Ezra 4

NEW JERUSALEM	STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH
1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building the Temple of Yahweh,God of Israel,	1 וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ צָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן כִּי־בְנֵי הַגֹּולָה בֹּונִים הֵיכָל לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
2 they came to Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the heads of families and said, 'Let us help you build, for weresort to your God as you do and we have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria,who brought us here.'	2 וַיִּגְּשׁוּ אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶל וְאֶל־רָאשֵׁי הָאָבֹות וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָהֶם נִבְנֶה עִמָּכֶם כִּי כָכֶם נִדְרֹושׁ לֵאלֹהֵיכֶם [וְלֹא כ] (וְלֹו ׀ ק) אֲנַחְנוּ זֹבְחִים מִימֵי אֵסַר חַדֹּן מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר הַמַּעֲלֶה אֹתָנוּ פֹּה
3 Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of Israelite families replied, 'It is out of the question that youshould join us in building a Temple for our God. We shal build for Yahweh, God of Israel, on our own, as KingCyrus king of Persia has commanded us.'	3 וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם זְרֻבָּבֶל וְיֵשׁוּעַ וּשְׁאָר רָאשֵׁי הָאָבֹות לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא־לָכֶם וָלָנוּ לִבְנֹות בַּיִת לֵאלֹהֵינוּ כִּי אֲנַחְנוּ יַחַד נִבְנֶה לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ כֹּורֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ־פָּרָס
4 The people of the country then set about demoralising the people of Judah and deterring them frombuilding;	4 וַיְהִי עַם־הָאָרֶץ מְרַפִּים יְדֵי עַם־יְהוּדָה [וּמְבַלַהִים כ] (וּמְבַהֲלִים ק) אֹותָם לִבְנֹות
5 they also bribed counsellors against them to frustrate their purpose throughout the lifetime of Cyrus kingof Persia right on into the reign of Darius king of Persia.	5 וְסֹכְרִים עֲלֵיהֶם יֹועֲצִים לְהָפֵר עֲצָתָם כָּל־יְמֵי כֹּורֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס וְעַד־מַלְכוּת דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ־פָּרָס
6 In the reign of Xerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they drew up an accusation against the inhabitantsof Judah and Jerusalem.	6 וּבְמַלְכוּת אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹושׁ בִּתְחִלַּת מַלְכוּתֹו כָּתְבוּ שִׂטְנָה עַל־יֹשְׁבֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם׃ ס
7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Mithredath, Tabeel and their other associates wrote to Artaxerxes king ofPersia against Jerusalem; the text of the letter was written in Aramaic writing and dialect.	7 וּבִימֵי אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתָּא כָּתַב בִּשְׁלָם מִתְרְדָת טָבְאֵל וּשְׁאָר [כְּנָוֹתֹו כ] (כְּנָוֹתָיו ק) עַל־ [אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתָּא כ] (אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּ ק) מֶלֶךְ פָּרָס וּכְתָב הַנִּשְׁתְּוָן כָּתוּב אֲרָמִית וּמְתֻרְגָּם אֲרָמִית׃ פ
