Esdras 4

BIBLIA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Cuando los enemigos de Judá y de Benjamín se enteraron de que los deportados estaban edificando un santuario a Yahveh, Dios de Israel,	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 se presentaron a Zorobabel, a Josué y a los cabezas de familia, y les dijeron: «Vamos a edificar junto con vosotros, porque, como vosotros, buscamos a vuestro Dios y le sacrificamos, desde los tiempos de Asarjaddón, rey de Asiria, que nos trajo aquí».	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 Zorobabel, Josué y los restantes cabezas de familia israelitas les contestaron: «No podemos edificar juntos nosotros y vosotros una Casa a nuestro Dios: a nosotros solos nos toca construir para Yahveh, Dios de Israel, como nos lo ha mandado Ciro, rey de Persia».	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 Entonces el pueblo de la tierra se puso a desanimar al pueblo de Judá y a meterles miedo para que no siguiesen edificando;	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 y sobornaron contra ellos a algunos consejeros para hacer fracasar su proyecto; así durante todo el tiempo de Ciro, rey de Persia, hasta el reinado de Darío, rey de Persia.	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 Bajo el reinado de Jerjes, al comienzo de su reinado, presentaron ellos por escrito una denuncia contra los habitantes de Judá y Jerusalén.	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 En tiempo de Artajerjes, Mitrídates, Tabeel y demás colegas suyos escribieron contra Jerusalén a Artajerjes, rey de Persia. El texto del documento estaba en escritura aramea y en lengua aramea.	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 Rejum, gobernador, y Simsay, secretario, escribieron al rey Artajerjes contra Jerusalén una carta.	8 Rehum, the commander, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote one letter from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, in this manner:
9 Rejum el gobernador, Simsay el secretario y demás colegas; los jueces y los legados, funcionarios persas; las gentes de Uruk, de Babilonia y de Susa - es decir los elamitas -	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 y los restantes pueblos que el gran Asurbanipal deportó y estableció en las ciudades de Samaría y en el resto de Transeufratina.	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 Esta es la copia de la carta que le enviaron: «Al rey Artajerjes, tus servidores, las gentes de Transeufratina, etc.	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 Ha de saber el rey que los judíos que subieron de tu lado hacia nosotros y llegaron a Jerusalén están reconstruyendo esta ciudad rebelde y perversa; tratan de levantar las murallas, y ya han echado los cimientos.	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 Sepa, pues, el rey, que si esta ciudad se reconstruye y se levantan sus murallas, no se pagarán más impuestos, contribución ni peaje, y al fin esta ciudad perjudicará a los reyes.	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 Ahora bien, a nosotros, puesto que comemos la sal del palacio, nos resulta intolerable ver esta afrenta que se hace al rey; por eso enviamos al rey esta denuncia,	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 para que se investigue en las Memorias de tus padres: en estas Memorias encontrarás y te enterarás de que esta ciudad es una ciudad rebelde, molesta para los reyes y las provincias, y que en ella se han fomentado insurrecciones desde antiguo. Por este motivo fue destruida esta ciudad.	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 Nosotros informamos al rey que, si esta ciudad se reconstruye y se levantan sus murallas, bien pronto ya no tendrás más territorios en Transeufratina».	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 El rey envió esta respuesta: «A Rejum, gobernador, a Simsay, secretario, y a los restantes colegas residentes en Samaría y demás lugares en Transeufratina, paz, etc.	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 «El documento que nos habéis enviado ha sido traducido y leído en mi presencia.	18 “The accusation, which you have sent to us, has been read aloud before me.
19 Di orden de que se investigase, y se ha encontrado que esta ciudad se ha venido rebelando contra los reyes desde antiguo, y que por ella se han fomentado revueltas e insurrecciones.	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 Que hubo en Jerusalén reyes poderosos, cuyo dominio se extendía sobre toda Transeufratina: se les pagaba impuestos, contribuciones y peaje.	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 Ordenad, pues, que se interrumpa la empresa de esos hombres: esa ciudad no debe ser reconstruida hasta nueva orden.	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 Guardaos de actuar con negligencia en este asunto, no sea que el mal aumente en perjuicio de los reyes».	22 See to it that you are not negligent in fulfilling this, otherwise, little by little, the evil may increase against the kings.”
23 En cuanto la copia del documento del rey Artajerjes fue leída ante Rejum, el gobernador, Simsay, el secretario , y sus colegas, salieron a toda prisa hacia Jerusalén, donde los judíos, y les obligaron a suspender sus obras por la fuerza de las armas.	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 Así se suspendieron las obras de la Casa de Dios en Jerusalén: quedaron interrumpidas hasta el año segundo del reinado de Darío, rey de Persia.	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.