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Atsutsa za Kumanganso Nyumba ya Yehova

Adani a Yuda ndi Benjamini anamva kuti anthu obwera ku ukapolo aja akumangira Nyumba Yehova, Mulungu wa Israeli. Tsono anapita kwa Zerubabeli ndi kwa atsogoleri a mabanja awo ndi kunena kuti, “Mutilole kuti tikuthandizeni kumangaku chifukwa ife timapembedza Mulungu wanu monga momwe mumachitira inu, ndipo takhala tikupereka nsembe kwa Iye kuyambira nthawi ya Esrahadoni, mfumu ya ku Asiriya, amene anabwera nafe kuno.”

Koma Zerubabeli, Yesuwa ndi atsogoleri ena otsala a mabanja a Aisraeli anayankha kuti, “Inu simungatithandize kumangira Nyumba Yehova, Mulungu wathu. Tokha tidzamumangira Nyumba Yehova, Mulungu wa Aisraeli, monga mfumu Koresi, mfumu ya Perisiya inatilamulira.”

Tsono anthu a mʼdzikomo anayamba kuchititsa ulesi anthu a ku Yuda, ndi kuwachititsa mantha kuti aleke ntchito yomangayo. Analemba alangizi ena kuti alepheretse cholinga chawo pa ntchitoyo pa nthawi yonse ya Koresi, mfumu ya ku Perisiya, ndiponso mpaka pamene Dariyo mfumu ya ku Perisiya ankalamulira dzikolo.

Kutsutsa Kwina pa Nthawi ya Ahasiwero ndi Aritasasita

Mfumu Ahasiwero atangoyamba kulamulira dzikolo, adani aja analemba kalata yoneneza anthu a Yuda ndi Yerusalemu.

Ndiponso mʼnthawi ya Aritasasita mfumu ya Perisiya, Bisilamu, Mitiredati, Tabeeli ndi anzawo ena analemba kalata inanso kwa Aritasasita. Kalatayo inalembedwa mʼChiaramu ndipo ankatanthauzira poyiwerenga.

Rehumu mkulu wankhondo ndi Simisai mlembi, nawonso analemba kalata yawo yoneneza anthu a ku Yerusalemu kwa mfumu Aritasasita. Anayilemba motere:

Kalata yochokera kwa Rehumu, mkulu wa gulu lankhondo, mlembi Simisai ndi anzawo awa: oweruza, nduna, akuluakulu ena, anthu a ku Peresiya, Ereki, Babuloni, Susa mʼdziko la Elamu, 10 ndi mitundu ina imene mkulu wolemekezeka, Osanipara anayisamutsa ndi kuyikhazika mʼmizinda ya Samariya ndi mʼmadera ena apatsidya la Yufurate.

11 Mawu a mʼkalata ya kwa Aritasasita anali awa:

Kwa mfumu Aritasasita:

Kuchokera kwa atumiki anu, anthu a kutsidya kwa Yufurate:

12 Amfumu tati mudziwe kuti Ayuda amene anabwera kuno kuchokera kwanuko apita ku Yerusalemu ndipo akumanganso mzinda wa anthu owukira ndi oyipa uja. Akumaliza makoma ake ndipo akukonzanso maziko.

13 Kuwonjeza apo amfumu mudziwe kuti ngati amalize kumanganso mzindawu ndi kukonzanso makoma ake, adzaleka kukhoma msonkho, kulipira ndalama zakatundu olowa mʼdziko kapena msonkho wina uliwonse, ndipo chuma cha thumba la ufumu chidzachepa. 14 Popeza tsono ife timadya nawo kwa mfumu sitiyenera tizingoonerera zinthu zochititsa mfumu manyazi. Nʼchifukwa chake tikutumiza uthenga kwa inu a mfumu kuti mudziwe zonse. 15 Choncho pachitike kafukufuku mʼbuku la mbiri yakale ya makolo anu. Mʼbuku la mbiri zakale mudzapezamo ndi kuwerenga kuti mzinda umenewu ndi waupandu, wosautsa mafumu ndi nduna zamʼmadera zomwe. Kuyambira kale wakhala ukuwukira ulamuliro uliwonse. Nʼchifukwa chake mzinda umenewu anawuwononga. 16 Tsono tikukudziwitsani amfumu kuti ngati mzinda umenewu umangidwanso ndi makoma ake nʼkutsirizidwanso ndiye kuti inu simudzalamuliranso chigawo cha patsidya pa Yufurate.

17 Mfumu inatumiza yankho ili:

Mkulu wa gulu lankhondo Rehumu, mlembi Simisai ndi anzanu onse amene akukhala ku Samariya ndi mʼzigawo zina zonse za Patsidya pa Yufurate.

Landirani moni.

18 Kalata imene munatumiza ija yawerengedwa bwino lomwe pamaso panga. 19 Ine nditalamula kuti afufuze nkhaniyi kwapezekadi kuti mzinda umenewu uli ndi mbiri yowukira mafumu ndi kuti zaupandu ndi zowukira zinkachitikadi mʼmenemo. 20 Mafumu amphamvu akhala akulamulira Yerusalemu ndi chigawo chonse cha Patsidya pa Yufurate. Iwo ankalandira msonkho ndi kulipira ndalama zakatundu olowa mʼdziko pa kanthu kena kalikonse. 21 Tsopano inu khazikitsani lamulo kuti anthu amenewo asiye ntchitoyo, asamangenso mzindawo mpaka ine nditalamula 22 Musachedwe kuchita zimenezi. Kodi ine ndingalole bwanji kuti zowononga zotere zikule ndi kupweteka ine mfumu?

23 Kalata ya mfumu Aritasasitayi itangowerengedwa pamaso pa Rehumu ndi Simisai mlembi uja, ndi anzawo onse, iwo anapita msangamsanga ku Yerusalemu kukawaletsa Ayuda aja mwamphamvu kuti asapitirire ntchito yawo.

24 Motero ntchito yomanga Nyumba ya Mulungu ku Yerusalemu inayimitsidwa mpaka chaka cha chiwiri cha ulamuliro wa Dariyo mfumu ya ku Perisiya.

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.