8 Then Rehum the governor and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes, denouncingJerusalem as fol ows:	8 רְחוּם בְּעֵל־טְעֵם וְשִׁמְשַׁי סָפְרָא כְּתַבוּ אִגְּרָה חֲדָה עַל־יְרוּשְׁלֶם לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא מַלְכָּא כְּנֵמָא
9 'From Rehum the governor and Shimshai the secretary and their other associates, the judges, thelegates, the Persian officials, the people of Uruk, Babylon and Susa -- that is, the Elamites-	9 אֱדַיִן רְחוּם בְּעֵל־טְעֵם וְשִׁמְשַׁי סָפְרָא וּשְׁאָר כְּנָוָתְהֹון דִּינָיֵא וַאֲפַרְסַתְכָיֵא טַרְפְּלָיֵא אֲפָרְסָיֵא [אַרְכְּוָי כ] (אַרְכְּוָיֵא ק) בָבְלָיֵא שׁוּשַׁנְכָיֵא [דִּהוּא כ] (דֶּהָיֵא ק) עֵלְמָיֵא
10 and the other peoples whom the great and il ustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the towns ofSamaria and in the rest of Transeuphrates.'	10 וּשְׁאָר אֻמַּיָּא דִּי הַגְלִי אָסְנַפַּר רַבָּא וְיַקִּירָא וְהֹותֵב הִמֹּו בְּקִרְיָה דִּי שָׁמְרָיִן וּשְׁאָר עֲבַר־נַהֲרָה וּכְעֶנֶת
11 This is the text of the letter which they sent him: 'To King Artaxerxes, from your servants the people ofTranseuphrates:	11 דְּנָה פַּרְשֶׁגֶן אִגַּרְתָּא דִּי שְׁלַחוּ עֲלֹוהִי עַל־אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא מַלְכָּא [עַבְדָיִךְ כ] (עַבְדָךְ ק) אֱנָשׁ עֲבַר־נַהֲרָה וּכְעֶנֶת׃ פ
12 'May the king now please be informed that the Jews, who have come up from you to us, have arrivedin Jerusalem and are rebuilding the rebel ious and evil city; they have begun rebuilding the wal s and are layingthe foundations;	12 יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵא לְמַלְכָּא דִּי יְהוּדָיֵא דִּי סְלִקוּ מִן־לְוָתָךְ עֲלֶינָא אֲתֹו לִירוּשְׁלֶם קִרְיְתָא מָרָדְתָּא וּבִאישְׁתָּא בָּנַיִן [וְשׁוּרַיָּ כ] (וְשׁוּרַיָּא ק) [אֶשְׁכְלִלוּ כ] (שַׁכְלִלוּ ק) וְאֻשַּׁיָּא יַחִיטוּ
13 and now the king should be informed that once this city is rebuilt and the wal s are restored, they wilrefuse to pay tribute, tax or toll, thus the king will incur a loss;	13 כְּעַן יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵא לְמַלְכָּא דִּי הֵן קִרְיְתָא דָךְ תִּתְבְּנֵא וְשׁוּרַיָּה יִשְׁתַּכְלְלוּן מִנְדָּה־בְלֹו וַהֲלָךְ לָא יִנְתְּנוּן וְאַפְּתֹם מַלְכִים תְּהַנְזִק
14 and now, because we eat the palace salt, it is not proper for us to see this affront offered to the king;we therefore send this information to the king	14 כְּעַן כָּל־קֳבֵל דִּי־מְלַח הֵיכְלָא מְלַחְנָא וְעַרְוַת מַלְכָּא לָא אֲ‍רִיךְ־לַנָא לְמֶחֱזֵא עַל־דְּנָה שְׁלַחְנָא וְהֹודַעְנָא לְמַלְכָּא
15 so that a search may be made in the archives of your ancestors: in which archives you will find andlearn that this city is a rebellious city, the bane of kings and provinces, and that sedition has been stirred upthere from ancient times; that is why this city was destroyed.	15 דִּי יְבַקַּר בִּסְפַר־דָּכְרָנַיָּא דִּי אֲבָהָתָךְ וּתְהַשְׁכַּח בִּסְפַר דָּכְרָנַיָּא וְתִנְדַּע דִּי קִרְיְתָא דָךְ קִרְיָא מָרָדָא וּמְהַנְזְקַת מַלְכִין וּמְדִנָן וְאֶשְׁתַּדּוּר עָבְדִין בְּגַוַּהּ מִן־יֹומָת עָלְמָא עַל־דְּנָה קִרְיְתָא דָךְ הָחָרְבַת
