ΕΣΔΡΑΣ Α´ - Esdra 1 - 1 Esdras 4

GREEK BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Οι δε εχθροι του Ιουδα και Βενιαμιν, ακουσαντες οτι οι υιοι της αιχμαλωσιας οικοδομουσι τον ναον εις Κυριον τον Θεον του Ισραηλ,	1 Now the enemies of Judah and of Benjamin heard that the sons of the captivity were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel.
2 ηλθον προς τον Ζοροβαβελ και προς τους αρχηγους των πατριων και ειπον προς αυτους, Ας οικοδομησωμεν με σας? διοτι και ημεις εκζητουμεν τον Θεον σας, καθως σεις, και εις αυτον θυσιαζομεν απο των ημερων του Εσαραδδων βασιλεως της Ασσουρ, οστις ανεβιβασεν ημας εδω.	2 And so, drawing near to Zerubbabel and to the leaders of the fathers, they said to them: “Let us build with you, for we seek your God just as you do. Behold, we have immolated victims to him from the days of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, who brought us here.”
3 Ο Ζοροβαβελ ομως και ο Ιησους και οι λοιποι των αρχηγων των πατριων του Ισραηλ, ειπον προς αυτους, Ουδεν κοινον εις εσας και εις ημας, ωστε να οικοδομησητε οικον εις τον Θεον ημων? αλλ' ημεις αυτοι ηνωμενοι θελομεν οικοδομησει εις Κυριον τον Θεον του Ισραηλ, καθως προσεταξεν εις ημας ο βασιλευς Κυρος, ο βασιλευς της Περσιας.	3 And Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the leaders of the fathers of Israel said to them: “It is not for you to build the house of our God with us. Instead, we alone shall build to the Lord our God, just as Cyrus, the king of the Persians, has commanded us.”
4 Τοτε ο λαος της γης παρελυε τας χειρας του λαου του Ιουδα και εταραττεν αυτους εν τη οικοδομη,	4 Therefore, it happened that the people of the land impeded the hands of the people of Judah, and they troubled them in building.
5 και εμισθονον συμβουλους εναντιον αυτων, δια να ματαιονωσι την βουλην αυτων, πασας τας ημερας Κυρου του βασιλεως της Περσιας και εως της βασιλειας Δαρειου του βασιλεως της Περσιας.	5 Then they hired counselors against them, so that they might argue against their plan during all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius, king of the Persians.
6 Και επι της βασιλειας Ασσουηρου, εν αρχη της βασιλειας αυτου, εγραψαν κατηγοριαν κατα των κατοικων της Ιουδαιας και Ιερουσαλημ.	6 And so, during the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and of Jerusalem.
7 Και εν ταις ημεραις του Αρταξερξου εγραψεν ο Βισλαμ, ο Μιθρεδαθ, ο Ταβεηλ και οι λοιποι συνεταιροι αυτων προς Αρταξερξην τον βασιλεα της Περσιας? και η επιστολη ητο γεγραμμενη Συριστι και εξηγημενη Συριστι.	7 And so, in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, and Tabeel, and the others who were in their council wrote to Artaxerxes, king of the Persians. Now the letter of accusation was written in Syriac, and was being read in the Syrian language.
8 Ρεουμ ο επαρχος και Σαμψαι ο γραμματευς, εγραψαν επιστολην κατα της Ιερουσαλημ προς Αρταξερξην τον βασιλεα, κατα τουτον τον τροπον?	8 Rehum, the commander, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote one letter from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, in this manner:
9 Ρεουμ ο επαρχος και Σαμψαι ο γραμματευς και οι λοιποι συνεταιροι αυτων, οι Δειναιοι, οι Αφαρσαχαιοι, οι Ταρφαλαιοι, οι Αφαρσαιοι, οι Αρχεναιοι, οι Βαβυλωνιοι, οι Σουσαναχαιοι, οι Δεαυαιοι, οι Ελαμιται	9 “Rehum, the commander, and Shimshai, the scribe, and the rest of their counselors, the judges, and rulers, the officials, those from Persia, from Erech, from Babylonia, from Susa, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,
10 και οι λοιποι εκ των εθνων, τα οποια ο μεγας και ενδοξος Ασεναφαρ μετεκομισε και κατωκισεν εις τας πολεις της Σαμαρειας, και οι λοιποι οι περαν του ποταμου, και τα λοιπα.	10 and the rest of the nations, whom the great and glorious Osnappar transferred and caused to live in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the regions across the river in peace:
11 Τουτο ειναι το αντιγραφον της επιστολης, την οποιαν εστειλαν προς αυτον, προς Αρταξερξην τον βασιλεα? Οι δουλοι σου, οι ανδρες οι περαν του ποταμου, και τα λοιπα.	11 to king Artaxerxes. (This is a copy of the letter, which they sent to him.) Your servants, the men who are across the river, send a greeting.
12 Γνωστον εστω εις τον βασιλεα, οτι οι Ιουδαιοι οι αναβαντες απο σου προς ημας, ελθοντες εις Ιερουσαλημ, οικοδομουσι την πολιν, την αποστατιδα και πονηραν, και εγειρουσι τον τοιχον και συναπτουσι τα θεμελια.	12 Let it be known to the king, that the Jews, who ascended from you to us, have arrived in Jerusalem, a rebellious and most wicked city, which they are building, constructing its ramparts and repairing the walls.
