Foreigners Want To Help Rebuild the Temple
1 The enemies of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people had come back to rebuild the temple of the Lord God of Israel. 2 So they went to Zerubbabel and to the family leaders and said, “Let us help! Ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here, we have worshiped your God and offered sacrifices to him.”
3 But Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the family leaders answered, “You cannot take part in building a temple for the Lord our God! We will build it ourselves, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.”
4 Then the neighboring people began to do everything possible to frighten the Jews and to make them stop building. 5 During the time that Cyrus was king and even until Darius became king, they kept bribing government officials to slow down the work.
Trouble Rebuilding Jerusalem
6 In the first year that Xerxes was king, the neighboring people brought written charges against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Later, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their advisors got together and wrote a letter to Artaxerxes when he was king of Persia. It was written in Aramaic and had to be translated.
8-10 A letter was also written to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem by Governor Rehum, Secretary Shimshai, and their advisors, including the judges, the governors, the officials, and the local leaders. They were joined in writing this letter by people from Erech and Babylonia, the Elamites from Susa, and people from other foreign nations that the great and famous Ashurbanipal had forced to settle in Samaria and other parts of Western Province.
11 This letter said:
Your Majesty King Artaxerxes, we are your servants from everywhere in Western Province, and we send you our greetings.
12 You should know that the Jews who left your country have moved back to Jerusalem and are now rebuilding that rebellious city. In fact, they have almost finished rebuilding the walls and repairing the foundations. 13 You should also know that if the walls are completed and the city is rebuilt, the Jews won't pay any kind of taxes, and there will be less money in your treasury.
14 We are telling you this, because you have done so much for us, and we want everyone to respect you. 15 If you look up the official records of your ancestors, you will find that Jerusalem has constantly rebelled and has led others to rebel against kings and provinces. That's why the city was destroyed in the first place. 16 If Jerusalem is rebuilt and its walls completed, you will no longer have control over Western Province.
17 King Artaxerxes answered:
Greetings to Governor Rehum, Secretary Shimshai, and to your advisors in Samaria and other parts of Western Province.
18 After your letter was translated and read to me, 19 I had the old records checked. It is true that for years Jerusalem has rebelled and caused trouble for other kings and nations. 20 And powerful kings have ruled Western Province from Jerusalem and have collected all kinds of taxes.
21 I want you to command the people to stop rebuilding the city until I give further notice. 22 Do this at once, so that no harm will come to the kingdom.
23 As soon as this letter was read, Governor Rehum, Secretary Shimshai, and their advisors went to Jerusalem and forced everyone to stop rebuilding the city.
Work on the Temple Starts Again
24 The Jews were forced to stop work on the temple and were not able to do any more building until the year after Darius became king of Persia.
Jawoolu balanta Yaawe Batudulaa Buŋo ye seyinkaŋ loo
1 Kabiriŋ Yahuuda niŋ Benjamini lasili moolu jawoolu ye a moyi ko, moolu mennu tarata mutoo kono seyita naŋ ne, ka naa Yaawe* Batudulaa Buŋo* seyinkaŋ loo, Banisirayila la Alla, 2 ì taata Serubabeli kaŋ aniŋ lasili alifaalu. Ì ko ì ye ko, “Ali m̀ bula ǹ niŋ ali ye buŋ loo ke, kaatu ntolu fanaa ka ali la Alla le batu ko ali ka a batu ñaameŋ. Ǹ ka sadaalu* bondi a ye le ka bo Asiriya mansakewo Esahadoni la waatoo la, meŋ ye ǹ samba naŋ jaŋ.”
3 Bari Serubabeli, Yesuwa, aniŋ lasiloolu la alifaa toomaalu ye ì jaabi le ko, “Ntolu niŋ ali te deŋ na ka buŋo loo ǹ na Alla ye. Ntolu faŋolu doroŋ ne be a loo la Yaawe ye, Banisirayila la Alla, ko Perisiya mansakewo Kirusi ye ǹ yaamari ñaameŋ.”
4 Bituŋ moolu mennu tarata siiriŋ bankoo kaŋ, ye a kata ka Yahuudoolu jikilateyindi, aduŋ ì ye ì silandi fo ì kana buŋ loo ke noo. 5 Ì ye Perisiya mansakundaa dookuulaalu fanaa duku le fo wolu si ì la dookuwo tiñaa, ka bo waatoo meŋ Kirusi mu mansa ti, ka naa fo waatoo meŋ Dariyusi keta mansa ti.
Jawoolu la balaŋo Yerusalaamu seyinkaŋ loo la
6 Ahasuweru la mansayaa dati waati foloo la, ì ye safeeroo ke ka Yerusalaamu niŋ Yahuuda moolu bee tuumi.
7 Tukuŋ, Atasasita la mansayaa kono, Bisilamu, Mitiredati, Tabeeli, aniŋ ì kafuñoo toomaalu ye leetaroo safee, ì ye a kii Perisiya mansa Atasasita ye. Leetaroo ñiŋ safeeta niŋ Arameya kaŋo le la, bari ì ye a yelemandi kaŋ doo le to.
