn olórí àwọn ìdílé, wọ́n sì wí pé, “Jẹ́ kí a bá a yín kọ́ nítorí pé, bí i tiyín, a ń wá Ọlọ́run yín, a sì ti ń rú ẹbọ sí i láti ìgbà Esarhadoni ọba Asiria, tí ó mú wa wá sí ibi yìí.”

Ṣùgbọ́n Serubbabeli, Jeṣua àti ìyókù àwọn olórí àwọn ìdílé Israẹli dáhùn pé, “Ẹ kò ní ohunkóhun pẹ̀lú wa ní kíkọ́ ilé fún Ọlọ́run wa. Àwa nìkan yóò kọ́ ọ fún Olúwa, Ọlọ́run Israẹli, bí Kirusi, ọba Persia, ti pàṣẹ fún wa.”

Nígbà náà ni àwọn ènìyàn ilẹ̀ náà mú ọwọ́ àwọn ènìyàn Juda rọ, wọ́n sì dẹ́rùbà wọ́n ní ti kíkọ́ ilé náà. Wọ́n gba àwọn olùdámọ̀ràn láti ṣiṣẹ́ lòdì sí wọn àti láti sọ ète wọn di asán ní gbogbo àsìkò ìjọba Kirusi ọba Persia àti títí dé ìgbà ìjọba Dariusi ọba Persia.

Títako títún Jerusalẹmu kọ́

Ní ìbẹ̀rẹ̀ ìjọba Ahaswerusi wọ́n fi ẹ̀sùn kan àwọn ènìyàn Juda àti Jerusalẹmu.

Àti ní àkókò ìjọba Artasasta ọba Persia, Biṣilami, Mitredati, Tabeli àti àwọn ẹlẹgbẹ́ rẹ̀ yòókù kọ̀wé sí Artasasta. A kọ ìwé náà ní ìlànà ìkọ̀wé Aramaiki èdè Aramaiki sì ní a fi kọ ọ́.

Rehumu balógun àti Ṣimṣai akọ̀wé jùmọ̀ kọ́ ìwé láti dojúkọ Jerusalẹmu sí Artasasta ọba báyìí:

Rehumu balógun àti Ṣimṣai akọ̀wé, pẹ̀lú àwọn ẹlẹgbẹ́ wọn tókù—àwọn ará Dina, ti Afarsatki, ti Tarpeli, ti Afarsi, Ereki àti Babeli, àwọn ará Elamu ti Susa, 10 pẹ̀lú àwọn ènìyàn mìíràn tí ẹni ọlá àti ẹni ọ̀wọ̀ Asnappari kó jáde, tí ó sì tẹ̀ wọ́n dó sí ìlú Samaria àti níbòmíràn ní agbègbè e Eufurate.

11 (Èyí ni ẹ̀dà ìwé tí wọ́n fi ránṣẹ́ sí i.)

Sí ọba Artasasta,

Láti ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn ìránṣẹ́ rẹ̀, àwọn ọkùnrin agbègbè Eufurate:

12 Ọba gbọdọ̀ mọ̀ pé àwọn ará Júù tí ó gòkè wá sọ́dọ̀ wa láti ọ̀dọ̀ rẹ̀ ti lọ sí Jerusalẹmu wọ́n sì ń tún ìlú búburú àti ìlú ọlọ̀tẹ̀ ẹ nì kọ́. Wọ́n ń tún àwọn ògiri náà kọ́, wọ́n sì ń tún àwọn ìpìlẹ̀ náà ṣe.