13 Γνωστον εστω ηδη εις τον βασιλεα, οτι εαν η πολις αυτη οικοδομηθη και οι τοιχοι εγερθωσι, δεν θελουσι πληρωσει φορον, τελωνιον η διαγωγιον? και θελει ζημιωθη το εισοδημα των βασιλεων.	13 And now let be it known to the king, that if this city will have been built up, and its walls repaired, they will not pay tribute, nor tax, nor yearly revenues, and this loss will affect even the kings.
14 Επειδη δε τρεφομεθα απο του παλατιου, και ητο απρεπες δια ημας να βλεπωμεν την ατιμιαν του βασιλεως, δια τουτο εστειλαμεν και εγνωστοποιησαμεν προς τον βασιλεα,	14 But, remembering the salt that we have eaten in the palace, and because we are led to believe that it a crime to see the king harmed, we have therefore sent and reported to the king,
15 δια να γεινη ερευνα εν τω βιβλιω των υπομνηματων των πατερων σου? και θελεις ευρει εν τω βιβλιω των υπομνηματων και γνωρισει, οτι η πολις αυτη ειναι πολις αποστατις και ολεθριος εις τους βασιλεις και εις τας επαρχιας, και οτι εκ παλαιου χρονου εκινουν επαναστασιν εν τω μεσω αυτης, δια την οποιαν αιτιαν η πολις αυτη κατηρημωθη.	15 so that you may search in the books of the histories of your fathers, and you may find written in the records, and you may know that this city is a rebellious city, and that it is harmful to the kings and the provinces, and that wars were incited within it from the days of antiquity. For which reason also, the city itself was destroyed.
16 Γνωστοποιουμεν προς τον βασιλεα, ετι εαν η πολις αυτη ανοικοδομηθη και οι τοιχοι αυτης ανεγερθωσι, δεν θελεις εχει ουδεν μερος εις το περαν του ποταμου.	16 We report to the king that if this city will have been built, and its walls repaired, you will have no possession across the river.”
17 Ο βασιλευς απεκριθη προς τον Ρεουμ τον επαρχον και Σαμψαι τον γραμματεα και τους λοιπους συνεταιρους αυτων τους κατοικουντας εν Σαμαρεια, και τους αλλους τους περαν του ποταμου, Ειρηνη, και τα λοιπα.	17 The king sent word to Rehum, the commander, and to Shimshai, the scribe, and to the rest who were in their council, to the inhabitants of Samaria, and to the others across the river, offering a greeting and peace.
18 Η επιστολη, την οποιαν εστειλατε προς ημας, ανεγνωσθη ακριβως ενωπιον μου.	18 “The accusation, which you have sent to us, has been read aloud before me.
19 Και εξεδοθη διαταγη παρ' εμου, και ηρευνησαν και ευρηκαν οτι η πολις αυτη εκ παλαιου χρονου επαναστατει εναντιον των βασιλεων, και γινονται εν αυτη στασεις και συνωμοσιαι?	19 And it was commanded by me, and they searched and found that this city, from the days of antiquity, has rebelled against the kings, and that seditions and battles have been incited within it.
20 Υπηρξαν ετι ισχυροι βασιλεις επι Ιερουσαλημ, δεσποζοντες επι παντας τους περαν του ποταμου? και επληρονετο εις αυτους φορος, τελωνιον και διαγωγιον.	20 Then too, there have been very strong kings in Jerusalem, who also ruled over the entire region which is across the river. They have also taken tribute, and tax, and revenues.
21 Τωρα λοιπον προσταξατε να παυσωσι τους ανθρωπους εκεινους, και η πολις αυτη να μη οικοδομηθη, εωσου εκδοθη διαταγη παρ' εμου.	21 Now therefore, hear the sentence: Prohibit those men, so that this city may be not built, until perhaps there may be further orders from me.
22 Και προσεξατε να μη αμελησητε να καμητε τουτο? δια να μη αυξηθη το κακον επι ζημια των βασιλεων.	22 See to it that you are not negligent in fulfilling this, otherwise, little by little, the evil may increase against the kings.”
23 Οτε δε το αντιγραφον της επιστολης του βασιλεως Αρταξερξου ανεγνωσθη ενωπιον του Ρεουμ και Σαμψαι του γραμματεως και των συνεταιρων αυτων, ανεβησαν μετα σπουδης εις Ιερουσαλημ προς τους Ιουδαιους, και επαυσαν αυτους εν βια και μετα δυναμεως.	23 And so a copy of the edict of king Artaxerxes was read before Rehum, the commander, and Shimshai, the scribe, and their counselors. And they went away hurriedly to Jerusalem, to the Jews. And they prohibited them by force and by strength.
24 Και επαυσε το εργον του οικου του Θεου του εν Ιερουσαλημ, και εμεινε πεπαυμενον μεχρι του δευτερου ετους της βασιλειας Δαρειου του βασιλεως της Περσιας.	24 Then the work of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was interrupted, and it did not resume until the second year of the reign of Darius, the king of the Persians.