8 Kumandaŋo Rehumu niŋ safeerilaa Simusayi fanaa ye leetaroo safee Yerusalaamu la kuwo to le, ka a kii Mansa Atasasita kaŋ. Leetaroo ñiŋ safeeta teŋ ne:
9 Ñiŋ leetaroo safeelaalu mu kumandaŋo Rehumu, aniŋ safeerilaa Simusayi le ti, ka taa ì dookuuñoo toomaalu. Wolu le mu kiitindirilaalu ti, kisikisirilaalu, mansakundaa dookuulaalu, Perisiyankoolu, ka taa moolu mennu bota Ereki, Babiloni, aniŋ Susa, wolu le mu Elamunkoolu ti. 10 Moolu mennu fanaa daa be leetaroo ñiŋ to, wo le keta moolu ti Asinapa, sembetii baa niŋ buuñaa moo ye mennu muta, a naata ì sindi Samariya. A ye ì sindi saatee koteŋolu to le, mennu be Yufurati Baakoo.
11 Ñiŋ ne safeeta leetaroo kono:
Ñiŋ leetaroo ka taa Mansa Atasasita le yaa, ka bo i la dookuulaalu bulu, mennu be Yufurati Baakoo la.
12 Bituŋ saayiŋ mansa si ñiŋ loŋ ko, Yahuudoolu mennu bota naŋ i yaa ka naa ǹ yaa, naata Yerusalaamu saatewo to le. Ñiŋ saatewo meŋ ye a loŋ ko, a moolu jawuyaata le, aduŋ balannaalu le mu ì ti, ì be a lookuu kaŋ ne. Ì be naa a tata sansaŋolu baŋo le la, aniŋ ka a fondamaŋolu laa. 13 Aduŋ mansa, i si ñiŋ loŋ ko, niŋ ñiŋ saatewo lookuuta, aduŋ a tata sansaŋolu banta, ì te soŋ na naamu joo la, duwaañi joo, aniŋ kuŋ joo. Aduŋ wo be ke la boyoo le ti mansakundaa la naafulu sotoo to. 14 Baawo saratoo le be ntolu niŋ mansasuwo teema, aduŋ a maŋ beŋ ŋà mansa la dooyaa je, wo le ye a tinna ŋà kumoo kii ka mansa kalamutandi. 15 Ŋà ñiŋ ke le fo i si i mumu mansoolu la taarika kitaaboolu kono juubee. I be a je la le ko, ñiŋ saatewo moolu mu balannaa baalu le ti. Ì ka mansoolu niŋ banku maralaalu batandi le, aduŋ balaŋo kurukuruta saatewo ñiŋ kono le koomanto. Wo le ye a tinna ñiŋ saatewo teyita. 16 M̀ be mansa kalamutandi la ñiŋ na ko, niŋ ì ye ñiŋ saatewo lookuu ka a tata sansaŋolu seyinkaŋ dadaa, feŋ te tu la i bulu Yufurati Baakoo.
17 Bituŋ mansa ye ñiŋ jaabiroo kii:
Kumandaŋo Rehumu, safeerilaa Simusayi, aniŋ ali dookuuñoolu mennu be Samariya fannaa bee to, Yufurati Baakoo, m be ali kontoŋ na. 18 Ali ye leetaroo meŋ kii n ye naŋ, ì ye a bee karaŋ n ye le. 19 Ŋa yaamaroo dii le ka kisikisiroo ke, aduŋ a jeta le ko ñiŋ saatewo ye maamaŋo wulindi mansoolu kamma le koomanto, aduŋ balaŋo niŋ fitina maamandoo keta jee le. 20 Yerusalaamu ye mansa sembemaalu soto le, mennu tarata marariŋ nuŋ Yufurati Baakoo bee ma. Naamu joo, duwaañi joo, aniŋ kuŋ joo ka joo ì yaa le. 21 Wo to saayiŋ ali si yaamaroo dii ka ñiŋ moolu ñaato kuntu, saatewo ñiŋ kana lookuu niŋ a maŋ ke n na yaamaroo kaŋ ti. 22 Ali si ali hakilitu ali kana naafa, fo ñiŋ tiñaari kuwo ye wajabi, a ye ke kasaaroo ti mansakundaa ye.
23 Kabiriŋ ì ye Mansa Atasasita la leetaroo karaŋ kumandaŋo Rehumu, safeerilaa Simusayi, aniŋ ì dookuuñoolu ye doroŋ, ì wulita kataba kiliŋ ka taa Yerusalaamu. Ì ye Yahuudoolu forisee ka dookuwo ñiŋ bula.
24 Bituŋ Alla Batudulaa Buŋo dookuwo naata loo, aduŋ a tuta tenkundiŋ ne fo Perisiya mansa Dariyusi la mansayaa sanji fulanjaŋo kono.