16 We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its wal s are restored, you wil soon have no territoriesleft in Transeuphrates.'	16 מְהֹודְעִין אֲנַחְנָה לְמַלְכָּא דִּי הֵן קִרְיְתָא דָךְ תִּתְבְּנֵא וְשׁוּרַיָּה יִשְׁתַּכְלְלוּן לָקֳבֵל דְּנָה חֲלָק בַּעֲבַר נַהֲרָא לָא אִיתַי לָךְ׃ פ
17 The king sent this reply: 'To Rehum the governor, to Shimshai the secretary, and to their otherassociates resident in Samaria and elsewhere in Transeuphrates: Greetings!	17 פִּתְגָמָא שְׁלַח מַלְכָּא עַל־רְחוּם בְּעֵל־טְעֵם וְשִׁמְשַׁי סָפְרָא וּשְׁאָר כְּנָוָתְהֹון דִּי יָתְבִין בְּשָׁמְרָיִן וּשְׁאָר עֲבַר־נַהֲרָה שְׁלָם וּכְעֶת׃ ס
18 'And now, the document which you sent us has been accurately translated for me,	18 נִשְׁתְּוָנָא דִּי שְׁלַחְתּוּן עֲלֶינָא מְפָרַשׁ קֱרִי קָדָמָי
19 and by my orders search has been made, and it has been found that this city has rebel ed against thekings in the past and that revolt and sedition have been contrived in it;	19 וּמִנִּי שִׂים טְעֵם וּבַקַּרוּ וְהַשְׁכַּחוּ דִּי קִרְיְתָא דָךְ מִן־יֹומָת עָלְמָא עַל־מַלְכִין מִתְנַשְּׂאָה וּמְרַד וְאֶשְׁתַּדּוּר מִתְעֲבֶד־בַּהּ
20 and that powerful kings have reigned in Jerusalem, governing the whole of Transeuphrates andexacting tribute, tax and tol ;	20 וּמַלְכִין תַּקִּיפִין הֲוֹו עַל־יְרוּשְׁלֶם וְשַׁלִּיטִין בְּכֹל עֲבַר נַהֲרָה וּמִדָּה בְלֹו וַהֲלָךְ מִתְיְהֵב לְהֹון
21 now give orders for these men to cease work; this city is not to be rebuilt until I give the order.	21 כְּעַן שִׂימוּ טְּעֵם לְבַטָּלָא גֻּבְרַיָּא אִלֵּךְ וְקִרְיְתָא דָךְ לָא תִתְבְּנֵא עַד־מִנִּי טַעְמָא יִתְּשָׂם
22 Beware of acting negligently in this matter. Why should the harm grow, to endanger the king?'	22 וּזְהִירִין הֱוֹו שָׁלוּ לְמֶעְבַּד עַל־דְּנָה לְמָה יִשְׂגֵּא חֲבָלָא לְהַנְזָקַת מַלְכִין׃ ס
23 As soon as the text of King Artaxerxes' document had been read to Rehum the governor, Shimshai thesecretary and their associates, they hurried to the Jews in Jerusalem and stopped their work by force of arms.	23 אֱדַיִן מִן־דִּי פַּרְשֶׁגֶן נִשְׁתְּוָנָא דִּי [אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתָּא כ] (אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּ ק) מַלְכָּא קֱרִי קֳדָם־רְחוּם וְשִׁמְשַׁי סָפְרָא וּכְנָוָתְהֹון אֲזַלוּ בִבְהִילוּ לִירוּשְׁלֶם עַל־יְהוּדָיֵא וּבַטִּלוּ הִמֹּו בְּאֶדְרָע וְחָיִל׃ ס
24 Work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem then ceased, and was discontinued until the second year ofthe reign of Darius King of Persia.	24 בֵּאדַיִן בְּטֵלַת עֲבִידַת בֵּית־אֱלָהָא דִּי בִּירוּשְׁלֶם וַהֲוָת בָּטְלָא עַד שְׁנַת תַּרְתֵּין לְמַלְכוּת דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ־פָּרָס׃ פ