13 Síwájú sí i, ọba gbọdọ̀ mọ̀ pé tí a bá kọ́ ìlú yìí àti tí a sì tún àwọn ògiri rẹ̀ mọ, kò sí owó orí, owó òde tàbí owó ibodè tí a ó san, owó tí ó sì ń wọlé fún ọba yóò sì dínkù. 14 Nísinsin yìí níwọ̀n ìgbà tí a ní ojúṣe sí ààfin ọba, kò sì bójúmu fún wa láti rí ìtàbùkù ọba, àwa ń rán iṣẹ́ yìí láti sọ fún ọba, 15 kí a bá a lè ṣe ìwádìí ní inú ìwé ìrántí àwọn aṣíwájú rẹ̀. Nínú ìwé ìrántí wọn yìí, ìwọ yóò rí i wí pé, ìlú yìí jẹ́ ìlú aṣọ̀tẹ̀, oníwàhálà sí àwọn ọba àti àwọn ìgbèríko, ibi ìṣọ̀tẹ̀ láti ìgbà àtijọ́. Ìdí ni èyí tí a ṣe pa ìlú yìí run. 16 A fi dá ọba lójú wí pé tí a bá tún ìlú kọ́ àti ti àwọn ògiri rẹ̀ si di mímọ padà, kì yóò sì ohun ti yóò kù ọ́ kù ní agbègbè Eufurate.

17 Ọba fi èsì yìí ránṣẹ́ padà:

Sí Rehumu balógun, Ṣimṣai akọ̀wé àti àwọn ẹlẹgbẹ́ wọn yòókù tí ń gbé ní Samaria àti ní òpópónà Eufurate:

Ìkíni.

18 A ti ka ìwé tí ẹ fi ránṣẹ́ sí wa, a sì ti túmọ̀ rẹ̀ níwájú mi. 19 Mo pa àṣẹ, a sì ṣe ìwádìí, nínú ìtàn ọjọ́ pípẹ́ àti ti ìsinsin yìí ti ìṣọ̀tẹ̀ sí àwọn ọba pẹ̀lú, ó sì jẹ́ ibi ìṣọ̀tẹ̀ àti ìrúkèrúdò. 20 Jerusalẹmu ti ní àwọn ọba alágbára tí ń jẹ ọba lórí gbogbo àwọn agbègbè Eufurate, àti àwọn owó orí, owó òde àti owó ibodè sì ni wọ́n ń san fún wọn. 21 Nísinsin yìí pa àṣẹ fún àwọn ọkùnrin yìí láti dá iṣẹ́ dúró, kí a má ṣe tún ìlú náà kọ títí èmi yóò fi pàṣẹ. 22 Ẹ ṣọ́ra kí ẹ má ṣe àìkọbi-ara sí ọ̀rọ̀ yìí. Èéṣe tí ìbàjẹ́ yóò fi pọ̀ sí i, sí ìpalára àwọn ọba?

23 Ní kété tí a ka ẹ̀dà ìwé ọba Artasasta sí Rehumu àti Ṣimṣai akọ̀wé àti àwọn ẹlẹgbẹ́ ẹ wọn, wọ́n yára lọ sí ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn Júù ní Jerusalẹmu pẹ̀lú, wọ́n fi agbára mú wọn láti dáwọ́ dúró.

24 Báyìí, iṣẹ́ lórí ilé Ọlọ́run ní Jerusalẹmu wá sí ìdúró jẹ́ẹ́ títí di ọdún kejì ìjọba Dariusi ọba Persia.

Opposition to the Rebuilding

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building(A) a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon(B) king of Assyria, who brought us here.”(C)

But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”(D)

Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.[a](E) They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Later Opposition Under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes,[b](F) they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.(G)

And in the days of Artaxerxes(H) king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic(I) language.[c][d]

Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:

Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates(J)—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk(K) and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,(L) 10 and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal(M) deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.(N)

11 (This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)

To King Artaxerxes,

From your servants in Trans-Euphrates:

12 The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.(O)

13 Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty(P) will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.[e] 14 Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, 15 so that a search may be made in the archives(Q) of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed.(R) 16 We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.

17 The king sent this reply:

To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates:(S)

Greetings.

18 The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. 19 I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt(T) against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. 20 Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates,(U) and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. 21 Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. 22 Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?(V)

23 As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates,(W) they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.

24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius(X) king of Persia.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 4:4 Or and troubled them as they built
  2. Ezra 4:6 Hebrew Ahasuerus
  3. Ezra 4:7 Or written in Aramaic and translated
  4. Ezra 4:7 The text of 4:8–6:18 is in Aramaic.
  5. Ezra 4:13 The meaning of the Aramaic for this clause is uncertain.