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.
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.
