Opposition to the Rebuilding of the Temple
1 The enemies of the people of Judah and Benjamin heard that those who had returned from exile were rebuilding the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 So they went to see Zerubbabel and the heads of the clans and said, “Let us join you in building the Temple. We worship the same God you worship, and we have been offering sacrifices to him ever since Emperor Esarhaddon of Assyria sent us here to live.”
3 Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the heads of the clans told them, “We don't need your help to build a temple for the Lord our God. We will build it ourselves, just as Emperor Cyrus of Persia commanded us.”
4 Then the people who had been living in the land tried to discourage and frighten the Jews and keep them from building. 5 They also bribed Persian government officials to work against them. They kept on doing this throughout the reign of Emperor Cyrus and into the reign of Emperor Darius.
Opposition to the Rebuilding of Jerusalem
6 At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Xerxes, the enemies of the people living in Judah and Jerusalem brought written charges against them.
7 Again in the reign of Emperor Artaxerxes of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their associates wrote a letter to the emperor. The letter was written in Aramaic and was to be translated when read.
8 Also Rehum, the governor, and Shimshai, the secretary of the province, wrote the following letter to Emperor Artaxerxes about Jerusalem:
9 “From Rehum, the governor, from Shimshai, secretary of the province, from their associates, the judges, and from all the other officials, who are originally from Erech, Babylon, and Susa in the land of Elam, 10 together with the other peoples whom the great and powerful Ashurbanipal moved from their homes and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in West-of-Euphrates Province.”
11 This is the text of the letter:
“To Emperor Artaxerxes from his servants who live in West-of-Euphrates.
12 “We want Your Majesty to know that the Jews who came here from your other territories have settled in Jerusalem and are rebuilding that evil and rebellious city. They have begun to rebuild the walls and will soon finish them. 13 Your Majesty, if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the people will stop paying taxes, and your royal revenues will decrease. 14 Now, because we are under obligation to Your Majesty, we do not want to see this happen, and so we suggest 15 that you order a search to be made in the records your ancestors kept. If you do, you will discover that this city has always been rebellious and that from ancient times it has given trouble to kings and to rulers of provinces. Its people have always been hard to govern. This is why the city was destroyed. 16 We therefore are convinced that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, Your Majesty will no longer be able to control West-of-Euphrates Province.”
17 The emperor sent this answer:
“To Rehum, the governor, to Shimshai, secretary of the province, and to their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of West-of-Euphrates, greetings.
18 “The letter which you sent has been translated and read to me. 19 I gave orders for an investigation to be made, and it has indeed been found that from ancient times Jerusalem has revolted against royal authority and that it has been full of rebels and troublemakers. 20 Powerful kings have reigned there and have ruled over the entire province of West-of-Euphrates, collecting taxes and revenue. 21 Therefore you are to issue orders that those men are to stop rebuilding the city until I give further commands. 22 Do this at once, so that no more harm may be done to my interests.”
23 As soon as this letter from Emperor Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their associates, they hurried to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop rebuilding the city.
Work on the Temple Begins Again
24 Work on the Temple had been stopped and had remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Emperor Darius of Persia.
Kyila'baazii Ogo Obe Yekalu ro ro
1 Ondro kyila'baazii lidri Yuda ro ro ndi Benjamina robe keriyi tate ekye 'dise ärube midiro kegoyibe kai kayite Yekalu OPI Lu Yisaraele ro ro obena oko, 2 ànya ikyiyite Zerubabela ndi dri'bai käläsikalai robe re, ago atayite ànyari ekye: “Mì'de mabe Yekalu ami yibe tana mà Lu amiro mätu oso nyàbe mätuna ronye, ago mà'do rote tori olovoya ndäri ro kyeno tu Esaradona 'bädri'ba Asaria ro se kezi ama be noŋwa ana rosi.”
3 Oko Zerubabela, Jesua, ndi dri'bai käläsikalai Yisaraele ro robe atayite ànyari ekye: “Màle ŋgaopa koni ami rigyesi Yekalu se ono obevoya, oko màbena gini andivo amaro si Opi Lu Yisaraele ro ri oso se Sairasi 'bädri'ba Peresia ro kota ama be ronye.”
4 'Dooko lidri wari ana ro ozoyi mbaraako te lidri Yudai ro ri, ago 'bayi ànya te a'done turiro Yekalu obevoya, 5 ago ànya gyeyi mi dri'bai miri Peresia ro ro kpate losi ànyaro edrene. Ànya uguyi oyena te 'do ronye eto ro ni tu 'dimiri 'Bädri'ba Sairasi ro rosi sagwo le 'dimiri Dariyasi 'bädri'ba Peresia ro roya.
Kyila'baazii azaka Ogo Obe Yerusalema ro ro
6 Eto 'dimiri 'Bädri'ba Asuerosa ro rosi oko, kyila'baazii kicuyi lidri se koribe Yuda ndi Yerusalema be ya kai te taegyi si.
7 Ago tu 'bädri'ba Aretakerekesa ro rosi, Biselama, Miteredata, Tabela ndi 'dise cini kodro'berube ànya yibe kai, egyiyi waraga te Aretakerekesa 'bädri'ba Peresia ro ri; egyi waraga ana te kala Aramaika rosi, ago ologote logo uzivoya.
8 Ago wari'ba Reuma ndi Simesai egyi'ba wari robe egyiyi ta kpate 'Bädri'ba Aretakerekesa ri ta Yerusalema rota nonye ekye:
9 “Ta ono ni 'Bädri'ba Reuma resi, Simesai egyi'ba wari ro resi, 'dise cini kodro'berube ànya yibe resi, vureope'bai ndi dri'bai losi ro, Peresia'bai, lidri Ereka, Babelona ro ndi Susa ro se orivoya wari Elama roya ro, 10 ndi tro rukä lidri ro, se 'desi orooro ro Asurebanipala konja be se oyite, ago riyite 'bakicii Samaria roya, ago vo azaka wari Golo Eferata ro tasi ana be.” 11 Ono ni gyere waraga se ànya kozoyibe owo ekye:
“'Bädri'ba Aretakerekesa ri: ni ruindu'bai miro, lidri se wari Golo Eferata tasi roya resi. Mede tana mi.
12 “Mà ta ono o'bana unine mi 'bädri'ba ri nonye Yudai se kikyiyibe ni miresi amare ono oyiyite Yerusalema ya. Ànya go kayite 'bakici se ogbo ro takozi ekye ono obena; ànya kayite tiṛi obe onde ago kayite kotopai zo ro ondene. 13 Mà ta ono o'bana unine mi 'bädri'ba ri nonye. Ondro ka'do ago abe 'bakici ono bete ago ande obe tiṛi na ro bete, ànya uninayi kote parata driutwero ozone, ago äduro oko parata se nyabe usuna amba 'do egona ro pari giṛiŋwa. 14 Tana yauono ama orivoya drikaca miri 'desi miro ro zele ago màle ko ta nonye ono ri a'done, ta'doro mà lazo ozo ago ta iti miri, 15 tana äṛi tase egyibe buku zutui miro roya robe. Nyusuna ta 'da ni tase egyibe yasi ago minina ndi anjioko 'bakici ono ni 'bakici ogbo ro, se kyeno ozo rriti te amba 'bädri'bai ri ndi miri'bai wari robe. 'Bakici ono ṛo vo ogbo ro 'bädri'bai lomvo ṛoni tu kyeno kai si 'bani a'degwo 'bakici ono perene wo. 16 Mà ta ono o'bana unine mi 'bädri'ba ri ondro ka'do ago abe 'bakici ono bete ago ande tiṛina bete, 'dooko miri mi 'Desi ro a'dona te mbaraako wari Golo Eferata ro tasisi ana ya.”
17 'Bädri'ba logo tate wari'ba Reuma ndi Simesai egyi'ba wari robe ndi 'dise cini kodro'beruyibe ànya yibe se kayibe ori Samaria ya ago telesi wari Golo Eferata ro yasi ri ekye:
“Mede ämiri:
18 “Waraga se nyèzobe ono äzite ago ologote märi. 19 Mozo ota te ago äṛivote, ago usu tana te anjioko tuse kyeno kai si Yerusalema ogbote drikaca 'bädri'bai robe, ago ta ogbo ro ndi ta ya eŋga robe ayete kigye. 20 'Bädri'bai mbaraekyero miriyi Yerusalema te ago miriyi wari se cini kogobe Golo Eferata ro tasi ana te, ago lidri sa parata driutwero ndi drî gyini ro utwero be te ànyari. 21 Ka'do inye nyòzo ota, beṛo lidri kwoi ri edrene, ago ko ogone 'bakici ono obene, madale mozona ota na ni. 22 Mìye ta ono ndriro, ukyi aye ŋgakozi aza 'da ori kado maro ono ya.”
23 Ondro äzi gyere waraga se 'Bädri'ba Aretakerekesa kegyibe ana rote Reuma, Simesai ndi 'dise cini kodro'beruyibe ànya yibe ri oko, ànya oyiyite ndrindri Yerusalema ya ago edreyi Yudai te mbarasi ni 'bakici obevoya.
Ago Eto Losi Yekalu rote Kpa To'di
24 'Dooko losi Yekalu obero Yerusalema ya edrete madale ndroa ṛiri vomiri Dariyasi 'bädri'ba Peresia ro rosi.